How do you design your campaign setting?

[howandwhy99]

==> Forked from "Question for the Old Schoolers"

I'm an OD&D aficionado, but I like to read a lot of the older publications for inspiration and insight into the game. So I'm rereading many of the older books albeit in a new light. How Forgotten Realms has changed and how it was and is designed was a topic in the above thread and it reminded me of a quote from the AD&D DMG. It's how I design my own homebrew campaigns, a kind of organic growth throughout play. I use a number of other details as well (like civilized lands as dungeons), but here is the quote for reference:

"The general idea is to develop a dungeon of multiple levels, and the deeper adventurers go, the more difficult the challenges become - fiercer monsters, more deadly traps, more confusing mazes, and so forth. This same concept applies to areas outdoors as well, with more and terrible monsters occurring more frequently the further one goes away from civilization. Many variations on dungeon and wilderness areas are possible. One can build an underground complex where distance away from the entry point approximates depth, or it can be in a mountain where adventurers work upwards. Outdoor adventurers can be in a ruined city or a town which seems normal, but is under a curse, or virtually anything which you can imagine and then develop into a playable situation for your campaign participants."

So, how do you design your homebrew campaign settings?
What do you look for in published settings? - to run whole or piecemeal to your homebrew?
What makes a fun campaign setting for you? - As a DM? - As a Player?
What are some examples of great campaign setting design?

 

[[OMENRPG]Ben]

Homebrew campaign setting design:

I tend to start with a very simple concept or "theme." A lot of this has to do with what system I plan on running, as well as what group. For the purposes of this illustration, I will stick with D&D.

From this theme I determine things such as:
-Religions
-Cultures / nations
-Geography
-Political / social situations

Then I can focus in on the things of that setting that are most pertinent to the game. For example, my long-running campaign world was reconfigured to accommodate 4e races and classes. I intended to run a city-based origin in one of the larger "free cities" (away from the violent theocracy which was attempting to colonize all of the city states in the continent), so I had to design that city.

The influences of a free city is an interesting microcosm to examine the different cultures of the world and how they would interact in a city in an open-trade environment. The religions and architecture and language all play a central role in the immersion of my DMing style, so I focus on those to the "localized" region of the game starting.

Once the game progresses further away from the central origin, I put more detail into the roughly worked out areas that perhaps were just City Names and a brief description.

Eventually, over an epic campaign or multiple shorter campaigns, the majority (if not entirety) of the campaign world gets "filled in."

Published Settings:

I tend very rarely to use published settings, having only run a single FR game and a single Dark Sun game. Both of them were short lived and not particularly fun. I find that I have the most fun when playing in a world of my own design; but if I were to use an established setting I would look for something that is either very very fleshed out, very very interesting, or very very unique (preferably all three.)

Fun Campaign Settings:

Campaign settings which are fun to me greatly depend on the sort of tone or theme that I want to play in for that specific game. If I want to play in a high-intrigue, gritty, simulationist game, I would prefer a completely different setting than a game involving high magic heroics battling epic beasts. But, I will attempt to address some fundamentals that I especially enjoy.

Consistency and Continuity: If a world establishes principles and concepts, I want those principles and concepts to have a plausible foundation and realistic reasons for continuing to exist. Continuity is a key part of "selling" a system to me. Now, having many variations and unique sub-settings within the world is completely fine, but a clear attempt at consistency will keep me captivated.

Mystery and Simulation: I enjoy a setting to have a sense of mystique about certain areas that only the most cunning or the most daring can find / survive / control etc. Even if not actual territories, something like secret guilds or societies or religions create a degree of realism that I think is very tangibly intangible (if that makes sense.) But, as a balance to that extreme, I like the mundane reasons to exist as well. What do people eat? Where do they farm? Do they drink potable water, or simply magically evoke it into being?

