Ravens Bluff
Encyclopedia
Raven's Bluff is a fictional location in the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
(1989) covers the background and history of Ravens Bluff, with descriptions of numerous locations and personalities; the shops and personalities in the book were all designed by RPGA
members.
Ravens Bluff was the subject of a 1998 publication, The City of Ravens Bluff, by TSR
, Inc.
, notable for high population density. Raven's Bluff is home to one of Faerûn's only magical item
shops.
decided to allow gamers all around the country (and world) to play in a single campaign where everyone could create changes in a dynamic world. In essence it was to create the largest single RPG campaign(s). The first such Living campaign
was the Living City, set in Ravens Bluff. Ravens Bluff was for many years home to the RPGA's Living City role-playing campaign and the site of the Living City series of game modules. The campaign was first proposed by then-RPGA Coordinator Penny Petticord in Polyhedron issue #25, and over the course of the next few months was brought to life. The membership voted on a name, originally chosen as another name. Due to copyright issues, that name was changed to Ravens Bluff. When Petticord left, she was replaced by Jean Rabe, who officially helped launch the Living City articles in Polyhedron magazine. The first Living City Adventure appeared at the GenCon Game Fair in 1987, and slowly more and more articles appeared in Polyhedron Magazine through the years. The campaign ran in its original form in Polyhedron
magazine starting in the mid-1980s, and by the 1990s the campaign was steadily gaining steam. In the Mid-to-late '90s, Living City reached its heyday, with typically 100 modules, almost all written by members, being released yearly. The campaign began running High-Level adventures (for characters of 8th level or higher, in 1999. The campaign continued until shortly after the advent of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons
(D&D) in 2000. It then restarted under the auspices of the company Organized Play, but lasted only two years under that license and then reverted in 2003 to Wizards of the Coast
. At the GenCon Game Fair in 2004, the final Living City adventures were run, using the newly published D&D 3.5 rules, and the campaign officially ended at the end of that year.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Publication history
Gateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living CityGateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living City
Gateway to Ravens Bluff, The Living City is an adventure module published in 1989 for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
(1989) covers the background and history of Ravens Bluff, with descriptions of numerous locations and personalities; the shops and personalities in the book were all designed by RPGA
RPGA
The RPGA , is part of the organized play arm of Wizards of the Coast that organizes and sanctions role-playing games worldwide, principally under the d20 system...
members.
Ravens Bluff was the subject of a 1998 publication, The City of Ravens Bluff, by TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, Inc.
Description
Ravens Bluff is the largest city in The Vast, a loosely conferederated region in FaerûnFaerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
, notable for high population density. Raven's Bluff is home to one of Faerûn's only magical item
Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...
shops.
The Living City
The RPGARPGA
The RPGA , is part of the organized play arm of Wizards of the Coast that organizes and sanctions role-playing games worldwide, principally under the d20 system...
decided to allow gamers all around the country (and world) to play in a single campaign where everyone could create changes in a dynamic world. In essence it was to create the largest single RPG campaign(s). The first such Living campaign
Living campaigns
Living Campaigns are a gaming format within the table-top role-playing game community that provide the opportunity for play by an extended community within a shared universe...
was the Living City, set in Ravens Bluff. Ravens Bluff was for many years home to the RPGA's Living City role-playing campaign and the site of the Living City series of game modules. The campaign was first proposed by then-RPGA Coordinator Penny Petticord in Polyhedron issue #25, and over the course of the next few months was brought to life. The membership voted on a name, originally chosen as another name. Due to copyright issues, that name was changed to Ravens Bluff. When Petticord left, she was replaced by Jean Rabe, who officially helped launch the Living City articles in Polyhedron magazine. The first Living City Adventure appeared at the GenCon Game Fair in 1987, and slowly more and more articles appeared in Polyhedron Magazine through the years. The campaign ran in its original form in Polyhedron
Polyhedron (magazine)
Polyhedron was a magazine which started out as the official publication of the RPGA . Publication began in the year 1981, and the target audience was players of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
magazine starting in the mid-1980s, and by the 1990s the campaign was steadily gaining steam. In the Mid-to-late '90s, Living City reached its heyday, with typically 100 modules, almost all written by members, being released yearly. The campaign began running High-Level adventures (for characters of 8th level or higher, in 1999. The campaign continued until shortly after the advent of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
(D&D) in 2000. It then restarted under the auspices of the company Organized Play, but lasted only two years under that license and then reverted in 2003 to Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
. At the GenCon Game Fair in 2004, the final Living City adventures were run, using the newly published D&D 3.5 rules, and the campaign officially ended at the end of that year.