Norm's world: I need help knowing where to start

[BigNorm]

Hi all. I have played different games over my lifetime but have never been the DM. I am wanting to create a world to immerse my friends in and be the teller of the story for a change. Where is a good place to start? I am picturing a Viking age where monsters and different races exist and magic is real. A world where it is not uncommon to be taken forcefully from your home and thrust into a life of slavery or worse. A world of feudal lords and chieftains. Being outcast is not a place one wants to be. Maybe every player would have to have a profession that they would depend on as a means of making money. True weaponry would be rare and hard to obtain since the metal would need to be mined or extruded from the earth itself. I think starting with tribes and fiefdoms may be the way to start and fit the characters into one scene or the other depending on how they visualize themselves. Any comments would be great. Thanks.

[Sam113097]

This looks like a very interesting concept! It definitely varies from the standard expectations of a fantasy world. You should make sure that your players are willing to play in your setting, because it varies from what they may expect.

If you're looking for advice for building your world, I would suggest the Worldbuilding thread here on the forums. It's a good place to get feedback and participate in debates about how to build a world in the best way possible.

Additionally, check out the Giant's guide to building a world, the article series The New World.

[BigNorm]

Thanks Sam. I'll check it out.

[Comet]

Another way to do this would be to design just a small slice of the world rather than trying to come up with the entire thing before a single session of play. If you just concentrate on those first few sessions and what you need to run those, you can really focus on what you need to introduce your players to this strange, new world.

For example, for your world I would design a village or town with the surrounding wilderness and some allusions to neighbouring shakers and doers. The important parts being:


I am picturing a Viking age where monsters and different races exist and magic is real.
You need monsters, races and magic. D&D has you covered, so you only need to pick and choose the ones you like the most.


A world where it is not uncommon to be taken forcefully from your home and thrust into a life of slavery or worse
I would make sure there is a band of slavers in the nearby woods. Or a warband from another village that is looking for cattle and prisoners to present to their lord.


A world of feudal lords and chieftains
These do not necessarily need to be present in the adventure itself if you don't want to, but make sure you have some idea of who they are so you can introduce them through what the villagers are saying and experiencing in their own little world. The above slavers could very well be a good way to introduce some greedy robber lord in his cold, distant castle.


Being outcast is not a place one wants to be
Make sure to think about what could get a man or woman exiled from this society. Maybe the players themselves are in danger of becoming outcasts or maybe they have to help an NPC that has lost their honour.


Maybe every player would have to have a profession that they would depend on as a means of making money
Think about what professions are available and what the players can get out of them. Also think about how these professions might interact with everything above. Maybe the slavers are also looking for ships?


True weaponry would be rare and hard to obtain since the metal would need to be mined or extruded from the earth itself.
Where's the nearest mine? Who owns it? Is the route to it dangerous?

And with that you have bandits, distant lords, a village where the players have to pull their weight and avoid disgracing themselves and a precious hole in the ground that might or might not be up for grasps. That's, like, three to five sessions of adventuring, easy. You can develop everything around that as play proceeds and the players explore their surroundings or ask questions. Feel free to improvise if you haven't thought of something in advance!

[BigNorm]

Thanks Comet! You rock!