1. Ignoring Diversity 2. Environmental Impacts 3. Oversimplifying Conflict 4. Everyday Life 5. Glossing Over History 6. Underdeveloped Geography 7. Stereotyping Races and Species 8. No Consequences to History 9. Impact of magic on the world 10. Cultural Interactions 11. Thinking too much about History This is why I dislike many Anime, because "the system" that governs the world is written in English (or Japanese) in a large blue box in front of everyone, and the humans NEVER specialize, try new things, etc. and are ALL Balanced builds or DPS nuts! Why are there video game like classes? Why do they assume this class is a failure just cause it didin't level up with the rest of the normal players? Why the newest blacksmith one is kinda nice, blacksmith would have been useless in a cave man like world, but is super good in a medieval one 1K years later.
"What impact are these events having on the environment?" also works for "what impact are these events having on the local economy?" Yes, I've watched Spice and Wolf. How did you know?
I DM for a dnd campaign and looking at this I actually looking at this I have noticed that I have a lot of these things covered and fixed except for #6 and #11
As a 'forever DM' for 47+ years, I can see the value of this advice... for more experienced DMs; helping them griw their game. But new DMs. Would flounder quickly trying to follow all of this advice. The best advice is always "start small" and build out from there... as necessary.
Adding an example of a *tiny* thing that had *HUGE* impact. The highways built by ancient Rome were built to a very specific width. The width needed to comfortably accommodate 2 horses yoked together to a wagon or chariot. This width became the standard width for rails in both North America and Europe. Fast forward to the 1960s. The early space program in the United States. The launch point for US spacecraft is Cape Canaveral Florida. The spaceships have components built all over the country and they have to deliver everything, including huge fuel tanks, booster rockets, engines, etcetra from as far away as California, literally across the continent of North America. This means that, whatever Roman engineer came up with the size of Roman highways to accommodate 2 horses, had a *direct* impact on how the design of spaceships as we know them today because those vehicles and their various modules and components *had* to be designed to be able to be transported on a vehicle whose wheels were no wider than a Chariot.
This is not entirely true. For one, railroads were not standardized right away. They actually had issues trying to put cars on different tracks before they learned to standardize them. The roads of Rome were also not all the same width. This keeps getting spread around, but it isn't true. They generally are of similar size, but not the same. And then you have lots of equipment that is driven everywhere on regular roads across the country, and they often take up more than one lane. They are called Oversized Loads, and they only require a police escort and some planning to transport them from city to city. And while it is interesting that an engineer or city planner from ancient Rome may have had an impact on today, the truth of the matter is that even without an alleged standardization, roads would all look more or less the same to us if invented now. Think of cars: it only makes sense to have a driver on one side and a passenger on the other. And whether car, carriage, or chariot, two humans sitting side by side take up the same amount of room back then as they do now.
Most people, especially in a pre-industrial world, would know a lot about their home town, a good bit about the nearest city they sometimes go to, a little about the VIPs and politics of the realm, and vague rumors about lands beyond. You need maybe two major historical events that shaped your realm (conquests and migrations and their ruins and cultural debris), a couple of big enemies (evil overlord, foreign sovereign) and maybe three or four factions (religious cult, major order of knighthood, shadowy cabal, etc.). You can easily build a long campaign on that. At mid-levels, get the heroes involved with about three VIPs (a bishop, a baron, an archmage, a royal official) and let them decide which one to side with. That NPC can direct their efforts and reward them with information about the whereabouts of magic items. But let them be independent if they want to be. When the big war or apocalypse or whatever comes, the heroes will be called upon to find the Sulmonstone or assassinate the Death Prince or whatever to save the kingdom. All you have to do is have the VIPs give them stuff and be nice to them and then eventually talk about how they need help. Have someone they hate turn into an ally. Have someone they like turn traitor. Also, make sure they fight a dragon, a vampire, a beholder, and something they choose. Schedule those adventures. Plant rumors about them. Make it personal. That dragon ate their dad. That vampire kidnapped their sister. That beholder killed their favorite NPC.
Wow, awesome video! As a history major I definitely spend too much time on my lore, but it’s fun so no one’s gonna stop me lol. I’m a huge history nerd so just wanted to let you know that when you talked about the explorers of the “14th, 15th, and 16th centuries” I think you meant the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries (1400s, 1500s, 1600s). Also the “Dark Ages” is kind of a misnomer. We actually know a ton about that era, it’s just that Renaissance thinkers looked down on the period as more “un -enlightened” and then give it that name in a sort of pejorative way, which stuck up until we started reevaluating what we know about the medieval period in the last century or so. Don’t mind my “um, actually” nitpicks though, it’s still a super helpful video!
I feel like a key here is: make sure your world building impacts the decisions the players make. Imagine a world in D&D where the different schools of magic (illusion, evocation, etc...) are from different magical traditions and cultures. Maybe illusion is practiced by the forest people, evocation is the plains people, and both cultures, while fine with magic, are distrustful of one another. Your wizards aren't obligated to restrict their spell lists, but they'd be wise to remember what spells they are casting around each culture!
I'm kinda tinkering with my own craptacular fantasy world just for my o2n amusement, and everything you said i agree with. I still have the stereotypical elves, orcs, and dwarves. But otherwise we're on the same wave. Especially about history, i try not to over explain everything to leave some mystery, but i found having history/lore actually gives you a lot of breathing room, if that makes sense.
I get that this seems to mainly target dungeon masters in DND, however, all of this can also be implemented into Authors trying to make fantasy novels or book series as well. While watching the video, I couldn’t help but think “Holy Moly, I knew how to do all of this without even realizing it.” Mainly due to the fact that I’m trying to write (and hopefully one day finish/publish) my own fantasy novel. For those trying to do the same, this info is very much applicable. Not only that, it can become especially interesting if you’re doing all of this through the lenses of the main character in your novel (If it does have a main character).
I'm a writer myself so I think that's probably why I even tackled this for a DND game. But I am definitely going to be talking more about writing and storytelling in general. Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it :D
It's... not called the Dark Ages because we don't know much about it lol. It was due to the perceived "darkness" left by the fall of the Western Roman Empire and supposed (at the time the term was coined) decline of culture, intellectualism, and economy. The term in general has fallen out of popular use with academics anyway because we've actually learned QUITE A LOT about the era and now know that just because the hegemony of the Western Roman Empire ended does not mean culture or even the standard of living for most people declined, it just wasn't Roman. It's also exclusive to Europe because the Islamic world was in what many call it's Golden Age. But point taken.
LOL 🤣trust me, I'm sure I've made lots of mistakes in the last 100 videos I've made. Just try to see the point I'm making with what I'm saying ABOUT the topic, not focus on the error of a misinterpretation😅Appreciate the history lesson tho, *the more you know*
With you 3 tip. you said a good story is not Black and white there is a problem with that logic. you can fall into what i call "Too grey" if every character your players encounter is "Morally grey" the players will start to question everyone they encounter like "What are you hiding?" or "He is so hiding something" this is why i believe you just need an evil son of a b***h every now and then or a truly good person. this is something Books, Movies, Shows, even games suffer from they think a complex character is "Morally Grey" When that is not the case what so ever. In life we meet people who are good and do the right thing just because its right if a story is truly "Realistic" not everyone will be looking to stab you in back or only care for themselves, some people will want to help just because its right.
Great advice, this actually happened in my last party. One person betrayed them and they never trusted anyone again lol. I had to put in some good clerics and such to help them heal… Who hurt them?! Oh…it was me…
exactly, Cesar from Fallout New Vegas is very well written but he's still clearly full evil, he's a fascist who proudly contradicts himself and gets Hegal wrong. morals aren't the only form of complexity a character can have, IRL even all the most powerful and rich people are bigots that hoard wealth that could end the suffering and deaths of millions each year. sure Alex the farmer or Kai the local healer for the church can and will be morally complex, but those at the top are very simple in their evil and some people are genuinely good, you can come across someone who heals people for free because they can and who fights to end hierarchy.
I think an often better way to look at things is when things are black and white morally it is the solution that should be mixed with consequences. How one defeats the evil villain or force. Also one needs to keep in mind how the players and others see the morality of the villain or issue is and how they see the morality of their choice to deal with it. So adding layers of consequences to defeating evil to me actually adds more depth then making a villain or situation "grey". To me as a world builder I like to see then how characters chose how to deal with the situation and it's future impact. I had players who all wanted to defeat the evil and do good have an enjoyable roleplaying experience dealing with the implications of other characters choices. Good having issues with good over how to do the right thing in defeating evil.
I love the list! Fun thing to add to the history part, is to think about the impact of the cultures on how they learn and what they learn about the history. For example if there was a war between two countries in the past, both countries could tel a completely different story about what happend even years after the war happend. This happens in our world aswell and is a great way to start conflict and have depth in your story.
Just look at the conflict between Japan and Korea. Japan still has problems acknowledging the harm they did (literal harm, not mean words) to the people of Korea and China, despite the 80 year gap. History is written by whoever is telling the story, and the degree to which it lines up with actual history depends ultimately on how closely the retelling can make the teller look like the "good guys". Whatever standard of good that culture might have. Romans might explain with pride that they slaughtered ten thousand, then crucified five thousand survivors.
No! I LOVED calamity. It's funny because as I was editing it I even thought to myself "hmmm this seems weird...nah it'll be fine" so now I know to trust my gut haha. Nah, I love Brennan as a DM. Imo he's the best
I think a big thing that summarises these mistakes is they are often simplifications which is fair trying to come up with multiple nuanced cultures and histories and think about so many things is daunting and a lot to keep track of not to say there aren’t ways to make it easier or that it’s impossible it’s just a bit more work and for some myself included world building complex and full worlds is fun but also I understand why a lot people decide to just simplify these things which you already pointed out when you brought up black and white morality
Around the time of WWI a group of people were supposedly discovered in some isolated region of Eastern Europe/Russia, that were still using medieval armor and weapons, having apparently been so isolated for so long that they had not culturally and technologically evolved since the Middle Ages.
A big one for the history is that it is hard to balance something 500 years ago as a distant event when you get a middle aged elf say "Yeah, I remember that. I was there", and the dwarf chimes in with "He was young but my father told me stories of that happening".
True, but you can also limit the interactions players or readers have with those characters, or do any number of other things to get the history to feel like the history you want it to be. This probably wasn’t the best suggestion or explanation but, there’s always a creative way to work around whatever problem you have in storytelling, you just gotta think around the idea a bit! Like maybe that old elf was never one for paying attention to politics, or maybe many of the dwarves in that ancient kingdom were overworked to death and in turn not many had stories of what went on there, etc etc
@@Exoskeleton2921 My point was that it's hard to create a realistic "scale" of history when you have races that can live for centuries. It feels as though you have to make it significantly longer to keep "scale" and therefore have more time to fill in. Rather than making a 100 years of history (which is a lot) you try and make 1,000 years which ridiculous to try and do with every kingdom in a world. A battle 500 years ago would only be known in our world because of historic texts and archaeological remains. In a fantasy world, an elf or even dwarf could have taken part in that battle. It removes that sense of it being that much older because there are those who can still remember it happening.
I think it's a perspective thing, the elves can feel older but that might affect how they talk and interact. Lame choice, but the centaurs in Harry Potter are a great example. They don't meddle simply because they know things. I think you can have the weird races that live hundreds of years but still keep it from the perspective of a mortal race. Having players play those races is a whole other thing and comes down to roleplaying choices I think. But you're right! It's definitely something to consider.
Oh... 11:33 I studied History, Ethnology, Archeology, my Hobbies are Geology and Genealogy.... Now I know why I got 'Lost in Lore' and have 20 FamilyTrees that go over 3000 years, lots of characters that are like me and talk to others excitedly about what they just found out from an old book or an old rock, or some old bone, girdlehook or coin they found on a river-curve.
Good video. I've usually dealt with the history issue by starting campaigns in settings the PCs don't know much about, a frontier or a foreign land. That way the players learn at the same time as the PCs. But it's not a perfect solution by any means. But NO INFO DUMPS!
Great list, but I think 1 is a tad off. If anything, I thinka lot of DMs try to add TOO much diversity. It's true that often fantasy falls into the category for medieval England, but most story lines only have you traveling a land about the Size of Britton anyways. They will put Asian inspired Drow and Norse dwarfs and Native American Orcs and steampunk gnome in wildly different geographies and wildly different cultures within less than a days walking distance from each other. It makes the world feel small and overwritten. If you're not traveling an area any bigger than an averages euro nation, you don't need to toss in too much flavor.
A great way to add diversity in a small setting like that could be to have one or two foreigners in the area. Not much because in history people tended to stay with their own on average, but a couple. And think about what kind of life a foreigner would have. Maybe they were kidnapped by an ass hole royal, and your players could go on a side quest of getting the person’s freedom (be it with money, favors, blackmail or even just killing the royal) and then find them a ship or some transportation back home, ending the side quest. Or the person could be a skilled craftsman who came from a far away land in search of work. Why did he leave? Was his land in turmoil or did he have a dark secret. How do the townspeople feel about him? He’s undoubtedly a skilled craftsman but at the same time he’s not from here, he dresses different and doesn’t “act right”. Have rumors be spread about him but have people willing to accept him to, or at minimum the service he provides. Another great idea could be a follow up campaign that’s based off that kidnapped character from earlier. Now you could have your party travel to that distant land, and suddenly your party from culture A is now surrounded by culture B, and they’ll need their friend they rescued back home as a guide to talk to locals and whatnot, and this could be a great lens to view this new culture from, and a way to continue the story after the original big bad is defeated in an unexpected way without making the ending of the first campaign meaningless.
@@nyalan8385 I like it, have a Morgan-freedman-from-robin-hood style character (or David Chappelle from Men in tights 😂). I like your second idea too. It's basically how Buldars Gate 2 handles the transition. Your character wakes up and has been kidnapped to Amn.
1. Ignoring diversity - That issue is more complex, and very important for good world building. Although you need a diverse world for realism as well as just to make thing more interesting, although the ancient and medieval worlds were diverse many of the individual societies were not. They were pretty homogeneous, and nearer countries were more similar than farther away ones : medieval France was different from medieval England, but China was even more different. If this isn't how it is in your society, or if your medieval society is diverse you should have a reason for it. 9. Impact of Magic on world - How common magic is will impact your society as much as whether or not it exists. If everyone can use it then it's not special or valuable. If only one in 1 million can use it then it is incredibly rare and valuable. Are these people sought by the powerful for their services? A lot of society would be the same since due to Scarcity most rulers couldn't hire one and being that rare gives you a hell of a lot of bargaining power. If magic users are one in 1,000, they're still rare but they are common enough to where society infrastructure can be made around magic user's powers. And a magic user's is less. Another issue is progress or lack there of. Much of the medieval world had views on issues modern day people would find appalling: on women's rights, religious freedom and gay rights. Is your medieval society like that? If so how does it affect your player? If not how did your society become like that?
On the note of veering from stereotypes. In my homebrew world where I host many campaigns one of my players said to an NPC "An Orc's word is stronger than the Chief." And in a few campaigns and one shots that take place in the future, that became a common saying because I always wanted Orcs to be a strength based society, and more so a Loyalty based society. In the workd where all the Kings, Sultans and Shoguns are trying to backhand each other, no threat is more terrifying than an orc saying they will kill you. Because they always keep their word.
1.I'd argue that while stereotyping is "negative," it's rooted in a layer of truth, not set in stone. A little Ying to the Yang. 2. A magical world can still have it's limits. 3. Good content, i would take this info with a grain a salt.
The timelone point is so important! I really don't get why would someone in the World of Ice and Fire care about the return of the Orhers. Would you care if someone started saying that the Greek Titans were coming back from one of the supposed entrances of Hell? What if someone said that the Giants are coming back to Scandinavia? Both these legendary events are said to have happened IRL earlier than the Long night on that reality.
Amazing video! I'm not using this for D&D but just to make my own fantasy world and this definitely helped! Luckily I already thought about this like how magic impacted my world but I never thought about how different cultures would interact
Wow, I really enjoyed watching this, extremely informative and I agree with everything I was relieved when I finished watching and confirmed I have made none of these mistakes in a long term project of mine, not dnd related but similar enough, I guess watching movie criticism excessively has helped me understand how to make a good story. My project is based on some preexisting media which is extremely flawed, I was so frustrated with the writers not developing their characters and world properly that I just went "FINE, I'LL DO IT MYSELF."
