AD&D - DMGR1 - Campaign Sourcebook & Catacomb Guide (2e)

It's possible to pick up a novel changing gaITIe environment. It is from scratch may seem over-
and read the chapters out of se- a place that the OM builds, but whelming. There is a lot of work in-
quence and still say you've read which gains its life from the con- volved, but it need not all be done
the book. The pulse-pounding tinued involvement of both the DM at once. Start small and work up-
action, convoluted intrigue, and and his players. ward and outward from the core of
character growth are all there, but ideas upon which the campaign is
the reader has wasted the book's Dividing the Work based. Don't do lTIOre work than is
true entertainment potential. initially required to give the players
Everything's taken out of context From this a taste of the world in which they
and there's no continuity. live. The wise OM will never put
point onward, the goal will be to more work into a campaign than
In a like vein, players and DMs he can reasonably get back in play
can have enonnous fun playing in- get the DM up and running, creat- value and neither must he do all the
dividual, unrelated AD&O® game work himself.
adventures without ever creating ing his game world, moderating
a game world or developing a con- The OMs first step is to get orga-
tinuing campaign. Campaign style game play, and dealing with one of nized. Have a folder ready for notes
play may not be for everyone. Still, about the campaign world. Three-
like the out-of-sequence book, the more challenging aspects of ring, loose-leaf binders are a good
something is missing. The charac- way to keep your notes in one
ters live their "lives" out of con- gaming-the players themselves. handy place. Don't mix unrelated
text. They have mighty adven- infonnation. Use index dividers to
tures, yet no eternal mysteries are The first task then, is that of keep related notes together. Even
solved by their actions, no peoples if the sewers beneath the city are
are rescued by their deeds, and no world creation. It is possible to the place where the PCs will ad-
world celebrates their glories. The venture, keep those "dungeon"
players know the outcome of each avoid this step completely. Com- notes separate from the city de-
episode, but are uninvolved in the scriptions.
book that could be. mercially developed campaign
Next, think about the general
A game campaign exists to pro- worlds like the WORLD OF nature of the world and focus on
vide a framework for a number of the locale in which the characters
connected game adventures. The GREYHAWK®, FORGOTTEN will adventure. Will it be a land of
campaign is more than a game warring medieval baronies, a re-
world or a clever plot line. It must REALMSTM or ORAGONLANCE® mote and rugged wilderness, an
be a place for the player characters arid desert realm, or a sophisti-
to live, grow, and develop. For campaign settings, can set things cated oriental empire? The OM
their character development to may wish to base the world around a
have any meaning beyond inflicting moving quickly for the DM. Much favorite fantasy novel or even
megadeath, acquiring zillions of historical Earth. Whatever the de-
experience points, and collecting (though not all) of the background sired feel, the DM should keep his
vast, tax-free inventories of gold plan in mind when developing
coins and arcane devices, the work involved in creating a fantasy pieces of the world.
characters need a world upon
which their actions, the outcomes game setting has already been Third, divide the work of creat-
of their adventures, can have a real ing the world into easy-to-handle
effect; a world whose events, in done. These fantastical game stages. Don't try to do it all at once.
tum, affect the player characters Start small. Write ideas down as
themselves. worlds have been mapped, popu- they come and leave room for
them to grow. Not everything need
When properly created, the cam- lated and imbued with life by the be in place before the first game
paign is a living, breathing, grow- session, just enough to give a bit of
ing, and most importantly, designers, writers, artists, and edi- local flavor, or a sense of position

tors involved in their creation.

They are rich in details and good

examples of what campaigns can

develop into. Still, lTIOst OMs get

the urge to create worlds of their

own, making fantastic realms

based on their own fertile

imaginations.

For the detennined OM, a chal-

lenging task lies ahead. Campaign

creation is fun, often even more

challenging and exciting than ac-

tually playing, but it's also work-

time-consuming work. For both

the novice and experienced OM

alike, the time required to create a

new, original game world can be

daunting. The thought of spending

endless hours building a world

51

within the world. At first, only a tures, religions, and area lnaps for What do they want to do? What
limited area, called a core area, parts of the world. Great ide~ but kind of adventures do they seek?
need be described. Beginning how? What interests them? Design the
player characters need not know core area and the first adventure to
much more. Let the players come from parts meet these desires. It would be
of the world other than where the folly to design a campaign around
Consider starting in a remote campaign will initially take place. political intrigue or a grand Inys-
part of the world, close enough to If a player wants to play a sea- tery when what the players really
civilization to be settled by hu- faring barbarian, give him a want are monster hunts and
mans, but far enough away to be of coastal or island area from which dungeon crawls. As the players be-
little immediate concern to the his people originate. Give him a come involved in the OM's world,
lords of the land. A village or even a peek at what has been roughed out the OM can rely upon them for in-
friendly wayside inn provides a for that area. Encourage the player spiration.
base of operations for the charac- to make notes about what goes on
ters, a place for them to rest, re- in his comer of the world. Much of
cover from adventures and spend this can come from his character
treasure gained during encoun- background. Who are his peopJe's
ters. A road or two should go some- gods? Do they have any peculiar
where, though the locals may only customs? What are the major cit-
know that it goes to the next vil- ies? Encourage the player to draw
lage. If the village has a temple or a the regional maps for his home-
shrine attended by a cleric (who is land. The more the player details
willing to heal wounds), detennine his character's culture and home-
which deity the cleric serves. land., the more he designs that por-
tion ofthe DMs world
Bui1d outward from the core
area. Before the second play ses- In a similar manner, the players
sion the OM should map out major of priests and paladins can expand
terrain features for several days' upon the nature of gods and reli-
journey around the characters' gions in the OM's world. Thief
base of operations and have a characters may be both the basis
large-scale map of the land in for a thieves' guild and an over-
which the adventures take place, view of the laws of the land (partic-
including the positions and names ularlyas they relate to larceny).
of major cities and landmarks.
N ow this doesn't mean that
Involving the Players everything that the player says
has to be law. In fact, the creative
Asking the OM OM will take what the player gives
to even attempt to handle every as- him, and modifY it ever so slightly
pect of game world creation is siIn- to reflect what the OM knows to be
ilar to asking the architect of a true of his world (things the play-
major construction project to do er's character wouldn't or couldn't
the plumbing and wiring himself. know). Does it matter that the
Chances are he can do it sooner or player knows what part of the
later, but meanwhile, the building world map looks like? Not particu-
goes unfinished. In a like manner, larly. It is his character's home-
the OM can take forever and try to land
cover every detail of his world him-
self, but why do it? Why not in- Listen to the players. Although
volve the players? Let them do much of the core design and devel-
SOlne of the work of creating cul- opment falls on the OM's shoul-
ders, don't design the world
without listening to the players.

52

To choose to be a Dungeon Master A Big Job Made Easy small kingdom offthe beaten path, a
is to accept the responsibility of cre- little barony that needs the attention
ating fun, challenging adventures Even for an ex- of a motley band of heroes, or an
for eager players and their charac- perienced DM, starting a new isolated island with access to
ters, and developing a larger setting world is a. daunting, even person- places of mystery. If the players'
in which their adventures are to ally threatening prospect. So characters begin as local folk, they
take place. This setting must be one much work lies ahead that one do not need to know more of their
that takes on life, developing and wonders if the eventual :fun will be world. In fact they probably will
growing on its own. This eventually worth the effort. not know much more than the
takes the fonn of a unique fantasy fields around their own village or
world, which takes shape with While it may merely daunt an keep. Thus, at first, the DM can
lands, legends, and peoples drawn experienced DM, the project can limit his world design to a mere mi-
from the DM's fertile imagination. overwhelm the novice---so much crocosm of that world.
While it's possible to run a cam- to do, so much to know. Yet the
paign entirely within the confines of tasks can be scaled down and The very important aspect of
someone else's pre-made world, made to fit a DMs available time, history need not include much
such as the ORAGONLANCE® cam- energy, and ambition. more than the last few generations
paign lands of Krynn or in the vast of local lore and at least some idea
reaches of the FORGOTTEN The good news is that all the (if only for the DM's benefit) of why
REALMSTM campaign setting, there work of world creation need not be those old ruins are slowly cruln-
is no greater glory for a OM than to done before playing out the fIrst bJing out there in the woods.
run adventure campaigns set in his adventure. The guidelines that de-
own world. scribe how to create an entire A great campaign can begin as
world can be scaled down to apply simply as just described. As the
to something much slnaller, to a DM's time pennits, his world can

53

grow outward from a core of these Ancient History: What forms about key features he wishes to in-
first little kernels. The backwater the basis for the world's CUf- corporate in his campaign. Will the
barony turns out to be a small fief rent state of affairs? new world have a pair of twin vol-
in a larger kingdom, the local temple Mythology: Gods, legends, & canoes whose molten innards
is revealed as a heretical branch lore touch upon the plane of fire? Write
of the primary religion in the area Fantasy: A fmal evaluation of it down! Is there a canyon com-
(causing some hot water for any the world in light of a fantastic plex that dwarfs the Grand Can-
cleric characters when they leave imagination. yon of the American southwest?
the shelter of their home town), Make a note of that! How about no-
the cherished and respected local Just as they are in our own madic samurai elves who are the
lord is found to be a pretender, a world, these aspects are tightly in- last remnants of a dying race from
local bandit chieftain turns out to tertwined with one another. As one another plane of existence? Great
be a large scale international phase of the world develops it af- idea, record it!
criminal, and so forth. fects subsequent phases and may
require that the DM change material Assume that the laws of nature
By beginning small, the DM can he has already created. Don't let in the world have some bearing on
also test his pet ideas and keep or ideas get away, even the ones that our own. Note any differences that
discard them as he finds they work are thrown out. Keep notes of ideas might affect play or add color to
or fail miserably. A general guide that appear spontaneously, you the game world, then let it be in ef-
for deciding if something works or never know when you will be able fect for the rest of the game.
not is to ask yourself Was the con- to use them in another project!
cept easy to understand and were The more ideas that are put to
the players excited or intrigued by Campaign Overview paper, the more the OM will know
the idea when it was presented to about his preferences for his world
them? If the answer is no to either The first step before he begins making choices
part of the question, then it may be a toward creating a personalized about its fmal design.
good idea to discard it and try campaign world would seem to be
something else. drawing a map of that world and Along with any ideas that spring
placing the important geographic to mind, the OM should know (and
Getting Started features. Yet to do that immedi- have written down) at least some
ately would be a mistake. The first, information on the following topics
The decision to and possibly most important step regarding his world-to-be:
make lithe plunge" has been is to think about the world to be
made. The experienced or novice created. A DM who has come this • What is the dominant sentient
DM has decided to make a new far will usually have preconceived race?
world. He accepts the challenges ideas about what he wishes his
that lie before him and under- world to be. Ideas have been col- • What other races dwell in the
stands that it is no small project he lecting and gestating in his mind world?
undertakes. Since a large task is al- while he was a player in someone
ways easier when partitioned into else's campaign or when he ran his • What is the general culture or
smaller, easier-to-handle chunks, old game. Even though the design technological level of the area
it is best to divide the work into process will generate new possibil- where adventuring will begin?
stages. For world creation, those ities, these first ideas are impor- Are the characters barbarians,
stages are outlined below: tant. Commit them to paper! members of a feudal society
• World Building: Its geology & Ultimately, they will shape the with towering castles, or perhaps
new world. even dwellers in a crumbling,
ecology decadent civilization?
• Filling with Fauna: Its beasts What kind of things should be
• Populations: Its sentient in- included? The OM should ask • Have previous civilizations
himself questions or make notes existed here before the ones that
habitants currently thrive? Did they leave
• Social Structure: Government & lots of ruins?

cultural structure • What types ofclimate areas will
be readily available to adventure
in? Examples include arctic
regions, deserts, and

54

temperate or tropical zones. ranges of arctic mountains, he prevail in one part of the world de-
• What type of major geographic should feel free to do it. However, sign while apparently obvious
he should also remember that facets of another are totally ig-
features (like mountains, even in a world where magic nored. Thus it is possible to visit
oceans, deserts) might be fim to works and the fantastic is the worlds with exotic, yet realistic ge-
use in running adventures? nonn, there must be a reason for ography that are populated by a
• How prevalent is magic use? things to happen. ; homogenous population of medi-
What kind of really exotic ter- eval baronies, all growing wheat
rain features exist in the world? The same rationale that allows a and making vast quantities of
player to readily accept a world plate annor, or worlds with incred-
As the world develops, these ini- patterned on our own can be made ibly detailed ecosystems built
tial thoughts will guide its crea- to work for even the most fantastic upon terrain not too distantly re-
tion, though some may be of worlds, so long as the OM can moved from dungeon floor plans.
discarded as unworkable. Keep convince the players that the fan-
any ideas that are discarded for tastical nature of his world is nor- It readily becomes apparent that
this world. Chances are that some- mal. If the player characters know not everyone is a master world de-
day, there will be a need to create that the world has a red sun, or signer, regardless of his knowledge
another world-one in which that that water flows out of the oceans of our own world. Still, as in so
discarded idea will fit perfectly. due to an attraction to waterspouts many things, practice does make
found atop hills and mountains, perfect. Even if one is an experi-
Realism versus Fantasy they recognize that these are natural enced DM and knows how to create
features of the world in which a world, it still is a good idea to read
A great deal they live, and though different through these step-by-step
can be said for creating a "real" from what they know, should be suggestions-there's a good
world-one that is entirely familiar able to believe in it chance that even the most experi-
to the players. The logic here is enced OM may come across some-
that if the players are able to ac- Remember, though, that a thing that just hadn't occurred to
cept the physics of the world as fantastic world feature that is him before.
normal, similar to what they know found everywhere will soon be
to be true in our own world, they treated as conunonplace and will Although the goal is to create a
will be able to suspend their disbe- rapidly lose its distinctiveness. fantastic adventuring environ-
lief of the OM's world. In theory, Truly fantastic things, places or ment, the steps used to create a
they are able to concentrate upon events should be localized to one good world, fantastic or mundane,
role-playing their characters. On region or be just plain rare. They remain the same. Follow the steps
the other hancL if the DM's world is then remain oddities, worthy of in- below, but more importantly, feel
to be just like our own, there is re- vestigation by foolhardy adventurers. free to follow your own instincts
ally no need to create a new world. when it comes to designing a world
The OM Inight just as well use World Building for your adventures.
maps of medieval Europe or pre-
Columbian North America for his Every OM ap- After the initial concepts are in
campaign world. proaches world-building in a place, world design often depends
unique way, governed more by on a OM's skill at map making. If
A creative OM should not feel personal interests and preferences the DM is unfamiliar with the tech-
constrained to make a world that than any other definable factor. niques needed for good map de-
could fit on our own planet. His The temptation is to focus on an sign, he should feel free to flip
goal, his end product, should be a aspect of world creation that spe- ahead and read the section on map
fantasy world, the product of his cifically interests oneself and let lnaking before continuing here.
imagination. If a OM wants water the rest kind of, well sort of, you
to flow uphill, have clouds that can know, just happen like it should. Choose a Scale
be walked upon, design a swamp When this sort of haphazard tech-
that is bordered by desert, or lo- nique is used, true-to-life details The first step in world creation is
cate a tropical va1ley between to decide how much area the world
map will include. As mentioned

55

earlier, it isn't necessary to create existent when the map is being Work up to the top
an entire planet, a continent, or drawn. Perhaps the best thing to
even a kingdom at one time. This do is draw the map out in rough Decide where to place the major
discussion will deal with an area fonn on blank paper and transfer it mountain ranges, and detennine
the size of a continent, but the DM to the hex paper later. how high the tallest peaks will rise.
should stick to something that he Don't make them too frequent or
is comfortable with, regardless of Start at the Bottom too high; characters shouldn't
have to scale something the size of
SIZe. Decide whether the world is going Mount Everest once every few
to be the size of a continent or just days during a cross-country trek.
At this stage, it is a good idea to part of one. Pencil in an outline On the other hand, don't make
start mapping out ideas. If hex pa- that describes the coastline. theln consistently low, otherwise
per (special mapping paper RelTIember that not all coastlines they won't provide a good chal-
marked off with a hexagonal grid) are the same. An area that has lenge or change ofpace.
is use~ assign a scale to each hex. been subjected to glacial activity
Otherwise, use a convenient unit will be substantially different from When placing mountains, con-
of measurement, such as an inch, areas that have always been sider the following: If the fantasy
to Inark distances on the map. The swamps or deserts. world being created is similar to
chapter on map lTIaking gives our own world, then the theory of
more detail on maps and map Now is the time to plan for major plate tectonics or continental drift
scale. For our sample continent islands, long peninsulas, massive can be used to place mountain
map, we will asswne that the DM bay areas, and istlunuses COlmect- ranges. According to this theory,
is using a blank sheet of paper with a ing large land masses and other mountains are created when one
scale of 50 miles to the half inch. ultra-large-scale geographic fea- tectonic plate-a moving section
Thus, on a standard 8'/2 by l] tures. Decide now whether the of the earth's surface-presses
inch sheet of paper we can Inap an continent is an isolated island it- against arIother plate. The incredible
area 850 miles by 1,100 miles- self (like Australia) or connects pressure crumples the earth and
just under one million square with other land masses (like Af- raises up towering peaks all
miles! rica, Europe, and Asia or North along the contact area. Where
and South America). Unless there such activity is ongoing, the peaks
If more space is desired, simply is a reason to create a continent will be high, bleak, jagged, and
fasten two or more sheets of map surrounded by water, extend the rocky. Where activity happened
paper together side by side; or use land mass off one or more edges of during ancient history, the moun-
an even larger scale, such as 75, the map. This keeps options open tains will be gentler, heavily over-
100, or even 150 miles to the half for later expansion that can be grown, and forested-more like
inch. Don't worry about losing de- done without having to redraw ex- huge hills, as is the case of the Ap-
tail, at this stage all that is impor- isting maps. If the DM eventually palachians near the eastern shore
tant is describing the size and decides that the continent is only ofNorth America
shape of the world and locating its an island, the map can be ex-
most prominent features. Later tended to incorporate the previ- Also bear in mind the large effect
on, portions of the map can be ously uncharted coastal areas. that mountains have on a real
scaled down into regional maps for world's climate and social struc-
greater detail. At this point, the map shows all ture. They can shield areas from
the places where the land meets rainfall, creating deserts; act as
When using a hex gri~ remelTI- the sea, at least as far as the major natural barriers, separating adja-
ber that the world's outline and land masses are concerned. By cent cultures; an~ importantly for
any other features need not follow definition, these coastal contour a fantasy world, they are rarely
the boundaries between the hex- lines also show the location of zero fully explored or exploited.
agons-in fact, it's much better if elevation, or sea level.
they are not restricted by the hexa- Locate the highest peaks indi-
gons at all. The hexes are there vidually and decide how high they
only to regulate the size and dis- stand. If any peaks are higher than
tances on the map. The hexes 10,000 feet, draw shapes around
should be assumed to be non-

