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World Building Guide. Part 1. | The DMs Blog.

TheDMsBlog.
Advice,tipsandinsightfromaveteranDungeonMaster.

WorldBuildingGuide.Part1.
JULY27,2015AUGUST4,2015 ~ GOREBAD

(https://gorebad.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/fantasymapwithtext.jpg)
EveryDungeonMasteratsomepointdecideshewantstobuildhisownworld.Hewantstocreatesomething
magicalanduniqueandintroducehisplayerstohisownvision.Wearegoingtostartwiththis,thefirstinaseriesof
poststacklingthesubjectofworldcreation,andjusthowmuchworkitistodoitright!
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World Building Guide. Part 1. | The DMs Blog.

WhyCreateaworld?
CreatingaworldandImeanaworld,isatremendousundertaking.MostDungeonmastersdrawamap,add
towns,cities,rivers,mountains,swampsetc.Labeleverythingandthenthinktheyhavecreatedaworld.Whatthey
haveinfactcreatedisamap.Nothingmore.Tocreateaworldyouhavetodevelopitsgeography,ecology,
society,sociology,climatology,cultures,commerce,systemofgovernmentetcetc.Thereareseveralfully
developed,publishedworldsoutthere,likeForgottenrealms,Ravenloft,Planescape,Eberron,Mystaraand
Greyhawktonamebutafew.Unlessyouarewillingtoputtheworkintotrulycreateaworld,myadviceis
DONT!Gowithonethatisalreadycreatedanddeveloped.Youcanstillsetyourownadventuresandcreateyour
ownstoriessoIseriouslyrecommendforthebulkofyou,thatyoutakethatpath.
NowIFyouthinkyouarewillingtoputtheworkinandwanttocreateyourownworld,readon.
Wewillstartbyexaminingafewfactsabouttrueworldbuilding.
1. Youaregoingtospendavastamountoftimetocreateaworthwhileworld!
2. Youaregoingtohavetodoalotofresearchandlearning!
3. Youaregoingtoburnoutfromtimetotime!
4. youwillNEVERfinishyourworld!
Whileyouareindeedmakingafantasyworld,forittobesuccessful,yourplayersaregoingtohavetobelieveinit.
Theymustfeeltheimmersionandfeelliketheyarepartofalivingbreathingland.Itmustchangeovertime,and
certainaspectsmustchangeandothermustevolve.Letslookattheworldwelivein.Itisvastlydifferenttodaythan
itwastenyearsago,andeachdecadethatpassesyieldhugechanges.Yourworldwillneedtobedifferent,yetit
muststillfeelsimilarinmanywayssoastobebelievable.Alandcoveredinlavaorfullysubmergedinwaterwillfeel
alien,andtheworkyouwillneedtodotomakeitviablewillbemonumental.
Ihavecreatedseveralworldoverthedecades,andmostIlookbackatnowandlaughat.Myearliersuccessesas
DungeonMasterwerewithForgottenRealms,RavenloftandGreyhawk.Notwithmyowncreativedisasters.In
factIdontbelieveIhadaworldthatIcouldhonestlylookbackonandsayanythingpositiveaboutit(ifIambeing
honest)until2003.Eventhenitonlyheldglimmersofpromiseandmadenorealstrides.Howeverin2004Ibegana
process.Ihadevolvedfromtheclassicthreeactconceptsofadventurebuilding,andtowardstrulynonlineargame
sessions.IhadBrokenfreeoftheshacklesofhowmostDungeonMastersthinkandmovedtowardsatruer
creativeprocess.AtthistimeIrealizedIneededaworldthatcouldsupportthiswayofgaming.Thisworldwould
beliving,andevolvingandwouldsupportitselfandholduptoscrutinyfromeventhemostveteranplayers.Any
aspectofmyworldcouldbeexplainedwithlogicalandviableexplanations.Itwouldfeelfamiliarsoastomakethe
playersfeelcomfortable,yetdifferentenoughsoastoencapturetheirsenseofwonder.Overadecadelateritis
lessthanthirtypercentfinishedanditneverwillbe.
