Campaign Setting Creation First Attempt, Advice and Assistance Would be Lovely

[IcemanJRC]

Okay, so I decided I wanted to work on a campaign setting, homebrew being something that has called out to me for a long time. HOWEVER, I am not particularly well versed in the requirements for a complete setting. I'm hoping to get some advice and assistance with this project and I hope I can get something, if not great, interesting. As for ideas for the setting, I've had a few but would like to hear what other people wouldn't mind working on, as I do not plan to have this be a solo project by any means. The mechanical aspects will be D&D 4e as that is the system I know, but if anybody would like to convert to another edition or system I'd be willing to listen and help to the best of my ability.

So is there anybody willing to assist me? I'd definitely like to at least get some direction. I'm going to be going through some of the stuff here on the forums to find out what people have thought was a good idea to have and such. Please, any advice at all is welcome.

Notes:

EDIT: So with a brief look I've determined some major elements of a setting. A history, a cosmology(original or otherwise), geography and society. Would this be correct? Am I missing anything?

EDIT2: Okay, so other things to look at, Organizations, Politics, Races, Classes, Creatures(Native or Otherwise.)

EDIT3: Tech level and magic level can make a huge difference.


Tentative
Theme: Duality, objects together in balance. Not duality like with a mirror or contrasting opposites but rather similar to the Taoist philosophy of Yin Yang, it will touch on the fact that opposites give rise to each other. You can't have one with out the other, men and women, wet and dry, hot and cold.

[Omeganaut]

You should also think of major organizations and political factions. You also need to decide which races are present and what their roles are, and also think about which classes are banned, which are rare, and which are more common. I'd also have an idea of what creatures inhabit your wilderness, and which ones aren't native to the world.

[IcemanJRC]

Thank you. :smallbiggrin:

I appreciate any help immensely. So those are the major attributes you think? That gives me some great direction, thank you again.

EDIT: Do you have any ideas for an overarching theme that'd be good to see? Any sort of world you feel is underserved?

[Machinekng]

Thank you. :smallbiggrin:

I appreciate any help immensely. So those are the major attributes you think? That gives me some great direction, thank you again.

EDIT: Do you have any ideas for an overarching theme that'd be good to see? Any sort of world you feel is underserved?

A major theme is probably the most important aspect of a setting, as it determines everything else.

For some inspiration, here's the theme list from VUACS2



• The theme of Exploration suggests travel to unknown vistas, places beyond the borders of the map, and encounters with the unexpected and unimaginable. There's a surfeit of world to find that nobody ever has, and what you run into is not likely to be anything you could have expected.
• In the Eye of the Storm, the apocalypse is now. As disaster looms and makes its first strikes, you must struggle to make it through to the end. Will you be able to halt the calamity, or merely weather it?
• On the Frontier, the border between order and chaos, trouble is ever afoot. Civilization's very fringe invites a flood from the wild and seethes with thrill and danger.
• In the age of Genesis, the first civilizations live on a world still in the throes of creation, where primal forces carve and forge the foundations of existence and the laws of life are still in their untried infancy.
• A Heroic world cleaves to simple ideals, inspiration and wonder that can triumph over schemes and darkness. One man with a sword can make a difference, and the vilest villain can be struck down by those brave enough to face him.
• In a land of High Adventure, wonders and perils wait for those audacious enough to seek them out. Adventurers know what's out there to be seized, and to the most daring go the spoils.
• A world beset by Horror may be a dark place indeed; no matter what facade civilization has established, the dread seeps into the soul. Whether existential or derived from some menacing force, there is a terror that refuses to die.
• A land under Invasion is in a bitter conflict between an aggressor force that pushes into a territory and those who live there and fear death, starvation or slavery. Whether you are invader or invaded, justified or wrong, you will be sucked into the struggle between two forces.
• The Noir theme speaks to intrigue, uncertainty and a cynical worldview. There are few true heroes in this land, and the idealistic learn bitter lessons about the nature of life and its uncaring and often faceless cruelties.
• Post-Apocalypse, the world is not what it once was. Those who survived the apocalypse, and their descendants, must make do in the shattered remnants of what once was while contending with the consequences of the disaster itself.
• A world in its Savage age may be primitive or advanced, but its people are barbaric and fierce. Lawlessness and the rule of force predominate, and the time of invention and creation is at its end.
• In this land, your Survival may be your most immediate concern, as well as that of everyone else. Where the world seems to go out of its way to deprive you of the basic necessities of life, the ability to seize what you need and to endure what comes is what separates the living from the dead.
• In a time of War, shifting allegiances and diluted ideologies come together in a massive conflict between many parties, one with no clear resolution in sight. The tides of battle sweep up all who lie in their path, and in the chaos there may be a place for a hero to stand tall.


Some theme combination examples (in my opinion):

Forgetten Realms: High Adventure, Heroic
Eberron: Noir, Exploration (and some Invasion subplots)

Make sure to decide on tech and magic levels for your world. They can determine politics, culture, and even geography.

[Omeganaut]

Those are great places to start with, and the theme does play a major part in deciding every other aspect of the setting. As for the theme, I was thinking maybe something resembling the Greek city-states. I feel like actually focusing on the Greek myths and influences on D&D is rather rare, as most people look more at the Romans. However, its up to you, and that might be more of a 'feel' than an overarching theme. Also, if you want help with fluff, I certainly wouldn't mind, but I play mostly 3.5 and Pathfinder, so the crunch is outta my league.

