Fantasy Role Playing Game Articles
Playing RPG games is the new art form, one
which
helps to combine acting, art, story telling, and creativity in ways no
other art forms can.
Table Top RPG's are important forms of entertainment in a time when
such things are becoming none social activities, in movies you have to
be quite, books are read alone, though they may be discussed later.
Computer games though some do have social elements, many do not. Even
wonderful art forms such as Opera have only a minimal amount of social
value.
Role playing games in there social value alone have a positive impact,
but more then just viewed entertainment they are entertainment that
those experiencing them create as they go.
It is amusing to hear people and shows make fun of those who talk about
RPG's, for these same people will talk about movies, books, or worse
other people such as supposed friends, celeberties, and other people at
school and work. Such conversations are no more intelligent or based on
real world concerns then role playing games, and may in the case of
discussions of other people be harmful to others.
In this section of dragons meet we discuss methods for making fantasy
worlds and role playing games, starting with a list of steps to take in
making a fantasy world. |
Steps to Creating a Rich and Exciting Fantasy World
Character Traits for Fantasy Game NPC's
General information on creating a fantasy world
Period of Spring and Autumn-Insperation for Fantasy Role Playing Games |
Steps to Creating a Rich and Exciting Fantasy World
1-Determine
Some of the general ideas you want to exist in your fantasy world.
a-Think about what would be needed to create such events, peoples,
magics, government systems, and places
2-Geology and Enviromental factors.
a-What are the major Geological features
of the
world. At one time India was grinding into the rest of Asia raising
mountians (even more then now) So are their major events like this?
b-Think of the average temperture, does
it remain
steady, is it getting colder, warmer, is it already cold or warm?
c-Think of major weather patterns, is
desertification or forestification occuring?
d-What impact would these have on the
people you have already thought of?
e-Is the crust of the planet thicker or
thinner,
thicker crusts allow for larger volcano's, on Mars there are volcanio's
so large they would break through our Earths crust. What fantasy
creatures or races could inhabit a volcano that was so large.
f-What are the planets minerals and how
are they
dispersed, this can have a huge impact, gold rushes, prevelance of
iron, and other minerals is important to locations of peoples, and
reasons for wars.
3-Physical rules for a fantasy world
a-What is gravety like? Changes in
gravety can have
a major impact on how a world works, allowing mountains to get much
larger. Less gravety could also allow people to glide with small kites,
they may even be able to launch themselves into the air with a minimal
amount of effort.
4-Enviroment and Fantasy Zoologoy
a-What is the enviroment like, in order
for large
creatures such as dragons to exist their has to be some form of food
prevelance, is there a mushroom that grows underground that helps
plants grow, allowing more dear to survive the winter (only to be eaten
by fantasy monsters). Or is the mixture of large creatures and humans
creating mass food shortages which are driving the two against each
other.
b-Are their extensive forests, or
deserts, jungles, glaciers?
c-What are the sugnificant magical
creatures? What
are their social habits, their preditory life styles? Where do they live
5-Adding more people to your fantasy world and creating greater detail.
a-When you started you likley had
already created
some peoples now is your oppertunity to go back to them and begin to
refine their customs based on the surroundings you created.
b-you can also begin to create more
peoples, thinking about the impacts of the enviroment you have created.
6-Customs and Social Considerations
a-Food, nearly all cultures consider
food to be of
the utmost importance, not just for survivle but for their identity,
what foods people eat, and what they long for that is rare can help to
define them. Columbas sailed for spices, spices controlled much of the
power structure of Europe. Bringing home the bacon was indication of
greatness, because of the rarety of meat. In your fantasy world what is
it people long for that is dangerous and difficult to get?
b-What is acceptable behavior, and what
is
unacepptable. Is slavery still legal, it was in most of the ancient
world, large empires in West Africa where built using slaves from
Europe and Africa. The America's where built using them. If its legal
who considers it wrong? For there were often those who did, and what do
they do to try to stop it?
c-What are the religions and gods of the
world?
d-What is the attitude towards honor,
what are the
worst things people could do? Is it horse stealing? In parts of Alaska
one of the worst things someone can do is steal firewood. So there can
be huge variation in this regard.
e-What are the governmental systems,
religious,
magical, democratic? Athans had a system where everyone had to vote on
everything the city did, this was ultamatly disasterous becuase they
debated so much that they were unable to effectively fight Sparta, but
it help create a scholorly city.
Perhaps in your fantasy world creatures such as dragons, fairies,
giants, ogre's, or inventions of your own rule over some of the
peoples. What governmental system do these set up.
f-What humanoid races exist, what are
their behaviors?
g-What are peoples attitudes regarding
art? There
have been times when art has defined people, from poetry to paintings
societies have been defined by art, and today we are in many ways
defined by movies. There are also certain peoples who have in the past
not been allowed to participate in art, many where unable to attend
operas and the other great performances of that past. This among many
other factors help contribute to social upheavels.
h-What are the poupulations of the
nations, and the
world in general, size plays a huge role in how people see themselves
and others.
i-What major holidays to people
celebrate and why?
Do they have days when fairies come out to hunt mortals, or come out to
help them, or both? What holidays do they celebrate their gods, war
victories and the like?
7-Magical rules and Impacts in a role playing game
a-Where is it that magic comes from,
this can have a
profound impact on the way the world is structured, if it is dependent
on gods, of fairies, then those using it must act accordingly.
b-How does one use magic? Do they steal
it, use
internal power, use some weave that has nothing to do with life?
c-Who uses magic and Why?
d-How common is magic?
e-How powerful is magic?
8-History
As you being to formulate how all the
enviroments
work in your fantasy world you should be able to see a history form,
for how things would have occured. History too can help to determine
and alter the cultural landscape of your world.
9-Technolgoy
a-What technologies are available to
people? Not all
people necessarly have the same technologies, if some have bronze and
others have iron, then those with iron are able to cut through the
weapons and armor of those with bronze. This can have a major impact on
your game play. What if the players are role playing characters who
have only bronze? How do they fight enemies who can break their
equipment. (victory of course provides them with better equipment)
10-War and Role Playing Games
a-How are wars fought and why?
b-What role does magic play in warfare.
c-What role to magical creatures play
d-What role do the peasants play, are
they conscripted as soldiers? Are they targets? Camp followers?
For some General
information of fantasy world creation for role playing games.
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