For my homebrew campaign gnomes and halflings are arboreal island dwellers that never had to grow due to the lack of major predators within the environment. They built tree civilizations because their small stature allowed agility amongst the branches and leaves.
Great stuff to come across right when Im diving full into world building for a new upcoming campaign. I know I've seen a video or two of yours before and surprised I wasn't subbed!
I'm working on a Renaissance inspired Homebrew for DnD 5e that I want to run and one of the Ground rules I set for myself at the start was "Deep, not Wide". So I'm gonna be putting a lot effort into detailing the region the Party will start in and create basic outlines for the rest of the World that I can then flesh out as time goes on.
@@TheFantasyForge there's no need to have entire books of lore for regions the Party will probably never visit. A basic outline is fine, at least until they decide they want to visit some of the other places.
in the world i am making everyone has magic, but magic manifests differently in each person, a soldier that trained their sword skills will have their skills improved by magic, enhancing their durability and damage for example, a powerful swordsman can get out alive of a dragon's fire breath and still damage it significantly, while a weak swordsman can't even scratch it's scales, as strong your body and soul becomes the more mana your body absorbs and it manifests differently for a wizard, which will be able to harness mana to cast stronger spells and warriors which their swords becomes explosive
I would assume a world overflowing with magic would probably be lazy when it came to industrial advancements. Even spells like plant growth would turn everything on its head. I think magic should come at a cost, equivalent exchange, sure you can drain the land to grow food faster, but maybe the area is racked with lightning.
you have to have a common language for your players to interact with NPCs Diversity can be built around resources, technology, history, conflict, World building is a lot of work what do you need for this gaming session how do you tie in past sessions and future sessions history a line of dialogue at a time map size and detail matter too. If you have a world where you as game master has played for a long time how has the history of past parties shaped and changed your world. How is the party you are playing with making history and driving events else where?
I use an incredibly low magic setting the system focusing on the energy's corrupting properties and how magic affects people physically and mentally (everyone who can touch magic will physically wither and go insane because it requires a "soul leach" as conduit there is no way to use magic safely) causing it to be outlawed and those corrupted by its influence hunted down which means magic can't affect daily life because its so rare and feared and also doesn't do stuff that is beneficial to the average person unless throwing a ball of crackling flaming sparks (think dragons breath rounds out of a shotgun) or necromancy counts
Two mistakes I see often: (1) Too much effort is put into building a creation myth. At the cost of less effort remaining to other parts. ... and do the entire world really share the same creation myth everywhere? (2) Too much effort is put into creating a pantheon of gods. Same problems as before. I think in many cases (especially for role play) it is better to world build without religion at all.
I love the idea of using different regions. There are so many rich cultures in our world to draw from. Im working on a story that starts in a fictional Egypt incorporaring their gods and customs
One way I try to limit magic is that environmental sources of it are depleted and dispersed by sunlight. I won't go into the exact science as to why, but the result is that it makes the deeper biosphere more liveable due to vertically migrating species, and the average flat agricultural river valley where humans normally settle rather limited in terms of magic. One consequence of this is a way to gently or sometimes forcefully niche partition different species, but another is to make it so crazy stuff can work in one part of the world while cereal grain agriculture peasant civilizations can exist in other areas.
It's funny, A lot of what your saying I have come to as a natural conclusion and have learned/developed that over the years, but hearing it from your perspective branches some little things and ideas that I may not have thought of before. I mean a mountain range so large it created 3 different cultures because they had no contact with each other? That's amazing and very useful to learn from. As for peoples I've really been trying to diversify, although a Dark Elf has a shared heritage on the grander scale, on the smaller scale perhaps that particular clan has had bad faith with the monarch of them all, their own path has given them unique abilities and customs, similar in someways but different in others. And then I try to really make some characters stand out with their own personal beliefs, although there are only so many of them I should work on. A couple of guards don't need full detail fleshing out, one might be a bit cockier, the other more kind, or they could all be in a disciplined unison as a consequence of their strict training. I love working on my peoples, though there are many gaps to fill, I think leaving some open gives room for adaptation when a roleplayer comes across it or when I need something just a bit different in a story I'm writing. Anyway before that whole wall of text becomes larger, you earned yourself a subscribe xD
@@TheFantasyForge well basically what you covered. Although as a tip for vivid world builders looking to play a TTRPG I would say: Set your roleplayers up in an alternative universe, that way in your own head canon the actual universe and all its glory and story will be preserved, but your players in this alternate universe may impact the world as heavy as possible. (I have only done RP so far, not an actual TTRPG system which I am also working on) This way you don't drive yourself mad with "But that doesn't happen like that" or "But this negates something epic" and the roleplayers will feel like the actual main characters. They kill a legendary character?(Which you might set to a high difficulty) So be it, the players may find the world changing around them, kill a villain they save a region before a story hero did (Or perhaps instead of the hero alone, they fight alongside the hero and steal the show), kill a hero: an unseen villain they might have taken care of is now out of control and sparks a new potential campaign for players to engage with. Also the lovely part of RP and the development of improvisation means that in a well established universe you can let players go to under-developed regions and then as you make things up you world build as you fill in their story. It will feel both like you involve their expectations AND your developing unique things along the way. (And if you wish to establish it into the main world, even though the roleplay characters may not be there, the players will recognize that as "Hey, our characters went through this place!" and may even recognize bits and pieces written in a story. Maybe even recognize a character or two.)
If the Swiss mountain range blows your mind, you should read about all the different cultures in the steep mountains and thick rainforest of New Guinea island.
A big thing to have in mind is the affect of magic creature in societies, a large portion of cultures live on a certain way because the animals that they depend on neded certain enviroments.
Makes you wonder how hunting X or Y magical creatures would affect societies. The Mongols drank lots of milk. Imagine a culture like that but they were drinking magic milk...for centuries. What would happen? Curious thought experiment haha
9 hits hard cuz i see it as the main reason why i see magic tech societies as badly built pretty much no matter what. Mainly because magic, no matter how strong, still breaks the physical laws and therefore exploitable to create an infinite energy source.
One thing I’ve tried to do in my world is have interesting tensions within the different races/species. If my elves are strict and isolationist, what happens to the ones who don’t want to live like that? While my orcs are pretty nasty, there’s also a group of expats who don’t want to live like that either. If this one polyglot empire in my world is so big, what happened to stop its expansion? What are the groups that formed to counter it?
Too many details also can affect your work become a such wall of text. Especially if its in comic. Having a detail is great. But too much detail would be pain in the ass to explain. At least we find a way to make our reader stay tune and pay attention to it. Well... maybe its worth the time Since just to think environmental damage will be taking muchos time as well.
Agreed! I think there is a difference between having your world detailed and thought out, and exposition. One is necessary for understanding, the other necessary for the reader/viewer
My magic system is done, I written each countries history, how they were estableshed and how their culture is, I made new religions, I made up ecosystems and the animals who lives there, I made up epic dragons and sea monsters, I also prepared the class system very carefully, what else can I do to improve it?
I mean that sounds like you did a lot! I would just try to remember it all as much as possible, and then focus on creating small stories in small places. Let that lore come out naturally as the story progresses but focus on the human/humanoid that the story is about, not the world they are in!
@@AdrianVoidwalker Just by creating you are doing more than millions of others who always say "I will start tomorrow". Don't beat yourself up, but I'm glad I helped even if it's just a little bit
@@TheFantasyForge One thing that i actually love to see when it happens is when stories take place during A Dark Age of sorts, where nobody knows how things really work like not sure what rules should be placed and or don't or haven't agreed upon what rules should even be set. And maybe some places have agreed upon what rules should be set but those rules only exist within those places. Especially when this is in a world with magic, because you can go the route of nobody knows how magic works, so the people sit there and play around with magic until they figure out something that they didn't even know they could do with magic. Which personally i think is one of or if not, the easiest way to show the impact of magic. The only lore story i can think/remember doing exactly this is Destiny 2's Lore on The Collapse which causes the Dark Age to happen, where many lightbearers would live out as warlords fighting over control for territory and basic supplies of food, water, shelter etc. Those who were lightbearers would play around with their light (destiny's version of magic power) and create their own ways of using said light. And some lightbearers would hide in camps with other people who were just normal people and hide the fact that they are lightbearers from others and just try to live peacefully. As they did this because some if not a lot or maybe almost all of the normal people would fear lightbearers, since a lot of lightbearers became tyrannical warlords during this time.
That "every day" problems of the setting is such a good one. Think about Skyrim. Youre exploring and sold a bunch of loot. You now have 1000 Septims. An equivalently sized gold coin in the real world is a bit over 1 ounce or about 34 grams. Doesnt sound much until you multiply it 1000 times and you get 34000 grams/34 kg, or 1120 ounces or 70lbs. A book im developing has a plot line taking place during a civil war and the 3rd son of the previous king has to return to take back the throne from a usurper. An entire segment is him on a carriage train carrying gold hes earned as a mercenary captain to help finance his war effort.
An idea I'd like to share from my homebrewed world is this part of the world where its people have a totally different outlook on death and decay. They embrace necromancy and do things like use corpses to grow the daily essentials and food they need to survive and use undead as cheap but valuable labor. It's the only way to grow anything in the wastelands that they inhabit which had been cursed in such a way by unknown forces of nature that nothing would grow any other way. A troubling place to be in for any druid as such spells like good berry don't work here. The air is also toxic so that many of it's inhabitants must wear masks both to hide their obscured faces and keep out the toxic air. They look like plague doctor masks yes, but only because they worship the Raven Queen as their patron.
These tips aren't just for D&D. Imagine running a Dungeon Crawl Classics/LofTP hybrid. Mostly DCC with a Lamentations feel. I love blending real world history into my worlds & 17th century low magic is my jam. I love the DCC Magic system. Patrons, etc. Demons, Demons, Demons
YES 17th century low magic is my jam too! I loved the Shadow and Bone series because it was just so well crafted and fit the era I love for fantasy stuff.
I mean...I did fine? Lmao. I think managing the burnout instead is just as good an option. But don't do it all if it doesn't work for you! Every table/DM is different
As a dm and worldbuilder i love point 9 for example in my world elves are known from beeng most potent magic users as only 1/100 of them is incapable of magic in comparason to other races like humans or haflings where it is around 9/10 beeng incapable accept dwarfs wich are racially incappqble to use magic(as only around 1 in 10000 dwarfs is capable to use any magic and sutch dwarven magic wuld be weaker than magic of other spicies anyway) and by thys trope elves have thys hiperpowerfull empieres overrelient on magic(that is slowly dwindelling away) and dwarfs neded to compensate for the lack of magic so they are extreamly overindustrialised to the point they're culture culd not cought up in time so they live in kind of industrial feudalism witch lead up to the cyvil war between imperial army and revolting proletariat wanting to bring comunism to the country
Honestly, taking a Human Geography course in my off time really helped with worldbuilding. I hate how there are normal cities and then every other race but humans have homogenous nation states. Cultural enclaves are a great way to include aspects of other races’ cultures in a major city
It's hard to remember that was the post- appociliptic, fall-out scenario of that era. Lots of grand old buildings now abandoned and falling into ruin. Loss of medical knowledge. Chaos everywhere with each region claiming land for themselves..
Uh, how to say this nicely: I don't read books, watch films, or play games for most of what is discussed here. It is fine as mild, very background info or possible character or political motivation. But, in Lord of the Rings, Feist's Apprentice/Master series, Harry Potter, and other stories such as the Star Trek or Star Wars universes, these issues don't come up much because they are not themselves all that interesting. At best, a little goes a long ways. In real life, diverse cultures can sometimes be interesting, but in a book or game, it runs the risk of being there as excess window dressing and distraction away from the story and issues at hand. You don't want to lose audience interest, or have irrelevancies. Whatever is in a book or game has to apply to the book or game, and not just be there in hopes it is cool, and no other function. Books based on cool worldbuilding don't succeed because that isn't interesting by itself.
Definitely don’t just throw thing in for the sake of it! This is about building a world, not a story. The story comes after you’ve put the pieces in place
I've always wondered in fantasy settings with multiple humanoid races, how to handle diversity. When I want to represent a diverse array of cultures that are unique and different, should I make them multi-racial or mono-racial? Is that more or less diverse? I mean the different races had to have come from different places right? So more "isolated" cultures should be more mono-racial right? Sometimes it's difficult to make a culture feel unique enough if race isn't an aspect of its uniqueness. Any tips?
good point! I think you need to take a look at it's history. How much contact have they had? Is there inter-breeding? The Witcher is a cool look at that. For example, in the Witcher (if I remember correctly) Elves are immortal but they can breed with humans, however the moment the elf breeds with a human, they become infertile which is why elves are almost extinct. But I think if there is a race of beings that exist in a magical world, if they are spread out, the same sort of traits would apply. If there are elves that live at the equator they might look different than the ones that live underground (drow). Just my thoughts, fun to think about!
The problem I see most with the magic system in D&D is that it is too combat oriented. In a fantastical world magic replaces technology and science to a large part. So magical spells and prayers to the gods would serve more the needs of the populace while fighting with magic should be toned down a bit. The solution for this is to have a body of utility magic in the background which is much larger than the combat oriented magic. The political entities would encourage this trend. Mages who help building streets, highways and bridges would have a higher social standing then the practitioners of destructive spells or prayers for example. The priestly orders that would heal the people or prevent diseases and plagues would be more powerful than an order of palatinate witch hunters. Of course those have their place too but it would not be as large or influential as the healers. Best example for this are the bardic colleges, they are the preservers of history and oral traditions as well as magic. Being able to make music and entertainment, conserving and distribute knowledge is invaluable for a society without long range communication. And magic and music go well together, a bard being a travelling powerhouse of information and occasional trouble shooters, much more then mages who tend to be more sedentary, rarely leaving their towers or strongholds or magic schools or academies.
I understand the first point but please, don't make the error of just mirroring the real world. The mark of a great fantasy world is not how close it can be to our world + magic and elves. Don't just make "this is my kind-of-asia-continent, this is my kind-of-medieval-europe-continent", etc. And for point 9 - I get what you're saying but especially in DnD that seems to be almost impossible. I cannot fathom how a world would look like if just one powerful wizard existed that had access to a wish spell, if not hundreds of those wizards. So I think we need to keep in mind that we can't account for every magical thing and spell in the world but maybe, for example, that druids need less trade if they have druidcraft and thaumaturgy and things like that.
hem… i am from switzerland n’y i never heard about the « mountain » thing 😅 so i’m not sure of what your sources are… but it’s okay we all make mistakes 😁
Hello! I don't know why I'm only just seeing this lol. If you look at the map of Switzerland and the languages spoken by area you can see what I meant. Switzerland itself has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. The division shows how the terrain of the Alps has historically limited movement and encouraged the retention of these distinct languages and cultures within relatively small geographical areas. I don't know if there's one specific place that speaks all 4, but I was just saying how it's crazy that just having a mountain in a country divides it's cultures and languages and it's something to consider :D
@@TheFantasyForge hm, it’s actually true that a mountain stands between 3 different places with others languages but unfortunately it isn’t the real cause of it, swiss is a grouping of regions in a confederation, so it is just because the cantons have chosen which language they should speak, allowing a lot of bilingual cantons like fribourg. and some small cities like lugano where there is italian as a main language but french and german are also spoken, interlaken where they speak french, german and english which is quite intriguing because English isn’t normally spoken in the swiss 😅, or lucerne where they all speak both german and English too, also bâle/basel… and romanche is not very common so only around ~50´000 people actually speak it and almost every single one of them are bilingual 😅 so now you know (i talk too much and i write english awfully😅, but i’m happy to teach you something 😄)
@@firegaltw.steller4717 No that's good to know! Just interesting that the way the languages are divided is exactly where the mountain is :D Thanks for teaching me! Appreciate it
(also stay tuned for my upcoming book, it will probably be finished in 2025 or something like that 😅 it will normally be called « draconers dungeons » {i said normally because it could change if there is a problem with the name of another license which i don’t think will happen but i prefer to say « normally » because i prefer to be aware than getting into trouble 😅} there will be a lot in this book like dragons, complex magic, civilizations, cities, dystopia, demons, heroes, vampires, gods, entire dimensions, supreme beings, epic fight scenes involving all of this, and an entire uniquely modified mythology with explained origins from every kind of creatures, timelines etc… and there’s gonna be at least three books with this, and i already know what will happen in every of them so there will be a lot of satisfying foreshadowing and stuff like this. that’s a big promise i’m making here but i’m quite confident with what i’m saying because i try really hard to make the best story i could possibly imagine. also don’t be surprised if it takes me a few more years than expected because i know anything could happen. but at my actual rhythm of writing it should be finished on the end of 2024 and should be published in 2025… but as i said i prefer to say it could take longer, just in case 😅)
I'm having this idea of a world where the moon crashes into earth and earth shattered into pieces and becomes floating sky islands for a game. I watched like 3 videos about world building and I still don't know how I can apply this stuff into a world that is fragmented and doesn't follow any "earth" rules
I think something like that you really just have to lean into the fantasy and magic aspect of it. Have fun with it! That kind of event is different because there isn't really a "real world application" of any sort of culture or anything to pull on. It's up to you to decide how a culture or race would develop in a world like that, and ultimately, HOW they survived in the first place
I must say, that while this is quite good advice, it is also imo not really useful to a beginner. For an intermediate or well versed world builder this is great. But if you just start out and have one fun idea but you try to insert everything from this video (aka describin an entire world before actually telling the story you had an idea for) then you will need years or decades bedore writing a single line It is Impossible for any person to understand the entire world in all its nuances, cultural differences, histories, perspectives and then go on to have a perfect knowledge about every technological or magical point of any given culture. My advice would be, to not try and implement everything from this Video at once. Pick one thing and think it through for your own story. How does it impact your story and your world. Videos like this are fascinating but do not put your plate too full or you will loose appetite before the main dish
I'm actually a huge Lord of the Rings fan. Like HUGE. I read the Silmarillion at least once a year lol. But I still think it's possible to create something unique and one-of-a-kind (if that's what you want to do).
