Getting Started Worldbuilding for a Dungeons and Dragons Campaign

[@williamozier918]

Here's a trick I use to worldbuild, either when well thought or on the fly: 1) There are three Ages in the history of your backstory, the Days of legend, Days of Yore, your grandfathers Day. DOLegend is ancient in the beginning history, this is the era that creates the deepest layers of your dungeons, your artifacts and an ancient epic scale enemy. The Days of Yore are the old creation myth story of your campaign people, this age creates the main dungeons, magic treasures and common monsters. Grandfathers day is the immediate history of your campaigns people, this form the backdrop for your current geopoitical set up of your world, different factions of humans, their castles and keeps, the wilderness wandering monsters. 2) All you have to do for each Age i answer the question of what was the big conflict of that era? In DOLegen make it a good non-human race/monster against an evil non-human race/monster, for DOYore what good non-human race/monster allied with humans against what evil non-human race/monster, and in your GFDay make it what two faction of human against each other. In these conflicts who lost, who won and how, where were the major battles, and major fortifications, what treasures and challenge are left over and why?

[@williamozier918]

And pick one god for each alignment, and those are the god worshipped in your campaign.

[@j3ffn4v4rr0]

@William Ozier That's a really great framework for developing a backstory for the world in general! Love it. It occurs to me, by mixing conflicts between the Days, you can make even deeper more engaging conflicts for the characters....for example, in Game of Thrones, there was battling between all the factions seeking the throne, but all against the backdrop of ancient conflicts arising anew.

[@williamozier918]

@@j3ffn4v4rr0 Yes AND...the reasons nobles and qizards send characters on quests for mcguffins is to find 'secret' weapons that they can then use. so dungeon delving into this ancient past should always have tons of political intrigue effects on the campaigns 'modern era'.

[@killerbug05]

wow this comment said more than half of this video did.

[@fishraposo7192]

This is a perfect setup to add to my own ages system. I have 7 ages, going all the way up to futuristic, and I just pick one to set the story at. With this I can deepen age 1 without breaking the progression

[@ZackeryCochran]

“Your adventures always happen in the present.” Me who’s planning on making a campaign that time travels backward and forward in time: *Nervous sweating.*

[@iododendron3416]

Are you gonna start with session 7?

[@omegagilgamesh]

One campaign I'm conceptualizing is a mystery adventure based around a two day eternal recurrence, or "Groundhog's Day" scenario. Simpler than you might think, just come up with a detailed timeline of events that happen around the city, and stick to it every time the adventurers "reset." What's not as easy is figuring out is, you know, WHY this time loop is happening, and how the adventurers can end it.

[@danielearnshaw8392]

"You don't need to map out all of the history in your setting" but... I want to.

[@basschatfield]

...see that building over there? I’ve got a story about that one....wanna know about who built it? ...I’ve got a story about him too.....wanna know about his children? ....I’ve got stories about all five of them.... wanna know what his first borne ‘first word’ was? ...wanna know what happened when he got lost down the river, fallen into a new tribe...wanna know about that river? Wanna know about that tribe?........it’s like planting a garden, so much lore comes from every thread of setting/character/story aaaaaaa - I love it!

[@taliesine.8343]

Well then you are probably better of writing a book. Ofcourse it's cool when you have lots of ideas for worlds and stories, but you are only one part of the team. Your players are the most important factors in your world and while you might find it interesting that 300 hundred years ago there was an epic war that devestated the continent and had long lasting consequenses which shaped the lands forever onward, your players might have completely different motivations and are probably more interested in the stuff their character wants to do.

[@danielearnshaw8392]

@@taliesine.8343 you're right, the fun of everyone playing is the most important. But you can incorporate the wishes of players with the wishes of the DM too, do what is best for the team :)

[@syvajarvi2289]

I create the religion, politics, and Major legends in a sweeping arc. Some minor legends and rumors around key places are also written, but then after that I create and note on the fly so I don’t contradict the story unless it’s intentionally done for story purposes.

[@davidmorgan6896]

@@taliesine.8343 'you are only one part of a team'. Perhaps, but those parts are not equal. Want proof? Just drop your PCs into a city and say to the players 'what do you want to do?' The GM contributes 95% of the creativity. Players are often so lacking in commitment that they can't always be bothered to turn up. If you're lucky, they may put some effort into backstory and personality traits - it helps if the game system requires this - but it's almost always a cliché and/or identical to their last character; most GMs will put that effort into all but the most throwaway NPCs. Some players even get put out when you insist they make their character consistent with the world: 'but, but I always play a Hobbit'.

