Recently on another thread there is a discussion on which new source book our friends at Wizards of the Coast should come with next. Should they make one for Ebberon, Greyhawk, Planescape, to even update Mystara (for those of us old enough to remember it LOL).
It was suggested a new thread be created to discuss an entirely differently approach to what they should create next.
The point where I began to lose interest is that all of these pre-made worlds had something I liked but where were missing many elements I personal find myself adding in after the fact. Sure they can be modified to fit into my own personal creative imagination but then why am I buying these when I should be creating my own.
I have created 2 of own worlds and it took years to fully watch them grow into something worthwhile. I struggle with mapping that had rivers and forests on a map that actually made sense as well, I detailed areas and still left areas I could fill in later that today are still left undone. It took years of research and a lot of it done in a time the internet didn’t exist.
For those of us that have dug deep within our creative corners we learn all too quickly what a daunting task world building is. If you have ever tried to do this you will understand that a map is filled with geographical info that may or not make sense. Well, I put mountains and rivers there because I wanted them there. It doesn’t have to make sense, or does it?
There are a ton or resources already out and some are good and some not so good.
I voted for a Campaign Book that would detail the creating/building of the Homebrew world.
Since they are already revisiting older material with the Yawning Portal as an example, why not take some of the wisdom accumulated in past Dungeon & Dragons source books and articles and produce a Campaign book on creating and building your own homebrew world from scratch.
There is some amazing talent in the D&D community. It is after all a game of imagination, and for a good DM, the need for creative process tools is highly valued.
I would like discuss what you might include as a chapter to see from a source book on world building.
I’ll start….. “I would like to see a chapter on political societies”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Wow. Well said, my friend. I guess the only world I feel any type of connection with is Eberron. All the other worlds and settings I've had to do massive amounts of reworking just for them to make sense to me. (I'm looking at you Dragonlance! Though, the Kender :-) ...lol)
I would like a chapter on maritime adventures. I feel like a lot of campaigns tend to go towards the sea and sea travel. (And if they don't, what the hell!!!!) I also loved swashbuckling adventure and do y'all remember when Stormwrack came out? That was the BEST book...well, that and Frostburn. I feel like it really helped nail what adventuring on the open ocean is like and can be.
Political societies is a really good one too, though. A lot of gamers aren't familiar with how to work under certain constraints. Again, this is something Eberron and even the Inner Sea has done well.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Wow. Well said, my friend. I guess the only world I feel any type of connection with is Eberron. All the other worlds and settings I've had to do massive amounts of reworking just for them to make sense to me. (I'm looking at you Dragonlance! Though, the Kender :-) ...lol)
I would like a chapter on maritime adventures. I feel like a lot of campaigns tend to go towards the sea and sea travel. (And if they don't, what the hell!!!!) I also loved swashbuckling adventure and do y'all remember when Stormwrack came out? That was the BEST book...well, that and Frostburn. I feel like it really helped nail what adventuring on the open ocean is like and can be.
Political societies is a really good one too, though. A lot of gamers aren't familiar with how to work under certain constraints. Again, this is something Eberron and even the Inner Sea has done well.
Totally get that. A lot of us grew up with certain hero archetypes. Conan was huge for some but I always suffered from Sinbad syndrome. My love of the high-seas adventures made Sinbad one of my favorites. Coming in a very close second would be Errol Flynn movies. Captain Blood and The Sea Wolfs brought swashbuckling to new levels for me.
I agree that a chapter could be dedicated to sea travel and world building around that.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Wow. Well said, my friend. I guess the only world I feel any type of connection with is Eberron. All the other worlds and settings I've had to do massive amounts of reworking just for them to make sense to me. (I'm looking at you Dragonlance! Though, the Kender :-) ...lol)
I would like a chapter on maritime adventures. I feel like a lot of campaigns tend to go towards the sea and sea travel. (And if they don't, what the hell!!!!) I also loved swashbuckling adventure and do y'all remember when Stormwrack came out? That was the BEST book...well, that and Frostburn. I feel like it really helped nail what adventuring on the open ocean is like and can be.
Political societies is a really good one too, though. A lot of gamers aren't familiar with how to work under certain constraints. Again, this is something Eberron and even the Inner Sea has done well.