@TheFantasyForge i just think it's funny that your video says to do everything Tolkien didn't, and the title declares that not doing those things is a mistake
@@hault360 I should add in parenthesis (if you want to be unique and be a better storyteller) lol, but it's just too wordy. Got you to click on the video tho! haha. I appreciate the comments tho, I should be careful with the word choice in the future
So, I made my culture. My MC is from this culture, just she and her twin brother doesn't know it. And I'm thinking my blind pirate is also from this culture. And he wants revenge on the King because his grandfather is the reason that the culture is dying out. And my MC does Eventually end up in a place where her, her brother and their people are from (Just doesn't know it yet). But my question is, how on Earth do I introduce this without info dumping? 👀 Advice and tips are always welcome. But help! Please! CULTURE: Lunaris: The Celestial Enclave Overview: Lunaris is a culture that revolves around the worship of a moon goddess, the practice of magic, and the reverence for dragons. This culture is deeply rooted in the belief that the moon goddess, known as Selene, is the source of all magic and the protector of dragons. The people of Lunaris have developed a harmonious relationship with these mystical creatures, using their magic to communicate and coexist peacefully. The culture's customs, rituals, and way of life are all influenced by their devotion to Selene, magic, and dragons. Religious Practices: 1. Lunar Ceremonies: The people of Lunaris hold monthly ceremonies during the full moon to honor Selene. These ceremonies involve music, dance, and offerings to the goddess. It is believed that the full moon amplifies the power of magic, allowing the people to connect more deeply with Selene. 2. Dragon Blessings: Dragons are considered sacred creatures in Lunaris. During special occasions or important events, the people seek the blessings of dragons. They believe that dragons possess ancient wisdom and can bestow good fortune and protection upon them. The dragons are revered as messengers of Selene, and their presence is seen as a sign of the goddess's favor. 3. Magic Schools: Lunaris is known for its prestigious magic schools, where individuals are trained in various magical arts. These schools are considered sacred places, as they are believed to be blessed by Selene herself. Students learn to harness the power of the moon and its connection to magic, as well as how to communicate with dragons through spells and rituals. Social Structure: 1. Dragon Guardians: Within Lunaris, there exists a group of individuals known as Dragon Guardians. These individuals are chosen by the dragons themselves and are believed to have a special connection with Selene. They act as intermediaries between the dragons and the people, ensuring the harmony and protection of both. 2. Moonlight Festivals: To celebrate the power of Selene and the magic she bestows, the people of Lunaris hold grand Moonlight Festivals. These festivals are filled with enchanting performances, magical displays, and dragon showcases. It is a time for the community to come together, share their magical talents, and honor the moon goddess. 3. Dragon Sanctuaries: Lunaris is home to numerous dragon sanctuaries, where dragons are protected and revered. These sanctuaries are lush, natural habitats where dragons can roam freely. The people of Lunaris believe that by preserving these sanctuaries, they are ensuring the continued blessings and guidance of Selene. Art and Architecture: 1. Celestial Art: Lunaris is known for its intricate artwork inspired by the moon, magic, and dragons. Paintings, sculptures, and tapestries often depict celestial scenes, dragons in flight, and the moon goddess herself. These artworks are believed to channel the energy of Selene and inspire magic within the viewer. 2. Lunar Architecture: The architecture of Lunaris is characterized by its ethereal and celestial design. Buildings often have domed roofs resembling the phases of the moon, with intricate carvings of dragons and magical symbols adorning the walls. The use of reflective materials, such as silver and glass, is prevalent to capture and reflect the moonlight. Lunaris is a culture that embraces the mystical and magical aspects of life, finding harmony in the worship of Selene, the practice of magic, and the reverence for dragons. It is a place where the moon's glow illuminates not only the night sky but also the hearts and souls of its people. CLOTHING: 1. The "Celestial Cloak": This cloak is made from a shimmering, lightweight fabric that resembles the night sky. It is adorned with delicate constellations and celestial symbols, which seem to glow softly in the dark. The cloak features hidden pockets that can hold magical artifacts or potions, making it both stylish and functional. 2. The "Elemental Gown": This gown is designed to represent the four elements - earth, air, fire, and water. It is made from flowing, translucent fabrics in vibrant colors, with intricate embroidery depicting swirling patterns and elemental symbols. The gown seems to move with an ethereal grace, as if it is alive. Each element is represented by a different color scheme and unique embellishments, such as shimmering gemstones for fire and delicate floral motifs for earth. 3. The "Spellcaster's Robe": This robe is crafted from a rich, velvet-like fabric in deep, mystical hues. It features an oversized hood and billowing sleeves, giving it an air of mystery and intrigue. The robe is adorned with intricate embroidery of ancient runes and sigils, representing various spells and enchantments. It also has hidden pockets to hold spellbooks or magical artifacts, allowing the wearer to be prepared for any magical endeavor. 4. The "Enchanted Headdress": This headdress is a stunning accessory that adds a touch of magic to any outfit. It is adorned with delicate, handcrafted flowers made from shimmering silk and adorned with tiny crystals that catch the light. The headdress also features hidden compartments that can hold small charms or enchanted trinkets, allowing the wearer to carry a bit of magic wherever they go.
It sounds like your pirate might know about this culture? Maybe he tells them about it when he notices they look like they might be from there? OR if the pirate doesn't love to talk about it because it reminds him of a bitter past, they can maybe find his journal, or a book in his collection? If none of that works, maybe someone they run into recognizes the pirate and drops info on the MC's that leaves them like "???" This way you can drop subtle hints of this other culture, build on your world, and also increase the stakes for your characters and build on their history at the same time! Let me know if that works!
On the impact of magic, my current world went the other way. Until about, mid bronze age, magic was rare. Even simple spells took dozens of wizards to ritually draw in enough power to create effects. So magic was really only done at any scale for the vastly wealthy. Then a celestial body called the black star, as it pulled in all light so was only visible as other celestial bodies were obscured by it, exploded. Magic, vast in vast amounts flooded the world. It triggered a systems collapse, much like the bronze age collapse, with only the most robust kingdoms surviving as the few magics around were suddenly drowning in power where they once had a trickle. Many exploded, this also caused many people and animals to transform, some into monsters. Some animals were uplifted to be equal to humans in intellect. Now minor magics are so easy every peasant cn use the simplest magics, but any using more powerful magic must fight the magic as it tries to overwhelm them. Failure can at best disrupt the spell from working and leave a mage exhausted. Or one can have a catastrophic failure and explode in a wave of uncontrolled magic with unpredictable effects.
I dont include diversity in languages because that's too much world building for small detail. Not everyone need diversity, especially when the scale is small.
My campaign starts in a part of the world that would be Mediterranean in ours. Thrown my players right off. Everyone is English or Irish 😂. The next (I hope) location they go is reflective Africa & Arabia.
@@TheFantasyForge oh I will be doing something that that. My world is young at the moment. The elves are elitist and insular but one day, their God Ozymandias will convince them they should rule! They’re going to be a mix of Roman Empire and Spanish Conquistadors and the rest of the world will be like The Americas.
The impact of magic on the world is a big one for me. I've read so many stories/seen so many sessions where low level PCs run circles around the game world due to their creative use of magic. If a first level party can mystify the masses and break the system, the game world would look *very* different from English Middle Ages for sure.
3.5 D&D GM here...with lots of house rules. I run a slightly reduced magic world, where full casting progression is not allowed, magic has been weakened by some cataclysm in the past that ended "The Golden Age of Magic" and made magic harder to master. There's an impact of a historical event for you! Mechanically, a character's caster level in any given spellcasting class is at most 2/3 of their character level, so typically a character must multiclass in order to gain enough life experience to be able to master magic. A simple example, an 8th level character couldn't be an 8th level cleric. 2/3 of 8 rounds down to 5 so they might be a 5th level cleric with 3 levels in one or more other classes. A cleric of a LG deity might be a paladin 3/cleric 5, a cleric of a LN deity of knowledge and mysticism might be a monk 3/cleric 5, in either case at 9th level they can progress to cleric 6 but at 10 must take something besides cleric. An impact of that is that magic items and spellcasting services are also more costly because fewer people can make or supply them respectively - and an added incentive to adventure is that magic items made during the Golden Age are out there in ancient ruins etc, some more powerful than anyone currently alive can make, such as ancient scrolls of 8th and 9th level spells... Yet, at the same time, lower level magic is still fairly common especially in towns and cities. The alleys of the wealthy parts of town are seldom in shadows, as continual flame spells which last nearly forever can be cast on the tops of lampposts and the cornerstones of public buildings and the like...
@ernesthakey3396 oh you just gave me the answer to what I was trying to figure out. My world everyone is born able to use magic, however I was trying to figure how to make it work without completely destroying the environment like you see in stories like Dragon Ball series or Fairy Tail series or World of Warcraft series.
@@ernesthakey3396 Why not just reduce full casting progressions in the classes by 1 step then add something to make up for it, if needed for a given class, such as Wizard?
Daniel greene said one thing he did when world building his magic system for his book was just thinking constantly throughout his day to day life how having magic would affect each chore or waiting for traffic it’s a really cool way to make sure your magic feels real
I just made magic pretty difficult to use, i think of magic users like monks, can someone become far more mentally and physically powerful than the vast majority of people? Yes, but like, most people just don't, it's a way of life and it is usually not one most wish to choose
@@wooblydooblygod3857 Exactly, anyone can learn a musical instrument and yet not everyone is a world famous musician. Also our modern technology is pretty much magical compared to what we had 30 years ago, yet we can often have issues and malfunctions and when the power is out we are so screwed.
Diversity has become such a strange issue these days. True diversity is as you say, a variety of cultures and peoples. Then we have Netflix idea of diversity, where every fantasy society looks like modern LA with the trappings of medieval England. Netflix diversity paradoxically makes every country look the same.
Diversity also depends on whether it is just a small area (a smaller regional scale) or the whole fantasy world (a larger world scale). The larger the area, the more diversity occurs. Or a single village is more often monotypic, while there is more diversity between several villages. And mixed diversity depends on how much mobility and isolation there is between different settlement groups and societies and whether we are focuses on the interactionist border area between two societies or only in the core inland of a certain society. Moreover, it is also more common for imperialist and colonialist societies to have more mixed deversity than passive or subjugated societies. Forced mixed diversity, on the other hand, means that mixed diversity is not given any explanation and history, but it exists soullessly just only for the sake of mixed diversity itself and is as bad a mistake as ignoring diversity on a larger world scale. If I had to give an example where I think this subject of diversity has been handled well and exemplary, it would be Avatar The Last Airbender and Avatar Legend Of Korah. Each settlement has its own unique culture, the mixed diversity has a history tied to the Fire Nation's wars and colonial expansion, and in the post-war world, when the mobility of people increased, the settlements were no longer so mmonobendersthan before but the price was the loss of traditions, cultural heritage and roots in a changing industrial world.
@@danielmalinen6337 you touched on a point I wanted to mention; cultural diversity ends up occuring due to waves of isolation and reconnection. As the modern world allows for more and more connection both in terms of media and travel, the connected worlds cultures slowly become more homogenious. This could be an interesting idea to expore, but if you have a world of magic portals, holograms, and instantaneous magical communication, expect there to be less and less cultural diversity the longer those things are available to everyone.
@@klosnj11 not even remotely true. It’s all about leadership and the overall dominant culture. If leadership allows for tourism but the populace likes their culture then the culture will remain homogenous. Examples: Morocco and Dubai. Meanwhile even if leadership doesn’t promote it but people take a liking to it, you’ll see more homogeneity (to world culture) no matter what: Florida and Texas have a more homogeneous vibe than what the leadership would like. No criticism, just pointing out how it depends on mostly the people.
These are really great tips especially for story writing, and I'll keep this video as a reminder. A few other tips I would give is to remember scarcity and our own world is pretty dang weird. All resources in the world are limited/scarce and impact everything from culture to conflict. Vikings invaded surrounding areas to claim more territory for farms, since their population was constantly growing. When making worlds, it's important to never forget that our world is weird and it's okay to look to it for inspiration. There is a perpetual storm called the Catatumbo lightning, and the locals freaked out when it stopped for a few months. There are sea slugs that live like plants. There is a planet in our galaxy where it rains raw rubies and sapphires from the sky. The sandbox tree is probably the most aggressive of all trees. Dog suns are a really cool optical phenomenon. The universe is plenty weird and magical without any mana.
The biggest thing for me is remembering all these tips also scale, especially at small scales. The thing most people should always remember is that worlds feel alive through plausibility. A city block where you apply these principles to it in a focused effort will feel more real and part of something greater than the bones of your massive world ever will when detail is spread so thin. There is no point creating a unique pantheon of gods, a revamped magic system and 1000s of years of warfare and curses and whatever if the end result is being in fantasy hamlet that is basically just Phandelin, with no implications beyond “help peasants and a minor lord out”. Make locations to show off your world and make situations that force players into engaging with it
This is great advice , they definitely scale and applying most tips or resources in the right way or across the board can realllly help make your worlds better. It’s all part of being a better dm
Notes, alot of notes and step by step world building. Savor the joy of making the world, dont rush and burn yourself out. Dosent matter if you have mess of notes, you can structure them point by point and refine it later. Just get your ideas and visions down on the paper or pad! 👍
The number of videos by you I have watched and only just now noticed your subscriber count is wild. I always thought you had 100K+ subscribers with how in depth and well put together these videos are. Happy to say you gained another subscriber today and I’m looking forward to more. 🎉
The original Diablo game is a masterclass in worldbuilding. The whole thing takes place in the catacombs under Tristram Cathedral. As you go, you resolve multiple independendant questlines, learn more and more about the various NPCs in town, discover the history of a secret war and the true purpose of the Cathedral as you delve deeper and deeper searching for a missing Prince.
One of the more important points also to consider when worldbuilding is to not overdo it. Ideally, you would want to IMPLY a deep history and IMPLY a greater world with vast cultures and those experiencing your world (dnd/book/whatever) you end up creating the illusion that you've done some insane world building - like a giant ice berg that is hollow inside
@freman007 Which is also another thing to keep in mind. One of my favorite stories is One Piece, where Oda usually implies enough to satisfy the reader but gives him enough freedom to write whatever he wants with that implication.
