D&D 5E Questions to ask when developing a campaign setting as a group

[MNblockhead]

Some others...

Can humans breed with all other intelligent humanoid species?

Elves or no elves?

If elves, Tolkien elves? Earth-banished angels who were neutral in the God-Lucifer war? Small, invisible pestilence-arrow shooting demons? Other?

If elves, are they tasty?

 

[Quickleaf]

Ah, well done, fresh office blood for the RPG cult!

Resource-wise, I highly recommend Beyond the Wall for its village creation section & Worlds Without Number for ideas/tables for fantasy world creation.

I can also recommend using shared sketching, e.g. "pass the character sheets / village sheet" and each person draws in something for <60 seconds. This is a different way of sparking the imagination that can engage some players deeper/differently than words. I have done this with small group of players and it worked great for us.

Another trick are to present leading question based on what you know about a player's interests, gaming style, and rough concept for their character background/race/class. For example, if you have a player who you know loves instigating and mucking with stuff they shouldn't, and they're leaning toward a charismatic caster, you might ask "Who was the last person to steal the Scepter of Azarion and why are there rumors you were involved?"

 

[BookTenTiger]

I'm thinking of copying Ironsworn and providing evocative answers that can promote discussion and creativity. Something like:

What is the dominant environment of our campaign?

• The sun-baked desert stretches to the horizon, broken by harsh badlands and blessed oases.
• Thick forests (or jungles) climb steep mountain slopes; rivers rush through verdant valleys.
• Islands dot the cerulean sea, the boundless horizon only occasionally marred by a broad, sandy coastline.
• The arctic winds blow constant snows over the harsh peaks and stark forests of these cold lands.
• ___________

What is the nature of gods and divinity in our campaign?

• Most people worship the same god or goddess, though different sects or saints may teach varied tenants.
• The gods exist in their own distant realm, though they make their presence known through visions and miracles.
• The gods walk the land in the forms of giant beasts, immortal beings, or living elements.
• There are no gods; divine magic comes from belief in one’s community, the wilderness, or ancestor worship.
• __________

 

[BookTenTiger]

I'm coming up with some different categories of questions. Here are the questions for the first category, Gameplay. Though I want there to be lots of possibilities for this campaign, I also want it to be something I'll enjoy running, so I am tailoring the list somewhat.

GAMEPLAY

What is the tone of our campaign?

• Heroic Fantasy: This is a time of adventure. You will play as rambunctious, quirky, perhaps even foolhardy heroes, seeking out fortunes and getting into scrapes. The themes will be lighthearted, thrilling, and sometimes humorous. Inspiration: Pirates of the Caribbean, Guardians of the Galaxy, Three Musketeers.
• Dark Fantasy: This is a time of darkness. You will play as ordinary heroes carrying the light of hope against the spreading shadow of evil. The themes will be corruption, optimism, and fighting back against greater odds. Inspiration: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Witcher.
• Epic Fantasy: This is a time of renewal. You will play as survivors in a land recovering from a long, destructive conflict; while peace lasts, it is time to seek out hidden secrets and untold legends of yesteryear. The themes will be intrigue, history, and rebuilding. Inspiration: Legend of Zelda, Lewis and Clarke, Studio Ghibli
• Political Fantasy: This is a time of intrigue. You will play as the agents of a court, growing your power through diplomacy, scheming, or war. The themes will be politics, warfare, and conspiracy. Inspiration: Game of Thrones, Renaissance & Medieval History, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
• _____________________________________________________

What level of risk will our characters face?

• Bring it on: we want to face deadly challenges possibly above our characters’ abilities, and survive when we outwit our enemy.
• Let the dice fall where they may; we will face powerful enemies, and mostly succeed, though death is a possible outcome.
• We will face great dangers, but death will only occur when it best serves the story.
• The story must go on; even if our characters fall, they will be imprisoned, lost at sea, or permanently scarred, but never die.
• _____

How often will players change characters?

