A Known World?

I think every single DM has, at some point in their gaming 'career', had a crack at creating a world of their own. Oh, there's plenty to like about the settings TSR (and later WotC) put out - but let's be realistic, we're all unique individuals and we've all got our own ideas. 

Some of them are brilliant (and I'll be sharing a few of the ideas I think are brilliant with you in good time) and others, like an intelligent sword imaginatively named the Vibro 2000, are not so brilliant. But it's these quirks and personal touches that turn a good game into a great one. I've found it's far more interesting for characters to visit a location that their past actions have somehow shaped or inspired. There's something really thrilling for players when they hear the name of somebody's former PC being thrown around as some great villain. Is that what became of Trasian after he disappeared all those years ago? What ever happened to that fifteenth level rogue that was forcibly retired when everybody graduated and the game went on a two year hiatus?

I find it a lot of fun to include little bits and pieces from past games in my world design, and you'll get to see some of that too. Characters such as Henry 'The Silver Dagger' Whittlesworth the Third and Trasian the Black are characters that have taken on lives of their own since being retired, killed, or otherwise removed from the game years ago.

But it's more than these little touches. There's just something thrilling about dreaming up, designing, and populating a world. As a DM, it's far more fun to run your adventurers through a city of your own creation. It may not be as in depth as Waterdeep - but it's your city. You may not have it all mapped out, but you know it like the back of your hand. You've already got an answer to most questions that your players are going to ask, because the world exists inside your head. Maybe not in a concrete sense, but there's enough detail visible in the swirling mists to piece it together when you need to.

I could wax lyrical (and maybe I already have) about the joys of designing and playing in your own campaign setting, but that's not what this post is about. You see, as is probably obvious, I have a world of my own creation. It's the result of almost a decade and a half of gaming; my over-active imagination; and my love for procrastination. For the longest time, it was known simply as 'The Known World', but as I've grown older - that name has gone from making sense to just sounding generic.

What should I call this world of mine? Do I opt for something fantastic and cheesy like Lynaris or Payuka? Something along the lines of The Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk? Or do I simply go for a name that encompasses the theme and feeling of the world ala Dragonlance or Ravenloft?

It's a question I'm going to have to answer myself. How can anybody else? So, as I blog, maybe I'll come up with that name. Maybe one of you will suggest something. I don't know.

What I do know, is that I'll be publishing snippets and concepts from this world as I go. You'll get to meet Trasian the Black and the famed 'Silver Dagger'. You'll be able to intergrate creatures such as the Deathwing Butterfly, the Lexican, and the Rajji into your games. And, in time, maybe you'll guide your characters through the steamy streets of Freelance; the haunted coasts of the Deadlands, or even through an adventure of my design.

More than that, this blog will be about the game itself. What's new in the world of D&D and Pathfinder? What's a good, old school adventure to run players through? What makes a good character? What makes a good encounter? I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I have the answers that have worked for me - and hopefully, you'll have some answers to share as well.

Saddle up, pack some extra dry rations, and let's do some exploring.