56

those points indicting the 10,000- climatic regions. At this time, de- rain features. It can include vast
foot elevation. Then do the same termine the direction of the pre- rainless deserts or dense jungles
for a line of 5,000-foot elevations vailing winds in each climatic area where it rains constantly. Days
(remember, for scale comparison, of the world. The five brief climate during the wann months can be
that a mile is 5,280 feet long). descriptions that follow should aid uncomfortably hot, while nights
in this. during the coo ler months can be
The map is now a rough topo- quite brisk. Winds of variable ve-
graphical map, showing the highest Most worlds will contain five dis- locity blow from the east, often
points of elevation on the tinct climatic regions: arctic, sub- coming from the equator.
continent and the area's lines of el- arctic, temperate, subtropical, and
evation at 5,000 foot increments. tropical. Briefly described, these Tropical
The rough shape of the world, in regions are as follows: These regions are as consist-
all three dimensions, has now
been detennined. Arctic ently hot as the arctic is cold. The
These climates are most often temperature rarely drops below 70
The above assumes a realistic degrees Fahrenheit, except in high
approach to Inountain placement. associated with polar regions, areas or during the cold months
For reasons known only to him, where it is usually frigidly cold. In when a "cold snap" of 60 to 65 de-
the OM may wish to entirely ring fact, it is so cold year round that grees may occur. Summers are un-
his continent with mountains agriculture is generally impos- bearably hot---especially in low,
leaving a slnall strip of land along sible. Sentient beings live here flat lands or desert areas. Winds
the coast, or cluster his major only if they are equipped to sur- are generally mild and easterly.
mountain range Alp-like in the vive in a deep freeze. Gentle to
center of his continent. Likewise, moderate (but very cold!) winds Now is also the time to note any
mountains can be placed at this blow from east to west. glaciations present in the mountain
time to isolate special or forbidden ranges. Most mountain ranges in
lands. This is also the time to place Sub arctic climate arctic and sub arctic climates and
some of those fantastic terrain fea- Winters here are long, harsh, to a lesser extent, some high
tures that the OM has in his notes. mountain ranges in other climatic
If the DM is considering a large, and cold- but daytime tempera- zones will have glaciers. These
high, inaccessible plateau, or an tures in the summer can reach or great, slowly-moving rivers of ice
area pocked by gigantic meteorite exceed 80 degrees. A short agricul- that flow downward, relentlessly
craters, place them now. Like tural season is possible. Winds are scouring the world in their path.
mountains, they will have a signif- more active here than in the arctic Where possible, they extend until
icant effect on later design. and are generally westerly. As a they reach the ocean. At the ocean,
rule, they blow from the direction pieces of the glacier fragment off to
Place It On the Planet of the arctic in the winter and from become icebergs, the bane of ships
the opposite direction in the sum- in frigid seas.
Decide where the world is lo- mer months.
cated with respect to the poles and Just Add Water!
equator of the planet of which it is a Temperate
part (again, this makes a broad In our own world this essentially With the low and high regions of
asswnption that the world is part the planet detennined and the
of a planet and not some exotic encompasses the continental general climatic regions laid out,
plane). Then note some rough United States of America. It is the the OM's next step is to add some
boundaries where climatic zones area of greatest temperature ex- rivers and lakes.
change. The world need not run tremes, from bitterly fiigid winters
the galnut Ifrom arctic to tropical to steamy hot swnrners. Winds are Rivers begin at some high eleva-
climate, but on the other hand, it usually westerly (although eastern tion and run away from the source,
doesn't need to be the size of coastal breezes are common). toward an ocean, large lake, or
Earth's northern or southern heln- some other place nearer zero ele-
isphere in order to contain all five Subtropical vation. A large river usually has
This is an area of climatic ex-

tremes that are closely tied to ter-

57

several tributaries (feeder rivers) through every hex unless the and lakes may have to "dry up" to
that flow into it, and extremely world is intended to have no des- make way for desertification.
large river systems (such as the
Mississippi in North America or erts. In our own world, deserts are pri-
the Amazon in South America, marily found in or near the sub-
and all the tributaries that feed Swamps, fens, large marshes, tropics. The cause is the global
them) are rarely found more than and other wetlands fall into the wind pattern. Prevailing winds
once in a continent-sized area. The category of water. Wetlands exist blow east to west around the equator
presence of mountain chains af- where the movement of water and in the opposite direction in
fects this. Precipitation falling on through an area has either been temperate regions. When the op-
one side of the range feeds one hampered or where low-lying posing winds meet over the sub-
river basin, while precipitation on ground has been filled by water tropics, cool, moisture-bearing air
the other side feeds into another. from a nearby source, such as a is forced downward where it is
river, lake, or ocean. Place wet- wanned by the earth. The warm
Large inland bodies of water (in- lands in lower elevation areas, air retains moisture better and
cluding wide-ranging river sys- such as along the seacoast and in rarely releases it as precipitation.
tems and huge lakes) are less areas with many rivers and lakes.
frequent in sub arctic climates Farther away from the tropics,
than in wanner areas, but a sub What's for Desert? deserts are often located on the
arctic region may be laced with a downwind sides of high mountain
dense and intricate network of With water courses and bodies ranges. When moist winds strike
smaller rivers and lakes. Be gener- placed, it's time to plan out desert the slope of a mountain, they are
ous when laying in rivers and areas. Have an eraser handy for forced upward. The air cools as it
lakes, yet don't run streams this stage (if one hasn't been used rises and since the cool air cannot
already), because several rivers retain moisture as well, rain falls

58

on the mountain's upwind slopes. desert or forest). Hilly regions can tures. If the world has features re-
By the time the air crosses the also be spotted into the middle of sembling the Grand Canyon,
lnountains, much of its moisture is flat, fea1lrreless areas, just for vari- Death Valley, or the Yellowstone
depleted. ety. After this, anything left over is, area (all in North America), now is
for now, plains. the time to place them. It is also
With these conditions in mind, time to determine if this world has
place deserts in the world accord- Large-scale Details volcanoes or earthquakes. If so,
ingly. Obliterate rivers (or at least the OM should place the fault lines
change their course) if the map Up to now, the continent has and subterranean hot spots.
shows water flowing through an been dealt with on a macro scale-
area that in all likelihood would be depicting only those major fea- As with mountains, the theory of
desert. tures that would be visible from a plate tectonics also affects the
vantage point several dozens of placement of earthquake sensitive
Planting Forests miles above the surface. Now is the areas and volcanoes. The shifting
time to focus in on a few areas and caused by the lTIOVement of the
By placing high mountains add more specific details. Does Earth's continental plates causes
(10,000 feet plus), deserts, arctic that huge desert have an oasis at the leading edge of a plate (often
regions, and lakes, the OM has cre- its heart? Is there a pass that runs where the continent's highest
ated a number of places that for- through that awe-inspiring moun- mountains are located and most
ests cannot grow. Now decide tain range? Do any of the major often near a seacoast) to be earth-
where they do appear. Mark in the rivers have waterfalls? Mark these quake prone as the land relieves
forest areas of the world, relnem- features now and they will be there pressure by shifting along fault
bering that they are more likely to when the player characters come Jines. If the world has features that
be located near large bodies ofwater looking for them. may indicate potential earth-
or where rainfall is plentiful quakes or fault lines, mark them in
(such as the upwind slopes of high This is also the time to make any now.
mountains). Assume that the large-scale additions or changes to
world has not been heavily lum- the terrain features. How about In a like manner, as the slowly
bered. Don't go above the tree line lining that river that runs through moving planetary crust inches
on mountains (10,000 feet, where the vast plains with a strip of for- over a hot spot deep beneath it, the
arctic conditions begin) and don't est? What if that large river splits hot lTIagma thrusts upward
place a forest next to a desert un- into a complex delta as it nears the through faults and crevices to
less there is a specific reason for sea? Are there islands in that mas- fonn a volcano or to superheat
creating "unearthly" terrain in sive inland lake? Possibly a river subterranean water. In this man-
that area. should run through the middle of ner chains of new, dormant, and
this big desert-but if so, it should dead volcanoes are formed (the Ha-
Other Common Features be bordered by strips of something waiian Islands are an example of
else, like prairie. The OM should this effect).
Any terrain that has not been des- make as many large scale finish-
ignated as seacoast, lTIountain, ing touches as he likes, stopping Individual volcanoes do not
swamp, desert, or forest must ei- only when he is wholly satisfied need to be included on a map of
ther be hills or plains (although with the lay ofthe land. this very large scale-this would
hills can include ridges, razor- be as difficult a task as locating
backs, or badlands and plains may Points of Interest every individual mOWltain peak.
mean rolling prairie, arid steppe, However, hot spots should be lo-
or frozen tun~ each of which is a This refers to natural points of cated, usually by marking off one
unique type of geographical fea- interest. The truly exotic locales hex (or 30 mile diameter area) in
ture). If it has no distinguishing are reserved for later. While the de- the lower regions of a mountain
characteristics, the area adjacent sign of the world is still at an ultra- range or along a major fault line
to a mountainous region should be large-scale viewpoint, begin to pin that cuts through those moun-
considered as hills (even ifit is also down some special isolated fea- tains, representing a place where
magma lies close to the slll"face.

Not every fault line produces

59

earthquakes. Nor will every hot shows the whole world at a glance, Filling up on
spot contain active volcanoes it lacks the details necessary for Flora & Fauna
within its boundaries. Be generous day-to-day adventuring. The next
with these special features. They step is to scale down the world The next stage
don't all have to be active right map to make maps that are useful in step-by-step world creation is to
now~ but no one else (in other for other purposes. These smaller populate the newly-made world
words, the characters) will have scale maps, called regional maps, with plants~ animals, and fantastic
any way ofknowing that they exist depict in greater detail the lands creatures. Rather than place
that the player characters will ex- things at random, the DM may
Things Fantastic plore. The chapter on mapping ex- wish to consider how these living
plains the mechanical details of beings would be found in the eco-
At this point our view of the de- creating a regional map. logical structure of a rea] world. If
sign narrows a bit further as we the area being developed is
once again consider the OM's pre- Initially the OM should create coastal, or contains large lakes or
creation notes and take a look at lo- only a few regional maps, which rivers, remember to place appro-
cating even more exotic features will cover the places where the priate animals, fish, and birds in
on the world. As previously dis- first adventures will take place and and around the water.
cussed, a world filled with mun- one or two adjacent regions. Transfer
dane features may have its awe- the major terrain features from the Ecology Overview
inspiring moments, but otherwise, world map to the regional map and
it remains mundane. It is strongly begin to add more details. Keep As is the case with our own
recommended that the DM place in mind that in most cases, terrain world, the ecology of the OM's
a few large scale, noteworthy does not remain the same mile world exists in delicate balance.
pieces of geographic fantasy into after mile. Break up large terrain The plants and animals are depen-
his world. The OM will, in all features with smaller terrain dent upon one another for life and
Iikelihoo~ have his own imagi- details. A vast plain may be dotted sustenance. A food chain exists
native features, but samples might with small forests. A vast forest with links that connect the smallest
include twin volcanoes that con- may contain numerous small protozoan with the largest
stantly belch forth ash and lava, a swampy areas, deep-cut ravines predators. Yet the DM doesn't need
badlands that dwarfs even the and lakes. Include special features to concern himself with the opera-
Grand Canyon, fragments of a ti- on a smaller scale. Add in the tion of the world at this level. It's
tanic wall (possibly a construct of streams that feed the rivers, bor- only when he brings sentient be-
the gods?), giant craters, dead areas der lakes with marshes. Put low, ings and huge carnivorous mon-
of salt, ash, and glass, an in- rolling hills into the plains. sters into the picture that he needs
credibly deep lake ringed by to consider how his ecology works
swamps, or a natural stone bridge Try to give each regional map its and how to keep it working in a re-
of unusual proportions. own bits of unique geography, alistic manner.
things that are visible only when
Be sparing with them, but don't viewed more closely, like sink Assume that each climatic and
be afraid to put in such features. holes, small islands, or jagged geographic region of the world is
As the world develops, they can populated with animals silnilar to
spur imagination and fonn key as- cliffs. those that fill the usual ecological
pects of its mythology and history. niches in our own world. A variety
If the OM desires it, he can zoom of small scavengers, predators,
Zooming in for Detail in further on parts of the regional omnivores, and herbivores will
map and create areas in even eat, live, reproduce, and die in
Now that he greater detail. This is particularly much the same manner as their
has his world's major geography useful when detailing population counterparts do in our own world.
designed, where does the OM go centers like cities, villages, and
from here? Since the world map gathering grounds for nomadic The next steps then, are to place
peoples. some of these plants and animals.
Review your notes and take a look

60

through your copy of the Mon- Though this is not a big deal, hav- Major Predators
strous Compendium for new ing a ranger trap a trio of snakelike
ideas. Jot down your notes for slikkems for dinner instantly cre- Next, decide what major preda-
later when you can go back and fill ates a different atmosphere than tors keep the numbers of these
out a monster fonn and define the snaring three bunnies. large animals in check. At this
specific attributes for each of your point, feel free to pull fantastic
new creatures. Continue to work Remember that a creature must predators out of the Monstrous
at a regional scale and keep notes be suited to its enviromnent, oth- Compendiums. Do dragons from
of any vegetation or creatures that erwise it will not survive long. the mountains feed on the bison in
might be useful in the areas of the Moist, slimy creatures would be the plains, stealing theln from be-
world that are not currently being unreasonable in the parched air of neath the claws of the sabre tooth
developed. a desert in the same way that cold- tigers? Do roving packs of hideous
blooded reptilian animals would yeti prey upon slow-witted moun-
Common Creatures have difficulty surviving in an arctic tain goat herds? Do cheetahs and
clime. lions run down unicorn-homed
The AD&DID galue rules presume herbivores on the sun-washed sa-
that these creatures may be ani- One way to work out the crea- vannah? Keep in mind that the
mals from our own world, like rab- tion of fantastic animals is to de- successful predator type must be
bits, squirrels, groundhogs, frogs, cide what kind of monsters may able to overcome its prey's de-
weasels, badgers, serpents, field dwell in the region (the Monstrous fenses.
mice, lizards, monkeys, and so Compendiums list the type of crea-
forth. This assumption allows for tures that can be found in the se- Finally, a common failing in a
the drama of imagining a rabbit lected terrain), then make up a few fantasy campaign is to make the
the size of a horse or wasps as large animals which have developed predators too numerous. In our
as condors. The players know the similar environmental adaptations own world, the large predators (the
animal and can imagine the hu- and defenses (but are not great cats, wolves and wild dogs,
morous or terrifYing consequences themselves monstrous). An exam- birds of prey, sharks and toothed
of its enlargement ple might be the chameleon-like whales) are few in number-the
rock lizard. In the area in which it ecosystem's food chain cannot
Furthermore, recognizable ani- lives, several other smaller lizards support such large numbers, even
mals make places more real to the or insects may also have devel- if they prey upon each other.
players. A craggy mountain envi- oped a rocky appearance to avoid
ronment takes on more substance predators or fool their own prey. Placing Plants
when creatures recognizable as
mountain goats skip along its Big Animals Plants are possibly the most
slopes. Forests with startled deer overlooked aspect of world design.
in sun-dappled clearings bring Next, assign one or more large, OMs and players alike often as-
forth imagery of the early Ameri- non-predator creatures to several SUlne that plants just exist and
can pIoneers. major terrain areas of the world that the only ones they need con-
(don't try to do it all right now). In cern themselves are the sentient or
Yet, this is a fantasy world, and our world they would be moose, monstrous variety described in the
not all creatures will have devel- deer, bears, buffalo, elephants, rhi- monster manuals. Yet by assigning
oped along mundane lines. In se- noceroses, hippopotami, kanga- a few conunon types of plants to a
lected regions of the world, make roo, and so forth. Avoid placing region of the world, creating a few
up a few exotic animals to fill the major predators and intelligent be- unique or even magical plants, and
same slots as rabbits, squirrels, ings now, but feel free to add in restricting the distribution of
groundhogs, frogs, and so on. At fantastic or highly unusual crea- monstrous flora, the OM can en-
this point, a name and a one sen- tures like unicorns, behemoths, hance the realistic aspects of his
tence description such as and dinosaurs. Keep such unusual world and make it more believable
"Slikkem: weasel-sized, furry, creatures restricted to lilnited areas
snakelike rodent" is sufficient. ofthe world.

61

to the players. Populations Culture Levels
Including oaks, elms, maples,
Who are the Assign a culture level to each
and pines in the description of an people who dwell in the land? group of people. Culture level is a
area says to the player: IIThis is a What do they do to survive? Who catch-all classification that de-
temperate forest." A little research are their leaders? How do they feel scribes the life-style, technical ac-
into plants native to other climates about adventurers looting the ru- complishlnents, and trappings of
can do the same for those regions. ins of their ancestors? These are civilization possessed by a people.
The flora is now established as "re- ilnportant questions, and the good These levels can be loosely defined
alistic." From here, the OM places DM will have an answer for each as barbarian, nomadic, feudal, civ-
his own unusual plants, which like and every one of them. ilized, and decadent. Although
OM-created animals, need just a endless variations and crossovers
name and a description. At least a The next stage of world creation exist within these five classes,
few of these should have a magical is to place sentient and social life they sum up the essence of that
or inherently valuable nature. A upon it-people of all shapes, type of culture.
forest of sinister dire oaks, or a sizes, natures, and goals. These
densely columned grove of are the races of men, demi- Peoples who are not separated
bamboo-like tabintha trees adds a humans, and monsters who are by a lnajor geographic obstacle
unique flavor to a mostly lTIUn- the basis for the character races (such as oceans, mountains, des-
dane environment, while a stand and their foes. Since we are still erts or vast forests or grasslands)
of hover elms with the tips of their dealing with the world on a large tend to share the same culture
dangling and dangerous roots scale, let us first place its peoples level. Essentially, if a wilderness
floating a few feet above the forest and races in general locales on the area is home to one tribe of barbar-
floor creates a weirdly magical map. The steps that follow are ian humans, it's a good bet that aJl
touch. ideas for creating people to live in peoples in the immediate area are
the world. also barbaric. There are excep-
Locate any plants with magical, tions to this rule, though. Nonhu-
healing, or poisonous properties. Select the Races man races are often closed
Like oases and mountain passes, societies. They rarely intermix
it's nice to know where they are (at The DM should decide what with other cultures and often pur-
least in general tenns) when players races dwell in his world. If he posefully isolate themselves. Colo-
want to go looking for them. wishes to have all the character nization and migration bring
races available, those races must incursions of outside culture levels
Lastly, place the monster plants, have one or more homelands into previously homogenous re-
the deadly denizens who lurk in around the world. Place these peo- gions, although eventually one
dark glades, waiting to prey on the ples in parts of the world that fit culture level will again dominate
unsuspecting. Limit the monster their nature, keeping in mind that the region.
plants to the wildest regions. Like Inany of them may dislike being
the major predators, there should close to each other. Elves tend to Barbarians
only be one or two monstrous prefer forested areas, especially These primitive people often
plants in any specific place. Again, deep and ancient forests. Dwarves
remember climate considerations and gnomes have an affinity for dwell at the edge of the known
when placing monster vegetation. Inountains and the minerals they world and manage to survive in a
Tropical plants will not be found in hide. Halflings love well-drained, most primitive state. Occasion-
arctic, subarctic or even temperate rolling hills. Ores and other rapa- ally, they may develop an exten-
climates (unless the DM first modi- cious monster races take any sive culture. Barbarians rarely
fies them). By restricting these lands ripe for plunder, but are have a written language more
horrors to particular places in the commonly driven away by elves complex than pictographs and do
world, the Inonstrous plants re- and dwarves. Humans, in their di- not bui1d anything larger than
main unusual, mysterious, and versity, dwell wherever a living their roughly fortified villages.
even mythical as they form a part can be made, regardless of climate They hunt, fish, and gather their
of the legends and folklore of those or geography. food. More advanced barbarians
regIons.

