Be A Better Campaign Master, Book One Building The World PDF

“If we find ourselves with a desire that
nothing in this world can satisfy, the

most probable explanation is that we
were made for another world.”
– C.S. Lewis
BE A BETTER campaign MASTER
book one: building the world
By Michael Barker
Writing and Editing: Michael Barker, Matt Click,

James Kearney, and Tim Kearney
Layout: Matt Click, Michael Barker, and James
Kearney
Design: Tim Kearney
Cover Art: Alex Gillott and Tim Kearney
Interior Art: Nate Vanderzee (Sellsword Maps)
and Tim Kearney www.AbsoluteTabletop.com
Proofreading: Heather Dodson-Smith
Companion Video:
Cartography: Michael Barker
Special Thanks: For Michael Barker the younger, https://youtu.be/IRG1O4Kb0Hk
who always quit halfway through. This book
is for you.
And for Bradlyn, for her intelligence, banter, and
friendship, no matter which football team she likes.
From the basic shape of your world, to the warring

populations that inhabit it, you are the decider. You
Absolute Tabletop, LLC
will pull the mountains out of the earth and make PO Box 2493
the raging rivers flow into the vast seas. You will Moriarty, NM 87035
scatter magical forests and arid deserts across www.AbsoluteTabletop.com
[email protected]
the land, separating the cities and villages that you
alone will build from the ground up. The Absolute Tabletop logo and all content herein are
copyright Absolute Tabletop, LLC. Absolute Tabletop, LLC is
You’ve been waiting too long to finish your not formally associated with any other publishing house(s),
homebrew RPG campaign setting. Now is the time and the use of any popularized or system-specific terms does
to forge your realm for years to come. not imply affiliation with or endorsement by said publishing
house(s).
Now is the time to build your own world.
Copyright © 2016 by Absolute Tabletop, LLC. All rights
reserved. Version 01 – March 2016. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted
“Put a quote in the front matter? Barker, that’s in any form without the expressed written permission of
Absolute Tabletop, LLC.
crazy.”
– Matt Click The A Fistful of Dice, Be a Better Game Master, and Tabletop
Terrors logos are copyright their respective owners.
Open Gaming License v1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and 6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT
is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of
Reserved. the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are
copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title,
1. Definitions: (a) “Contributors” means the copyright and/
the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the
or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game
COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you
Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material
Distribute.
including derivative works and translations (including
into other computer languages), potation, modification, 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product
correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except
compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement
work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You
means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with
publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with
Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly
methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner
such content does not embody the Product Identity and is of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any
an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute
clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The
and means any work covered by this License, including owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content
translations and derivative works under copyright law, but shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product
specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” Identity.
means product and product line names, logos and identifying
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must
marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters;
clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are
stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue,
distributing are Open Game Content.
incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions,
likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents
photographic and other visual or audio representations; may publish updated versions of this License. You may use
names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and
personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed
places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, under any version of this License.
magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols,
or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License
trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise
Open Game Content; (f ) “Trademark” means the logos, names, the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor
mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to
to identify itself or its products or the associated products do so.
contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g)
“Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with
format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all
Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or
the licensee in terms of this agreement governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open
Game Material so affected.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content
that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You
may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such
affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All
No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
except as described by the License itself. No other terms 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be
or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the
distributed using this License. extent necessary to make it enforceable.
3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright
indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the
use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins,
worldwide, royalty-free, non exclusive license with the exact Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb,
terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
contributing original material as Open Game Content, You
represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation
and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed
by this License.
By Michael Barker
Table of Contents
FOREWORD.............................................................................................................................................07
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK...................................................................................................................08
DRAWING YOUR COASTLINES..........................................................................................................10
SINGLE LANDMASS..................................................................................................................11
REGION..........................................................................................................................................12
ARCHIPELAGO............................................................................................................................13
EPIC WORLD................................................................................................................................14
ADDING THE GEOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................17
MOUNTAINS................................................................................................................................18
RIVERS...........................................................................................................................................24
LAKES............................................................................................................................................29
OCEANS........................................................................................................................................33
FORESTS.......................................................................................................................................39
JUNGLES.......................................................................................................................................44
DESERTS......................................................................................................................................50
SWAMPS......................................................................................................................................55
POLAR REGIONS.........................................................................................................................60
CITIES AND SETTLEMENTS...............................................................................................................64
RESOURCE SETTLEMENTS.....................................................................................................65
TRAVELER AND TRADER SETTLEMENTS............................................................................67
TOWNS.........................................................................................................................................69
CITIES............................................................................................................................................77
ROADS...........................................................................................................................................85
NATIONS, FACTIONS, AND EMPIRES..............................................................................................87
NATION AND FACTION GENERATOR....................................................................................89
Table of Contents
ADVENTURING LOCATIONS..............................................................................................................93
FORTRESSES...............................................................................................................................94
RUINS............................................................................................................................................97
CAVERNS....................................................................................................................................100
CRYPTS, TOMBS, AND DUNGEONS...................................................................................103
BRINGING YOUR WORLD TO LIFE.................................................................................................. 108
OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR WORLD............................................................................................. 111
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS............................................................................................................... 114
WORLDBUILDING WORKSHEETS................................................................................................. 115
ADVENTURING LOCATION....................................................................................................115
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE.....................................................................................................116
NATION........................................................................................................................................117
SETTLEMENT.............................................................................................................................118
REALM.........................................................................................................................................119
WORLDBUILDING QUESTIONNAIRE............................................................................................. 120
SAMPLE MAPS.................................................................................................................................... 130
Hey there! What’s kickin’?
For me? Nostalgia. I’ve been thinking about the past a lot lately, and
specifically, how it relates to gaming in my life. I’m coming up on 30 years
of age, which means I’ve spent over half of my life participating in the
single greatest hobby the world has ever seen: roleplaying games.
Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I remember that pencil-necked kid who
spent entire days scribbling RPG ideas down in his journal. I remember filling
that journal with worlds and campaign setting ideas invented in the moment.
I remember the excitement of fleshing out these new worlds for my players to
wander around in and adventure across.
But I also remember running into that first, scary obstacle – realizing
exactly what building a world entails, and the fear that it might be too
big for me. I remember closing my journal, putting it down, and ultimately
discarding every single one of those worlds – not because they weren’t good,
but because they were unfinished, and I was afraid, overwhelmed, and unsure
of where to go next.
I suppose, at the time, I just wasn’t ready for it. After all, building an
entire world is a grand task. But as I got older, I tried new strategies
to build my worlds quickly, or even on the fly while exploring them with my
friends. I discovered new methods to focus on the important aspects of my
world, instead of getting bogged down in the bottomless pit of trivial things
that would inevitably scare me away from an otherwise worthwhile pursuit.
It made me realize that it wasn’t me being incapable of building a world –

it was the process that kept scaring me away. Not only that, but it made me
realize that my fear wasn’t something to shy away from – it was something to
be harnessed and utilized. That fear went hand-in-hand with excitement – the
uncertainty was just another face of inspiration. Building a world is, in
fact, scary – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
This book contains the world-building strategies and techniques that would
have kept 14-year-old me going. The goal of this material is to help you
construct the framework of your own homebrew RPG setting, and show you how
to fill it in with wondrous details and fantastic aspects. It is the very
same book I would take back in time to give my younger self some much needed
guidance to harness my virtually endless inspiration. My hope is that it
does the same for you now.
So without further ado, welcome to Be a Better Campaign Master, Book One:

Building the World.
Michael Barker
BeABetterGameMaster
How to use this book
This book was designed for you to follow along with it, We will start our map by creating the basic landmass
step-by-step. of your world. This might be an entire continent, a
landlocked region of a larger landmass, a small island
Page by page, we will build a world together, starting chain, or even multiple continents, depending on what
with your world’s map. We’ll fill this map with you want for your homebrew world. Think as big (or as
everything from geographical features, to cities and small) as your needs merit.
other settlements, and beyond. Of course, if you’ve
already built your world and are looking at different Next, we’ll add some natural features to your world,
ways to flesh it out, you can also benefit by skipping such as mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes. These
around to the various chapters and sections at your geographical locations will provide a backdrop for the
leisure. action of your campaign, and bring your world to vivid
life. We’ll look at a variety of roll tables to help you
While this book is focused on helping you create a make these locations more unique and tailored to your
world within the fantasy genre, the tips found within own world.
can help you create a realm (or realms) that are
inspired by any flavor, including science fiction and After the geographical features of your world are
even modern influences. placed, we’ll begin populating the world with towns,
cities, and other settlements. These are the places
Either way, by the end of the book, you’ll have a where many of your stories will be told! We’ll also have
fleshed-out, interesting, and unique world sitting in a look at the geographical features you created in the
front of you. And it will be yours. previous section, and how they would affect the cities
and settlements located within them.
How many moons orbit your world?

8
How to use this book
Lastly, we’ll make your world unique. We’ll breathe
life into it by giving it a story, deciding its magic level,
talking about its deities and pantheons, and even
deciding on a starting point for your first adventure!
So try to resist the urge to flip ahead. Instead, enjoy

the process as much as I do, and you might find that
the process itself is just as fun as the final product.
What you’ll need:
A sheet of paper and a pencil. That’s it! Just make sure

that your pencil has an eraser on it. World-building is
oftentimes a fluid process, despite the step-by-step
nature of this book. We will be erasing things, replacing
things, and loving every minute of it!
Optional: 3-Ring Binder.
You will be filling out some worksheets over the course

of this book, as well as a questionnaire at the end of
it, so it will be a good idea to keep everything in one
place. This will form the core of your world binder for
many years to come!
To Roll, or Not to Roll?

Oftentimes, you might be asked to roll dice. Know that
this is completely optional for those of you who want
to insert a little random probability into your world.
If that doesn’t interest you, feel free to pick certain
items freely out of one of the many roll tables in this
book, or out of the creative realms inside of your own
mind!
When you see this icon, it’s time to get

down with some science! Now, this isn’t
a science textbook, but the text that
accompanies this icon will help you if
you’re interested in giving your fictional
realm a more realistic feel.
This icon means it’s time to infuse a

little more fantasy into the world! Any
accompanying text will help you to mystify
your realm in wondrous and magical ways.
How many astrological symbols are there in the night sky?

9 9
drawing your coastlines
What kind of world will you create? segments of coastline or continental shapes right
out of the atlas. Mixing different things together
Will it be a large, continental landmass, ruled by an can result in a very rewarding and unique end-
arcane empire? Or a smaller, scattered archipelago, product.
inhabited by tribal elves, constantly threatened by
roving pirate clans? Perhaps you want your players to 3. Get Messy: Don’t worry about the map being
adventure around a specific region of a larger world pretty. In fact, the uglier the better to start. This
instead, similar to Tolkien’s Middle-Earth – only yours applies for all future sections of this book as well.
will be centered around an arcane university, and given If you draw something gorgeous, it will be difficult
an emphasis on political intrigue and deception. for you to justify using your eraser, which will be
the best tool at your disposal during this process.
No matter the world, it all starts with drawing your
coastlines... 4. Cool is the Rule: If it looks cool, you’re doing it
right! Remember that this is your world, and you’ll
Tips for Drawing your Coastlines be playing games inside of it for years to come. If
you ever find yourself not liking the way it looks,
1. Go Nuts: Don’t be afraid to draw chaotically, like don’t be afraid to use the eraser on your pencil and
you’re creating a fractal. Coastlines can alternate redo certain parts. Also, don’t feel restricted by
from rugged to smooth quite often, even in our our natural world – if you think something looks
own world. or feels cool, go with it, even if science would
2. Real-World Inspiration: Crack open an atlas, disagree with you.
and take a look at the coastlines of our real- Now let’s choose what type of world we’ll be building…
world landmasses. Don’t be afraid to copy certain
How many suns are there in the sky?

10
drawing a single landmass
When it comes to throwing all your most
creative plot elements and stories into
one basket, you can’t go wrong with a
single-landmass world. From Westeros
to our very own Erenoth, single-landmass
realms are not only easy on the eyes,
they’re endlessly fun for players to journey
through and adventure in.
creating a Single Landmass

1. Check the Walls: Take a look at the
patterns on the walls of your home.
Many walls have interesting shapes
molded into them, and these can
often result in excellent shapes for
continents. Trust me: my homebrew
world of Enchea was originally based
on an interesting shape on my kitchen
ceiling.
2. Open an Atlas: Take a look at the

continent of Australia. See how
interesting that landmass is? It’s got
a wonderful blend of rounded edges,
mixed with the more rugged and
fractalized coastlines near the north
and south of the continent. Try drawing
your world while looking at a map,
adjusting your drawing techniques as
you see fit. Your goal is to end up with
a good blend of rounded and chaotic
coastlines.
If you enjoy an emphasis on land travel, a melting pot of cultures,
3. Your Friend, the Eraser: If you feel and a more open feel in your games, a single-landmass world
like your coastlines are either too might be what you’re looking for!
rough or too smooth, don’t be afraid
to remove and adjust small sections
until you end up with something you
are happy with. Try turning rounded areas into places where the coastline appears “broken,” adding some
small islands to the area for a more weathered, eroded look and feel.
Is land ownership important for a citizen’s social status?

11 11
drawing a region
Some of the most famous and exciting
worlds are actually just regions of
larger landmasses. From Middle-Earth
to many exciting published settings,
you can’t go wrong with choosing a
region as your campaign setting. Even
the Absolute Tabletop world of Erenoth
began as a pair of disconnected regions.
Not only do these settings give you the
space you need to build your chosen
world, but they allow for additional
sections of the larger landmass to be
added later on, at your discretion.
creating a Region
1. Terra Incognita: Ensure that your
world isn’t completely surrounded
by water. The landmass should run
off the edge of your sheet of paper,
insinuating that there is more to
your world than meets the eye.
2. Ocean Who: If you’re uncomfortable

with drawing coastlines, or can’t
seem to find a shape that you find
attractive, you’re in luck! You don’t
need to surround any segments
of your realm with oceans if you
don’t want to. Instead, your realm
could be completely landlocked,
surrounded by mountains or rivers,
or situated on the edge of a great
bay.
If you enjoy all the benefits of a single-landmass world, but want
to include some uncharted territory off the edge of the map, a
3. Don’t Fear Impermanence: You’ll
region might be what you’re looking for!
find that the coastlines around
the uncharted territory will change
quite a bit over the course of your
world-building. Specifically in those areas of your map, don’t be afraid to draw lightly at first, and fill in the
more permanent coastlines later on.
How dangerous is the winter here?

12
drawing an archipelago
Take to the high seas with one of my
favorite world types! This sort of realm
will allow you to create a beautiful and
visually-appealing world map, complete
with nations and factions separated by
the natural barrier of ocean. Also, you
can get away with placing seemingly
random adventures and encounters
around the campaign map, as the
randomness makes more sense when
the adventure in question is on its own
island. Have an adventure idea involving
a man-eating gelatinous monstrosity
that wouldn’t fit in a “normal” campaign
setting? Put it on its own island!
creating an Archipelago
1. Roll for it!: Grab a handful of dice
and roll them across your sheet
of paper. Draw a coastline around
half of the dice in order to create
the large island in the chain, then
remove those particular dice. Then
draw a coastline around half of
the remaining dice for a mid-sized
island. Continue this process, rolling
more dice as needed, until you have
a visually pleasing archipelago. You
can do this with any small object,
really – beans, buttons, the bones
of your enemies, etc.
If you’re looking for an emphasis on high seas action, naval travel
2. Leave Empty Space: You might find between locations, and grimy borderland towns, an archipelago
yourself adding too many islands to might be what you’re looking for!
your map. I know this problem has
plagued me in the past, so if the
map starts to become cluttered, don’t be afraid to break out your eraser. Empty space (in this case, ocean)
can help to make the filled space more apparent and important. You want a focal point on your map, and
too many islands can take away from that.
3. More Terra Incognita: If you want to add an unknown area to your world, similar to the region world type,
try having the largest island in your chain run off the map a bit. This way, if you ever decide you want to
expand the world around your archipelago, you’ll have a great place to start!
What kind of music is popular among the common people?

13 13
drawing an epic world
Many new campaign settings
combine all of the above world
types, and yours might be no
different. While this type of
campaign setting might be too
big and arduous to work with
for many (myself included), it is
undoubtedly perfect for some of
you.
creating an Epic World

1. Start Small: This might seem
counter-intuitive for an epic
world, but the purpose of
this book is to help people
do what is arguably the most
difficult task in running a
roleplaying game: building the
world. It’s a huge assignment,
and it might be better to
start with one of the smaller
world types above, and work
your way out. If not, don’t
hold back!
2. Cultural Barriers: Later on

in this book, you will start
outlining the nations, empires,
and cultures that will inhabit
your world. When that time
comes, consider giving each
nation their own “map type”
listed above. Perhaps the
wood elves will control an
archipelago while the dwarven
tribes hold the region across a If you feel fenced in by the limitations of some of the above world types,
narrow channel of sea. want something more epic than your standard campaign setting, or
simply can’t make up your mind, an epic world might be what you’re
3. Tip the Scales: When you’re looking for!
building an epic world,
you might find yourself
immediately overwhelmed by the grand scale of the task. If so, don’t be afraid to scale the map down a bit.
If it would take a week for an adventuring party to travel between two locations, make it a day instead. By
making the world more easily traversable, you’ll be making it smaller, which can help reduce the stress of
undertaking such a task.
What was the largest naval battle ever fought?

14
drawing your coastlines
ARCTIC COASTLINES
The shape of your coastlines depends on where you are
on the map. For example, your northern shores should
look different from those further south.
Let’s take a look at Greenland.
Do you see how the coastlines appear more fragmented

and ragged? Compare that to the smoother coastlines
further south in places like the UK and Ireland. Greenland’s
coastlines have this distinct, jagged edge because of the
fjords and other natural features created by the arctic
climate.
Try erasing your coastlines at the northern end of your

world and replace them with this sort of fractalized coast.
It will create diversity in your map, setting the northern
regions apart, while simultaneously giving it a more
realistic feel. Now think about the cultures living along
such a coastline. Would they be expert coastal sailors,
weaving their slim ships in and out of these rocky inlets?
The choice is yours...
I’ve chosen the following continent outline for

my world.
The shape is inspired by the elongated form

of island nations such as Japan, the long
peninsulas and mythical islands of Greece, and
the northern fjords of Norway. I’ve included an
inland sea (because I simply love inland seas),
and an island to the north where I’ve already
begun a long-running campaign.
This realm will be called Enchea, and I’m excited

to see what it becomes over the course of this
book!
Which is more popular? Wine or ale?

15 15
adding the geography
It’s time to fill your blank canvas with the mystical and wondrous landscapes that your adventurers will journey
across for years to come. Your cities, cultures, and political boundaries will all be profoundly affected by the
decisions you make here, so remember the golden rule: if it looks cool, you’re doing it right!
What is the most common household pet in the realm?

17 17
mountains
From the tallest impassable peaks to the lowest 2. Run to the Hills: While hills don’t provide the
rolling hills, mountains start the process of turning geographical barrier that mountain ranges do, they
your blank canvas into a world. They separate warring can provide wonderful environmental factors for
nations, help decide where roadways go, and create the populations that inhabit them, and make the
a lush environment for the stories and adventuring map more visually appealing overall. Feel free to
locations that will give character to your world, and add some foothills at the bases of some of the
provide conflicts to drive your games. mountains, and even some in the open plains of
your world.
Tips for Creating Mountains
3. Ridgelines First: Lightly sketch out where the
1. Limit Yourself: Two or three mountain ranges mountains will go before drawing them out. This
and a few small clusters of peaks are the perfect will give you a good idea of what sort of blank
amount for your average single landmass or space you will have to work with regarding the
regional map. Keeping the map filled with blank forests, rivers, and settlements you will be placing
space after you draw your mountains will ensure later on.
you have plenty of room for other geographical
features, settlements, and nations.
Collision Course
In the natural world, tectonic plates are on a constant collision course,
creating mountain ranges and other geographical anomalies as they
slowly, yet relentlessly, smash into each other.
Here are some tips on how you can emulate this natural occurrence in your own world:
1. Draw faint circles around your blank map. Three or four should do. These circles will represent
the tectonic plates in your realm.
2. For each circle, roll a d4, where each result is a cardinal direction (N, S, E, and W). You can also
choose which direction you wish, or roll a d8 instead, including the intercardinal directions
(NE, NW, SE, and SW) in your results.
3. Draw a faint arrow on each circle, depicting the result on the die. This arrow depicts the
direction each tectonic plate is moving in your realm.
4. In the places where the tectonic plates are colliding, draw a mountain range.
5. In the places where they are drifting apart, either draw a mountain range with volcanic activity,
or split your landmass into two separate regions, separated by a thin channel of water and
small islands.
6. Keep in mind that, in the real world, mountains make up around 10 percent of our planet.
Aim for that amount when you’re creating your own realm, unless you find yourself with an
inspirational reason to purposefully deviate from that ratio.
What is the most common name in your realm?

18
mountains
range of the arcane
Instead of running with the natural tectonic explanation for why a mountain range
exists in your world, try one of these more fantastical options:
1. In anger, an almighty goddess pulled the mountains of this world up with her bare hands.
2. An ancient magical device exploded thousands of years ago, forcing the land to shift violently. Many
volatile mountain ranges resulted from this detonation.
3. A gargantuan dragon collided with this world like a meteor falling from the sky. The impact created a
jagged crest of vicious mountains.
4. Built by the ancient titans, this mountain once served as a wall to keep encroachers out of their
territory. It is now weathered and crumbling.
So when it came to placing my mountains, a few

things inspired me:
1. I imagine that a massive, ancient earthquake

occurred in the top island (I’ve already included it
in my current campaign, so it’s sort of locked in at
this point), so I placed a high-reaching mountain
chain at the south of the island. This chain was the
result of that massive earthquake.
2. I am a big fan of far-reaching mountain ranges,
and I thought the southeastern edge of Enchea
would be perfect for this. It’s prominent, visually
appealing, and still leaves a lot of blank space for
other geographical features down the road. I also
placed a small pass at the most southeastern
point of the mountain range for a future road or
adventuring location.
3. I added a patch of hills in the middle of my continent
for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, they
looked really cool in this spot. Secondly, they fit
nicely near the mountains instead of on their own
somewhere else.
These mountains will make for some awesome natural

barriers in my campaigns!
Is there a sigil that represents the world as a whole?

