Hey everyone.
I'm trying to create my own campaign world that I can test play with the gaming group I'm in. I've the world map drawn somewhat (landscape still needs to be done) two prestige classes made (the worg rider and the umbrol knight), and working on a normal class (this class can combine 2 or more spells into 1 spell). For extra character races, in addition to the normal, got orcs, kobold, goblin and hobgoblin goin. I know these are normal monsters. I'm also trying to create a playable race, the tree troll.
The problem is that I'm having troublewith the landscape (what goes next to each other, you know, desert, swamp, plains, mountain ranges that sort of thing) Also, having trouble with history of world (thinking of having war against vampire and werewolves like in the movie "Underworld" and the Dwarf Wars to explain the dwarves subraces)Not sure about diety involvement all though plan on allowing aspects from the Dragon magazine being used like the Article "The Infused"( not sure which issue it's in) which means some diety involvement.
In other words, I'm having trouble with the minor and some major details of the world building.
Any comments and/or ideas would be helpful and should I get any ideas that are used, work, and I do submit for publication, I would give credit where credit is do. Any significant ideas used would definately get some portion of payment should world ever be published.
I can also be reached at:
frankmagdalin@yahoo.com
Thanks
Rich Burlew, writer of Order of the Stick and D&D freelancer, wrote a great set of articles on world designing. They can be found here: http://www.giantitp.com/Form.html
As to the "what goes where", http://www.giantitp.com/frm0016.html .
Basic rules: figure out your coastline, mountains, and direction of prevailing winds. Deserts tend to be next to the mountains, on the side away from the prevailing winds. Swamps and marshes tend to be on the side facing away from the prevailing winds, in valleys and lowlands. Water flows from the mountains to the shores, with lakes and marshes in between. Other flat areas tend to be fertile plains, forests tend to cling to mountains, and jungles exist in wet, warm valleys.
Places to put big cities: In deserts along the rivers where the land is fertile, and trade is easy. Mountain plateaus and valleys, where access to minerals is abundant, but food isn't scarce. Anywhere a river meets the coast is a good place for a port. By a large lake, especially if it is fed by multiple rivers. Areas with plains tend to have very widespread populations, so they tend to have lots of small cities.
Also, don't neglect that this is a fantasy world. Magic/deities can have permanant effects on a landscape. In one world, in a dry, rocky area there were once two cities by lakes. Competition for trade and resources got fierce, and a feudal war broke out. The land's center of power was far away and weak. The lake closer to the shore blockaded all trade from the coast to the lake further from the shore. The further lake retaliated by pouring massive ammounts of magical poison into the river, to ruin the source of irrigation and food. Some say that they angered the god of rivers and lakes, others say the godess of the oceans, or perhaps the lord of all nature. Some say what happened next was the work of cabal of mages, druids, or clerics. The direction of the river was reversed, carrying the poison back to the further lake, and flooding the town. While the poison is now long gone, so is the city by the lake and the lade, now called the Lake of Fools, is still deemed cursed and is avoided at all costs. That doesn't stop adventurers from going there to seek the lost treasures of the flooded city.
Also, if a mountain range hits the coast, it will likely continue, creating a penninsula, and as the water gets deeper, islands. I would say that one of the best things you can do is look at a map of the real world. Most deserts exist near the equator, ice caps at either pole. Its amazing what you can learn from just looking, though if your only creating one or two continents that doesn't really apply.
Rivers tend to run straighter in the mountains and only start to get windy when they reach flatlands. I know here in Ireland, theres geography books for 15 year old kids in school that explin things like how rivers erode and glaciers and stuff that would be helful, tho i don't know if you have those kinda things on your side of te world.
Also, check out this article, it kicks ass.
http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htm
I find that after you have a realistic geography in place for your world, figuring out what races to populate the world with generally make sense per the monster manual and PHB.
Yuan-ti, for instance, prefer Jungle/Warmer climates.
Drow and Deep Gnomes in the Underdark, etc.
For a bit of variety, you can always do meaningful opposites, things like snow snakes, for instance, and ice-trolls, etc.
Also, knowing the cosmology of your universe helps greatly, are there many Gods and Goddesses? Or just one? Do they interact/interfere with the mortals? Or are the mortals largely unaware that they exist?
Figuring out the tech level of your world is important. Magic or Technology?
In my game, Technology lost the War of Power to Magic, therefore Magic holds the majority of the power in the world, with the rare exception of a few "artifacts" that show up now and then. (you know, batteries, guns, tanks, whatever)
The polotics of the world are just as important to me as the overall theme. Is the world a peaceful place? Or all-out war?
Does slavery exist, and if so, who is enslaved? Who are the rulers? What is the basic level of poverty and wealth in each area/country/continent?
Answering the broader questions about your own world will invariably lead you toward the more specific things, I find.
For instance: In a desert world, the one with the water rules. In a Diety-driven world, Gods make the power.
If I had to choose the most important features of a world, I'd say it's the Geography, then the Dieties, then the races, then the rest.
Just remember to have fun and you'll do fine! :-)
- WC