62

may fann or raise livestock. Bar- Nomads Feudal culture
barians have limited metal tech- This is a transitional society that
nology, but readily work stone, A nomadic culture depends on
woocL and bone for their tools and its ability to move from place to occurs as a dynamic barbarian or
weapons. place, as seasons and resources nomadic culture takes the first
dictate. They depend heavily on steps toward civilization. Feudal
They are ruled by the best war- mobile livestock, hunting, and people have a keen sense of right
riors in the tribe or clan and their gathering. They build no penna- and wrong and develop a central
religious leaders are witch doctors nent structures (although portable government that relies on the prin-
and shamans. Otherwise, they ones are common) and agriculture ciples, powers, and rights of roy-
hate and even fear the trappings of is just not practica1. They are often alty and nobility (see the Feudality
magic use. Ancestor worship and mounted or use beasts to transport government description that fol-
beast totem cults are the religion of their belongings. lows later in this section). Each
the superstitious barbarians. Reli- ruler owes allegiance to a higher
gious structures are often mounds Metal working nomads are rare, ruler and in tum receives alle-
or rough stone temples (like Stone- but warrior bands are plentiful. giance from his own vassals. Com-
henge). The artifacts of "higher" Nomads are often ruled by charis- mon folk are little more than
culture levels are often feared. matic chieftains, who are both slaves. Devotion to religion is im-
Sample barbarian cultures may in- mighty warriors and clever lead- portant, so long as it does not inter-
clude cavemen, tribesmen, lizard ers. Nomads are often strongly, fere with the desires of the ruling
men, goblins, ores, ogres, and hill even fanatically religious, and dote class. Magic use is tolerated but
giants. upon the teachings of their sha- not well liked. Feudal folk live in
mans. Sample nomad cultures in- small to medium-sized towns,
clude dervishes, gypsies, gnolls, build strong fortresses, and have a
and locathah.

63

stable economy. Sample feudal Building Cultural Character demands coming from the domi-
cultures include medieval Europe nant religion's clerics that he out-
and Japan. It's time to start thinking about law magic use. Both concepts add
color to the culture and provide a
Civilized culture the more colorful nature of the re- basis for adventures.
These people are city builders
gion's major peoples. Whereas cul- Synthesis involves combining
and their cultures are typified by two or more cultures to make a
both extensive kingdoms and indi- ture level describes the technical wholly unique society. It involves
vidual city states. They typically asking the question "What if ...?"
have central governments, but accomplishments and attitudes of regarding the cultures involved.
true power is held by those who The best way to start a cultural
wield wealth. a people, Cultural Character de- synthesis is to research cultures
from our own history. Find several
Civilized cultures are constantly scribes their personality-the that are intriguing and that would
growing, learning, and expanding. apply to the world being created.
Technologically, they are the most things that make them unique. The cultures involved need not
advanced people in the campaign. even be historical contemporaries.
Civilized cultures have diverse While it's easy to say "make cul- The typical stereotype of hard
economies that rely just as heavily working, staid, metal-mining
on the process of trade as they do tures memorable," the means may dwarves might be cOlnbined with
on growing or creating trade the fanatical Mujadheen rebels of
goods. Most religions are tolerated not appear quite so simple-and Afghanistan to create fiercely
in civilized lands, though all may driven, setni-nomadic dwarven
not be popular. The same can be yet, they are! rebels, fighting against an occupying
said for magic use. force, and wielding weapons of
The key is to use resources out- superior construction and design.
Decadent Merge Oriental martial artists with
Civilized cultures that slip past side oneself, stealing, or synthesiz- medieval Europe for a people
whose knights fight only with un-
their peak without totally collapsing ing cultures from the history of our anned combat. Make sure that the
in on themselves become decadent. most important aspects of the syn-
Social and moral decay sets in and own world, or from favorite fan- thesized cultures are logical. An
the people become jaded, Egyptianized barbarian culture
constantly seeking new fonns of tasy novels. Another, more diffi- may mummify their dead, but
pleasure. They are slowly losing they would not have the skills to
what they have learned and cult but extremely satisfying, make enduring pyramids.
gained. Government, while cen-
tralized, has lost much of its au- method is to make a culture's char- Creating a culture out of a few
thority and small autocracies details of information is the hardest
dependent on personal power and acter grow from one or two of its and Inost time consuming. If this
wealth develop to fill the void. The method is chosen, the culture may
poor are poorer and the rich richer more colorful details. take time to evolve and development
than ever before. Tragically, they will probably occur dwing game
believe their culture to be at its dy- Taking directly from history is play as the people of the cuiture
namic prime, vastly superior to interact with the player characters.
everything else. The drow (dark quick and easy. The DM can easily Begin with a simple concept for
elves) and the late Roman empire the people, such as "They never
are classic examples of decadent adapt the time of King Charle- bathe in water" or "All of their
culture. architecture, artwork and clothing
magne (eighth century France) for are decorated with dragon
motifs." Answering why
his feudal culture. They have a

rough and ready code of honor, are

defended by numerous cavaliers

(see The Complete Fighter's Hand-

book), worship a central, powerful

religion, and are constantly fighting

against the expansion of a similar

desert-based nomadic/feudal

culture located beyond a orange of

mountains. By changing the

names and adding fantasy ele-

ments, most cultures from our

own world can be picked up and

moved to a fantasy campaign.

Use imagination when including

fantasy. Do more than say that the

king has a magic sword, rides a

hippogriff, and is served by a 14th

level wizard. Imagine that a good

dragon has been complicating battles

with the nomads in the mountain

passes by driving off both sides,

or that the king is resisting

64

they do this is the next stage. To Population Centers This is a relatively advanced
make a people truly memorable, step and can be saved until the OM
search for an answer along fantasy Regardless of culture, people is more familiar with his world.
lines. The non-bathers Inay fear tend to congregate and build History is a wonderful tool for jus-
evil water spirits or believe that camps, villages, towns, and cities. tifying the existence of lost cities,
dirt upon their bodies helps them The DM must decide where to mysterious ruins, abandoned tem-
draw magical power from the place major human and demi- ples, and haunted battlefields. It
world. The draconian artists human population centers. These
might focus on actually becoming need not all be cities and may in- can be used to explain the relation-
dragons as their faith increases. clude customary gathering sites
for barbarian and nomadic peo- ship between character races, the
Continue to add details as they ples. Use the same considerations creation or reappearance of mon-
come to mind. The dirty-bodied that guided people throughout the sters, the disappearance of civili-
folk may be ingenious chemists or histOlY of our own world. The largest zations, and the establishment of
perfumers who have learned to population centers are usually new ones.
profitably combat body odor. The located on large bodies of water, es-
dragon-worshippers are on eternal pecially along the seacoast or on The basic rule for creating a his-
pilgrimages to acquire the remains the shores of bodies of water with tory is to recognize that entire civi-
and artifacts of dragon-kind (often an outlet to the sea (like lakes and lizations do not appear overnight,
appearing as manic souvenir rivers). but grow slowly, ascending
hunters in exotic bazaars). through the culture levels. As they
The health of a population center develop and sometimes fail, they
Consider any peculiar customs depends on commerce, and the leave behind the debris of their
that may have developed, like the most efficient way to move trade growth in the form of tombs, tem-
practice of showing an open palm goods from one place to another is ples and abandoned dwellings. Un-
or shaking hands to indicate that by boat or ship. Other major popu- less utterly eradicated, the folk of
they are free of weapons. Behav- lation centers will develop where failed civilizations migrate or
ioral oddities can make a culture an abundant natural resource ex- merge with their successors to
appear more exotic than a few odd- ists' such as lnineral ores, or exotic form new peoples. New cities rise
ities of appearance. animals. Feel free to develop a up from the ruins and living cities
large number of population cen- build over the foundations of their
As a finishing touch, ask whether ters. In the next step, many of past, leaving bits of history to be
the cultlrre has any specific likes or them will become part of the dust discovered.
dislikes? Do they have any taboos and mystery of history.
or unusual laws? How do they feel Work up a time-line for the world
about interaction with outsiders? A Walk through History (or region), essentially a general se-
How do they react to outsiders (its a quence of events. Exact dates are
good bet that any culture that iso- The ruins that not important. Ask the questions
lates itself frOIn the world has a adventurers are so fond of looting "Where did it all come from?" and
healthy dislike or distrust of stran- were once the homes, temples, "What has happened to and be
gers). Remember that folk are usu- castles, and strongholds of folk cause of man ill the past?"
ally friendlier towards others who from long ago. While we will go
resemble them and less trusting or into more detail about such places Focus on local history. Don't
even horrified of beings who are later in the book, and even provide worry about neighboring realms
substantially different. you with a few samples to base yet, or leaving out major events, or
your own dungeons on, take a few describing sOInething that may
Regardless of how cultures are minutes now to consider the sub- have to be changed later. History is
developed, the DM who invests j ect. Answering how, when, and flexible. The 'truth' grows and
time in their development will be why the worlds ruins came to be in changes as more evidence of the
richly rewarded.. For soon his players this state tel Is the history of the past is uncovered. What is ac-
will begin to tell tales, not of world. cepted as fact by one generation is
their adventures, but of their proven folly by the next.
encounters with the world's
strange and unusual peoples. First, examine the worldts dis-
tant past. Decide if the world had a
prehistory of any kind. Were there

65

any races long ago that predate the nate the farmlands around each wealthy--can either wisely guide,
appearance of humanity and population center. Remember that subtly manipulate, or cruelly sup-
demi-humanity? What artifacts much of the area around cities press their supposed inferiors. It
did they leave behind? Have any towns and villages Inust be open happens in our world and, speak-
beasts from ancient times sur- for cultivation. Food must be ing realistically, it should happen
vived into the ClllTent age? Where grown, otherwise the people in the OM's new world
can they be found? Is there a divine starve.
or magical reason for the evolution, Social Class
appearance, or creation of the Draw roads and trails to connect
major character races? Was there population centers. Indicate the lo- A person's social class is his stand-
any interference from ele- cation of bridges or fords across ing in society, a measure of both
mentals or other interplanar be- rivers. Remetnber that roads will his personal wealth and the acci-
ings that significantly affected the rarely cross lnountains, except dent of his birth. If we ignore reli-
nature of the world? Also consider through passes. Locate fortresses gious classifications or the belief
the role of dragons in the world, that are separate from population that some people are born to lead
since they are among the most centers. Forts and castles often others and focus on economic
powerful of all the AD&D® game guard passes, oases, and bridges. classes, we fmd three broadly de-
system monsters. It was common practice to make fined social classes.
castles more defensible by placing
With the appearance of the maj or them on rocky outcroppings over The poor, which includes peas-
character races, recent history nvers. ants, fanners, laborers, soldiers
begins. Here, we look at the move- and those who are even less fortu-
ment of peoples, major conflicts Place a few isolated temples and nate form the bulk, the "un-
between them, and the rise and fall monasteries. Don't worry about washed masses It of nearly every
of civilizations, including those of which gods they will be dedicated society. They have little money, no
humans, demi-humans, and mon- to, but do remember that they influence (unless they riot or re-
sters. need farmlands too. Also include volt), and can rarely think of any-
the abandoned guard posts and thing but swvival.
Decide where each major cul- isolated temples of any lost civili-
ture came from and where they zations. The middle class consists of
may be going. Select a number of merchants, craftsmen, lesser
the population centers to be vic- Does the world have any fea- priests and government officials.
tims of history, naught but empty tures like Hadrian's wall or the They handle most of a society's
ruins. Give thought to how they great wall of China? What about money, yet keep only a fraction of
became empty. Were pestilence, necropolises (cities of the dead}? it. They live cOlnfortably, yet are
war, earthquakes, or volcanoes the These were often placed near major rarely well off. Most adventurers
cause of their demise? Or was cities, but could easily be separate will come from this social class.
something far more sinister to CItIes, far from civilization.
blame? Make some notes about Finally, place a few inns and road- The rich include the nobility,
what might live in the abandoned houses along the highways, espe- elite landowners, merchant
areas. cially where traffic between major princes, and powerful priests of
population areas might be heavy. the land. Even in countries that es-
Behold the Works of Man pouse democratic representation,
Social Structure the rich will often have control.
Until now, we1ve The OM should note that even if
discussed developing the person- When sentient, the PCs become wealthier than
ality of cultures and placing them social beings congregate in any kings, they will rarely (and then
on the map. Now we let them number, they inevitably find ways only grudgingly) be accepted into
build. Begin by deciding which to stratify themselves into social the ranks ofthe elite.
population centers will become classes and then arrange some
major cities and which will be mi- sort of arcane system where mem- DMs may wish to have the PCs
nor. On the regional maps, desig- bers of the upper social classes- arise from one of these social
the wise, the powerful, or the classes, letting them further iden-
tify with their world. While it is

66

possible for peasants to become mountain valleys, islands, and pe- naInes of countries with similar
adventurers, it may be more likely ninsulas are potential examples of names from our own world works
that middle class and the lower this. In a similar manner, the lands quite wel1. The DM may cal1 his
ranks of the rich would be poten- on opposite sides of a vast desert barbarian lands the Confederacy of
tial heritages for wizards and will usually not belong to the same Czevakia, invoking a central Eu-
priests, since these folk customarily country, since it is difficult for a ropean flavor, while nomads might
have money available to ap- central government to exert its au- take their names from totem ani-
prentice their children. Thief and thority across so large an expanse mals, like Tribe of the Wolf
druid characters would more ofdesolate terrain.
likely have a poor social back- Wars and Rumors of War
ground, the former as city dwell- Rivers, Inore than any other geo- A world without strife seems a
ers, the latter coming from the graphical feature, often serve as
countryside. Warriors may hail political boundaries. With rivers, glorious goal, but it makes for
from any background, but pala- there is no doubt where one country lousy adventure gaming. Conflict
dins would only come from the up- ends and another begins. Islands between nations can provide a
per crust of society. The offspring in the Iniddle of rivers are a tense, exciting backdrop for the ac-
of nobility will rarely be adventur- problem though. High mountain tivities of the PCs. It sets up the op-
ers, and when they are, it should ranges can serve as boundaries portunities for them to join in spy
be expected that only younger also, but deciding on actual bor- missions, BATTLESYSTEMTM rules
children follow the adventurer's ders can be somewhat ambiguous conflicts, border patrols, raids, po-
path, not heir apparent. and easily disputed. litical intrigue, assassinations,
diplomatic missions, and rescue
Countries Begin drawing in country bor- attempts, all at the behest of one
ders on the world and regional feuding government or another.
Just as there are numerous peo- maps. Leave a few borders indefi-
ples in the DM's world, there will nite and disputed, keeping in mind Deciding who doesn't like whom
be numerous political organiza- that the countries on either side of requires a little imagination and a
tions called countries. Most of those borders will probably be at bit of common sense. Using a hy-
these will be small, sometimes odds about it. pothetical situation, we find that
nothing more than relatively large country A doesn't like country B
walled cities, and usual1y repre- As a side note, the higher the cul- because B insists on sending all of
sent the reach of a single ruler's in- ture level of a people, the greater its refined iron ore eastward into
fluence. Some will be larger, either the chance that they will extend country C. It doesn't seeln to matter
as the territory of a large cultural their reach to place surrounding that A and B are separated by a
group, or the unified efforts of one peoples and lands lU1der their con- nearly impassable mountain
or more ofthose smaller countries. trol. Also, remember that in more range.
primitive cultures (including most
Where Do Countries Come From? fantasy worlds like the Meanwhile, country B sells the
Countries form when leaders FORGOTTEN REALMS® world), ore in return for weapons that it
there are few hard political sends to troops stationed near the
within a people declare their con- boundaries. Most states will have border with country A.
trol over a geographic region to be only a vague border which can be
supreme and exclusive of all other easily disputed. Country 0 watches the interplay
influence. Establishing the bound- between its neighbors and secretly
aries of that region is another matter Name-calling builds its own military strength. It
altogether. Now it's time to give the coun- sees the possibility of either A or B
moving around the mountain
Any area that is physically iso- tries names. Use any naming sys- range to attack.
lated win tend to be po] itically in- tem that works, but avoid silly or
dependent (at least initially). Its punny names. The joke quickly In three short paragraphs the po-
boundaries will extend as far as becomes old and the DM is stuck litical situation in one region is
the geographic features that cut it with a stupid name and his players swnmarized. Details can be added
offfrom the rest ofthe world. High have a much harder time suspend- as the nature of these disputes
ing their disbelief. Adapting the coalesces in the DM's mind.