Danger and Growth: Settings which allow for level one heroes to be extremely powerful can be fine in certain games, but in general I enjoy the thrill and the concept of there always being something "better" out there, something more dangerous, more powerful. I tend to create my worlds in a sense that there have been heroes in the past, and as those heroes ascended to power, they became leaders and generals and religious hegemon. As such, there are very few "important people" who are weak comparatively to the party. This gives a sense of attainment, of growth for the party to explore and to seek greater power and greater achievement.

So, all in all, I deeply enjoy settings which I can "immerse" in, something that is easy to empathize with, yet is still interesting enough to keep me intrigued.

Great Campaign Setting Design:

Off the top of my head, I think everyone on EN World is familiar with Sepulchrave II's Tale of Wyre, and if they're not, they should check it out. I haven't seen many more fleshed out, believable, but highly appropriate D&D settings. Ever.

As always, play what you like, and what you want specifically for that game.

 

[MarauderX]

Ben covered most of it, awesomely.

I tend to add things piecemeal as time and inspiration strikes and where or when it would fit. I have also kept my same home brew for years over several campaigns to add continuity. I have also swiped pieces of culture or towns from the many 'darker' authors in the genre.

 

[Smoss]

My blog entries are entirely about my design methods (Posted up for the inspiration of others). There is a good bit of detail in them. I'll be adding more later.

Ben covered a lot of the basics pretty darn well. If you want more stuff to draw from, feel free to peruse my stuff.

EN World: Your Daily RPG Magazine - Smoss

Smoss

 

[Lanefan]

I seem to recall there was another thread not that long ago (last winter?) that covered almost exactly this same ground; and some really good stuff came out of it. [MENTION=3192]howandwhy99[/MENTION] Maybe do a bit of threadomancy - it was in General - and see if you can find it, then get the mods to merge this one with it.

Lan-"0th level threadomancer"-efan

 

[Mark CMG]

I'm definitely a kitchen sink kind of developer and I don't worry much if there are some contradictions if they can be explained as differences in points of view from neighboring cultures.

 

[LostSoul]

1. Draw a hex map
2. Assign levels to geographic areas
3. Make random tables
4. Roll to see what's in those hexes
5. Flesh it out
6. Make with skill lists
7. Make PCs
8. Play

Here's a recent one:

[sblock=Sona Newar]00.01 RESOURCE - HILLS - LEVEL 8

Sona Nawar, "The strength of the ripe apple". A level 2 settlement of 433 people.

The villagers here have a small malachite mine, farm the countryside, and tend to lucious apples growing on the hills.

The men in this town wear rich green & copper cloaks that cover their entire bodies and copper veils that cover their faces. They do this because their bodies are covered in tattoos that reflect their thoughts, dreams, and actions. The men and women rarely speak with each other; it is considered taboo.

Custom: The men in Sona Newar must eat their food naked. Doing so while clothed is grounds for imprisonment in the Baths of Cleansing - a pool of frigid mountain-fed water - for a period of not less than 6 days.

Something Strange: On nights of the new moon the villagers of Sona Nawar take part in anonymous orgiastic ritual sex. The men remain clothed, the women naked; any man who reveals himself is stricken with impotence. This can only be removed with ritual cleansing rites that require 70 GP worth of Sanctified Incense, performed by the priestess of Sona Nawar.

Trick: The lucious apples that grow on the hills cause the tattoos to form, magically, in men of the world; one prior action or thought that the man would prefer to remain secret is revealed per apple eaten. One tattoo can be removed by application of the ritual Remove Affliction.

Those who cast magic spells may instead (50% chance) gain a tattoo of the spell or ritual cast; this can be used as a spellbook, prayerbook, or ritual scroll.

These apples do not function on men who were not born in this world, ie. only characters with the natural origin. When a fey character (either sex) consumes an apple it restores a healing surge, but the character falls into a drunken stupour; no skill is considered applicable, but still may be associated.

Monster: The ruler of Sona Nawar is the high priestess, known as "Deeper-and-Deeper-Water". She has taken oaths of celibacy and secrecy and proceeds over the orgies that take place once each month.