Totally get that. A lot of us grew up with certain hero archetypes. Conan was huge for some but I always suffered from Sinbad syndrome. My love of the high-seas adventures made Sinbad one of my favorites. Coming in a very close second would be Errol Flynn movies. Captain Blood and The Sea Wolfs brought swashbuckling to new levels for me.
I agree that a chapter could be dedicated to sea travel and world building around that.
I was a fan of Elric, but I always gravitated towards Elven Swashbucklers (2E The Complete Fighter's Handbook). I know that there was quite a bit of sea travel in Melnibone, but the depressing tone did not fit in with the Sinbad and Errol Flynn movies that really define a swashbuckler, as you note.
Moving away from that aside, I think that how much you use a campaign setting depends on your own level of creativity. If you are not creative, the modules and boxed sets are of great help. The shift towards more creative leads you to borrowing from the source material all the way to creating your own.
I feel you really need to have an outline as to how any environments in your world fit together. Are there a few caves here and there, or is there a full "Underdark"? What level of land and sea (air?) transportation is available? Are there other planets in the star system that harbor life a la Forgotten Realms and can the characters get there?
Once that is set adopt sociopolitical boundaries and traditions around the environment. Rivers and mountain ranges make natural borders up to a certain technology level. When it becomes easy for people to navigate the obstacle, the boundary becomes less important.
There are things you can do to increase how sensible your world is, but any thing that does not make sense can be explained with magic. Why does this river get wider as it moves up into the mountains? Kelleroth the goddess of corn and plenty rewarded her worshippers with an abundance of water to nourish their crops, of course.
One of the best books for building campaigns was the 2E World Builder's Guidebook and similar materials will help you in planning and maintaining a campaign world. If the same old D&D is a grind, Creative Campaigning gives some ideas. I will say that most times as long as I have an inkling of what exists within a day's travel for the PCs I get by well enough.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.
Recently on another thread there is a discussion on which new source book our friends at Wizards of the Coast should come with next. Should they make one for Ebberon, Greyhawk, Planescape, to even update Mystara (for those of us old enough to remember it LOL).
It was suggested a new thread be created to discuss an entirely differently approach to what they should create next.
The point where I began to lose interest is that all of these pre-made worlds had something I liked but where were missing many elements I personal find myself adding in after the fact. Sure they can be modified to fit into my own personal creative imagination but then why am I buying these when I should be creating my own.
I have created 2 of own worlds and it took years to fully watch them grow into something worthwhile. I struggle with mapping that had rivers and forests on a map that actually made sense as well, I detailed areas and still left areas I could fill in later that today are still left undone. It took years of research and a lot of it done in a time the internet didn’t exist.
For those of us that have dug deep within our creative corners we learn all too quickly what a daunting task world building is. If you have ever tried to do this you will understand that a map is filled with geographical info that may or not make sense. Well, I put mountains and rivers there because I wanted them there. It doesn’t have to make sense, or does it?
There are a ton or resources already out and some are good and some not so good.
I voted for a Campaign Book that would detail the creating/building of the Homebrew world.
Since they are already revisiting older material with the Yawning Portal as an example, why not take some of the wisdom accumulated in past Dungeon & Dragons source books and articles and produce a Campaign book on creating and building your own homebrew world from scratch.
There is some amazing talent in the D&D community. It is after all a game of imagination, and for a good DM, the need for creative process tools is highly valued.
I would like discuss what you might include as a chapter to see from a source book on world building.
I’ll start….. “I would like to see a chapter on political societies”
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Wow. Well said, my friend. I guess the only world I feel any type of connection with is Eberron. All the other worlds and settings I've had to do massive amounts of reworking just for them to make sense to me. (I'm looking at you Dragonlance! Though, the Kender :-) ...lol)
I would like a chapter on maritime adventures. I feel like a lot of campaigns tend to go towards the sea and sea travel. (And if they don't, what the hell!!!!) I also loved swashbuckling adventure and do y'all remember when Stormwrack came out? That was the BEST book...well, that and Frostburn. I feel like it really helped nail what adventuring on the open ocean is like and can be.
Political societies is a really good one too, though. A lot of gamers aren't familiar with how to work under certain constraints. Again, this is something Eberron and even the Inner Sea has done well.
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.
― Friedrich Nietzsche