RPG Worldbuilding: Finally Get Your Players to Care!

are you frustrated that your players sometimes don't seem to care about your game World perhaps your players get really excited about their character's cool new abilities and spells or the magic items they just looted but your game setting is a sideshow at best well today we're going to discuss a simple trick you can use to make your players actually care about your game world and perhaps even begin to love it now this trick actually has nothing to do with the details of your game World itself you could be running your game in eberron DeLorean or your own Homebrew setting it doesn't matter because what we're going to be talking about today is evolving your game world based on character decision in my experience this is the factor that takes a setting from something that is merely a rather unimportant backdrop for the players and elevates The Game World to something that players become invested in and actually care about the essence of this method involves the game master considering what player characters have said and done in the game world and then asking themselves how would my world change as a result and is that change positive or negative when the characters stop a war or prevent a lich from destroying a city and raising an undead horde the king throws them apart he hands over the key to the treasury and The Crowd Goes Wild what happens when they fail what happens when the war rages on or the Lich succeeds in his diabolical plane and even when the characters win how does this affect the World At Large what are the positive and negative impacts of their successes and failures and how do those impacts change the world in which the campaign is taking place or in which your next campaign will take place you see characters make many choices they have their own goals sometimes ones that even conflict with other characters goals they make allies make enemies are betrayed and sometimes are even the betrayers they may come into a town go to the local temple and buy out all of the healing potions that the clerics have in stock they may throw around gold like it's candy or murder hobo their way right through town a character may rise from a race usually hostile to humanity to become a hero of the Kingdom or be of a traditionally admired class only to abuse their power or accidentally decimate a city it's up to you the game master to decide how these activities affect the campaign and the world however here's the thing the scope and impact of characters actions is going to change over the course of the game when characters are low level the change that they are able to affect on the world is limited to the local town perhaps however as they grow in power and levels their impact on the world will be greater now 5th edition defines the tears of play as follows Local Heroes are levels one through four Heroes of the realm are levels five through ten masters of the realm are levels 11 through 16 and masters of the world are levels 17 through 20. these titles are meant to provide the game master guidance on the scope of the character's adventures and the extent of their influence on the World the game Master can use these levels to impact the game world's Evolution based on their actions as the campaign progresses through the tears the game Masters should consider the good and bad implications of the player's choices and resulting character actions now what we're going to do here is first briefly discuss each of the four tiers of play touching on the sorts of Evolutions in the game World a game master might bring about in each of them and then we're going to discuss 10 different categories of change that a GM can make in their game World these 10 categories will give us some more tangible and implementable ideas for changes that we could make to the world no yeah nice try Barbarian like I've never heard that one before you are not my father and you're not doing a sleazy plug on this video I'm Saint John and I've come to warn you of the Apocalypse hi Barbarian here to tell you what apocalies John's Guide to the Armageddon for 5e coming soon to Kickstarter it's a post-apocalyptic campaign setting but not just any other post-apocalyptic one this is the apocalypse the original one the world has been torn apart devastated by the cataclysms tainted corrupted and the last battle between Angels and Demons has destroyed everything with the four horsemen the leaders of the Demonic faction Galloping about with their fiendish minions the last humans struggle to survive the apocalypse which is 100 compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular role-playing game consists of two books John's Guide to the Armageddon the setting book that depicts the land of Armageddon What remains of the earth and monsters of the Armageddon which contains some of the most power powerful and terrifying creatures ever imagined by men demons Levy Athens seraphim apocalyptic beasts and more there's even a quick start PDF that includes an introductory adventure for a party of third level characters furthermore you'll be getting new subclasses new Origins a rewriting of the human race called the last ones new mechanics equipment and other cool stuff and there are dice marks a powerful but dangerous option for those who choose to serve one of the two main factions Angels or demons oh and new survival rules for exploring and traveling through the apocalyptic environment click the link down below to get notified when apocalypse goes live on Kickstarter I know okay look Zach I have no idea what that was let's just start talking about the four tiers of play and get on with this tier one Local Heroes now at this tier the character's actions resulting from the player's choices gain them Fame and influence on the local scale this could mean a town city or