CurrentlyIhavetwoworlds.OnethatIuseforpenandpapergamesaroundaphysicaltabletopandanotherthatI
useforVirtualtabletopgaming.Itissimplynotpossibletoplaytrulyorganicsessionsanddeliverthequality
graphicalcontentthatIneedtoonHowreroll(http://twitch.tv/howreroll).Whilevirtualtabletopsdoallow
thisintheory,asmostdoallowafreehanddrawingoption,Ionlyusefullyproducedgraphicsandmapsfor
encountersontheshow,soImustmakesureIhavecontentforeverything.Itsimplyisnotpossibletohavecontent
readyforeverypossibleeventuality,soassuchIhavetooperateasublinearapproach.IwillexplainwhatImean
bytrulyorganicgaminginanothertopicbutfornowletsgetbacktoworldbuilding.
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Therearereallythreebasicwaystobeginbuildingaworld.Thefirstmethodistosketchanddrawtheoutlinesof
theworldmap,andthenpickaplacetostartandbeginfillinginthedetailsforthatareaandregion.Thesecondway
istoignoretheboundariesoftheworlditselfandjustdevelopastartingareaandsurroundingareasindepth,and
allowtheworldtogrowoutwards.Thethirdandmyfavoredmethodissomewherebetweenthetwo.Icreatethe
outlineoftheworld,butthengofartherandcreateregions.Ispendtimedevelopingastructureandoverallconcept
foreachregion.ThenIdigdowntoastartingareaanddevelopitfully,andallthesupportingareasaroundit.My
intentwillbetoconcentratemysessionsandadventuresinthisaretobeginwith,andwhilemyplayersexplorethis
fullandrichlydevelopedarea,Icanworkonexpandingtheareasaroundit.
Firststepsandresearch.
Isuggestyoubeginbystudyingmaps.Realworldmaps.Payattentiontothecoastlines,wherethemountainsare
andwhatappearsaroundthem.Lookhowtheriversflow,andtheaffectsonareasduetoclimateandelevation.
Looktoseewheretownsandcitiesareandaskyourself,whyaretheywheretheyare?Thiswillgiveyouabasic
understandingofhowaworldgrows.Yesaworldisalivingthingthatgrowsovertime.Villagesbecometowns,
townsbecomecitiesbutonlyiftheregionaroundthemsupports.Youcanseehowthelandisvastlydifferentfrom
continenttocontinent.Howdistancesbetweensettlementsvariesbasedonthearcheologyofthelandandwherethe
largercitiesseemtobeplaced.
Nextlookathistoryandseehowmajoreventshavealteredtheworld.Payattentiontowarsandeventsof
economicimpactandseehowtheyaffecttheworld.Notjustthepopulations,butthegeographyandcultural
changestheycause.
IfyouhaveaccesstooneormorepublishedworldsIadviseyoutostudythosenext.Seehowotherstackledthe
subjectofworldbuilding,andexaminetheiroutlookoncreation.Youwillusuallyseetheyhavealotofinformation
abouteachregion.Theydetailtheeconomy,thesmallandlargesettlements,theareasofinterestandmuchmore.
Theseareallthingsyouaregoingtowanttotackleinyourworld.Youshouldalsobegettingareallygoodideaof
justhowmuchworkthisreallyisgoingtobebynow
Abeginning.
Onceyouthinkyouhaveanunderstandingpreparetobegintherealwork!Drawyourfirstmapandlookatit.Then
drawasecond,athirdandmaybeafourth.Why?wellbecauseIcantellyoufromexperienceyouwillseethings
youarenothappywithinthefirstoneandyouwillmakecorrectionsasyougo.Severalmapslateryoumayhave
somethingyouarehappywith.Thisisyourblankcanvasassuchsoitneedstoberightbeforeyoustart.Intruth,
youcanalwaysplugyourdevelopedareasintoanewmap,butforthemostpartitseasiertobeginwithadecent
framework.Youcangoaslargeasanentireworld,orjuststartwithonedecentsizedcontinent.Bareinmind
thoughyouwillneedtosetabasicgeographyforeachcontinentorlandmass.Thennextstepistoaddmountains
andrivers.Ifyoudidwhatyouweretoldtodoearlier,andstudymapsyoushouldhaveseenaformatinhow
mountainsandriversseemtobegeographicallylocated.Riversrunfromthehighpointsdowntothelowpointsand
typicallywillendupattheoceanorsomeothergeographicallowpointsoastomakelakesorswamps.Onceyou
haveplacedyourmountainregionsandmainriversyoucanstarttoimaginethelayoftheland.
