Populated Open Game World

[Orni]

I'm a rookie DM and recently completed my first own story arc (as well as a premade campaign before) - which was a success! - but my players want a more "sandbox" like world for our next adventures.

Is there anything I can use for this?

Obviously I could just improvise the whole thing but I'd like to have something that's been thought through to some extent and coming up with a whole world is simply too time consuming.

I'm sure there are ressources for this - I just can't find anything that fits my needs.
Here's what I'd like to have:

- fantasy setting
- either not game-system-specific or D&D 3.5/Pathfinder based
- lots of maps (including cities)
- detailed history (including kingdoms,religions and so on)
- lots of NPCs with brief backstories
- dungeons and other things to do with plot outlines
- (optional) wiki-like online format

I could, of course, simply put my players into a world out of a video game or book - but that's not really what I'm after.

Is there anything like this?
If not - how do you guys do this?

[Feddlefew]

Gnome Stew has an excellent page of Hexcrawl resources which I think you might like.

My favorite for low-prep games is drop maps. I also like to just fire up Dwarf Fortress and let it generate a world for me, export the map as an image file, and then go digging in the save file for population statistics and such

But, if I have a lot of time, I use this method to generate a regional map and then go from there. If your player's aren't too picky about realistic geography, you can place land features wherever you think looks nice. If you do want a realistic map, I think this guide is good, but not for the faint of heart.

[neonchameleon]

Right.

No hexcrawl is complete. Ever.

To run one, start with something like Hexenbracken or the Krall. Grab a copy of Vornheim.

And remember that you'll improvise most of it - keep notes, give each person two conflicting characteristics, and don't sweat the small stuff.

[Thrawn4]

I'm a rookie DM and recently completed my first own story arc (as well as a premade campaign before) - which was a success! - but my players want a more "sandbox" like world for our next adventures.

Is there any reason why you cannot use the same setting for your sandbox? Both you and the players are already familiar with it, all you have to do is to stay flexible and improvise. Playing the next chapter of the setting supports the atmoshpere and has the advantage of having a "real" history already.

[Thrudd]

I'm a rookie DM and recently completed my first own story arc (as well as a premade campaign before) - which was a success! - but my players want a more "sandbox" like world for our next adventures.

Is there anything I can use for this?

Obviously I could just improvise the whole thing but I'd like to have something that's been thought through to some extent and coming up with a whole world is simply too time consuming.

I'm sure there are ressources for this - I just can't find anything that fits my needs.
Here's what I'd like to have:

- fantasy setting
- either not game-system-specific or D&D 3.5/Pathfinder based
- lots of maps (including cities)
- detailed history (including kingdoms,religions and so on)
- lots of NPCs with brief backstories
- dungeons and other things to do with plot outlines
- (optional) wiki-like online format

I could, of course, simply put my players into a world out of a video game or book - but that's not really what I'm after.

Is there anything like this?
If not - how do you guys do this?

Doesn't Pathfinder already have a very detailed setting? 3.5 has a few different campaign setting books, like Eberron and Forgotten Realms. Any of those have maps, histories, countries, NPCs, all that.

The most important thing for a sandbox game, apart from the setting, is that the characters have clear built-in motives to seek out adventure. Make sure the players are all on the same page about what they're looking for.

[GentlemanVoodoo]

I'm a rookie DM and recently completed my first own story arc (as well as a premade campaign before) - which was a success! - but my players want a more "sandbox" like world for our next adventures.

Is there anything I can use for this?

Obviously I could just improvise the whole thing but I'd like to have something that's been thought through to some extent and coming up with a whole world is simply too time consuming.

I'm sure there are ressources for this - I just can't find anything that fits my needs.
Here's what I'd like to have:

- fantasy setting
- either not game-system-specific or D&D 3.5/Pathfinder based
- lots of maps (including cities)
- detailed history (including kingdoms,religions and so on)
- lots of NPCs with brief backstories
- dungeons and other things to do with plot outlines
- (optional) wiki-like online format

I could, of course, simply put my players into a world out of a video game or book - but that's not really what I'm after.

Is there anything like this?
If not - how do you guys do this?

For fantasy settings not D&D/Pathfinder base, proceed to your local book store or area of business that sells table top games. Read one that strikes your fancy and take notes.
For lots of maps, google image of the specific terrain or setting you are looking for. If you have a hobby shop or store that sales table top game materials, look at those to see if they have what you are needing.
For detailed history, NPC's and dungeons consider real life influences of historical people and places. A blue print of the New York subway system could be turned into an interesting dungeon for instance.

As to how to do a sandbox like world, consider the following points:

1. What type of world do you and the players want to adventure in? Medieval based Europe? Oriental inspired? Mix of many cultures?
2. What specifically do you and the players want to do? Mass dungeon crawls? Political intrigue?
3. What would be the connecting factors to everything (how to get to the places of the world and reason for going out into it)?

these things I would discuss with your players first to get a better idea of what to design.

[Orni]

thanks a lot

I've stumbled upon a few interesting things that I'm going to mix&match
However, it seems that what I searched for doesn't exist.

I'm a bit puzzled by that - to be honest. Considering the amount of rpg systems and fantasy books that exist.

Why has nobody started a collaborative effort to construct a detailed fantasy world using the wiki toolkit?
People could contribute their own little things - like NPCs with backstories or dungeons and so on.
The creator (or a team of curators) would periodically check all new additions and approve or reject them (depending on quality and world-comparability)

One could even stat out all the characters and monsters/bosses for different systems, although the idea would be to make the whole thing system-independent.
I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate that and a lot of 'fanfiction' could happen (which in turn makes its way into the wiki and expands the world)

Am I making sense here?
It seems so obvious to me that I'm really puzzled nobody started such a project yet.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I think I've heard of projects like that, although I can't name any examples of the top of my hat. They're usually aimed at a broader category of fiction rather than a single RPG system, and as such they probably mostly focus on a slightly bigger picture. The people in those projects generally like making up their own characters, but sometimes they want to have a city in a country on a continent in a universe with a tech level etc etc handy to place them in.

[Endarire]

If you want a bunch of help, just read others' campaign journals. Their characters and adventures can provide interesting stories, as well as locales and adventures of your own!