The Western Horizon
A Framework for Collaborative West Marches Campaigns
Version 0.1 — Draft
The Western Horizon is a framework for running collaborative West Marches campaigns where the world is built reactively—generated in response to player intent rather than pre-planned.
Instead of preparing a full world in advance, you create content when players declare what they want to explore. "I want to investigate the ruins in the swamp" triggers the creation of those ruins, which then become permanent canon for all players.
Framework Sections
Overview
Core philosophy, design principles, and systems overview.
I. Session Zero
Charting the Horizon — establishing your campaign's foundation.
I-A. Player Guide
The Player's Compass — expectations, character creation, and proactive play.
II. Settlements
Creating towns, cities, and population centers.
III. Wilderness
Beyond the Horizon — terrain, discoveries, and travel.
IV. Dungeons
What Lies Beneath — adventure sites and ruins.
V. Quest Prep
The Guild at Work — preparing content from player intent.
VI. Running Sessions
At the Table — procedures for play and recording.
VII. Guild Archive
Maintaining the living wiki of campaign knowledge.
Appendices
Oracle tables, quick reference, and source systems.
Design Blog
Behind the scenes — design challenges, iterations, and the thinking behind the framework.
Getting Started
New to The Western Horizon? Start with the Overview to understand the core philosophy, then proceed to Session Zero to begin your campaign.
Begin Reading →