local region but the impact isn't likely to extend beyond that nevertheless there are plenty of opportunities for the character's actions to influence the game World long term a town that is no longer being threatened by local orc tribes can prosper and grow into a bustling City in a matter of years a city freed from a corrupt priest secretly running an infernal cult under cover of a mighty Temple to a benevolent goddess can result in a void of religious power that finds itself filled by a new faith that could change the entire course of their social development in a region that suddenly finds itself saturated with adventurous gold could see a long-term boom in their economy or crash leading to economic ruin what if that region suddenly rich with the gold of adventurers that have now moved on to bigger places and things attracts the attention of a red dragon that wants that wealth for itself an ancient or adult dragon can drastically reshape a Region's politics population and Landscape The evolutionary effects of the player's choices don't have to be the most logical course of action in Worlds of fantasy and wonder but they should be wondrous and fantastic oh and by the way if you'd like to have the written version of all of this information right here it is included in the February 2023 issue of Lair magazine idealism and infinite in that same issue as well you're going to get the scourge of the clarengeist adventure Arc which contains three Adventures for levels 13 14 and 15. and it features several new aberrant monsters anyway if you want to save yourself some note-taking and get some cool 5e resources you can use in your games there are links down below for how you can get Lair magazine tier 2 heroes of the realm when the characters enter the second tier of play their influence expands to the entire realm now the concept of a realm isn't clearly defined nor should it be as it means different things to different settings and campaigns usually a realm is considered a kingdom Empire or collection of cities still it could be a small collection of widespread duchies in conflict with each other the entire coastal region of a continent or a massive desert and the many nomadic people who wander its sunbeaten landscape regardless of how the realm is defined the impact of the character's decisions will affect the world on a larger scale less likely that adventurers throwing around money will affect the Region's economy and more likely that the character's actions need to be more significant and more overt to have a more lasting impact but that's fine because at this level that's precisely what the characters should be doing freeing the roads from a bandit Queen rather than a few Highwaymen unseating evil Kings and bringing an end to a coastal herd of peritons hunting the crews of merchant ships now if the statistics are to be believed most campaigns end in this tier or shortly into the next so this is often where a game master must Focus their efforts on evolving the world because of that it is even more vital for them to think about the impacts of their players choices in this tier the end of the Bandit queen or perrytons will allow Caravans and trade to flow more readily however it also changes the Predator prey Dynamic of that region and nature abhors a vacuum after all the players should see the benefits of their victories as the world evolves but the next campaign will still need Adventures for them to undertake as well tier 3 masters of the realm the most noticeable difference is often that those in power are no longer hiring the characters to solve their problems but are seeking the character's advice on solving those problems the heroes have transitioned from Agents to advisors often given the freedom to act on behalf of their leadership of a Nation without correct request it may be time to hunt down that red dragon that has taken over that region where the game started more likely the time has come for old enemies to return allies to come together to face their Destinies and the hero's final battle against the big bad of the campaign to bring their machinations to an end or fail in the attempt regardless of the events the repercussions of the player's choices should impact the realm for generations to come when the heroes finally confront the big bad of the campaign how will that day be remembered will their Victory become a future holiday celebrated across the kingdom The Fallout of that battle be long felt in the region as a zone of wild Magic Springs up around the liches now shattered flattery or will their defeat turn the entire Kingdom into an acropolis led by a terrible arklich while the consequences of the Player's Choice is good and bad don't have a broader reach in this tier than the previous they should have a more significant impact tier 4 Master of the world as players enter the final tier of play their characters are practically demigods at least compared to the rest of the world the scope of their adventures and the influence of their actions are World Spanish they should have a widespread effects major nations rise and fall lesser deities fall as new ones rise to replace them and magical cataclysms change the world forever the game master should be prepared to evolve the world in ways that can be reflected for many campaigns to come and perhaps more importantly should be willing to do so at this tier players choices impact the world that the game master has created or adapted for their own at this point more than any other the game master must be willing to let go of their baby and let the characters actions help it grow this can be difficult for some game Masters especially those who have grown attached to their Creations but it is an important lesson and task if the players are to feel that their choices truly matter you know hopefully by now players