9) is always interesting. In a world with magic, at least start with the lowest level/tier of magic that exists and assume that even the smallest town/village/hamlet will know those spells exist and have access to them. So in a D&D 5e world, start with Cantrips and Level 1 spells. Every door would have an 11 lb bar on their door (to counter mage hand, that's just how doors would be built in this world even if people didn't know why), there'd be someone in town who could ritually cast spells like Alarm, Detect Magic, Identify and Unseen Servant, even the lowliest lord/baronet would have Arcane Lock and other similar spells used in their manor, people would understand what certain spells do, etc. More often than not GMs/DMs play small towns like the people are so isolated and naive that players can get away with anything.
Depends on setting, always agree with things a normal person can do like the 11 pound bar, things being just past some ranges like a tavern having the bottles 35 feet away from the stools so you can't easily access them with a spell or something, but Identify requires a 100gp pearl, and DnD has most people earn a few copper a day, a level 1 adventurer doesn't mean guy who had basic training, it's like seal team 6.
The Mage Hand thing doesn't really follow. If the bar is on the other side of the door, the wizard can't see it to use his spell on it. If he can see it through a window, well you don't have to be a wizard to just break the window and get in.
@@kenle2 there are gaps between doors and walls, doors in castles aren't like the doors in a modern house. Even a mirror under neither the door would do, or spying it through a window if you don't want to make the noice of breaking the glass, etc., etc.
About mistake #3 A thing it really bothers me is that many writers seems to be able to choose either making oversimplified conflict with clear cut heroes and villains or being relativists and going down the "there is no such black and white, it's all grey" route. It wouldn't be cool if writing characters that, as the story progresses, reveal themselves more heroic or villainous as the narrative evolves, was a thing?
One could also go about it in a similar way as the ultimate conflict in Persona 3. [SPOILERS BELOW] Basically, the _conflict itself_ is rather black-and-white (in that it's clear which side _must_ win), but the same isn't necessarily true of the _morality_ of the conflict (it's not "good vs evil", but rather "the will to live vs the reality of death", and the final enemy isn't even malicious, it's just acting upon its assumed purpose).
You can also definitely have shades of grey while still having a clear villain. The Allies in WW2 did some pretty horrendous stuff at times, but the other side was literally the Nazis.
This recently happened to me in a campaign (as in a week ago). The group I play with all went to the same university with the same core curriculum that included philosophical ethics classes, so we are all familiar with trolley problems and moral dilemmas. I ended up killing the one thing protecting a whole segment of land from unnatural death because the cost of it was the ritual sacrifice of a young child every year. My character believes he cannot harm innocent life, and he works as an exacter for the neutral god of death, so he believed what he was doing was good. He then goes and sacrifices himself to stop a madman artificer genociding gnomes. His god, rather than being pleased he saved innocents, is angry for causing his kingdom to slow its expanse (for his kingdom grows with every death, good or bad). My character does not believe that death is neither good nor bad, but that one should be able to die when it is proper and ordained by whatever higher power there is, or else die as punishment for persecuting the innocent. I now have to choose between whether I want to serve a god who is truly neutral on the subject or if I was to die again because I won't serve him (I'm a Revenant in this game, and he reincarnated me as a dwarf that had died a few hours prior to my resurrection).
One good way to think about worldbuilding is developing your world as it relates to your adventure. For example, like you listed under point 11, focusing on events that happened forever ago and have limited current impact is a waste of time and energy, but focusing on the history of the noble house that hired the party to cleanse the nearby forest of the evil spiders would be relevant and could potentially help make this fairly basic quest more interesting. Why does the noble house want the forest cleansed? Do they care about the commoners in the village nearby? If so, why? What makes them different from the stereotypical neglectful feudal overlord? Don't try to develop a massive, realistic, complete history for your world (like you said, recorded human history is incomplete); instead, try to figure out answers to the questions your players will have about your adventure.
In fairness, if you're a feudal lord without the ability to grow food yourself you need your peasants. The peasants provide the food, the lord and his soldiers protect the peasants.
@@freman007yeah, the idea of feudal lords just leaving their peasants to the mercies of bandits and wild animals isn't really accurate. It's not like modern capitalism where you can just hire new workers for minimum wage, your current peasant workforce is all you've got to work with to produce anything from your lands. If they're all starving or dead then you're screwed too.
4:50 Yeah, one thing that happens often in fantasy worlds that, I don't necessarily hate but, deeply annoys me sometimes is when the history/Backstory of the world goes like: "For thousands of years nothing has changed, for 10 thousand years everyone lived in sh!t houses, everyone lived in a big castle made out of doodoo and no one invented cars for 10 thousand years, sure we have dragons but no one figured out anything past pulleys, we have simple machines, we can make a fulcrum like nobody's business but holly f*ck we can not figure out anything past that, magic though, we have like 3 people who knows magic, everyone else's toilet is also their beds"
Yes, it annoys me too. One of the things I don't like about the Song of Fire and Ice series (Game of Thrones), is that the technology has been stagnant for thousands of years. Why hasn't some other culture or race reached the level of technology the Valaryans had before the volcanoes around them erupted? Why have the Maesters (sp) not advanced beyond what we see with all the knowledge they have? Seriously, the Maesters have thousands of years of knowledge, but don't improve upon on it, in any way? Other that they are stuck in their ways and horde knowledge, instead of building upon on it and sharing it, there should be some culture out there that is trying to advance. GRR Martin's world is a low magic dark fantasy setting, but to me is a stagnant world, where no one wants to move beyond the norm. Maybe it has something to do with the climate, with the erratic and long summers and winters, that can last for years on end, or the fall of Old Valarya caused a winter longer than normal, but the timelines just seem way too long with no advancement in society or technology.
Don't get me started on the Dr Stone anime. After 3800 years since the cataclysm, despite living a few days walk from the reservoirs of knowledge that are modern libraries, despite the fact nuclear power plants can run for years unattended, somehow the human population is a few hundred still eking out a living fishing and foraging. Hell no. Even reduced to a handful of people, after 3800 years (the length of time between us and the building of the Pyramids) the human race would have a population in the millions, at least, and have retained most of our civilization.
In addition, read the background for the Sword Coast in the D&D books. 5000 years ago the Elves fought the Drow, since then nothing has changed. Gnomes are technologically obsessed, and live for centuries. Can you imagine what an Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein could have achieved if they'd lived for 400 years? They'd rule the D&D world.
What if one wants to keep the theme like medieval or renaissance or both? To make it mainly like that it would have to stagnate technology or is said writer obligated to develop modern cars and the like after years that have passed? Genuinely asking here as a beginner
I LOVE tip #1, I literally began building my world when i said "there needs to be a fantasy world with Minnesota, southern, and new england accents. lol. and thats how it all began. and i have listed all the cultures i wanna add. polynesian, greco-roman, so many more. The main story is going to take place in a colonial inspired world. but lots of other cultures and eras involved
One thing I've noticed with medieval fantasy settings is that everyone kinda just follows Tolkien. I would highly recommend researching Baltic/Eastern European culture and history if you want a European-inspired setting. Even better if you reach out and incorporate stuff from different continents.
One of my current favorite settings is Gubat Banwa's setting. Everything is set in a fantastical SEAsian world. Everything works so much more differently than how it would in say, your standard medieval fantasy setting. Also since I'm Viet myself, I find it rad as hell
@@TheFantasyForgeto some clearence, 16-18 ages at easter europe is kinda landlock dynamic of 3 powers. While for wester european it have Caribbean sea and pirates and power struggle between Spain, England and France. Same are happen at eastern steppes where powerstruggle between Commonwealth, Ottomans and Russia over "wildfield" born age of cossacks 😊
with point 3, while i agree with the point of not oversimplifying conflict i also don't necessarily think that having a clear cut good and bad side necessarily erodes shades of complexity. The best example of this is lord of the rings, where the forces aligned with sauron are numerous and diverse, just as there are many shades to the goodness of the forces aligned with the fellowship
Agreed! I just think it's easier to relate when there are very few people in our world who are just 100% evil. Most people who are "evil" have their reasons for doing what they do. I think they make much more complex and nuanced villains than the "some men just want to watch the world burn"
When I started a new campaign with my players at level 1 the first combat encounter my players faced was a wild Griffin. After arriving in the first village they met a Ranger that was able to turn the Griffin hide into no magical armor that increased the wearer’s speed slightly.
One thing I never do is come up with a "creation story" for my world. I see so many other settings start with that, and to me it simply doesn't matter how the world began. The gods and their interaction with the world matter, but the truth of how it all occurred is simply not important to my players. In fact, I often allow them to come up with their own characters' beliefs about the mythology of creation and whatnot, since their beliefs are what matter, not what actually happened.
Ths is what i try to keep in mind. Diversity of cultures and even subcultures can make a world so much bigger even if you never leave a town. I tried incorperating that with some Dwarves in my setting. 3 different familys celebrating the same holiday 3 different (but over laping) ways. Its hard but I think its definatly worth it. I try to add everything you mention to some degree but LORD is it hard.
Yeah, people today fundamentally misunderstand diversity and its implications for societies. Having a diverse range of cultures, peoples, etc. to populate your world is great, but if it you want to try to map 21st century cosmopolitanism onto a fantasy setting, you really need to stop and think about what that means, because a melting pot is actually the annihilation of diversity. True diversity is maintained by *limited* contact between population groups. Unless you're building a high-magic setting that can replicate today's transcontinental and transoceanic communications and transportation, your world will look very segregated, just as ours did until the 20th century.
I would add to the ignoring of diversity of don't let your story be shackled to the lack of technological diversity. All games or stories in fantasy (And one of my big issues with most of it even though I write it) is that its always medieval or ancient. Great those are good time periods, but there are other periods. Other tech, and Magitech can be a thing. Diversity of tech levels for any game is a good thing. And number 11 I can keep stuff to myself, but I can never not develop pages of lore. Why what started as game world is now into a book writing project.
yes, and divergent tech, like it's sometimes a joke in sci fi that some species discover something big before fire but the general idea is good, they might not have figured out getting good quality alloys because of how fire magic works, but have time keeping as accurate as the modern day using a weak spell of some kind that links the movement of a clocks hour hand with the sun regardless of if it's underground or cloudy. or due to adamantite and dragon scales many goals of meta materials are achieved that we don't even have yet, but with the time spent fighting monsters or it being unsafe no one has invented alcohol really yet.
If your world has COMMONLY available magic/tech that allows long-range travel and/or communication, then there'd be less cultural and language diversity. Isolation fosters diversity. For the same reason, widespread [literacy, illiteracy] fosters [unity, diversity].
The not stereotyping races one, I'm surprised I didn't fall into that mistake, instead of a bird-like race, it's a human-like race that has a passive ability of wings that are made of wind, which don't have the weakness against cold but instead head, because it'll make the wind wings rise up and stuff causing the person to uncontrollably fly around in the air
Real nice list! Subbed! Two additional mistakes from me. 1: Dont overlook that if you struggle with creating a fabtasy world, turn the place/ region you live in into a fantasy version using maps and make changes! 2: Make sure yo get geography, topography and how rivers run through the land 😅 I will have the standard races but their roles? Out of whack! Blue dwarfs living in cloud mountains enslaving humans, elves struggling to create new life and vegetation in a grand desert as punishment. Gnomes, Halflings and Nisser ( non evil redcaps ) co-operating with a council of 30 different dragons to keep the world in balance etc. Im waiting for a flame tree pocket journal that Im gonna take with me into the nearest forest with a hiking road by it. Theres a small area called the " Coffee nook/ Kaffekroken " where I will sit and write a homebrew fantasy version of the municipality of where I live 😆
![4 Amazing Stories with Soft Worldbuilding [ Lovecraft | Hollow Knight | Nier | Dark Souls ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-Vtu0MqEhRs/mqdefault.jpg)
1. Ignoring Diversity
2. Environmental Impacts
3. Oversimplifying Conflict
4. Everyday Life
5. Glossing Over History
6. Underdeveloped Geography
7. Stereotyping Races and Species
8. No Consequences to History
9. Impact of magic on the world
10. Cultural Interactions
11. Thinking too much about History
This is why I dislike many Anime, because "the system" that governs the world is written in English (or Japanese) in a large blue box in front of everyone, and the humans NEVER specialize, try new things, etc. and are ALL Balanced builds or DPS nuts! Why are there video game like classes? Why do they assume this class is a failure just cause it didin't level up with the rest of the normal players? Why the newest blacksmith one is kinda nice, blacksmith would have been useless in a cave man like world, but is super good in a medieval one 1K years later.
I have the same issues honestly. But I'm also really picky and love realism haha
@@TheFantasyForge why I subscribed, also I'm a D&D fan.
"What impact are these events having on the environment?" also works for "what impact are these events having on the local economy?"
Yes, I've watched Spice and Wolf. How did you know?
I DM for a dnd campaign and looking at this I actually looking at this I have noticed that I have a lot of these things covered and fixed except for #6 and #11
@@VoicelessVoid456 Glad it helped even if a little! I'd love to hear about the game!
As a 'forever DM' for 47+ years, I can see the value of this advice... for more experienced DMs; helping them griw their game. But new DMs. Would flounder quickly trying to follow all of this advice. The best advice is always "start small" and build out from there... as necessary.
Totally agree! Sometimes it's better to start improving with baby steps haha
Adding an example of a *tiny* thing that had *HUGE* impact.
The highways built by ancient Rome were built to a very specific width. The width needed to comfortably accommodate 2 horses yoked together to a wagon or chariot.
This width became the standard width for rails in both North America and Europe.
Fast forward to the 1960s. The early space program in the United States. The launch point for US spacecraft is Cape Canaveral Florida. The spaceships have components built all over the country and they have to deliver everything, including huge fuel tanks, booster rockets, engines, etcetra from as far away as California, literally across the continent of North America.
This means that, whatever Roman engineer came up with the size of Roman highways to accommodate 2 horses, had a *direct* impact on how the design of spaceships as we know them today because those vehicles and their various modules and components *had* to be designed to be able to be transported on a vehicle whose wheels were no wider than a Chariot.
This is not entirely true.
For one, railroads were not standardized right away. They actually had issues trying to put cars on different tracks before they learned to standardize them.
The roads of Rome were also not all the same width. This keeps getting spread around, but it isn't true. They generally are of similar size, but not the same.
And then you have lots of equipment that is driven everywhere on regular roads across the country, and they often take up more than one lane. They are called Oversized Loads, and they only require a police escort and some planning to transport them from city to city.
And while it is interesting that an engineer or city planner from ancient Rome may have had an impact on today, the truth of the matter is that even without an alleged standardization, roads would all look more or less the same to us if invented now.
Think of cars: it only makes sense to have a driver on one side and a passenger on the other. And whether car, carriage, or chariot, two humans sitting side by side take up the same amount of room back then as they do now.
Most people, especially in a pre-industrial world, would know a lot about their home town, a good bit about the nearest city they sometimes go to, a little about the VIPs and politics of the realm, and vague rumors about lands beyond. You need maybe two major historical events that shaped your realm (conquests and migrations and their ruins and cultural debris), a couple of big enemies (evil overlord, foreign sovereign) and maybe three or four factions (religious cult, major order of knighthood, shadowy cabal, etc.). You can easily build a long campaign on that.
At mid-levels, get the heroes involved with about three VIPs (a bishop, a baron, an archmage, a royal official) and let them decide which one to side with. That NPC can direct their efforts and reward them with information about the whereabouts of magic items. But let them be independent if they want to be. When the big war or apocalypse or whatever comes, the heroes will be called upon to find the Sulmonstone or assassinate the Death Prince or whatever to save the kingdom. All you have to do is have the VIPs give them stuff and be nice to them and then eventually talk about how they need help.
Have someone they hate turn into an ally. Have someone they like turn traitor. Also, make sure they fight a dragon, a vampire, a beholder, and something they choose. Schedule those adventures. Plant rumors about them. Make it personal. That dragon ate their dad. That vampire kidnapped their sister. That beholder killed their favorite NPC.
This is GREAT advice. You should make a video haha
This is the way -cit
@@Diamondarrel this is the way.
@justvibing4796 glad it helped!
Goodness, I'm saving this one. This is great advice!
