I ususally use the RPG campaign world method. I find just rolling the dice and taking what it says in, for example, the Dungeonmaster's Guide is good enough to cover the basic detail of whatever setting you want, especially when the dice call up something that ordinarily wouldn't be there - for example, a brothel in a highly religious community if the religion is something like medieval Puritanism (which you've already rolled up before) takes some explaining. Then I put in things deliberately that are necessary for the game - there has to be an old, ruined castle nearby even if the local economy is thriving. If you want eleves, you need forsst, etc.
To get the broader pciture I take a type of setting and then find an appropriate language for it. For example, if you have a large sophisticated city it's a good idea to use Latin as the basis for naming things since a large, sophisticated city suggests Rome. If you have an icy, mountain setting you should use something Scandinavian. I once had a a tropical island so I chose Swahili as the 'naming language'. And of course you can always make up your own language but having a real one gives the possibility that one of your players (or readers) can guess what you're aiming for.
Because it's a fantasy setting I will also throw in some anachronisms - paper money in one instance, for example. The players (or readers, except this one was a D&D game) had to find out why no-one would accept their metal coins. It turned out there was a large project going on which needed all the metal it could get - but really preferred copper and silver. Finding out why was one of the puzzles.
All that being said, I would like to take part in a world building exercise, too
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-12-03 05:30 am (UTC)To get the broader pciture I take a type of setting and then find an appropriate language for it. For example, if you have a large sophisticated city it's a good idea to use Latin as the basis for naming things since a large, sophisticated city suggests Rome. If you have an icy, mountain setting you should use something Scandinavian. I once had a a tropical island so I chose Swahili as the 'naming language'. And of course you can always make up your own language but having a real one gives the possibility that one of your players (or readers) can guess what you're aiming for.
Because it's a fantasy setting I will also throw in some anachronisms - paper money in one instance, for example. The players (or readers, except this one was a D&D game) had to find out why no-one would accept their metal coins. It turned out there was a large project going on which needed all the metal it could get - but really preferred copper and silver. Finding out why was one of the puzzles.
All that being said, I would like to take part in a world building exercise, too