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Creating a new D&D world, part 1

I recently purchased The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create and Customize Your Own Game World by James D'Amato and it, and going whale watching, inspired me to create a new D&D world. So here we go! I'm going to use prompts from the book to begin crafting this world. These questions will pertain to the small island on which the adventure begins.

These are the d20 prompts from the Fantasy section of the book. I will try and answer them all.

  1. Is magic present in this world? If so, how common is it?
    • Yes! It is relatively rare
  2. What major event in this world's history is remembered largely inaccurately?
    • The building of the lighthouses
    • It is said that that was the start of the interconnectivity between the islands, but no one has tales of a time significantly before the lighthouses
    • They are actually the story of some beings leaving for the sea world and those on land trying to find them
  3. What happens to people when they die?
    • They are buried at sea
    • It is believed they are reincarnated as a sea being
  4. Which creatures are capable of speech?
    • Humanoids
  5. What is special about the shape of this world?
    • Lots of islands of varying sizes
  6. What unseen forces have power here?
    • The water fae
    • Selkies
    • Mermaids
  7. Is there a place here known for peace? Is it easy to find?
    • The island the adventure begins on. It is easy to find, but hard to navigate to given the choppy waters
  8. What mystery has gone unsolved for as long as almost anyone can remember?
    • The deaths of children on the island. Some say it's just accidents, some say the sea demands a fare
  9. What is something very commonly understood, and what is something considered secret knowledge?
    • Commonly understood: the dangers of the island and the sea
    • Secret knowledge: the language of the whales
  10. Which landmark stands as a permanent reminder of a major event? Describe it
    • The lighthouse on the island, white painted stone
    • It symbolizes the islands forming some level of interconnectivity between the islands, it has stood for as long as any can remember
  11. How do people travel long distances in this world?
    • By sea
  12. What is a relatively recent invention that dramatically changed this world?
    • Inflatable lifesavers
  13. What is considered rare and valuable? What is common and essential?
    • Rare and valuable: Magic
    • Common and essential: Boating and fishing gear
  14. When not in person, how do people communicate? How has this method of communication affected society?
    • Magic (expensive), smoke signals (intra- or inter-island), lighthouses, mail, and envoys (generally just official messages)
    • People are relatively insular by island, no great sense of community between islands
  15. What fear is shared by many people across this world? What measures have they taken to guard against this fear?
    • Rough waters and sea monsters
    • Boating is seen as necessary for fishing, but venturing far is only done by the daring or stupid
  16. What is something you wish existed in the real world that does exist in this one?
    • Magic
  17. What annual event is celebrated in many different ways across this world?
    • A day of remembrance for those lost at sea
    • On this island, it's a full day of no one speaking
  18. How do the skies of this world look different from the sky we know?
    • Clearer
    • More nautical constellations
  19. What figure do people most commonly tell stories about? How are these stories told (books, plays, spoken word, broadcast, etc.)?
    • Those who make epic sea journeys
    • Spoken word mostly
  20. How important is technology to the daily lives of people in this world?
    • Any advance in seafaring technology or communication technology can increase connectivity between the islands

(Prompt from The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create and Customize Your Own Game World by James D'Amato)

"Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)" by V.L.


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