19 19
mountain features
Check out this optional roll table for inspirational ways to turn your ordinary mountains into something
interesting and unique to your world:
d100 Geographical Feature

1-2 Angular, sharply pointed mountain peaks.
3-4 A stretch of multi-colored mesas, eroded by time.
5-6 Strangely snowless peaks, located within an icy region.
7-8 A stretch of dormant volcanoes.
9-10 A chain of active volcanoes, the surrounding area marred by their fires.
11-12 A single towering mountain surrounded by foothills.
13-14 Distinctly rounded hills and mountains.
15-16 A mountain range penetrated by many natural tunnels.
17-18 Intensely cramped mountains, intersecting erratically.
19-20 A mountain range eroded by time, its edges crumbling.
21-22 Jagged, chasm-riddled rocks formed by violent tectonic fractures.
23-24 A single peak, topped with a primordial graveyard.
25-26 Large mountains with cascading waterfalls.
27-28 Rock formations that jut from the treeline of an enchanted forest.
29-30 A single, immense volcano.
31-32 A chain of mountains forming a crescent shape, an area of great mystery at their center.
33-34 A large mountain that resembles the open maw of an ancient creature.
35-36 A pair of peaks with a narrow pass between them.
37-38 Two jagged mountain peaks impale one another, creating a precarious twin peak.
39-40 Mountains of moving, living rock that change shape erratically.
41-42 Sheer cliffs housing an ancient, forgotten fortification.
43-44 A mystical mountain that appears different to all who gaze upon it.
45-46 Two powerful, parallel mountain chains of black rock, lava flowing between them.
47-48 Sections of this mountain range float high above the ground, defying gravity.
49-50 A mountain formation resembling the fingers of an enormous hand, jutting from the ground.
Who is the most famous assassin in the world? Who did they assassinate?
21 21
mountain features
51-52 A formation of cliffs with arching tops, forming a fallen elemental’s ribcage.
53-54 Squat, crumbling mountains riddled with holes, creating eerie music when wind passes through
them.
55-56 A formation that appears to be the petrified, decrepit form of a draconic creature.
57-58 Cliffs that glitter and gleam – but only in the moonlight.
59-60 A mountain of translucent, crystalline minerals, growing from the ground like a cresting wave.
61-62 A mountainous formation with a man-made tunnel through the center.
63-64 A time-defying mountain range suspended in the midst of eruption, its shattered pieces float-
ing peacefully.
65-66 Mountains that form an unmistakable “X” shape from a bird’s-eye-view.
67-68 Cliffs of red clay, once the home of mountain creatures who dug labyrinthian cave dwellings.
69-70 The immense grooves of this mountain range give it the appearance of having been pulled into
existence by some divine or infernal hands.
71-72 A concealed peak, shrouded constantly by clouds.
73-74 A gorgeous, tree-covered mountain, sitting upon the bank of a large lake.
75-76 Numerous jagged peaks, not considerably tall, but covered with thick moss.
77-78 This range of hills forms a strange, region-spanning runic pattern that can be seen from the
sky.
79-80 An angular, gray formation of cliffs, carved into the shape of a half-finished humanoid face.
81-82 Ruby red plateaus stacked on top of one another to impossible heights.
83-84 Dormant volcanoes with small lakes sitting calmly in their craters.
85-86 Rolling blue hills that seem to stretch for miles.
87-88 An odd volcano that expels mud, its eruptive materials hardening, expanding the volcano with
each day.
89-90 Tall, cylindrical formations of rocks.
91-92 Mountains that steam and fester, acidic and volatile.
93-94 A colossal crater, with razor-sharp ridges flanking its rim.
95-96 A young, region-spanning mountain range of black rock.
97-98 A single, jagged mountain that towers from within a large body of water.
99-00 This mountain is little more than a massive pile of rubble, shattered long ago by something
unnatural.
How do the wealthy classes like to spend their money?

22
how to draw mountains
1. Begin with a bold, jagged ridgeline. It takes practice, but try to

predict where peaks are going to be found along the way.
2. Where the ridgeline juts out at angles, draw slope lines on either
side. Vary the angles, allow some to join together, and experiment
to see what looks good.
3. Shade one side of the ridgeline to help the mountains pop off the page
a little, and shade the other side lightly in places too. Shading with pencil is a good way
to start, but if you prefer ink, use a very fine point and hatching so you don’t totally cover up your slope
lines. Experiment and practice! Mountains can be tricky. If it’s not clicking, don’t be afraid to go with a
simpler style.
Taking it further: In nature, many of the slope lines would likely become other ridgelines branching off. Keep
branching! Also, consider small, rounded foothills around the edges of mountain ranges.
What color usually signifies nobility?

23 23
rivers
Serving as the dividers of nations, the feeders of the 2. Start Small: Rivers usually start out as very
people, and arguably the most critical natural barrier small waterways, forming via rainfall or glacial
when it comes to defending a settlement, rivers are melt, becoming larger as they merge with other
vital to any campaign setting. Your cities will thrive waterways.
off of them, your armies will despise them, and your
players will travel along them. All you have to do now 3. Merge, Don’t Separate: Rivers rarely split off
is place them... into two smaller waterways. Instead, they start
individually, and merge with each other farther
Tips for Creating Rivers down their paths. Of course, the rare occurrence
when they do split could be a cool (and perhaps
1. Start High: Rivers go with the flow, beginning their even magical) way to make your world more
journeys in higher altitudes and taking the path unique.
of least resistance down through the fields and
valleys of your world, finally emptying into larger
bodies of water.
tears of the almighty

What if the source of your rivers is something more unnatural than precipitation
or glacial melt? Here are some interesting ways to spice up your rivers in a
fantastical way:
• The god of the natural world, saddened by the encroachment of modern civilizations into his
domain, weeps a raging river out of his home – a magical forest.
• An ancient fire giant has been trapped beneath the arctic ice for generations. Only now that she is
awakening has that ice begun to melt into large, raging waterways.
• A powerful wizard, in order to run the watermills of his industry at faster speeds, has called upon
the elemental arts to create a rushing river in his territory. Emerging from a doorway into the
elemental plane of water, it begins at his tower in the north, and runs all the way to the southern
sea.
• A slain god upon a mountaintop, his dark, mineral-rich blood flowing out to sea. Priests the world
over make pilgrimages to this river of divine blood, drinking of its essence, and experiencing vivid
visions of the past, the future, and alternate presents.
• The waters of this river aren’t formed by any natural precipitation. Instead, the water is the blood
of the world itself, flowing up to the surface from the ground beneath.
What stories are told to children in your world to keep them from getting into trouble?
24
rivers
life in the watershed
Oftentimes, multiple rivers will coalesce at the same point when heading out
to sea. These locations, packed with many different waterways in the same
area, are known as “watersheds.” They can exist in both small or large areas of
your realm, and can provide you with some great inspiration for cultures and
civilizations in and around them.
Try adding one of these watersheds to your map, and think about the kinds of settlements and civilizations
that would spring up around such a prevalent source of food, trade, and fresh water. Your world may thank
you for it!
Placing my rivers took some time, but I

finally settled on some pretty cool ideas:
1. I went with three expansive tribuataries.

I felt that any more than that would
take up too much space and turn my
world into a massive marshland. I also
kept enough space in between them to
keep things interesting.
2. Outside of those three major

tributaries, I added some other rivers of
varying length around the map, leading
specifically to areas of coastline that
look like small inlets.
3. I decided during the process that I

wanted one of the major tributaries to
run into a lake instead of an ocean or
sea. The large river system in the center
of my main continent seemed like a
good place to do this, so I ended the
rivers somewhat early. You’ll see why in
the next step!
What color is the sky?

25 25
river features
Check out this optional roll table for inspirational ways to turn ordinary rivers into unique and interesting
elements in your world:

1-2 The bed of this crystal clear river is made up of flat, smooth stones, each with an arcane rune
etched upon it.
3-4 A river of thick mud, moving slowly but persistently.
5-6 A long, winding river, serpentining around several jutting landforms.
7-8 Dozens of tributaries collide, forming a large, raging river.
9-10 The waters of this stream seem to slow the effects of aging, and heal minor wounds.
11-12 A river that forks starkly, forming a large “Y” shape.
13-14 This river flows mostly underground, emerging at points only to dip back under the surface.
15-16 This river is drying up, marred by an unnatural blight.
17-18 A river with deep umber banks, its waters murky from clay.
19-20 A stretch of thin rivers, all running parallel, forming small islands where they intersect.
21-22 Legends persist that this river was carved into the ground by ancient primordials.
23-24 This river is oddly angular and geometric, with great stretches of perfectly straight lines.
25-26 A river that rushes over a mass of razor-sharp stones.
27-28 The banks of this river are caked with ice, and its waters are frigid.
29-30 A river of molten lava, flowing slowly and charring the land around it.
31-32 A gorgeous brook that winds through lush, green foothills.
33-34 The waters of this river change in hue, depending on the weather.
35-36 A riverbed that has carved out a deep valley.
37-38 A river that runs into an underground system of caves.
39-40 This river seems to think for itself, aiding or impeding travelers depending on its mood.
41-42 A river that mysteriously runs up a mountain, effectively creating a reverse waterfall.
43-44 The longest river in the realm – it touches every region of this landmass in some way.
45-46 A river that runs in different directions sporadically, with no rhyme or reason.
47-48 A river of acidic fluid that scars the lands it gushes through.
49-50 A river that originates from a high, cylindrical rock formation, defying gravity and spiraling
around its circumference.
Are there any holy cities in your world?

27 27
river features
51-52 A raging river of rapids, unforgiving and unrelenting in its force.
53-54 Rivers spewing from the top of a high plateau, flowing down the various sides of it.
55-56 A river that runs serenely to a high cliff, broadening into an enormous waterfall.
57-58 This river only flows at night – as the sun rises, it dries up.
59-60 A river of glowing, green water, certainly not natural, illuminating the surrounding landscape.
61-62 A river chain that forms a complex runic pattern when seen from above.
63-64 A large river that is split by a mountain that it encircles, converging into a single entity again
on the other side.
65-66 A realm-spanning river, known for the various bridges of differing cultures built over it.
67-68 A serene river that passes under two immense statues of a long-forgotten culture.
69-70 A river whose water has been said to whisper the fates of crossing travelers.
71-72 A chaotic river, waterfalling multiple times over the sides of a massive series of cliffs.
73-74 A river that flows into several prominent lakes, but never into the ocean.
75-76 A ruby red river that empties into a crystal blue sea.
77-78 This river is the source of a strange and mystical species of tree.
79-80 A treacherous river, known for the razor sharp rocks emerging from the surface.
81-82 This river is the source of a growing nearby mountain range, as if the mountains are being fed
by it.
83-84 This river runs underground and never reemerges. It is said to be the entrance to a hidden part
of the realm.
85-86 A river which boils and steams, heated by an unknown force.
87-88 A man-made river whose bed is made of various metals and wood.
89-90 This is a river of liquid starsteel, fed by falling celestial objects.
91-92 This series of rivers looks like a compass rose, expanding in each of the four cardinal directions.
93-94 A blood-red river, said to be the flow of a constantly bleeding dragon.
95-96 This river is absolutely still – even when disturbed by the outside world.
97-98 A river that magically keeps those who traverse it lost, unless they know its secrets.
99-00 This river makes a strange, deep droning sound that has no natural explanation.
Did one race of people come before the others?

28
lakes
Serving as a primary food source, as well as a hub of 2. The Biggie: Give yourself one big lake to work
all sorts of regional wildlife, lakes will be an excellent with. Something like Lake Superior in the northern
addition to your world. The adventuring possibilities United States (to scale with your world, of course)
are endless – lake towns, underwater treasures, that will inspire some wonderful and unique inland
small-scale trade disputes, and more. sea sailing cultures in your world.
Tips for Creating Lakes 3. Surrounding Spaces: Consider the area around
your lakes as ripe for adventure and story.
1. Where the River Flows: Lakes are often created Everywhere you place a lake, start thinking about
by the rivers that flow into them. Try ending one the natural wildlife and societies that will begin
or two of your rivers at a lake instead of the usual developing around it.
ocean.
I didn’t go crazy with the lakes in my world, but I

found a few great spots for them.
1. My current campaign began in a small town

near a lake, so I had to add it to the map first.
You can find it on the eastern edge of the
island to the north end of the world.
2. I added another small lake to the southern

edge of the map too. I figured this would be
a great place for a natural forest to grow
around, providing for some neat cultures and
adventures.
3. Now check out the rivers that I ended

prematurely in the last step. They now empty
into a large lake near the center of the larger
continent. This will probably be a great place
for some marshlands in the future!
crater lake
In the real world, places that have been struck by meteorites sometimes become geographic
phenomenons themselves. These craters, if located in regions with high precipitation, can
become lakes as rainfall fills them with water.
Here are some other, more fantastical ways to introduce crater lakes into your world:
• A mighty demon was cast down upon the material plane and created a massive crater
upon impact.
• This chrome-dotted crater is filled with starsteel, from the last starfall that took place
over a thousand years ago.
• Said to have been dug out by a progenitor dwarven race, this crater lake feeds the
countryside by the thousands. Many travel from far and wide to pray at its steep banks.
Have there been any major wars in recent history?

29 29
lake features
Check out this optional roll table for inspirational ways to turn your ordinary lakes into more fun and explorable
bodies of water.

1-2 A flooded forest – naked treetops emerge from the lake’s surface.
3-4 This lake’s surface is black and placid – who knows what lurks within?
5-6 Three rivers feed into this lake, each from a different region of the world.
7-8 This seep lake is fed from an underground water source.
9-10 A small island emerges from the center of this lake, dominated by a single, large tree.
11-12 This narrow lake separates two other geographical features.
13-14 Predatory mawfish populate this lake – it’s best avoided.
15-16 This lake produces a constant, eerie fog, which rolls across the surrounding countryside.
17-18 A beautiful water spirit inhabits this lake, appearing differently to all who look upon it.
19-20 The waters of this crystal-clear lake are famed for quenching the red-hot blades magical
swords.
21-22 The bones of some great leviathan protrude from the lakebed.
23-24 A stone doorway on the bottom of the lake leads to an ancient, labyrinthian substructure.
25-26 Alchemists the world over flock to this lake, for its waters create the most potent potions.
27-28 A tribe of sapient fish-like creatures call this lake home.
29-30 Music emanates from the rippling water during certain celestial alignments.
31-32 The sewers of a nearby city empty into this lake.
33-34 This lake is filled with boiling black tar.
35-36 This now-dry lakebed holds a legendary weapon in its center, surrounded by the bodies of
those who have tried to claim it.
37-38 This lake is considered holy by the population of the realm.
39-40 This lake is small, but its waters are sweet and delicious, tasting of exotic berries.
41-42 The waters of this lake allow for nearby vegetation to grow twice as fast as normal.
43-44 This series of lakes is a pale and putrid green.
45-46 A large saltwater lake shows evidence of formerly being an inlet, as an old nautical vessel sits
atop its shallow bed.
47-48 This lake is murky and brown.
49-50 This lake is said to have an underwater cave system that holds ancient treasures.
What is the most widely celebrated holiday?

31 31
lake features
51-52 This lake contains four large drainage chambers of ancient construction.
53-54 A series of ancient and weathered runes surrounding this lake refer to a nearby lost city.
55-56 This lake shows a reflection day and night – a reflection which shows the greatest flaw of any
who gaze into it.
57-58 This chain of lakes is the center of trade for many primitive societies.
59-60 A bright, spherical object lies at the bottom of this lake, rumored to give the water lumines-
cent properties.
61-62 This lake is the home of a very old city that is slowly sinking.
63-64 This small lake is inhabited by sentient algae that adheres to anything it touches.
65-66 Despite its small size, this lake is still affected by the tidal pull of the moon.
67-68 Water from this lake is said to be divinely blessed, though many argue by which deity.
69-70 This large lake has a ring of dry land within it, with another smaller lake at its center, like an
archery target for the gods.
71-72 This lake’s waters drink a portion of the memories of anyone who enters.
73-74 This lake serves as a natural wishing well, filled with the oxidized coins of many hopeful travel-
ers.
75-76 This mystical lake emits rainfall – strangely, it “falls” upward.
77-78 This lake is terribly cold, no matter the season or weather.
79-80 A clawed, skeletal hand as large as a boat grips the shore of this lake, its wrist disappearing
into the mud.
81-82 This series of lakes roughly forms the symbol of a lost deity.
83-84 This tranquil lake is filled with beautiful blue waters and a natural cliff, perfect for diving and
swimming.
85-86 This lake is an elaborate illusion, protecting what truly lies beneath.
87-88 This lake is permeated with a weak acid, slowly eating away at the gear of any who enter it.
89-90 The waters of this roughly triangular lake are an opal white and unnaturally salty.
91-92 The surface of this lake is constantly on fire.
93-94 This lake is haunted by the specter of a powerful hero who drowned here.
95-96 The shores of this lake are the only source of a rare and delicious mushroom.
97-98 This lake is inhabited by a single magical fish that is said to grant any who catch it a single
wish, so long as they release it afterward.
99-00 This lake is said to be a portal into the elemental plane of water.
How many seasons are there in your world?

32
oceans
The great dividers of civilizations, and the final frontier 2. A Special Place: Oceans provide a wonderful
for almost every fantasy world, these great, barren canvas that can take your world to the next level.
seas stretch far and wide. But more than meets What starts as a stereotypical fantasy realm
the eye can be found in the depths of these titanic immediately transforms into an interesting and
geographical wonders. The high seas beckon your original world when the oceans become fantastical
adventurers to action! What will your oceans look like? too. Consider adding magical elements to the seas
that surround your campaign setting.
Tips for Creating Oceans
3. The Real World: Later on in this book, we’ll start
1. Uncharted Waters: Even the most advanced deciding what sorts of cities and settlements will
societies in a fantasy setting might not have the inhabit the land. Start thinking about the cultures
means to explore every stretch of the world’s and societies that will emerge as sea powers in
oceans (we have yet to fully explore our own your realm. How will that affect their outlook on
oceans, after all). If you have an idea that doesn’t trade? Warfare? Technology? Food? All of these
quite fit into another region of your world, this is questions are important to consider when it
your chance to use that idea on the high seas. Lost comes to developing unique peoples.
islands and primitive cultures can often be placed
here without issue.
inland waters
Inland seas have served as natural barriers and
interesting geographical features in the real
world for almost all of recorded history. Check
out the Black Sea, located between Europe and
Western Asia.
What if you put something similar into your

world? How would that affect the surrounding
societies and natural wildlife? Would it be largely
inhabited by a diverse ecosystem, similar to the
Black Sea above? Or will it be largely devoid of
life, much like the Dead Sea, due to its harsh
environment?
Either way, remember that if it looks interesting

and cool, you’ve done it right!
“We build the worlds we wouldn’t mind living in. They contain scary things, problems, but
also a sense of rightness that makes them alive and makes us want to live there.”
– Anne McCaffrey
Are ancient relics scattered around the world?

