Campaign Setting Info: What do I still need...

[Remathilis]

Ok, I'm developing (as a part-time project) a campaign setting. Its RAW for the most part, focusing on a single kingdom and the environs around it.

I'm working on a full-fledged campaign setting document, full of fluffy goodness. So this is my question...

What should I include?

I have (so far)
* Races (common races on the area)
* Classes (which classes and how they fit)
* Map (See it here: MAP )
* Politics (general poliical overview)
* The Land (Geography, climate)
* Magic (and how it fits in)
* Reccomened PrC
* Languages
* Organizations
* Calandar
* Monsters (specfiics on imp monsters)
* Legends/Rumors
* General History

Anything else I should be including?

 

[RSKennan]

That is a Damn fine map, even without text.

I'd say the only thing that jumps out at me (and it could be just a preference) is a cultural section. IMO, this would go beyond history and politics, into the mindsets of the people.

"these guys hate their gods, and worship them out of fear,which is part of the reason they never fought back when the clerics of Whoozit came in to take over in the year..."

 

[Doug McCrae]

Gods and religions, though maybe those are covered by the RAW and your organisation section, respectively.

 

[Remathilis]

D'Oh! Religion...

Culture is a good thing too. Adding those both.

 

[RSKennan]

d'oh from me too.... I missed that.

 

[Ry]

Good list, but I'll recommend the following (whether you stat 'em or not):

Ten or Twenty most important people (that everyone from peasants on up know about): i.e. Kings, Dukes, Great Wizards, the Church Hierarch, The Dragon of the Western Wilds.

Ten most important people (that very few know about, and certainly not peasants) -
i.e. Liches, Shapeshifted dragons, Low-profile wizards, Thieves Guild heads, and key court power-brokers (think ambassadors - peasants just have no idea about them)

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Just write it, you'll see what you feel is missing when you do that.

Also, don't include things because you feel a need to include them. If it doesn't fit in your world, don't add it. A campaign world that spends 20 pages talking about clothes and customs is every bit as valid as one that spends 20 pages talking about monsters and treasure. They're just campaigns with different flavor.



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One thing I discovered with Murchad's Legacy is that it is easy to overplan. Getting the words on paper is job #1.

Also, look what's out there already. There's lots of resources that are very good and will really help you. In my case I spent about six months researching mideval societies and wondering how magic would affect them. Then, after I'm done, Joe and Suzi go ahead and write Magical Mideval Society: Western Europe a great book that did all that work for me. Between Expidious Retreat Press and Creative Mountian Games a campaign writer has a ton of excellent stuff to draw from.

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By the way, I like the map you selected. A pet peeve of mine is "map sized maps": maps that have landmasses that pretty much occupy a standard sheet of paper. Another pet peeve is world histories with thousand year gaps in them. Drives me buggo.

 

[Faraer]

Ed Greenwood's summary from a worldbuilding workshop he has run have been posted here (a third of the way down the page).

 

[Storminator]

I would come up with a condensed version of the info that you can give to players. Or perhaps a series of digestable chunks. Make sure your players can use all the info you create.

PS

 

[Harold as a Verb]

A "META" section?

* Although you've said the campaign is RAW for the most part, this is the section where I'd state the houserules that haven't been mentioned in the other categories you've specified. Even if your players are familiar with what the group usually has in the way of houserules it can be good to have them covered explicitly for reference, especially in a wholly new campaign. If you are planning on introducing something mechanically quite new, or something old but handled in a new way mechanically, then this is where I'd put it in black and white.
e.g. Action Points; like we used in the one-shot last month, only [....]

* Generalised party- and character-"build" advice based on aspects of the campaign which players might not have fully grokked from the world-details you've given them.
e.g.s:
Undead are relatively rare, potential clerics/paladins please note.
Social encounters will likely encompass the fullest range of society (rich/poor, law/free, common/noble) and the races mentioned in the Race Section (but remember Dwarves are rare!); the party would do well to ensure it has decent coverage of the appropriate skills (and languages) to take best advantage, etc.