are making good choices that promote positive growth and change in the world the orc who turned their back on their races dark Gods has the chance to show the world that not all Orcs are evil in a world where magic is feared or mistrusted the wizard has their moment to demonstrate that their art is only as good or bad as the person who wields it but on the other side bad choices will have the same level of effect that same wizard should they decide to cast Fireball in a town square filled with Innocent civilians could cause Arcane magic to be outright illegal in the future victories will be celebrated worldwide but defeat can result in the literal End of the World by the way if you're finding the information in this video helpful please give me a thumbs up and leave a comment for the algorithm down below let us know how you evolve your world based on character actions how exactly to evolve a game world now providing concrete rules on how to evolve a game world is nearly impossible every world is different every campaign distinctive and there is no limit to players choices nevertheless here are 10 categories of changes that you may wish to consider these are areas in which you should think about evolving your world based on player character actions number one change in political power the political leadership of a region changes hands the leader of a region changes their attitudes or beliefs or unjust law is changed all for the betterment or detriment of Society number two change in religious power the religious leadership of a region changes hands One Faith loses prominence as another takes its place or the morality of the region takes a turn for the better all for the betterment or detriment of Society number three change in Regional economy dwindling Commerce in the region is restored a new Guild comes into prominence or an austere region with poor living conditions is given it an economic boost that improves the lives of its citizens or a major trade route is destroyed a powerful Guild upon which a city is dependent which closes its doors or a prosperous Society suffers massive economic Devastation number four change in social attitudes a race or class previously shunned gains a positive reputation dangerous activities once considered acceptable are rejected by the populace or a self-serving Noble becomes more charitable or new prejudices rise or old ones deepen against a race or class of Adventurer harmful activities once taboo are embraced by a society or fear descends Upon A once content people number five change in military posture a poorly defended region has its military bolstered an oppressed region is now free to restore its martial autonomy or a belligered and besieged army has been released or War leaves a Region's military in shambles and ripe for Conquest a draft is implemented forcing families to surrender their eldest children to the military or martial law is declared in a region number six change in Regional and environment a plague famine or drought is ended powerful unpredictable storms become a thing of the past or the Sun finally Rises on an eternal winter or flourishing Farmland is raised and salted leaving an Agricultural Society in Ruins unseasonable weather brings a region to a commercial standstill or a shift in the tides floods a coastal city number seven change in Underworld influence a powerful Thieves Guild is brought down a powerful Bandit nation's influence is ended or a Despicable leader of the local thieves is replaced by someone more moderate or philanthropic or a notorious Thieves Guild gains political power a lazy Bandit King is succeeded by a violent and ambitious rival or a philanthropic leader of the local thieves is replaced by a greedy sociopath number eight change in Regional ecosystem an ecosystem is stabilized as a dominant powerful Predator ceases to be an issue a benevolent Dragon replaces a tyrannical one or a pestle lens affecting livestock finally in or a powerful Predator dies and opens the door to something worse a fishing Community finds their Waters empty of fish or the death of a predator causes an intrusive overpopulation of herd animals number nine change in the Arcane a region of wild magic is stabilized tears in the fabric of space allowing demons to cross into the mortal world are mended or the nature of magic is changed to make it easier to wield or magic is destabilized causing unpredictable surges of wild magic the fabric of space is torn open causing an influx of unsealy Fae or the nature of magic changes making it more difficult to control number 10 change in Regional geography a raging river is damned and brought under control a new Mountain Rises into the sky bringing new resources to the surface or an arid Valley becomes agriculturally viable or an earthquake separates a town for from its protectorate a population is eradicated and their City left in Ruins or a mountain range falls into the sea forever altering the coastline now if you want to learn seven World building secrets to avoid dull and lifeless settings click on the screen right here or check out the links down below if you'd like to get Lair magazine which is full of easy to use 5e GM resources such as Adventures at digital Maps monsters puzzles and more and until next time I need like some sort of catchy saying

Channel: the DM Lair

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Keywords: d&d, d&d 5e, dnd, dnd 5e, dnd 5th edition, dungeons and dragons, dungeons & dragons, rpg, role-playing game, roleplaying game, dungeon master tips, DM tips, dungeon master advice, DM advice, the dm lair, luke hart, rpg world building, dnd world building, dnd world building tips, rpg world building tips, rpg world creation, dnd world creation

Id: m684REXBjww

Length: 17min 30sec (1050 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 21 2023