33 33
oceans
The Main Ingredient
Is water too boring for your world? Would you rather one of your oceans or inland
seas be filled with something more unusual, dangerous, or magical?
Here are some more fantastical elements to fill your world’s oceans:
1. Liquid metal
2. Acid
3. Blood
4. Lava
5. Arcane energy
6. Insects
7. Tar
8. Nothing. This sea is an empty, dry bowl of harsh winds and swirling dust.
I took a tip from Sellsword Maps regarding my

coastlines, and added two rows of wavy lines
around each landmass. I also came up with some
pretty cool names for my seas!
1. The Sea of Stags will be known for the magical

storms that can be seen on the horizon,
commonly shaped like the antlers of gigantic
stags.
2. The name, “Oceanus Infinitus” was inspired by

the Latin words for both ocean and infinite. It
was named by the people of Enchea due to
its endless horizons and total impassibility.
Those who have sailed out into the expanse
have never returned.
3. The Magnetica was named as such, very

simply, because I thought it was an awesome
name. Perhaps it also contains magnetic
properties? Either way, I can’t wait to explore
these possibilities!
Are the nobles of your world’s most empirical nation decided by popular vote or
34 bloodline?
Ocean Features
Check out this optional roll table for inspirational ways to turn your ordinary oceans into something more
majestic and distinct:

1-2 A cyclonic maelstrom spins in the center of this ocean, pulling unwary sailors to their deaths –
or worse.
3-4 The ocean spills over the sides of a great, bottomless canyon.
5-6 This ocean’s high saline content makes it poisonous to most forms of life.
7-8 Near-constant lightning storms make this ocean dangerous to traverse.
9-10 A great city collapsed into the sea long ago, and now lies on the ocean floor, preserved.
11-12 Leviathans lurk beneath the waves of this dark, tumultuous sea.
13-14 Flotillas of lashed-together boats serve as floating settlements on the ocean.
15-16 Sub-aquatic steam vents boil the water around them, creating a bubbling, roiling sea.
17-18 This ocean is deceptively calm and still – but the rare storms are a force to be reckoned with.
19-20 Wildly varying depths and unforeseen shallows make this ocean treacherous to sailors.
21-22 A massive reef dominates this ocean, teeming with all manner of strange, aquatic life.
23-24 This ocean extends infinitely into the distance, seemingly without end.
25-26 The water of this ocean is breathable by all creatures.
27-28 A great maelstrom of arcane energy roils above this sea.
29-30 Strange creatures often breach the surface of this ocean.
31-32 This ocean dispels all nearby magic.
33-34 The water in this sea warps and eats away at wood, making sailing especially difficult.
35-36 This ocean is perfectly reflective.
37-38 An entire world can be seen beneath this ocean, as if it is some sort of illusion.
39-40 The currents of this ocean are abnormally strong and dangerous, like that of a raging river.
41-42 Fumes of different colors rise off the surface of this sea.
43-44 This ocean is thicker and more viscous than water.
45-46 This sea is an opaque black.
47-48 Those who know the secrets of this hostile sea may cross as if it were land.
49-50 The underwater lifeforms in this ocean are not afraid to pirate those vessels crossing it.
What is more valuable in your world? A single cow, or a single gold coin?
36
ocean features
51-52 Time moves at a different pace for those who sail upon this ocean’s waters.
53-54 This ocean’s treacherous waters are said to be commanded by a powerful sorceress.
55-56 This ocean is filled with life, and it is impossible to look into the waters and not see movement.
57-58 This ocean is home to a benevolent race of beings who bestow gifts on the good, and punish-
ments on the evil.
59-60 This ocean is the last refuge of a tribe of nomadic sailors.
61-62 The tides of this ocean are incredibly unpredictable.
63-64 This powerful ocean controls the moons orbiting the world.
65-66 The tops of many lost, ancient structures peer just above the waterline of this sea.
67-68 Many miles of this ocean are always frozen, no matter the season.
69-70 This gigantic ocean is comprised of fresh water.
71-72 An aquatic ooze thrives in this thick and gooey sea.
73-74 This ocean boils with the fury of numerous active volcanoes beneath its surface.
75-76 This ocean has risen quickly over the past few decades, forcing surrounding societies to adapt.
77-78 The salt of this sea can be used to create a powerful explosive.
79-80 This ocean is said to be the corpse of a colossal water elemental.
81-82 Those that can find a way to dive to the bottom of this ocean will find a labyrinth of underwa-
ter waves with breathable air.
83-84 This ocean’s waters have been touched by the feywild, and its waters can be carved into ele-
mental blades.
85-86 Those who sail this ocean’s currents return without memory.
87-88 This ocean is draining mysteriously, much to the chagrin of those who rely on it for trade and
food.
89-90 Many island cities can be found upon this ocean – some abandoned; others thriving.
91-92 This ocean is said to be the final resting place of a deity.
93-94 This ocean has become toxic from ancient necrotic energies that stir in the deep.
95-96 This ocean was recently parted, creating a dry roadway up its center for any travelers brave
enough to use it.
97-98 This ocean is divided up the middle by an impassable reef wall, constructed by two warring
aquatic factions.
99-00 This ocean is the result of an arcane catastrophe long ago, and it's still teeming with magical
creatures as a result.
Are diseases and plagues prevalent?

37 37
how to draw RIVERS, Lakes, and oceans
1. Plot a lake anywhere on your map. Consider low areas where

water would gather or basins between mountains. Leave an
opening for a river out to sea.
2. Draw in a windy river that drains your lake out to the sea,
remembering that water flows to the lowest elevations.
3. Add detail in the form of wave effects and thicken the southern coast of the lake to add dimension
and match the overall coastline. You may also add tributaries, which are smaller rivers or streams that
flow into a larger river.
What sort of unsavory creatures come out at night?

38
FORESTS
What is a fantasy world without a forest? Magical 2. Water is Life: Trees need two things: water and
and mundane alike, sprawling woods are a staple sunlight. When placing your forests, think about
of campaign settings and fictional realms. They are the needs of the plants and wildlife. Try placing
cliches for a reason, and your world simply wouldn’t some small patches of forest around a few of the
be complete without them. lakes and rivers in your world.
Tips for Creating forests 3. Imagine: In the next section of the book, you will
begin placing your first settlements and cities.
1. Free Reign: Take this opportunity to look at the Start considering now how different geographical
blank spaces on your map, and sketch out possible features such as forests will affect the people
areas for two or three forests. Where will your living nearby. Get excited about this prospect! This
forests look best? Where would they be most is when your world will begin coming to life.
surprising? Choose what you think works best!
magical woodlands
I’m hard-pressed to find a fantasy world in fiction or tabletop roleplaying games that doesn’t
have some sort of magical forest in it. But even those without an enchanted forest or two still
contain certain regions of the world where magic has altered the local geography into a place
of magic and mystery. What makes these locations great is that the effect they have on the
people and wildlife residing within them is specific.
For example, there is a magical forest in my homebrew world of Enchea called the Crimson Wood. But instead
of just saying, “this forest is magical in myriad ways,” and being done with it, I decided that this forest would
cause hallucinations to those trekking through it. This specificity makes it easier on me as a Game Master
to decide what will happen if the characters end up traveling through it. It will also help the characters in my
games understand what the exact ramifications of using the road through the forest might be.
This is one of those cases where painting with fine strokes is a better idea than being broad and nonspecific
about something.
I was excited to place my forests from the beginning

of this process, namely because my current campaign
is centered around a fairly large and magical one.
1. The forest on the northern island of the map is
called the Crimson Wood. It is incredibly magical
and rife with dangerous and exotic adventure.
2. I placed some other forests around the map. I’m
not sure what their stories will be, but I’m very
excited for the forest on the southern coast of
Enchea. That lake, combined with this new forest
and a town, will make for some fun games.
3. I feel like the large tributary near the top of my
main landmass will be a great location for a
forest, but I would prefer it to be a dense jungle
instead of a more ordinary forest. So I’ll wait
until the next step to place it.
Does a common language exist?

39 39
FOREST features
Check out this optional roll table for unique features for the forests of your world:

1-2 This forest was the site of a gruesome battle, and evidence of the violence still remains.
3-4 This forest is renowned for a rare flower that grows within it, used to flavor expensive wines.
5-6 Within this forest, those who slumber may freely traverse their dreams and memories.
7-8 The ironbark in this forest is used to outfit the locals with light, durable armor.
9-10 The trees in this forest are filled with musical sap, and many bards tap the trees.
11-12 A fire recently tore through here – many of the old trees have toppled and burned.
13-14 This forest is lush and full, with a thriving ecosystem of all manner of creatures.
15-16 This forest is home to a treant hydra, hiding in plain sight and ambushing unwary travelers.
17-18 This is no natural forest – it is a garden cultivated by giants.
19-20 Dryads in exile from the feywild have claimed this forest as their own.
21-22 This forest is full of trees that magically regenerate, providing virtually unlimited lumber.
23-24 This forest nullifies all magical effects.
25-26 This forest did not grow – it was built, and is crafted of metals of all kinds.
27-28 This forest surrounds the base of a razor-peaked mountain.
29-30 The trees of this forest are the tallest in the realm, and a diverse, treetop city sits atop it.
31-32 This forest is the graveyard of an army of devils, and twisted, black trees have risen up from
their resting place.
33-34 Every part of this forest sits within a foot of water, the shallow dwelling place of water ele-
mentals who tend the trees.
35-36 This forest has deadly living plants that are the apex predators of the area.
37-38 This forest is shrouded in illusion. Many of its trees are not real.
39-40 This entire forest has a reptilian appearance – scaled trees and clawed flora.
41-42 There is a string of trees in this forest that grow crystal fruit. When broken, they produce
magical properties.
43-44 Two tribes of barbarians live in this forest, and have carved contradicting histories into many
of the trunks of the trees.
45-46 This forest is full of mirrored stones that reveal the future ailments of creatures who look
upon them.
47-48 The trees in this forest only grow when watered with blood – and it is lush and full.
49-50 The king of this nation was crowned in this forest – his descendants still wear the wooden
circlet carved from a branch of yew.
What is the most common musical instrument?

41 41
forest features
51-52 This forest has grown in and around a once-mighty kingdom, now abandoned.
53-54 This forest hosts several species of large, ancient birds, carnivorous and deadly.
55-56 This area is barren and featureless, except under starlight, when a spectral forest appears.
57-58 This forest is inhabited by a clan of dwarven lumberjacks.
59-60 The trees of this forest are scorching hot, and their stone-like bark is grooved with tribal de-
signs, filled with a glowing molten substance.
61-62 There are large portions of this forest where the trees – still rooted – have been carved into
gorgeous statues depicting various historic scenes and legendary figures.
63-64 A thick fog rolls along this forest’s floor, hiding its deadly drops and chasms.
65-66 Many petrified creatures have been encased in the bark of these trees.
67-68 This forest is known for its highly flexible wood, used often to craft nigh-unbreakable spears
and powerful bows.
69-70 This forest is a place of serenity, but under dark of night, brings people’s worst fears to life.
71-72 The resourceful goblins of this forest use the plentiful moss and vines to construct traps.
73-74 Many of this forest’s trees have been hollowed out, and are marked with angular hatch marks.
Deadly giant spiders dwell within them.
75-76 This is a large, crescent shaped forest, whose trees are coniferous and plentiful.
77-78 Thousands of banners are tied between the treetops, creating a multi-colored canopy.
79-80 The trees grow in immense, interconnected tangles, creating a treetop roadway.
81-82 This forest is known for its tranquility – those who stay too long lapse into a deep sleep.
83-84 This forest is full of pale white trees and shrubs, appearing as though covered with snow.
85-86 This forest runs across several regional borders, outfitted with well-maintained byways to
travel between them quickly.
87-88 All that remains of this forest are dead stumps.
89-90 This beautiful forest experiences frequent and chaotic tempests.
91-92 This forest is lush and full. Over the years, it has become a hub for trade, containing numerous
merchant carts and tents.
93-94 The leaves of this forest’s trees are black and smoke-like, dissipating when touched, only to
return to their original shape.
95-96 This forest is always autumnal, its red and orange leaves floating on the crisp air.
97-98 This forest is walled-in, and a settlement exists between the boughs.
99-00 The elemental flowers of this forest bloom and create effects of fire, water, earth, and wind.
What is the strangest festival celebrated in your realm?

42
how to draw FORESTS
1. Outline a rough forest shape with a mix of jagged and rounded

edges.
2. Add vertical hatching to the front of the forest to give it

dimension and represent tree trunks.
3. Add some texture using a mix of rounded and pointy lines. Experiment and
find what looks good for the forest you want to create.
Are there any animals in the world that are illegal to hunt or kill?
43 43
Jungles
Dark, murky, and teeming with exotic life, jungles are reasoning notwithstanding, feel free to remove it!
the source of mystery that many adventurers crave. To
go a day in a jungle without experiencing the dangers 2. Separate and Equal: Try to find a location inside
of vicious carnivores or deadly diseases is a lucky day your world where a rainforest can exist without
indeed. connecting to a more usual forest. This separation
will help your jungle feel more natural, unique, and
Tips for Creating Jungles interesting in your world.
1. Weigh Your Options: Vast rainforests don’t 3. Where the Rivers Are: Look at the places on
necessarily fit into every fictional world, so your map where many rivers intersect, creating
consider them a rarity, or totally optional for watersheds or other large tributaries. Oftentimes,
yours. If placing a jungle inside your realm makes if the rest of the climate is right, these are excellent
the whole world feel more inconsistent, magical places for jungles.
Put the wild in wildlife

Jungles are dangerous. Knowing that, consider rainforests as your chance to go a
little crazy. Here are some different things you can add to this region of your world
to show the players that this isn’t an everyday forest:
1. The birds here are cannibalistic and have four wings.
2. There is a special leopard here that can camouflage like a chameleon.
3. The mosquitos are known to pass extremely unpredictable diseases.
4. The vines of the strangler trees are sentient, and can move as swiftly as any adventurer.
5. The local sabrecats use their razor-sharp bone blades to slice through thick foliage and ambush
their prey.
6. It takes an especially perceptive traveler to notice the pits of quicksand in this jungle.
“In Ireland, novels and plays still have a strange force. The writing of fiction and the
creation of theatrical images can affect life there more powerfully and stealthily than
speeches, or even legislation. Imagined worlds can lodge deeply in the private sphere,
dislodging much else, especially when the public sphere is fragile.”
– Colm Toibin
What is your world called?

44
Jungles
Capricorn and Cancer
In the real world, most jungles are located in a very specific region of the planet,
between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. If you’re looking to add
a little more realism to the rainforests in your world, you should ask yourself some
questions:
1. Is your world relatively large? If so, you could create tropics of your own, running through the
center of your realm in the same way they run along the center of the Earth.
2. Is your world fairly small? If you want your world to be smaller and more easily traversable for
potential adventurers, it’s entirely possible that there will be no jungles, or that the entire realm
will be covered in large tropical areas.
Consider the Carribean region of the Earth, for example. Almost all of this region finds itself inside a
tropical biome. Africa, however, is large enough to contain many differing climates, from desert to
rainforest, and beyond.
I only wanted one jungle in my world, but I

wanted it to dwarf the rest of the forests.
This place will be called the Thicket, and it
will be near impassable due to the monsters
and other dangers lurking within. I also
like the idea of a faction called the Scarlet
Wish, located in the Thicket. Renowned as
dragon hunters in ancient times, they now
profit from escorting wary travelers safely
through the jungle.
It should be noted that I also left a small bit

of blank space to the east of this rainforest
for a possible road in the future. I like that
people would still be able to travel around
the Thicket, even though the road will be
quite dangerous as well.
Who is the most famous musician in the world?

45 45
Jungle features
Enrich the jungles and rainforests of your world with this roll table:

1-2 The trees of this jungle smolder without heat or flames.
3-4 This jungle is dotted with dark, murky swamps.
5-6 Temples from a forgotten age remain intact, scattered about this jungle.
7-8 The trees of this jungle soar upwards for thousands of feet, creating an ocean of trees.
9-10 This jungle, once lush and thick, is now cursed, petrified to stone.
11-12 This jungle has been decimated by deforestation by the surrounding settlements.
13-14 This jungle grows wildly on the side of a huge volcano.
15-16 This jungle is plagued by a magical darkness, day and night.
17-18 This jungle is known for its rivers, which are said to be the blood of an ancient fey creature.
19-20 This jungle is home to a race of tribal, sentient trees.
21-22 This jungle is slowly fading into an alternate plane of existence.
23-24 This jungle has several large clearings, in which walled settlements have sprung up.
25-26 This jungle grows at the bottom a deep, pitted vale.
27-28 This jungle has grown polluted from local industrialization.
29-30 The stone lanterns hanging from the trees remain lit while danger is near.
31-32 This horrid jungle teems with creatures that steal flesh.
33-34 This jungle is a neutral zone where warring tribes celebrate a ceremonial truce for one week.
35-36 This jungle is full of large, half-plant creatures whose regenerative capabilities make them ideal
war beasts.
37-38 This jungle grows magically, and it extends across most of the region, expanding even when cut
back.
39-40 This jungle contains archaic ceremonial pods that – with the right ingredients – are able to
create a perfect copy of a person.
41-42 This jungle has been artificially grown, and is partially an illusion to hide an enormous, under-
ground gnomish city.
43-44 The floor of this jungle is layered with immense stone coins, each etched with a deep runic
pattern.
45-46 This jungle is rumored to produce humanoid versions of its indigenous creatures.
47-48 This jungle is the final resting place of a serpent god, and snakes of all sizes overrun it.
49-50 A labyrinth dominates the center of this overgrown jungle, patrolled by a minotaur cursed with
eternal life.
Are politicians widely revered? Or are they widely distrusted?

47 47
Jungle features
51-52 This jungle was a training ground for a warlike tribe, and is littered with many man-made traps
and hazards.
53-54 This jungle contains a special mineral that can be used to make potent healing medicine.
55-56 This jungle is lush and full, home to many creatures and a balanced ecosystem.
57-58 This jungle is the crash site of an extra-planar vessel, long-forgotten and covered in plant life.
59-60 An ancient, sick dragon resides in this jungle, living out the rest of its days among the trees.
61-62 The trees of this jungle are enchanted, and they literally capture sunlight in a way that allows
the plants to be used as an energy source.
63-64 This tropical jungle is an anomaly, with regions covered in snow.
65-66 When carefully inspected, many of the trees in this jungle are growing out of the screaming
mouths of long-rotted corpses.
67-68 This jungle is plagued with constant prismatic rainfall.
69-70 This jungle is a battlefield where a war of giants was waged – immense weapons and tools
remain.
71-72 Monstrous humanoids call this jungle home, striking out at nearby settlements for slaves.
73-74 The plant life in this jungle is animated, and writhing together to create a large structure.
75-76 This jungle is the habitat for a species of ember gorillas – their smoldering, molten hands and
feet leave scorch marks on the branches and stones they tread on.
77-78 Trolls are the dominating species in this jungle, though some are being driven mad by a dark
force within the trees.
79-80 The rainfall here nullifies the effects of magic.
81-82 The vines of this jungle sap the memories from creatures, keeping them for themselves.
83-84 Clans of monks call this jungle home, using the herbs to enlighten and heal themselves.
85-86 This jungle is home to a circle of druids who assist any who enter with noble intentions.
87-88 This jungle contains a series of pits that – when opened with a spell – lead into the abyss.
89-90 This jungle produces the sweetest fruit in the region, though it is rare and treacherous to pick.
91-92 This jungle is the home to seven clans of sprites, who have divided the jungle equally.
93-94 The last of an endangered species roams this jungle.
95-96 This jungle is home to a small group of fallen angels, and they heal any who pass.
97-98 This jungle is full of savage frogmen who have never been exposed to anything outside their
own culture.
99-00 This jungle is the location of a lost group of famous wizards who uncovered an ancient secret.
What is the most famous battle in the history of your world?

48
how to draw jungles
1. Plot out a forest as you normally would, but make the edges
more jagged. On the top edge, make curvy spikes especially
prominent.
2. Add vertical hatching to the front of the forest as you normally

would.
3. Draw in spiky leaves and tree tops that mimic palm trees without trunks and other exotic
tropical plants. Experiment and find what looks good. You may even draw some lone palm trees near the
edges of the main forest to emphasize the feel of a tropical region.
What is the most dangerous creature in the sea?

49 49
deserts
Large expanses of arid lands are often as impassable 2. Dividers of Civilization: Take a look at your map
as high mountain ranges. Yet the journey can be worth and wonder where some great civilizations might
it for many who seek riches beyond measure. Many thrive. Try placing a desert in the blank space
great realms contain these vast lands, as well as the between these two locations, and consider how
unique people who live there. In the adventures that that will affect the trade, diplomacy, and warfare
take place in your realm, what part will deserts play? between these regions of your world.
Tips for Creating Deserts 3. Hard Living: Deserts present many challenges –
natural hazards, lack of water and other resources,
1. One and Done: One desert might be enough for desperate predators, and more. Deserts should be
your world. They work well as rare geographical dangerous and exotic, and the people and creatures
features in a fictional realm, so the fewer you have, inhabiting them likewise should be molded by their
the more special they will be. (Unless you want to environment. Think about the unique threats and
deviate from this by design, making deserts more hazards facing your adventurers as they enter the
prevalent in your world.) deserts of your world.
naturally arid
In the real world, mountains tend to block the moisture of ocean air, trapping the wet,
coastal areas between the mountains and the ocean, and creating dry desert regions
behind them. Here’s a way to simulate this phenomenon in your world:
1. Imagine that there is a moist wind blowing over your realm, emanating from the sea.
2. Find the places where this wind would be blocked by a mountain range.
3. Place a desert behind the mountain range, where it would not receive this ocean breeze.
4. Place a coastal, fertile land on the opposite side of the mountains.
5. Consider what great trade empires might thrive in the fertile region.
6. Consider what other unique cultures might inhabit the desert region.
I took a lesson from science when it came to

placing my deserts.
1. I imagine that much of the moist, warm, ocean
air comes from the southeast of this world,
and that quite a bit of this moisture is blocked
by the mountain range along the east coast.
2. Behind those mountains, I placed an arid desert
to showcase just how much of this moisture
was being blocked. This created a natural feel
to the world, while also placing the desert in a
convenient plot of blank space.
This desert fits well into the storyline of the world
itself. In its current position, it will serve as a natural
barrier between the main portion of the continent
and the western peninsula, creating an interesting
environment for the nations that will eventually
inhabit this world. How will trade be affected? Will
there be a road through the desert? Or will people
prefer sea travel across the Magnetica?
What is the most common natural disaster in your world?

50
desert features
Deserts are more than just barren wastelands. Use the roll table below to spice things up:

1-2 The sand of this desert is infertile volcanic ash.
3-4 A tribe of roving pirate half-elves inhabits this desert, skimming across the dunes in vessels.
5-6 This desert is constantly held in the burning heat of high noon.
7-8 The winds of this desert kick up sand of black, powdered glass.
9-10 A strange, upward-growing root appears throughout this desert, never blossoming.
11-12 This desert is a boneyard, peppered with the remains of lost travelers and behemoth creatures.
13-14 The hallucinations brought on by traveling this desert are vivid and often deadly.
15-16 A rare magical resource is hidden under the dunes of this desert, and many factions desire it.
17-18 The vultures circling this desert grow to the size of large whales.
19-20 Constant sandstorms have shaped this desert into a single, enormous peak of sand.
21-22 This desert has a copper-colored sand that, when heated and cooled to the right tempera-
tures, makes a light, malleable metal.
23-24 This desert is occupied by a large stretch of deep dunes, leading to a half-buried pyramid.
25-26 A single, tremendous black tree grows in the center of this large desert.
27-28 This desert bolsters fire magic during the day, and illusory magic at night.
29-30 A secret system of aqueducts beneath this desert provides water to those who know of it.
31-32 Numerous geysers of hot wind blow scorching sands across this desert.
33-34 An undead pharaoh lives beneath the sands of this desert.
35-36 The hollow skull of a demon lord rests within this desert, surrounded by large, pointed stones.
37-38 A water nymph with a small following of water elementals has formed a gorgeous oasis in this
scorching place.
39-40 Sapient undead nomads roam this desert – their humanity was lost to a terrible entity.
41-42 Dry lightning storms occur constantly, causing the dormant sand creatures dwelling in this
desert to fly into a rage.
43-44 Ancient creatures with technology beyond what is common in this realm have begun terrafor-
ming this large desert.
45-46 This desert serves as the natural barrier between two cultures that war eternally.
47-48 A large, magical creature floats slowly across this desert, feeding on sand, and expelling a gor-
geous, glass-like material.
49-50 This desert is the prison region of the surrounding cultures, full of the corpses of many forsak-
en criminals, as well as a select few exiles who have survived its extremes.
What is regarded as the most dangerous form of magic?

