Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
They would be added to mine... they might be added now even if you arent a player.
D&D 5E How do You Detail your Settings?
They would be added to mine... they might be added now even if you arent a player.
I seldom make my own setting, preferring to customize Greyhawk (because I'm old). When I have made a setting, I usually only use them once, because they exist to tell a specific story. My approach is a bit odd, as you'll see.
I'm a bit obsessed with mythology, so I usually start with a creation myth or planar construction. I then think of an overall brief history of the area of the campaign. In both cases, i don't spend to much time on the details, just trying to get a sense of how I want things to be (mostly the niche the setting is supposed to provide). Then I detail from the bottom up, focusing on the home base area for starting things up, and expanding out using the guideines I set down.
I'm a bit obsessed with mythology, so I usually start with a creation myth or planar construction. I then think of an overall brief history of the area of the campaign. In both cases, i don't spend to much time on the details, just trying to get a sense of how I want things to be (mostly the niche the setting is supposed to provide). Then I detail from the bottom up, focusing on the home base area for starting things up, and expanding out using the guideines I set down.
cbwjm
Seb-wejem
My current world was set up when I had no group which had turned out to be fortunate because a friend wanted to play and we've found 3 others.
It's bottom up design I guess. I have created a number of gods worshipped by all the cultures to varying degrees (dwarves barely even know of the god of the oceans). The local area was created using dungeon world tags to set up 3 settlements which I have placed and expanded upon to create a small fairly contained valley as a starting area.
I have some notes on the mythic history of the world and recent history for the local area. And I've put together a few adventure ideas using basic outlines so that they are adaptable to the PCs actions. It's been fun.
It's bottom up design I guess. I have created a number of gods worshipped by all the cultures to varying degrees (dwarves barely even know of the god of the oceans). The local area was created using dungeon world tags to set up 3 settlements which I have placed and expanded upon to create a small fairly contained valley as a starting area.
I have some notes on the mythic history of the world and recent history for the local area. And I've put together a few adventure ideas using basic outlines so that they are adaptable to the PCs actions. It's been fun.
You liked it that much?
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
Once I have a pretty good idea of the story I want to tell, I start building the world. And by "build the world," I really mean "fill a 3-ring binder with a bunch of notes, loosely sorted by category."
I usually start with the mythology first: the story of how the world was formed, the gods and heroes and legends that were associated with that story. Sometimes I'll make multiple versions, too. If the story is about the struggle of druids against human expansion, for example, I would write 2 different mythologies: the mythos according to humanity, and the mythos according to the druids. Yeah, it's overkill but it comes in handy later, when I'm having to ad-lib a Legend Lore.
Then I shift gears to geology. I start drawing maps, imagining how the islands and mountains formed and how they might have changed over time. (I have a geology background and I love drawing maps, so this is my favorite part.) Rivers and mountains and deserts and forests...this is the best part of world-building for me. Once I have a rough map I'll add the hometown(s) of the characters and work outward, adding only the details that are needed for the story I'm telling. The entire story of "Treasure Island" takes place on a single boat and a single island...there was no need for Robert Louis Stevenson to map the entire ocean.
Then I write the history, starting with a timeline: on the far right is the present day, and on the far left is the oldest recorded history. Then I fill in the gaps with only the stuff that will be relevant to the story I plan to tell. Nothing too detailed here, just a dozen or so key events described in a paragraph or two. The players will fill in the gaps later when they add their character backstories and family histories and so forth...best to keep it flexible.
And lastly, I create the random encounter tables. I cherry-pick the races and monsters that I want to have in the story, and ignore the rest. Sprinkle in a few interesting NPCs, and I'm ready to go.
The whole thing changes and evolves over time as the story progresses. I add, change, and remove pages, new NPCs arrive and old ones leave, players roll up new characters...I think my game runs smoother that way.
I usually start with the mythology first: the story of how the world was formed, the gods and heroes and legends that were associated with that story. Sometimes I'll make multiple versions, too. If the story is about the struggle of druids against human expansion, for example, I would write 2 different mythologies: the mythos according to humanity, and the mythos according to the druids. Yeah, it's overkill but it comes in handy later, when I'm having to ad-lib a Legend Lore.
