Hi all,

I'm prepping to run 'The Gathering Storm' and I expect my party to get to Stromdorf next session. Problem is, the map doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

The characters can travel my boat or road from Ubersreik to Stromdorf according to the adventure. But the text under 'Roads' on p.16 states that "The road from Ubersreik follows the Teufel north to Auerswald and beyond, bypassing Stromdorf. That description makes the most sense to me. However, the map at the back of the book shows that the road from Ubersreik crosses the west Bridge and forces travellers to go through Stromdorf on the way to Auerswald!

I really want to fix this, with a goal of matching the text (road from Ubersreik to Auerswald.) But that opens a bigger can of worms: what about the road from Nuln to Auerswald on the opposite side of the Tuefel? It wouldn't make much sense (I don't think) to have a road on each bank. Or maybe it does...

But, if I remove the West Bridge (or even relocate it), it will affect the layout of Stromdoft itself... it would no longer need 3 gates, it would just need 2.

Another option is to treat the quoted text as incorrect and the road from Ubersreik does go through Stromdorf. I'll just need to emphasize that no one tarries because of the weather. And trade from Auerswald to Nuln can bypass Stromdorf, so the only travellers that the latter will see will be those travelling between Ubersreik and Auerswald... and most of those take a boat as described.

So, maybe it's no big deal. But I infer from the text in the book (that states the road bypasses Stromdorf) that the West Bridge should not be there and it seems like Stromdorf's backwater status would be better justified if travellers to or from Ubersreik did not have to pass through as the map depicts.

Anyone have a way of addressing this?

Yeah that's a sticky point.

One way is to say "shows how reliable maps are (not)."

I found a post where someone else expresed similar concerns:

http://www.livingcardgame.org/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=151&efcid=3&efidt=286812&efpag=0

I don't mind that they changed the geography too much, other than the ripple effect it causes. Older maps show Auerswald at the confluenece of the Tuefel and the Ober... where is it now? The Gathering Storm map states its 25 miles north, but there's no other river joinings along the Tuefel. Fortunately, I can't mind anything about Auerswald, so I don't think it matters if it's at a river junction or not.

The other odd thing islooking at the original Reikland map in Death on the Reik (DotR)is that a river joins the Tuefel 40 miles north or Ubersreik and 25 miles south of Auerswald. That could be the Tranig (unlabelled at the time.) Stormdorf could have fit perfectly there without altering the surrounding geography. To me, the change is inexplicable.

So, now we have an change that was unnecessary that also doesn't match it's intended purpose (Stromdorf is supposed to be bypassable yet the Gathering Storm map makes it a crossroads.) I think I may make a copy of the relevant DotR map and alter the geography myself to put Stormdorf in that spot between Ubersreik and Auerswald.