67

Governments authority rests in the hands of a It is important to keep in mind
supreme ruler, who is often of a that these governments are not
Each country win have rulers of tyrannical nature. mutually exclusive. If one con-
some sort. As mentioned earlier, Feudality: Government of a siders the current state of affairs in
government is an inevitability. feudal nature, in which each the United States of America, we
Fantasy adventures invariably successive layer of authority find that it contains many of the
evoke imagery of kings and derives its power from the features typical to a democracy
queens, princes and princess~s, layer above and pledges alle- and a bureaucracy. Further, there
evil barons, proud emperors, WIse giance in return. are those who might claim that is
caliphs and all the other trappings also something of a plutocracy. As
of governments based on the di- Hierarchy: A typically reli- you can see, there is room for de-
vine right of kings to rule over gious government similar in bate and an endless variety of po-
lesser men. Yet even in a fantasy nature to Feudality. tential combinations.
world, countries need not all be
run by nobles. Within the space of • Magiocracy: A government of Economics and Taxation
less than a century, pre-imperial wizards.
Rome was frrst a republic, then a Matriarchy: Government by The Cost ofLiving
dictatorship, an oligarchy, and fi- the eldest or wisest females. Admittedly, the price lists for
nally an autocracy, while the Vati- Militocracy: Government by
can City in Rome has been a the leaders of the military and items given in the AD&D® game
theocracy for more than a millen- enforced by military might. rule books do not reflect historical,
niwn. Even so, a substantial differ- real world prices. The prices listed
ence in type of government is • Monarchy: Rule by a single for goods and services to be had re-
usually a catalyst (or excuse) for sovereign, usually hereditary. flect an inflationary economy, one
neighboring countries to be at May be an absolute ruler (see which has seen the influx of vast
odds with each other. Autocracy) or with power limited amounts of gold and silver, the
and delegated in some form, booty of countless forays by wor-
The following is a list of govern- such as through a council of thy adventurers. In this cash-rich
ment types which may be found in lords. economy, the prices charged for
a typical AD&D® game. Oligarchy: Government by a items has cycled upwards to its
few (and usually absolute) rulers current rate. Those with coin buy
• Autocracy: Government which who each have equal authority. what they need. Yet for those with-
rests in self-derived, absolute Patriarchy: Government by out ready access to gold, barter
power, typified by a hereditary the eldest and wisest males. has become a way of life, exchang-
king or emperor. ing goods and services for other
• Pedocracy: Government by the goods and services.
• Bureaucracy: Government by learned, the sages, and scholars.
department, ruled by the heads Plutocracy: Government by For the most part, the OM should
ofthose departments and the wealthy. aSSUlne that these prices will re-
conducted through layers and main stable. Yet, should a war or
layers of lesser administrators. • Theocracy: Government based drought ravage a land or its neigh-
exclusively on religious bors, prices will rise steeply as de-
• Confederacy: Government by teachings, usually headed by mand increases and supply
an alliance or league of lesser the most powerful clerics of a decreases.
governmental bodies or social specific deity.
organizations. In a silnilar manner, some items
• Syndicracy: Government by a will be radically less expensive or
• Delnocracy: Government by body of syndics, that is, rep- more costly away from large popu-
the people, that is an established resentatives of various business lation centers. The cost of food and
body of citizens, either directly interests. Such a state may, in untrained livestock should be
or through elected fact, be a confederacy of cheaper, only a tenth of the big city
representatives. criminal cartels working prices; while good quality swords
together to provide for their and metal armor, lnuch rarer far
• Dictatorship: A nonhereditary own interests.
government whose final

68

from the weapon shops of the city, realistic societies, both good and who frighten little children. It
might cost 10 times as much-if evil exist and battle within the presents moral lessons to those
they can be found at all. bounds of the same society. Do any who will listen and acts as the holy
of the countries have a specific scripture of contemporary reli-
While it may be easier to use the alignment with the forces of good gions. In a nutshell, mythology is
price lists in the rule books, OMs and evil? While such societies are the history and workings of the
should modify prices to represent admittedly unrealistic, they allow world as the player characters in a
the costs in their own worlds. the players to identify friend and campaign willleam to know it.
foe with relative ease.
Taxation Building a Mythos
Governments exist and thrive It is, of course, possible to draw a
historical basis for a nation which A world's mythology is a color-
through taxation. The larger (or is utterly eviL Consider the actions fuJ, often slanted retelling of its his-
more incompetent or unscrupu- of Gennany in the second world tory. Yet, like world construction,
lous) the government, the lnore it war. Genocide, unchecked aggres- the OM can restrict his initial work
taxes the population. If it seems rea- sion, and tyrannical rule are, with- load by limiting his design to the
sonable that something could be out a doubt, evil. But was the folklore of a small locale. Not all de-
taxed without causing a population average foot soldier a violent ities need to be detailed at first.
revolt, it will be taxed. The most fiend? Probably not. Although it Thus the player characters'
common rate for any particular tax was greatly overshadowed by the knowledge of the world will be
is 50/0 of the basic value of the taxed actions of the government as a both restricted and biased.
iteln. As an example, an adventurer whole, there were good people
would pay the government 5% of caught up in that evil society. Regardless of whether the DM
the value of his castle, lands and decides to create the world's my-
livestock each year. Furthermore, Mythology and the World thology all at once, or develop
he may also have to pay a tax on the small sections as need~ the proc-
goods produced by his lands. Upon first con- ess is the same. Read the sections
sideration, mythology seems nothing that follow, making notes to an-
Taxes are generally paid upon more than a dry listing of gods, swer these questions:
property that a character owns, goddesses, the alignments they • What is the role ofgood and evil
not what he earns. Thus things represent, and who worships
like castles, inns, farmland and them. After all, what more could in the world? Which moral
livestock are assessed while gold be needed for a game? Such a pi- aligrunent is currently more
taken from dungeons is not. geonholing of mythology COln- powerful (has the largest or most
pletely ignores what it represents. influential following)?
How the OM wishes to tax his Deities may play key roles in leg- • Who are the gods and what
players is a personal matter, but in ends and folkJore, but mythology influence do they have?
all fairness, try to downplay this is much more, being the sum expe- • What is the role ofmankind (or
all-tao-real facet of life. Limit taxa- rience of life and history as a people elfkincL dwarfkind and so on) in
tion to easily calculated taxes. Fig- believes it to be true. the world?
uring and paying taxes is not fun, • How do monsters fit in?
whether or not it takes place in a In mythology, one finds tales of • What are the primary religions
real or fantasy world. On the plus the universe's creation and the ori- in the world and how do they
side, heavy taxation could be the gins of most sentient races. It justi- interact?
impetus for a revolt against the fies the war between good and evil,
evil ruler scenario and unscrupu- organizes the sides and prophesies Now, take the point of view of a
lous tax collectors always make of the battle's final outcome. It ex- common person (preferably one
wonderful villains. plains the origins and sources of who follows a mainstream reli-
magic and the needs and fears of gion) and begin writing simple
Good & Evil Societies the people. Mythology describes tales. Describe the creation of the
the great monsters who inhabit world and detail the battle be-
This final consideration has a the unknown and the bogeymen tween good and evil. Describe how
great deal to do with the level of
fantasy in the world. In complex,

69

important monsters and character nying others their own satisfac- ities of the Norse religion are exam-
races participated in the war. tion. ples of polytheism.
Whose side were they on? Who
were ilnportant heroes? Use the When combined with the orga- Another view is that of panthe-
world's unique geographical fea- nized thinking of law and the indi- ism. Pantheists see all aspects of life
tures as settings for battles and vidualized goals of chaos, these and existence as being manifesta-
tales. Explain history in legendary three moral paths form the basis of tions of gods. For each major or mi-
terms. Describe ancient civiliza- character alignments. nor aspect of dally life, there is a
tions in terms of awe or hatred. Ex- specialized deity. Each god has cler-
plain magic in simple terms that a Determine how this struggle be- ics, temples, and devoted followers
peasant would understand (and tween the forces of good and evil (although it is often common for
probably fear). will be fought in the world and the people in a pantheistic culture to
importance it may have to the worship all gods and even to ac-
Do all this and the DM will have player characters. Do the gods knowledge the existence of gods
his mythology~ the world and his- openly battle for control or do they outside their own pantheon).
tory as the people know it-full of keep a hands-off policy and let
great stories, biased viewpoints, mortals act on their behalf? Can Monotheistic religions also exist
and wonderful misinformation. followers of all alignments live and in fantasy worlds. The god of such
act openly or must evil (or good) a religion is usually the supreme
Good versus Evil beings skulk about for fear of being creator and controller of the uni-
exposed? verse. Followers of this god recog-
The primal conflict in any world is nize no other true gods. Despite his
the eternal battle between the Archetypal Gods or her suprelne nature, the god is
forces of good and the powers of often aided or opposed by lesser
evil. All deities in the world and Since priests in an AD&D® game semi divine beings.
their followers are involved in this world must worship a deity to gain
battle to some degree, whether di- spells, the DM must select or create Books on mythology and the
rectly or indirectly. those deities. Legends & Lore Cyclopedia describe
a host of gods which the DM can use
The basic tenets of what is good In most fantasy worlds, gods (or to design his own mythos. Specific
can be defined as the rights of be- Greater and Lesser Powers as they pantheons may be incorporated as
ings to retain life, have relative are also known) appear to have in- presented (a tribe of Viking-like
freedom, and have the prospect of fluence over parts of the universe barbarians may worship the gods of
happiness. Cruelty and suffering and often manipulate what comes Norse mythology) or the referee
are wrong and undesirable. Good- under their power. What a deity may wish to "pick -and choose"
ness embodies a selfless desire to can control is called his sphere of gods from various religions to
do right for others, to improve influence. Powerful gods have create a unique pantheon. Even if
their quality of life and redeem more influence and often grant the DM opts to generate a wholly
them through compassion and greater powers to their followers. unique mythology, ideas can be
justice. taken from these works and used as,
There are several ways to incor- if you will pardon the phrase, divine
Evil then is the glorification of porate the presence and worship of inspiration.
selfish desire with no concern for gods into a grone. A common trend
the rights or happiness of others. in world design is to create poly- To aid in the design of a unique
Evil holds to the premise that quality theistic societies. pantheon, a listing of archetypal
of life comes only to those who can powers and spheres of influence is
take it and keep it. Polytheism literally means presented below. While these
"many gods. II The sphere of influ- fields are neither good nor evil,
Moral neutrality, if it can truly be ence for each god is relatively large guidelines for decadent and evil
said to exis~ is the balance of good and may actually cross the bound- gods follow. More powerful deities
and evil within oneself or within aries of another god's sphere. will combine several of these ar-
the bounds of the universe. Neu- Their worshippers generally pay chetypes into their makeup. Minor
trality seeks to satisfy the needs of homage to one or more gods within deities have less influence than de-
self, but not at the expense of de- the pantheo~ but refuse to scribed here.
acknowledge foreign gods. The de-

70

Each people, each race, each Archetypal Spheres of destructive purposes. Evil gods
are known to champion pain, suf-
country in the world win generally Influence fering, disease, greed, and abuse of
power. They are often the deities of
worship different gods (though Agriculture particularly vile monster races
and the foes of the "good" gods.
they may actually be the same god Ancestors Their works should be opposed,
never supported.
with different names). Choose sev- Beasts
The Role of Mankind
eral to make up the pantheon of The Earth (as a nurturing
The attitudes of people towards
gods who are worshipped in the mother) their gods and their involvement
in their religion can add a great
world. The aEnldewmaetenrtsH-eaailr~gearth, deal of personal color to a OM's
fire, world. Every culture has an idea of
Consider that the culture of a where th~y fit into the cosmology
of the unIverse and usually believe
given people will affect their gods. Hunting all other beliefs to be either false or
misguided.
Barbarian and nomad gods often Love (also fertility and repro-
The history of our own world re-
sYlnbolize the forces of nature duction) Luck veals that most peoples believe
themselves to be the chosen of the
which must be appeased and wor- Metalworking gods and that their particular pan-
theon of deities are the one and
s~ipped to ensure day-to-day sur- The Moon on Iy true gods. Anyone who be-
lieves differently is not only
vIval. They may be glorious heroes The Night (and possibly wrong, but a heretic. How a people
deal ~ith heretics is something the
wh? crackle with vibrant energy darkness) The Sea DM WIll have to decide for himself
. Do the people have a holy mis-
w~lch th~y use in titanic physical Storms (and rain) The Sun SlO~ to a~t out (such as spreading
their behefs or building a sacred
s~~e. ag~mst the forces of evil (and (and possibly light) Thieves tower to the stars) or is living a
goodly life their best Ineans of de-
cIvIhzatIon, which is often the Trickery & Cleverness votion to their deities?
. Are the people consistently act-
s.ame thing to a barbarian). Civi- Mercantile Trade The Ing ~n the ~e~alf of their gods (up-

lIzed gods embody noble or exotic Underworld (or afterlife) War h~voaldngInelgizrienhggiouunbs eclioedveesrs,ofpeutnhiischs~

philosophies and patronize skills Wine Wisdom & knowledo:;-,e Ing .traf.1sg1~eSS?rs) or is religion a
SOCIal InstItutIon, something that
and professions, rather than sym- they leave at the temple after each
holy day?
bolizing the forces of nature. Gods
Monsters & Mythology
who represent ideals like LKionvde~ 'Two other general types of gods
Compassion, Knowledge, eXlst, though they are used to rep-
resent the forces in the world that
ness, Industry, and Immortality the player characters will eventu-
ally oppose.
are found among civilized folk.

Decadent gods represent un-

spoken pTashseiyonrsa,relpylesaeseukrets~ and The Decadent Deity
cravings. eno-
This is any deity who represents
ble the spirit, only to satisfy the a culture's jaded or amoral atti-
tudes. Rather than fulfilling real
body. needs, the deity plays to baser de-
sires. These gods may be nothing
Consider whether the gods in more than sanitized gods of eviL

th~ campaign will be openly wor-

shipped and adored, or be mysteri-

ous secretive powers whose

exploits and true powers are

known only to an inner circle of fol- Evil Deities

lo~ers. Will they be paragons of Evil deities are a corruption or
reverse an archetypal god's ex-
~err moral alignments, solely ded- pected function or the app lication
of a godly archetype for immoral or
Icated to chmnpioning their moral

code or beings who serve their own

interests first and their alignment

last?

Many of the original AD&D®
game monsters were adapted from
the mythology and folk lore of our

71

own world. Would It not be entirely cal it will become. Tales of it ligion? What do they want from
reasonable to find them as a key become even more fantasticaL In the god-survival against the ele-
part of the folk lore of the OM's folk lore, a red dragon becomes a ments, protection from the super-
world? "great bat-winged demon, red like natural, eternal life, gain of
a tomato, with teeth like swords, material possessions, or some-
Writing monsters into mythol- claws like spears, and belching thing else?
ogy is simple folk tale telling. Give brimstone and fire! It
standard monster's local or folk Decide what characterizes the
names and write a few fantastical Finally, the DM may find less religion. Does it constantly seek to
or terrifYing folk tales about their need for an endless stream of "dif- convert new believers? Can anyone
exploits and they take on an en- ferent" monsters. Unknown mon- join, regardless of race, nationality,
tirely new aspect. By including sters with mysterious descriptions or social class? What kind of
monsters in a world's mythology, suddenly become frightening chal- restrictions are placed on believ-
the OM can accomplish several lenges. It can be said that players ers? What kind of obligations, ei-
valuable goals. are not afraid of what they know, ther in the fonn of service or
but of what they don't know. money, do believers owe their god?
First, the monsters become part What benefits do believers derive
of the world. They are tied to its Creating Religions from the religion, ifany?
creation and development. The
OM knows why they exist and Religions are not created by How popular is the religion? Is
what their ultimate purpose might gods, but by men to formalize the the religion a political power in the
be. worship of their gods. The steps land or are its believers perse-
that follow, actually groups of cuted? Do they persecute others?
Second, they become more mys- questions to ponder, will walk the Are its temples rich, or is all its in-
terious. A difficulty inherent in ad- DM through creating a religion. come spent on good causes?
venture gaming is that it is just as Don't feel that all the questions
easy for a player to buy a Mon- need be answered immediately. What magic can the god's clerics
strous Compendium as it is for the Initially, it may be enough to know a wield? Assume that the god
OM. When the OM says "you see god's name and that he champions grants clerical spells to his priest-
three ores with a bound and the cause of good. hood, but only those spells that do
gagged prisoner,II the player in- not conflict in some manner with
stantly knows what he is dealing Give the religion a name. Calling his moral alignment or purpose.
with-three low-level monsters. it the Order of Zeus is fine for a Some gods may not be able to
straightforward, mainstream reli- grant higher level spells to their
On the other hand, if the OM gion, but a mysterious cult may clerics (as is often the case with
says "three bandy-legged crea- have an equally mysterious name, tribal spellcasters like shaman and
tures squat in the shadows around a like the Fellowship of Three Se- witch doctors). Furthermore, a god
bound body. They resemble bo- crets. may give his clerics special powers
geymen from the dark tales your not available to clerics of other dei-
mother used to frighten you into Next, examine the god and his ties.
being good when you were a archetypal sphere of influence. De-
child", the player is no longer so cide which aspects are most im- For example, a god of healing
sure of himself. In fact, what he portant to his followers. Oetennine might not grant his followers dam-
knows of bogeymen is next to his moral alignment and its rela- aging spells, but might give them
nothing, except that they are re- tionship to his worshippers. De- more powerful curative speUs at
ally scary. Instead of being simply cide the god's goals, as far as the lower character experience levels.
evil humanoids, ores become the world and his followers are con-
hideous bogeymaI\ symbols of ab- cerned. Does he have a secret na- Lastly, how do its clerics dress?
j ect terror to those who heard of ture known only to an inner circle What icons, animals, symbols, colors,
them as children. In fact, just metals, or weapons are associated
about any evil humanoid would be a ofbelievers? with the god?
bogeyman.
Now look at the folk who wor- Answer these questions and the
Even in a world of fantasy, the ship the god. What is their culture DM will have a gOC>CL solid picture
rarer the monster, the more mythi level. How might that affect the re- ofthe religion.