[@polvotierno]

Good timing... I have a session zero tonight for talking about the campaign setting... I used your session zero video to prepare for tonight.

[@berzerkbankie1342]

Would that be like a session 00 o.O

[@bopbarker1834]

You guys always know what I'm working on, and what I need help with lol.

[@DawnsonRPGs]

Something I’m doing for my current worldbuilding project is outlining the broad strokes of the history (events, dates and brief descriptions) and then running oneshots and mini campaigns set in those points in history to have my players flesh out the specifics so that, when the project is done, my players feel invested because they had a hand in shaping the world and they get to see their characters remembered as legendary heroes. It also allows me to build on their ideas and create deeply personal elements of the lore for my players based on these characters that they may only play for a short amount of time but that they will feel a strong connection to because of just how integral they were to the shaping of my world. I enjoy writing out large timelines, figuring out deities and drawing vast world maps but I thought this process was a really cool way of being able to explore the setting with my players as I’m still writing it out.

[@xxzz-h2s]

I'm a library assistant at my local library. I brought home a large stack of folktales. With the full intention of going absolutely crazy on the cosmology and history of my to-be campaign setting. Good thing I decided to rewatch this video before I locked myself into a hard place! Thank you for all of your video guides, I have watched dozens at this point and am always grateful for the contents you guys provide!

[@RPGGamer]

It's always so tempting to create a whole world when you're starting a campaign, writing 10,000 years of history and knowing all the lords and kings of the realms. But 1st Level players aren't going to know this, they're going to know their home village. They're going to need to know the local blacksmith far more than they need to know the lineage of the Royal family. What I'm saying is, bring the scope down to more local and personal level. The players are the centre of "their" world, but the entire world is far larger, and in a medieval society information might not travel any distance.

[@bibbobella]

And be careful of giving them too much story and exposition in the beginning. Give them a few quick notes that they characters would know..like..The name of the countr they are in, how it is controlled and a quick note about the nearby countries and a few rumors they might have heard moving around. If shouldn't take more than a few minutes to tell the most important parts of their countries stories that they might have heard as children and if they are wondering anything else they can simply ask. Make them ask for information rather than stuff it down their throat..that is how you make it actually seem interesting rather than sounding like you showing off your big brain for being able to make such an amaaazing story and so thoughout history. My favorit way to dump a bit of exposition on my players is by doing it through NPC that just so happen to be really pationate about the city or the story or whatever. Makes for a slight joke way to give off exposition! Usually works really well in my book because it either makes for a really well done NPC that the PCs are more than happy to listen to and ask him questions that fit into their stories as well..or it becomes this annoying character (That totally aint the DM just trying to get their history out) that they can simply ignore the second they are tired of their giberish without having to fear of stepping over my fingers.

[@KevinMack82]

For me, I just started a campaign, and I layed out only the history that matters to the villian, and then told my players to tell me what they want, and the motto I've been working on for their world building efforts is "Find a way to say Yes" and this has led to some really interesting world building elements in our story and forced me to build out elements of the world I hadn't thought of before.

[@kingofrunes5291]

I always love episodes about Worldbuilding. I started my first D&D-Campaign 3-4 months ago, totally homebrewed. Session zero my player wanted to know every socioeconomic detail in my world, big chunks of the geographic layout etc. It was very hard to focus their attention on our starting town and now in the campaign the try to wander in each session to another city. A small start in Worldbuilding may work for some groups, but for my players I needed the big picture of the continent and beyond in the first sessions. But we wanted to play a sandbox-style campaign, so it differs from worldbuilding for a more focused campaign.

[@joshualinley4417]

I love how straightforward your videos are. You are so right about the overlap of adventures, encounters, environments, and the world at large. I've always thought that having a good idea of what your world is like is better than extensive, detailed, "top-down" worldbuilding. Making a world is fun, but single encounters and adventures are more fun in my experience. Awesome as always Dudes!

