realistic geography

[MJEggertson]

Reasons for geography being the way they are are important. Weather it's because of geology, mythology, or anything else, I think having the world make sense in some way, leads to a better roleplaying experience. Your setting is no longer simply placed in the world, but is a part of it.

Trivial to some, but for me, I just don't want a city put in some place because it looks cool. There is a reason and a story behind why and how the settlement emerged, and an understanding of the world (mythical or real) is key to that.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Here Here!

I totally agree.

I suspend my disbelief while playing D&D. Someone was talking about these world generators that produce "realistic" worlds, with predictable rainfall based on geography, and so on (global climate, axial tilt, you name it).

Uh, so how can I get my hands on one of "these world generators"? They sound pretty fun!

-z

 

[rounser]

Okay, I'm mapping an island at the moment - what's some basic river theory?

I've already guessed that they usually start at mountains and proceed towards the sea, and I'm guessing that forests tend to grow around them. What else?

 

[alsih2o]

Okay, I'm mapping an island at the moment - what's some basic river theory?

I've already guessed that they usually start at mountains and proceed towards the sea, and I'm guessing that forests tend to grow around them. What else?

low spots get swampy, look at some river maps to get curve ideas, how many curves and what kind can tell the age of a river

 

[the Jester]

This thread is great!

I'd also like to add that weather kinda falls into the same basket here- for example, deserts shouldn't be next to the sea without a good reason; winds affect trade routes; etc. And the comment someone made about cultures being good or evil- I agree with that one too.

However, I'd also say that the more active the gods (read that forces of good and evil) are, the more likely the world is to have good and/or evil cultures. F'rinstance, Greyhawk has the Empire of Iuz, ruled over by an evil demigod. Good reason to have an evil culture there.

Looking to literature, the chronicles of Thomas Covenant has a bunch of examples of cultures that are (imho) unbelievably good or evil. There aren't any evil guys in the Land's main culture, all the evil serves Lord Foul. And it makes a good story- very archetypical, with everything in the whole Land being pretty darn epic-level (again, imho), but it wouldn't make for a very believable campaign world. YMMV.

I like lots of moral ambiguity, though.

I like fantastic geography that has internal self-consistency; that's all you really need for a believable geography. If all the rivers flow uphill, then what about avalanches, mudslides, etc? Can you pour out a barrel of oil on a downward slope and have it flow downhill or is it just water that flows uphill? If so, why? And so forth.

Just a few thoughts...

 

[Kilmore]

I'm all for magical weirdness and tactical geographic rearrangement. But remember, if everything is weird, then nothing will be weird.

Grunp: "Wuh? Wuzzat noise?
Gerps: "Dat? Dat's anudder upside downzies waterfall."
Grunp: "Shucks. Gess dat means it's laundry day agin."

 

[alsih2o]

I'm all for magical weirdness and tactical geographic rearrangement. But remember, if everything is weird, then nothing will be weird.

very strong truth, i am all for only some of it being "myth altered"

 

[Cullain]

very strong truth, i am all for only some of it being "myth altered"

Same here. If water always flows upwards, none of your players are really going to care. But if water works as normal, then when they get to Eshatru, the land where water flows upwards, they might take notice.

Or not. I'm always surprised at what players take notice of, and what they gloss over.

Cullain

 

[Khorod]

Internal consistency is necessary for me, and many of my players, to feel like the world is 'real'. Its sort of the difference between suspending disbelief to act on a stage and suspending disbelief to send your imagination off through the astral plane into another world.

Both are fine things, depending on what you want.

Of course, exceptions mythical, magical, willed by the gods, pocket changes to the laws of physics, or whatever are all part of a consistent rule. The key is that exceptions are almost always explained, and surrounded by normal behavior to make the exception, well, exceptional.

A palatial city in the middle of a desert was ordered their by the god of a people only now getting over the utter and unimaginative religious devotion.

And another continent which has been overwhelmingly zapped with anti-grav magic is just that one continent.

Tell the story. I love the story.

 

[ninthcouncil]

Kaptain Kantrip, where are you? It really is time somebody mentioned Harn in this thread, so it can degenerate into irate name-calling