Wow, awesome video! As a history major I definitely spend too much time on my lore, but it’s fun so no one’s gonna stop me lol. I’m a huge history nerd so just wanted to let you know that when you talked about the explorers of the “14th, 15th, and 16th centuries” I think you meant the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries (1400s, 1500s, 1600s). Also the “Dark Ages” is kind of a misnomer. We actually know a ton about that era, it’s just that Renaissance thinkers looked down on the period as more “un -enlightened” and then give it that name in a sort of pejorative way, which stuck up until we started reevaluating what we know about the medieval period in the last century or so. Don’t mind my “um, actually” nitpicks though, it’s still a super helpful video!
Lol of course! I'm glad it helped. I'm NOT a history major, so I'm sure I made lots of mistakes haha. I just happen to love history
still sounds cool so we should keep it imo.
The Early Medieval Period.
Wasn't the "Dark Ages" the period from the fall of Rome (Western) to Charlemagne? Then came the High Middle Ages (my favorite time period).
I feel like a key here is: make sure your world building impacts the decisions the players make.
Imagine a world in D&D where the different schools of magic (illusion, evocation, etc...) are from different magical traditions and cultures.
Maybe illusion is practiced by the forest people, evocation is the plains people, and both cultures, while fine with magic, are distrustful of one another. Your wizards aren't obligated to restrict their spell lists, but they'd be wise to remember what spells they are casting around each culture!
I'm kinda tinkering with my own craptacular fantasy world just for my o2n amusement, and everything you said i agree with. I still have the stereotypical elves, orcs, and dwarves. But otherwise we're on the same wave. Especially about history, i try not to over explain everything to leave some mystery, but i found having history/lore actually gives you a lot of breathing room, if that makes sense.
Totally! The more you understand the world, the more prepped you feel for those plotholes and little questions that come up.
I get that this seems to mainly target dungeon masters in DND, however, all of this can also be implemented into Authors trying to make fantasy novels or book series as well. While watching the video, I couldn’t help but think “Holy Moly, I knew how to do all of this without even realizing it.” Mainly due to the fact that I’m trying to write (and hopefully one day finish/publish) my own fantasy novel. For those trying to do the same, this info is very much applicable. Not only that, it can become especially interesting if you’re doing all of this through the lenses of the main character in your novel (If it does have a main character).
I'm a writer myself so I think that's probably why I even tackled this for a DND game. But I am definitely going to be talking more about writing and storytelling in general. Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it :D
It's... not called the Dark Ages because we don't know much about it lol. It was due to the perceived "darkness" left by the fall of the Western Roman Empire and supposed (at the time the term was coined) decline of culture, intellectualism, and economy. The term in general has fallen out of popular use with academics anyway because we've actually learned QUITE A LOT about the era and now know that just because the hegemony of the Western Roman Empire ended does not mean culture or even the standard of living for most people declined, it just wasn't Roman. It's also exclusive to Europe because the Islamic world was in what many call it's Golden Age. But point taken.
LOL 🤣trust me, I'm sure I've made lots of mistakes in the last 100 videos I've made. Just try to see the point I'm making with what I'm saying ABOUT the topic, not focus on the error of a misinterpretation😅Appreciate the history lesson tho, *the more you know*
With you 3 tip. you said a good story is not Black and white there is a problem with that logic. you can fall into what i call "Too grey" if every character your players encounter is "Morally grey" the players will start to question everyone they encounter like "What are you hiding?" or "He is so hiding something" this is why i believe you just need an evil son of a b***h every now and then or a truly good person. this is something Books, Movies, Shows, even games suffer from they think a complex character is "Morally Grey" When that is not the case what so ever. In life we meet people who are good and do the right thing just because its right if a story is truly "Realistic" not everyone will be looking to stab you in back or only care for themselves, some people will want to help just because its right.
Great advice, this actually happened in my last party. One person betrayed them and they never trusted anyone again lol. I had to put in some good clerics and such to help them heal…
Who hurt them?!
Oh…it was me…
This is the problem game of thrones had. When no one is the good guy you just stop caring about any of them and become very cynical
@@patrickbateman3146 agreed, it turns into more of watching a gladitorial game or something because it's just entertaining.
exactly, Cesar from Fallout New Vegas is very well written but he's still clearly full evil, he's a fascist who proudly contradicts himself and gets Hegal wrong.
morals aren't the only form of complexity a character can have, IRL even all the most powerful and rich people are bigots that hoard wealth that could end the suffering and deaths of millions each year. sure Alex the farmer or Kai the local healer for the church can and will be morally complex, but those at the top are very simple in their evil and some people are genuinely good, you can come across someone who heals people for free because they can and who fights to end hierarchy.
I think an often better way to look at things is when things are black and white morally it is the solution that should be mixed with consequences. How one defeats the evil villain or force. Also one needs to keep in mind how the players and others see the morality of the villain or issue is and how they see the morality of their choice to deal with it. So adding layers of consequences to defeating evil to me actually adds more depth then making a villain or situation "grey". To me as a world builder I like to see then how characters chose how to deal with the situation and it's future impact. I had players who all wanted to defeat the evil and do good have an enjoyable roleplaying experience dealing with the implications of other characters choices. Good having issues with good over how to do the right thing in defeating evil.
I love the list! Fun thing to add to the history part, is to think about the impact of the cultures on how they learn and what they learn about the history. For example if there was a war between two countries in the past, both countries could tel a completely different story about what happend even years after the war happend. This happens in our world aswell and is a great way to start conflict and have depth in your story.
Definitely! History is written by the victors.
Just look at the conflict between Japan and Korea.
Japan still has problems acknowledging the harm they did (literal harm, not mean words) to the people of Korea and China, despite the 80 year gap.
History is written by whoever is telling the story, and the degree to which it lines up with actual history depends ultimately on how closely the retelling can make the teller look like the "good guys". Whatever standard of good that culture might have.
Romans might explain with pride that they slaughtered ten thousand, then crucified five thousand survivors.
@@freman007 well said!
In the last tip you showed a clip of Calamity, but i hope it was not to criticize it on excessive history setup, cause it really was awesome.
No! I LOVED calamity. It's funny because as I was editing it I even thought to myself "hmmm this seems weird...nah it'll be fine" so now I know to trust my gut haha. Nah, I love Brennan as a DM. Imo he's the best
@@TheFantasyForge Hands down the best! Worlds beyond number anyone?
@@Diamondarrel UGH so good
I think a big thing that summarises these mistakes is they are often simplifications which is fair trying to come up with multiple nuanced cultures and histories and think about so many things is daunting and a lot to keep track of not to say there aren’t ways to make it easier or that it’s impossible it’s just a bit more work and for some myself included world building complex and full worlds is fun but also I understand why a lot people decide to just simplify these things which you already pointed out when you brought up black and white morality
I think it just comes down to whether you want an immersive game every week, or a beer and pretzels dungeon crawl
Around the time of WWI a group of people were supposedly discovered in some isolated region of Eastern Europe/Russia, that were still using medieval armor and weapons, having apparently been so isolated for so long that they had not culturally and technologically evolved since the Middle Ages.
There are still tribes in South America that have had little to no contact with the world beyond. They still live a hunter/gatherer lifestyle
A big one for the history is that it is hard to balance something 500 years ago as a distant event when you get a middle aged elf say "Yeah, I remember that. I was there", and the dwarf chimes in with "He was young but my father told me stories of that happening".
True, but you can also limit the interactions players or readers have with those characters, or do any number of other things to get the history to feel like the history you want it to be. This probably wasn’t the best suggestion or explanation but, there’s always a creative way to work around whatever problem you have in storytelling, you just gotta think around the idea a bit! Like maybe that old elf was never one for paying attention to politics, or maybe many of the dwarves in that ancient kingdom were overworked to death and in turn not many had stories of what went on there, etc etc
@@Exoskeleton2921 My point was that it's hard to create a realistic "scale" of history when you have races that can live for centuries. It feels as though you have to make it significantly longer to keep "scale" and therefore have more time to fill in. Rather than making a 100 years of history (which is a lot) you try and make 1,000 years which ridiculous to try and do with every kingdom in a world.
A battle 500 years ago would only be known in our world because of historic texts and archaeological remains. In a fantasy world, an elf or even dwarf could have taken part in that battle. It removes that sense of it being that much older because there are those who can still remember it happening.
I think it's a perspective thing, the elves can feel older but that might affect how they talk and interact. Lame choice, but the centaurs in Harry Potter are a great example. They don't meddle simply because they know things.
I think you can have the weird races that live hundreds of years but still keep it from the perspective of a mortal race. Having players play those races is a whole other thing and comes down to roleplaying choices I think.
But you're right! It's definitely something to consider.
Oh... 11:33 I studied History, Ethnology, Archeology, my Hobbies are Geology and Genealogy.... Now I know why I got 'Lost in Lore' and have 20 FamilyTrees that go over 3000 years, lots of characters that are like me and talk to others excitedly about what they just found out from an old book or an old rock, or some old bone, girdlehook or coin they found on a river-curve.
Im a big history person as well, so I feel that 😅😁
Good video. I've usually dealt with the history issue by starting campaigns in settings the PCs don't know much about, a frontier or a foreign land. That way the players learn at the same time as the PCs. But it's not a perfect solution by any means. But NO INFO DUMPS!
Great list, but I think 1 is a tad off. If anything, I thinka lot of DMs try to add TOO much diversity. It's true that often fantasy falls into the category for medieval England, but most story lines only have you traveling a land about the Size of Britton anyways. They will put Asian inspired Drow and Norse dwarfs and Native American Orcs and steampunk gnome in wildly different geographies and wildly different cultures within less than a days walking distance from each other. It makes the world feel small and overwritten. If you're not traveling an area any bigger than an averages euro nation, you don't need to toss in too much flavor.
I don't know what DM's you're playing with but that sounds wild haha
A great way to add diversity in a small setting like that could be to have one or two foreigners in the area. Not much because in history people tended to stay with their own on average, but a couple. And think about what kind of life a foreigner would have. Maybe they were kidnapped by an ass hole royal, and your players could go on a side quest of getting the person’s freedom (be it with money, favors, blackmail or even just killing the royal) and then find them a ship or some transportation back home, ending the side quest. Or the person could be a skilled craftsman who came from a far away land in search of work. Why did he leave? Was his land in turmoil or did he have a dark secret. How do the townspeople feel about him? He’s undoubtedly a skilled craftsman but at the same time he’s not from here, he dresses different and doesn’t “act right”. Have rumors be spread about him but have people willing to accept him to, or at minimum the service he provides.
Another great idea could be a follow up campaign that’s based off that kidnapped character from earlier. Now you could have your party travel to that distant land, and suddenly your party from culture A is now surrounded by culture B, and they’ll need their friend they rescued back home as a guide to talk to locals and whatnot, and this could be a great lens to view this new culture from, and a way to continue the story after the original big bad is defeated in an unexpected way without making the ending of the first campaign meaningless.
@@TheFantasyForge Rifts is a helluva system 😂
@@nyalan8385 I like it, have a Morgan-freedman-from-robin-hood style character (or David Chappelle from Men in tights 😂).
I like your second idea too. It's basically how Buldars Gate 2 handles the transition. Your character wakes up and has been kidnapped to Amn.
@@nyalan8385 I love this idea. It's how I run my world because humans are the vast majority
1. Ignoring diversity - That issue is more complex, and very important for good world building.
Although you need a diverse world for realism as well as just to make thing more interesting, although the ancient and medieval worlds were diverse many of the individual societies were not. They were pretty homogeneous, and nearer countries were more similar than farther away ones : medieval France was different from medieval England, but China was even more different.
If this isn't how it is in your society, or if your medieval society is diverse you should have a reason for it.
9. Impact of Magic on world - How common magic is will impact your society as much as whether or not it exists.
If everyone can use it then it's not special or valuable. If only one in 1 million can use it then it is incredibly rare and valuable. Are these people sought by the powerful for their services? A lot of society would be the same since due to Scarcity most rulers couldn't hire one and being that rare gives you a hell of a lot of bargaining power. If magic users are one in 1,000, they're still rare but they are common enough to where society infrastructure can be made around magic user's powers. And a magic user's is less.
Another issue is progress or lack there of. Much of the medieval world had views on issues modern day people would find appalling: on women's rights, religious freedom and gay rights.
Is your medieval society like that? If so how does it affect your player? If not how did your society become like that?
great breakdown! Thanks for the comment
On the note of veering from stereotypes.
In my homebrew world where I host many campaigns one of my players said to an NPC "An Orc's word is stronger than the Chief." And in a few campaigns and one shots that take place in the future, that became a common saying because I always wanted Orcs to be a strength based society, and more so a Loyalty based society. In the workd where all the Kings, Sultans and Shoguns are trying to backhand each other, no threat is more terrifying than an orc saying they will kill you. Because they always keep their word.
That's EPIC. I love that. I love that you incorporated that into your world too, way to give the character some history and lasting power
1.I'd argue that while stereotyping is "negative," it's rooted in a layer of truth, not set in stone. A little Ying to the Yang.
2. A magical world can still have it's limits.
3. Good content, i would take this info with a grain a salt.
The timelone point is so important! I really don't get why would someone in the World of Ice and Fire care about the return of the Orhers. Would you care if someone started saying that the Greek Titans were coming back from one of the supposed entrances of Hell? What if someone said that the Giants are coming back to Scandinavia? Both these legendary events are said to have happened IRL earlier than the Long night on that reality.
Great point! If I heard giants were invading I'd be like "yeah yeah, okay Gerald..."
Amazing video! I'm not using this for D&D but just to make my own fantasy world and this definitely helped! Luckily I already thought about this like how magic impacted my world but I never thought about how different cultures would interact
Glad you liked it! I'm super happy that these videos help non-D&D people as well
Wow, I really enjoyed watching this, extremely informative and I agree with everything
I was relieved when I finished watching and confirmed I have made none of these mistakes in a long term project of mine, not dnd related but similar enough, I guess watching movie criticism excessively has helped me understand how to make a good story.
My project is based on some preexisting media which is extremely flawed, I was so frustrated with the writers not developing their characters and world properly that I just went "FINE, I'LL DO IT MYSELF."
Watch movies, read books, all of that will help with storytelling :) Glad it helped and thanks for the love!
2:05 What are these clips with the flying women from?
It’s from Disney’s Maleficent!
For my homebrew campaign gnomes and halflings are arboreal island dwellers that never had to grow due to the lack of major predators within the environment. They built tree civilizations because their small stature allowed agility amongst the branches and leaves.
give me Wicket vibes, I love it
Great stuff to come across right when Im diving full into world building for a new upcoming campaign. I know I've seen a video or two of yours before and surprised I wasn't subbed!
thats usually how it goes haha, glad I could earn your sub
I'm working on a Renaissance inspired Homebrew for DnD 5e that I want to run and one of the Ground rules I set for myself at the start was "Deep, not Wide". So I'm gonna be putting a lot effort into detailing the region the Party will start in and create basic outlines for the rest of the World that I can then flesh out as time goes on.
That's a great idea! It's how I did my first ever game!
@@TheFantasyForge there's no need to have entire books of lore for regions the Party will probably never visit. A basic outline is fine, at least until they decide they want to visit some of the other places.
in the world i am making everyone has magic, but magic manifests differently in each person, a soldier that trained their sword skills will have their skills improved by magic, enhancing their durability and damage for example, a powerful swordsman can get out alive of a dragon's fire breath and still damage it significantly, while a weak swordsman can't even scratch it's scales, as strong your body and soul becomes the more mana your body absorbs and it manifests differently for a wizard, which will be able to harness mana to cast stronger spells and warriors which their swords becomes explosive
this is a dope idea. Almost like the magic "picks" you.
I would assume a world overflowing with magic would probably be lazy when it came to industrial advancements. Even spells like plant growth would turn everything on its head. I think magic should come at a cost, equivalent exchange, sure you can drain the land to grow food faster, but maybe the area is racked with lightning.
100 agree with this and it's why magic is more rare in my world
@@TheFantasyForge Same in mine. Gunpowder and muskets are more common. Heavy focus on anti-magic. Similar to the way the mutants were treated.
you have to have a common language for your players to interact with NPCs Diversity can be built around resources, technology, history, conflict, World building is a lot of work what do you need for this gaming session how do you tie in past sessions and future sessions history a line of dialogue at a time map size and detail matter too. If you have a world where you as game master has played for a long time how has the history of past parties shaped and changed your world. How is the party you are playing with making history and driving events else where?
