Session 0
Part 2:
Worldbuilding
Theme
After establishing your Don’ts & Do’s with your table, we can finally move on to worldbuilding! First, every player will roll a d20 and tell the AL their number. If two or more players roll the same number, they have to reroll until everyone has a unique number.
Once an order is established, the AL will ask each player “What’s the theme?” to which the player should respond with whatever they want! “Noire” sure. “Space opera”? Why not? “Rats”? I guess. If you want, then yeah. Here are examples of possible prompts before and after being pulled together by the AL.
Retro, Urban, Exploration, Nostalgia → 90’s City Fantasy
Quantum, Paradise, Illusion, Lighthouse → Dystopian Sci-fi Society on the Sea
Flourish, Stardust, Tempest, Mirage → Magical Space Opera in the Stars
After your group has an amenable theme that the table is excited about, we can now move on to the…
World Building Table
| Roll → then ↓ |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
Culture
|
What races inhabit your world? | There’s a major holiday. When is it celebrated? | Is there formal education? | What's a common job? | What’s a common way people spend their free time? | What is a common myth? What lesson does it teach? |
|
2
Geography
|
What’s a nearby major landmark? | What kind of land are we on? (Mountain, plains, etc) | How many neighboring countries are there? | What natural disaaster occured here? | What kind of animals live in this region? | What valuable resource was discovered? |
|
3
People
|
Who is famous and for what reason? | Who is infamous and what was their dastardly deed? | A notable person has died. What did they do in life? | A faction changes leadership. Who rules now? | Who leads a new or established faction? | Is there a pivotal figure everyone knows? |
|
4
Politics
|
Two factions interact with each other. What happens? | How old is the country you reside in? | What kind of government is in power? | A new faction rules. Who did they depose & what was changed? | Are leaders/ government officials usually magical? | How are people punished for breaking laws? |
|
5
Religion
|
What is a common creation myth? | How (if at all) is magic used in religious practices? | What is the dominant religion? Is there one? | Are gods active and visible in the world? | How do people receive the word of their religion? | What's an insular group that isn’t very popular? |
|
6
Technology
|
How does the average person make it from point A to B? | What technological innovation has just changed society? | How advanced is the world's technology? | Who has access to contemporary technology? | What ancient technology was discovered? | Is magic common? What does it look like? |
History Phase
Now your group will establish the history of your world using the theme as inspiration. Starting from the past, and getting closer to the present, the AL will have you roll several rounds on the World Building Table (above). Here’s the optimal way to run the History phase based on player count.
5 or more players ( 2 rounds)
10 years ago
In the past year
4 players (3 rounds)
100 years ago
10 years ago
In the past year
2-3 players (4 rounds)
1000 years ago
100 years ago
10 years ago
In the past year
Starting with the highest roller and going clockwise around a table (or down a list), each player will roll 2d6 on the table for a given history round. The first d6 will give them a category, and the second will reveal what detail of the world the player will uncover for the group. The job of the AL will be to combine and record the details the players provide. And while it isn’t the case that the AL has a turn during world building, it absolutely IS the case that the AL should feel free to contribute, edit details to make them more fitting, and add details that can better connect the ideas of the adventurers at the table.
This is everyone’s world and story. However, while every person at the table is an author, the AL is the editor in chief. They makes the final call on details and the players should trust them with that creative responsibility. With that in mind, here are some additional tips for a good worldbuilding session.
Worldbuilding Guidelines
Remember the Don'ts and Do’s.
The theme is the best hint for answering the World Building Table’s questions.
Give and ask freely for help on forming an idea.
The AL should be encouraged to ask and answer clarifying questions.