With Block, Dodge, Parry now completely OUT and ABOUT, I’m shifting my focus on making more ‘things’ for it. One of those ‘things’ is a big hexcrawl, and as I’m working on that, I’m looking at tools, methods and procedures to help me flesh out my setting.
Image: Split the Party MtG Art from Adventures in the Forgotten Realms by Zoltan Boros
I want it to be relatively ‘classic’ in feel – humans, dwarves, elves, a sprawling wilderness, ancient ruins, the whole shebang. I’d like to avoid some of the things that I consider ‘pitfalls’ in design and worldbuilding, or, to put it differently, I’d like to challenge myself to work around concepts such as ‘sentient races that are always evil’, bioessentialism and colonialism. Given that the classic D&D experience is “Renaissance technology in a medieval coat of paint with Western themes of expansion, wilderness and ‘dangerous natives'”, I have my work cut out for me.
However, I’d also still like ways for there to be, say, 1d6 orcs as an encounter, or 3d6 goblins ambushing your camp – without everything being heavy all the time.
I was thinking of an old mindstorm blogpost (as I often do, and you should, too), particularly the one that includes world anchors.
The way in which the themes of the campaign can be interpreted on a spectrum of abstraction is really neat – a ‘dial’ that can be turned to adjust the impact of themes on a campaign.
Virtue & Folly
Each ancestry found in the setting has Virtues and Follies. This does not mean each member of said ancestry embodies each aspect, or even embodies it at all; it’s more that, if meeting a “very dwarvy dwarf” or “very elvish elf”, their character is likely to have a clear relation with their ancestry’s virtues and follies.
This could mean that they embody each, or that they explicitly resist embodying them. This is not about individuals; it’s about cultural and traditional tendencies within the larger group.
These virtues and follies are ‘divinely ordained’; this is just how the gods made these peoples (and I mean, it’s true; the Warden/Dungeon Master has set these as the defining conflicts/tensions).
This also means that, in natural language/in universe, characters could refer to “the folly of Men” or “the virtue of Dwarves” which I think sounds cool.
Below is an example default interpretation of virtues and follies. I think having these defined as you world-build can help flesh out details, as well as conflicts between various groups. Radically changing certain aspects is also likely to have very interesting results!
Example “Classic” Virtues & Follies
Humans
Virtues:
- Ambition: Their short lives drive them to accomplish much in limited time.
- Adaptability: Humans thrive in diverse environments and social structures.
Follies:
- Pride: Believing themselves exceptional despite their ordinariness.
- Legacy: Obsession with being remembered after their brief lives end.
Elves
Virtues:
- Mastery: Their long lives allow perfection of chosen crafts and arts. They see their mastery over a skill (be it poetry, magic, swordplay or other) as reaching perfection.
- Harmony: Deep connection with natural cycles and patterns, due to seeing the ‘bigger picture’ of things.
Follies:
- Stagnation: Resistance to change after centuries of established ways; a tendency to ‘wait things out’.
- Arrogance: Looking down on “lesser” beings with shorter lifespans, who will never reach their level of mastery.
Dwarves
Virtues:
- Steadfastness: Unwavering loyalty to kin and community.
- Craftsmanship: Divine gift for creating lasting works of beauty and function; their drive lies in creating beautiful ‘things’, as opposed to elves focusing on ‘mastering skill’.
Follies:
- Greed: Unhealthy attachment to wealth and material possessions.
- Grudge-bearing: Inability to forgive perceived slights across generations.
Halflings
Virtues:
- Contentment: Finding joy in simple pleasures and everyday moments.
- Community: Prioritizing relationships and shared experiences.
Follies:
- Complacency: Reluctance to change comfortable situations, even when necessary.
- Insulation: Tendency to avoid broader world problems that don’t directly affect them.
Orcs
Virtues:
- Vigor: Exceptional vitality and life force. Their shorter lifespans imbue them with great intensity.
- Directness: Honest expression of thoughts and emotions without pretense.
Follies:
- Domination: A tendency to settle disputes through “might makes right”, which can perpetuate a cycle of violence/believing that taking things is the only way to get them.
- Impulsivity: Acting before thinking through consequences.
Goblins
Virtues:
- Ingenuity: Creativity in using limited resources.
- Brotherhood: Being relatively small and weak compared to other beings, goblins must stick together to get things done.
Follies:
- Servility: Compulsion to follow stronger entities, often against self-interest.
- Mischief: Irresistible urge to cause chaos and disruption.
Hobgoblins
Virtues:
- Discipline: Natural inclination toward order and hierarchy. Hobgoblins see an inherent beauty in structure.
- Strategy: Gift for long-term planning and tactical thinking.
Follies:
- Tyranny: Their desire for control, structure and hierarchy can lead to oppressive structures.
- Rigidity: Inability to adapt when plans fail or circumstances change.