Nowyouneedtopickastartingpoint.Thisiswhereyourplayersaregoingtobeginlifeinyourworld.Astheworld
developsandyourunsubsequentcampaigns,youwillhaveoptions,butfornowyouwillneedtoworkonthefirst
region.Youaregoingtohavealotofthingstoconsideratthispoint.Distance,modesoftravel,ecologicalfeatures,
socialdevelopment,naturaloccurrences,politicalstructure,philosophicaloutlookandunnaturalinhabitants.Your
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firstsettlement(whichisagoodplacetostart)willneedtobeabletosupportitspopulation.Itwillneedaccessto
water,andfoodsources.Aformofpotentialtrade,suchasforestryorfarmingandahierarchyandsystemof
government.Itwillneedtobeabletobeselfsufficientorhaveavenuesoftrade.Itwillneedtohaveacultural
outlookandphilosophicaloutlook.Beginbymakingafewshortnotes.Forexample.
Thetownisonthebankofariverandclosetoaforest.Ithasaroadgoingthroughitfromeasttowestandalso
onegoingnorth.Thetownuseswoodasamainsourceofmaterialandtradecommodity.Itreliesonsmallanimal
farmingsuchaschicken,andhuntingforitsmainfoodsupply.Itsupplementsthiswithfishing.Ithasatowncouncil
thathasfiveelectoralseatsandamayor.Itcomesundertheprotectionofthelocallord.Ithasnoformalchurchbut
givesthankstothenaturegoddess.Itholdsayearlyfestivaltocelebratetheruttingseasonoftheforestdeer.
Commonfoodtypesfoundherearechicken,eggs,Deer,boarandfish.Theirlackofavailabilityofmetalmeansthat
thisisamainimportforthem,aswouldbetextilesotherthananimalpelts.Themainexportswouldbelumberand
furs.
Onceyouhavethesenotesdown,youcanfindaspotonthemapandfillinthedetailssuchastheforestandsituate
thetownontherivernexttotheforest.Nowyoucandrawinthestartoftheeasttowestroadandnorthroad.
Thisgivesyouaveryroughstartingpoint.Nowyouaregoingtowanttoelaborateandbegintostructure
everything.Whatbuildingsmakeupthetown?Whatisthepopulation?Howmanymen,womenandchildren?Are
theiranyotherracialinhabitants,andifsowhatisthesocialsituationregardingthem?Whoisonthecounciland
howandwhywouldtheybechosen?Whatformoflawenforcementdoesthetownemploy?Isthereacriminal
elementandifsowhy?Howcontentaretheaveragecitizensinthetown?Arethosethatrulejustorunjust?
Manyofthesethingscanbeansweredbycreatingsocialgroupsandthenaddressingtherelationshipsbetween
each.Wehavethemerchants,thefarmers,theforesters,thecouncilmembersandmayor.Wehavethelaw
enforcers,wehavethecriminalelementandmaybesomehomeless.Howeachofthesegroupsviewstheotheris
partofcreatingabelievablesocialstructure.
Youwillalsohavetostartthinkingaboutwhatothernaturalfeaturesandsettlementsarearoundyourtown,and
howfarawayarethey.Thedistancebetweenyourtownandthesethingswillalsohaveanimpactonitsstructure
andsociety.Ifthemainmodeoftransportishorseandcartthenadaystravelwillcoverfifteentotwentymiles.This
meansthatiftheclosesttownisseventyfivemilesaway,youarelookingatfivedaystraveltoreachit.Howfar
awayisametalsource?oratownthatmines?Ifitisalongwayawaythecostofmetalitemswillbehigherinyour
townduetotheimportcosts.
NowyouseewhyIsayitisamassiveundertakingtobuildaworld.Thegoodnewsisyoudonothavetomakeitin
oneday.Youcant.Youwontevenfinishinayearoradecade.Youwillnevertrulyfinishyourworldbutthats
OK.Youonlyneedtocreateenoughworldasyourplayerscanexplore.Infactyoudonotwanttofinishit.Ifyou
dothenyouhavenoroomtoaddsomethingnew.
Inparttwowewilllookathowtoaddindividualdetailsandobjectstoyourregion,andhowtorecordanddetail
yourworldinformation.
HappyWorldBuilding..
POSTEDINCAMPAIGNCREATION.,FOREXPERIENCEDDUNGEONMASTERS.,FORNEW
DUNGEONMASTERS.,HOWTOBEABETTERDM.,WORLDBUILDING.
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