I got a semi working mock up of the site viewable at: http://www.dndworlds.net/
Don't forget to do something about the account-specific menu bar
(Edit Avatar--> Edit Your Details Edit Options Miscellaneous Private Messages Subscribed Threads Your Profile Who's Online
Your Notifications
Go to Page...) etc. For me this appears as a hodgepodge of unformatted text above the recent threads box.

I like the map as the background.

What is the pale thing behind the major headings (Home Forum Wiki Portals Downloads)? Is it shadowing gone wrong?