I'm sure some of these things will depend on the theme (e.g., heroic fantasy, dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, etc.) and magic level (low to high). And just to be clear, I'm really just interested in limiting the scope of worlds to the traditional D&D cosmology (i.e., inner, astral, and outer planes). But besides these things, I'm curious if anyone has a template or even random tables that they've used for building things like 1-4 below. I'm really just interested in the range of possibilities for each.
World history, epochs, calendar/timekeeping, etc.
Type of regional powers, the range of interaction between them (e.g., silk road-type networks vs. isolation), and the range of cultural attitudes towards outsiders (e.g., hostile to friendly)
Pantheon(s)
Geography, esp. large-scale features such as regions (including a list of natural resources unique to a region), unique or extreme climate features, etc.
I was going to ask, if you have considering using AI to assist with your own tables? I know some people are strictly opposed and others embrace it. Just a thought. I use it myself and love it. And im at the age where we switched from encyclopedias to the internet...lol
I did a single AI query on the topic and it didn't generate the quality of work that I'm looking for. For example, it didn't generate anything close to the quality of work that can be found in the free resource that I linked in my OP. Could I have asked follow-up questions? Yes. But in my experience, the amount of time and thought I'd need to put into developing questions would be better spent developing my own ideas and researching the topic (without AI). I'm starting to use AI for D&D purposes less and less. Not just for the quality of information. Last, I don't want this thread to turn into a pro/con AI thread lol There are lots of other really informative threads on this board for that.
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Started playing AD&D in the late 70s, took a 40 year hiatus, re-started with 3.5 and 5e in 2023
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I'm sure some of these things will depend on the theme (e.g., heroic fantasy, dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, etc.) and magic level (low to high). And just to be clear, I'm really just interested in limiting the scope of worlds to the traditional D&D cosmology (i.e., inner, astral, and outer planes). But besides these things, I'm curious if anyone has a template or even random tables that they've used for building things like 1-4 below. I'm really just interested in the range of possibilities for each.
Edit: I found a free resource that is close to what I'm looking for: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/348809/worlds-without-number-free-edition
And I think I found another one that sells for $20 that I think is what I'm looking for (but I can't verify since I can only see a sample): https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/513972/tome-of-worldbuilding
Started playing AD&D in the late 70s, took a 40 year hiatus, re-started with 3.5 and 5e in 2023
I was going to ask, if you have considering using AI to assist with your own tables? I know some people are strictly opposed and others embrace it. Just a thought. I use it myself and love it. And im at the age where we switched from encyclopedias to the internet...lol
I did a single AI query on the topic and it didn't generate the quality of work that I'm looking for. For example, it didn't generate anything close to the quality of work that can be found in the free resource that I linked in my OP. Could I have asked follow-up questions? Yes. But in my experience, the amount of time and thought I'd need to put into developing questions would be better spent developing my own ideas and researching the topic (without AI). I'm starting to use AI for D&D purposes less and less. Not just for the quality of information. Last, I don't want this thread to turn into a pro/con AI thread lol There are lots of other really informative threads on this board for that.
Started playing AD&D in the late 70s, took a 40 year hiatus, re-started with 3.5 and 5e in 2023