We're making up the world as we go...

[Xath]

I'm about to start a new campaign, in an entirely new homebrew. The thing about said homebrew is, it doesn't exist yet. We're going to make it up as we go along; things will appear in the world as they become relavent to the campaign.

Right now we're in the character creation stages. Not only do we get to design our characters, we also get to describe the cities they come from, the races that are common in the world, what those races do, etc.

It's obviously a daunting task, but the DM has done something similar in the past which turned into a still on-going 10 year campaign, with several game off-shoots.

What would you do? What interesting quirks would you give the races? classes? What kind of societal structure would towns/countries/empires revolve around? What interesting house rules and world quirks have you used that gave your campaign that extra bit of spice?

 

[Crothian]

I'd steal an idea from these boards a few years back about a bard from a small city at the end of a long carvan run. The city is really under the spell of a very powerful wizard who, unbeknowst to my bard, has influneced the bard with wonderlust. Everything the bard sees as he travels the evil wizard knows, that sort of thing. But the bard just wonders and meets new and interesting people as much as he can not realizing he is ginving info to a great evil.

 

[Chaldfont]

IMO, this is the only way to go. My current campaign world was designed this way. I don't have time to work up a huge detailed homebrew world. I say use the same tactic that video game designers have used for ages: Only detail what the PCs can see and interact with--everything else is only described generally.

Its fun to even go another step and let the players invent stuff during the game. Take good notes and you'll have far more campaign ideas than you can use. I like to let imaginative players describe places they go, contacts they might have, even old prophecies and legends. There's no reason the DM should have to make everything up--make the players work too!

Ask your DM if you can have a free feat or other benefit (like more points for abilities) for background information. I've done this in the past and gotten all kinds of good information from my players. Or cool trade-offs like your PC starts out as an escaped slave, with no or little equipment, but he gets a +1 to Con.

 

[Xath]

Right now, we're incorporating Grey Elves as a player race, but everything else is pretty standard core. As far as classes go, so far we have 2 rogues, 1 fighter, 1 cleric, 1 bard(?), and 1 Wizard.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would use this opportunity to explicitly excise things I don't like about the non-human cultures I've found clunky. I'd probably want to play a gnome to specifically "fix' their culture, and make them either forest-dwellers with more in common with the characters from "The Wind in the Willows" than tinker gnomes, or I'd turn them into Swiss gnomes, complete with alpenhorns, lederhosen and a fondness for cheese.

And the whole world loves a gnome bard playing an accordion. Right, right?

 

[Xath]

I would use this opportunity to explicitly excise things I don't like about the non-human cultures I've found clunky. I'd probably want to play a gnome to specifically "fix' their culture, and make them either forest-dwellers with more in common with the characters from "The Wind in the Willows" than tinker gnomes, or I'd turn them into Swiss gnomes, complete with alpenhorns, lederhosen and a fondness for cheese.

And the whole world loves a gnome bard playing an accordion. Right, right?

I need to play a Swiss Gnome Bard....
While you're at it, just get rid of all of the other races. EVERYONE is a Swiss Gnome.

 

[The_Universe]

Work with other players - that's the most important thing you can do in a situation like this.

For example, if your characters backstory depends on the presence of evil, rampaging orcs, make sure that another player doesn't have a backstory dependent on the presence of noble savage shamanistic orcs. If you must do so, make sure that they're not all too close together, etc.

Coordination is key or else the world loses its verisimilitude from the get-go.

 

[der_kluge]

I could see this being extremely hard for some people. If you're inclined to just build a character based on stats, I don't see it as a big deal. But, if you want a knowledge-based character, or a bard, or something steeped in the history of the world, it will be extremely difficult.

What languages in the world are there? What do I know with 10 ranks in knowledge (history), knowledge (local), heraldry, religion, etc? What kinds of monsters are prevalent? How prevalent is magic and magic items?


I really think you need to establish some baselines before you give your players free reign to develop as they go.

 

[Tonguez]

I could see this being extremely hard for some people. If you're inclined to just build a character based on stats, I don't see it as a big deal. But, if you want a knowledge-based character, or a bard, or something steeped in the history of the world, it will be extremely difficult..

But thats half the fun - the bard player can set about writing a ballard about good King Barney and his love for the Spring Bride and it will BE the history of the world

or perhaps

DM You find a sword
Bard: Bardic Knowledge (roll) -kewl okay I notice the strange engraving on the hilt and realise that this is the fabled Sword of Hanaka the Brave
DM: Hanaka? oh yes he was a Vanara Warrior who lead the forces of good in the final battle against the Serpents (note the sword is +1 Serpent bane)
Bard: yes unfortunately Vanara was slain and his sword was lost
DM (note to self the Sword may contain the spirit of Hanaka which will be awakened if um - well I think of that later)

as to languages and monster prevalence thats the the PCs do - yep my goblin ranger speaks gnome and has favoured enemy dinosaurs

DM note: Velociraptors are common predators, and gnomes build villages on the backs of Ankylosaurs...

 

[Turjan]

... and gnomes build villages on the backs of Ankylosaurs...

Cool idea ! Reminds me of the war snails in Liber Bestarius .