72

Fantasy done a good job, is whether or not from history. A game set in the
his players can imagine that their North American southwest around
Throughout characters live and breathe in a 1,200 A.D. should have as much
this primer on world creation, we fantastic universe filled with attention to detail as one that
have been stressing the use of our magic, awe, and wonder. duplicates the fantasy worlds of
own world as a guide for ground- Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, or
ing the design of the DM's own Afterthoughts: Using Stephen R. Donaldson.
world in "reality.II Even so, the Other Sources
world that the DM creates is not in-
tended to be a real world. It is in- Some OMs seek
stead, a fantasy world. No, more to re-create a world that has been
than that, it is a fantasy game described by another. Krynn from
world the DRAGONLANCE® novels is an
example of using an author's
Re-examine the work done on imagination as the basis for a cam-
the world and think about it, not in paign world. In such cases, the OM
tenns of "is it real," but in tenns of should do his research and strive
its fantasy. Decide whether it could to be faithful to the original crea-
be more exotic if magic could playa tion as possible in both physical
bigger role. Is at least one culture detail and spirit of play. The same
unusual and memorable? can be said for attempting to dupli-
cate a particular period or culture
The ultimate measure of its
value, the deciding factor in deter-
mining whether or not the DM has

73

Maps are the bones of a fantasy making good maps need not domi- playing style. One OM may pre-
universe. They define the physical nate the DM's design time. It is cisely draw intricate floor plans on
situations in which the adventures possible to make good maps, even finely gridded graph paper that lo-
will take place. They are a con- great maps, without having to be- cate every item in each encounter
crete, visual representation of the come a professional cartographer area, name each area, Jist ceiling
OM's imagined world. Everything or needing to invest half one's life- heights and wall thicknesses, give
else is eventually built upon them. time in their creation. the hit points of all doors, indicate
For this reason, the OM, whether the local temperature, and de-
novice or experienced, must give What follows is an accelerated scribe the type of construction to
them the attention and care in cre- course in adventure game map be fOlll1d there (even to the point of
ation that they are due. making with a particular focus on defming the type of stone). At the
making maps for AD&O® games. other extreme, is the OM who
A beginning OM typically pre- The goals of this course are to roughly sketches out the relation-
pares a large map of his world teach beginning OMs how to make ship between encounter areas,
showing the major geographical fun, visually interesting, but most shows corridors as lines and
and political features (see the pre- of all believable Inaps and to give makes up other details as he goes
vious chapter on world design), experienced OMs some pointers to along. Both styles of map making
maps out a small village or town bring new life into their campaign are valid. The precision detail style
for adventurers to dwell in, then worlds through clever, realistic is particularly suited to maps
creates one or more detailed ad- mapping techniques. where puzzle solving or three-
ventures and the maps that go dimensional play are key parts of
with them. These maps are "se- Basic Mapping game play. The second style has its
cret," never to be seen by players, Considerations uses for warren-like lairs, where
since they contain infonnation tunnels weave in arid out, but have
that the pes could not know. Un- An effective map no important features. Neverthe-
fortunately, many of these maps is one that communicates exactly less, a style somewhere in-between
should remain secret forever, hid- the right amount of infonnation will best suit most OM's gaming
den away and never used. needed by the OM to run the needs.
game---no more, no less. Map mak-
Too often, during the process of ing can be as simple as drawing a Tools of the Trade
world and adventure creation, a rough diagram of a few rooms in a
OM will hurriedly slap together a dungeon or as complex as multi- As described
wilderness that bears no relation- color, three-dimensional perspec- previously, it is indeed possible to
ship to real geography, a cavern tive maps of a vast underground make maps with nothing more
complex that more closely resem- realm. than a pencil and a piece of paper.
bles a rabbit warren, or a castle However, the OM's task is made
that totally ignores plausible (or At the most basic level, mapping easier if he invests in (or borrows) a
even magical!) construction tneth- can be done with a piece of scrap few supplies and tools. A basic
ods, and then cannot understand paper, a pencil and few quick doo- shopping list for the adventure
why his players are unable to sus- dles. From an adventuring charac- game cartographer follows:
pend their IIdisbelief" when he ter's standpoint, this is really all
runs his adventure. Even more that he will be able to do during his A pad of graph paper (4, 6, 8, or
tragic is the OM who spends COlll1t- explorations. 10 squares to the inch).
less hours on his maps, yet still • A pad oftracing paper
accomplishes the same, un- However, by necessity, a OM Hex grids (paper divided into
believable end. needs to produce something a little six-sided hexagons-a variety
less basic, something not quite so ofsizes exist)
Map making is important and unpolished. The OM's map will • Several sharp pencils
the time invested in researching need to contain lnore information • A small set of colored pencils or
and making clear, realistic, even than "here is how we get out of this watercolor markers
visually exciting maps is time well mess."
spent Making maps that look good
and play well does take time. Yet The complexity of the OM's
maps depends on the OM and his

75

A felt tip or razor point drawing an inch or a centimeter to its cor- of gaming and is therefore found
pen responding "fuJ1 scale" measure- only where gaming supplies are
• A straight edge or ruler ment. It is usually expressed as sold.
"one square equals five feet" or
Drafting templates (for circles, "one centimeter equals 20 feet" It is not absolutely necessary to
ellipses and other geometric depending on the map scale that draw a map on graph or hexagon
shapes) the DM chooses. paper, but it does make the task
• A compass (for making large easier for the beginning lnapper.
circles) It is important to note that the While it is possible to run games
• A protractor (for measuring an- use of a square grid can distort by making measurements with a
gles) movement sOlnewhat Mainly, tllis ruler on a map (more on this later)
• A drafting triangle is due to the fact that the distance it is far easier to plot movement,
• AT-square covered in a diagonal movement missile, and spell ranges on a grid-
Access to a good photocopier- from one square to the next is ded map. Adventurers with a de-
most libraries and quick print- roughly half again that traversed sire to map their progress will find
ing shops have suitable in a lateral movement. Dungeon it easier to map an encounter area
machines available Masters should keep this in mind that has itself been drawn on hex
when using nonnal graph paper. or graph paper.
Of course, many of these items
are optional. Many DMs (myself in- When using graph paper, the ex- Though extremely useful, map
cluded) have gotten along per- pression "one square = five feet" grids can have a negative side.
fectly well without a compass or means that the measurement Grid mapping can restrict the
templates. As you might expect, along the side of the square corres- DM's creativity. He can easily fall
however, many of my maps did not ponds to a full-scale measurement into the trap of designing a world
have large circular chambers on of five feet. Such a map square to fit within .convenient grid
them (unless they were the same would cover an area of 25 square boundaries (see the Maps without
size as the nearest coffee cup of feet Grids and the Tips & Tricks sec-
plate). tions of this chapter for details).
On the other hand, the expres-
What Makes a Good Encounter Area Numbers
Map? sion, "one hex = five feettt has a
The use of letters, numbers, or
As stated be- slightly different meaning. It symbols is very important as it al-
fore, a good map is an effective means that the distance from one lows the DM to uniquely mark im-
map; one that conveys exactly the flat side of the hexagon to the op- portant encounter areas. These
right amount of infonnation posing flat side, is five feet. numbers refer the DM to corres-
needed by the DM to run his ad- ponding text in his adventure
venture. Map Grid notes. A good rule of thumb here is
to use numbers for major encounter
What is the right amount of in- A common adventure gatne areas and then letters for minor
fonnation? That depends on the practice is to draw lnaps on grid- encounters or areas of note within
map. There is no hard, fast rule ded paper. Gridded paper is di- the numbered encounter area.
that says "each map must have vided into two general types:
the following features or it is not an graph paper and hex paper. Map Keys
official map. It However, there are
many features that good, usable Graph paper is generally found A map key explains any special
maps have in common. in office supply or stationery stores symbols used to indicate features
and departments. This paper is on the map that may not require
Map Scale gridded in unifOlm squares. In the extensive text descriptions. This
United States, the size of the need only cover those symbols
This defines the relationship of a squares is measured in fractions of which the DM does not cormnonly
unit of measurement on the map, an inch, quarters, eighths and use.
such as a graph square, a hexagon, tenths being the most common.
Elsewhere, metric measlrrements
maybe used.

Hex paper has little use outside

76

Compass Rose map should show an area of sev- clude dungeons, monster lairs,
eral thousand or even several hun- ruins, towns, taverns, towers, cas-
At its simplest, this is an arrow dred thousand square miles. tles, and caverns. Most adventures
pointing north. It helps the OM ori- that the 0 M creates will require
ent (or confuse) the adventurers Regional Maps one or more encounter maps.
when they are exploring the
mapped region. This map is an enlarged subset Diagrams
of the world map. The scale on
Map Types such a map is smaller (see Map- Technically, this is not a map but
ping Scales). It gives a more de- is instead, a drawing or plan of a
The maps that tailed depiction of one part of the detail shown in one of the encounter
a OM will nonnally use as he de- OM's world-usually the area maps. Diagrams fall into two
signs and runs adventures in his where the campaign will take general classes:
world can be easily divided into place.
several types: Alternate Views
Encounter Maps These diagrams show things
World Maps
These maps depict individual that cannot be easily or clearly
This large scale map does not encounter areas. The scale is very shown from a top view, such as a
necessarily show the entirety of slnall, usually not more than five pit with several side exits at vary-
the DM's world, but does reveal to ten feet per square or hex (or ing levels or windows near the ceil-
most of the land mass where the about 40 feet to the linear inch). ing area of a room. These are best
game adventures take place. This Examples of encounter maps in- depicted by a cross-section or per-
spective diagram. Elevations, or

77

front and side views of the exterior ate smaller scale regional maps as tic landfonns and believable build-
of a builcling also fall into this cate- they are needed Regional maps re- ings (believe it or not, the world
gory. Particularly effective dia- veal the locations of villages, was not made to fit on a five foot by
grams can be created using the streams, castles, ruins and so five foot map grid).
guidelines for drawing perspective forth.
maps later in this chapter. To make a gridless map, the DM
Even smaller scale maps are must first assign it a scale. The
Working Diagrams used for encounter areas. They are map is then drawn with this scale
These diagrams are used to de- often floor plans for castles, tow- in mind.
ers, ruins, dungeons, and build-
tail items or room features that ings. Such small scale maps are The primary drawback to a grid-
need a close-up view to best ex- blowups of specific areas. The less map is that all movement and
plain their workings, such as a scale is measured in feet, not missile ranges on the map must be
counterweighted trapdoor that miles. measured with a ruler or a scale,
works another mechanism. rather than the simpler method of
Choose a scale for the map that just counting spaces on a grid.
Diagrams should be used as best suits the needs of the map. A
needed, but keep in mind that if regional Inap drawn at a scale of Mapping Symbols
something needs a diagram to one inch or one hex equaling
make it clear to the DM, it may also 1,000 feet gives too much detail ADM who has
be difficult for his players to under- and not enough overview of the re- the talent and the time might wish
stand. The DM may need an addi- gion (and also Inakes much more to realistically render every fea-
tional visual aid to explain it to his work for the DM, who must draw ture in his world. The end result
players. an incredible number of such will no doubt be gorgeous and
maps to depict even a single bar- probably worth framing.
Mapping Scales ony). Likewise, a dungeon map
drawn with each 1I8th inch square Luckily, for the rest of us who
The first step equaling 100 feet is great for plot- may not be quite so artistically
in map creation is to decide how ting large cavern cOlnplexes that gifted, there is an alternative-map
much of the world is going to be stretch on for thousands of feet, symbols. Map symbols are icons:
shown on a single map page. At but does not show enough detail to simple, easily drawn graphics that
the DM's choice, a single map (re- depict doors, traps, and stairs in a inform the viewer as to what can be
gardless of paper size) can show an castle or dungeon. found there.
entire world, a continent, a king-
dom, a barony, a castle, or just a Remember to mark the map As you can see, we have pro-
few rooms in an underground scale on each map--it saves trying vided a quick table of symbols
dungeon. The deciding factor is to remember what was intended which can be quickly used to detail
map scale-the relationship be- when one looks at a map three your maps (see page 126). The fIrst
tween a measurelnent on the map months or three years after it was chart lists symbols which might
and its corresponding measure- drawn. represent the items found on a typ-
ment in the real world (which is ical encounter map for the average
also called full scale). Maps without Grids adventure. SYlTIbols for UnCOlTI-
man items like fonts of boiling water
To show a great deal of the world, Most of the or magic sigils are left to the
the scale relationship of the map to maps that we use in the "real OMts fertile imagination.
the actual world must be quite world" do not have graphs or hex
large. Each unit of measurement grids. Likewise, grids are not abso- Outdoor maps have their own
on the map must represent many lutely necessary for adventure set of mapping symbols, as shown
miles. While such a map gives an Inaps. Maps without grids, in our other diagram. These sym-
overview of the world and its major whether they are world, regional, bols represent features commonly
features, it is noticeably Jacking in or encounter maps allow the OM to found in a wilderness environ-
fine detail. The DM must also cre- design his world in a free-form ment. Here are symbols for trees,
manner, giving attention to real is- lakes, rivers, oceans, hills, castles
and of course, mountains. Color
can also be used to good effect in

78

outdoor maps. sters and traps suddenly becOIne this new world. Next, mark areas
For smaller scale maps, moW1- more deadly). of habitation and draw in major
political boundaries. Select the
tains, hills, and valleys can be Simple Maps- area or areas that will initially be
shown by topographical mapping. Orthographic Mapping detailed by regional maps.
On a topographical map, contour
lines indicate changes in elevation The simplest Regional Maps
(height or depth). Each line repre- fonn of adventure gaming map is
sents a specific change in elevation the orthographic or top-view for- Generally speaking, regional
since the last contour line. For mat map, drawn on graph or hex maps show wilderness. They are
small scale maps this should usu- paper and using the map symbols used to show greater detail about
ally be 10, 20 or 50 feet. Lines that descnbed earlier to depict map fea- those parts of the DM's world in
are close together indicate a steep tures. This style of mapping can be which adventuring will take place.
slope or even a cliff. Lines that are used to depict world, regional, and
very far apart depict a gentle slope. encounter maps. If hex grids are used to draw the
A line with little hash marks com- Inap, the most conunon method of
ing off of it represents a depres- The features of the map are mapping is to assign one primary
sion, usually in the fonn of a body drawn as if seen from directly over- terrain type to each hex and draw
of water. The direction of the de- head, often in the form of a floor in the corresponding map symboL
pression's downward slope is indi- plan. Height and depth are indi- This does not mean that every
cated by the side of the line upon cated by topography ]ines or notes square foot of that terrain area con-
which the hash marks appear. written on the map (such as "The tains that type of terrain, but that
More information on topographical floor slopes down here towards the the selected terrain dominates the
maps appears under the heading north at a 30 degree angJe.") Map- area. Lakes, oceans, streams, and
Tips & Tricks. ping symbols are used to show rivers are treated differently. They
map features. Special notes for the ignore hex boundaries and go
Using Color different types of maps are given where the OM wants them to be. It
below. 1S possible to draw a region to con-
Drawing maps veniently fit within hex borders,
in color is not absolutely neces- Wor1d Maps but such a map looks artificial to
sary, but it can add to a map's clarity. the DM and will eventually feel ar-
In a wilderness map, color can be World mapping is closely tied to tificial to the players as they ex-
used in addition to or in place of the process of world creation de- plore it.
map symbols. Green might mean scribed in an earlier chapter. Much
forest, but varying shades of green of it will actually be done as the OM If graph paper or if no grid at all
could be used to show the density makes notes about his world and is use<L a slightly different style of
of the forest. While water can be its contents. This is often best lnap drawing is required. Terrain
shown by using blue, the shade of done on something other than features are drawn in as needed to
blue used could indicate the depth hexagon paper. If necessary, a hex suit the OM's world (rather than
ofthat water. grid can be superimposed later trying to place features inside arti-
(see Tips & Tricks section later in ficial boundaries). Distance deter-
On a small scale encounter map, the chapter). minations are based on
the uses of color to indicate foliage measurements like inches or cen-
or water are obvious, but color Sketch in the coastal outlines (if timeters (see Mapping Scales and
should not be limited to depicting any), the major terrain features, Maps without Grids for more de-
parts of the physical environment. such as mountain ranges, vast tails).
Color can show the territory con- plains, mighty forests, and rivers
trolled by a political faction or that drain into the ocean. Think of Encounter Maps
monster group. It can indicate the areas in our own world that are
presence of magic, fire, poison gas, similar to the lands being created. More often than not, this map
teleportals, or changes in an area's Keep an atlas handy for ideas on will be an interior space---the tloor-
"danger level" (where the mon- how these features might look in plan of a bui lding, cavern, or

79

dungeon. It also may represent the tages and disadvantages com- grid printed at the back of this
layout of a village, ruin, or a mon- pared to standard orthographic book. TSR hereby grants pennis-
ster encampment. It can also be (top view) mapping. On the posi- sian to photocopy the perspective
used for ships, forest clearings, or tive side, a perspective map con- grids for personal use only. Make
ambush sites. As the DM draws veys the three-dimensional nature one copy for each floor or level
the plan he needs, special consid- of a setting much more realisti- needed. Make a few extras too. A
eration must be given to how it cally than an orthographic map. photocopier with enlarging or re-
might look and function if it were The position of each dungeon, castle ducing capabilities is a real help
real. If the encounter takes place in or cavern level relative to all here.
a "made" area then it was econom- other levels is much clearer, and
ically feasible for someone to have the connections between the levels The second technique requires
built it. are easier to see. tracing paper (see Tools of the
Trade earlier in this chapter). Place
The DM needs to ask himself if a On the other hand, perspective the tracing paper over the selected
building based upon his floor plan mapping requires more knowl- grid and trace only those portions
could stand by itself. What sup- edge and technique than standard needed for the perspective map,
ports the Loaf? Are the walls thick mapping. Raised features such as then draw in necessary map de-
enough to actually be made out of staircases, spiral stairways, plat- tails. While it is possible to hold the
stone? How are any secret pas- fOnTIs, ramps, and any other three- tracing paper in place by hand as
sageways or doors hidden in the dimensional details will obscure the grid is drawn, taping the trac-
construction? Is there any provi- the view of areas immediately be- ing paper in place is a better tech-
sion for heat, light, or sanitation? hind them. Also, the smaller ruque.
squares to the rear of a perspective
Next he needs to consider the grid tend to cramp design if used Take precautions before taping
game aspects of the map and the for areas that need careful atten- or the tape will eventually ruin the
ways it can enhance play. Does it tion to detail. Finally, a perspective pages of the book. To avoid this,
guide or restrict movement in a de- map takes more time to draw than place clear tape on the comers of
sirable manner? Does it provide an orthographic map. the page and secure your tracing
opportunities for strategic maneu- paper to the taped portions only.
vering by the pes and their foes? However, if one has the time and
Is it an interesting backdrop for the doesntt mind learning a few rela- Selecting a Starting Point
action? If the answer is "no" to tively simple techniques, it is pos-
any of the above, the DM should sible to create maps that com- Start the design as close to the
get out his eraser and make modi- municate much more information front of the grid as possible. This
fications as needed. than the size of a room or whether does not mean that the entrance to
the door is in the north or the east the area depicted must be at the
Perspective Mapping wall front of the grid. The DM may wish
to have the adventurers enter at
Imagine craning It is possible to use a ttforced per- the rear of the map and work their
back to stare at a tall building, then spective" on maps of this type. If way to the important areas de-
realizing that it's in the way and you flip to the back of the book and tailed in near the front.
must be scaled, or staring down examine the generic dungeons
into the depths of a crevasse, which we have provided, you will If an area has multiple levels
looking for the handholds that will note that they do not suffer the that will be drawn on several dif-
make it climbable. Views like "cramping" of squares in the ferent maps, assign one square on
these are hard to depict in a typical background. In many ways, a the Inap as a control square. This
orthographic map. If the DM feels forced perspective map like this is a single square on the grid, lo-
equal to the task, a style of map- combines the advantages of an or- cated roughly in the center of the
ping called perspective mapping thographic map and a perspective area being designed. It is a good
can provide more drama and clarity map. idea to center the control square
to the DMts maps. Perspective under the highest tower or at the
mapping has advan- The first mapping technique re- midpoint of the top level of the de-
quires the DM to make a few photo- sign. When a new level is created,
copies of the forced perspective

80

align the control square vertically The map grid provided later in Technique 2:
with the control square directly the book contains a number of dif- Photocopy Method
above or below it. ferent stair graphics, both simple
and complex, to be traced, copied 1. From a photocopy of the
If each level of the designed area or hand-drawn into the DM's grid being used, cut out all
is approximately the same shape, maps. Use the ones that work best of the grid areas that need
the control square should be the with the selected map. not be raised or lowered.
same square on each grid. If photo-
copies are used, line up the grids Splitting the Grid 2. Glue or tape the rest of the
while looking through them at a grid to another piece of pa-
light. If using tracing paper, mark When a multiple level area is de- per. This protects the holes
one square on the grid with a small signed, the DM may wish to mimic cut in the grid, and allows
dot and line the maps up using the Ininor changes in altitude by cut- one to draw or paste sym-
marked square. ting the grid (we recommend using bols over them.
a tracing or a photocopy) into the
Drawing the Map appropriate pieces and shifting the 3. Put the small cut-out grids
individual pieces up or down on the sheet created in step
Once the grid is established, slightly to show the level changes. 2. Judge how high or low
drawing a perspective map is very they need to be to indicate
much like drawing a top-view Two techniques, one using trac- the proper elevation. The
map. The main difference is that ing paper and the other photo- horizontal lines of the grid
the squares making up the map copies, are described in step-by- should help to make this
grid are not true squares. It may step sequence below: calculation. For example, if
require a little practice, but soon, each square equals 10 feet,
drawing perspective maps should Technique 1: Tracing Method and a platform is supposed
be as easy as drawing the top view to be 20 feet tall, simply
variety. 1. Draw the main floor grid on measure the front of a
tracing paper, except for the square along the cut line
It is a good idea to draw the outer areas to be raised or low- and place the platform grid
limit of the design first. This aids ered. twice that distance above
in seeing the overall structure and the cut line.
makes it easier to line up the maps 2. Look at the grid through the
of the various levels. As an alterna- tracing paper and find the Horizon Lines
tive, try starting with a huge stair- grid area to be elevated. Pull
case or centrally located atrium the tracing paper down until The sample grid in this book in-
that includes access to areas on the grid area appears to be cludes a horizon line, a dotted line
several levels. at the correct (scaled) above the grid. The purpose of the
height above the main floor. horizon line is to help the DM view
Mapping Symbols the grid correctly. In order to cor-
3. Draw this grid area in its rectly orient the grid, tum it so
The symbols described earlier correct location on the trac- that the horizon line is horizontal,
for use with orthographic maps mgpaper. or level.
can usually be translated directly
onto a perspective map. Doors, 4. For areas below the main The horizon line can also help
trapdoors, curtains, furniture, and floor of the level, move the the OM draw vertical lines on the
many other symbols can be used tracing paper up until the grid. Pillars, staircases, ladders,
in the same manner. However, the correct grid area is below and other primarily vertical ob-
symbols for certain three-dimen- the main floor. Trace this jects should not look as if they are
sional objects, primarily stair- grid onto your paper in its about to topple. With aT-square, or a
ways, must be changed slightly, proper location. triangle that includes a 90 degree
since the map must display both
their horizontal and vertical as-
pects.

