Campaign World Creation Help [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign World Creation Help [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
baelzemon_2200
08-17-07, 07:45 AM Hello everyone, I am trying to create my own campaign world. I have been having difficulty though. I have created my own group on google to help organise things better, but also to get help off of my friends and others that wish to offer help.
This is the link to it: http://groups.google.com.au/group/kaleda

The basic idea of my world is that there are no gods, and no divine magic, and finally that dragons rule. The information I have in the link is everything I have so far, and as far as classes go in that link, its a working idea at the moment that I would be using the generic classes. I find it very difficult to write flavor text for the classes, and I wouldnt know how to detail general rules modifications that I have made for my world.

If possible, how do I go about getting a map for my world? I suck at maps and I want a blank world map so I can draw everything in. If people could offer their advice, and ideas, then it would be appreciated.
Naderion
08-17-07, 08:47 AM I think there's really just one way: Take a stash of plank paper sheets and a pencil (and eraser).

You don't have to start all detailed. First, just assume the whole page is water and make large circles to represent how many continents you want, how large they are and where they are located. Try around until you think it fits, then take another clean sheet and lightly outline the position of the continents from the former sheet. Think about bays and gulfs, mountains and forests you want to have and just try around how to position them. It doesn't has to look good, just to get a rough outline of the coasts and make it visible what areas should be mountains and forests. There will be a lot of erasing and redrawing, but when you think you finally have it, take another sheet and start again, this time making a clean scetch of what you allready have figured out and add some more details, like country-borders, rivers or major cities.
You don't have to make all the continents at the same time, but all this will give you a much better picture about the lay of the land of the world.
taradusis
08-17-07, 08:40 PM The weirdest idea I ever went with was to put a blank peice of paper on the floor and drop coffee one drop at a time,anything the coffee didn't stain I colored blue.A world like a flat disk with a central sea?A disk world with the central continent shaped like australia,surrounded by water,is it possible to sail off the edge of the world?RANDOM THOUGHTS
baelzemon_2200
08-17-07, 10:19 PM Does anyone here have any suggestions for how I should handle races? Do I just list all campaign canon classes, with the listed modifications, and be done with it, or should I try and define their role in the world?
Naderion
08-18-07, 06:38 AM I think everyone has his own opinion on this, but my suggestion is to drastically limit the number of humanoid races in the world. The Monster Manual alone has about 50 creatures that could have class levels and form communities and build settlements. Our world has just one and middle-earth has 6.

For my world, I've chosen 8 major races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, Goblins, Giants and Lizardmen. These make about 80% of the whole population of the main continent. In addition, there are also about a dozen minor races, that are few in number, are limited to small areas, and usually don't play any significant parts in the events between the major races. Some of these are Kuo-toa, Gnolls or Trolls.
Other creatures do exist, like doppelgangers, gargoyles or medusas, but these creatures are extremely rare and don't have societies or settlements of their own.

I would suggest to flip through the Monster Manual and write down what races you think are so cool that you definately want to have them in. Then you can look if maybe one "role" is taken by more than one race. For example, my orcs are barbaric and their technology is rather simple, but they are also cunning and no fools, which makes hobgoblins redundant. Both races would do the same thing in the world, so hobgoblins got scraped. Same thing with Halflings and Gnomes. Like I see these races, they would do the same things in the world, so one got out.
taradusis
08-18-07, 07:59 AM I also would consider limiting minor races.I usually reccomend an Archipellago of Wonder,based on the Bahamas,that has 80 inhabited islands and 700 islands altogether.This gives you plenty of islands for a Pirate campaign,Age of Exploration campaign or a Far Trader campaign.In this sort of situation the players sail from island to island like an episode of star trek.Every island features a weird race,monster or culture.As a bit of shameless self-promotion may I suggest my Random Aqautic notes Thread?771660.Feel free to use my notes or ask Questions.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
baelzemon_2200 08-17-07, 07:45 AM	Hello everyone, I am trying to create my own campaign world. I have been having difficulty though. I have created my own group on google to help organise things better, but also to get help off of my friends and others that wish to offer help. This is the link to it: http://groups.google.com.au/group/kaleda The basic idea of my world is that there are no gods, and no divine magic, and finally that dragons rule. The information I have in the link is everything I have so far, and as far as classes go in that link, its a working idea at the moment that I would be using the generic classes. I find it very difficult to write flavor text for the classes, and I wouldnt know how to detail general rules modifications that I have made for my world. If possible, how do I go about getting a map for my world? I suck at maps and I want a blank world map so I can draw everything in. If people could offer their advice, and ideas, then it would be appreciated.
Naderion 08-17-07, 08:47 AM	I think there's really just one way: Take a stash of plank paper sheets and a pencil (and eraser). You don't have to start all detailed. First, just assume the whole page is water and make large circles to represent how many continents you want, how large they are and where they are located. Try around until you think it fits, then take another clean sheet and lightly outline the position of the continents from the former sheet. Think about bays and gulfs, mountains and forests you want to have and just try around how to position them. It doesn't has to look good, just to get a rough outline of the coasts and make it visible what areas should be mountains and forests. There will be a lot of erasing and redrawing, but when you think you finally have it, take another sheet and start again, this time making a clean scetch of what you allready have figured out and add some more details, like country-borders, rivers or major cities. You don't have to make all the continents at the same time, but all this will give you a much better picture about the lay of the land of the world.
taradusis 08-17-07, 08:40 PM	The weirdest idea I ever went with was to put a blank peice of paper on the floor and drop coffee one drop at a time,anything the coffee didn't stain I colored blue.A world like a flat disk with a central sea?A disk world with the central continent shaped like australia,surrounded by water,is it possible to sail off the edge of the world?RANDOM THOUGHTS
baelzemon_2200 08-17-07, 10:19 PM	Does anyone here have any suggestions for how I should handle races? Do I just list all campaign canon classes, with the listed modifications, and be done with it, or should I try and define their role in the world?
Naderion 08-18-07, 06:38 AM	I think everyone has his own opinion on this, but my suggestion is to drastically limit the number of humanoid races in the world. The Monster Manual alone has about 50 creatures that could have class levels and form communities and build settlements. Our world has just one and middle-earth has 6. For my world, I've chosen 8 major races: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, Goblins, Giants and Lizardmen. These make about 80% of the whole population of the main continent. In addition, there are also about a dozen minor races, that are few in number, are limited to small areas, and usually don't play any significant parts in the events between the major races. Some of these are Kuo-toa, Gnolls or Trolls. Other creatures do exist, like doppelgangers, gargoyles or medusas, but these creatures are extremely rare and don't have societies or settlements of their own. I would suggest to flip through the Monster Manual and write down what races you think are so cool that you definately want to have them in. Then you can look if maybe one "role" is taken by more than one race. For example, my orcs are barbaric and their technology is rather simple, but they are also cunning and no fools, which makes hobgoblins redundant. Both races would do the same thing in the world, so hobgoblins got scraped. Same thing with Halflings and Gnomes. Like I see these races, they would do the same things in the world, so one got out.
taradusis 08-18-07, 07:59 AM	I also would consider limiting minor races.I usually reccomend an Archipellago of Wonder,based on the Bahamas,that has 80 inhabited islands and 700 islands altogether.This gives you plenty of islands for a Pirate campaign,Age of Exploration campaign or a Far Trader campaign.In this sort of situation the players sail from island to island like an episode of star trek.Every island features a weird race,monster or culture.As a bit of shameless self-promotion may I suggest my Random Aqautic notes Thread?771660.Feel free to use my notes or ask Questions.