52
desert features
51-52 This desert is full of derelict dwarven digging equipment, seemingly left in a hurry.
53-54 Invisible predators dwell in this desert, their outlines barely discernible in the sandy winds.
55-56 The color of this desert’s sand ranges between blue and green.
57-58 A powerful young dragon rules this desert and any who dare enter it.
59-60 When seen from the sky, this desert has a pattern that resembles a large compass rose.
61-62 Walls of airborne sand sweep across this desert slowly.
63-64 A series of large, ancient structures create a safe tunnel that one can use to traverse this
treacherous place in shade and with the occasional fountain.
65-66 The sands of this desert are stark black, and its skies are an ever pale purple.
67-68 A caravan of blind fortune tellers wander around this desert, allegedly learning its secrets.
69-70 This desert doesn’t experience any rainfall. Instead, a hail of stones and sand occurs daily.
71-72 Once a lush forest, this desert houses a kingdom that drained the natural energies of the land
to save their society.
73-74 The desert houses creatures made entirely of swirling dust, though their outlines resemble
powerful predatory cats.
75-76 Raiding hobgoblins use this desert as a place of retreat, as they have mastered its elements,
and none can pursue them safely.
77-78 Angular obelisks, some crashed to earth, others still floating, drip water in certain sparse areas
of this desert.
79-80 A circular river forms the natural boundary for this arid desert.
81-82 This desert was once a fertile land, before an arcane explosion obliterated the landscape.
83-84 This desert is inhabited by strange, plant-like creatures that catch the rain in their toothy
maws before it touches the ground.
85-86 While the daytime temperature in this desert is scorching, the night brings dangerously freez-
ing conditions.
87-88 The ground here is a dark gray, and nothing grows.
89-90 This desert is dotted with plentiful oases.
91-92 This impassable desert is said to contain an ancient city of gold at its center.
93-94 This desert was once at the bottom of a large sea – it is peppered with ancient shipwrecks.
95-96 This desert is an execution ground – the condemned are sent to starve in its vast wastes.
97-98 The ground here is hard, flat, and splitting in the burning sun.
99-00 The dunes of this desert move like the waves on a ferocious sea.
Are dragons a myth, a frequent sight, or nonexistent?

53 53
how to draw desertS
1. Draw some wavy lines for the ridges of dunes and a few pointed,
curved outcroppings. These rocky outcroppings are not like any
I’ve seen in a real desert, but I’ve found they give your desert a
rugged and fantastical feel.
2. Use thin, sweeping lines to indicate the subtle lift of the desert
sand up to the ridgelines and pointed outcroppings. Draw more thin,
sweeping lines around the region to give it a barren, windswept feel.
3. Add some rocks and lightly shade the dunes and outcroppings. Optionally add a cactus or other desert
objects, depending on the style of desert you are wanting to portray.
What special ways do the political leaders in your world execute heinous criminals?
54
Swamps
The wetlands of many worlds are renowned for their Oftentimes, this might be a dark forest or jagged
murky waters and sinister reputation. In a world of mountain range, but swamps fit well in these
light and love, swamps are where the more sinister locations too. If it suits your world, choose a place
creatures play. From tribal fiends to long-lost liches, for more sinister happenings to occur, and place
these areas will pave the way for the darker and more your swamp nearby.
horrific adventures at your table. 3. Life Abundant: Swamps aren’t just spooky, grim
Tips for Creating Swamps places, though – they are often fertile, beautiful
landscapes, teeming with life and overgrown with
1. Below Sea Level: Find an area on your map where all manner of tree and shrub. The waters host
many rivers travel, yet isn’t quite coastal. This many fish and reptiles, the trees are home to birds
region might be a place where water seems to sit of all kinds. Don’t be afraid to make your wetlands
and fester. A perfect place for a swamp. places of beauty, as well as dark mystery.
2. Evil Lands: Many fictional worlds and campaign
settings contain a place where evil forces reside.
Swamps! Swamps everywhere!

In the real world, wetlands are actually very common. In fact, they exist in every one of
the 50 United States, and in almost every single country around the world. In fantasy
settings, however, there are typically only one or two large swamps in the entire realm.
If you’re looking to emulate reality when it comes to your wetlands, try placing lots of smaller swamps
around your map, instead of just one or two big ones.
There were a couple obvious locations for wetlands

in Enchea. Namely, the larger tributaries.
1. That large tributary that runs into the

lake seemed like a perfect spot for a large
marshland. I imagine there will be a town near
the convergence of those rivers, filled with
people that utilize the waterways for canoe
travel and trade.
2. The tributary located in the southeastern

portion of the map seemed like another
perfect place for a swamp. I imagine this
location, as well as the forested lake to the
south, will both be a part of a larger nation of
independent states. I’m really excited for this!
Who is the most famous general in your world?

55 55
swamp features
Swamps are as diverse and varied as you make them. Find some cool wetland options below:

1-2 This swamp is known for its foul smell and endless, mucky quicksand.
3-4 This swamp was once a large lake, and is littered derelict trade vessels.
5-6 The water in this swamp is luminescent, and changes hues depending on the time of day.
7-8 This swamp is a tropical wetland that discharges into a vast but shallow lake.
9-10 This swamp is the wet and decaying corpse of an extra-planar elemental.
11-12 This swamp has an ecosystem of creatures made entirely of small, harmless undead.
13-14 The mud of this swamp is mineral-rich. It is sought after as a material component for spells.
15-16 This swamp is tiered, with marshy waterways spilling into lower areas.
17-18 This swamp is home to a herd of large, docile creatures that are nearly extinct due to the value
of their magical bones.
19-20 This swamp is slowly growing, flooding nearby farming fields.
21-22 A series of large, ancient structures are rising very slowly from all portions of this swamp.
23-24 This swamp is peppered with large obelisks that serve as a portal to another plane.
25-26 The acidic muddy waters of this swamp are acrid, though they are said to restore one’s youth.
27-28 This swamp is the resting place of a recently slain army, and their ghosts haunt its mire.
29-30 Beneath this swamp is a culture of dwarves who have mastered the art of wetland digging.
31-32 Once a lush, fertile grassland, this swamp is the result of years of magical testing and research.
33-34 The waters of this swamp are strangely, pleasantly warm.
35-36 This swamp rests within the eyehole of the skull of a primordial creature.
37-38 The vegetation within this swamp is sentient, and knows some long-forgotten secrets.
39-40 This swamp slowly moves across the countryside. No one knows why or how, as it has no
distinct pattern in its gradual migration.
41-42 This is a swamp known for cheering even the deepest despair – it’s hallucinogenic fumes cre-
ate euphoria – and addiction.
43-44 Thin black trees, devoid of leaves or branches, fill this swamp. They are as hard as steel, and
make excellent weapons.
45-46 This swamp slopes ever so slightly. At its lowest point is an archaic grate.
47-48 This swamp has gravity that is lower than usual, created by the gases belched forth from the
innumerable hot springs within.
49-50 This swamp is home of swarms of deadly, infinitesimal insects that bore into the flesh of crea-
tures, reproducing within them and feeding off of their insides slowly.
Did all the races in your world emerge out of one primordial race?
57 57
swamp features
51-52 This swamp is shrouded in an endless fog, and many who enter never leave.
53-54 This swamp is the source of constant thunderous sounds said to be a demigod battling end-
lessly beneath its murky waters.
55-56 This swamp is riddled with craters that belch lightning erratically.
57-58 This swamp is long and thin, having formed from the banks of a mighty river.
59-60 A pair of towering mountains have begun to degrade into mud, forming a swamp in the valley
of their bases.
61-62 This swamp is shallow, but covers most of the region, forcing people to grow submerged
crops, such as rice, to survive.
63-64 This is a swamp shrouded in shadows, magically unaffected by natural light.
65-66 This swamp is surrounded by a large stone wall. It is a decrepit well for giants.
67-68 This series of swamps runs from one coastline to another, the mighty footprints of a god.
69-70 This swamp is small in area, but very deep, and the home to a primal aquatic race.
71-72 This swamp has a stark red color, said to be cursed with blood magic.
73-74 This swamp is peaceful, and contains no predators. Its insects make harmonious music.
75-76 This swamp covers the top of a plateau, dripping its muck onto the dry lands below.
77-78 This swamp is the source of nutrients for a gargantuan tree.
79-80 This swamp is said to be the resting place for a group of heroes who carried a mighty magical
item when they were felled here.
81-82 Every part of this swamp is brightly colored, with intricate patterns.
83-84 The mud from this swamp, when mixed with holy water, is a powerful repellent of the undead.
85-86 This swamp is known for being a source of precious metals, if you can traverse its poisonous
water and flora.
87-88 This swamp has formed over a buried tomb, and undead emerge from the murk often.
89-90 This swamp known for its delicious water berries.
91-92 This wetland teems with green plantlife, smelling of rich, dark soil.
93-94 This swamp is inhabited by massive bats who feed on creatures stuck in the mud.
95-96 The trees in this swamp weep when nearby innocents are threatened.
97-98 This swamp is the location of a banished necrotic deity.
99-00 A tribe of humanoid herons maintain a secretive but friendly community within the depths of
this wetland.
Does gunpowder exist?

58
how to draw swamps
1. Draw a bunch of wavy horizontal lines to start.
2. Draw in some plant life. This adds texture and also indicates
that the area is not just water.
3. Scratch in some light wavy lines between your other lines.

This gives the impression that there are little streams and pools of water
throughout.
How deep do the oceans run? Are there any sentient societies down there?
59 59
Polar Regions
Even the coldest, most barren landscapes contain mountain peaks or lands infused with ice magic.
life and interesting adventures. Some of the best These can benefit from a “polar” twist as well!
immersive descriptions in your campaign can occur
in the marvelous reaches of the freezing tundras and 2. Drawing Blank Spaces: Polar regions are not
snow dunes of your realm. It’s time to add these areas easily drawn in the traditional sense of the word.
to your world. Actually, many polar areas will be left blank, as
large glacial regions and massive sheets of ice
Tips for Creating Polar Regions are usually featureless. Still, you should lightly
highlight or shade in the icy areas of your realm, so
1. Polar by Any Other Name: Sure, the word “polar” you can easily describe the climate to a traveling
specifically refers to those regions located the party of adventurers that journey there.
farthest north or south in your realm, but consider
the other frozen regions of your world, such as high
aurora unnaturalis
In the real world, the magnetic poles of the Earth combine with the solar winds of our
Sun in order to create one of the most beautiful phenomena on the planet: the Auroras,
or the “Northern Lights.”
So what if you want to place something similar in your fantasy realm, but want to give
it a fantastical or arcane twist? Roll on this feature table to spice up your auroras.
1. Blue 14. Every creature in the area, no

2. Green matter how sentient, comes
out to watch the lights when
3. Red they are in the sky.
4. Orange 15. The lights from this aurora can be seen from
5. Yellow everywhere in the realm.
6. Black 16. The aurora is utilized as a power source for a
7. Purple magical civilization.
8. Multicolored 17. This aurora is the source of all magic in the

realm.
9. Wispy, geometrical shapes in the sky
18. These lights are created from the eternal
10. Lightning storms emanate from this aurora. conflict between two deities.
11. Whispering voices can be heard coming from 19. The aurora was left in the sky eons ago, as a
the lights. dying gift from a benevolent archwizard.
12. The aurora is made up of the lost souls of a 20. The circle of this aurora forms a massive,
forgotten empire. ethereal prison for seven powerful demons.
13. The source of these lights is actually on the
ground – some wizard’s mischief .
How high are the tallest city walls in your world?

60
Polar Features
Polar regions are far from desolate, lifeless wastelands. Give them some life with the roll tables below.

1-2 The temperatures in this region can drop drastically in a matter of seconds, freezing travelers
into sculptures of ice almost immediately.
3-4 The snowy fields of this region resemble the dune seas of many deserts.
5-6 This near-impassable region is peppered with many natural ice caves.
7-8 There is no road over this massive sheet of ice, yet the journey is necessary for regional trade.
9-10 The snow here falls in shards of ice – travelers would do well to find shelter.
11-12 An ancient temple is buried in the ice of this region.
13-14 Lush, persistent trees inhabit this icy landscape, surviving despite the freezing conditions.
15-16 This polar region is actually the icy surface of a massive lake.
17-18 This once-frozen wasteland has begun melting – the governors fear the oncoming floods.
19-20 This polar region is inhabited by gigantic, carnivorous penguin-like creatures that slide down
the slopes in pursuit of their prey.
21-22 An enormous diamond emerges out of the center of this frozen landscape.
23-24 The snow here is constant but gentle.
25-26 A tribe of sledding pirates inhabits this region.
27-28 This large polar region is shaped like a blade.
29-30 The small towns that pepper this area make their annual income off of the snowed-in travelers
that must stay the night.
31-32 This tundra is barren, save for a large forest of crimson trees.
33-34 High, arching gates from a long dead culture stand in this tundra, leading the treacherous way.
35-36 Strange, razor-sharp steel walls jut from many parts of this tundra.
37-38 This icy region is a location that amplifies magic, if the user can survive the elements.
39-40 A coven of powerful witches shrouds the region in frost and fog to hide their whereabouts
from a tenacious witch hunter.
41-42 A bordering culture trains rocs and fitted them with barding to travel across this arctic region.
43-44 This haunted, frozen area was once a thriving trade town, until the weather changed.
45-46 Snow apes are hunted in this polar region, because their pelts are immune to ice magic.
47-48 Barbarian horselords are the prominent culture of this tundra, using their large, powerful snow
steeds to proctor their lands.
49-50 This arctic region is known for its breathtaking flowers that only grow in freezing tempera-
tures, and can be used to augment learning.
Do the gods ever walk upon the world as physical beings?

61 61
Polar Features
51-52 Ice trolls rule this frozen region with an iron fist, capturing and eating any trespassers.
53-54 This arctic region is beautiful, and home to a thriving ecosystem of polar creatures.
55-56 Brutal hailstorms and avalanches plague this polar region.
57-58 A small, temperate forest exists as a warm oasis in this frozen region.
59-60 All manner of colossal bones emerge from the frozen snow, now effigies of an icy war that
occurred between snow giants.
61-62 This arctic region has narrow, razor-peaked mountains lined with frozen rivers.
63-64 A kingdom of snow-dwelling elves lives atop the treacherous mountains of this arctic region.
65-66 A group of polar bear lycanthropes dwell in this tundra, seeking to control or defeat their curse.
67-68 An orc chieftain took a remnant of his clan to this frozen region to start anew.
69-70 The ice in this frozen region is enchanted and doesn't melt when handled correctly. It can be
sculpted to make powerful weapons.
71-72 Larger than average, barbaric goblins worship a god of winter in this arctic region.
73-74 This polar region is home to an old culture whose temples are made to repel ice and stop snow
from blocking its entrances.
75-76 This region is covered in ice, though much of its landmarks show through.
77-78 This polar region is home to a circle of druids who struggle to bring balance to the frozen
wasteland.
79-80 This tundra is dotted with frozen pyramids, sticking partly out of the snow.
81-82 Beneath the layers of ice lies a dwarven kingdom. They are rumoured to thrive underground,
appreciating the isolation from outsiders.
83-84 This tundra is surrounded by temperate regions, its weather caused by an arcane mishap.
85-86 The snow of this tundra takes twice as long to melt than normal snow.
87-88 An antediluvian kraken lives below this tundra in its frozen waters. It surfaces once a month,
breaking through the ice to claim victims.
89-90 Many travellers are claimed by the numerous snow spiders that dwell in this tundra, nearly
impossible to see.
91-92 Previous cultures have marked these frozen wastes with glowing blue patterns.
93-94 A group of arctic griffons thrives in this tundra, flying low to ambush prey.
95-96 The snow here flows like a mighty river.
97-98 This tundra was once a thriving village, now buried beneath the layers of frozen waste.
99-00 This arctic region has leafless trees that jut through portions of the snow and ice.
Write a poem about a famous king.

62
how to draw polar regions
1. In the far North or far South of your world draw a jagged coastline
and some small jagged islands. These island will become floating
icebergs.
2. Draw vertical lines coming down from the most jagged corners
of your coastline and close the bottom edge off to indicate
where it hits the water. Now you have a landmass (or ice mass) that protrudes
from the water.
3. Add wavy lines around the edges of the coast to indicate water, and sketch in some thin wandering lines
on the arctic surface.
What kind of music is popular among the wealthy elite?

63 63
cities and settlements
Now you’ve created the vast landscapes that make up the foundations of your world. You’ve created stretching
mountain ranges, raging rivers, dense forests, and magically mysterious landscapes. Many amazing adventures
will take place in this realm, but first, we need to add the most important part of any world – the people.
The cities and other settlements that dot your world will be the stage on which your stories will be told. Your
task now is to decide where to put them, so let’s get started…
How many days are there in a year?

64
the two types of settlements
Resource Settlements d100 Resource
There will be many valuable resources in your world, 1 Ale

from the strategic resources like coal, iron, and arcane 2 Spirits
energy, to the luxurious resources such as gemstones,
gold, and furs. It is common for thriving cities to be 3 Weapons
built on top of these resources, using them as trade
4 Spices
goods for the population.
5 Cattle
Place some of these cities around your realm, while
6 Pigs
following some guidelines:
7 Sheep
1. It’s Your world: If you want to place more or fewer
8 Pepper
of these cities, do it! Do whatever makes your
world feel more like you want it to, no matter what 9 Coal
these guidelines say. Your world can be sparsely
10 Coffee
populated, with ranges of wilderness between
settlements. Or it could be well-established, with 11 Copper
roads between the walled cities of civilizations.
12 Diamonds
2. Two Days’ Travel: Separate your cities out a bit. 13 Perch (fish)
They’ll be some of your world’s most prosperous
settlements, so make sure adventurers can’t get 14 Emeralds
from one to another without stopping somewhere 15 Furs
for the night. I usually measure distance in my
campaign settings in days, instead of kilometers or 16 Gold
miles. This helps me to know how far settlements 17 Gravel
are from one another, and what sorts of adventure
a group of people might find during their travels. 18 Iron ore
When in doubt, space your cities about two days 19 Nutmeg
average travel apart.
20 Arcane energy
3. Roll For It: Here’s a useful list of resources or 21 Jade
exports that a city might be built around. They
could be natural resources found in or near the 22 Bamboo
city, or they might be things the city creates using 23 Lead
craftsmen unlike any other in the world.
24 Agriculture
25 Limestone
Are the town garrisons generally considered fair? Or are they more often considered
65 corrupt? 65
d100 Resource d100 Resource d100 Resource
26 Lumber 51 Rye 76 Crab
27 Silk 52 Salmon 77 Sunflower
28 Coconut 53 Salt 78 Tobacco
29 Paint 54 Wheat 79 Oranges
30 Marble 55 Sand 80 Swordfish
31 Bison 56 Dyes 81 Talc
32 Nickel 57 Tourism 82 Elk
33 Illicit drugs 58 Porcelain 83 Tea
34 Timber 59 Magical metals 84 Jewelry
35 Oat 60 Chickens 85 Oil
36 Bananas 61 Ivory 86 Trout
37 Fresh water 62 Tin 87 Wine
38 Oysters 63 Shrimp 88 Woodland game
39 Cabbage 64 Cotton 89 Zinc
40 Armor 65 Medicine 90 Carts, Wagons, etc.
41 Paper 66 Cloves 91 Whales
42 Cherries 67 Arable land 92 Leathers and hides
43 Parsley 68 Crawfish 93 Medicine
44 Cocoa 69 Lobster 94 Furniture
45 Pearls 70 Olives 95 Luxury oils
46 Grapefruit 71 Sapphires 96 Horses
47 Platinum 72 Silver 97 Naval ships
48 Clay 73 Stone 98 Art and antiques
49 Sugar 74 Coral 99 Exotic creatures
50 Incense 75 Sulfur 100 Fabrics and Textiles
What does a farmer in your world worry about more? Famine or vicious creatures?
66
traveler and trader settlements 1. Tale of Two Cities: Place some of these settlements
in between the larger, resource-based cities you
What happens when two large cities are too far apart
placed previously. Imagine where they might crop
to make for a one-day trip? Oftentimes, if the road
up out of small encampments and mobile trade
between two settlements is frequently traveled,
centers.
traveler and trade cities will begin to rise out of what
was once a small encampment. These settlements are 2. Let’s Go to the Market: Even traveler/trade cities
usually known for their comfortable inns, debaucherous have a thriving marketplace. Oftentimes, more
taverns, and packed market districts. so than other cities! If you’re looking for an easy
adventure hook, or just want to see what’s hot
Place some of these settlements around your realm,
at the market today, use the resource table from
using the following guidelines:
before to see what people are trading.
I decided that eight large cities would fit well on my map,

separated by 15 smaller towns and villages. I placed the larger
cities primarily on the coasts of the world, save for a couple
exceptions that I’ve already included in my current campaign:
1. Hallowhall: This is the capital of the mountain dwarves
in my world. It is located on the southwestern tip of the
northern island, under the mountain. I imagine it as a massive,
underground city, infused with technology and magic.
2. Talonfall: This floating city, located in the northwestern
corner of the same island as Hallowhall, will be a corrupt
and hedonistic society, centered around gambling on the
dangerous aerial races that happen there.
3. Aurora: Located at the tip of the western peninsula, this is
the beacon of high elf civilization in Enchea, and the launch
point for many of the power’s colonial endeavors around the
world.
I’m not sure what I’ll do with most of the small towns around
the map, but I’ve got some inspiration for a few of them:
1. Three Rivers: Located at (and named after) the convergence
of the three rivers at the central lake in Enchea, the
town of Three Rivers thrives off the resources in the local
marshlands. The locals traverse the canals via small boats
and mud boots.
2. The Dogpound: A small, borderland town of brigands and
bandits, the Dogpound is the only settlement located in
the jungles of the Thicket. Many criminals and fugitives seek
refuge in this lawless place.
3. Merrikor: This small fishing village is where my current
campaign started over a year ago. Located on the eastern
coast of the northern island, it is known for its boisterous
population of hill dwarves.
Are there any folk heroes commonly referred to in stories and ballads?
67 67
Mountain Towns
d20 Mountain Town Description
1 This dusty mining town sits in a mountainous cul de sac with only one way in or out.
2 The huts in this hunting village are made from the skins of the very mountain stags that inhab-
it the range.
3 This village was built around a mountaintop monastery once the peak was found to bear a rare
and delicious fruit.
4 This mountain village serves as a waypoint between two larger cities on either side of the
range – the debauchery practiced by the travelers here knows no bounds.
5 This mountain town is built upon a water source that causes its inhabitants to go blind, but
gives them truesight.
6 This town has a military that is known for their prowess using shields made from the stone
around them.
7 The small mountain town is unsuspecting, but is actually the front for an assassin’s guild.
8 This town has a powerful oracle, who can read futures, but only for the price of a memory.
9 Near the peak of a mountain, this town breeds griffons of all kinds.
10 The elves that live in this mountain town hate the forest, and seek to build an empire of stone.
11 This mountain town is perched next to a lush river and waterfall.
12 This small town is built within the shattered head of a monument that was carved out of this
mountain.
13 This once-thriving small town was used to summon a pitiless horde of devils, who now rule
these mountains.
14 This town worships earth elementals, and the people constantly build, empowered by their
granite leiges.
15 Master jewelers seek this town for its gorgeous and rare stones.
16 This mountain town is actually an abandoned ambush point, full of traps and kept up by crafty
goblins.
17 This mountain town is known for its guild of lycanthrope hunters.
18 This small town is the only way to pass through the mountains quickly, and is protected by a
large gate on either side.
19 The direwolves of the mountain mysteriously protect the inhabitants of this town.
20 This mountain town is overrun by ghouls.
What is the fastest way to travel from one place to another?