81

angle, the OM can use the horizon tray and let it dry overnight. The numbers and so on. This photo-
line as a guideline to accurately result will have the look of parch- copier trick works best when the
draw vertical lines. To draw a verti- ment. color of the copier toner and the
cal line, simply make sure that it is color of the map grid are different.
perpendicular to the horizon line.
Superimposing grids on Maps
Tips & Tricks
I~ ac~ess t~ a plain paper photo- Mapping with Authority
Consistency
copIer IS aVaIlable, try the follow- A coastline is
Whenever possible, keep the
scale of related maps, such as mul- ing tricks. Oraw the desired map rarely a flat line where featureless
tiple levels of a dungeon, at the
same scale. It can be quite confus- freehand, sketching in boundaries land meets a mirrored sea, nor are
ing to have the map of one
dungeon level drawn at eight feet a~d placing map features as de- ~ll mountains jagged crags claw-
per inch and the map of the next
level at eleven feet per inch. SIred. Use a dark pencil or pen. Ing bleakly against a leaden sky.

Making Handouts Keep map proportions in mPoinsid~ Yet it is quite common for even an
but don't wony about scale.
Map handouts are useful and fun experienced world designer to
game play aids. They can be used
for maps found by players or as a tion 0-e map properly on the pho- treat all land features equally.
graphic depiction of information
that the characters should aJready tocopIer, then insert a piece of In a similar vein, DMs tend to
know. Handouts can be made by
several methods. The first method graph or hex paper into the single build all of their acnadstlteosw, ntsemaplloens~
is to trace the necessary parts of public buildings
the map on a sheet of tracing pa- sheet feed slot. The map will then
per. The second tuethod is to just similar lines. Regardless of culture
hand draw a separate map, based be copied onto a grid for ease of
(somewhat loosely) on the OM's or the time period in which it was
map. The third method is to use a play. ~ssi~ a scale to the luap grid
photocopy of the DM's map that built, all buildings of a given type
was made before he put any of his ~d firu.s~ It by drawing and coloring
n?tes on it or to edit a photocopy of are generally the same. Why? Be-
his map, reluoving secret infonna- m a~dlttonal details. If the pho-
tion, and then recopying the cut- cause the OM often doesn't know
up map to clean it up. tocopIer has enlarging or reducing
any better. He draws only on his
A nice touch is to "age" the map. features, the final size of the map
If the map is on bond paper and own experience.
made by photocopier or with indel- need not be the size that it was
ib~e ink, tear the edges of the paper If, on the other hand, the OM
shghtly to give it a rough edge, drawn at.
th~n soak the paper in a tray filled chooses to research our own
WIth tea or coffee for several min-
ute~. Carefully take the damp (and Real Maps world, he finds a variety of maps
easIly shredded) paper from the
that can reveal the detail of different

Real architectural floor plans can coastlines for different parts of the
add a ?ew d~ension of reality to a
map, IncludIng details that DMs world, including rocky cliffs,
(since most DMs are not architects)
tend to overlook. If floor plans for sandy beaches and dark cypress
historical temples, castles, or cata-
comb complexes are available swamp~. He finds a variety of
place a piece of tracing paper ove;
the map and trace those parts to be mo~ntaln types, from the green
used ~~th a dark pencil or pen.
rolhng ranges of the Appalachians
Pos~tIon t~e tracing on the pho-
tocopIer. It IS most likely that the to the rugged rocks of the high Hi-
tracing will need to be enlarged or
reduced, to make it better accom- m~layas. By using real maps as
modate game play (this often re-
quires some experimental copies g~ldes he draws his own luaps
to get the size right). When the size
is right, place a piece of graph or WIth an authority lacking in his
hex paper in the single sheet slot
and make the final copy. As before, previous creations.
add in notes, scale, color, area
In a like manner, the OM can use

floor plans and elevations of histor-

ical buildings, temples and castles

to populate the cities and wilder-

ness of his world. With a little un-

derstanding gained from archi-

tectural history, he creates build-

ings that can actually stand with

realis~ic interior spaces. Although

expenenced players may miss the

82

convenient 20-foot-wide corridors away views in it. Don't be afraid to Egypt to the 20th centuIy. Cathe-
they were once accustomed to, the use the children's' section of the li- dral, Pyramid, and City, three
excitement of exploring a place brary. Books aimed at younger books by David Macauley, are ex-
that could really exist will rapidly readers will more often have the cellent sourcebooks for the con-
replace their loss. pictures and diagrams that a OM struction and layout of ancient
needs. architectural structures. They
Where does the ability to lnap give insight into the amount of
with authority come from? From Books on Castles time and manpower that must be
geography books, from art history invested into a project for it to suc-
texts, from topographical maps, These may be found in a local li- ceed
and from magazines-all of which brary. Books with pretty photo-
are usually avaiJable at any local li- graphs or illustrations are nice and Books on Ancient Cjvilizations
brary. may be useable as inspiration or
visual aids, but look for one that The best books of this type have
What follows is just a sampling has floor plans drawn to scale. Castle lots of pictures, diagrams, maps,
of places to fmd reference material by David McCauley (Houghton and illustrations. Look up ancient
for mapping: Mifflin Company, 1977) is a fine civilizations in the library's card
look at the construction of a medi- file. Again, use the childrens' sec-
Topographical Maps eval castle. tion of the library.

An entire gaming campaign Geography Books Other Sources
could be built up from a few of
these maps. The clever DM may Look for books that focus on nat- For a good reference on how to
even want to use them in place of ural wonders, rather than geopo- locate real maps of the United
hand-drawn regional maps. If so, litics. Again, try to find maps for States, particularly topographical
treat them as gridless maps. A dra- forests, canyons, deserts and maps, get the free U.S. Depart-
matic trick is to change the vertical mountainous areas. ment of the Interior pamphlet: Na-
distance between topography tional Mapping Program, Mini
lines. Art History Text Books Catalog of Map Data from the Na-
tional Cartographic Infonnation
Ask for topographical maps at Good examples of these can be Center, U. S. Geologic Survey, 507
any sporting goods specialty store foood in most public and coJlege li- National Center, Reston, VA
that sells a full line of hiking and braries. Art history texts are an ex- 22092. The prunphlet also lists ad-
camping supplies. If they don't cellent source for building floor dresses where you can go to
have them in stock, they can prob- plans. Look for a book that shows browse and buy maps.
ably order them. If these maps floor plans of ancient buildings,
cannot be found locally, contact temples, cathedrals, castles, and For another general source book
the National Cartographic Infor- cities. Gardner's Art Through the on locating maps of all kinds, look
Ination Center listed below under Ages is an excellent example. for The Map Catalog by Joe Mako-
Other Resources. Try to find maps wer from Vintage Books, a division
for forests, canyons, deserts, Archjtectural History Books of Random House, copyright 1986.
coastlines and mountainous ar-
eas, anything that might be useful These are a wonderful source for Finally, look through an index of
as a regional tnap in a campaign ancient building floor plans, cross- National Geographic magazine,
setting. sections, and cutaway illustra- particularly one which covers the
tions. Introduction to Architecture last 30 years or so. This magazine
Books on Caves by Stephen Gardiner is an excel- is available in libraries and con-
lent example of this type of book. It tains excellent articles and maps
Check the local library for a book is chock-full of pictures and maps on many periods of ancient his-
covering this subject. Look for showing architecture from ancient tory, including lost civilizations,
books with maps or floor plans of ruined cities, castles, and sunken
real caves. If possible try to find wrecks.
one with three-dimensional cut-

83

Regardless of how clever he may the difference between good ad- They test the skills of both the
be at world creation and in spite of ventures and even mediocre ones players and their characters,
his technical accomplishments at is clear. The former grabs the play- teach them a bit about them-
drawing beautiful maps, a OM who ers' attention and draw them into selves, then reward them with
doesn't put his best effort into the a world of mystery, action and in- glory.
design of spine-tingling, heart- trigue, the latter merely provides a Though the outcome may not
pounding adventures, has missed few hours of mild diversion. Opin- be earthshaking, even the
the entire point of role-playing ion aside, truly gripping adven- smallest adventure has a dis-
games. Adventure design is an art tures shares many common cernible effect on the world.
form, like writing novels or painting features:
pictures, one that requires cre- It may not be possible for the
ativity, ingenuity, a measure of They play like good fiction novice OM to make his first, or
technical skill, and a dedication to reads, but avoid following a even second adventure match this
the task at hand. predetermined path. list 100 percent, but even giving
They draw the pes into a well- conscious thought to these ele-
There is no One True Way to de- woven web of activities, often ments as he designs means that he
sign a good adventure. Every OM personally involving the char- is moving in the right direction.
has his own style, methods, and acters in the outcome of the ad-
procedures to accomplish the venture. What follows is a path to guide
same end. Even the elements that the DM in his quest. It represents
make for an exciting adventure They tell more than a single the experience of many OMs and
vary and often are nothing more story. gives not only the theories behind
than a matter of personal opinion. good adventure design, but also
Yet for those who play regularly, They begin and end with ex- acts as a basic nuts-and-bolts ap-
citement.

84

proach to adventure writing, slash heroes~ make the monsters an opportunity for a role-playing
including the development of use smarter combat tactics or try experience. Given the chance,
adventures into ongoing variations on existing monsters they'll haggle in the market over
campaigns. like adding poison or magic to every item in their inventory.
those creatures the PCs are used to
Evaluating the Players using as sword fodder. Role-players approach the game
in the person of their characters.
Start the adventure design process Problem-Solvers Character development may take
by evaluating the players in the Caln- precedence over other minor as-
paign and deciding what kind of ad- These players see the campaign pects, like survival or mission suc-
ventures will satisfy their playing as a great puzzle and their pur- cess. They may choose to talk
styles (novice DMs can skip this step pose, indeed their joy, is to put all instead of fight their way out of del-
until they know their regular players the pieces together. The more icate situations. Since role-players
better). twisted and convoluted the plot, view their characters as the sole
the better. They love unique and reason for playing, the motivation
Most players fit into one of three mentally challenging gaming ses- for an adventure must come from
general types: Adventures, Probieln sions and rapidly become bored within the characters, something
Solvers or Role-players. Each type with anything that does not seem that is important to their
brings a different attitude to a role- new. They go to great lengths to motivations and goals (which are
play galne. concoct imaginative and occasion- rarely listed as "kill all monsters,
ally workable plans to deal with grab lots of treasure,It or even
A Inismatch of adventure to playing every eventuality. "solve tricky mysteries"). With the
style often results in reduced enjoy- ruTIount of detail these players
ment for all concerned. Since Inost Problem solvers can be tough to know about their characters,
groups will contain one or Inore of referee. They tend to be creative devising a motivation should not
each type, a good adventure is bal- with the rules of the game and be a difficult task for the DM.
anced between the various styles of thus require the DM to be creative Pick something out of the
play. and consistent. character's past and use it as a
subplot to get that character in-
Adventurers Don't hesitate to borrow tricks, volved (more on this later).
traps, and encounter ideas from
These are the bright-eyed, en- any source available to meet the As stated earlier, chances are
thusiastic players that most of us problem solvers' insatiable crav- good that the DM will need to pro-
were when we first played the ing for mental challenge. They vide a mix of styles to please his
game. Many players retain an in- also need more than just the lure of players. He will also need to keep
terest in this style of play for as treasure to seek out an adventure. in mind that during the adventure,
long as they game. They need a mystery! Give these the different types of players will
players motivating backgrounds want to play the game differently.
To Adventurers, a good game is and let them decide where they The chapters that follow on DMing
full of physical challenges that will go, then work hard to keep one the Adventure will provide help in
their character abilities allow step ahead ofthem. that regard.
them to overcome. Combat is their
top choice for action and they rate Role-players The Importance of Story
their characters' quality by the
amount of sheer mayhem and car- At some point, every player fits First, it must
nage they can cause. into this category. Role-players be stressed that it is entirely possi-
love to develop the details of their ble to p1ay adventures that have
The needs of the Adventurer are character's lives, right down to mi- been designed without an lll1derly-
easily met. Monsters to fight and nor possessions, ancestry, and per- ing theme or unifYing scenario,
booty to haul can satisfy them for sonality quirks. To them, even the and that have no plot, subplots, or
weeks on end. The lure of treasure routine parts of a game session, their complications. Players (par-
and potentia1 mayhem are all the such as equipping a character, are
DM needs as hooks to draw them
into his adventures. To keep the
game fresh for these hack-and-

85

ticularly Adventurer types) can be macro view of the action going on that reveal the plot and important
satisfied without them... for a in the world. A land with dragons subplots to them. Tension increases
while. Yet it is not so difficult to create is not a theIne, whereas dragons as plot complications occur until
adventures that do contain these who like to prey on villagers is. the PCs arrive at a predetermined
elelnents. Other examples include: Ores climax and the players realize that
mass for invasion in the moun- success or failure depends solely
If the OM can bring himself to tains, a migration of barbarians upon their actions in this
think of his campaign as a story threatens the kingdom, or rats encounter. The climax resolves
with an unwritten ending, he has threaten the villagers. one or more of the major
made the first logical step in suc- conflicts presented by the plot,
cessful campaign design. Players, The theme must provide a need often a showdown between the
regardless of type, want to do more for character involvement and characters and their major op-
than just slay endless streams of then be sufficiently broad to sup- ponent. This is where successful
monsters or loot bottomless trea- port several adventures. Taking characters get to be heroes and the
sure hoards. They want to be he- the example of the barbarian mi- players have to keep wiping the
roes who perfonn legendary deeds gration, the players first hear of sweat off their palms. After the cli-
like the characters in fantasy fic- burnt villages on the frontiers from mactic encounter, the story closes
tion or film. To do this, they need a refugees which leads to a series of with a denouement, a short period
vehicle where their characters can adventures, all based on different of retrospection in which the vic-
grow strong and become famous. scenarios, but linked together by tors can count their spoils and re-
The vehicle for this is the game the theme ofthe migration. view their deeds, while the
campaign. vanquished shake their heads and
A baron needs aid to infiltrate a count their losses. It should be a
Theme camp and learn of the barbarians' pleasant, relaxing period of rela-
plans. This leads to the discovery tive safety (for both the PCs and
The first step in campaign de- of a captured princess in another their players) before contlict arises
sign is to give thought to the un- encampment. Meanwhile a for- anew and tension builds once
derlying theme of the campaign. A tress in a pass must be re-supplied agam.
theme is a unifying concept that and regular troops cannot be
goes beyond the limits of a simple spared. The Duke needs an escort Plots & Subplots
adventure. It is the framework to negotiate with the barbarian
upon which the adventures are high chieftain, during which the The plot is the arrangement of
built and provides the links be- party finds shelter in a ruined cas- adventure elements in which the
tween seemingly unrelated events tle. Finally the PCs discover the characters must work to overcome a
in the world. Think of theme as the reason for the barbarian migra- major obstacle and achieve a goal.
overall story line in a trilogy of tion: the sudden reappearance of While the major obstacle (or
books where each individual book an eldritch evil in the north. A new antagonist) is any force that op-
both tells a complete tale in itself theme, that of suppressing the poses the pes' completion of their
and advances the overall story of evil, is now linked to the old and a goal, it Inight be the forces of na-
the series. new series of adventures logically ture or even the characters' per-
begins. sonal problems, but more often
Several themes of varying depth than not, it is a monster or evil
and complexity should be created The Tale is Told NPC, often the villain or the char-
initially, allowing the players to acters' chief adversary.
pursue those which interest them The structure of each adventure
most. As the game progresses, the should develop like a story. It be- Although the plot outlines the
OM will undoubtedly find ways to gins with a hook, something that major conflicts, it's not an order of
link and interweave the themes piques the characters' curiosity, play in which the pes follow the
and the potential plots and adven- focuses their attention on a prob- OM's imagined script. A good plot
tures they contain. lem and then grabs and runs with line allows for a variety of paths
their imaginations. The story de- and outcomes and may not come
Themes are expressed in tenns velops as the pes hunt for details
of action, since they represent a

