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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jester David" data-source="post: 6833067" data-attributes="member: 37579">1) Map of immediate area2) Name for a couple places in said area3) Vague ideas of the concept for the world if not generic fantasyYou can go really bare bones if that's what you want. You're not necessarily building a world so much as building a location and then expanding outworld.(This is known as Inside-Out or Bottom-Up worldbuilding.)You can go as small as a village around a small fortification by some dungeon (see Keep on the Borderland or Village of Hommlet). Or a little bigger like a province in a kingdom or small nation. Or even a moderate-sized city. Cool.Just communicate that to your players well ahead of time. A one-page handout is usually good with any other limits or house rules. Also fine as well. Just describing the planes as "the other world" or "heavenly realms" is often enough.Well… you can literally write a book on worldbuilding. (<a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/131097/Jester-Davids-HowTo-Guide-to-Fantasy-Worldbuilding" target="_blank">Shameless plug</a>) It's a big topic. But it really doesn't have to be.I like to consider some elements like how all the classes, races, and now backgrounds fit into the world. If a player says "I'm a holy warrior who found religion after a life of crime: a paladin with the criminal background who used to be a member of the local thieves' guild" you need to know the god a paladin would worship, what's roughly illegal, and the details of the thieves' guild. But you can also have your players help with that. When the player says the above, you can ask "What was the name of the guild?" or say "Sure. They operate out of the sewers of the city to the north. What's it called?" Let them do some of the work and incorporate it into what you're designing. Before you actually start adventuring it helps to know a few of the names and details of the local business. The name of the inn, local problems, where people buy arms and armour, what is the town known for, etc. Getting a map is also good. If it's just for a homegame you can probably steal/borrow one. Wander around the Cartographer's Guild or DeviantArt and see what people are sharing.</blockquote>

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