The Frontier#
Where Civilization Meets the Unknown#
🤠 About This Location#
The Frontier is where the known world ends and wild possibility begins—a region of untamed lands, bold pioneers, and dangers both mundane and otherworldly. Here, the rules of civilization are suggestions at best, and survival depends on quick wits, quicker draws, and knowing when to run.
Type: Frontier Territory / Wild Lands
Region: Material Plane (Edge Territories)
Status: Lawless (Mostly)
Known For: Opportunity, danger, freedom, gunfights, mysterious discoveries, people running from their past
🎭 What Players Will Encounter#
The Atmosphere#
When your party ventures into The Frontier, they’ll find:
🌵 Untamed Wilderness
- Vast expanses where maps are unreliable
- Natural wonders alongside unnatural horrors
- Towns appearing and disappearing like mirages
- The land itself holds secrets
🔫 Frontier Justice
- Law is what people agree it is (until they don’t)
- Disputes settled with words, fists, or lead
- Sheriffs and marshals trying to impose order
- Outlaws who prefer chaos
🎪 Larger-Than-Life Characters
- Everyone has a story (true or not)
- Reputations built on deeds and legends
- Con artists, showmen, and genuine heroes
- You never know which is which
Current Situation#
The Frontier is experiencing:
- Rapid expansion as settlers push into unknown territories
- Strange phenomena that have locals spooked
- Power struggles between different factions
- Opportunities for those brave or foolish enough
**⚠️ DM Note**: The Frontier is where the weird Western meets D&D. Embrace the genre mixing—it's what makes this location unique.
👥 Notable Figures#
Law & Authority#
Marshal Eliza Kane#
Role: Law Enforcer
Jurisdiction: Wherever she says it is
A marshal trying to bring order to chaos with nothing but determination, a badge, and exceptional aim.
Key Info:
- One of few legitimate authority figures
- Respected even by those she hunts
- Has a personal stake in maintaining order
- More dangerous than she appears
The Powerful#
Baron Blackthorn#
Role: Wealthy Landowner & Power Broker
Status: “Legitimate” Businessman
Controls more of The Frontier than he officially admits. His influence reaches everywhere, his methods are questionable, his money is real.
Key Info:
- Major employer and power player
- Appears civilized and refined
- Ruthless when necessary
- Has secrets worth killing for
The Dangerous#
Angel Eye#
Role: Gunslinger / Bounty Hunter
Reputation: Legendary (and earned)
Known by reputation before name. When Angel Eye arrives, someone’s about to have a very bad day.
Key Info:
- Fastest gun in The Frontier (possibly)
- Works for highest bidder (usually)
- Has a code (mysterious)
- Past is murky, present is deadly
The Eccentric#
Professor Thinkwistle#
Role: Inventor & Researcher
Specialty: Mad Science (the good kind. Mostly.)
Brings modern innovation to frontier reality. Results are unpredictable, explosive, or both.
Key Info:
- Genius inventor of questionable sanity
- Creations are revolutionary or catastrophic
- Eager to test new inventions (volunteers welcome!)
- Knows more about planar mechanics than seems normal
The Showmen#
Red Jack The Showman#
Role: Entertainer & Information Broker
Business: Red Jack’s Traveling Show
Where entertainment meets espionage. His shows draw crowds, his ear catches secrets, his network spreads information.
Key Info:
- Runs the most popular traveling show
- Knows everyone’s business
- Master of misdirection and theatrics
- More influential than a showman should be
🗺️ Key Locations#
Stormwood#
The closest thing to a proper town. Has a sheriff, a saloon, and pretensions of civilization.
The Badlands#
Lawless territory where only the strong or clever survive.
Baron’s Landing#
Blackthorn’s private domain. Opulent, fortified, and full of secrets.
The Wastes#
Strange lands where reality gets… flexible. Avoid unless desperate.
Professor’s Workshop#
Where mad science happens. Approach with caution and insurance.
The Show Grounds#
Where Red Jack’s troupe sets up. Entertainment and information in equal measure.
📜 What Your Party Needs to Know#
Survival Tips#
- Respect the Draw: Gun culture is serious business
- Watch Your Reputation: Word travels fast out here
- Don’t Trust Maps: Landmarks move, towns vanish
- Make Local Allies: You’ll need help eventually
- Question Everything: Not everything is what it seems
Opportunities Abound#
The Frontier offers chances for:
- Wealth: Claims, discoveries, opportunities
- Freedom: From past lives, from rules, from consequences
- Adventure: Around every dusty corner
- Reinvention: Become who you claim to be
- Discovery: Of mysteries better left buried
Campaign Connections#
The Frontier links to the larger story through:
- Planar anomalies: The Wastes are getting weirder
- Ancient artifacts: Buried in forgotten places
- Hidden knowledge: Professor Thinkwistle’s research
- Power plays: Blackthorn’s schemes have far-reaching implications
- Information network: Red Jack knows things he shouldn’t
🎲 Running Frontier Sessions#
Tone & Atmosphere#
Themes: Freedom, opportunity, danger, reinvention
Mood: Adventurous with undercurrents of menace
Feel: Like a Western that wandered into a D&D campaign (in the best way)
Genre Mix:
- Western shootouts with magic
- Frontier justice meets divine intervention
- Mad science alongside ancient mysteries
- Saloon fights that end with fireballs
Encounter Types#
- Showdowns: Classic face-offs with dramatic tension
- Heists: Robbery, rescue, or retrieval operations
- Mysteries: Strange phenomena need investigating
- Survival: Against nature, outlaws, and worse
- Social: Navigating frontier politics and reputation
Setting the Scene#
Make it feel like:
- Wide open spaces and claustrophobic danger
- Freedom and lawlessness in equal measure
- Modern innovation meeting ancient magic
- A place where anything can happen (and usually does)
🎯 Adventure Hooks#
Potential Storylines#
- The Baron’s Bid: Blackthorn hires you for a job. What’s he really after?
- Marshal’s Manhunt: Help Kane track dangerous fugitives
- Duel at Dawn: Someone challenges you. Honor demands satisfaction.
- Professor’s Folly: Thinkwistle’s experiment went wrong (again)
- The Show Must Go On: Red Jack needs security/performers/both
- Ghost Town: A settlement vanished. Find out why (and if it’s really gone)
- Wasteland Expedition: Explore the strange lands. Try to come back sane.
- Gold Rush: Strike it rich or die trying
- Angel Eye’s Target: You’re being hunted. Or hired. Maybe both.
**🎭 For Players**: The Frontier rewards boldness, creativity, and adaptation. Your past doesn't matter here—only what you do next. Make your legend.
**💡 For DMs**: Lean into the Western genre conventions while adding D&D twists. A saloon brawl is better with a wild magic sorcerer. A train robbery is more exciting when the train flies. Have fun with it!
“Out here, you can be anyone. Most people choose to be dangerous.”
— Marshal Eliza Kane
“The Frontier doesn’t care about your destiny. It just wants to know if you can shoot straight.”
— Unknown gunslinger, shortly before proving they could not