86

to the same conclusion that the Missing are the complications that villagers' actions to stop them. If
DM had originally intended. Re- add depth to the story, the sub- they spend too long here, the
member, this is a game. Unlike a plots that weave in and out of the PCs undergo minor, monstrous
fiction author, the DM has less di- main tale and often personally in- changes.
rect control over the heroes in his volve the PCs.
stories. The story can be further compli-
Subplots are stories within sto- cated by having one of the empty
Plot deals with conflict, but con- ries that complicate matters for villages be the home of one of the
flict is not necessarily fighting. the characters. They deal with side PCs or by having the baron and his
Conflict occurs whenever a person issues and focus on the goals of mi- guards show up to deal with the
must overcome or resist someone nor players, especially as they get weakened PCs, thus tying up his
or something that threatens his in the way ofthe major action. own loose ends. The climactic end
safety, his possessions, his per- may not be the battle with mon-
sonal goals or ambitions, or his In the story above, the baron sters, but the running battle with
values. Thus, most plots develop hires the characters to solve a the corrupt nobleman's hench-
around one or more of these basic problem. By adding a simple com- men.
situations. plication, the baron becolnes a
part of the problem. Instead of hiring Subplots can also be sidelights
The plot should always initially the PCs to get rid of monsters, he to the main story line, brief little
appear uncomplicated and has them take care of a mess that adventures that take the PC party
straightforward. An example his own meddling has begun. The off the main track, but in reality
might be that a baron wants the story picks up with episode two.. provide another component
PCs to destroy the Inonsters in a needed to develop the main story.
remote part of his barony. The plot Episode two: At night, the PCs
here is initially one of the players are challenged by angry villagers Avoid giving the players all the
against the monsters. who do riot want them here. Many information they want, or need, all
villagers are strange-looking, even at once. Make them look for it,
The DM now must create a ugly, but in the firelight its difficult make them adventure for it, par-
rough outline for the plot, listing to say why. The encounter may celing it out in pieces gained from
the major encounters or scenes end in a fight. this NPC or that bit of library re-
that will occur (though they need search or from tavern rumors.
not all occur in the order listed). A Episode three: A frightened vil-
outline for this simple plot above lager seeks shelter in the PCs Don't give out solutions, present
might read: camp, but disappears during the clues. Remember to provide the
night. occasional red herring (false clue
Episode one: The PCs scout or trail) to keep the PCs on their
the area. They encounter several Episode four: If the PCs track toes and not accept everything
hideous monsters in the area. the villager, they discover an aban- they hear as truth. On the other
doned temple with odd riddles and hand, remember that an NPC will
Episode two: The monsters or- fierce magical guardians. Trails in- probably not lie unless he has a
ganize a return ambush in an dicate that the monsters live here. motive for doing so (to protect his
empty village. The villager from episode two or someone else's interest, or out of
warns them to leave. He looks dif- sheer malice-although the latter
Episode three: The lone surviving ferentnow. should be perceivable in some
resident of the village is dying and way).
frightened. If healed and be- Episode five: The PCs solve the
friended, he tells of the temple puzzles of the temple and defeat Personal Involvement
where the monsters dwell. the guardians. They press on into
the monster lairs and discover the Try to base one or more subplots
Climax: The adventurers try to sleeping bodies of villagers with within an adventure on the per-
ambush the monsters in their lair. monster-like attributes. sonal goals of the player charac-
ters. Personal goals are great
This is a simple, straightforward Climax· The PCs attempt to de- hooks for justifying the start ofan
plot, with much physical contlict stroy the thing that changes vil-
and a bit of role-playing to make it lagers into monsters, despite the
successful. It's also a dull plot.

87

adventure, yet they can also be- same holds true for gaming. Most continuity or player choice. The
come liabilities to the DM. Avoid plot twists involve incorrect or in- belief that the characters exist in
having a character's personal goal sufficient infonnation supplied to an ongoing story is destroyed or at
become the primary focus of the the PCs or someone working at least severely damaged. Instead,
campaign. Should that character cross purposes to them. These are the DM needs to plan out a Hook,
irrevocably die, the campaign will the little (or big) surprises for an imaginative opening scenario
rapidly grind to an embarrassingly which even the best of problem that presents adventure options to
and boring halt. Furthennore, the solvers cannot plan ahead. The fol- the players (never force them to
DM may be telnpted to cheat (more lowing are suggestions, but with a choose one path) and then grabs
than is necessary) to protect his little ilnagination the creative OM onto their imaginations in such a
plot line, keeping that key character can go beyond them. Fiction and way that they feel they must delve
alive in order to keep his story film are wonderful sources for deeper into the adventure!
alive. these little gems.
Open with action. Nothing starts a
It's better to make the charac- All is not What it Seelns: What game off more predictably or
ter's personal goals into subplots, the PCs are told about pedestrian than t 'You are in your fa-
sideline stories to the main adven- something or someone is ap- vorite tavern and a stranger comes
ture plot. Conflicting personal parently not true. Who is lying up and tells you about..." Such de-
goals may not contribute to group and who is telling the truth? tail at this stage is unimportant.
harmony, but boy will they in- • The Set Up: The PCs are set Although the stranger may have a
crease the intrigue level in a game. up to do something that no one great adventure in mind, his
else wants to and then find out speech inspires the same amount
To determine these personal \\by. of excitement as, say, a trip to the
goals, the players will have to create Bait-and-Switch: In the middle dentist.
character backgrounds, working of a mission, the objective
together with the DM to make changes. Action need not be combat or
their characters come alive. Go • Betrayal: Whoever hired the even sOlnething that directly in-
deeper than social status, parent- PCs lied to them and has played volves the PCs. Have a murder oc-
age, and occupation to give a satis- them into the hands of their cur in front of the party, a dragon
factory answer to the question foes. strafe the village, an army march
"Why has the character become through, or have that stranger en-
an adventurer?" The Problem Goes Deeper: trust the PCs with a locked box,
What the PCs were assigned to just before he dies from that knife
If time pennits, have each player do is not the real problem, only a stuck in his back.
write a short history for his charac- symptom. Example: the PCs are
ter, including social status and any sent to clear out bandits and dis- Whatever the DM does, it should
significant events of his past. The cover that the bandits are acting latch onto the motivations of the
DM can then take the history, re- on secret orders from a mysteri- PCs and appeal to one or more of
shape it slightly and fit it into the ous power in dark castle. the player types in his player
events of the world, possibly even group (Adventurer, Problem-
intertwining the histories of sev- Ah, Romance!: An NPC has a Solver, or Roleplayer).
eral characters. The end goal is to romantic attraction to a player
give the player characters a moti- character or to another NPC, Story Development
vation for adventuring (rather one that only serves to make
than just looting for gold and matters more difficult. Once the PCs bite the hook, lead
glory) and in so doing create more them into the adventure with
character-oriented subplots. Hooks other clues. Most major encoun-
ters or side adventures should ad-
Plot Complications and Twists It's possible for the DM to start vance the story line. Ifthe DM feels a
an adventure with "You find the need to use random encounters
Complicated plots are more ex- entrance to a dungeon. " Yet in (random dice-rolling can be used
citing than simple ones-ask any- campaign style play, that opening to spur the imagination but should
one who reads for enjoyment. The totally voids any feeling of story never be taken as a substitute for

88

it), it's an excellent practice for the Have an idea of what the climactic players know that something is
DM to predetennine a number of encounter will be when designing happening or going to happen, but
encounters before beginning play. the campaign, but do not design do not know what or when. It in-
This gives him a chance to set up it too far ahead. To do so may be volves playing up the fear of the
the statistics and motivations for to waste design time that could unknown. Whatever is going to
monsters or NPCs encountered. It be used better elsewhere. The happen will directly affect the PCs.
also allows the OM to answer ques- stoty is bound to change (re- The setting can enhance the feel-
tions like, "What kind of goods is member players act independent ing of suspense, playing upon the
that caravan carrying and where is of the OMs goals) and as it does the uncertainty. Darkness or deep
it headed?tI or tlWhat's the ores' nature of the final encounter will shadows, unfamiliarity with the
tribe?" change with it Rough it out in ad- surroundings, and separation
vance, but add final details only from friends all build suspense.
Encounters and events develop when it looks like the PCs will be
the stoty line as long as they bear there on the next play session. Suspense moves into fear and
some relationship to the stOIyS pri- horror when the unknown be-
mary villain or adversary. Battles Like the Hook, which opens the comes a threat to life and limb. Un-
with the foe's evil minions often adventure with action, the climax known quantities develop a feeling
bring insight into the complexity of should close it with more action. A of paranoia in the players. Don't
the plot. Provide a balanced mix rousing good fight is one way, but describe monsters right out of the
combat and encounters. the DM may wish to combine it Monstrous Compendiums or even
with a daring, fast-paced escape or a give out their names. Describe
Remember to add in plot twists challenging puzzle that has to be only what the players see, hear, or
as necessary to deepen (or con- solved while the battle rages. A smell. Let them first experience
fuse) the plot, and throw in a few pulse-pounding climax will make monsters by their hideous deeds.
traps and puzzles, regardless of the players feel good about the ad- Keep the foe a secret as long as pos-
the setting. venture, even if their characters sible and build the tension by deal-
fail ing horrible death to henchmen
Eventually, the encounters and other NPCs.
should serve to point the adventurers While the purpose of the climax
towards what the DM has de- is to resolve major goals and mys- Humor in an adventure can bal-
tennined to be the climactic teries, leave some unsettled, or ance horror and suspense by
encounter of the adventure. The have the resolution of the first breaking the grip of tension on the
climax need not be reachable in a mystety unveil even deeper ones. players. Humor is not silliness,
single gaming session, although Let the main adversary survive to such as using puns for NPC naInes
each gaming session should have plot and come back even stronger or making horrifying monsters
some kind of mini-climax. This next time. Plant hooks for the next into pink and purple polka dot ab-
lets the players feel they are Inaking campaign or adventure! surdities that blow bubbles (al-
progress toward their final ob- though silliness does have its place
jective. Suspense, Drama, & Humor in gaming). Humor is essential1y a
way to make light of tragedy. It de-
Climax Like fantasy literature itself, the pends heavily on the DM's playing
elements of the story need not be style and really can't be antici-
Plan for a big finale which allows limited strictly to blood and thun- pated.
the characters to accomplish their der action, obscure puzzle solving,
goals and should involve some of or subtle role-playing. Fantasy sto- Humor should arise from the sit-
the character's personal motiva- ries often borrow elements from uation. A character is shrunken
tions. This is the encounter toward murder mysteries, tales of horror, until he becomes trapped under-
which the entire adventure has and humorous stories. The DM neath his helmet. A terrible thing
been leading. A wizard who is may wish to add variety to his ad- to happen, unless one happens to
avenging his brother's death ventures by changing the tone of find him pounding angrily on the
should be able to confront the mur- the game. inside the helmet and rulUling
derer while a thief who seeks a lost from the head Iice that didn't
magical item should find it. Suspense is created when the shrink with him.

90

Often it derives from the slap- particular scenario must be dealt The Linear Campaign
stick outcome of the solution to a with successfully for the adventurers
problem, such as placing glass to accomplish their mission, he may This type of game advances the
marbles on a stair to foil pursuit wish to give the PCs a second (or story through a predetermined se-
and listening to the enemies third!) chance to make a go of it. quence of encounters. The PCs
shouts as they tumble backwards Relnember, a key element to the must handle the encounters as
into a pile ofnoisome goo. fun of campaign play is the PCs' they arise and are given no choice
ability to influence the world for where to go between encounters.
NPCs are a wonderful source of good or ill.
comic relief as their single- For these highly-structured ad-
mindedness, slowness of wit, or Multiple Story Lines ventures to work the OM must be
peculiar habits take their toll on able to logically channel the PCs
the characters' patience. A tubby A good role-playing campaign through his world. While this is
ha1fling hireling whose goal in life usually relies on more than one easy to do for low-level PCs in
is to sample the world's cuisine story at a time. Although these dungeon-style adventures, it can
may never provide much help in may just be subplots of the same be difficult in the wilderness where
combat but he's worth his weight adventure, they can also be sepa- there is little to restrict movement.
in gold the first time he staunchly rate stories occurring simultane-
defends his larder with a sturdy ously. The working out of The Open Campaign
sausage. characters' personal goals is good
examples. A character could be This style of game plays down
Success or Failure looking for a way to remove a the stoty aspect and relies on the
cursed glove from his hand and players to choose where play will
The temptation, when designing hoping an ancient temple Inay go. Obviously this creates an in-
a campaign so closely tied to a give him the insight to do it. credible burden on the DM, since
stoty, is to think of it as a novel in he must prepare an enonnous
which the OM must guide the players The whole story line of an adven- amount of material, "just in case." If
to the make right choices in order for ture could easily be a stage in a the players like random encounters
the end of the stoty to come out as greater epic. An epic is a single with monsters, the Open Campaign
he has planned. Resist the story with many linked episodes can work quite well, but if the
temptation. Strongly resist the (usually more than simple encoun- DM must constantly prepare
temptation! A OM who manipu- ters). The end goal of the epic is more than he needs, then DM
lates his players to reach his de- some fine and noble purpose, the burnout is a likely result.
sired conclusion is telling those ultimate defeat of evil, saving a
players that their actions and mo- continent from sinking below the The Matrix Campaign
tivations are worthless and have waves, or founding a new nation in
no bearing on the game world. In- the wilderness. The final outcome This is best suited to the story
stead of determining the outcome, of the epic often demands some aspect of play. It allows the DM to
they are impotent puppets. The sacrifice on the part of the heroes create a detailed plot, set out a lim-
OM might as well read them the involved. ited number of encounters, and
novel he has brewing in his mind. yet still offers the players freedom
Campaign Style of choice as to where they will go
The solution is to look ahead to and how to deal with encounters.
the possible outcomes, success or There are three
failure of a scenario. What will be easily definable styles of campaign With the matrix campaign, the
the effect on the stoty line for each play. Each one incorporates the OM places his major encounters
outcome? What effects will those story elements that have been dis- then feeds clues to his players as to
outcomes have on later adven- cussed thus far, and offers both how they might find them. By us-
tures? benefits and headaches for the OM ing character motivations or
who chooses to run his campaign NPCs, the DM can gently steer his
Allow the story to flex and along those lines. players back towards the goals of
change as the adventurers move the adventure, without the attendant
through it. If the OM feels that a feelings ofOM manipulation.

91

No game would be complete (or manner as a city, a castle, or a The truth of the matter is that de-
even pJayable, real1y) without non- dungeon. Theoretically speaking, fining characters as personalities
player characters (NPCs). Simply the OM has placed them in his takes time. Therefore personalities
put, NPCs are any characters not world to fulfill a specific purpose, are developed only as much as will
directly controlled by the players. such as running the dry goods be needed to make good game
They are encountered during the store, owning the tavern, ruling play.
course of an adventure and may the land, and so on. Chances are
range from shedu to shop keepers, that the OM has even given these What determines the right
tro1ls to trol1ops, and korred to folks names and decided whether amount of development? The an-
kings. they are young or old, male or fe- swer lies in the NPC's importance
luale. But beyond that, there is ei- to the OM's world and to the plot
NPCs are fun; fun to watch, fun ther nothing or a generic stereo- lines of his adventures. Greater
to play. More than any other facet typical personality. importance means greater devel-
of design or play, they affect the opment. Just as in the movies, not
game's sheer entertainment value. Unless the OM has unlimited every part is a speaking part. Some
If played enthusiastically, NPCs time available, he will want to re- characters just stand around to fill
can bring vibrant life to a game. strict the amount of detail he cre- out the crowd scenes-they re-
ates for each of the NPCs in his main both nameless and faceless.
Where to Start world. It would be nice to know Others exist only to fight the
each stable boy, shop keeper, or player characters. Time spent de-
In a sense, NPC monster as individuals; to know veloping such characters will be
creation is a part of both world and their fears, desires and personality time wasted.
adventure design. NPCs exist in quirks, and, when necessary, role-
the OM's world in much the same play them as exciting characters. However, if the PCs will spend
any time in conversation with an

92

NPC, such as the local tavern A Bit of Background Producing a Past
keeper, a bandit chieftain, or a fa-
vorite informan~ the DM will want The first thing to recognize is Many OMs believe that there is
to personalize that character, give that NPCs do not live in a vacuum. nothing more to creating an NPCs
him an interesting appearance, They are as much a product of background than putting together
unusual speech patterns and a their environment as anyone. a few notes and slapping the char-
personality quirk or two. Unless They have backgrounds, personal acter into place as an encounter or
the NPC is to be a key part of an ad- histories, personality quirks, and aside for his players. The rest of
venture, his background and moti- their own motivations for their the docwnentation and develop-
vations are irrelevant to the game. actions. The better grasp a OM has ment, they feel, will all just take
Once the OM has rounded out the on these factors, the more "real" place as the game progresses.
character as described before, he the NPCs will become in his own
has enough ammo for role-playing mind. Unfortunately, if writing character
without worrying about fulfilling histories that are both believable
the character's inner needs. For example, if the PCs encounter and interesting from a role-
a stable boy who is important to the playing standpoint was that easy,
Yet when an adventure revolves OM's adventure, he could be just most OMs could readily change
around an NPC or if an NPC must another nondescript person who occupations to become
play an important part in the lives tends horses for a living, or be a professional novelists. The truth of
of the player characters, such as boy, 15 years of age, orphaned the matter is that creating character
becoming a patron or a henclunan, when was young, taken in by a histories with any amount of
then that NPC deserves the full farmer and raised in an environ- variety (or that haven't been
treatment. The OM should take ment where food was scarce and clipped urunodified from a fantasy
the time to fill out every aspect of beatings plentiful. In fact, one of novel) is a task in itself Dice tables
the character's background, ap- the beatings could have damaged could be used to generate a charac-
pearance, possessions and person- his hearing so that he yells out ter's background, but to do it right
ality. tiley?" whenever someone speaks requires many pages oftables.
to him. He has a particular fond-
Creating Character ness for horses and will immedi- The best alternate solution is
ately befriend anyone with a look at the character with the per-
We know pe0- similar interest, or viciously tum spective of his environment. Ask
ple in many different ways. We on anyone he sees Inistreating a what could have happened to this
know them by their names, by horse. His Iifetilne drealn may be character during his life. Focus on
what they look like, by their expe- to have his own stable some day, events that shaped his personality
riences (or our experiences with and marry Eliza, the cobbler's or that have some bearing on the
them), and by their personalities. daughter (which is a near impossi- adventure in which the character
For an NPC to appear as a real bility, as she has been secretly be- participates. As far as a character's
person to the players, the OM trothed since birth to an ogress's parents or family are concerned,
needs to know the character in son in order to lift a curse on the assume that the character works
many ways. cobbler's wife). at the salne occupation as his fa-
ther or mother.
The DM begins by deciding why Given this quick personality and
the character exists in his world. background sketch (and the fan- Personality Traits
Based on his reasons, the character tasy sidelight to the love of his life),
gains skills and abilities and, if the OM can much more accurately To effectively role-playa charac-
necessary, gains a set of character respond to questions put to the ter, a OM needs to know the char-
attributes like those of the player boy by the PCs. He has a rough acter's personality, his likes or
characters. To go beyond this stage idea of the type of information the dislikes, and the things he places
of development, the OM must boy might know and how much he value upon. For each major NPC
delve deeper into the character would be willing to share with consider the following facets of his
and into his campaign world. strangers. personality and decide which
among them will be most promi-