• Never; unless they die, the same characters will play out the entire campaign.
• Occasionally; most players will stick with the same character, but a few plan on switching once or twice.
• Often; the characters will all be connected to the same location, guild, or business, and so players can switch characters often.
• Regularly; our campaign will tell more than one story, with each player playing different characters.
• _____

 

[GuardianLurker]

You've got a lot of good recommendations for the flavor and setting. Here are a few meta/game questions:

• What's the highest power the characters should expect to attain?
• The largest area of the world they expect to affect by campaign end?
• Are the expect to gain in power? Or are they satisfied with starting and remaining the same power-level?

As an example, a lot of popular fictions fall into the latter category - like Firefly, the Mission Impossible movies. Some games - Traveller, most notoriously - build this assumption into the game itself.

• What's the most powerful opponent the characters will face? In the world?
• What's the most powerful ally/neutral character the characters might encounter?
• What is the frequency of classes? How does that intersect with NPCs and PCs?
• Are classes limited access in any way? By region/country? Ancestry? Religion?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would start very basic:

1) What classes do you want to play?

2) What races do you want to play?

3) What monsters do you like?

4) What races and monsters do you not like?

Remove everything in category #4 from the world, and use the other three answers to shape the setting. If no one wants to play dwarves and thinks they're tired, poof, no dwarves in the world. If the group never wants to hear about drow again, poof, no drow in their setting.

The more detailed setting information should flow from there. If everyone is keen to play Spelljammer races, that gives you a very different setting than one that resembles a stripped-down version of the PHB.

If no one wants to play a wizard, but there's a lot of interest in warlocks, that shapes things, especially if there's consensus on what sort of patrons they're interested in.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would also consider looking at the Fellowship RPG, in which players get to define how their character's race looks across the setting. You can probably steal some of those ideas to cooperatively create a setting unique to your group.

 

[Pedantic]

The discussion of Fellowship and Microscope bring up an interesting design space; games that end in a product suitable for use in other games. I quite like the idea of a product that mechanically mediates that kind of creation with the intent of making something to be used in a different roleplaying game. Are there other works that are focused on that?

 

[BookTenTiger]

I would start very basic:

1) What classes do you want to play?

2) What races do you want to play?

3) What monsters do you like?

4) What races and monsters do you not like?

Remove everything in category #4 from the world, and use the other three answers to shape the setting. If no one wants to play dwarves and thinks they're tired, poof, no dwarves in the world. If the group never wants to hear about drow again, poof, no drow in their setting.

The more detailed setting information should flow from there. If everyone is keen to play Spelljammer races, that gives you a very different setting than one that resembles a stripped-down version of the PHB.

If no one wants to play a wizard, but there's a lot of interest in warlocks, that shapes things, especially if there's consensus on what sort of patrons they're interested in.

I think these are good questions for starting off our conversation, so everyone knows what everyone else is into.

Normally I'd start from there and then make a campaign world myself, matching the desires of the players. This time, I have a really cool opportunity to create a setting with the players.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Here are more questions, for figuring out details about the setting. I'm leaving a blank option for each in case the players want to do something crazy like floating islands...

SETTING

What is the dominant environment of our campaign?

• The sunbaked desert stretches to the horizon, broken by harsh badlands and blessed oases.
• Thick forests (or jungles) climb steep mountain slopes; rivers rush through verdant valleys.
• Islands dot the cerulean sea, the boundless horizon only occasionally marred by a broad, sandy coastline.
• The arctic winds blow constant snows over the harsh peaks, steep fjords, and stark forests of these cold lands.
• _____________________________________________________

What is the power structure of our campaign setting?

• A single major sovereignty rules over most of the realm; power is divided between various counts, barons, and governors.
• Rival city-states vie for power, forming and breaking alliances and always threatening war.
• The realm is ruled by petty warlords and fierce chieftains; will a single power rise to unite the fractured populace?
• Divine or supernatural beings rule over the people; some are worshiped, while others demand sacrifice.
• ______

Who are the common folk of our campaign setting?

• Almost everyone in the realm identifies with a single dominant culture; they speak the same language, celebrate the same holidays, and view outsiders with wonder or suspicion.
• Banners and flags mark the territories of many different cultures; the food, music, and even currency changes as one crosses the many borders of the realm.
• The realm is divided between two rival cultures; each has its own customs, laws, and tangled history.
• The cultures of our realm were once diverse, but have recently become united under a single banner; some welcome the unification, others rebel against it.
• ______