[Zeta Kai]

Well, campaign settings are a huge undertaking, a labor of love that emphasizes the labor part above all else. To create a truly interesting, vibrant world (IE the only kind worth making), EVERY aspect of the world needs to be considered, not just the basics. Some aspects of the setting are more important than others, though, so I'll note the most crucial bits:

Genre/Theme: What is your setting about? What kinds of stories can be told there? Who is your audience?
Structure: What is your setting's cosmology? How many planes exist? How many gods exist? What level of magic is accessible to PCs? Does this structure promote your setting's themes?
Races: What races are available to players? What are they like? Do they promote your setting's themes?
Classes: Are there any new base classes? Prestige classes? NPC classes? Do these promote your setting's themes?
Player Options: Are there any new feats? New spells? New magic items? Do these promote your setting's themes?
Creatures: Are there any new monsters? New playable creatures? Do these promote your setting's themes?
Adventuring: Does your setting adequately facilitate adventurers & their adventuring lifestyle? Does it have dungeons to delve, treasure to discover, mysteries to explore, people to rescue, opponents to oppose, & challenges to overcome?

You may have noticed the recurrent mentioning of themes, & the promotion thereof. This is probably the most important thing about a setting. The worst thing that you can do to your setting is ignoring its core themes. Establish them early, & adhere to them strongly. Anything that doesn't serve to illustrate one of your setting's themes, directly or indirectly, should be taken out.

There is an urge, felt by many world-builders, to throw everything into their settings. There should be something for everyone, they think, so nobody has a reason to play in any other setting. This is a deadly trap, the most insidious snare that will bog you down with unnecessary, unsatisfying, & ultimately unsuitable work. Is your setting based on the Arabian Nights? Then don't put any bloody Norse-themed ice dwarves in there. This kitchen sink approach to world-building will take forever, dilute your themes, & result in a bland, nonsensical, unattractive setting, something that nobody wants to make. Find your theme(s), stick to them, & you'll do great.

[Lappy9000]

There is an urge, felt by many world-builders, to throw everything into their settings. There should be something for everyone, they think, so nobody has a reason to play in any other setting. This is a deadly trap, the most insidious snare that will bog you down with unnecessary, unsatisfying, & ultimately unsuitable work. Is your setting based on the Arabian Nights? Then don't put any bloody Norse-themed ice dwarves in there. This kitchen sink approach to world-building will take forever, dilute your themes, & result in a bland, nonsensical, unattractive setting, something that nobody wants to make. Find your theme(s), stick to them, & you'll do great.Zeta Kai's advice is great, but on this particular point, I would say you can do a kitchen sink well, but with more of a focus on keeping things open than outright including everything. An Arabian Nights setting seems off with ice dwarves, but a kitchen sink setting wouldn't happen in an Arabian Nights setting ('cause it would no longer be an Arabian Nights setting).

While initial descriptions focus on the core themes and monsters/civilizations/so on that fit into those themes, you can easily leave space open for others to fill in the blanks on their own. Maybe an unexplored continent? Perhaps the other themes are far-off lands, or sealed off in the center of the earth?

It's a personal thing, but I have a habit of glossing over settings that forbid certain material outright. I'm jaded 'cause my DM philosophy is very open-ended, so the settings I use should be the same.

[IcemanJRC]

Thank you all very much! I'm excited to begin, all of your advice is breeding ideas.

So, as to recap, it seems theme is the most important thing to keep in mind. Remain consistent and true to your ideas, make sure your theme is interesting and above all, it seems, focus. I'm noticing the trend, focus seems key. I'm looking forward to this, I hope this works out.

So, Genre/Theme. Frontier/Survival seems to call to me... I love the idea of struggling with your environment and working to quell nature. The Frontier style allows for a sort of duality, the main aspect being of course the expansion and settlement of the dangerous wilds, but the areas they expand from allowing for a more urban style setting. I like the duality of it.

EDIT: In fact, I really like the idea of duality. So perhaps the Frontier and Urban contrast would act as a good vehicle to portray a theme of duality...

[Eldest]

An urban frontier...
...
...
How? That... That doesn't... But it...
AHHHHHHH!!!

Ok, better now. I'd suggest Savage as a theme too, cuz I don't see enough of those. And I can help you out with crunch, I play 4e mostly (finaly it comes in handy!)
EDIT: Also, read the Giants articles on his setting. It's under gaming on the sidebar, the title is "A New World". He has alot of good stuff in there, as well as duality being one of the themes.

[IcemanJRC]

Not an urban frontier. A frontier world requires two things. The frontier which is the brand new exciting places to go and to explore and to settle, but it also requires an urbanized area from which these settlers are coming. Look at frontier colonization of the American west. You had the areas like the Oregon territory and such that were the unsettled new venues to settle and survive, but it also had the overcrowded urban areas like New York or Philadelphia.

[Machinekng]

Not an urban frontier. A frontier world requires two things. The frontier which is the brand new exciting places to go and to explore and to settle, but it also requires an urbanized area from which these settlers are coming. Look at frontier colonization of the American west. You had the areas like the Oregon territory and such that were the unsettled new venues to settle and survive, but it also had the overcrowded urban areas like New York or Philadelphia.

Here's a question:

Is this frontier mundane or fantastic?

[IcemanJRC]

Mundane or fantastic in what sense? In the sense that is mundane as in realistic or mundane for the setting?

[Eldest]

Ah. Makes sense then, carry on.

[Machinekng]

Mundane or fantastic in what sense? In the sense that is mundane as in realistic or mundane for the setting?

Mundande as in realistic.

Is the border between civilization and the wild an ocean, a river, a forest, or maybe just a line in the sand?

Or is a fantastic border, a sheer thousand foot cliff, a magical barrier, or maybe the new world is in another plane.

Just some food for thought.

[IcemanJRC]

Hm... I'll have to chew on that for a little while...