4:40 tell me you've never studied history without _telling me_ you've never studied history.
thanks for the comment!
@@TheFantasyForge My pleasure! Aside from that little nitpick, this was a very enjoyable and informative video.
I use an incredibly low magic setting the system focusing on the energy's corrupting properties and how magic affects people physically and mentally (everyone who can touch magic will physically wither and go insane because it requires a "soul leach" as conduit there is no way to use magic safely) causing it to be outlawed and those corrupted by its influence hunted down which means magic can't affect daily life because its so rare and feared and also doesn't do stuff that is beneficial to the average person unless throwing a ball of crackling flaming sparks (think dragons breath rounds out of a shotgun) or necromancy counts
Two mistakes I see often:
(1) Too much effort is put into building a creation myth. At the cost of less effort remaining to other parts. ... and do the entire world really share the same creation myth everywhere?
(2) Too much effort is put into creating a pantheon of gods. Same problems as before. I think in many cases (especially for role play) it is better to world build without religion at all.
Soooo true. How many different creation myths do we have here on earth? And we’re the same species!
Oh no not the different skin colors
Oh this is about dnd i was thinking this was about making your own video game 😊
LOL I guess I should be clear about that, but worldbuilding is worldbuilding!
Thank you. Im writing a Fantasy and while I'm already doing a lot right this goves me more to think about.
Thanks for the love! Just write what works for you :)
I love the idea of using different regions. There are so many rich cultures in our world to draw from. Im working on a story that starts in a fictional Egypt incorporaring their gods and customs
That's such a fascinating culture to draw from
One way I try to limit magic is that environmental sources of it are depleted and dispersed by sunlight. I won't go into the exact science as to why, but the result is that it makes the deeper biosphere more liveable due to vertically migrating species, and the average flat agricultural river valley where humans normally settle rather limited in terms of magic.
One consequence of this is a way to gently or sometimes forcefully niche partition different species, but another is to make it so crazy stuff can work in one part of the world while cereal grain agriculture peasant civilizations can exist in other areas.
Oooo this sounds interesting, love it.
It's funny, A lot of what your saying I have come to as a natural conclusion and have learned/developed that over the years, but hearing it from your perspective branches some little things and ideas that I may not have thought of before. I mean a mountain range so large it created 3 different cultures because they had no contact with each other? That's amazing and very useful to learn from. As for peoples I've really been trying to diversify, although a Dark Elf has a shared heritage on the grander scale, on the smaller scale perhaps that particular clan has had bad faith with the monarch of them all, their own path has given them unique abilities and customs, similar in someways but different in others. And then I try to really make some characters stand out with their own personal beliefs, although there are only so many of them I should work on. A couple of guards don't need full detail fleshing out, one might be a bit cockier, the other more kind, or they could all be in a disciplined unison as a consequence of their strict training. I love working on my peoples, though there are many gaps to fill, I think leaving some open gives room for adaptation when a roleplayer comes across it or when I need something just a bit different in a story I'm writing.
Anyway before that whole wall of text becomes larger, you earned yourself a subscribe xD
Haha I loved reading that. Thanks for leaving some love! I'd love to hear what tips you would throw out there of your own!
@@TheFantasyForge well basically what you covered. Although as a tip for vivid world builders looking to play a TTRPG I would say: Set your roleplayers up in an alternative universe, that way in your own head canon the actual universe and all its glory and story will be preserved, but your players in this alternate universe may impact the world as heavy as possible. (I have only done RP so far, not an actual TTRPG system which I am also working on) This way you don't drive yourself mad with "But that doesn't happen like that" or "But this negates something epic" and the roleplayers will feel like the actual main characters. They kill a legendary character?(Which you might set to a high difficulty) So be it, the players may find the world changing around them, kill a villain they save a region before a story hero did (Or perhaps instead of the hero alone, they fight alongside the hero and steal the show), kill a hero: an unseen villain they might have taken care of is now out of control and sparks a new potential campaign for players to engage with.
Also the lovely part of RP and the development of improvisation means that in a well established universe you can let players go to under-developed regions and then as you make things up you world build as you fill in their story. It will feel both like you involve their expectations AND your developing unique things along the way. (And if you wish to establish it into the main world, even though the roleplay characters may not be there, the players will recognize that as "Hey, our characters went through this place!" and may even recognize bits and pieces written in a story. Maybe even recognize a character or two.)
If the Swiss mountain range blows your mind, you should read about all the different cultures in the steep mountains and thick rainforest of New Guinea island.
yesss looking it up now, I love stuff like this haha. I'm a nerd
A big thing to have in mind is the affect of magic creature in societies, a large portion of cultures live on a certain way because the animals that they depend on neded certain enviroments.
Makes you wonder how hunting X or Y magical creatures would affect societies. The Mongols drank lots of milk. Imagine a culture like that but they were drinking magic milk...for centuries. What would happen? Curious thought experiment haha
9 hits hard cuz i see it as the main reason why i see magic tech societies as badly built pretty much no matter what. Mainly because magic, no matter how strong, still breaks the physical laws and therefore exploitable to create an infinite energy source.
One thing I’ve tried to do in my world is have interesting tensions within the different races/species. If my elves are strict and isolationist, what happens to the ones who don’t want to live like that? While my orcs are pretty nasty, there’s also a group of expats who don’t want to live like that either. If this one polyglot empire in my world is so big, what happened to stop its expansion? What are the groups that formed to counter it?
Too many details also can affect your work become a such wall of text. Especially if its in comic.
Having a detail is great. But too much detail would be pain in the ass to explain.
At least we find a way to make our reader stay tune and pay attention to it. Well... maybe its worth the time
Since just to think environmental damage will be taking muchos time as well.
Agreed! I think there is a difference between having your world detailed and thought out, and exposition. One is necessary for understanding, the other necessary for the reader/viewer
My magic system is done, I written each countries history, how they were estableshed and how their culture is, I made new religions, I made up ecosystems and the animals who lives there, I made up epic dragons and sea monsters, I also prepared the class system very carefully, what else can I do to improve it?
I mean that sounds like you did a lot! I would just try to remember it all as much as possible, and then focus on creating small stories in small places. Let that lore come out naturally as the story progresses but focus on the human/humanoid that the story is about, not the world they are in!
Ah but i only have the british accent at my disposal
LOL ah yes, the true pain...
Thanks for pointing these mistakes out, It made me realize how much i am not doing when making my worlds, universes and such.
Remember to also focus on what you're doing right!
@@TheFantasyForge Though it's hard to focus on what you're doing right when you don't know what you are doing is right.
@@AdrianVoidwalker Just by creating you are doing more than millions of others who always say "I will start tomorrow". Don't beat yourself up, but I'm glad I helped even if it's just a little bit
@@TheFantasyForge One thing that i actually love to see when it happens is when stories take place during A Dark Age of sorts, where nobody knows how things really work like not sure what rules should be placed and or don't or haven't agreed upon what rules should even be set. And maybe some places have agreed upon what rules should be set but those rules only exist within those places.
Especially when this is in a world with magic, because you can go the route of nobody knows how magic works, so the people sit there and play around with magic until they figure out something that they didn't even know they could do with magic.
Which personally i think is one of or if not, the easiest way to show the impact of magic.
The only lore story i can think/remember doing exactly this is Destiny 2's Lore on The Collapse which causes the Dark Age to happen, where many lightbearers would live out as warlords fighting over control for territory and basic supplies of food, water, shelter etc.
Those who were lightbearers would play around with their light (destiny's version of magic power) and create their own ways of using said light.
And some lightbearers would hide in camps with other people who were just normal people and hide the fact that they are lightbearers from others and just try to live peacefully. As they did this because some if not a lot or maybe almost all of the normal people would fear lightbearers, since a lot of lightbearers became tyrannical warlords during this time.
@@AdrianVoidwalker I agree with you there! I love me the darker stories. Like seeing a Game of Thrones during the first Winter or stuff like that
That "every day" problems of the setting is such a good one.
Think about Skyrim. Youre exploring and sold a bunch of loot. You now have 1000 Septims. An equivalently sized gold coin in the real world is a bit over 1 ounce or about 34 grams. Doesnt sound much until you multiply it 1000 times and you get 34000 grams/34 kg, or 1120 ounces or 70lbs.
A book im developing has a plot line taking place during a civil war and the 3rd son of the previous king has to return to take back the throne from a usurper. An entire segment is him on a carriage train carrying gold hes earned as a mercenary captain to help finance his war effort.
People never think about how much gold really weighs lol.
An idea I'd like to share from my homebrewed world is this part of the world where its people have a totally different outlook on death and decay. They embrace necromancy and do things like use corpses to grow the daily essentials and food they need to survive and use undead as cheap but valuable labor. It's the only way to grow anything in the wastelands that they inhabit which had been cursed in such a way by unknown forces of nature that nothing would grow any other way. A troubling place to be in for any druid as such spells like good berry don't work here. The air is also toxic so that many of it's inhabitants must wear masks both to hide their obscured faces and keep out the toxic air. They look like plague doctor masks yes, but only because they worship the Raven Queen as their patron.
This is a really cool idea! Definitely feels grim but also, hopeful? If that's the right word. Sounds really cool :D
These tips aren't just for D&D. Imagine running a Dungeon Crawl Classics/LofTP hybrid. Mostly DCC with a Lamentations feel. I love blending real world history into my worlds & 17th century low magic is my jam. I love the DCC Magic system. Patrons, etc. Demons, Demons, Demons
YES 17th century low magic is my jam too! I loved the Shadow and Bone series because it was just so well crafted and fit the era I love for fantasy stuff.
These tips are a one way ticket to dm burnout. Following a few of them is fine, but trying to do all of it is too much.
I mean...I did fine? Lmao. I think managing the burnout instead is just as good an option.
But don't do it all if it doesn't work for you! Every table/DM is different
As a dm and worldbuilder i love point 9 for example in my world elves are known from beeng most potent magic users as only 1/100 of them is incapable of magic in comparason to other races like humans or haflings where it is around 9/10 beeng incapable accept dwarfs wich are racially incappqble to use magic(as only around 1 in 10000 dwarfs is capable to use any magic and sutch dwarven magic wuld be weaker than magic of other spicies anyway) and by thys trope elves have thys hiperpowerfull empieres overrelient on magic(that is slowly dwindelling away) and dwarfs neded to compensate for the lack of magic so they are extreamly overindustrialised to the point they're culture culd not cought up in time so they live in kind of industrial feudalism witch lead up to the cyvil war between imperial army and revolting proletariat wanting to bring comunism to the country
your world sounds like my kind of game
@@TheFantasyForge thank you sir i'm putting a greate amount of efforts to my campaigns worldbuilding
Honestly, taking a Human Geography course in my off time really helped with worldbuilding. I hate how there are normal cities and then every other race but humans have homogenous nation states. Cultural enclaves are a great way to include aspects of other races’ cultures in a major city
Yep I definitely echo this sentiment
Umm, ackshuwally, the Dark Ages are just comparing the Viking-plagued post-Rome era to the debatably glorious and vaguely safe Roman world.
It's hard to remember that was the post- appociliptic, fall-out scenario of that era. Lots of grand old buildings now abandoned and falling into ruin. Loss of medical knowledge. Chaos everywhere with each region claiming land for themselves..
Uh, how to say this nicely: I don't read books, watch films, or play games for most of what is discussed here. It is fine as mild, very background info or possible character or political motivation. But, in Lord of the Rings, Feist's Apprentice/Master series, Harry Potter, and other stories such as the Star Trek or Star Wars universes, these issues don't come up much because they are not themselves all that interesting.
At best, a little goes a long ways. In real life, diverse cultures can sometimes be interesting, but in a book or game, it runs the risk of being there as excess window dressing and distraction away from the story and issues at hand. You don't want to lose audience interest, or have irrelevancies. Whatever is in a book or game has to apply to the book or game, and not just be there in hopes it is cool, and no other function. Books based on cool worldbuilding don't succeed because that isn't interesting by itself.
Definitely don’t just throw thing in for the sake of it! This is about building a world, not a story. The story comes after you’ve put the pieces in place
10:13 what movie is this?
Stardust! Highly recommend if you like quirky fantasy
I've always wondered in fantasy settings with multiple humanoid races, how to handle diversity.
When I want to represent a diverse array of cultures that are unique and different, should I make them multi-racial or mono-racial? Is that more or less diverse?
I mean the different races had to have come from different places right? So more "isolated" cultures should be more mono-racial right?
Sometimes it's difficult to make a culture feel unique enough if race isn't an aspect of its uniqueness. Any tips?
good point! I think you need to take a look at it's history. How much contact have they had? Is there inter-breeding?
The Witcher is a cool look at that. For example, in the Witcher (if I remember correctly) Elves are immortal but they can breed with humans, however the moment the elf breeds with a human, they become infertile which is why elves are almost extinct.
But I think if there is a race of beings that exist in a magical world, if they are spread out, the same sort of traits would apply. If there are elves that live at the equator they might look different than the ones that live underground (drow). Just my thoughts, fun to think about!
A very good list.
This kind of ties into the history topic, but myths and legends/ religion can help differentiate cultures.
100% religion and lore dictate a lot of how we see the past
The problem I see most with the magic system in D&D is that it is too combat oriented. In a fantastical world magic replaces technology and science to a large part. So magical spells and prayers to the gods would serve more the needs of the populace while fighting with magic should be toned down a bit. The solution for this is to have a body of utility magic in the background which is much larger than the combat oriented magic. The political entities would encourage this trend. Mages who help building streets, highways and bridges would have a higher social standing then the practitioners of destructive spells or prayers for example. The priestly orders that would heal the people or prevent diseases and plagues would be more powerful than an order of palatinate witch hunters. Of course those have their place too but it would not be as large or influential as the healers. Best example for this are the bardic colleges, they are the preservers of history and oral traditions as well as magic. Being able to make music and entertainment, conserving and distribute knowledge is invaluable for a society without long range communication. And magic and music go well together, a bard being a travelling powerhouse of information and occasional trouble shooters, much more then mages who tend to be more sedentary, rarely leaving their towers or strongholds or magic schools or academies.
I 100% agree with this. Magic would totally become part of the everyday world not just combat
I understand the first point but please, don't make the error of just mirroring the real world. The mark of a great fantasy world is not how close it can be to our world + magic and elves. Don't just make "this is my kind-of-asia-continent, this is my kind-of-medieval-europe-continent", etc.
And for point 9 - I get what you're saying but especially in DnD that seems to be almost impossible. I cannot fathom how a world would look like if just one powerful wizard existed that had access to a wish spell, if not hundreds of those wizards. So I think we need to keep in mind that we can't account for every magical thing and spell in the world but maybe, for example, that druids need less trade if they have druidcraft and thaumaturgy and things like that.
great add ons, you're definitely spot on. We don't play fantasy to live in our world AGAIN lol
hem… i am from switzerland n’y i never heard about the « mountain » thing 😅 so i’m not sure of what your sources are… but it’s okay we all make mistakes 😁
Hello! I don't know why I'm only just seeing this lol.
If you look at the map of Switzerland and the languages spoken by area you can see what I meant. Switzerland itself has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. The division shows how the terrain of the Alps has historically limited movement and encouraged the retention of these distinct languages and cultures within relatively small geographical areas.
