So im not a new DM but recently ive been blanking majorly on everything. so im trying to create a home base settlement for my new campaign. But i have nothing. No new ideas and every time i think i have something i end up getting half way done and having to restart. Am i just being to picky and should stick with some idea or should i just try to take a break. I would also welcome any interesting ideas. thank you
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DM: Ok you encounter a Bugbear.
Newbie: THAT SOUNDS AWFUL! its like a bear bug combo!
Veteran: No actually its-
DM: (scribbling furiously) The Bugbears mandibles click loudly! Roll initiative!
Are you looking to create a location where the players come back to or a home city? Just looking for a little more detail or clarification on what you are looking to accomplish.
For me, I usually start off with the city or town/village (on the pages right-click for settings to adjust the map) the adventures will go back to for Downtime activities and I used the link generators to start firing up some ideas. I've also used this City Generator dice rolling game Ex-novo to get down to the nitty-gritty details that I found to be a great generator. Or if you you don't want to start with a big city but a small little corner of a neighborhood you can use this tool that you can populate it with their base of operations as well shops that may be needed. Getting down to building locations for the players I use Tom Catros Maps to get ideas if not use these beautiful maps he's created.
These are just some starting points that I use this might not be what you are looking for but keep talking about what you're looking and we can work out the details.
How large is the settlement? Usually, D&D places pc- friendly locations on the edge of civilization, is that where yours is? Why is it where it is — usually there is a natural resource to exploit, like a fishing town, a mining town, a lumber town, etc. Or sometimes, a man made resource, a crossroads of two trade routes, a bridge over a major river, a site for religious pilgrims.
Depending on the size, you can come up with a government structure, ranging from a really small town, where everyone looks to Joe for leadership, but there’s nothing official, to a large bureaucracy with some official leader. And depending on the town, there should be at least one other power center — mining town has a miner’s guild, pilgrimage site has a major church.
Get those sorts of things in place and other details will often follow naturally.
alright thanks thats actually really helpful. I only really had a few ideas and none of those included what u said so im happy for fresh perspective. Ive been having a harder time thinking lately so ive been really struggling
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: Ok you encounter a Bugbear.
Newbie: THAT SOUNDS AWFUL! its like a bear bug combo!
Veteran: No actually its-
DM: (scribbling furiously) The Bugbears mandibles click loudly! Roll initiative!
No problem. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I like to think of my towns as how they would evolve irl. At some point, a group of people decided to live here. Why did they do that? And then let it grow from there.
Its easier, imo, to add in things like cultists and ancient ruins and tribes of goblins once you’ve got the mundane things in place.
So im not a new DM but recently ive been blanking majorly on everything. so im trying to create a home base settlement for my new campaign. But i have nothing. No new ideas and every time i think i have something i end up getting half way done and having to restart. Am i just being to picky and should stick with some idea or should i just try to take a break. I would also welcome any interesting ideas. thank you
DM: Ok you encounter a Bugbear.
Newbie: THAT SOUNDS AWFUL! its like a bear bug combo!
Veteran: No actually its-
DM: (scribbling furiously) The Bugbears mandibles click loudly! Roll initiative!
Are you looking to create a location where the players come back to or a home city? Just looking for a little more detail or clarification on what you are looking to accomplish.
A place they come to often and a place where they start their adventures. I would like it to have some interesting quirks too but i just keep blanking
DM: Ok you encounter a Bugbear.
Newbie: THAT SOUNDS AWFUL! its like a bear bug combo!
Veteran: No actually its-
DM: (scribbling furiously) The Bugbears mandibles click loudly! Roll initiative!
For me, I usually start off with the city or town/village (on the pages right-click for settings to adjust the map) the adventures will go back to for Downtime activities and I used the link generators to start firing up some ideas. I've also used this City Generator dice rolling game Ex-novo to get down to the nitty-gritty details that I found to be a great generator. Or if you you don't want to start with a big city but a small little corner of a neighborhood you can use this tool that you can populate it with their base of operations as well shops that may be needed. Getting down to building locations for the players I use Tom Catros Maps to get ideas if not use these beautiful maps he's created.
These are just some starting points that I use this might not be what you are looking for but keep talking about what you're looking and we can work out the details.
Start with big picture stuff and work down.
How large is the settlement? Usually, D&D places pc- friendly locations on the edge of civilization, is that where yours is? Why is it where it is — usually there is a natural resource to exploit, like a fishing town, a mining town, a lumber town, etc. Or sometimes, a man made resource, a crossroads of two trade routes, a bridge over a major river, a site for religious pilgrims.
Depending on the size, you can come up with a government structure, ranging from a really small town, where everyone looks to Joe for leadership, but there’s nothing official, to a large bureaucracy with some official leader.
And depending on the town, there should be at least one other power center — mining town has a miner’s guild, pilgrimage site has a major church.
Get those sorts of things in place and other details will often follow naturally.
alright thanks thats actually really helpful. I only really had a few ideas and none of those included what u said so im happy for fresh perspective. Ive been having a harder time thinking lately so ive been really struggling
DM: Ok you encounter a Bugbear.
Newbie: THAT SOUNDS AWFUL! its like a bear bug combo!
Veteran: No actually its-
DM: (scribbling furiously) The Bugbears mandibles click loudly! Roll initiative!
No problem.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I like to think of my towns as how they would evolve irl. At some point, a group of people decided to live here. Why did they do that? And then let it grow from there.
Its easier, imo, to add in things like cultists and ancient ruins and tribes of goblins once you’ve got the mundane things in place.
Ooo good idea
DM: Ok you encounter a Bugbear.
Newbie: THAT SOUNDS AWFUL! its like a bear bug combo!
Veteran: No actually its-
DM: (scribbling furiously) The Bugbears mandibles click loudly! Roll initiative!