[@coreyarmstrong6673]

Perfect timing! Just started creating my first world after a TPK this past Monday! Thanks guys

[@shockingshanegibson]

Corey Armstrong sorry about the TPK but good luck on your world good sir

[@sinajmitev1143]

I just started today, i know nothing about the game yet, but me and a friend wana get 1 :)

[@darklightstudio]

@@sinajmitev1143 What, a world, or a TPK? :p

[@spacetoastgaming2006]

How did the TPK happen

[@coreyarmstrong6673]

@@spacetoastgaming2006 . They were mad because they felt as if stealthed into his lair, but as they got close he started calling out to them. So, the party decided to sing "we are the titans" and dancing while walking into a tomb where an ancient dragon was openly taunting them into. A dragon breath welcomed them and they way they entered all 4 were hit and the rouge was dropped instantly and the dragon's breath returned on his turn before the druid and the sorcerer moved and wiped them. The fighter chose a worthy death and tried to fight dragon 1 on 1 and was made short work

[@Ben_Carter.]

Great content guys! I really love writing histories and mythologies and cosmologies and drawing maps and all of the things.. So pulling back on that is so hard but it makes sense. Haven't started playing in this world yet but I've written so much, and I do get really caught up on the minor details and practicalities of life in the world way too much.. I do love your idea about expanding the world as you go with just loose ideas of where things are.

[@junkfood7361]

Can u guys do a “How to setup a Mystery” video?

[@Hazel-xl8in]

as matt colville says... read a bunch of mystery stories. take the one you like, and rip it off.

[@backlash660]

If I may offer a bit of advice for anyone who feels that they must have a completely fleshed out world before they start . One of the DM's in our group has been playing in his own world for almost 30 years and he is still tweaking his world , so you have lots of time to get yours just right . Take your time and enjoy your games , your friends will still be your friends even if your world has flaws .

[@rpgmd6471]

I'm personally a big fan of having the world itself be a character and have mysteries associated with it be revealed throughout the campaign.Starting off with rumors/legands that turn out to be false such as the true origin of the Gods, the Discovery of a multiverse or doing what was thought impossible (10th level magic etc.)

[@MattS-fo7qs]

I have two players that kinda buck this trend: one is an anthropologist and one is a sociologist with a history background. Every single new campaign at session zero, I, the DM, am bombarded by very detailed questions from these two specific players. I am literally asked every single question that this video recommends not going into so much detail in. For these players, I HAVE TO have my world fairly detailed. They are just the type of players that NEED that full campaign setting information dump (every nation, a 10,000 year history write up, population notes, notable wars, information on nearly every noble house, merchant prince, who the dwarf lord is, who the elf lords are, every deity in the pantheon in every pantheon, who the bad guys of lore are, what the government of that kingdom is, ect) before they are comfortable enough to play in it. Nothing irritates them more than hearing only this at session 0: The name of the village, maybe a map of said village, where the blacksmith and tavern are, and maybe who some powerful NPCs are and maybe one or two more small details only about the village. They want it ALL. And thus I get to indulge and make it all before the campaign starts.

[@fhuber7507]

Make the players help design the world. Level 1 start in a town that can fit anywhere (on a river, surrounded by farms, nearby mountain) Tell the players: "The known word is a 50 mile radius and only the 10 miles near town are really accurate on the initial map." Use the player backstories to fill in more map and to help design world history. Sandbox the world... Every adventure affects world development. every plot hook the players ignore affects world development. Retire the first campaign (The first age) at level 7 to 9. 1000 years pass. New campaign in the world your players helped make. New histories influenced by the world plus allowed to affect the world. Begin the second age... Maybe an NPC elf from the first age... or a high level druid... is still alive as an ancient sage for the PCs to ask questions occasionally. 2nd age goes to appx level 10 to 15. 3rd age goes to 12 to 18 4th age goes to 15 to 20. That's about 20 years of DnD playing if you follow actual EXP, no milestones, making all characters start at level 1 (even replacement at a character death which WILL happen a few times.)

[@play.through]

Love your content guys. Thank you very much for making these videos. I feel much better prepared to make a solid campaign or adventure because of them. Looking forward to the next episode of Drakkenheim as well.