Then I shift gears to geology. I start drawing maps, imagining how the islands and mountains formed and how they might have changed over time. (I have a geology background and I love drawing maps, so this is my favorite part.) Rivers and mountains and deserts and forests...this is the best part of world-building for me. Once I have a rough map I'll add the hometown(s) of the characters and work outward, adding only the details that are needed for the story I'm telling. The entire story of "Treasure Island" takes place on a single boat and a single island...there was no need for Robert Louis Stevenson to map the entire ocean.
Then I write the history, starting with a timeline: on the far right is the present day, and on the far left is the oldest recorded history. Then I fill in the gaps with only the stuff that will be relevant to the story I plan to tell. Nothing too detailed here, just a dozen or so key events described in a paragraph or two. The players will fill in the gaps later when they add their character backstories and family histories and so forth...best to keep it flexible.
And lastly, I create the random encounter tables. I cherry-pick the races and monsters that I want to have in the story, and ignore the rest. Sprinkle in a few interesting NPCs, and I'm ready to go.
The whole thing changes and evolves over time as the story progresses. I add, change, and remove pages, new NPCs arrive and old ones leave, players roll up new characters...I think my game runs smoother that way.
This, I think, is important. Settings shouldn't be stagnant, unchanging backdrops, and I (despite what my curiously-spelled username might suggest) always make sure to have dynamic, non-kitchen-sinky worlds that evolve as the characters player through them.
jgsugden
Legend
I build campaign worlds slowly, over years. I mine ideas I see in other games, in TV, in books, etc... to craft a maleable framework. I have a bunch of these all primed and ready to be used. Some are original, and some are my takes on established settings.
When I engage a new group of players, I ask them what type of adventures they want to play and what character ideas they have waiting.
I then match it up to the setting that best serves their desires. Then we work out detailed character origins so that they merge their characters into my world, and my world is set to react to their characters in an entertaining fashion.
When I engage a new group of players, I ask them what type of adventures they want to play and what character ideas they have waiting.
I then match it up to the setting that best serves their desires. Then we work out detailed character origins so that they merge their characters into my world, and my world is set to react to their characters in an entertaining fashion.
Garthanos
Arcadian Knight
It is a mood... actually a player of mine did make underground elves and his had a special gift that allowed him to catalyze a poison on his arrows that he fired. They didnt worship a mushroom god but they did have mushroom gardens and other elements I too adopt things from players
Imaculata
Hero
I use the setting of an old friend of mine, who is kinda like my muse. She developed the world in which my campaigns take place, and the deities and countries that exist in it. For my campaigns I usually flesh out one of the regions, and come up with names of new countries, cities, places, and even entirely new cultures and races. I tend to make a detailed map of the region, and even go as far as to prepare just about anything the players might ask about the setting, such as: Who is the local ruler? What is the dominant religion? Etc.
I also develop weather tables, create new equipment lists, and even lists of food and drinks that can be found in the world.
I also develop weather tables, create new equipment lists, and even lists of food and drinks that can be found in the world.
oreofox
Explorer
I go top down mostly. I've had this setting since 2003, though it was a proto-setting I created with my younger sister in 1996 or 1997 after we first read the DragonLance Chronicles novels. She lost interest, I didn't, so I took it as my own. I have expanded it and changed things since then. The map of the world has changed once every 15 months or so starting in 2003, though I have kept use of many of the names the two of us came up with (not the NPC names, though. Most of those were just taking 2 names from DragonLance characters and smashing them together), and adding many others.
I have the world map approximately how I want it, using youtube videos on how to create more believeable worlds (planet size, distance from star, moon orbits, length of the year, climates, etc). I thought of trying out plate tectonics, but I decided to forego that part and just say the gods shaped the planet into how it is now. Just need to draw in the national borders, settlements, noteable landmarks and geographical areas, and rivers. I've got the deities, races, and a bit of the history already figured out. Even though I've been "actively" working on it since 2003, I'm not very far with many aspects. Stupid editions changed too often in those 16 years.
I have the world map approximately how I want it, using youtube videos on how to create more believeable worlds (planet size, distance from star, moon orbits, length of the year, climates, etc). I thought of trying out plate tectonics, but I decided to forego that part and just say the gods shaped the planet into how it is now. Just need to draw in the national borders, settlements, noteable landmarks and geographical areas, and rivers. I've got the deities, races, and a bit of the history already figured out. Even though I've been "actively" working on it since 2003, I'm not very far with many aspects. Stupid editions changed too often in those 16 years.
