A Role Playing Games Blog
Game Design
All Wrapped Up: My World Building Wrap-Up Post
1March 4, 2011
So, since my world building series has now wrapped up, it seems appropriate to put together a little article linking to all of the posts in this series and provide you some links to these articles. The series was a long time running, but I think there is a lot more to be said and there is a lot of other advice out there on world building that you can find out there on the web. I encourage you to look around. It has been a lot of fun to write and it also really helped me to focus on my world building style and get ahead on my current campaign setting. I hope you were able to get at least a few nuggets out of this, but if not, I apologize and I offer, in exchange, some links at the end of this article to some sites that will actually help you manage and build your campaign setting. Check ‘em out!
World Building Part 10 – The End of the World as We Know It?
1March 3, 2011
Well, all good things have to come to an end. This will be my final post in this series on World Building. I think it has been a pretty fun ride. I hope I have given at least a few tips that you might be able to find useful. Today, we’re going to talk about finishing your world…or not.
Although most of the time game worlds that we explore, play in, or build are just a little something designed for a particular campaign or adventure, sometimes the worlds we create are meant to be so much more. Many of us embark on these massive projects and try to produce something huge. For the last 10 weeks or so I have written about these kind of worlds and the kind of effort it takes to build them. But truly, when does the world building process stop? At what point can you put your pen or keyboard away and declare that you are finished?
Attributes? We need no stinking attributes! Or do we?
12March 1, 2011
For the last few days I have pondered about attributes in roleplaying game. Most of them use a set of attributes that describe the basic physical and mental capabilities of a character. Basically everyone knows D&D’s six classic attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma. In one form or another the majority of RPGs uses attributes like these.
But one question bothered me for quite a while: do we really need them? In a lot of games they don’t play any major role. In most cases they provide a small bonus to relevant skills or act as a kind of fallback when there’s no fitting skill available. So, do we really need attributes or are there ways to replace them? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the concept of attributes per se, but I am interested if a game ditching them could work, and if so, what is needed to make it work.
World Building Part 8 – Kicking Off Your Homebrew Setting Campaign
1February 4, 2011
Today I want to take a little bit of a break from talking about creating your world and shift a little bit towards the actual use of that campaign setting for gaming (that is why you are writing this remember… well, probably why you are making a game setting… you might have other reasons, but we will let those reasons remain between you and your setting; don’t really want to pry into that…).
So, let’s assume that you have some of your world done, maybe not all of it, and you also have a pretty good idea of the overriding theme and genre that the world is set in. Now, I assume you have picked up a game system that you feel represents the setting well (you wouldn’t really want to play something like the Smallville RPG in a classic fantasy setting… duh), and have even managed to kidnap some gamers from your local FLGS, tied them to chairs, and forced them to game in your world (please don’t do that; rope can chafe, use duct tape instead its stronger and cheaper). (more…)
World Building Part 7 – Inside your NPC’s Heads
0January 28, 2011
One of the ways to flesh out and develop your world is to look at it through the eyes of the people living there. If you are playing your world as you build it, then you can easily develop that world by going into the heads of the PC’s in your game group and try to see what they see. Get into their heads and imagine how they think about the world and how they would be impacted by whatever themes that are present in your world, but if you don’t have these PC’s to work with, you might have to work a little harder, but this experience can be just as rewarding.
Sunglar had a great post this week about making your NPC’s come alive. One of the other things though that great NPC’s can do for your game is help actually build your setting. I like to periodically draw up some random characters and NPC’s and see how they would interact and respond to the various themes I have developing in my current campaign setting. It has worked pretty well for me. I don’t get to play my game world as much as I would like, so input on how the world is developing from my players is little to none, but input from my NPC’s just keeps on coming in (yes, me and my NPC’s carry on conversations… they are all such drama queens). (more…)
From the Kobold’s Lair
5January 24, 2011
by Stargazer
in D&D4e, Dragon Age, Feature, Game Design, Interview, News & Reviews, Other Systems, Pathfinder, RPG
Recently I have posted about Open Design’s latest patronage project: Midgard! And while pondering if I should become patron myself, the plan to do an interview with the three designers formed in my head. Alas Brandon Hodge and Jeff Grubb couldn’t make it because of some difficult deadlines, but Wolfgang Baur made some time for answering a few questions for us. Thanks again, Wolfgang! I also want to send my best regards to Jeff and Brandon – rest assured you won’t escape me next time! 
Without further ado, here are the questions and answers:
Stargazer’s World:
Thanks again for answering a couple of questions for us. Although I think most of our readers already know you and some of your products, but perhaps you could start by telling a bit about yourself. What do you do when you don’t design worlds? How long have you been working in the RPG industry?
Wolfgang Baur:
I spend my RPG time working at a game company on video games. I worked full-time in the RPG industry from 1991 to 1998; since then, I’ve been a freelancer and a publisher.
World Building Part 6 – Get Smart, Get Sneaky
0January 21, 2011
There is something my mama always used to tell me, “There is nothing new under the sun.” It has been said before, but I will say it again. Steal EVERYTHING. I don’t mean that you should take somebody’s ideas and try to sell them as your own, but chances are, your campaign setting will never get published, I hate to say (unless you publish it yourself) so fill free to pillage and plunder everything you can as you make your way through the construction of your sandbox. I want to go through today some of the things you might want to steal, and some of the places where you can steal the most. Remember, I am not advising you to knock off a liquor store, or plagiarize, or commit copyright violation. Those are all bad things. Don’t do them…
You have a question about an existing or upcoming Stargazer Games product? Ask away! You want to know what we think about a recent development in the RPG industry? Send in your questions. You always wanted to know what we think about game X? Send us an email.