She is a cambion (level 10 skirmisher). She has the following abilities: she conceals wings beneath her cloak, which allow her to fly clumsily at a speed of 6; she gains resist fire 10 if she bathes in boiling water each morning; she can sense when one person is lying to another (though cannot discern the truth); and she can regenerate wounds (10) as long as she abstains from sex.

DDW is, like most devils, obsessed with a moral issue. In her case, she is consumed with adultry. She is the latest in a long line of half-devils raised to be priestesses, a succubus named Kushiel their progenitor. Kushiel came to Sona Nawar because of the strange effects of the apples and found it suitable to her specific desires.

Kushiel created the customs that allowed men to cover themselves and take part in the orgies, doing so as a test of their worth. They failed her, of course, in no small part because of her actions. Although Kushiel swore an oath of celibacy, she laid with a man and gave birth to her first daughter and was never heard from again.

DDW continues the traditions set in motion by her fiendish progenitor. She has five eunuchs (level 6 skirmishers, wearing bronze lamellar, wielding shields and spears; when enforcing the laws of DDW, they move with a blinding speed, and can tumble past opponents before they have the chance to respond) who tend to the baths, serve her every whim, and enforce her laws.

Trap: Deeper-and-Deeper-Water lives in a bath-temple, a large roman-style bath house. It consists of two baths, mens and womens, as well as a mosaic room with a furnace-heated pool. Deeper-and-Deeper Water is the only one allowed into both the men's and women's areas (thanks to her oaths). She bathes in the furnace-heated pool in the mosaic room, which contains boiling hot water. The mosaic room is lit by skylights.

Characters who enter the mosaic room feel dizzy if they do not avert their eyes from the mosaic. Characters who continue to look are stricken blind. The mosaic depicts Kushiel and her lineage in their full devilish glory. It also shows each one dying after giving birth.

Gate: The Feywild can be reached on nights of the full moon by passing through a waterfall, fed by mountain streams; it is this energy which fuels the apples.[/sblock]

 

[SkidAce]

1. Get an idea, start with big picture, develop myths and gods.
2. Pick theme for major enemy/plot than throw out based on players decisions.
3. Map out starting area (small village or small city).
4. Have epiphany, revise gods slightly.
5. Outline surrounding kingdoms with a paragraph or two.
6. Play game, change things off screen based on player input.
7. Revise gods again after finding contradictions in myths.
8. Remap part of world after cool adventure gets published that needs to be fit into world.
9. Revise gods and myths to fit cross between world and new adventure.
10. Play game, modify small city based on PCs swath of destruction.
11. Create organizations to rival PCs and watch them stay off stage.
12. Revise campaign slightly (at least some gods and mythos) based on Air force making you move.
12a. As 12...based on edition change.
13. Start over and continue for 26 years. (change myths and gods as hobby)

Good times (as you can seen I am obsessed with tinkering with myths and gods as a hobby)

 

[steeldragons]

I don't want to get all semantic up in heah...but I do draw a distinction (just myself) between "campaign setting" and "world building".

I have spent the better part of 2 and a half decades in "world building" my own "setting". Within that setting, any number of types of "campaigns" can be conducted.

Just to illustrate my own "setting building" process:
I started, literally, with a random scribble on a piece of paper. I believe it was originally a coffee (or soda?) stain in my sketch book and went/extended from there. There was the western coast of the continent that would become Orea.

I added geographical features (mountains and rivers, then logically where forests, marshes, etc. would exist).