I don't know if there's one specific place that speaks all 4, but I was just saying how it's crazy that just having a mountain in a country divides it's cultures and languages and it's something to consider :D
@@TheFantasyForge hm, it’s actually true that a mountain stands between 3 different places with others languages but unfortunately it isn’t the real cause of it, swiss is a grouping of regions in a confederation, so it is just because the cantons have chosen which language they should speak, allowing a lot of bilingual cantons like fribourg. and some small cities like lugano where there is italian as a main language but french and german are also spoken, interlaken where they speak french, german and english which is quite intriguing because English isn’t normally spoken in the swiss 😅, or lucerne where they all speak both german and English too, also bâle/basel… and romanche is not very common so only around ~50´000 people actually speak it and almost every single one of them are bilingual 😅 so now you know (i talk too much and i write english awfully😅, but i’m happy to teach you something 😄)
@@firegaltw.steller4717 No that's good to know! Just interesting that the way the languages are divided is exactly where the mountain is :D
Thanks for teaching me! Appreciate it
@@TheFantasyForge oh ok, you’re welcome 😄
(also stay tuned for my upcoming book, it will probably be finished in 2025 or something like that 😅 it will normally be called « draconers dungeons » {i said normally because it could change if there is a problem with the name of another license which i don’t think will happen but i prefer to say « normally » because i prefer to be aware than getting into trouble 😅} there will be a lot in this book like dragons, complex magic, civilizations, cities, dystopia, demons, heroes, vampires, gods, entire dimensions, supreme beings, epic fight scenes involving all of this, and an entire uniquely modified mythology with explained origins from every kind of creatures, timelines etc… and there’s gonna be at least three books with this, and i already know what will happen in every of them so there will be a lot of satisfying foreshadowing and stuff like this. that’s a big promise i’m making here but i’m quite confident with what i’m saying because i try really hard to make the best story i could possibly imagine. also don’t be surprised if it takes me a few more years than expected because i know anything could happen. but at my actual rhythm of writing it should be finished on the end of 2024 and should be published in 2025… but as i said i prefer to say it could take longer, just in case 😅)
I'm having this idea of a world where the moon crashes into earth and earth shattered into pieces and becomes floating sky islands for a game. I watched like 3 videos about world building and I still don't know how I can apply this stuff into a world that is fragmented and doesn't follow any "earth" rules
I think something like that you really just have to lean into the fantasy and magic aspect of it. Have fun with it!
That kind of event is different because there isn't really a "real world application" of any sort of culture or anything to pull on.
It's up to you to decide how a culture or race would develop in a world like that, and ultimately, HOW they survived in the first place
@@TheFantasyForge Thanks alot for the tips!
Great video, thanks!
I must say, that while this is quite good advice, it is also imo not really useful to a beginner. For an intermediate or well versed world builder this is great. But if you just start out and have one fun idea but you try to insert everything from this video (aka describin an entire world before actually telling the story you had an idea for) then you will need years or decades bedore writing a single line It is Impossible for any person to understand the entire world in all its nuances, cultural differences, histories, perspectives and then go on to have a perfect knowledge about every technological or magical point of any given culture. My advice would be, to not try and implement everything from this Video at once. Pick one thing and think it through for your own story. How does it impact your story and your world. Videos like this are fascinating but do not put your plate too full or you will loose appetite before the main dish
solid advice! Some people (me) are just crazy about their worlds and their games haha
4:42 not 1000 years ago.
just 200 years ago some countries were still burning witches
just 200 years ago napoleon changed the world with his actions causing the congress of vienna which lead to ww1 and later ww2 and the cold war
It's really odd to find people in the wild who believe in the myth of the Dark Ages
This dude thinks Middle Earth from Lotr is the worst world ever, lol
I'm actually a huge Lord of the Rings fan. Like HUGE. I read the Silmarillion at least once a year lol. But I still think it's possible to create something unique and one-of-a-kind (if that's what you want to do).
@TheFantasyForge i just think it's funny that your video says to do everything Tolkien didn't, and the title declares that not doing those things is a mistake
@@hault360 I should add in parenthesis (if you want to be unique and be a better storyteller) lol, but it's just too wordy. Got you to click on the video tho! haha. I appreciate the comments tho, I should be careful with the word choice in the future
So, I made my culture. My MC is from this culture, just she and her twin brother doesn't know it. And I'm thinking my blind pirate is also from this culture. And he wants revenge on the King because his grandfather is the reason that the culture is dying out. And my MC does Eventually end up in a place where her, her brother and their people are from (Just doesn't know it yet). But my question is, how on Earth do I introduce this without info dumping? 👀 Advice and tips are always welcome. But help! Please!
CULTURE:
Lunaris: The Celestial Enclave
Overview:
Lunaris is a culture that revolves around the worship of a moon goddess, the practice of magic, and the reverence for dragons. This culture is deeply rooted in the belief that the moon goddess, known as Selene, is the source of all magic and the protector of dragons. The people of Lunaris have developed a harmonious relationship with these mystical creatures, using their magic to communicate and coexist peacefully. The culture's customs, rituals, and way of life are all influenced by their devotion to Selene, magic, and dragons.
Religious Practices:
1. Lunar Ceremonies: The people of Lunaris hold monthly ceremonies during the full moon to honor Selene. These ceremonies involve music, dance, and offerings to the goddess. It is believed that the full moon amplifies the power of magic, allowing the people to connect more deeply with Selene.
2. Dragon Blessings: Dragons are considered sacred creatures in Lunaris. During special occasions or important events, the people seek the blessings of dragons. They believe that dragons possess ancient wisdom and can bestow good fortune and protection upon them. The dragons are revered as messengers of Selene, and their presence is seen as a sign of the goddess's favor.
3. Magic Schools: Lunaris is known for its prestigious magic schools, where individuals are trained in various magical arts. These schools are considered sacred places, as they are believed to be blessed by Selene herself. Students learn to harness the power of the moon and its connection to magic, as well as how to communicate with dragons through spells and rituals.
Social Structure:
1. Dragon Guardians: Within Lunaris, there exists a group of individuals known as Dragon Guardians. These individuals are chosen by the dragons themselves and are believed to have a special connection with Selene. They act as intermediaries between the dragons and the people, ensuring the harmony and protection of both.
2. Moonlight Festivals: To celebrate the power of Selene and the magic she bestows, the people of Lunaris hold grand Moonlight Festivals. These festivals are filled with enchanting performances, magical displays, and dragon showcases. It is a time for the community to come together, share their magical talents, and honor the moon goddess.
3. Dragon Sanctuaries: Lunaris is home to numerous dragon sanctuaries, where dragons are protected and revered. These sanctuaries are lush, natural habitats where dragons can roam freely. The people of Lunaris believe that by preserving these sanctuaries, they are ensuring the continued blessings and guidance of Selene.
Art and Architecture:
1. Celestial Art: Lunaris is known for its intricate artwork inspired by the moon, magic, and dragons. Paintings, sculptures, and tapestries often depict celestial scenes, dragons in flight, and the moon goddess herself. These artworks are believed to channel the energy of Selene and inspire magic within the viewer.
2. Lunar Architecture: The architecture of Lunaris is characterized by its ethereal and celestial design. Buildings often have domed roofs resembling the phases of the moon, with intricate carvings of dragons and magical symbols adorning the walls. The use of reflective materials, such as silver and glass, is prevalent to capture and reflect the moonlight.
Lunaris is a culture that embraces the mystical and magical aspects of life, finding harmony in the worship of Selene, the practice of magic, and the reverence for dragons. It is a place where the moon's glow illuminates not only the night sky but also the hearts and souls of its people.
CLOTHING:
1. The "Celestial Cloak":
This cloak is made from a shimmering, lightweight fabric that resembles the night sky. It is adorned with delicate constellations and celestial symbols, which seem to glow softly in the dark. The cloak features hidden pockets that can hold magical artifacts or potions, making it both stylish and functional.
2. The "Elemental Gown":
This gown is designed to represent the four elements - earth, air, fire, and water. It is made from flowing, translucent fabrics in vibrant colors, with intricate embroidery depicting swirling patterns and elemental symbols. The gown seems to move with an ethereal grace, as if it is alive. Each element is represented by a different color scheme and unique embellishments, such as shimmering gemstones for fire and delicate floral motifs for earth.
3. The "Spellcaster's Robe":
This robe is crafted from a rich, velvet-like fabric in deep, mystical hues. It features an oversized hood and billowing sleeves, giving it an air of mystery and intrigue. The robe is adorned with intricate embroidery of ancient runes and sigils, representing various spells and enchantments. It also has hidden pockets to hold spellbooks or magical artifacts, allowing the wearer to be prepared for any magical endeavor.
4. The "Enchanted Headdress":
This headdress is a stunning accessory that adds a touch of magic to any outfit. It is adorned with delicate, handcrafted flowers made from shimmering silk and adorned with tiny crystals that catch the light. The headdress also features hidden compartments that can hold small charms or enchanted trinkets, allowing the wearer to carry a bit of magic wherever they go.
It sounds like your pirate might know about this culture? Maybe he tells them about it when he notices they look like they might be from there?
OR if the pirate doesn't love to talk about it because it reminds him of a bitter past, they can maybe find his journal, or a book in his collection?
If none of that works, maybe someone they run into recognizes the pirate and drops info on the MC's that leaves them like "???"
This way you can drop subtle hints of this other culture, build on your world, and also increase the stakes for your characters and build on their history at the same time!
Let me know if that works!
Thank you so much for the advice! I'll see if it works! ❤
man, stardust was such an amazing movie, wasn´t it?
Underrated. I would watch it for De Niro's dancing alone
On the impact of magic, my current world went the other way. Until about, mid bronze age, magic was rare. Even simple spells took dozens of wizards to ritually draw in enough power to create effects. So magic was really only done at any scale for the vastly wealthy. Then a celestial body called the black star, as it pulled in all light so was only visible as other celestial bodies were obscured by it, exploded. Magic, vast in vast amounts flooded the world. It triggered a systems collapse, much like the bronze age collapse, with only the most robust kingdoms surviving as the few magics around were suddenly drowning in power where they once had a trickle. Many exploded, this also caused many people and animals to transform, some into monsters. Some animals were uplifted to be equal to humans in intellect. Now minor magics are so easy every peasant cn use the simplest magics, but any using more powerful magic must fight the magic as it tries to overwhelm them. Failure can at best disrupt the spell from working and leave a mage exhausted. Or one can have a catastrophic failure and explode in a wave of uncontrolled magic with unpredictable effects.
I love when magic is rare, makes it feel more special
I dont include diversity in languages because that's too much world building for small detail. Not everyone need diversity, especially when the scale is small.
My campaign starts in a part of the world that would be Mediterranean in ours. Thrown my players right off. Everyone is English or Irish 😂.
The next (I hope) location they go is reflective Africa & Arabia.
just throw the Roman Empire in for fun haha
@@TheFantasyForge oh I will be doing something that that. My world is young at the moment. The elves are elitist and insular but one day, their God Ozymandias will convince them they should rule!
They’re going to be a mix of Roman Empire and Spanish Conquistadors and the rest of the world will be like The Americas.
I am Ozymandias, King of Kings...@@LeeJCander
@@TheFantasyForge if you know, you know. And you my friend… know 🙏😂 excellent video btw you’ve a new subscriber.
@@LeeJCander haha thanks! I remember reading that way back in High School. Appreciate the support 🙌
The impact of magic on the world is a big one for me. I've read so many stories/seen so many sessions where low level PCs run circles around the game world due to their creative use of magic. If a first level party can mystify the masses and break the system, the game world would look *very* different from English Middle Ages for sure.
Exactly! Magic would change so much in the same way that technology did for us. People are inventive 😆
3.5 D&D GM here...with lots of house rules. I run a slightly reduced magic world, where full casting progression is not allowed, magic has been weakened by some cataclysm in the past that ended "The Golden Age of Magic" and made magic harder to master. There's an impact of a historical event for you!
Mechanically, a character's caster level in any given spellcasting class is at most 2/3 of their character level, so typically a character must multiclass in order to gain enough life experience to be able to master magic. A simple example, an 8th level character couldn't be an 8th level cleric. 2/3 of 8 rounds down to 5 so they might be a 5th level cleric with 3 levels in one or more other classes. A cleric of a LG deity might be a paladin 3/cleric 5, a cleric of a LN deity of knowledge and mysticism might be a monk 3/cleric 5, in either case at 9th level they can progress to cleric 6 but at 10 must take something besides cleric.
An impact of that is that magic items and spellcasting services are also more costly because fewer people can make or supply them respectively - and an added incentive to adventure is that magic items made during the Golden Age are out there in ancient ruins etc, some more powerful than anyone currently alive can make, such as ancient scrolls of 8th and 9th level spells...
Yet, at the same time, lower level magic is still fairly common especially in towns and cities. The alleys of the wealthy parts of town are seldom in shadows, as continual flame spells which last nearly forever can be cast on the tops of lampposts and the cornerstones of public buildings and the like...
@@ernesthakey3396 This is my vibe for sure. I just think it makes it more easy to relate to and play in without turning the players into gods
@ernesthakey3396 oh you just gave me the answer to what I was trying to figure out.
My world everyone is born able to use magic, however I was trying to figure how to make it work without completely destroying the environment like you see in stories like Dragon Ball series or Fairy Tail series or World of Warcraft series.
@@ernesthakey3396 Why not just reduce full casting progressions in the classes by 1 step then add something to make up for it, if needed for a given class, such as Wizard?
Daniel greene said one thing he did when world building his magic system for his book was just thinking constantly throughout his day to day life how having magic would affect each chore or waiting for traffic it’s a really cool way to make sure your magic feels real
That's honestly a great tip! Thanks for that
I just made magic pretty difficult to use, i think of magic users like monks, can someone become far more mentally and physically powerful than the vast majority of people? Yes, but like, most people just don't, it's a way of life and it is usually not one most wish to choose
@@wooblydooblygod3857 Exactly, anyone can learn a musical instrument and yet not everyone is a world famous musician. Also our modern technology is pretty much magical compared to what we had 30 years ago, yet we can often have issues and malfunctions and when the power is out we are so screwed.
Diversity has become such a strange issue these days. True diversity is as you say, a variety of cultures and peoples. Then we have Netflix idea of diversity, where every fantasy society looks like modern LA with the trappings of medieval England. Netflix diversity paradoxically makes every country look the same.
Watch the series ER from the 90s if you haven't. Things were WAY less tense regarding your topic and I miss it. Good thought.
Diversity also depends on whether it is just a small area (a smaller regional scale) or the whole fantasy world (a larger world scale). The larger the area, the more diversity occurs. Or a single village is more often monotypic, while there is more diversity between several villages. And mixed diversity depends on how much mobility and isolation there is between different settlement groups and societies and whether we are focuses on the interactionist border area between two societies or only in the core inland of a certain society. Moreover, it is also more common for imperialist and colonialist societies to have more mixed deversity than passive or subjugated societies. Forced mixed diversity, on the other hand, means that mixed diversity is not given any explanation and history, but it exists soullessly just only for the sake of mixed diversity itself and is as bad a mistake as ignoring diversity on a larger world scale. If I had to give an example where I think this subject of diversity has been handled well and exemplary, it would be Avatar The Last Airbender and Avatar Legend Of Korah. Each settlement has its own unique culture, the mixed diversity has a history tied to the Fire Nation's wars and colonial expansion, and in the post-war world, when the mobility of people increased, the settlements were no longer so mmonobendersthan before but the price was the loss of traditions, cultural heritage and roots in a changing industrial world.
@@danielmalinen6337 you touched on a point I wanted to mention; cultural diversity ends up occuring due to waves of isolation and reconnection. As the modern world allows for more and more connection both in terms of media and travel, the connected worlds cultures slowly become more homogenious.
This could be an interesting idea to expore, but if you have a world of magic portals, holograms, and instantaneous magical communication, expect there to be less and less cultural diversity the longer those things are available to everyone.
@@klosnj11 not even remotely true. It’s all about leadership and the overall dominant culture. If leadership allows for tourism but the populace likes their culture then the culture will remain homogenous.
Examples: Morocco and Dubai.
Meanwhile even if leadership doesn’t promote it but people take a liking to it, you’ll see more homogeneity (to world culture) no matter what: Florida and Texas have a more homogeneous vibe than what the leadership would like.
No criticism, just pointing out how it depends on mostly the people.
@@MerlinTheCommenter not sure if I misunderstand your argument, but your examples of texas and florida seems to refute your primary argument.
These are really great tips especially for story writing, and I'll keep this video as a reminder.
A few other tips I would give is to remember scarcity and our own world is pretty dang weird.
All resources in the world are limited/scarce and impact everything from culture to conflict. Vikings invaded surrounding areas to claim more territory for farms, since their population was constantly growing.
When making worlds, it's important to never forget that our world is weird and it's okay to look to it for inspiration. There is a perpetual storm called the Catatumbo lightning, and the locals freaked out when it stopped for a few months. There are sea slugs that live like plants. There is a planet in our galaxy where it rains raw rubies and sapphires from the sky. The sandbox tree is probably the most aggressive of all trees. Dog suns are a really cool optical phenomenon. The universe is plenty weird and magical without any mana.
