Way back in December of 2022 was the last numbered PotRP Design Diary entry. I knew writing a Weird West RPG would be a (necessary) distraction, but wow did things go off course. This is the start of getting back on track with this project and wrapping it up.
When I started Princess of the Red Planet I thought writing it chapter by chapter in sync with the novel would be a good approach. It wasn't. But it was good for doing research and collecting the notes needed to make the adventure. A location by location approach, like all adventures, is the right way to structure this module.
With that obvious observation out of the way, here is the current breakdown of the location chapters of the adventure:
ARIZONA SECTION
- Arizona Hills
- Claim Site
- Apache Camp
- Mysterious Cave
BARSOOM SECTION
- Dead Sea Bottom
- Thark
- Warhoon
- Korad
- Zodanga
- Helium
- Atmosphere Factory
These locations will still be presented as sandboxes, so each is an adventure area, not a railroad.
Arizona Hills
The location of the Arizona portion of the story is somewhat vague in the novel.
John Carter mentions:
“We were camped near the old gold mine in the Arizona hills not far from the Rio Colorado...”
— A Princess of Mars, Chapter 1
The Rio Colorado has two major tributaries—one on the western side of the state and one on the northern side. However, the Apache were located in the central and south eastern region of Arizona. Some commentators have suggested the White Mountains as the setting, but this doesn’t quite align with the story’s geography.
I prefer to place the events in Aravaipa Valley, where all the features mentioned in the novel are present. It’s also the location of Fort Grant, where Edgar Rice Burroughs was stationed during his brief military service.
Ultimately, the GM can place the western portion of the adventure wherever they choose within the Southwest.
Next week I'll talk about the Claim Site.
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