I threw in a few "regional" names which would eventually be hammered down and turned into "nations"/"realms" with actual boundaries produced as needed (in 25-27 years, they've pretty much all been established by now

Then I went region by region establishing, among other things:

• Populations: What races? Where within the region? In what numbers?
• Significant communities: How many cities, towns, villages, etc...? Directly proportional to the realm's population. One small realm might have a single large city. A sprawling territory might be dotted with farming villages and hamlets, a couple of growing "towns" and maybe one or two trade centers that would be considered a "city".
• Predominant religions: My world uses a "universal pantheon" (same gods across the whole world. Names may differ region-to-region, but it is the same deity). However certain gods are (or are not) worshiped in various areas as makes sense: You will not find a shrine to the goddess of seas and storms far inland away from a significant body of water- a large lake, river, inland sea, etc..., for example.) I've heard a few times from players, "What do you mean there's no temple of <the god I worship> here?!" The answer, usually is either a) It's a simple farming village, the 600 person population worship the gods of nature and the harvest, not law and justice." OR b) "You're on the other side of the continent [from where you started]. The inhabitants of "the Mage Lands" do not revere the patron god of swordsmen or the god of war."
• Economies: In places I use a lot, this might be as detailed as going down to the types/names of coinage they use. In others, it might just be a basic concept of the resources of the region and how people make a living. The party encountering "Joe Miner" in a realm far away from anywhere with a mining town or metal resources usually doesn't make sense. Mariner merchants from the realm of the Sea King are proooobably not going to be found in the Desert of Lost Sands OR a town a few miles up the coast, for that matter. They can supply their own seafood and sailing wares.
• The Big Bads and the Big Goods: Both "historical" and "current".Who are the known heroes (and villains), powerful wizards, significant organizations...are they renowned "in town", across the region or throughout the world? For example, most everyone/learned people of all lands know of the Redstar Knights (the order of paladins of my god of battle skill and guardianship) even if they don't have a local temple or keep. The order is known and respected (by "decent gods-faring folk"). Everyone knows there's a "nation" of mages in the east or there are "barbarian tribes" somewhere in the northern wastes...even if they've never seen/encountered one.
• History: Go back...a generation? 100 years? 1,000? Multiple millenia? Whatever you need. Doesn't have to be for the whole world! But definitely for the region your players are going to begin in. What is "common knowledge"? What's "hidden knowledge"? What might wizards, high priests or sages know -or be able to find out- about? How far back are the known/accessible histories of the people? The town? The region or, even, the world if your players get that far? Generally speaking, for my world/game, those with scholarly training (mages and clerics...possibly bards or monks) are going to know more from the get-go than other characters...The rogues probably know more about local/recent history, rumored secrets or lost treasures...Warriors of various types probably are familiar with history insofar as it concerns major (or minor/recent) wars, warlords/generals/heroes, significant individual battles, legendary weapons, etc...A troupe of fighters isn't, likely, sitting around the campfire telling tales of "the Boogey Badass Staff of Arcanity". Whatever makes sense for your world, but you should have some basic concept of what each character at your table would know about based on their background/upbringing.
• Additional details, as necessary: There was a great thread about this by [MENTION=100006]thejc[/MENTION] (it was you, right? Unfortunately, it has been shifted outside of my "posted threads" to access. I hope someone else still has it!) How I handle this is simply as an area, be it nation or individual village, as it becomes encountered. Foodstuffs, garb, unique elements, significant NPCs, whatever it might be gets "colored in" as I need it...Granted, over the past 20-some years, I've detailed just about everywhere to some extent or the other. But (please...for me don't drive yourself nuts to have every single detail of everywhere worked out before starting a campaign! Start where the PCs will start and work your way out as necessary.

Following all of this, you can do anything from a one-shot to a "3-tiered" campaign of epic (small "e") proportions.

As for "campaign" setting...that's a discussion with the players (or not, if you know your players well and what they like). Do they want heroic "save the world"? Do they want political back-stabby intrigue? Dungeon delving? Treasure hunting? Do they want everything and the kitchen sink (my personal preference)?

An overall concept -campaign arc- is jotted down. The plot hooks (yes, always "hookS" plural) laid out. Both of which are comPLETEly subject to change based on the PCs' decisions/actions. And off we go.

Hope this is of some help.
As always, "play what you like", have fun and happy gaming.
--Steel Dragons

 

[[OMENRPG]Ben]

Excellent post Steel. Bah! I must spread around more XP before giving it to you again. Really beautiful examples and concepts, I'd love to play in a game of yours.