69 69
Forest and Jungle Towns
d20 Forest or Jungle Town Description
1 This lumber town has a long history of telling scary stories to their children in order to keep
them out of the treacherous forest.
2 This forested village thrives off the local tarpits, no matter how mysterious and dangerous
they might be.
3 This town is known for the hollowing out of trees for their precious sap. Ominous musical
tones play through the hollow trees at night, when the winds begin to blow.
4 Sitting on the edge of a prominent forest, this borderland town is known for its adventurers
guilds and questing opportunities.
5 This village resides on the banks of a large river, where the people make sacrifices to the gods.
6 This settlement thrives off of the large insects abundant in the surrounding region. They are a
source of food, armor, and even recreational substances.
7 If you can find this hidden jungle town, it is traditional that one of its warriors will serve as
your bodyguard for one week.
8 This forest city is built on stilts, with traps that keep the enormous ants below at bay. Sub-
mersion in the ant mounds below is used as punishment for heinous crimes.
9 The people of this village believe that the purple crystals in the cave nearby offer eternal life –
if they could just figure out how to harness their power.
10 Built inside a jungle clearing, this village is known for the most beautiful pottery in the realm.
11 This forest settlement is home to two famously talented blacksmiths – they are bitter rivals.
12 This woodland town is covered in ice, and has been for as long as anyone can remember. Many
believe it is cursed.
13 This jungle settlement is known for its particularly strategic position along a body of water,
allowing its people access to places it takes others much longer to travel to.
14 This floating village uses the creeks and canals of a large tributary for transportation and com-
merce. Floating market stalls are commonplace.
15 This forest village is home to a tribe of particularly cultured barbarians who believe knowledge,
not rage, wins wars.
16 This jungle city is believed to be the feeding place of several vampire spawn, using the charmed
townspeople as unwitting cattle.
17 The people of this town don’t seem to age – the surrounding forest has healing properties.
18 This region of forest is especially fertile, and many farming communities exist within it.
19 This forest town is said to be the hiding place of the treasonous outlaws who tried to kill the
current monarch.
20 The people of this forest settlement are masters of the elements, and have imprisoned ele-
mental slaves to do their bidding.
What is viewed as an honorable way to die?

70
Desert Towns
d20 Desert Town Description
1 This small village is built around a single, lush oasis.
2 The well of this village runs dry annually. The locals take this time to celebrate a festival of
thirst until the monsoon season returns.
3 This dusty town is built upon the parched sands of a long dried riverbed.
4 This town would be a thriving city if it weren’t for the regional powers keeping the water dried
up.
5 This desert settlement is home to the most prolific black market in the realms.
6 This desert city is often collateral damage in a war against opposing, desert-dwelling ape-men.
7 This desert outpost is a military encampment that has been allowed through a treaty, though
it is very hostile territory.
8 A race of gnomes live in this desert community. They have mastered the art of soul-switching,
and use it as a devilish means to steal younger bodies.
9 This desert city thrives, sitting in the shadow of two titanic skeletal hands that reach up from
the desert sands.
10 This area serves as the permanent camp of a sand-crawling, crypt-raiding adventurers guild.
They’re recruiting.
11 This hidden desert city is known as the Baron’s Refuge, said to be a safe place to retire for any
lords and leaders who have made enemies in their tenure.
12 This desert city is built atop the crumbling ruins of an ancient, polyhedral monument.
13 This was once a great desert town. Ransacked, and rife with undead, it’s now a blight on the
sands.
14 This desert outpost is home to a handful of mystics who have mastered body control to the
point of needing little to no water.
15 This industrious desert settlement mass-produces many wondrous items.
16 This nomadic desert community hunts the giant scorpions of the desert, fashioning their cara-
paces into armor.
17 This desert hamlet is kept thriving by a benevolent hermit who lives nearby. He is a master
instrument maker, and supports the city financially with his exorbitant custom-crafting fees.
18 This town hovers 30 feet off of the desert sands – just high enough for travelers to see it in
the distance. They charge quite an entrance fee.
19 This desert city is hidden beneath the sands. Several hidden elevators exist, all marked with
mundane plants and rocks.
20 A tribe of desert goblins has bred large trap-door spiders that they control with pheromones.
They lurk beneath the sand, lying in wait.
Are people generally allowed to marry freely? Or are most marriages arranged?
71 71
Swamp Towns
d20 Swamp Town Description
1 This hamlet is built on stilted buildings and wooden boardwalks.
2 This small village is home to the Gatorskins, a group of brave hunters that slay the dangerous
local reptiles.
3 This town is defended by a skilled town guard, known for fighting on the back of riverbears –
large otters, skilled in both running and swimming.
4 The locals here must travel in pairs, just in case one person falls into the swallowing mud of
the swamp.
5 Farmers on stilts till the fertile marshland soil, growing aquatic produce.
6 This marshy village thrives on the capture and export of rhino-fins, massive, horned fish con-
sidered a delicacy by many affluent connoisseurs.
7 Fire is outlawed here, as the gasses emitted from the swamp are highly flammable. The locals
light their homes with bioluminescent fungi.
8 Special craft that “skim” the swamp’s surface are used for transportation here.
9 The women in this marshland settlement serve as its warriors, a tradition established by a leg-
endary figure known as the Bog Queen.
10 The settlers of here have magically adapted to the environment – many possess gills and fins.
11 The locals are adept spear-throwers, hurling their weapons expertly and winding them back
using attached leather cords.
12 A band of dwarven craftsmen has settled here. The weapons they quench in the murky waters
of the swamp have a greenish, rippled tinge to them.
13 Wild halflings live peacefully among the gnarled roots of the massive swamp trees growing
here – but they set elaborate traps to dissuade outsiders from approaching.
14 A tribe of savage frogmen lives beneath the yellowed bones of an ancient black dragon – their
chieftain holds court from inside a massive eye socket.
15 The winding, widespread waterways of this marshy village make it an ideal trading post.
16 This swampland settlement is as diverse as they come. It was established by a group of elven,
dwarven, and human exiles, driven from their respective homelands.
17 The medicine man in this marsh hermitage is a retired cleric, famed for the cure he developed
for a destructive plague.
18 The tavern here serves “swamp swill,” a potent spirit brewed using the pungent waters of the
surrounding marshlands.
19 This remote village was founded by a usurped king. He and his scattered followers scrape out a
meager living in the mud now.
20 The massive swamp spiders have been domesticated by the wild elves dwelling here – they
attack from above on their arachnid mounts.
Do the people of your world petition to multiple gods? Or are they loyal to just one?
72
Coastal Towns
d20 Coastal Town Description
1 This people of this fishing village have taken on the characteristics of fish, and outsiders are
not welcome.
2 This small port houses a secret safe house that can protect anyone from anything – for the
right price.
3 This small settlement is nestled inside of a large coastal grotto.
4 This small peninsula village is slowly being swallowed as the sea level rises.
5 The largest lighthouse ever built warns sailors of the treacherous rocks, and guides them
through massive storms.
6 The greatest culinary academy for many miles resides in the center of this village.
7 The people of this village make a living salvaging the graveyard of boats just off the coast.
8 This town contains multiple competing gambling houses.
9 This town has two distinct classes: the immensely rich in their mansions on the coast, and the
poor serfs and servants inland.
10 Overfishing has caused nearly everyone to abandon this once great fishing village.
11 The ruler of this land holds the citizens of this town hostage by threatening to destroy the
dam and flood the city.
12 The main mode of transportation through this city is by way of the many canals that run
through it.
13 Due to pollution coming from deep underground, the citizens of this city have gone mad with
rage.
14 This city was suspended in time to save it from a tidal wave but caster responsible died before
unfreezing it.
15 The sheer cliffs of this settlement make it impregnable from the sea hundreds of feet below.
16 A great religious leader resides in and rules this coastal city-state.
17 The primitive, tribal frog people of this town await the signs of a great prophecy that foretells
the swallowing of the entire world by the water.
18 The last artisan of a dying art has retired to this town and refuses to teach his art to anyone
not worthy.
19 In this city, the punishment for poaching on land or sea is death.
20 Magma slowly dribbles from a volcano into the coastal waters of this town.
Is slavery a common sight in the world?

73 73
Polar Towns
d20 Polar Town Description
1 This research encampment has grown into a small village, peppered with sleds and igloos.
2 This small town is built around a frozen lake, whose fish keep the populace fed.
3 Built at the base of a glacier, the locals of this village use the dripping water as their primary
source of water.
4 This village is known for its fighting pits – the arenas are coated with a slippery layer of ice.
5 The denizens of this frozen settlement don the thick, white pelts of the local arctic wolves to
stay warm.
6 The ice surrounding this town melts for just one week per year – an event known as the Fleet-
ing Spring.
7 An imprisoned fire elemental heats the homes in this remote polar village.
8 The half-giant smith of this hamlet creates weapons and armor of glacial steel, quenching her
creations in the ice. The steel has a blue, almost crystalline appearance.
9 The tundra halflings here dig long, winding burrows beneath the snow, creating a subterranean
settlement of frigid ice.
10 An aging, humanoid snowy owl serves as this town’s leader – it provides wisdom to those who
accept it humbly.
11 Shaggy snow rams pull the sleds in this village, carrying tundra rangers quickly across the ice.
12 This unassuming hamlet half-buried in snow is home to a famous retired swordsman, known
the world over as one of the greatest blademasters to ever live.
13 Pillars of ice ring this town, soaring and unmelting. In the light of the moon, they gleam with an
eerie silver glow.
14 This village is populated by druids, who have mastered the art of shapeshifting into polar crea-
tures to survive the subzero temperatures.
15 The structures of this town are chiseled into the ice of a towering glacier.
16 A glacial river called the Melt runs through the heart of this polar settlement.
17 Standard currency is not accepted in this distant, frozen village. Instead, favors are exchanged
for goods.
18 This settlement is little more than a crumbling, frozen tower. A cryomancer rules here, locked
away in his study, attempting to answer an ancient riddle.
19 The hollow carapace of a remorhaz serves as the market in this polar settlement.
20 Every time the silver moon wanes, a sacrifice is made to appease the gods of winter – one
volunteer is sent out into the tundra to freeze.
What is generally regarded as the most dishonorable crime in the land?

74
Grassland Towns
d20 Grassland Town Description
1 Tourism drives this small town, as many flock to see its ancient glyphs.
2 This village is built on a single hill, and is known for its cultivation of grapes and fermenting of
fine wines.
3 This portable village can be packed up and moved swiftly, if the leadership deems it necessary.
4 Almost every language can be heard simultaneously in the market district of this borderland
town.
5 This nomadic village is known for raising some of the deadliest horse archers in the world.
6 The augurs of this settlement hear omens in the unfettered wind that races across the plains.
7 This grassland settlement is known for creating glass eyes that you can use to replace one of
your own, magically enhancing your vision.
8 This stretch of small villages dotting the planes are all in league with each other, each fabricat-
ing different materials to build impeccable war machines.
9 On the plains, this town of bone collectors is able to forge bone into material harder than
steel, creating light and deadly weapons and armor.
10 This grassland hamlet is small, but beautifully crafted and safe, designed by a famed architect
who lives there.
11 This barren plane has a small hamlet on it that was intended to be an upstart city, but failed.
The founding baron lost everything and lives in poverty there.
12 This plain is home to a village that is built within a depression of land, so that one cannot see it
on the horizon.
13 This melting pot of cultures is located in a desolate grassland. Any are welcome there so long
as they follow its tenets – regardless of their past.
14 This hamlet is known for the best grass-fed livestock in the region, and though small, is pow-
erfully protected.
15 This now abandoned grassland town always has a blue storm raging above it. It is said to hold
the lamp of a powerful djinn who tricked the previous inhabitants into forfeiting their souls.
16 This village is mysterious, as it is surrounded by towering walls on all sides, and is protected
from above by large, hideous avian creatures.
17 This grassland settlement is the only place in the region to get a particular metal that can be
found in the earth in their location.
18 This small village is built within an enormous tree – the only one on the plain.
19 This long, narrow town is hidden on all sides by an illusory wall.
20 This grassland village is home to a group of civilized gnolls who keep to themselves, though
they are not discriminatory with who they eat.
What color are the clouds?

75 75
how to draw towns
1. Sketch in the basic shapes of a few overlapping buildings and

roofs.
2. Add windows, doors, and other details. You could even add a
fence, a wheelbarrow, or a minecart to add some character to
your town.
3. Add some chimneys, roof lines, shading and other details. Every town might look different, so play
around with it.
Do many people smoke?

76
Mountain Cities
d20 Mountain City Description
1 Stone homes and roadways make up this city, carved into the side of a mountain range.
2 This city thrives on both sides of a mountain range, with highways tunneled through the
mountains from one side to the other.
3 This city is positioned between two massive statues of former heroes, carved out of the
snowy peaks the population calls home.
4 With wings crafted using the feathers of large birds, the people of this city ride the air currents
to get around.
5 The final resting place of a once great hero lies near the summit of this mountain, and a city
has sprouted up around it.
6 Many people make the treacherous journey to this city as part of a religious pilgrimage.
7 This hub of commerce lies in the only mountain pass for hundreds of miles.
8 This city looks deceptively small as most of it exists in the manmade caverns dug into the
mountain.
9 The air of this city is thin, as it lies above the clouds.
10 This city sits atop a series of jagged, floating peaks, suspended in the air.
11 An ancient, well-worn staircase carved into the side of the mountain is the only way in and
out of this city.
12 This mountainous settlement is protected by a massive moat.
13 Everyone in this mountainous village wears a mask to conceal their faces, believing that their
actions are more important than their identity.
14 This large city is built atop a volcano, and they use its heat to power an enormous forge.
15 This mountainous city is known for its delicious, cured meats – exotic and delicious, it’s har-
vested from the hard-to-capture creatures that dwell in the mountains.
16 The economy of this mountain settlement is based on its non-lethal fighting pits.
17 Barely a city, this loose group of mountain-dwelling families live off the land, but leave it as
untouched as possible.
18 This mountain city is protected by a young dragon whose life the inhabitants saved years ago.
19 This dwarven city is populated by dwarven outlaws, sentenced to above-ground exile by the
dwarves within the mountain.
20 Deep in the mountains, this city is home to a small, dedicated cult that allows extra-planar
creatures to inhabit their bodies.
Is overpopulation an issue anywhere in the world?

77 77
Forest and Jungle Cities
d20 Forest or Jungle City Description
1 This massive city is built entirely, roads and all, from the lumber of the surrounding forest.
2 This city is known for its beautiful textiles and fabrics, woven from the fibers of the forest’s
leaves.
3 An interconnected system of vines and bridges make up this city in the trees.
4 This forest city is home to an academy for young warriors. It is very difficult to be accepted.
5 The inhabitants of this jungle city have learned to terraform the surrounding land slowly into
anything they need.
6 This large forest settlement was built purposefully atop the back of an enormous, mighty
beast that slumbers seven years, then hunts for one. The people have adapted to this routine.
7 These temples sit within a dying forest, and have become a center of trade for monstrous
humanoids.
8 This serene jungle city is covered in runes that keep it hidden to those who wish it harm.
9 This entire forest city is outfitted with animated objects that serve the people.
10 Halflings live in this forest, and have built a large city in the trees to avoid the deadly predators
that roam the forest floor.
11 This jungle city is built around a well of spirit water, and its inhabitants have harnessed the
water to heal all manner of ailments.
12 This large forest settlement is built around a temple to a long dead god of malice and destruc-
tion. Some say his curse still lingers.
13 A forest has grown around this dwarven city built into the base of a crumbling mountain.
14 This forest town is a miracle of steel and glass, and a hub of arcane and scientific research.
15 This city, located deep in the jungle, is inhabited by a tribe of goblins who have been around
since the last age. They are more patient and wise than their kin.
16 This forest city houses one of the region’s most deadly vigilante groups, who react violently to
all who do not adhere to their ways.
17 This large jungle city features a perfectly lifelike statue of an ancient dragon – rumors persist
that is not a statue at all, but a petrified real dragon.
18 This forest metropolis is home to two separate cultures: the gnomes who work by day, and
the moonkin specters who work by night.
19 The people of this large jungle city have mastered control of the weather.
20 This forest city is notorious for its bards, and many congregate there to try to get noticed.
How would a beggar react if they witnessed someone performing magic?

78
Desert Cities
d20 Desert City Description
1 This gargantuan city of glass was constructed using the sands of the surrounding desert.
2 Built underground to take advantage of the shade and water, this huge city appears as nothing
more than a small hut on the surface of the burning desert.
3 This city is known for the expensive spices collected from the surrounding arid regions – as-
suming the spice merchants can survive the arduous journey.
4 This desert empire is known for its breeding of hounds – from high quality natural canines, to
magical and exotic ones.
5 This desert city is considered sacred ground by the surrounding peoples, and no blood can be
shed here.
6 Home to a prolific clan of warriors, the people of this desert city believe vehemently in paci-
fism.
7 Flaming, jackal-headed guardians appear to any who wish this desert city harm.
8 A band of giants promise this desert city protection, so long as tribute is paid monthly. Rumors
say the people are preparing to fight back.
9 The creatures of this city are friendly, though they have a hideous appearance. They use illuso-
ry magic to appear as more common races.
10 This desert city is home to three sibling archmages. Rumors persist that they are trying to
unlock the secrets of undeath by becoming liches.
11 A small oasis serves as the magical doorway to this extra-planar city.
12 The halflings living in this desert city are in a sort of trance, working tirelessly and only saying,
“We wait for our master’s return.”
13 This desert city is sculpted from the sand itself.
14 This desert city is constructed around a deep pond, which is protected by high walls.
15 This desert city is known for its undefeatable army, who fight for anyone with enough coin.
16 This intricate desert city is rumored to be an enormous lock that opens a vault from ages ago.
17 This desert city appears as a hazy mirage to travelers, but is solid and real once approached.
18 The inhabitants of this city hidden among the dunes are able to walk lucidly through their
dreams.
19 The people of this desert city command sand golems as guardians and sentries.
20 Known as the city of no consequence, there are no laws in this brutal, sun-baked settlement.
How many bedrooms would a middle-class home contain?

