Before we start - read part one here -> https://steemit.com/fantasy/@thegamerdames/how-to-start-your-own-campaign-world-part-one
and part two is here -> https://steemit.com/arcaylia/@thegamerdames/how-to-start-your-own-campaign-world-part-two
So here we go with the final, and my personal, method of creating a campaign world:
The Seed Method
So, with Outside In, we start with the world and bring the focus smaller and smaller until we are where we want to be. With Inside Out we start small and eventually get to the big world maps when they become necessary. Both are great and work fantastically but each has their own limitations.
What I have done over time is develop a strategy using both. Essentially a sprinkling of seeds the can expand as needed to fill the world I created. Each "seed" is a unique or needed feature or location, sometimes even just a character I created. In all cases, I know enough about the "seed" that I can kind of let my mind go and almost watch what happens.
Kind of a weird thought right? Well let me explain with a touch more sense and with my favourite things: examples!
Ok, so, in theory, the Seed Method is akin to sowing a field or planting a forest. Toss a few seeds around and take care of them and see what grows. So much in the same way I throw things about like a northern mountain range; eventually it stretches all the way across the main continent and holds back the cold winds of the northlands.
Drop a single seed somewhere else that is "the largest city" seed, In order to make this one "grow" I need to know what makes a city grow; food, water, resources, safety and all that fun stuff. This seed eventually became Calari, the shining jewel of the Crystal Sea. Sitting on a natural sheltered bay with rivers to the north that stretch all the way to the Northwaul mountains. The city is surrounded by fantastic farmland and has access to pearls, lobster, plentiful fish and maritime trade.
So now we have two regions, a geographical landmark and a political entity. Our little garden is growing.
From here we sprinkle a mountain valley to the east to break up the spreading plains to the west. Rivers need to be drawn from mountains to the sea, carving defacto plots of land to drop more seeds in.
I had always had an image of cowboys wielding magic among red clay mesas... drop that on one plot, turning the ones nearby into desert and dry plains. How does that affect culture? How do the people survive? Well... how about an expansive aquifer beneath the seemingly empty plains.
So, the seeds themselves are rather immaterial but are also both very specific and remarkably vague. As long as you can contextualize the why, how and where of any one seed, they will just naturally expand into the world around them. And ultimately, once they keep expanding, it is inevitable that they will meet and intertwine with one another.
The only bit of advice that remains is to make sure you let your players plant there own seeds. Occasionally just say yes to some ideas they have and keep them. Player "seeds" will always be unique and interesting because the ideas wont be yours. Kind of like... an invading species of plant.
There are many things in my world that are entirely player created, some notable things being the entire city of Pom Porto and an island plagued by temporal anomalies due to overuse of the Wish spell.
But, the knowledge that their "seeds" become part of the world is something my players really enjoy. I have had some players take it too far but ultimately it all balances out over time.
Hopefully at this point my ramblings have been helpful, it all proved much more difficult to put into words than I had imagined.
So if there's something you don't understand, feel free to grill me with questions!
There has been some major turmoil in our private lives recently but I am still trying to keep this blog updated as frequently as possible. If any of you have ideas for articles you'd like me to explore, let me know :)