A
AwesomenessKON
Guest
Original poster
Want to build a world from scratch but don't know where to start? Here are a few methods starting with...
The Microscopic Approach:
In many respects, this is the opposite of the macroscopic method. In this approach, the GM starts with the dungeon, town, or similar focused settings, and works their way outward. For example, If you have a great idea for a town set on a volcanic mountain, your next step in zooming out would be to create a kingdom or region with a volcanic mountain in it, followed by the continent that surrounds the kingdom, and so on. Many campaigns are built by happenstance as fledgling GMs begin to place farther and farther from the PCs' base of operation or starting point.
This method for world building applies when you have a fragment of a world--a small province, town, or dungeon--already prepared, and you're trying to flesh out this one dimensional construct into a living, breathing campaign world. Starting small and working up is a natural progression as the PCs grow more powerful and begin to exert their GMs who wants to watch PCs explore the world a little bit at a time--in a system, discovering what lies on the other side of the hill in an important part of the world growth and campaign adventure.
The Microscopic Approach:
In many respects, this is the opposite of the macroscopic method. In this approach, the GM starts with the dungeon, town, or similar focused settings, and works their way outward. For example, If you have a great idea for a town set on a volcanic mountain, your next step in zooming out would be to create a kingdom or region with a volcanic mountain in it, followed by the continent that surrounds the kingdom, and so on. Many campaigns are built by happenstance as fledgling GMs begin to place farther and farther from the PCs' base of operation or starting point.
This method for world building applies when you have a fragment of a world--a small province, town, or dungeon--already prepared, and you're trying to flesh out this one dimensional construct into a living, breathing campaign world. Starting small and working up is a natural progression as the PCs grow more powerful and begin to exert their GMs who wants to watch PCs explore the world a little bit at a time--in a system, discovering what lies on the other side of the hill in an important part of the world growth and campaign adventure.