79 79
Swamp Cities
d20 Swamp City Description
1 The stench here, caused by the surrounding swamps, goes unnoticed by the jaded populace.
2 This city prides itself on its clean streets and gambling-centered tourism, despite the horrid
swamps on the outskirts.
3 This city is divided into three districts, each run by different factions, arguing over how best to
divide the magical resources created by the surrounding wetlands.
4 Despite the efforts of the local mage’s guild, this city is slowly sinking into the sodden marsh-
lands, giving it a tilting appearance.
5 The magical pollution flowing from this walled city into the swamp has led to some unnatural
mutations among the local wildlife.
6 A shaky alliance has been struck between the lords of this marshy city, and the tribal vampires
who call the surrounding swamp home.
7 An ancient relic known as the Bogblade is displayed in this city’s divine temple – travelers
come from all corners of the world to glimpse this ancient weapon.
8 Solid ground is a commodity in this muddy marsh, so this city is built high instead of wide – its
stone towers soar hundreds of feet into the air.
9 Insects are a delicacy here. The massive swamp bugs are grilled, fried, braised, or eaten raw.
10 This city is an elaborate network of treehouses and rope bridges, suspended over the murky
waters of the swamp. The mayor holds court in a hollowed-out trunk.
11 This city was once a dirty, meager village. But the discovery of mithral beneath the mud of the
swamp has caused this place to flourish and grow exponentially.
12 This city thrives off the hunt of an odd species of bog deer. Their meat is sour and tastes of the
muck, but their antlers are useful for medicines and potions.
13 The people of this swamp city are known as the ravagers – their lands were once fertile and
forested, but magic was overused to rush crops.
14 This city is surrounded by a harsh, wet environment, but shows no signs of ruin or degradation.
15 Known as the Flame of the Swamp, this city has survived against all odds due to the stalwart
resolve of its people.
16 Swamp giants have abandoned this city, and it has become the home of frogman tribes.
17 This swamp city looks deserted, but is alive and thriving under the surface.
18 A simple but stalwart castle is the centerpiece of this city that somehow stays afloat amidst
miles of muck and mire.
19 This city is known for disposing of corpses cheaply and efficiently, sinking them into the
swamp. But the murky waters are getting crowded...
20 This large swamp city was purposefully collapsed into the marsh. A malevolent force slumbers
within it, and it is guarded day and night.
Are the naval ships powered by oar, sail, or something else entirely?
80
Coastal Cities
d20 Coastal City Description
1 Built upon a cliff overlooking the ocean, the town’s miners rappel down the sides in order to
mine a rare and valuable gem – the swooping pterodactyls are to be feared, however.
2 This city is known for its man-made harbor, which stretches miles into the ocean to allow for
hundreds of docked ships.
3 This city is built out of the wreckage of a massive battleship.
4 This city is actually a flotilla of lashed-together vessels, connected by precarious bridges and
tangles of rigging. It’s anchored now along the coast.
5 The lord of this sprawling coastal port is a retired pirate – his city is founded with pillaged gold.
6 The locals of this coastal settlement dine on reef sharks – the deadly fish is a delicacy, though
dangerous to net.
7 The town guard carry hooked, bladed staves – as useful as a weapon as they are for pulling
ships into dock.
8 The mage’s guild in this port is known for training tempest mages, who use their abilities to
temper storms and brings ships safely into port.
9 This city once thrived, until a submerged tomb broke open and flooded the town with dis-
ease-ridden corpses.
10 This coastal city is said to have the ability to generate – and protect itself against – deadly
tsunamis.
11 This coastal city is dedicated to keeping the news of the region in the ears of its people. A net-
work of cryers walks the coast, keeping everyone informed.
12 The beauty of this coastal city is deceptive – it is home to the bloodiest battle arena in the
region. The losers are floated out to sea.
13 Benevolent aquatic creatures protect the shores of this city, and the inhabitants offer food in
return.
14 The people of this city have used magic to grant themselves water-breathing abilities, and
keep their vaults and banks beneath the waves.
15 This coastal city is built atop myriad coastal plateaus, connected by intricate and masterful
bridges.
16 This coastal city was built too close to the resting place of a great old one. The people were
driven mad.
17 This city is known for breeding and training sharks.
18 This coastal city is built within the hollowed-out shell of a colossal turtle.
19 This city is built along a gorgeous and temperate coast. The large fireflies provide light to it
year-round.
20 This coastal city is the chosen spawning ground of a seafaring demigod.
What is the survival rate for those who visit the doctor?
81 81
Polar Cities
d20 Polar City Description
1 Built on a large sheet of ice, this city’s imports and exports keep the people alive and in luxury.
2 The route to this city is near impossible to trek without a skilled ranger to navigate through
the blizzards.
3 Carved out of a massive slab of glacier, this indoor city is known for the weaponsmiths that
forge their arms and armor out of the magical ice.
4 This arctic city is hewn from the ice itself, sculpted by cryomancers of the highest caliber.
5 Constant snowstorms shield this city from the outside world – but the riches contained with-
in still draw many foolhardy travelers to its walls.
6 Contrary to their species, the elves of this frigid city have built their city under a snow-capped
peak, burrowing deep into the earth to escape the chill of this land.
7 A council rules this city, known as the Six Lords of Winter. Each is responsible for a different
facet of the city’s infrastructure and economy.
8 A soaring, spiked wall of ice has been raised in the center of town, separating two warring
noble families.
9 The annual Ice Diving festival is in full swing here – dozens of brave (or foolish) men and wom-
en diving into the frigid waters for gold and glory.
10 A great, wooly beast is stuffed and displayed in this city’s town hall. Legends say the settle-
ment’s founder slayed the creature and survived the frigid tundra by sleeping inside of it for
warmth.
11 This city is famed for a peculiar drink known as the ice-flow – so cold that when drank, frosty
breath curls from the drinker’s mouth.
12 The thick walls of this polar city have withstood countless sieges by the nearby ice giants –
the guards are also master giant slayers.
13 Ice is shipped from this city to the nearby settlements. These huge, frozen blocks are used to
preserve meat and produce.
14 The ice from this polar city is cured with arcane recipes, so it doesn’t melt until a command
word is spoken.
15 This polar metropolis is home to an ancient clan of dwarves who seek their long-lost deity.
16 This polar city subsists on the elemental whales that swim beneath its icy waters.
17 This city is home to the Ice Khan, a violent and destructive warlord.
18 An active volcano has melted a ring in the ice around its base, and a city has thrived there for
decades.
19 This polar city is known for the large, dwarven stone carvings that surround it. When the polar
winds blow, it plays haunting hymns.
20 Fire-blooded tieflings populate this tundra city, melting the ice with their potent fire magic.
What ancient empire is regarded as having been the most powerful?

82
Grassland Cities
d20 Grassland City Description
1 A beacon of civilization in the region, this huge city is a melting pot of almost every race.
2 Every road in the realm leads to this city, where every pleasure imaginable is available for those
who can pay.
3 Home to the most famous tavern in the land, this city is packed with inns that provide beds to
the thirsty travelers of the realm.
4 The many miles of streets, farms, and other lands that make up this city are surrounded by a
single, large wall – the city does not extend beyond it.
5 The finest horses in the realm are reared here. Travelers come from hundreds of miles away
just to purchase one of these magnificent creatures.
6 This city is protected by the Reapers, horseman who wield long scythes and roam the plains.
7 A single, mountain-sized tree sprouts from the center of the city, providing shade and a bounty
of fruit to the citizens below.
8 This walled city has a landlocked seep lake at its heart, devoid of fish but providing plenty of
fresh water.
9 The craftsmen of this plains city craft wondrous, supple armor by intricately weaving the long
grass of their homeland.
10 These plains people have tamed the local predatory cats of the savannah – it is seen as a sign
of great wealth to walk the streets with a domesticated lion.
11 This city shows little mercy to lawbreakers. Dozens of corpses hang from its sandstone walls,
backing in the sun of the plains.
12 The king of this city was usurped decades ago. It is ruled now by a guild of artisans, and pro-
tected by a volunteer militia.
13 Tucked against a cluster of hills, this small city enjoys an easily defensible position and access
to a freshwater lake for fishing.
14 The nomadic dwarves of this caravan city have developed rudimentary black powder weapons,
and have used them to drive a local species of grazing animal to the brink of extinction.
15 This city acquired its great wealth by subjugating the nearby native tribes. The descendants of
these plainsmen tribes now reside in slums outside the city walls.
16 The spires of this ancient grasslands settlement stand as a beacon of hope to weary travelers
and wayward wanderers.
17 This city is built around the impact crater of a small meteorite. The meteoric material was
used to create the circlet worn by the city’s ruler.
18 For cultural reasons, this ancient city has been purposely abandoned for decades.
19 This city is known for its gorgeous obsidian walls.
20 The roads in this naturalistic city are composed of the very grass that surrounds it.
Are there large expanses of evil caverns underneath the world?

83 83
how to draw cities
1. Draw some towers, connected by walls. Don’t worry about

symmetry or making things uniform if you are trying to portray
a sprawling urban center.
2. Add more structures in the background and even spilling outside

the walls. Having overlapping rooftops will create the illusion of
density and dimension. Draw a front gate.
3. Add windows, smaller doors, roof texture and other details.
Who is the most powerful mage in the world?

84
roads
We’ve created our world’s cities. Now let’s connect common travelers will seek an easier way around,
them! no matter how long it took. Consider drawing a
well-maintained road around the obstacle, as well
When deciding where roads should be placed, look at a
as an unmarked and arduous trail through it.
settlement on your map and ask yourself the following
questions: 3. Are there too many roads on my map? If you look
at your world and think you’ve overdone it, don’t
1. Do people want to go there? If so, there is a
be afraid to erase some of what you’ve drawn. This
significant chance there will be a road to this
will allow for many future adventures that take
location. People will find a way to make traveling
place off the beaten path, whereas if your world is
to this place easier, even if that means going by a
filled with roads, that backwoods ranger character
more dangerous route.
might feel a little out of place.
2. Is there something in the way, such as a mountain
range, vast desert, or rogue bandits? If so, many
Do any of the world’s monarchs have any secret deals?

85 85
What's In a Name? Was this city once
saved by a hero who
One of the most important (and most difficult) gave her own life in
tasks in building a world is deciding on names for its defense (Beleran’s
your features and locations. What is that mountain Fall)? Did a deity
called? What is the origin of this city’s name? Do plummet to earth
the dwarves use the same word to describe this long ago, creating
haunted forest as the elves do? A name should be this crater lake (The
informative yet memorable, unique yet simple. It Eye of Helial)? How
should say something about the place it describes, would the locals
but it should also be easy to say and recall – for your name a grassy field
own benefit as well as your players’. As fun as the where, just a decade
Rülash’yut Molrath Wastes might be to say aloud, prior, two great
it’s not very descriptive, nor will it be easy for you armies clashed for
or your players to remember a session or two later. the fate of the realm
(The Last March)?
Here are three tried-and-true methods for naming
your locations. Your players will have any easy time remembering
these names, and your world will feel richer and more
lived-in as a result.
Simple, Yet Effective
Look at a settlement or geographical feature on your Delve Into Words
map – think about the terrain around it, the cultures
who call it home, the weather it experiences. What While this technique should be done sparingly to
is unique about this place? Then assign it a simple avoid an overabundance of unfamiliar words, it can
descriptor-noun name. Does this arctic mountain be very effective when utilized carefully. Many of the
have a distinct, angular shape (Cutlass Peak)? Do the words in our language have roots in other tongues
people of this remote town specialize in marshland and ancient dialects, and utilizing these roots and
fishing (Black Lure)? Is this forest known for its foreign words can result in unique yet descriptive
petrified trees and prevalent undead (Lichwood)? names.
While these names might be too on-the-nose for you Using Latin, you discover a cool-sounding name
and your world, you can bet they will be remembered for a prominent volcano in your world (Ignis). Your
by your players amid hundreds of other names and marshland village finds a name in an Old English root
titles. Sometimes, simplicity is the most effective word (Marisk). Delving into ancient Akkadian, you
method. come across the perfect name for the wide, life-
giving river that runs through a desert of your world
(Ahatu).
Utilize Your Lore
The internet is an awesome resource for finding cool
An easy way to inject a little history into your world
and unique words to use in your world – just be
without exposition is to utilize your lore in the names
wary of throwing too many unfamiliar or hard-to-
of your settlements and features. Think about the
pronounce names at your players.
great events and legendary figures of your world, and
honor them by eternalizing their names.
Are bloodletting and other superstitious healing beliefs a commonality?

86
Nations, Factions, and Empires
Now that you’ve placed an array of settlements around your realm, it’s time to figure out how each of these
independent locations are related. It’s time to build the nations of your world…
Is the world round, flat, or some other shape?

87 87
National Borders 4. City-States: Existing beyond the hold of the vast
empires around the world, city-states operate
National boundaries have existed since time
as independent political powers, existing within
immemorial, in many different ways. Let’s go through
the confines of a single city (and oftentimes
your realm and begin dividing some of the lands up
surrounding villages and hamlets). These locations
into separate nations, factions, and empires. Here are
are fun to adventure in, and can be as crazy and
some great methods of doing this:
outside the box as you’d like. After all, city-states
1. Geographical Boundaries: Many nations utilize the are sort of like islands among a sea of nations. If
landmarks or other geographical features around something doesn’t quite fit into the rest of your
them for natural defensive positions. Lightly world, you can usually toss it in a city-state
sketch out certain regions that are enclosed by without issue! Circle one or two of the cities in
mountain ranges, rivers, forests, oceans, lakes, your realm to serve as independent city-states.
or any combination of those, to locate potential
5. Wild Lands: Not every acre of land needs an owner.
borders in your world.
Choose a region of your world to exist outside the
2. Climate Boundaries: Elven nations have long boundaries of law and order. Perhaps this will be a
called the forests their home, while the dwarven great impassable desert, filled with nomadic elven
clans of the mountains secure their boundaries tribes. Or it might be an evil realm, formerly ruled
underground. Take a look at the regions of your by a malicious dark lord. Either way, it will serve as
world where these sorts of climate-oriented the hub of untamed adventure in your world.
nations might thrive, and lightly sketch out those
6. Final Decisions: By now, your world should have
regions for those potential nations to exist.
many boundaries drawn on it, and you probably
3. Political Boundaries: Oftentimes, political powers have a good idea of where the various nations
on either side of two separate nations will draw a and factions will be located. The number of these
line where one did not naturally exist beforehand. powerful nations will vary depending on the size
If you take a look at a map of Africa or the United of your world, and can range from one or two, to
States, you can see where these boundaries exist. dozens. Either way, it’s time to sketch out your
Is this something that might fit in your world? If final borders, erasing any unused lines from before.
so, lightly sketch one of these borders on your
map.
Ethnic Origins
Many fantastical worlds are inhabited by a number of various species such as elves,
dwarves, halflings, orcs, and a near infinite quantity of others. We oftentimes see
entire nations and empires primarily consisting of one race. If you’re looking to create
this in your own world, now is the time!
Go through the borders you have drawn and, if you wish, designate each land as the property of a
powerful nation of a certain race. The regions you do not designate will be melting pots of the various
races of people that live nearby. This can be a great way to see where political tensions might rise!
What colors are the moons?

88
Nation and Faction Generator
The roll table below, featured in Be a Better Faction Master, can be used to create thousands of unique
nations, guilds, and organizations for your game. Roll a d20 once to find a cohesive faction, or roll it four times
to create an intriguing combination of aspects. Perhaps your off-colored theocracy is headed by a grizzled
paladin, whose sigil demands a change among the royal elite (a tipped chalice). Or maybe your group of rene-
gade arms-dealers was formed in a prison, and is led by a former revolutionary looking to rise again.
# MOTIVATION BACKGROUND LEADER SIGIL

1 Reclaiming Formed by an A dwarven archaeologist, The symbols
religious relics. ancient hero, set on committed to protecting of different
destroying heathen ancient things. deities,
artifacts. superimposed
into one large
sigil.
2 Usurping Traces its origins A former revolutionary, A tipped
political leaders. to an ancient noble looking to emerge again. chalice.
family.
3 Hunting Evolved from a small A grizzled paladin, scarred A dragon’s jaw.
monsters. group of daring and troubled by his past.
adventurers.
4 Carrying out Originally formed in A cunning half-orc A black dagger.
assassinations. a prison. woman with one arm.
5 Advancing Formed by a group of A whimsical, nearly-blind A monocle
technology. intellectuals driven halfling with gray hairs dangling from a
underground. sprouting from his ears. bubbling vial.
6 Returning to the Formed by A clumsy yet charismatic Two gold coins,
“old ways.” descendants of a half-elf with a silver no longer in
usurped monarch. tooth. circulation.
7 Seeking out the Organized by rogue A massive human man, A silver lion.
gods. clerics. clad in robes.
8 Escorting trade Formed from the An elven master A battered
caravans. remnants of an swordsman who wields a shield.
illegal fighter’s guild. broken blade.
9 Running the Founded by exiled A former champion with Iron manacles.
gladiatorial pits. slavers. a missing ear.
How many days are there in a week?

89 89
# MOTIVATION BACKGROUND LEADER SIGIL
10 Feeding the Organized by A kind-faced dwarven A cornucopia.
masses. excommunicated woman who smells of
holy men. incense.
11 Identifying Formerly a guild of A human wizard no A broken wand.
magic users. witch hunters. longer capable of magic.
12 Achieving Initially formed by A bald-headed dwarven A lonely
peace through monks in hermitage. man who meditates 12 mountain.
solitude. hours a day.
13 Putting an end Formed from the A retired captain of the A sword buried
to all wars, at remnants of a army with secrets of his to the hilt in
any cost. decimated army own. the earth.
legion.
14 Increasing life Founded by radically A cleric of life, whose A crimson
expectancy. progressive copper pendant is heart in front
alchemists. tarnished by rust and old of a geometric
age. sun.
15 Nature’s Formed by a council A barbaric human man A gnarled tree.
reclamation of of elven druids. draped in a cloak of
civilization. spiderwebs.
16 Selling weapons Traces its origins An albino half-orc man A double-
to both sides of back to disgruntled wielding a double-bladed bladed spear.
a war. veterans of a spear.
catastrophic war.
17 Protecting a The founders An elderly half-elven A sealed
long-guarded disguise themselves man, charged with envelope.
secret. as local street- emptying the city’s
sweepers. commodes.
18 The minting of Founded by A shrew-faced halfling A coinpurse.
valuable metals scheming loan who walks with a silver
into currency. brokers. cane.
19 The discovery of Once pious, but now The defected leader of A spyglass
faraway lands. more materialistic in another faction. in front of a
nature. sunrise.
20 The destruction Created by a group Three brothers who go by A burning
of other of vengeful plague the same name. banner.
organized survivors.
factions.
Are lycanthropes a prominent threat in the world? Or are they just a legend?
90
Almost done! Here are the nations I’ve decided on to populate
Enchea, based on the decisions I’ve made thus far in the world
building process:
1. Sur Salin: Where my current campaign started, this is the

land of the hill dwarves of Enchea, and the site of the world’s
most magical forest. Many of the world’s powers are vying
for political leverage in the region, oftentimes greedily seeking
the arcane resources provided by the Crimson Wood.
2. The Thicket: More of a territory than a nation, the Thicket is

named after the dense, near impassable jungle that takes up
most of this tropical space. The Dogpound is located in the
jungle, and an Auroran city, formed initially as a small colony,
resides at the north end of this region.
3. Aurora: The land of the high elves is one of the most

prominent powers in the world, due to its strategic position
at the mouth of the Magnetica. It is known for its vast
riches, highly skilled (albeit small) military, and its colonial
endeavors abroad.
4. The Durakis Initiative: More of a faction than an actual

nation, the Durakis Initiative inhabits much of the land that
many consider uninhabitable. From there, the faction seeks
to spread its influence around the Magnetica (often to the
chagrin of Auroran leadership) and beyond.
5. Gaudia: Originally the home of Enchea’s halflings, this nation

experienced an extreme economic depression over the past
couple centuries. Now pulling itself out of difficult times via
trade and exploration into the nearby Endless Isles, Gaudia
serves as the world’s most stereotypically medieval fantasy
realm.
6. The Confederation of Conscience: While not exactly a

nation in and of itself, this large portion of land contains the
many free city-states of Enchea that are unhappy with the
politics of larger countries.
7. The Endless Isles: This fey-touched archipelago is the most

unexplored region of Enchea. Islands seem to appear and
disappear out of nowhere, and some loony locals have often
reported returning from the Isles after a month of travel,
only to find that hundreds of years had passed.
Are the people primarily monotheistic?

91 91
adventuring locations
There is more to your realm than just the towns and cities spread across it. Your adventures will take place in
a variety of locations in the wilderness, including fortresses, caverns, crypts, ancient ruins, and dungeons.
With the national borders you’ve just created in mind, feel free to fill some of the remaining blank space in
your world with these fun and interesting locales. They can also be used inside or underneath the cities you’ve
already placed.
Are there any racial tensions in your world? Or do people get along quite peacefully?
93 93
Fortresses
Flawless in design and invaluable for a nation’s defense, fortresses can turn the tide in any war.
d100 Fortress Description

1-2 Tucked into a mountain alcove, the broad walls of this fortress keep it well defended.
3-4 This gigantic fortress was constructed by the titans. The surrounding mountain ranges make
up the walls and defenses.
5-6 This narrow fortress resides in a thin mountain pass where defenders can offer miles of resis-
tance against marching armies.
7-8 This fortress is literally a hollowed-out mountain, reinforced with natural ramparts.
9-10 This fortress was built with multiple tunnels through a nearby mountain, useful for ambushes.
11-12 This fortress is built at the very top of a mountain peak – the pride of an arrogant queen.
13-14 A long tramway is the only easy way into this high-altitude mountain fortress.
15-16 This fortress is built on an active fault line – earthquakes are common.
17-18 It has been many centuries since this fortress was utilized, yet it is still maintained in case of a
regional emergency.
19-20 Dozens of fortified ballista emplacements jut out of the mountains above this fortress.
21-22 This fortress, carved out of a cliff face far above the ground, is only accessible via ladders.
23-24 This fortress is built halfway into a cave, the tunnels inside allowing for indefinite resupply.
25-26 Wooden palisades surround this encampment, protecting it from the local ogre clans.
27-28 This fortress is surrounded on all sides by tributary rivers, making it nearly impenetrable.
29-30 Built into the canopy of the rainforest, the defenders of this fortress are known for raining
arrows down upon climbing attackers.
31-32 This underground network of tunnels, dug for guerrilla warfare, consists of hundreds of inter-
connecting bunkers and plenty booby traps.
33-34 This fortress has been constructed naturally – the trees have been slowly bent and shaped
over centuries to form the walls and other fortifications.
35-36 Built into a hollowed hill, this fortress is nearly invisible to the naked eye on the forest floor.
37-38 Built upon a thin isthmus of desert, this fortress protects the realm from an attack by land.
39-40 This desert fortress is surrounded by a minefield of magical traps.
41-42 Known as “The Unbreachable,” this desert fortress is surrounded by 60-foot sandstone walls.
43-44 The broad embattlements of this fortification protect a sacred and magical item.
45-46 Shards of glass pepper the sands outside of this stronghold, creating agony for any invaders.
47-48 This fortress is built upon a large desert plateau, surrounded on all sides by 400-foot cliffs.
49-50 The green mists of the local swamps keep visibility low for those attacking this fortress.
Are visions and prophecies a commonality?