[@archie4president330]

Love the community shirt And the video too of course

[@Benjackalope]

My dm has on a couple of occasions determined history based on player choices. It was really interesting how it happened. To make it brief, on of the influential NPC’s was giving us his sob story of why he did what he did, then the dm asked us to choose a character… after handing us a character sheet per player. He then gave us a brief introduction of our personalities and where these new characters were and what was happening… and next thing you know we’re all playing the past lives of the NPCs leading an army into an impossibly and unwinnable battlefield… leading to the reason why certain things happened. The history lasted the whole session, but it was a rather unique and interesting way of adding depth to the world, and an interesting way to allow us to play as more powerful characters than our current level and trying out new classes for a single session. It was a very interesting and enjoyable roleplaying mechanic that I’d like to try sometime in one of my future sessions (probably not within the first dozen sessions of the campaign though)

[@jakeholmes9296]

Great video as always. I actually really like having a “completed” world map and by completed I only mean visually. I actual have only populated the starting area and worked out very loosely some basic kingdoms and political things going on. But I find having the map helps me when I start making things up as players explore.

[@jakeholmes9296]

And to make it still flexible I make it on older map so if I want to change things as the players explore then you can.

[@syvajarvi2289]

I have the benefit of having 35+ years of world building, but as I transitioned from OG and AD&D to 5e a few years ago I began retconning certain aspects of the world my players and I have created over the years. In the retconning, I kept the major events and lore and used other aspects as rumor and legend that can be pursued through side quests if it fits the characters background. Certain areas had maps and some names but no one ever wanted to explore those places until recently. I knew the demographics and the two major towns/sea ports as well as a place of legend, but didn’t develop much until I had a player want to be from that location, then I began building the towns, the major political players and the important minor characters they could interact with, as well as temples, shrines, and groves. As for cosmology, I cover the major deities and their domains but leave room for minor deities and immortals to be developed. I had a PC want to worship on of the legendary heroes, I was cool with that. I knew who he was the champion of so I slid him into a position as a “Saint” and the domain of the cleric fit one of the major deities domains so she (the player) started a minor religion that followed the legendary hero, which was a fun role playing part of the campaign.

[@ryanmaguire8940]

New favourite nickname gag, "world maker" "world breaker" gave me a right chuckle

[@MeTaLISaWeSoMe95]

The world I'm making is detailed as hell, but I'm doing it because I find it even more fun than DMing my campaign. I also intend to eventually set a book or two within this world, and additionally I intend to run multiple successive campaigns within it

[@Brannen666]

I always viewed world building as the framework that the world will be built on by our group. I know beyond the mountains is a vast jungle populated by lizardfolk... that's it. When/if the group gets closer we can pin down the ideas I have floating around for it.

[@Foxxy_Steve]

Working on my first fully original world now and this made me feel a LOT less stressed about it. Thanks so much Dudes!

[@magimight859]

Thanks for the awesome video! World building isn't my forte but you guys really helped me figure it out!

[@jeffreybomba]

3 years later I must say that Drakkenheim was a brilliant idea from a DM perspective. Delirium by itself presents an antagonist that can generate plot lines for days and then you added in many factions to interact with Delirium. You can spring board endless campaigns from that material.

[@MrBinskij]

I love you, my boys. Thank you for your efforts in making content. Really appreciate it!

[@Larkitect_]

Dungeon Dudes!!! Great vid as always. (You can’t see my happy dance. But trust me. It’s epic.)

[@intoxicatedintellect4009]

Great video! You guys consistently make great content that is extremely useful to DMs. Thank you and keep it up.

[@smoati9ap309]

For me, it begins with what players are. Just adventurers is okay, but i like something more systematic. Like, maybe there's some guild of heroes, or kast of mercenaries, or community of freelancers. It gives recognition to players, be that positive or negative: some NPCs admire them, put their hopes onto them or even worship them, while others are suspicious or spiteful of them. It can and perhaps should be ambiguous: some heroes have saved lives and kingdoms, but actions of others have toppled kings and lead to great casualties, even if by happenstance. Guild superiors or separate heroes can try to fix one reputation or fixate another, and this is just one of the themes that arise from this setting feature

[@joesgotmore]

Good video. For me much easier to just take what has been created like Faerun and tweak it. Game I'm running now near the end players lvl 20 have them in the Far Realm now in a prison formed from the body of AO to help keep a great evil that seeks to undo the creation that AO made. This is why AO has been hidden from the world in general. Every 1000 years a group of heroes are found to keep the cycle going and keep Octen a prisoner lest the only being as old as AO undo everything. Octen is like an Elderbrain and aboleth.

[@HazenKain]

Super useful video, it covered so many good details to have in consideration, as an aspiring starting DM, I thank you!

