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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AtomicPope" data-source="post: 8379959" data-attributes="member: 64790">Remember, this is a world with magic and monsters so the standard high tech vs low tech doesn't apply here.  What we're really talking about is culture, and at the forefront must be magic and monsters (and gods, angels, devils, et al), and how these things integrate into their society.  One of the aspects I loved about Greyhawk was, considering D&D's creators and early developers built that world out of their own campaigns, it built societies that worked within the Vancian system.  The Free City of Greyhawk was a trade city located near hills rich in gems and silver.  Makes sense that some of the finest Wizard colleges would be there.  And with lots of trade, the most powerful Thieves' Guilds would be there as well.   Country folk of the Yeomanry follow the Old Ways as Druids ensure their people and crops live in harmony with nature.  Plenty of examples to choose from, and a people's way of life is often tied to a Deity or a pantheon of similar Deities, or tragically to a demon, dragon, or other monster. From very early on I saw D&D differently because of this, never really seeing a people or way as "weak" or "strong" but distinct.  There was a sense that greatness rose and fell on the shoulders of great leaders and belonged to a special time and place.  As a DM, I find it's much easier to show the strength and weakness of a culture through the people the PCs interact with.  Think of the Lord of the Rings when they visit Rohan, and King Theoden is under the spell of Saruman and Grima Wormtongue.  These are problems PCs can solve, and should solve.  In this regard I've structured campaigns around the rise and fall of people, empires, and their leaders.   The power vacuum begs for PCs to come in and save them.  In my, now epic, campaign the PCs eventually cleared out a mining city of undead and became proper lords of the region, one of them marrying into a farming barony.  They've had years IRL dealing with infernals, fey, giants, dragons, and even a few gods, and with their connections found it easy to set up Warlock colleges.  Hexblades of the Raven Queen and Pact of the Chain for the Cat Lord were constructed in the two baronies.  Their worlds grew with magic and power but remained essentially the same as far as their cultures (both human baronies).  The PCs were the driving force behind it.In my campaign the same goes for Elven societies, and pigeon-holing Elves makes for easy world building. High Elves have a magocracy while Wood Elves have a heirophancy.  There are derivations from these themes but the nuisance is more then backstory and the culture.  Are they more warlike?  Are they mercantile?  We can build a lot of interactive roleplaying behind these nuances.  D&D is NOT a classroom.  Don't create a society that PCs cannot interact with or has problems they can't solve.  If you do then you're missing the point.  Don't focus on creating problems or stories you players can't get involved with.  If you're creating a society then tie problems to people, creatures, bad pacts/contracts, and of course monsters.  The PCs are the heroes who can slay those monsters, take down those crooked organizations, remove the wicked, and right the wrongs to heal the people and the land.  Even if that day isn't today, give them a perspective to know that they could do it one day.</blockquote>

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