94
Fortresses
d100 Fortress Description
51-52 The boardwalks outside this fortress can be moved and controlled by its defenders, making it
difficult for attacking forces to traverse the swamp.
53-54 This fortress has a secret – the nearby levees can be opened to flood out oncoming attackers.
55-56 A moat of thick, grasping swamp mud rings this stronghold.
57-58 Surrounded by cliffs that rise hundreds of feet above the ocean, the only way into this fortress
is through a narrow passage of land – or perhaps to climb the cliffs themselves.
59-60 This coastal fortress is defended by floating cannons, magically set to act as automatic tur-
rets, defending the settlement from enemy ships.
61-62 The back gate to this fortress opens directly to the sea, making it virtually impossible to be-
siege the settlement without naval assistance.
63-64 This fortress utilizes underwater ballistas to deal with any invaders from below the surface.
65-66 The harbor guarded by this fortress is defended by lengths of huge chains – when tightened on
the water’s surface, enemy ships run up against them.
67-68 Surrounded by a gigantic wall of ice, this stronghold was built by frost giants.
69-70 This fortress is known for its massive spear walls, carved out of the ice.
71-72 The ice surrounding this fortress is kept frozen and slick, making an attack here extra arduous.
73-74 This fortress is shaped like a seven-pointed star, with each point manned by a large ballista.
75-76 The ground has been shaped into the trenches, walls, and ramparts of this natural fortress.
77-78 This fortress is actually three connected forts, each positioned on a separate hill in a triangle.
79-80 This castle has three consecutive gates – attackers that break through one are immediately
trapped again behind another.
81-82 The walls of this fort contain angled chutes, where defenders drop boulders on the attackers.
83-84 This pristine fortress was built centuries ago, but has yet to be used for defense.
85-86 This massive fort covers a large area of land – the walls extend to a circumference of 20 miles.
87-88 This gargantuan fortress is actually the capital city of a prominent region.
89-90 This ornate fortification also serves as the home of the region’s monarch.
91-92 This fortress is known for its technologically advanced cannons, carved ornate engravings.
93-94 Sharp, iron spikes coat the walls of this fortress.
95-96 Undead guardsmen patrol the ramparts of this fortress, unsleeping.
97-98 A carved dragon’s head hangs above the gate of this fortress. Attackers are greeted with a
gout of flame from its open maw.
99-00 This fortress is abandoned and overrun with trolls covered in thick, black fur.
Has anyone ever done unlawful and heinous experiments on magic users in your
95 world? 95
how to draw fortresses
1. Start with your main towers (bastions), and block in basic walls
connecting them.
2. Add battlements to the top of desired towers and walls, a front

gate, and a keep near the middle of the castle
3. Add some texture to roofs, and bits of shading on walls and towers. Add tall, thin,
windows, a flag or two, and if you want you can place your castle on a hill to make it look more
prominent.
Does resurrection magic exist? How does this affect the politics in your world?
96
Ruins
Serving as the relics of an ancient world, ruins bring both mystery and culture to the realm.
d100 Ruin Description

1-2 This was a fortress of great renown, but half-collapsed, it’s fallen to the elements.
3-4 This once gorgeous amphitheatre is toppled and flooded.
5-6 A series of statues is now a pile of rubble, collateral damage of a terrible war.
7-8 This watchtower has been battered, and looks as though it was converted to an inn before it
was sacked and burned.
9-10 This once-peaceful halfling celebration hall was ravaged by a flash flood, its waterlogged ruins
remaining.
11-12 This coastal shrine to the earth was marred and battered by a tidal wave.
13-14 Destroyed from within, most of this guard house was eaten by enormous termites.
15-16 An unnatural blight caused the rich soil to swallow up this elven city.
17-18 This military outpost was burned to the ground, only a charred shadow of its former glory.
19-20 This small hamlet was decimated by the rockslide that buried it.
21-22 This temple of frozen wonders was lost to the freezing elements.
23-24 This trading outpost was overtaken when the creatures of the forest became violent and
bloodthirsty.
25-26 This bridge has fallen from high above, now shattered in the canyon.
27-28 This temple to a deity of old was crushed under foot of a giant.
29-30 A failed magical experiment destroyed this secluded arcane college.
31-32 This small keep was ravaged and obliterated by dueling archmages.
33-34 The bones of a colossal creature sit atop the ruins of a city, destroyed as it fell dead upon it.
35-36 This canal city is mostly sunken in the waters it once rested upon.
37-38 This druidic ritual site is overgrown with twisted, necrotic plant life.
39-40 This magically floating town was brought crashing to the ground in a catastrophe.
41-42 Made an example of by hobgoblin warlords, this treetop village came toppling down when its
trees were hacked to pieces.
43-44 Destroyed in a siege, this enormous stone structure once belonged to dwarves.
45-46 This once-prominent trade city was savaged by a volcanic eruption. What didn’t melt is petri-
fied within the hardened volcanic rock.
47-48 This lighthouse was destroyed in a famous naval battle.
49-50 An earthquake claimed this once-mighty mountainside kingdom, built by the dwarves.
What is the average life expectancy among the wealthy in your world? Among the
97 poor? 97
Ruins
d100 Ruin Description
51-52 A sinkhole swallowed up this once-great castle.
53-54 This primeval castle built by scores of elementals was destroyed when they turned on each
other.
55-56 These ruins have an odd hue and shape, and further inspection reveals them to be the
remains of a colossal golem, now hollow.
57-58 These ruins are the collapsed remains of an interplanar portal.
59-60 This was once a halfling bank, situated to reach many cultures, but it was overrun with
undead.
61-62 These ruins are a series of well-hewn pillars, once ornate, and now detritus.
63-64 Nothing but large, scattered stones remain of what was once a mighty royal memorial.
65-66 This hanging garden has collapsed, and all of its exotic flora have grown around it.
67-68 Demolished to be rebuilt, this armory’s remains instead fell prey to a swarm of rock- eating
trolls.
69-70 A monument to science, this ancient orrery is now in pieces.
71-72 This stone, star-shaped building exploded mysteriously.
73-74 This sacrificial temple sits in the middle of a lake, marred by the ever rising water.
75-76 This aviary was overtaken by its inhabitants, and is now in tatters as they ravaged the inside.
77-78 This open-air ceremonial temple fell to the elements centuries ago.
79-80 This hollow dragon turtle shell served as a bunker, but has been gnawed away by scavengers.
81-82 This centaur war villa was destroyed by a terrible cyclone.
83-84 This abandoned and run-down mansion has partially collapsed in on itself.
85-86 This shrine to a dark god was demolished by the forces of good, but its pieces – and some of
its power – remain.
87-88 This mighty memorial wall was destroyed by a malevolent force, and still magically burns in
effigy.
89-90 This crystal fortress was once a beacon of hope, but the forces who built it were defeated.
91-92 This structure was made of innumerable bones of all sizes, but has degraded and collapsed.
93-94 This entire city was ravaged by a violent arcane tempest.
95-96 This wooden structure was once a shop to buy all manner of wondrous items,
– until they came to life and destroyed it.
97-98 This lodge was filled with stuffed trophies of all kinds, from aberrations to magical beasts.
99-00 This garden of statues has been defaced and sacked.
Are there airships in your world?

98
how to draw ruins
1. Outline some ruined buildings. Experiment with different structures,

shapes and jagged edges to find what looks good to you.
2. Add some additional rubble around the edges, and then add
details like windows, doors, steps, and an old road.
3. Shade lightly trying to find places where the light would be unlikely to reach.
Has anyone ever scaled the tallest mountain in your world?

99 99
CAVERNS
A vast underground network of natural caverns and tunnels can be called home to many dangerous beings.
d100 Cavern Description

1-2 This chain of dripping caverns is inhabited by a vengeful tribe of reptilian creatures.
3-4 This is the largest cavern system in the world, with dozens of entrances throughout the realm.
5-6 This small cave is just big enough for a family of impoverished half-elves to call home.
7-8 This cave is the eye socket of a long dead giant – a group of bandits makes camp here.
9-10 This cave system is known for the delicious blackberries that grow within, as well as the many
ancient and forgotten traps that litter the rooms.
11-12 This cave is completely flooded – only the best swimmers can navigate its underwater halls.
13-14 While sufficient for a small camp, this cave is nothing more than a small alcove in the hill.
15-16 This long cavern system was dug by the titans for quick, underground transportation – it
stretches in a straight line across the realm.
17-18 A legendary yeti calls this ice cave home.
19-20 Home to a group of sinister cultists, these caverns have been worked into an underground city.
21-22 The water that runs through these caverns is caustic, eating away at any metal it touches.
23-24 The slender “straws” that grow from the ceiling of this cave are perfect for making beautiful
flutes – if you can traverse the many chasms to get them, that is.
25-26 This cave is made from the salt of a nearby sea. Ironically, a tribe of sentient slugs lives here.
27-28 The spirit of a powerful lich haunts this cavern – the glowing purple crystals that coat the
walls are part of his phylactery.
29-30 A large, underground river flows through this cavern – pirates have taken root here.
31-32 It is said that vast riches can be found in these caverns – on the other side of a huge gorge.
33-34 Travelers come from far and wide to see the beautiful formations inside this large system of
caverns – if only they knew of the warlike hobgoblin tribe residing in the deep.
35-36 The stalactites of this cavern fall frequently, creating a dangerous environment for travelers.
37-38 This cave is known for the millions of vicious bats that devastate the countryside in a massive,
annual feeding frenzy.
39-40 This cavern was formed by a black dragon’s lightspeed fall from the stars.
41-42 It is said that this long string of caverns is enchanted with a powerful hallucinogenic curse.
43-44 The winds that blow through these caves create ominous musical tones.
45-46 This watery cave is used by locals as a natural waterpark.
47-48 This cave is home to the realm’s assassin’s guild – if one believes in that sort of thing...
49-50 A group of renegade constructs, looking for a life outside of slavery, calls this cave home.
Are teachers rather wealthy? Or are they terribly poor?

100
Caverns
d100 Cavern Description
51-52 The waters in this cavern have become diseased by some sort of evil, lurking within.
53-54 A scholar calls this cave home – vials, beakers, and burners litter the room as he researches
the mystical energies emanating from the walls.
55-56 A large species of mushroom grows throughout this cave – the perfect food for the insectoid
creatures who call the place home.
57-58 The walls of this cave glow with a golden light, illuminating the beautiful features inside.
59-60 The pyramid of an ancient, tribal people serves as the focal point of this cavern, holding many
dangerous secrets locked inside.
61-62 Once the site of a disastrous battle, this cavern is now haunted by the fallen soldiers’ spirits.
63-64 This cavern is the site of a large archaeological dig, seeking out a great power lurking behind
the walls.
65-66 The region’s merchant’s guild works out of these caves.
67-68 Massive spiders inhabit this cave, using their web to lure fish out of the murky waters.
69-70 This cave is home to the source of all life in the world – a massive cauldron, eternally bubbling.
71-72 A race of sub-intelligent halflings live in this cave – they have devolved into primal behaviors.
73-74 This cavern is a serene place. Monks from far and wide seek solace and meditation here.
75-76 This cavern is home to a clan of especially crafty goblins who are training to be trapmakers.
77-78 This cave is a sacred place to local druids. Tribal art can be seen on every wall.
79-80 This magical grotto allows any who submerge themselves in its waters to pass through the
caves unharmed.
81-82 This cavern is home to a band of stranded, extraplanar creatures, looking for a way home.
83-84 This cavern grants any who can survive its harsh elements the ability to see into the future.
85-86 This cave was once a glorious and masterfully built dwarven mine, but it was sabotaged, and
many were killed. It is a shadow of its former glory.
87-88 This cave network is used by a tribe of panther-like humanoids for their druidic celebrations.
89-90 This grotto is the entrance to a large, underwater kingdom.
91-92 The reverberating sounds of this cavern whisper a message from the wraiths who haunt it.
93-94 This cave is an entrance to a fabled labyrinth, and a minotaur can be seen skulking about if one
is lucky (or unlucky).
95-96 This cavern is full of thick, dark mushrooms, which are a powerful narcotic.
97-98 This cavern was once the lair of a thieves guild. It is now defunct and mostly abandoned.
99-00 This cavern is full of luminous webs, which snag at clothing irritatingly.
What special types of metal are there in your world?

101 101
how to draw caverns
1. A cavern opening could be nestled in a mountain, or a small hill. It

could potentially even be a hole in the ground. First, simply trace
an outline of the opening.
2. Heavily shade in all or most of the opening and add some rocks
and rubble nearby.
3. Shade the rocks and the hill or mountain. Then add some thin lines near the rocks to give the ground
some texture.
When was the last time a prominent political leader was assassinated?
102
Crypts, Tombs, and Dungeons
The dead have their homes too, as do the monsters and adventurers squatting within.
d100 Crypt, Tomb, or Dungeon Description

1-2 This crypt is full of dwarven ghosts who make slave diggers of all who enter.
3-4 This tomb houses the long-dead leaders of a dragonborn kingdom – it is always guarded.
5-6 These barrow downs are feared for the presence of wights, who wail into the night.
7-8 This crypt is a labyrinth, and only those who hold the map can traverse it safely.
9-10 This tomb is a clockwork wonder – it shifts and changes shape frequently as a safety measure.
11-12 This dungeon is a sunken temple, full of docile and deadly cat people.
13-14 This crypt is used as a courthouse, and a place for weddings, in honor of the dead.
15-16 The tomb is the final resting place of the six heroes (or what’s left of them) who saved the
realm a century ago.
17-18 This dungeon was designed for torture – the sound of screams is magically dampened.
19-20 This crypt has been robbed so many times that most consider it a joke.
21-22 This is the tomb of an ancient dragon, who was sundered in half defending the kingdoms.
23-24 This dungeon is wide and tall, built by ogres as a place to keep prisoners.
25-26 This crypt is covered in the slime, moss, and fungi created by the moisture of a nearby river.
27-28 This tomb is a front for a black market fence who buys and sells questionable goods.
29-30 This stone and wood dungeon caught fire recently, but that hasn’t stopped vile creatures from
inhabiting it.
31-32 The plague-ridden corpses in this crypt have decayed, and the air itself is poisonous.
33-34 This tomb is clean and dry, and was peaceful and quiet, until the aberrations took hold.
35-36 This dungeon was crafted perfectly by militant humanoid insects, and they are seeking to ex-
pand their kingdom above ground.
37-38 This crypt has a fake dragon’s head emerging from a faux wall to deter visitors.
39-40 This tomb is high atop a mountain, where the birdfolk of the region are laid to rest.
41-42 This dungeon is overrun with mimics who have taken the shapes of doors and chests
throughout the structure.
43-44 This floating crypt is reserved for those who give their lives in the name of a certain deity.
45-46 This tomb is reserved for the faithful steeds, warhounds, and pets of the local nobles.
47-48 This dungeon was built into the edge of a cliff, and many parts of its floor have crumbled, lead-
ing to a terrible drop.
49-50 This crypt is manned by clergy at all times, though it has no bodies yet. It was emptied to
make room for the lords and dukes marching off to an impossible war.
What do the people of your world regard as “the final frontier”?

103 103
Crypts, Tombs, and Dungeons
d100 Crypt, Tomb, or Dungeon Description
51-52 This tomb lies within a mysterious crater, and over time the bodies stay perfectly preserved.
53-54 This submerged dungeon is full of venomous crustaceans.
55-56 This crypt is hewn of pure emerald, though none dare to take it or they will be cursed.
57-58 This tomb lies on neutral ground of a nation in a civil war, and any may go there to bury their
dead from either side, and mourn without fear of being harmed.
59-60 This dungeon is full of constructs that were created for long-distance warfare.
61-62 This crypt is reserved for the elite crossbow marksman of the nation’s famed military.
63-64 This tomb is guarded by acidic arcane clouds, dismissed only with a secret command word.
65-66 This dungeon is a famous library full of rare books, now fallen to countless monsters.
67-68 This crypt is the most sought after in the land. Once per year, anyone who has been laid to
rest there may be contacted for a short time.
69-70 This tomb is guarded by a powerful djinn who is under the control of the family buried within it.
71-72 This dungeon is a network of planar gates that are defunct and crumbling – all but one, that is.
73-74 The only people buried in this crypt are those who have been assassinated within the nation’s
borders – where it is legal on certain days to do so.
75-76 This tomb is within the base of a raging volcano, and many dwarves are buried there.
77-78 This dungeon is the labyrinthian root network of an enormous tree, and is infested with trolls
79-80 This crypt is in the capital city of its nation, and is a tourist attraction.
81-82 This colossal tomb for giants stands almost as tall as the mountain it neighbors.
83-84 This dungeon is a crumbling ruin inhabited by cultish barbarians who worship a snake god,
wearing his poison as war paint.
85-86 This crypt is reserved for powerful druids only, and the structure is made of fallen treants who
volunteered for the purpose.
87-88 This tomb is whimsical and decorative, a resting place for fey.
89-90 This dungeon was once a tremendous hanging garden, full of exotic and beautiful plants. It has
been overrun with outsiders from another plane.
91-92 This crypt floats atop the waters of the city’s inner sea – a buoyed bridge is the only access.
93-94 This tomb and its riches are lost to time, victim to countless flash floods in a low-lying grove.
95-96 This dungeon is fortified with the bones of all who have fallen there.
97-98 This crypt is full of magical, intelligent owls who can speak with the dead under the right cir-
cumstances.
99-00 This tomb houses tall shafts with no ladders, created by creatures who are able to fly.
What nation or empire is regarded as having the most military might?

104
how to draw crypts, tombs, and dungeons
1. Draw some double doors and some prominent pillars on either side.
2. Add some decorative arches above the doorway, and shade in

some details on the pillars. Experiment and find a design that
looks good to you. Perhaps you could even try a skull or a
menacing eye as a symbol centered in the arch.
3. Add some details to the door, steps leading to the doors, and some rocky ground.
What is the most widely desired resource?

105 105
adventuring locations
I chose my adventuring locations primarily based on geography,
as well as those places that I find interesting and visually
appealing. Here’s how I went about it:
1. I decided that the Thicket would be especially adventurous,

so I placed three adventuring locations there. All three will be
the ruins of failed Auroran colonies.
2. I thought it would be cool to place an abandoned fortress

between the Confederation of Conscience and the Durakis
Initiative, located in that mountain pass I created early on
in the world-building process. This location will be haunted
by the souls of the soldiers who fell during an ancient battle
there.
3. One of the characters in my current campaign is originally

from Gaudia. His home town of Brambleberry was once
a thriving town known for its wineries, but is now an
abandoned, poisonous wasteland after a world-changing
blight. This abandoned and toxic town will be located at the
southern tip of Gaudia.
“When I was small, I was always thinking about

the different worlds in my head.”
– Hideo Kojima
How is meat stored in wealthy homes? Is magic involved?

106
bringing your world to life
You’re almost done!
Before you are vast and beautiful landscapes, winding trails and cobbled roads, beacon cities of civilization, and
the evils that threaten to snuff out the light. Your world is nearly complete. In fact, if you wanted to, you could
stop right here and start running games! On the map and worksheets you’ve filled out, there is undoubtedly
enough information and inspiration to provide for a large number of adventure hooks and stories to fuel your
campaigns for years.
But if you’re looking for that extra unique flare, that world-encompassing storyline that will set your homebrew
campaign setting from any other, let’s continue on just a little further in this journey.
Listed in this section are some optional ways to spice up the overall flavor of your world. This might be the
visual “feel” of the realm itself, or it could possibly include a worldwide storyline or current event that will shape
the setting into something completely unique. This isn’t necessarily something the adventurers will be involved
in (though it may provide plenty of adventure hooks), but it will create a living, breathing backdrop, and give
your world an arc of its own. Feel free to adapt, adjust, or add to the list as you see fit. After all, it’s your world!
Cold War
1. Select two nations on opposite ends of the world. These nations are now involved in a competitive, non-
violent “cold war.”
2. Other nations and factions will find themselves caught in the middle of this struggle, and will suffer from
the poverty and embargoes caused by the conflict. Many people are starving and desperate. Likewise, some
will have pledged support to one side or the other.
3. Certain goods and resources will be hard to come by, as trade is disrupted. The adventurers may come
across military encampments, guarding roads and passes, and staging themselves for imminent conflict.
Cities and settlements may be sympathetic or hostile towards one side of the cold war or the other.
Will these two nations ever make peace? Or will it escalate into a bloody, full-scale conflict?
Imminent Invasion
1. Ensure there is a wild, uncharted area off the edge of your map. If there is none, imagine there is another
unknown landmass across the sea, or perhaps another plane of existence.
2. The settlements nearest the uncharted lands report invasive movement into the realm by a large, powerful
force.
3. Settlements fall, one by one, to the invading force, while neighboring nations mobilize to meet the threat. Or,
alternatively, close their gates and prepare for imminent siege. Until this problem is solved, one borderland
settlement will be sacked every in-game month.
4. The invasion is ignored or brushed off until a valuable resource or strategic position is lost to the invading
force – only then will the powers of the world take notice.
Who are these invaders? What do they want? How can the people stop them?
Write a popular idiom for your world, such as “don’t play with fire.”
108
The Dangers of Technology
1. Place five dangerous magical item symbols around your world. They can be whatever you choose, but they
must be powerful.
2. A faction or country has discovered one of these items, alerting the world to their existence. Now everyone
is looking for the remaining four.
3. A rumor has circulated that these magical items offer absolute power to the one who combines them into
a single entity.
4. Lastly, create a secret organization, dedicated to ensuring these items remain hidden.
How will the world deal with this? Will nations go to war over these items? Will they mutually agree to destroy
them all? What if someone with evil intentions got their hands on them?
The Arcane University

1. Place an Arcane University symbol in one of the cities on your map.
2. Nearly every family in the realm is avidly trying to get their children into the university, but only 10 percent
of the applicants are accepted.
3. Those families that are unsuccessful are often left to lives of poverty.
What would a family do to ensure their child was accepted? Is there bribery involved? Murder? Who is controlling
this university, and how much power do they have?
War Torn Countryside

1. Choose two adjacent nations. One of them is invading the other.
2. Pick one to three settlements in one of those nations to have been recently conquered and liberated from
the other nation.
3. Add two or three more ruins symbols near the border.
4. Describe the local streets as being lined with executed prisoners and deserters. The remaining portion of
the bullet should be separate and not numbered.
Chaotic Climatology
The world is changing gradually. Every three months of in-game time (or faster/slower, if desired), do the
following:
1. Forests become jungles.
2. Jungles become deserts.
3. Deserts become lakes.
4. Lakes become forests.
5. What happens when the important item sought after by a party of adventurers is now at the bottom of a
lake? Is the population of the realm used to this? Do they evacuate the city once per year before it sinks to
the bottom of a lake, only to move in again after the lake grows into a forest?
Are books very rare/valuable in the world?