[@RodolfoTarelli]

Good video, would have liked more of your own experiences and examples while creating your settings!!!

[@blightspreadergames1110]

Hey, D_Dudes! Are you going to be continuing this Worldbuilding as a series?

[@DungeonDudes]

Yes. Please let us know if you have questions, suggestions, or feedback!

[@blnecolwell]

@@DungeonDudes Well, how about starting off building enough to run a first adventure?

[@karszunowicz]

This video is very useful! Especially for me (I really wanted to create trade system and research how much did a goat cost) Shame that it has so few views, but thank you!

[@Peoples_Republic_of_Cotati]

An episode on sufficient Calendar building would be good, as I am already terrible about logging what is happening...I sense having a good skeleton/outline of a calandar would be helpful.

[@DungeonDudes]

I have a somewhat unpopular option about this: use the real-world Earth calendar. It was good enough for Tolkien, after all! For some reason, my players never felt the impact or passage of time until I used the Earth calendar, including Earth names for months and days. I have no idea why this is - perhaps it’s because humans just have a very deeply ingrained sense of our own real life calendar. Tracking the passage of in-game time is really valuable, but it just never worked well when I used a made up calendar. If you do want to make up your own names for the months and days, go for it. I did, but I still often fall back on the “real world” names.

[@Armphid]

This makes a lot of sense. I wonder if you could incorporate world building explicitly into your players' character creation/session zero.

[@ashenwuss1651]

A year or 2 in to playing DnD, I started building an "Industrial" setting. It's sort of Planet of the Apes-ish. 5 main humamoid races, in the form of Apes, Felines, Aeronauts, Reptilian and Fishmen. There's Alien-like insects, Ancients("deceased Dinos), too. It's been tough, because I focus on too much scientific BS that I'm ignorant to. Slowly learning to stay more composed from experience and advise from dudes(maybe some ladies) like you guys. May this be the cherry on top! Cheers, dudes. Is it Friday, yet? I always have to miss the stream for Drakkenheim:( Edit: Damn, Monty. Go to Drakkenheim discord chat for no-map spoilers

[@jimjim9405]

What I've done: 1. Got some friends who wanted to try out D&D 2. Asked them to play with character creation and lock down races they're interested in 3. Randomly generate realistic continents till I have a continent I like that also has biomes the relevant races could exist in 4. Create the context - Humans of Faerun have just found this continent, explaining why a lot of the finer details are discovered by the players rather than having everything entirely prebuilt before anyone has started playing. Also opens up our personal setting to many more races that come from Faerun, and even allows the party to transition into one shots and modules by taking a ship. - The humans have begun to settle in a small empty grassland biome. - The Leonin are savannah monks (to fit my player's needs) that control a mountain packed with ore. - The Wood Elves are a xenophobic society (antagonists to the human's arc) that dwell within a redwood forest. 4. Create villains - A red dragon burns the entire savannah biome, sending the passive, godless, magicless monks into an arc. - There's more to the Wood Elves than meets the eye, and something from their lost history begins it's return. - The now corrupt human society from across the sea seeks to colonize and conquer this new world for themselves. 5. Chill and let the finer details kind of build themselves as I connect the dots of these elements while my players delve into this new world as "pathfinders". I've eventually created factions alongside the contextual points, such as The Inquisitors of Mystra (human) who bring magic to a land that has gone thousands of years without it.

[@CaptainNinjaKid]

I made a continent map, picked a spot that looked cool and made a city there. Now I'm just going to make new places on the land but leave a lot blank.

[@fnpessina]

great tips! But the Community t-shirt is the greatest thing on this video!

[@LuisHernandez-xw9su]

I would love a few more videos on this subject! Great video!

[@bpc610]

Great videos as always! Thank you.

[@DragonRoams]

Love the channel guys. I don't comment much but this is a great video. I'm just starting to build a new campaign after not playing for the last 15 years. This is helpful for getting back in the groove of worldbuilding.

[@2doggyman]

Thank you. Very easy to follow and clear.

[@HereBeDragonsYT]

Love the shirt, Kelly!

[@romanrendu]

Awesome video ! I will use your advice in my new campaign Thanks you so much :)

[@kipa170]

Do you have a complete beginners guide to D&D? A few friends of mine want me to get into the game but everything I’ve seen seems to be based on existing knowledge of the game. I have never played before and know nothing about it so anything basic helps. Thanks dudes

[@sunstar8782]

The players handbook helps with that. By that, read through it, and you should be fine

[@ericgrochowski8400]

More homebrew help vids please! Love you guys!

