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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7640081" data-attributes="member: 29398">I tend to start with a regional map - maybe covering the real-world equivalent area of about the combined states of Washington and Oregon - and on that map make sure I can account for where each of the kindred races might be found or, if they don't fit in, come up with an explanation for why they're not there.This map will have some 'civilized' areas and some wild areas (where adventuring can happen), and the civilized areas will be broken down into a few kingdoms or nation-states or other political divisions.  In tandem with this I'll decide what real-world cultures (if any) these kingdoms will be vaguely based on.Then I'll zoom in and detail what I expect will be the starting area, a few adventure sites, and so forth; and also zoom out to a continental scale to show what other realms/cultures/landforms etc. might be out there and where they are.From here I'll look at history - now these things are on the map, how might they have come to be there - and as this can go all the way back to the creation of the game-world universe I can also deal with pantheons and astronomy in this phase.  I'll also mkae sure I throw some story hooks into the more recent history that either I or the players can potentially mine later for ideas.Based on all this I can then start throwing in some key people and organizations: - major NPCs that even if the PCs never interact with them, they'll have heard of: local and national rulers or sovereigns, famous villains and-or heroes, etc. - significant temples, guilds, companies, unions, whatever - things the PCs are likely to bump into at some point - NPCs that might (or might not) become important down the road: key information sources, heads of guilds, etc.And then if I have the time and willingness I'll go back to the maps and start thinking about climate patterns, trade routes, etc.And through all of this there's always loads of blank space left in, that can be filled in during the campaign with ideas I and-or the players haven't had yet or that come up through play. (one of my players sometimes takes on the motto "Where the map is blank, I'll go" just to force me to fill it in) <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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