109 109
Evil Empire
The dark powers of the world have triumphed, and the forces of good are in retreat. Do the following:
1. Turn half the settlements in your realm into ruins.
2. Turn all but one of the remaining settlements in the realm into small villages.
3. Turn the final settlement into a large, fortified city. This is the home of the dark sorceress herself.
In an evil world, what does it mean for the adventurers? Are they evil as well? Or are they working for the good
of the realm in secret, avoiding the dark powers that would stop them?
Roman Nationalism
If you’re looking to add an ancient Roman historical spin to your world, do the following:
1. Choose one city to serve as the capital and hub of all political dealings.
2. Ensure that all the world’s roads eventually lead to this city.
3. This city will be the home of a large and influential senate. Every d6 months, they vote on something that
might change the entire world.
4. Every d8 months, a prominent political figure is assassinated.
5. Ensure that there is a wild, uncharted territory off the edge of the map. This might even be across the sea.
Powerful, tribal armies frequently raid the settlements near this uncharted territory.
World War
Alliances can be powerful ways to defend your territory, but they can oftentimes do more damage than good.
In those times, the entire world might go to war. If you’re interested in inserting this game-changing story into
your world, do the following:
1. Choose one nation to invade another.
2. Choose a third nation to invade the first, due to their invasion of the second.
3. Continue this process until every nation is at war.
4. Perhaps this is a free-for-all, with every nation on their own. Or you might choose two or three distinct
sides that enter the war against each other. Either way, the landscape will change drastically.
5. Along the borders between any warring nations, draw fortifications and symbols to denote armies and
fleets.
Does your world have a lottery?

110
other aspects of your world
Deities and Pantheons 13. Do the gods answer the prayers of the people
directly, indirectly, or not at all?
Many fictional worlds, no matter the genre, have one
thing in common: the gods. From the monotheistic 14. Can the gods die? If so, how?
societies in a modern world, to the polytheistic 15. Do each of your gods represent a specific idea or
theocracies that hold sway over the fantastical lands domain? Consider the following:
in many roleplaying campaign settings, the pantheons
• Life
of fiction vary dynamically from realm to realm. While
this is not a book about creating deities, it would be • Death
incomplete without some inspirational guidelines that • Nature
get the process started for your world.
• Agriculture
When determining what role the god(s) will play in
your world, here are 15 inspirational questions to ask • Murder
yourself: • Love
1. Are the gods real? • Beauty
2. On a scale from one to ten, how active are the • Speed
gods in the matters of the material world? • War
3. How many gods are there? • Celebration
4. How powerful does a being have to be before a • Spring, Autumn, Summer, or Winter
common person views them as a god?
• Fertility
5. How do the magical and divine clerics or priests of
your world gain their power? • Construction/Architecture
6. Is there a campaign setting that already exists for • Games

you to choose a pantheon from? • The perfection of the humanoid form
7. Is there a god of life? If so, is there a god of death? • Darkness
Are these two entities opposed? • Light
8. Is there a god of nature? Is there a god of industry? • The past and/or future
Have these gods ever gone to war?
• Naval travel
9. Do the common farmers pray to the same gods as
the wealthy bureaucrats? • Trade
10. Do the gods care about what happens on the By answering these questions, you should be well
material plane? on your way to laying the foundations of a great
pantheon in your world! Ultimately, remember
11. Is there one god who stands above the rest? that if adding a pantheon doesn’t make your
12. Are there any malevolent gods? If not, what about world better immediately, feel free to wait a bit.
demons or devils? It’s a decision that can be made down the road.
“There are two worlds we live in: a material world, bound by the laws of physics, and the world
inside our mind, which is just as important.”
– Alan Moore
Is there a common birth defect plaguing the world?

111 111
other aspects of your world
Magic Level 6. Are there any forms of magic in your world, outside
the usual two (arcane and divine)?
From the lands of wizards with tremendous powers,
to the realms where even the smallest magical trick is 7. How easy is it to craft a magical weapon?
seen with a shocked expression, variations on magic 8. Does magic come from the ground, the sky, the
(specifically, how much there is) fluctuate from setting water, or somewhere else?
to setting. What will your world be like? Will arcane
9. Is magic inherently good, evil, or does it depend on
universities and magical storms be the norm? Or will
the wielder?
your fantasy realm feel more like a replication of real-
world medieval history? 10. Can magic be harnessed into mundane items, such
as jewelry or armor?
When determining what role magic will play in your
world, here are 15 inspirational questions to ask 11. Look at the most magical location in your world.
yourself: Where does it get its power from?
1. How would a street beggar react if given a slightly 12. Are people born with magical abilities? Or do they
magical item? have to learn them in their studies?
2. Does resurrection magic exist? If so, is it reserved 13. Have certain nations or factions made efforts to
for the rich and powerful, or do the impoverished limit the amount of magic in the world?
have a chance at rebirth as well? 14. What percentage of the population in your world
3. How has magic affected warfare? Are the realm’s believes magic exists?
battlefields ablaze with magical fireballs and 15. Are spells cast out of thin air? Or does the casting
arcane-infused weapons? of magic require the sacrifice or depletion of some
4. If someone publicly announced that they had other resource?
magical abilities, would they be offered a job? Or After answering these questions about your world,
would they be sent to the gallows? you should begin to have an understanding how magic
5. Is alchemy in your world based primarily on magic works inside of it. Keep in mind that, the more magic
or science? you have in your world, the less “magical” it will seem.
If everything is special, nothing seems very special.
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”
– Carl Sagan
Do adventurer’s guilds exist?

112
leaving blank spaces
Think about the planet we live on. Imagine the whole
Earth. You can’t, can you? Not all at once. At most,
you may be able to muster a blue sphere with some
landmasses and clouds, but nothing more detailed
than that. Okay, so let’s try something easier. Imagine
the entire country you live in. Still can’t? Another 2. Don’t be afraid to skip something that you’re
vague shape? Maybe a satellite image? A memory stuck on. This is where most people quit in the
of a topographical map? We can go on and on, and world-building process. Instead, leave that thorn
ask you to imagine your entire state, and your city, in your side as a beautiful blank space to fill in
or even a three-mile radius of your current location later.
– but the fact is, it’s impossible. So if it’s impossible
to even begin to imagine the actual, physical realm 3. Don’t be afraid to start small. When you’re
that surrounds us in perfect detail, why do we put starting up a campaign, try beginning the story
this pressure on ourselves as Game Masters for the in a single town or village on your map, working
campaign worlds we build? outward from there, and mapping as you go.
This can be a great way to build your world while
Never forget that you don’t have to finish every part playing.
of your campaign world – or even know everything
– to begin playing in it. Even the most well-known 4. Don’t be afraid to stop at any point and explore
and well-loved campaign settings started as a tangle something that inspires you. The steps in this
of vague ideas in someone’s mind. And those tangles book are simple, and will get you to a fantastic
become untangled through the passage of time, finished product. But If you build a mountain that
through exploration and adventure, and through you want your players to explore now, don’t wait
focusing on the small, manageable parts that inspire – it’s more about building a story together than
you. waiting to finish your coastlines.
This book is not only designed to give you advice on We can’t wait to see the worlds you build using this
how to build a campaign world for your roleplaying book. But remember, a world full of blank spaces isn’t
game – but it also has an exact, step-by-step unfinished – it’s a world full of opportunities.
process to do so. As you embark on the journey to
create your world using this book, remember these
four simple but imperative things:
1. Don’t try to finish everything. The best campaign

settings have unexplored corners waiting to be
discovered
“Nay, be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not
of trade, but of thought.”
– Henry David Thoreau
What do the different regions of the world call their currency?

113 113
the adventure begins
You’ve done it. You’ve completed the most challenging and rewarding quest issued to all Game Masters. Your
world now lays before you, ready for your next campaign. Use the worksheets and questionnaire included at the
end of this book to help you flesh out your already expansive realm, and file these worksheets, your map, and
your notes in a folder or binder for safe keeping.
So now what?
Here are some ways I would get a campaign started in this new world:
1. Start Small: Choose a specific location in your world. This could be a town, city, fortress, or tiny island. You
have already created enough in terms of adventure hooks and plot devices to get going without hesitation.
Maybe one of the local villages is overrun by ogres, or a haunting has been reported at a nearby fortress.
Either way, your world is now rife with possibilities for story and adventure.
2. Work Outward: Slowly but surely add the surrounding locations into your campaign, using the adventure
ideas and hooks you’ve created throughout the book to spur the players into action. You’ve now created
enough of a framework to allow for even the most sandbox of campaigns.
3. Never Stop: The world-creation process should never end. That’s the fun part in all of this. As each campaign
you run passes by, the history of your world is continuously written. Don’t be afraid to erase and replace
the items on your map, even long after this initial process has finished.
I wish you a lifetime of rewarding adventures, fellow Game Mas-

ter. I wish you a tableful of laughter, friendship, and memo-
ries for years to come. I wish for you what I found for myself:
peace and fun at the gaming table. Happy Worldbuilding!
Be sure to check out the next book in this series:

Be a Better Campaign Master, Book Two: Telling the Story
114
1. How many moons orbit your world? __________
2. How many astrological symbols are there in the night sky? __________
3. How many suns are there in the sky? __________
4. Is land ownership important for a citizen’s social status? __________
5. How dangerous is the winter here? __________
6. What kind of music is popular among the common people?
_____________________________________________________
7. What was the largest naval battle ever fought?
_____________________________________________________
8. Which is more popular? Wine or ale? __________
9. What is the most common household pet in the realm?
_____________________________________________________
10. What is the most common name in your realm?
_____________________________________________________
11. Is there a sigil that represents the world as a whole?
_____________________________________________________
12. Who is the most famous assassin in the world? Who did they
assassinate?
_____________________________________________________
13. How do the wealthy classes like to spend their money?
_____________________________________________________
14. What color usually signifies nobility?
_____________________________________________________
15. What stories are told to children in your world to keep them from
getting into trouble?
_____________________________________________________
16. What color is the sky?
_____________________________________________________
17. Are there any holy cities in your world?
_____________________________________________________
18. Did one race of people come before the others?
_____________________________________________________
19. Have there been any major wars in recent history?
_____________________________________________________
20. What is the most widely celebrated holiday?
_____________________________________________________
21. How many seasons are there in your world? __________
22. Are ancient relics scattered around the world?
_____________________________________________________
23. Are the nobles of your world’s most empirical nation decided by
popular vote or bloodline?
_____________________________________________________
24. What is more valuable in your world? A single cow, or a single gold
coin?
_____________________________________________________
25. Are diseases and plagues prevalent?
_____________________________________________________
26. What sort of unsavory creatures come out at night?
_____________________________________________________
27. Does a common language exist?
_____________________________________________________
28. What is the most common musical instrument?
_____________________________________________________
29. What is the strangest festival celebrated in your realm?
_____________________________________________________
30. Are there any animals in the world that are illegal to hunt or kill?
_____________________________________________________
31. What is your world called?
_____________________________________________________
32. Who is the most famous musician in the world?
_____________________________________________________
33. Are politicians widely revered? Or are they widely distrusted?
_____________________________________________________
34. What is the most famous battle in the history of your world?
_____________________________________________________
35. What is the most dangerous creature in the sea?
_____________________________________________________
36. What is the most common natural disaster in your world?
_____________________________________________________
37. What is regarded as the most dangerous form of magic?
_____________________________________________________
38. Are dragons a myth, a frequent sight, or nonexistent?
_____________________________________________________
39. What special ways do the political leaders in your world execute
heinous criminals?
_____________________________________________________
40. Who is the most famous general in your world?
_____________________________________________________
41. Did all the races in your world emerge out of one primordial race?
_____________________________________________________
42. Does gunpowder exist?
_____________________________________________________
43. How deep do the oceans run? Are there any sentient societies down
there?
_____________________________________________________
44. How high are the tallest city walls in your world?
_____________________________________________________
45. Do the gods ever walk upon the world as physical beings?
_____________________________________________________
46. Write a poem about a famous king.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
47. What kind of music is popular among the wealthy elite?
_____________________________________________________
48. How many days are there in a year?
_____________________________________________________
49. Are the town garrisons generally considered fair? Or are they more
often considered corrupt?
_____________________________________________________
50. What does a farmer in your world worry about more? Famine or
vicious creatures?
_____________________________________________________
51. Are there any folk heroes commonly referred to in stories and ballads?
_____________________________________________________
52. What is the fastest way to travel from one place to another?
_____________________________________________________
53. What is viewed as an honorable way to die?
_____________________________________________________
54. Are people generally allowed to marry freely? Or are most marriages
arranged?
_____________________________________________________
55. Do the people of your world petition to multiple gods? Or are they
loyal to just one?
_____________________________________________________
56. Is slavery a common sight in the world?
_____________________________________________________
57. What is generally regarded as the most dishonorable crime in the land?
_____________________________________________________
58. What color are the clouds?
__________
59. Do many people smoke?
_____________________________________________________
60. Is overpopulation an issue anywhere in the world?
_____________________________________________________
61. How would a beggar react if they witnessed someone performing
magic?
_____________________________________________________
62. How many bedrooms would a middle-class home contain?
_____________________________________________________
63. Are the naval ships powered by oar, sail, or something else entirely?
_____________________________________________________
64. What is the survival rate for those who visit the doctor?
_____________________________________________________
65. What ancient empire is regarded as having been the most powerful?
_____________________________________________________
66. Are there large expanses of evil caverns underneath the world?
_____________________________________________________
67. Who is the most powerful mage in the world?
_____________________________________________________
68. Do any of the world’s monarchs have any secret deals?
_____________________________________________________
69. Are bloodletting and other superstitious healing beliefs a commonality?
_____________________________________________________
70. Is the world round, flat, or some other shape?
__________
71. What colors are the moons?
_____________________________________________________
72. How many days are there in a week?
__________
73. Are lycanthropes a prominent threat in the world? Or are they just a
legend?
_____________________________________________________
74. Are the people primarily monotheistic?
_____________________________________________________
75. Are there any racial tensions in your world? Or do people get along
quite peacefully?
_____________________________________________________
76. Are visions and prophecies a commonality?
_____________________________________________________
77. Has anyone ever done unlawful and heinous experiments on magic
users in your world?
_____________________________________________________
78. Does resurrection magic exist? How does this affect the politics in
your world?
_____________________________________________________
79. What is the average life expectancy among the wealthy in your world?
Among the poor?
_____________________________________________________
80. Are there airships in your world?
__________
81. Has anyone ever scaled the tallest mountain in your world?
__________
82. Are teachers rather wealthy? Or are they terribly poor?
__________
83. What special types of metal are there in your world?
_____________________________________________________
84. Is there a single threat that all the people of the world must join
together to face?
_____________________________________________________
85. When was the last time a prominent political leader was assassinated?
_____________________________________________________
86. What do the people of your world regard as “the final frontier”?
_____________________________________________________
87. What nation or empire is regarded as having the most military might?
_____________________________________________________
88. What is the most widely desired resource?
_____________________________________________________
89. How is meat stored in wealthy homes? Is magic involved?
_____________________________________________________
90. Write a popular idiom for your world, such as “don’t play with fire.”
_____________________________________________________
91. Are books very rare/valuable in the world?
_____________________________________________________
92. Does your world have a lottery?
_____________________________________________________
93. Is there a common birth defect plaguing the world?
_____________________________________________________
94. Do adventurer’s guilds exist?
_____________________________________________________
95. What do the different regions of the world call their currency?
_____________________________________________________
96. Is there a place in your world where one nation of people is
encroaching on another?
_____________________________________________________
97. What is the most evil organization in the world, and what is keeping
them from rising up?
_____________________________________________________
98. Do the poorest of the poor have access to the food they need?
_____________________________________________________
99. Fill in the blank: “All roads lead to ______________.”
100. What exists outside of your world? Anything?
_____________________________________________________
101. What is the largest breed of fish in the sea? Has anyone ever caught
one?
_____________________________________________________
102. On a scale from one to ten, how dangerous is sea travel?
_____________________________________________________
103. What is the most common beast of burden in your world?
_____________________________________________________
104. How safe are the highways?
_____________________________________________________
105. Are there illicit substances in your world? What kind? How are they
trafficked?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
106. Has a mage ever been kidnapped for their power?
_____________________________________________________
107. Is cult activity prevalent?
_____________________________________________________
108. Who is the most powerful politician in the world?
_____________________________________________________
109. How easy is it to travel between planes?
_____________________________________________________
110. If the heir to the throne of your most prominent nation were
kidnapped, how would the nation react?
_____________________________________________________
111. Has an entire city ever been destroyed by a natural disaster?
_____________________________________________________
112. Is the world named after a famous person or event? If not, where did
it get its name?
_____________________________________________________
113. Is being an adventurer very profitable? Or is it reserved for the poor
classes with nothing left to lose?
_____________________________________________________
114. How old is the world?
__________
115. Who is the most famous artist in the world?
_____________________________________________________
116. Is there a single, diplomatic world entity? Something like a fantasy
“United Nations”?
_____________________________________________________
117. What percentage of the world’s population are males?
_____________________________________________________
118. Are the undead a serious threat in your world? Or just a myth?
_____________________________________________________
119. Does the world revolve around the sun? Or vice-versa?
_____________________________________________________
120. Has a malevolent power ever tried to control the entire realm?
_____________________________________________________
By Michael Barker
From the basic shape of your world, to the warring populations that inhabit
it, you are the decider. You will pull the mountains out of the earth and make
the raging rivers flow into the vast seas. You will scatter magical forests and
arid deserts across the land, separating the cities and villages that you alone
will build from the ground up.
You’ve been waiting too long to finish your homebrew RPG campaign setting.
Now is the time to forge your realm for years to come.
Now is the time to build your own world.
www.AbsoluteTabletop.com
www.BeABetterGameMaster.com
Thank you for supporting Absolute Tabletop!
Copyright © 2016 by Absolute Tabletop, LLC. All rights reserved.

Be A Better Campaign Master, Book One Building The World PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Be A Better Campaign Master, Book One Building The World PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Be A Better Campaign Master, Book One Building The World PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

“If we find ourselves with a desire that

nothing in this world can satisfy, the

Writing and Editing: Michael Barker, Matt Click,

From the basic shape of your world, to the warring

It made me realize that it wasn’t me being incapable of building a world –

So without further ado, welcome to Be a Better Campaign Master, Book One:

How many moons orbit your world?

So try to resist the urge to flip ahead. Instead, enjoy

What you’ll need:

A sheet of paper and a pencil. That’s it! Just make sure

Optional: 3-Ring Binder.

You will be filling out some worksheets over the course

To Roll, or Not to Roll?

When you see this icon, it’s time to get

This icon means it’s time to infuse a

How many astrological symbols are there in the night sky?

How many suns are there in the sky?

creating a Single Landmass

2. Open an Atlas: Take a look at the

Is land ownership important for a citizen’s social status?

2. Ocean Who: If you’re uncomfortable

How dangerous is the winter here?

What kind of music is popular among the common people?

creating an Epic World

2. Cultural Barriers: Later on

What was the largest naval battle ever fought?

Let’s take a look at Greenland.

Do you see how the coastlines appear more fragmented

Try erasing your coastlines at the northern end of your

The choice is yours...

I’ve chosen the following continent outline for

The shape is inspired by the elongated form

This realm will be called Enchea, and I’m excited

Which is more popular? Wine or ale?

What is the most common household pet in the realm?

What is the most common name in your realm?

So when it came to placing my mountains, a few

1. I imagine that a massive, ancient earthquake

These mountains will make for some awesome natural

Is there a sigil that represents the world as a whole?

d100 Geographical Feature

How do the wealthy classes like to spend their money?

1. Begin with a bold, jagged ridgeline. It takes practice, but try to

What color usually signifies nobility?

tears of the almighty

Placing my rivers took some time, but I

1. I went with three expansive tribuataries.

2. Outside of those three major

3. I decided during the process that I

What color is the sky?

d100 Geographical Feature

Are there any holy cities in your world?

Did one race of people come before the others?

I didn’t go crazy with the lakes in my world, but I

1. My current campaign began in a small town

2. I added another small lake to the southern

3. Now check out the rivers that I ended

Have there been any major wars in recent history?

d100 Geographical Feature