[@Dan55888]

I love Kellys shirt!

[@Workmanic]

Rocking that community shirt in 2019 is the BEST ahaah i want one

[@MultiracialLion]

Lord knows I need the help, lol! Thanks, guys!

[@sanethpierre8560]

Started the video 30sec ago. Shout out to you shirt Kelly!

[@TheParallelSound]

Best Dnd content!!!!

[@PilotSun-rg9bh]

Great stuff!

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

You guys are amazing

[@AkameOda]

One thing I disagree with it not needing religion worked on beforehand. Beliefs shape behaviors that shape actions and one thing your players will want to fill out on every character sheet I've seen is who's their deity. You don't need to name everyone in existence, but you should have a few of the most prominent ones spread over a few different alignments ready. I screwed that up & got 1 player worshipping a vanilla deity that doesn't exist in my setting.🤦🏻‍♀️

[@codenameera3709]

Kelly "Hanging out in one ruins and settlement for a whole campain, levels one to whatever is boring." Proceeds to play in Drakkenheim, one ruined city and Emberwood village ... Huh?

[@Wineblood]

Almost first. One day, one day...

[@F2t0ny]

Great vid

[@Eochaid1297]

Troy and Abed shooting LA-VA!

[@alishlalani2751]

That Community shirt tho!

[@ironkeepgaming1936]

Can you be a DM and a player at the same time???

[@benjaminkowal7310]

Sort of....You could play the D&D board games (which require a narrator player but the DM is coded into monster action patterns so no real DM is needed), do traditional DMing with an NPC you personally make combat rolls for and use some tables of random encounters to keep things unpredictable, or be a world builder and a player and leave the game night DMing to someone else. The difference is, a world builder may have no idea what plot twists are coming and the DM on game night can still surprise you.

[@barreranicolas77]

hey guys you always help me and save of the DM burnout but now i need you help you see a player of my campaing is playing a gunslinger class of the steampunk compendium D&D 5e of Maxhydro well the thing is hi take the gun tactic( Fighting style) of akimbo shooting that say: Akimbo Shooting When wielding two light firearms, you can add your ability score modifier to the damage of the second attack. You can reload both light firearms at once using a bonus action. And the rules of akimbo is: Akimbo. If you are proficient with firearms or ranged weapons and are wielding two light firearms or ranged weapons, after you fire one, you can use a bonus action to attack with another light firearm you are holding. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. so the question is if his wielding 2 light arms he can shoot 2 times with his action and bonus action hi can reload the guns with the same bonus accion? i love your videos guys and i love Dungeons of Drakkenheim i wish one day by like both of you

[@DungeonDudes]

Since this player is using homebrew material, you are free to make whatever changes you see fit to make it work at your table. Whenever I allow a player to use homebrew material, I stipulate that should we find an issue with it (too weak, too powerful, not the right flavor, ect) we agree to revise it however necessary. It would seem to me that by the rules you presented here, you can either attack with the guns, or reload them using a bonus action, but not both. Again, since this is homebrew material I can't review the full rules or know the author's intent, so take that with a grain of salt.

[@barreranicolas77]

Dungeon Dudes thanks for you answer i think is not a big deal that he attack and reload with the same action good luck with in the session and have a good weekend guys :)

[@nightflame69]

Kelly looks so serious 😝🤣

[@DungeonDudes]

I’m always serious! - Kelly But actually, I struggle with the monotone straight faced life. I swear I’m having fun doing this lol.

[@nightflame69]

Hahahahaha monotone straight face 🤣

[@martinmills284]

I like cats🐈

[@ifailflash2360]

COMMUNITY SHIRT COMMUNITY SHIRT

[@cheez-itman2784]

Kelly watches community? Nice

[@omegagilgamesh]

