Page 9 - Dungeon Master's Guide

OUR WORLD IS THE SETTING FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN, they compete with each other for power. Some seek to
the place where adventures happen. Even preserve the world and usher in a golden age. Others
if you use an existing setting, such as the strive toward evil ends, seeking to rule the world with
Forgotten Realms, it becomes yours as you an iron fist. Still others seek goals that range from
set your adventures there, create characters the practical to the esoteric, such as the accumulation
to inhabit it, and make changes to it over of material wealth or the resurrection of a dead god.
the course of your campaign. This chapter is all about Whatever their goals, these factions inevitably collide,
building your world and then creating a campaign to creating conflict that can steer the world's fate.
take place in it. The World Is Magical. Practitioners of magic are
relatively few in number, but they leave evidence of
THE BIG PICTURE their craft everywhere. The magic can be as innocuous
and commonplace as a potion that heals wounds to
This book, the Player's Handbook, and the Monster
something much more rare and impressive, such as a
Manual present the default assumptions for how the
levitating tower or a stone golem guarding the gates
worlds of D&D work. Among the established settings of
of a city. Beyond the realms of civilization are caches
D&D, the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Dragonlance,
of magic items guarded by magic traps, as well as
and Mystara don't stray very far from those
magically constructed dungeons inhabited by monsters
assumptions. Settings such as Dark Sun, Eberron,
created by magic, cursed by magic, or endowed with
Raven loft, Spelljammer, and Planescape venture further
magical abilities.
away from that baseline. As you create your own world,
it's up to you to decide where on the spectrum you want IT's YouR WoRLD _______ _
your world to fall.
In creating your campaign world, it helps to start with
CoRE AssuMPTIONS ______ _ the core assumptions and consider how your setting
might change them. The subsequent sections of this
The rules of the game are based on the following core
chapter address each element and give details on how to
assumptions about the game world.
flesh out your world with gods, factions, and so forth.
Gods Oversee the World. The gods are real and
The assumptions sketched out above aren't carved
embody a variety of beliefs, with each god claiming
in stone. They inspire exciting D&D worlds full of
dominion over an aspect of the world, such as war,
adventure, but they're not the only set of assumptions
forests, or the sea. Gods exert influence over the world
that can do so. You can build an interesting campaign
by granting divine magic to their followers and sending
concept by altering one or more of those core
signs and portents to guide them. The follower of a god
assumptions, just as well-established D&D worlds have
serves as an agent of that god in the world. The agent
done. Ask yourself, "What if the standard assumptions
seeks to further the ideals of that god and defeat its
weren't true in my world?"
rivals. While some folk might refuse to honor the gods, The World Is a Mundane Place. What if magic is rare
none can deny their existence.
and dangerous, and even adventurers have limited or no
Much of the World Is Untamed. Wild regions
access to it? What if your campaign is set in a version of
abound. City-states, confederacies, and kingdoms
our own world's history?
of various sizes dot the Ia ndscape, but beyond their
The World Is New. What if your world is new, and
borders the wilds crowd in. People know the area they the characters are the first of a long line of heroes?
live in well. They've heard stories of other places from The adventurers might be champions of the first
merchants and travelers, but few know what lies beyond great empires, such as the empires of Netheril and
the mountains or in the depths of the great forest unless Cormanthor in the Forgotten Realms setting.
they've been there themselves. The World Is Known. What if the world is completely
The World Is Ancient. Empires rise and fall, leaving
charted and mapped, right down to the "Here there be
few places that have not been touched by imperial
dragons" notations? What if great empires cover huge
grandeur or decay. War, time, and natural forces
stretches of countryside, with clearly defined borders
eventually claim the mortal world, leaving it rich with
between them? The Five Nations of the Eberron setting
places of adventure and mystery. Ancient civilizations
were once part of a great empire, and magically aided
and their knowledge survive in legends, magic
travel between its cities is commonplace.
items, and their ruins. Chaos and evil often follow an
Monsters Are Uncommo"n. What if monsters are
empire's collapse.
rare and terrifying? In the Ravenloft setting, horrific
Conflict Shapes the World's History. Powerful
domains are governed by monstrous rulers. The
individuals strive to make their mark on the world, and
populace lives in perpetual terror of these darklords
factions of like-minded individuals can alter the course
and their evil minions, but other monsters rarely trouble
of history. Factions include religions led by charismatic
people's daily lives.
prophets, kingdoms ruled by lasting dynasties, and
Magic Is Everywhere. What if every town is ruled
shadowy societies that seek to master long-lost magic.
by a powerful wizard? What if magic item shops are
The influence of such factions waxes and wanes as
common? The Eberron setting makes the use of magic
CHAPTER 1 \A WORLD OF YOUR OWN
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