EXACTLY, there's so much weird stuff to take inspiration from in our own "backyard"
"There is a planet in our galaxy where it rains raw rubies and sapphires from the sky." I've always wondered how anyone can actually know that.
@@BKPrice And stars that are a giant diamond lmao.
The biggest thing for me is remembering all these tips also scale, especially at small scales.
The thing most people should always remember is that worlds feel alive through plausibility. A city block where you apply these principles to it in a focused effort will feel more real and part of something greater than the bones of your massive world ever will when detail is spread so thin.
There is no point creating a unique pantheon of gods, a revamped magic system and 1000s of years of warfare and curses and whatever if the end result is being in fantasy hamlet that is basically just Phandelin, with no implications beyond “help peasants and a minor lord out”. Make locations to show off your world and make situations that force players into engaging with it
This is great advice , they definitely scale and applying most tips or resources in the right way or across the board can realllly help make your worlds better. It’s all part of being a better dm
Notes, alot of notes and step by step world building. Savor the joy of making the world, dont rush and burn yourself out. Dosent matter if you have mess of notes, you can structure them point by point and refine it later. Just get your ideas and visions down on the paper or pad! 👍
@@odinulveson9101 I have so many notes sometimes it's overwhelming (in a good way)
@@TheFantasyForge yeah for sure. I imagine picking the ones that fit the situation/ campaign etc. Like apples from a tree or cotton from clouds!
Underrated Channel
aw thanks! I appreciate the kind words
Agreed!!
The number of videos by you I have watched and only just now noticed your subscriber count is wild.
I always thought you had 100K+ subscribers with how in depth and well put together these videos are.
Happy to say you gained another subscriber today and I’m looking forward to more. 🎉
Lol thank you! I appreciate that so much
for real though.. but I feel it just needs one video to pop off and then the subs are gonna come in
The original Diablo game is a masterclass in worldbuilding.
The whole thing takes place in the catacombs under Tristram Cathedral.
As you go, you resolve multiple independendant questlines, learn more and more about the various NPCs in town, discover the history of a secret war and the true purpose of the Cathedral as you delve deeper and deeper searching for a missing Prince.
I poured soooo many hours of my youth into Diablo and Diablo 2 lol. I'd do it all again.
Yesss One of My favorite pieces of worldbuilding
One of the more important points also to consider when worldbuilding is to not overdo it. Ideally, you would want to IMPLY a deep history and IMPLY a greater world with vast cultures and those experiencing your world (dnd/book/whatever) you end up creating the illusion that you've done some insane world building - like a giant ice berg that is hollow inside
YES! That’s a great way to put it, definitely don’t want to regurgitate all your lore. Imply 😎🤘 thanks for the love
no :3
Like George Lucas with the original Star Wars.
But then he had to go flesh out his implied history with the Prequels...
@freman007 Which is also another thing to keep in mind. One of my favorite stories is One Piece, where Oda usually implies enough to satisfy the reader but gives him enough freedom to write whatever he wants with that implication.
One Piece is good but you gotta admit it has terrible worldbuilding, thematically fluctuous and full of inconcitencies (emm... Snail telephones?)
9) is always interesting. In a world with magic, at least start with the lowest level/tier of magic that exists and assume that even the smallest town/village/hamlet will know those spells exist and have access to them. So in a D&D 5e world, start with Cantrips and Level 1 spells. Every door would have an 11 lb bar on their door (to counter mage hand, that's just how doors would be built in this world even if people didn't know why), there'd be someone in town who could ritually cast spells like Alarm, Detect Magic, Identify and Unseen Servant, even the lowliest lord/baronet would have Arcane Lock and other similar spells used in their manor, people would understand what certain spells do, etc.
More often than not GMs/DMs play small towns like the people are so isolated and naive that players can get away with anything.
Oooo I like the 11lb bar, because you're right, people would learn to regulate it.
Depends on setting, always agree with things a normal person can do like the 11 pound bar, things being just past some ranges like a tavern having the bottles 35 feet away from the stools so you can't easily access them with a spell or something, but Identify requires a 100gp pearl, and DnD has most people earn a few copper a day, a level 1 adventurer doesn't mean guy who had basic training, it's like seal team 6.
The Mage Hand thing doesn't really follow.
If the bar is on the other side of the door, the wizard can't see it to use his spell on it.
If he can see it through a window, well you don't have to be a wizard to just break the window and get in.
@@kenle2 there are gaps between doors and walls, doors in castles aren't like the doors in a modern house. Even a mirror under neither the door would do, or spying it through a window if you don't want to make the noice of breaking the glass, etc., etc.
About mistake #3
A thing it really bothers me is that many writers seems to be able to choose either making oversimplified conflict with clear cut heroes and villains or being relativists and going down the "there is no such black and white, it's all grey" route.
It wouldn't be cool if writing characters that, as the story progresses, reveal themselves more heroic or villainous as the narrative evolves, was a thing?
Yes! Characters should feel three dimensional, not like they only existed to serve X plot or Y person
One could also go about it in a similar way as the ultimate conflict in Persona 3.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
Basically, the _conflict itself_ is rather black-and-white (in that it's clear which side _must_ win), but the same isn't necessarily true of the _morality_ of the conflict (it's not "good vs evil", but rather "the will to live vs the reality of death", and the final enemy isn't even malicious, it's just acting upon its assumed purpose).
You can also definitely have shades of grey while still having a clear villain. The Allies in WW2 did some pretty horrendous stuff at times, but the other side was literally the Nazis.
@@Candlemancer definitely! I have a whole other video on making a villain, but I should probably make an updated one 🤔
This recently happened to me in a campaign (as in a week ago). The group I play with all went to the same university with the same core curriculum that included philosophical ethics classes, so we are all familiar with trolley problems and moral dilemmas. I ended up killing the one thing protecting a whole segment of land from unnatural death because the cost of it was the ritual sacrifice of a young child every year. My character believes he cannot harm innocent life, and he works as an exacter for the neutral god of death, so he believed what he was doing was good.
He then goes and sacrifices himself to stop a madman artificer genociding gnomes. His god, rather than being pleased he saved innocents, is angry for causing his kingdom to slow its expanse (for his kingdom grows with every death, good or bad). My character does not believe that death is neither good nor bad, but that one should be able to die when it is proper and ordained by whatever higher power there is, or else die as punishment for persecuting the innocent. I now have to choose between whether I want to serve a god who is truly neutral on the subject or if I was to die again because I won't serve him (I'm a Revenant in this game, and he reincarnated me as a dwarf that had died a few hours prior to my resurrection).
One good way to think about worldbuilding is developing your world as it relates to your adventure. For example, like you listed under point 11, focusing on events that happened forever ago and have limited current impact is a waste of time and energy, but focusing on the history of the noble house that hired the party to cleanse the nearby forest of the evil spiders would be relevant and could potentially help make this fairly basic quest more interesting. Why does the noble house want the forest cleansed? Do they care about the commoners in the village nearby? If so, why? What makes them different from the stereotypical neglectful feudal overlord? Don't try to develop a massive, realistic, complete history for your world (like you said, recorded human history is incomplete); instead, try to figure out answers to the questions your players will have about your adventure.
BEAUTIFULLY said, this. Why put in 100 hours into your world if your players or readers will only see a fraction of that world?
In fairness, if you're a feudal lord without the ability to grow food yourself you need your peasants. The peasants provide the food, the lord and his soldiers protect the peasants.
@@freman007yeah, the idea of feudal lords just leaving their peasants to the mercies of bandits and wild animals isn't really accurate. It's not like modern capitalism where you can just hire new workers for minimum wage, your current peasant workforce is all you've got to work with to produce anything from your lands. If they're all starving or dead then you're screwed too.
4:50 Yeah, one thing that happens often in fantasy worlds that, I don't necessarily hate but, deeply annoys me sometimes is when the history/Backstory of the world goes like: "For thousands of years nothing has changed, for 10 thousand years everyone lived in sh!t houses, everyone lived in a big castle made out of doodoo and no one invented cars for 10 thousand years, sure we have dragons but no one figured out anything past pulleys, we have simple machines, we can make a fulcrum like nobody's business but holly f*ck we can not figure out anything past that, magic though, we have like 3 people who knows magic, everyone else's toilet is also their beds"
LMAO I enjoyed reading this. I agree with you 100% and honestly that exact mentality is where that came from for me
Yes, it annoys me too. One of the things I don't like about the Song of Fire and Ice series (Game of Thrones), is that the technology has been stagnant for thousands of years. Why hasn't some other culture or race reached the level of technology the Valaryans had before the volcanoes around them erupted? Why have the Maesters (sp) not advanced beyond what we see with all the knowledge they have? Seriously, the Maesters have thousands of years of knowledge, but don't improve upon on it, in any way? Other that they are stuck in their ways and horde knowledge, instead of building upon on it and sharing it, there should be some culture out there that is trying to advance. GRR Martin's world is a low magic dark fantasy setting, but to me is a stagnant world, where no one wants to move beyond the norm. Maybe it has something to do with the climate, with the erratic and long summers and winters, that can last for years on end, or the fall of Old Valarya caused a winter longer than normal, but the timelines just seem way too long with no advancement in society or technology.
Don't get me started on the Dr Stone anime.
After 3800 years since the cataclysm, despite living a few days walk from the reservoirs of knowledge that are modern libraries, despite the fact nuclear power plants can run for years unattended, somehow the human population is a few hundred still eking out a living fishing and foraging.
Hell no. Even reduced to a handful of people, after 3800 years (the length of time between us and the building of the Pyramids) the human race would have a population in the millions, at least, and have retained most of our civilization.
In addition, read the background for the Sword Coast in the D&D books. 5000 years ago the Elves fought the Drow, since then nothing has changed.
Gnomes are technologically obsessed, and live for centuries. Can you imagine what an Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein could have achieved if they'd lived for 400 years? They'd rule the D&D world.
What if one wants to keep the theme like medieval or renaissance or both? To make it mainly like that it would have to stagnate technology or is said writer obligated to develop modern cars and the like after years that have passed?
Genuinely asking here as a beginner
I LOVE tip #1, I literally began building my world when i said "there needs to be a fantasy world with Minnesota, southern, and new england accents. lol. and thats how it all began. and i have listed all the cultures i wanna add. polynesian, greco-roman, so many more. The main story is going to take place in a colonial inspired world. but lots of other cultures and eras involved
Love this! All it takes is a budding idea
One thing I've noticed with medieval fantasy settings is that everyone kinda just follows Tolkien. I would highly recommend researching Baltic/Eastern European culture and history if you want a European-inspired setting. Even better if you reach out and incorporate stuff from different continents.
One of my current favorite settings is Gubat Banwa's setting. Everything is set in a fantastical SEAsian world. Everything works so much more differently than how it would in say, your standard medieval fantasy setting.
Also since I'm Viet myself, I find it rad as hell
Yeah definitely! I'm a huge Tolkien fan, but I want something NEW. Norse lore is pretty amazing too
@@TheFantasyForgeto some clearence, 16-18 ages at easter europe is kinda landlock dynamic of 3 powers. While for wester european it have Caribbean sea and pirates and power struggle between Spain, England and France. Same are happen at eastern steppes where powerstruggle between Commonwealth, Ottomans and Russia over "wildfield" born age of cossacks 😊
In my current world I'm building a prehistory to for me to make things make sense for my to main characters which both Kings hate each
Original thought 😒
with point 3, while i agree with the point of not oversimplifying conflict i also don't necessarily think that having a clear cut good and bad side necessarily erodes shades of complexity. The best example of this is lord of the rings, where the forces aligned with sauron are numerous and diverse, just as there are many shades to the goodness of the forces aligned with the fellowship
Agreed! I just think it's easier to relate when there are very few people in our world who are just 100% evil. Most people who are "evil" have their reasons for doing what they do. I think they make much more complex and nuanced villains than the "some men just want to watch the world burn"
When I started a new campaign with my players at level 1 the first combat encounter my players faced was a wild Griffin. After arriving in the first village they met a Ranger that was able to turn the Griffin hide into no magical armor that increased the wearer’s speed slightly.
RIP to the griffin. I hope they had chicken legs that night
One thing I never do is come up with a "creation story" for my world. I see so many other settings start with that, and to me it simply doesn't matter how the world began. The gods and their interaction with the world matter, but the truth of how it all occurred is simply not important to my players. In fact, I often allow them to come up with their own characters' beliefs about the mythology of creation and whatnot, since their beliefs are what matter, not what actually happened.
Ths is what i try to keep in mind. Diversity of cultures and even subcultures can make a world so much bigger even if you never leave a town.
I tried incorperating that with some Dwarves in my setting. 3 different familys celebrating the same holiday 3 different (but over laping) ways. Its hard but I think its definatly worth it.
I try to add everything you mention to some degree but LORD is it hard.
I love this so much. Love the idea of a holiday being spread out like that. Super cool
@@TheFantasyForge ye! :D idk if I should share details or not but doing that and implementing your stuff is so crazy fun!
Yeah, people today fundamentally misunderstand diversity and its implications for societies. Having a diverse range of cultures, peoples, etc. to populate your world is great, but if it you want to try to map 21st century cosmopolitanism onto a fantasy setting, you really need to stop and think about what that means, because a melting pot is actually the annihilation of diversity. True diversity is maintained by *limited* contact between population groups. Unless you're building a high-magic setting that can replicate today's transcontinental and transoceanic communications and transportation, your world will look very segregated, just as ours did until the 20th century.
I would add to the ignoring of diversity of don't let your story be shackled to the lack of technological diversity. All games or stories in fantasy (And one of my big issues with most of it even though I write it) is that its always medieval or ancient. Great those are good time periods, but there are other periods. Other tech, and Magitech can be a thing. Diversity of tech levels for any game is a good thing.
And number 11 I can keep stuff to myself, but I can never not develop pages of lore. Why what started as game world is now into a book writing project.
My world also started as a game world and now I'm working on it as an intertextual body of work! I'm glad I'm not the only crazy one haha
yes, and divergent tech, like it's sometimes a joke in sci fi that some species discover something big before fire but the general idea is good, they might not have figured out getting good quality alloys because of how fire magic works, but have time keeping as accurate as the modern day using a weak spell of some kind that links the movement of a clocks hour hand with the sun regardless of if it's underground or cloudy. or due to adamantite and dragon scales many goals of meta materials are achieved that we don't even have yet, but with the time spent fighting monsters or it being unsafe no one has invented alcohol really yet.
Everyone: *watching so they can be a better DM*
Me: *watching because I want to be a fantasy writer*
If your world has COMMONLY available magic/tech that allows long-range travel and/or communication, then there'd be less cultural and language diversity. Isolation fosters diversity. For the same reason, widespread [literacy, illiteracy] fosters [unity, diversity].
The not stereotyping races one, I'm surprised I didn't fall into that mistake, instead of a bird-like race, it's a human-like race that has a passive ability of wings that are made of wind, which don't have the weakness against cold but instead head, because it'll make the wind wings rise up and stuff causing the person to uncontrollably fly around in the air
Lol imagine being one of them and accidentally getting turned into a tornado
I came for writting advice but instead had to get polotics shoved down my throat in like, the opening seconds.
Thanks for the comment! Sorry the video didn't work for you (but not really).
If diversity is reality, then fantasy would be uniformity.
Not sure if that's nonsense or poetic genius
Real nice list! Subbed! Two additional mistakes from me. 1: Dont overlook that if you struggle with creating a fabtasy world, turn the place/ region you live in into a fantasy version using maps and make changes! 2: Make sure yo get geography, topography and how rivers run through the land 😅 I will have the standard races but their roles? Out of whack! Blue dwarfs living in cloud mountains enslaving humans, elves struggling to create new life and vegetation in a grand desert as punishment. Gnomes, Halflings and Nisser ( non evil redcaps ) co-operating with a council of 30 different dragons to keep the world in balance etc. Im waiting for a flame tree pocket journal that Im gonna take with me into the nearest forest with a hiking road by it. Theres a small area called the " Coffee nook/ Kaffekroken " where I will sit and write a homebrew fantasy version of the municipality of where I live 😆
The idea of turning your own area into a fantasy world is amazing. I bet it makes it more nostalgic too.