So let me see if I'm summarizing this correctly: start the game with the most bare bones tropes of locations, monsters, and the most interesting NPCs you can think of, come up with a skeleton cosmology, don't bother coming up with a central adventure, theme, or BBEG, let the players come up with those themselves while playing and just wing it from there? Sorry, but I can't see that as anything other than laziness. I say start from the top down, but use the most broad of concepts. Come up with a theme and tone first, such as a world that's experienced a series of world wide eldritch disasters and most of the world lives hand to mouth leading to a campaign tone of dreariness and maybe even paranoia as all NPCs feel they need to look after themselves just to make it to tomorrow. Or the opposite: a world of plenty and wonder, maybe where the Feywild frequently intersects with the material plane, and make a campaign tone of whimsy, chaos, and the unexpected. Or what I'm doing right now, make a world where near-modern day technology has propagated in certain parts of the world, and while some parts of the world still deal with evil empires and inept monarchs, the "civilized" world deals with corporate "zaibatsus" (look that up yourself, basically corporations that have effectively replaced government) and inept elected officials, making a campaign whose tone is "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Use these tones as a guide for choosing which ideas to implement when adding further detail, and that's how you make campaigns that are unique and interesting, but don't be stuck using ONLY these tones for everything you add: spice it up, diversity keeps players on their toes, just use these tones more often than not. Come up with general land masses, general countries, and a broad timeline of events, such as wars between gods, massive magical calamities, ancient and wondrous civilization that peak the interests of modern scholars, and wars between countries. You don't necessarily need to come up the reasons behind these events just yet. Then bring these to your players, and work together with them in your (preferably more than one) session zero to create an understanding of what the players want and expect, what you have and want, and come to compromises and understands, THEN go back and make adjustments and add details, do further refinements to history, locations and cultures based on what your players want of their characters. Note that I said REFINEMENTS and details, you don't need to come up with EVERY NPC's tragic backstory before the game begins. More detail and clear ideas and goals always help, but no matter what this game is always gonna be 80% improv, so be ready to embellish on the fly. Now when making a central adventure, or "plot," I come up with key characters who might have a big hand in things to come, such as the founder of the most powerful corporation is actually a demi-god with some...severe daddy issues, and is looking for a relic that will let her "castrate him from a divinity standpoint," and try to figure out ways an adventure hook might ties your players into this. I don't come up with BBEG's, I come up with POTENTIAL BBEG's, give them motives, goals, and plans, and try to come up with ways the players might run into these machinations. Put out player hooks, but don't plan everything around the players biting them. My general rule is: What's happened and what I've developed so far up until this point in the game is SET, the rest is up to the players and I have to figure out how my characters will react and adapt to their actions and (usually) shenanigans and buffonery. Don't make a BBEG just for the sake of having one; if there are none but you feel there should be one, figure out one that coincides with events and where your players are, emotionally and from a character development standpoint (this, however, is not something I can really give advise one, as it's basically a skill that you can only develop with experience) and put then in the story. When going to a new area, I (preferably between game sessions) look over the basic outlines I had made, such as the general history of the region, then first add in the most important elements any adventuring party will need: places to rest (such as an inn,) the necessary types of supply and specialty stores, types of work available, if there are potential "central adventure" plot points here try and then make adventuring hooks, as well as a list of side quest ideas I'm always adding to and see if any seem compatible with the area, and come up with adventure hooks for those as well, but always remember: just because a hook is there does not mean anyone will bite. If they miss a potentially important plot point, try to make other hooks later that serve the same function, such as revealing a lead to who killed one of the PC's parents or the actions of a potential BBEG.

[@martinpat94]

So new DM and I’m looking for a bit of help because one of my players seems to be in it for the combat, one for the characters and another who is in it to see what kind of story I’m bringing to the table. And I’m wondering if anyone has any advice for balancing these three parts as I want them all to enjoy the sessions

[@syvajarvi2289]

Use your session zeros to see what your players are interested in. Some people are combat monsters while others are into role play and character development. See what they like as you go through the sessions based on what you have planned out and then find the balance before you start the main arc you are going to lead them through. As the campaign progresses ask questions after each session to see what they liked and didn’t like and adjust accordingly just remember that you are looking to get as many people as possible to enjoy the game but you won’t always please everyone.

[@vexesshadowblade135]

I world build by making the npc who hates everything first and then Deradicalize his views

[@samowen9490]

haha "world maker" and "world breaker"

[@blnecolwell]

Sorry, i didn't catch names. But Blue Shirt needs to do more speaking "from the heart", because in this video, it sounds like he is just reading pre-rehearsed lines...

[@Jeffs40K]

this is NOT a Getting started, its More a What NOT to do list. fact you said you didnt even make a world map, well Great, so why are you doing a video on what you didnt do ?