93

nent. Complex characters will Consider characters who are moti- together, twisting hair or beard,
have complex personalities. One vated by faith and live only to wiping sweat from the forehead,
personality attribute will usually serve their gods or a character ded- sneezing, coughing, rapid blinking
dominate the character's personal- icated to serving others, who and so on)? If he does, try showing
ity, such as a devotion to money or wants to make the world a better these behavioral oddities rather
being kindly, greedy, or brave, but place. Other motivation categories than telting about them.
the other personality attributes include: revenge (always a favor-
will also affect how the OM role- ite), solving mysteries, discovering Draw upon observations of other
plays his characters. the truth about oneself, love of an- people to create realistic charac-
other (either romantic or familial), ters. The OM may wish to pattern
Detennine what the character devotion to research or a profes- the appearance of a character on
holds to be most important to him. sion, personal pleasure, gaining someone he has seen, including
When making value decisions, the knowledge, power or insight, striving public figures, translating those
character may weigh his decisions to be the best at something, ob- appearances to fit a fantasy set-
in favor of what he values most. taining a goal or sheer survival. ting. Even so, the OM should avoid
Example: When given a choice using people known personally to
between obtaining gold and saving Motivation directly affects the himself or the players. Even a gentle
the life of an ally, an NPC who val- way a character behaves. In gen- caricature or a friend can be
ues money may choose gain at the eral, one can assume that a char- taken in a manner other than in-
cost of another's life. acter who is seeking great riches tended.
(greed) will behave differently than
Select several key personality one who wishes only to serve his Rely on popular movies (new
features for each major NPC (such god faithfully. and old) to supply additional NPC
as greedy, kin~ helpful, dull, etc.). characterization. If the DM says
Decide which of the personality at- Physical Appearance that a bounty hunter sneers like
tributes will be the most promi- Clint Eastwood, most players in-
nent and how it affects the way he Make a few notes about the ap- stantly superimpose the actor's
is role-played. If dice tables are pearance of each NPC create~ re- face over anything they have pre-
used for random generation of spe- gardless of whether or not they are viously imagined. As the game de-
cific character personality attrib- immediately important to the ad- velops, the OM may even fmd the
utes, the DM should use the dice venture. These notes can always players supplying the NPC's lines
only as an aid to his imagination, be embellished later as more de- for him, (usually quotes from the
not as a substitute for it. tails are needed. Make all the char- actor's films). When this happens,
acters colorful. Avoid making the DM knows that his character
Motivations characters nondescript, unless it is has truly become alive for the players.
important that they blend in with
Something makes people do background. Portraying the Character
what they do. Even insane beings
rarely act without a reason. When Exaggerate appearances-use Find a peg of
the PCs encounter an NPC decide colorful adjectives when describ- reality to weave the fantasy
(if it has not already been deter- ing the character. Make the char- around and then hams it up! The
mined) why the character is here, acters the ugliest, the prettiest, the OM doesn't need to be a practiced
and what his goals are. most handsome or smelliest being thespian or stand-up comedian to
the PCs have ever encountered. get good drama or rib-tickling hu-
Motivations are often the charac- Don't be stingy with detail. Are mor out ofhis NPCs.
ter's reason for continued exist- their clothes ragged and dirty,
ence, the focus of their lives. The well-mended, or even stylish and The first rule is to relax. If the
most cominon motivation in ad- new? What color is the character's DM is self-conscious about por-
venture games seems to be greed, hair? Does he have any unusual traying characters with unusual
the sheer accumulation of wealth possessions or pets? Does the accents or odd speech patterns, all
and power. However, characters character have any unusual types his characters will sound the same
with other motivations might of behavior (like rubbing his hands (and will usually be more than a lit-
make the game more interesting.

94

tie boring). Loosen up, don't warty parts in our own world. When Acting at the Table
about what your players will characters begin acting in an unre-
think. Even if the performance alistic manner, the believability of Any OM can
wouldn't get a standing ovation at their world begins to suffer. read a description of an NPC and
a comedy club, the players will enjoy then tell the players what they see
it. In the "real" world, not everyone and how an encountered being re-
is entirely honest. Would all NPCs acts. However, the OM who wants to
It may help the DM to arrange for necessarily tell the truth at all make his NPCs come to life will not
games to be held in relatively pri- times? It seems unlikely, but most tell the players about a character-
vate settings where the players are beings do tell the truth, as long as he becomes that character. Years of
his only audience. it is in their interest to do so. A cap- acting classes are not required to
tive dragon may lead the PCs on a make a character come to life. Be
Second, be spontaneous. Don't merry chase through the land, ready to improvise any motivations,
rely on scripts for character dialog. looking for a treasure that doesn't voices, or dialogue necessary to role-
Very few things detract from a exist, instead of revealing that part play the encounter with the player
game like a OM who reads what his of its treasure lies hidden in the characters.
characters say. next cave. Townspeople may send
the PCs on a false quest in order to MugitUp
Finally, get inside the characters rid themselves of potential public
to be portrayed. The DM should nuisances. Make faces as the character
get outside himself and imagine speaks. The DM can show the
how his characters would react to Avoid overuse of popular stereo- character's elnotions by his own
the player characters. Strive for re- types for NPCs. Stereotypes are of- facial features. Scowl, smile, grin,
alistic response and actions that ten overused and unoriginal snarl, curl the lips, flutter the eye-
serve to advance the play of the depictions of characters. Rather lashes, pout, cross the eyes-do
game. than develop fresh ideas, OMs of- what it takes to make the character
ten rely on the images they re- memorable to the players. When
Believability member from their own early days facial effects are combined with an
as players. The OM needs to think unusual voice, the character can
People, even about the types of characters he really come to life.
strange and fantastic people, presents. Are they original? Are
placed in unusual situations they unusual? Are all bartenders Move Those Hands
should behave in a realistic man- big and burly ex-adventurers? Is
ner. Before the OM allows one of every evil wizard bent on conquest Don't get up. Remain seated.
his NPCs to make a questionable of the world? Are all merchants Use your hands to portray the
decisioI\ he needs to ~ if given greedy and scheming? Is every character. Think about it. Does a
the same situation, whether or not princess rich and beautiful or scheming character rub his hands
he would perform an action. While every prince handsome and dar- together? Does a politician chop
the character might reasonably ing? If so, then the OM should re- the air with one hand while he de-
make a different decision than he think his cast of characters. livers his deadpan monotone?
would, the OM needs to realize that Does that master thief flutter his
any decision that the character Stereotypes are easily forgotten. fingers when he thinks of thiev-
makes will be reasonable, not irra- Make the characters memorable. ing? Does the sergeant of the
tional (unless the character is irra- Look for interesting alternatives to guard punctuate his points with a
tional by nature). the stereotypes. Maybe that bar- pointing finger?
tender is a grouchy little woman
Particularly, the DM must realize with a grudge against big burly ex- Speak In Character
that unless strongly motivated, adventurers. The evil wizard could
beings will not throwaway their simply be selfishly self-centered, Use different speech patterns.
lives nor give away their life sav- totally uninterested in the world Not everyone talks the same, even
ings to intruders. Even in a fantasy outside. The rich merchant might within the same culture or geo-
world, the actions and reactions of be a bUlnbling idiot whose
intelligent creatures will not be too success depends on his aides and
far removed from their counter- assistants.

95

graphical region. Age and occupa- Hearing Voices with booming bass bravado.
tion can also affect speech pat- Meanwhile, make sure that
terns. A youngster win phrase his Practice funny voices and bad
speech differently than his grand- (or not so bad) impersonations of plenty of water is on hand to ease
father. Borrow distinctive speech famous people. Try to develop a the DM's poor throat after a
patterns from real life, the movies few good character voices. Then go lengthy presentation.
or television. Practice a few differ- ahead and have those eccentric
ent ways of speaking. Not every characters use those funny voices: Presenting Special
character should use the same pirates say things like "Aye, harr-r-r- Character Types
words as the DM himself. r maties" in the DM's best Long
John Silver voice while beings lU1- Elves will act
Vary the volume famiJiar with a 1anguage stumble and react differently than
along with stereotypical "immi- dwarves, who will react differently
Most of the DMs delivery will be grant" grammar. Have peasants than monsters, who will react dif-
at a fairly consistent audio level. speak in broad twangy dialects, ferently than humans and so on. A
Yet when necessary for dramatic and rich folk talk in haughty rich man might react differently
effect, the DM should be ready to drawls. Let drunkards and mon- than a poor one. Not all beings will
shout (say for an effective battle sters mutter with slurred speech, have the same perspective as a hu-
cry) or speak in a conspiratorial while lizard men hiss out menac- man adventurer (or OM for that
whisper. ing threats in near unintelligible matter). When acting out his char-
sibilance. Ancient sorceresses acter portrayals, the OM may wish
cackle Inerrily as crazed berserkers to factor in the distinct back-
scream out challenges grounds of some speciaJ character
types.

96

Mundane Folk their shortcomings through the be as rare in a fantasy world as it is
perspective of a child. Local lads in our own. Money and power are
There may be a tendency for the can provide innocent hero- notable corruptors of lnen and
OM to role-play his "everyday" worshiping companions to would- great compromisers of even the
folk as if they were all adventurers, be heroes while jaded, sharp highest ideals. They like their
or at least ex-adventurers. They tongued street urchins might be power. Even once-good beings
seem oblivious to the fact that they foils to adventurers lost in the big who have become corrupt feel that
live in a world of monsters and city (ilnagine the Artful Dodger they can do more good for the
magic and take the exotic in stride: from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist world than "lesser men.II In any
showing the PCs around while he case, this leaves the door open for
"Dang dragon's in the backyard subtly relieves them of their valu- any variety of merciless or deviant
again Maw, go call us an adven- ables). personalities. Deception and evil
turer ta get 'im outa the cabbages. go hand in hand. Very seldom will
Do it m 'self? Lissen woman, I'm Persons in Power an evil personality try to appear as
sortin 'out .spell components for evil to the general public (very few
market, I cain't be bothered! Git When players encounter powerful willing subjects or potential vic-
yor ass back in tha outhouse and NPCs, such as wizards, patriarchs, tims are attracted to obvious evil).
clean me scrubbages fI or nobility, the OM should keep in
mind that personality quirks and Dernihurnans
Mundane folk are the way they eccentricity add a great deal of
are because the fantastic is not a character to beings who have Nearly every DM has elves,
part of their everyday life (if it was, attained any degree of personal dwarves, and haLtlings in his cam-
it wouldn't be fantastic). It's hard power. These characters provide a paign, or similar races that fulfill
to make monsters frightening or treasure house of fun for the OM to the same fimction---elder, exotic
have great magics seem awe- develop. While a stable boy might peoples who are both more and
inspiling if farm folk and towns- not differ ITIuch in personality from less than human. Unfortunately,
people treat such things as a hundred other stable boys, each these same DMs (and their players)
commonplace. of the rich and powerful are apt to tend to role-play demihuman
have a definite and distinct set of races as humans with odd physical
As a rule, make everyday folk in personality traits. Even if the characteristics. They overlook the
the world either suspicious, fear- characters will have little direct fact that these beings are cultural
ful, or unbelieving of the fantastic. contact with the movers and aliens-they are not human. They
Magic and monsters are the prov- shakers of their world, the OM may do not think or react to situations
ince of far away lands, ancient leg- want to develop these personali- like humans.
ends, or princes and wizards. Such ties in more detail. Considering
things should be outside their nor- that players often want to rub Elves, with their incredibly long
mal experience and therefore shoulders more with the rich and life spans, will have an unusual
something that they cannot deal powerful than with ordinary folk. sense of time perception, possibly
with (otherwise there would be little Even if the characters do not di- with an inability to feel any sort of
need for heroes). rectly encounter these powerful urgency. Dwarves place unusual
NPCs, they will experience the im- emphasis on things of value, par-
Children print of their personalities. An ec- ticularly things made of metal and
centric or insane ruler will run his stone. Regardless of the wonderful
Few towns in any world will be land much differently than a sane dexterity that makes Halflings
devoid of children, whether they one (whether for the better or the good thieves, they have a racial
be the runny nosed Miller's kids in worse). tendency to be stay-at-homes.
a character's home town or the Bringing spicy mustard on a picnic
bugbear brats in the monster Although its perfectly accept- lunch may be more than enough
camp. Children are quick to point able for rich and powerful folk to adventure for the average halfling.
out the obvious, even when adults be benign, loving, and caring, the
are pretending to overlook SOlTIe- truly altruistic personality should As a part of his world design pr0c-
thing (remember the tale of the ess, the OM may wish to consider
emperor's new clothes?). If one
must resort to shame to motivate a
group of PCs into action, state

97

the attitudes of his demi-human son for existence, just like the Inanilnate, but intelligent ob-
races. Ask questions about each player characters. Maybe that ogre jects can be a source of hilarity as
race. Does the race like or dislike would rather be left alone and is so they interact with the pes in their
other races? Do they have a particular frustrated that she breaks down in single-minded fashion. Imagine a
enemy? What cultural quirks do tears when the PCs invade her lair. weapon that detects danger, then
they have? What do they wear? That evil, but lonely dragon might warns the party by sneezing
What do they eat? What do they do prefer the pleasure of talking to (loudly of course). Another magic
with their dead? What or whom do someone who doesn't immedi- item might gossip, revealing a
they worship (if anything)? What is ately run away or try to stick a character's innennost secrets to
their technological level (sticks and sword in his eye. anyone who will listen. A hack-
rocks? bronze smithing? iron forg- and-slash player might find his
ing? steel working? perhaps some- Like demihumans, monsters are character's style craInped by a
thing more exotic?) Do the people usually the product of an alien cul- weapon that demands formal de-
interact with other cultures or are ture. More often than not, monster corwn in combat. An ESP Medal-
they isolated? Do they respect oth- cultures consider hwnans and de- lion could transfer thoughts
ers' views or is there just "one true mihumans as little more than ani- garbled by a thick Scottish brogue
way?" mals. Thus, they do not see a and interject its own opinions as
problem in eating humans or us- well.
By establishing the cultural per- ing them like beasts. Monsters
sonality of demihuman race, the may have a hefty selection of per- Obviously such magic items
DM has established the basic per- sonality quirks, particularly ones must have a value that more than
sonality for most characters from that make them even more unac- compensates for their quirks, oth-
that culture. Later, when creating ceptable to society. erwise they will end up in the nearest
a demihuman NPC, he can decide pawn shop faster than one can say
whether this being follows the atti- Remember that intelligent mon- "Melfs Miniature Meteors. /I On the
tudes of his race or is a maverick, sters will act in an intelligent man- other hand, such items may have
going against accepted tradition. ner before, during, and after a wee bit of a curse that keeps their
From there, the OM can continue encounters. They will use their en- owners from disposing ofthem.
to round out the character. vironment to their advantage, in-
cluding known traps, hiding Improvisation on the Fly
Monsters p laces, and other monsters.
Actually, im-
All too often, a OM will place Magical Items provisation is acting or speaking
monsters in his adventures in or- extemporaneous]y (on the fly),
der to give the characters some- Not all NPCs need to be living be- making up things as one goes
thing to dice into hamburger (or ings. Try giving intelligence and along, something that Inost DMs
vice versa). Horrible monsters re- personality to some lnagical items. are always doing, using a few pre-
veal their inner personalities and Talking swords are a familiar ex- pared notes. But what happens
motivations by instantly attacking ample, but how about swords when the OM needs to create and
the pes. If the OM does give a per- whose unusual personality affects role-playa character without any
sonality to a monster, that being their performance? A sensitive preparation time?
will obviously be a friend or ally to sword could refuse to be drawn
the PCs. The players quickly learn from its scabbard if spoken to First of all, don't interrupt the
that if something doesn't talk, kill harshly. A timid sword would be game to make up a character. The
it afraid to fight (regardless of its DM doesn~ need to have the charac-
magical capabilities) and an ag- ter's full pedigree to give him a fair
Yet monsters are a wonderful gressive sword might exert its will role-playing treatment. Quickly
source for intriguing NPCs. With a on the mind of its wielder to press make a few notes about the charac-
little thought, the DM can make for constant combat while a rude ter, those things that are immedi-
his monsters more than ravening or tactless sword will blurt out im- ately apparent to the characters-
murder machines. Sentient mon- polite comments at inopportune physical appearance and
sters have personalities and a rea- moments.

98

manner of speaking, and maybe his provised as the spirit moves the Satire
name (or what he says to be his OM
name). Like parody, a satirical character
Broad Characterization is used for the purpose of ridicule,
If the OM is not comfortable but with the ulterior motive of re-
making up these items on the fly, This means that one aspect of vealing the folly or evil nature of
he can rely on dice tables, ones the character dominates all of the that person's behavior.
that he personally creates in ad- others. He is more like a cartoon
vance. The DM should make three character than a "real" person. Puns
tables, with eight entries on each One or more facets ofhis personality,
table. The first table contains his appearance, or his manneriSlTIS Called the lowest fonn of humor
names for potential NPCs (like De- are grossly exaggerated and (at least by those who don't find
rek the Bold, Rhonda Windslayer, inherently funny (or at least em- them funny), puns rely on a play
Old Drayfus, and so on). The sec- barrassing). on words often implying a differ-
ond table contains roughed out ent meaning for the word used or
personalities, including personality Slapstick suggesting a word that sounds the
traits and behavior. The third same (a homonym or homophone).
table is a list of appearances, in- This is another of type of hUlTIor
cluding clothing, physical features that can develop out of the NPC's
and possessions. actions. Slapstick relies heavily on
sight gags (these have to be de-
When the OM needs an NPC de- scribed). This category includes
scription in an instant, he can se- pies-in-the-face, pratfalls, ducked
lect or roll dice to obtain an punches (which hit someone else),
individualized NPC description. practical jokes, and zany chase
Skills and other features are added scenes.
as needed for the NPC to fulfill his
purpose. When time pennits, the Situational Comedy
DM can replace any names or
unique descriptions taken from 1bis is the stuff of your basic tel-
the table. evision comedy. The player char-
acters are placed in complicated,
Going for the Funny Bone usually embarrassing dilemmas
involving the NPC and must some-
Mix humor into how extricate themselves. This
the presentation of NPCs whenever humor relies heavily on the inter-
possible. Even if the game style is personal relationships between
serious, a bit of levity provides a NPCs and the player characters'
welcome change of pace (on the ignorance of those relationships.
other hand, don't make an the ores
stand-up cOITIedians-now, take Parody
my overlord... please). Be sponta-
neous with humor, but don't try to Here, the NPC is designed to
be a stand-up comic. Unless a DM is a both imitate and ridicule a fic-
natural entertainer, his contrived tional (or real) character. In gam-
jokes may be inappropriate. In- ing, this is commonly used to poke
stead, he should rely on the sponta- fun at other forms of popular enter-
neity of the situations he presents tainment, such as movies, televi-
to supply the laughs. Although sion programs, books, and comics.
some types of humor really need to
be planned out during the design of
the adventure, others can be im-

99