amazingshafeman
First Post
Xath said:
My Swiss Army Gnome is the most versatile tool I have. Keeps the pocket nice and warm, too.
We're making up the world as we go...
- Thread starter Xath
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My Swiss Army Gnome is the most versatile tool I have. Keeps the pocket nice and warm, too.
Making it up as you go, huh? I think that's probably the most popular way a homebrew campaign is created. You might want to take a peek at my Campaign Planner to help with organizing everything. Ask around and I think you'll hear some good things about the product -- especially from people that needed help organizing their campaigns.
It sounds like a great idea, as long as the players keep it generic and don't try to munchkin their backgrounds into ridiculous in-game advantages. I've seen this problem with a couple of mature players, surprisingly. With your prior 10-year history, it sounds as if you're on top of it.
The best addition I've made to a core D&D game is mutant human explorers from Omega World. I would love to take magic mostly out of that campaign now, but I think I would have a player revolt. I may do it anyway just to make it easier on myself and allow me to continue running it.
As a player, I would like to play non-standard races. Maybe an aasimar (or archon) paladin. Or a half-ogre fighter--thanks to the old issue of Dragon Annual IV that I've kept through the purges. One of the most appealing things to me about Kingdoms of Kalamar was the hobgoblin or half-hobgoblin option.
The best addition I've made to a core D&D game is mutant human explorers from Omega World. I would love to take magic mostly out of that campaign now, but I think I would have a player revolt. I may do it anyway just to make it easier on myself and allow me to continue running it.
As a player, I would like to play non-standard races. Maybe an aasimar (or archon) paladin. Or a half-ogre fighter--thanks to the old issue of Dragon Annual IV that I've kept through the purges. One of the most appealing things to me about Kingdoms of Kalamar was the hobgoblin or half-hobgoblin option.
Keep them coming.Kid Socrates
First Post
I'm making my world up as I go, so a suggestion or two, on things I've done, and things I should have.
Firstly: Maps are useful, so if you are able, make one. Don't put cities in or anything just yet. But map out a continent or two. Peninsulas, bays, oceans, seas, mountain ranges, valleys, deserts, forested areas -- maybe even a city or two, if an idea hits you. This gives everyone something to map out, and reference. A player can decide his halfling rogue is from a village to the north, just south of the Eldenar mountains, and the GM says there's a major port city that they sold their crops at fifty miles east, where another player has an elven fighter at, so forth, so on.
Two, if you have a plot idea in mind, don't be afraid to tell a character that their idea won't work.
Thirdly, quickly decide what level of technology and magic the world is in.
A world you make up as it goes makes for a lot of leeway in creating things and plot hooks -- just be sure everything adds up in the end. If you need a scorecard to keep track of all the fallen past civilizations of the Old World, you may be in too deep.
Firstly: Maps are useful, so if you are able, make one. Don't put cities in or anything just yet. But map out a continent or two. Peninsulas, bays, oceans, seas, mountain ranges, valleys, deserts, forested areas -- maybe even a city or two, if an idea hits you. This gives everyone something to map out, and reference. A player can decide his halfling rogue is from a village to the north, just south of the Eldenar mountains, and the GM says there's a major port city that they sold their crops at fifty miles east, where another player has an elven fighter at, so forth, so on.
Two, if you have a plot idea in mind, don't be afraid to tell a character that their idea won't work.
Thirdly, quickly decide what level of technology and magic the world is in.
A world you make up as it goes makes for a lot of leeway in creating things and plot hooks -- just be sure everything adds up in the end. If you need a scorecard to keep track of all the fallen past civilizations of the Old World, you may be in too deep.
I steal from History/Travel/Discovery Channels every now and then, Michael Palin just one on the Himalayas, there is a culture that does not have husbands! The women select a man to sleep with by tapping his palm during dance and any kids are raised by the woman's brothers! Also Bruma, charges two hundred dollars a day to visitors/tourist, this is to provide revenue but also to protect then land, you can't collect fire wood without permit!
How does this relate to games: A dryal/elf culture for the first part. A durid forest for the second.
How does this relate to games: A dryal/elf culture for the first part. A durid forest for the second.
Also you may want to be checking out the following site: http://www.io.com/~eighner/world_builder/world_builder_index.html
A book that will prove invaluable when creating a fantasy world is The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference. This is easily one of the most valuable reference books I own.
Another recommendation is Life in a Medieval City.
Those two books should really help with grounding your campaign with a sense of reality.
Another recommendation is Life in a Medieval City.
Those two books should really help with grounding your campaign with a sense of reality.
Mercule
Adventurer
IME, making the world as you go is much, much easier than trying to do it whole cloth. I started my current homebrew 20+ years ago and did it "on the fly". It worked quite well and there was much continuity, etc.
For the past five or so years, I've been mostly trying to fill the gaps that weren't important before. I just want a whole world, now. It's a royal pain and a complete time suck. When my current campaign wraps, one of three things will happen: 1) I'll actually have most things detailed to the point of it being a "complete" setting, so I'll keep using it; 2) I'll run the next game in a brand new homebrew that is built on-the-fly as we need it, other than a few foundational premises (theme, etc.); 3) I'll try Eberron or some other off-the-shelf setting.
Homebrewing can be incredibly rewarding. It can also be incredibly time consuming. On-the-fly development tends to, IME, give you the balance of both.
For the past five or so years, I've been mostly trying to fill the gaps that weren't important before. I just want a whole world, now. It's a royal pain and a complete time suck. When my current campaign wraps, one of three things will happen: 1) I'll actually have most things detailed to the point of it being a "complete" setting, so I'll keep using it; 2) I'll run the next game in a brand new homebrew that is built on-the-fly as we need it, other than a few foundational premises (theme, etc.); 3) I'll try Eberron or some other off-the-shelf setting.
Homebrewing can be incredibly rewarding. It can also be incredibly time consuming. On-the-fly development tends to, IME, give you the balance of both.
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