Secomber Redux

RPG

20+ years ago I created some maps for Secomber, a small town in the Forgotten Realms. I didn't pick the place at random. I selected it because it is known, but not well documented allowing the DM lots of freedom, and it's close to lots of interesting places.

I'm planning to revisit the old document and expand on it, so in preparation I googled a bit...

Variations

To my surprise (well, not entirely 😁) I found several 'variations' on my original map... That it's originally mine isn't always mentioned (the thieves 😏) but I hope they enjoyed it nevertheless, as that was its primary purpose.

Here's my original map:

Click on any of those images to view a higher resolution version (if available).

There's an old PDF document that identifies some of the locales, and adds some (non-official) lore: Secomber.

And yes. These maps were hand drawn.

Update

I've re-scanned all drawings, and you can find those here.

Areas of Interest

I've never seen an official version (though Ed Greenwood may have created one once), only fan made versions.

As we're all basing our maps on the original description of the area by TSR / WOTC / Ed Greenwood, these maps obviously will resemble one another somewhat. But... unless my memory fails me, none of the descriptions mentioned docks, nor a tear shaped island, nor a flooded area to the south... Here's my map, with some areas of interest marked up.

I don't mind that other people use my original map, but a mention of the source would have been nice, at least when they suggest it's theirs...

Alternative take

Here's an example of someone else who drew up a map based on exactly the same information that I had, and his take is clearly different:

Three hills. A bridge and a port, aaaaaaand... that's about it 😁

Let's check out some other maps and lessee what they did to my song -- I mean map 😏

Ish_Joker

On Reddit I found this one:

Looking at the details it's based on mine, definitely.

This version is apparently made by Ish_Joker on behalf of someone else (perhaps the person in this thread?) but it's my map for sure. He got pretty much everything right, and expanded a bit on the Slush area. Some buildings like the keep have been worked out in more detail, but it is closer to my original than I thought would be possible.

Would be nice if the original creator was mentioned, but alas 😏 To be fair, he does mention it's based on input from someone else, and that someone else provided him with the original hand sketch. Can't blame him there.

A new addition is the 'Abandoned Mage Tower Island'. Hmmm... gonna' steal that idea.

And beyond that, it is a very nice map!

Update

I chatted with the creator, and unfortunately he no longer has the full high res version of that map. Oh well, maybe one day his client will stumble over this post, and share the final version with me 😁

Liffeburgh

But the tale doesn't end there... Part of that map was recycled into Lifferburgh (look carefully, there's The Dip, The Circle etc., but of course in this incarnation it's a place that isn't Secomber as it's completely landlocked. Alternate realities and parallel universes and such, I guess 😇

Martelo Schwarz

Okay, next one. (Also here.) This one is from a (semi) commercial product it seems. It isn't identical, but I have no doubt where the artist got his inspiration from. The tear? Present. The Dip? Present. The Flood? Present. The Docks? Present.

I didn't detail the Slush area at the left bottom and I had no little island near The Floods, so I think the creator took the Secomber version from Ish_Joker above, and used that as a basis. Yes, he made a few changes to the source material, but as there are no descriptions of Secomber in such detail it clearly still is based on the original.

It would have been nice if the author would have mentioned the source and shared a copy of his work with me, especially as it ended up in a commercial product, it seems:

This map was published as part of Bugbear Awakening at https://www.dmsguild.com/product/419321/Bugbear-Awakening

Visit me at https://www.marteloschwarz.com/ to find out more about what I am doing. 

I left him a message. The reply will be interesting.

Update

Well, he gave me a copy of his module for free, and I do appreciate that. I'm not sure if free stuff can be used inside commercial stuff, making it effectively no longer free stuff, but I'm not really bothered by it myself.

Oakthorne Wiki

I think this is a private Wiki, and yeah, there's Secomber! And The Tear. The three hills. The Docks.

Looks very familiar, doesn't it? 😏

Newfoundland Scott

At first glance this version is different, until you notice The Tear, the Docks, and especially The Dip. (There's no 'Dip' or 'Tear' in any of the TSR / WOTC material, those are my own inventions.)

Hey! And I spot the remnants of The Gold Bridge... Let's call it simply inspired? There's the 'Abandoned Mage Tower Island', so I guess it's another Ish_Joker descendant.

Faerun Legends

This one differs a bit more, but again there are certain similarities... or it could just be coincidence. Great minds think alike etcetera, though the docks look familiar, and it is named Secomber... Let's call it inspired then 😏

Mislaid Realms

If only to prove that drawings based on the same source shouldn't be sharing such specific elements:

Ruskies going Chinese

The Chinese have a reputation for ripping and copying everything, but the Ruskies are no slouches either. Here's most of my stuff with some additions.

Well, maybe I can borrow some ideas to enhance my own document? And yes, everything I steal will be credited -- if I can remember who to credit it to 😂

Update

Looking for a better scan of the original drawings? Go here.

Dear Ed...

I wonder if I could talk Ed Greenwood into sharing his original map with me... Ed, if you're reading this... Just for educational purposes 😏

More

• All Secomber related posts
• The original PDF
• All the maps re-scanned