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Tips for low fantasy world-building
Inspired by Calamity Punk Publishing and their drop-in world-building modules, I’ve been thinking about tips for low fantasy game worlds.
What would you add?
Embrace the Grounded
- Focus on the Human Element: Low fantasy often prioritizes human conflicts, ambitions, and relationships. Kingdoms fight neighbouring nations, not cosmic horrors. Emphasize the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people in an extraordinary setting.
- Keep Magic Rare: Magic should be mysterious, maybe even feared. It’s not a utility like electricity but something with consequences and profound implications.
- Technology is Limited: Think medieval or early Renaissance: swords, bows, and basic mechanics drive civilization, not steam engines or computers.
Emphasize Realism
- Historical Inspiration: Draw from specific periods of real-world history. Research feudal Europe, the Roman Empire, or another period to create a foundation for your world. Don’t be afraid to alter history to suit your needs.
- “Gritty” Doesn’t Equal “Grim”: Low fantasy can be dark, but it should still offer hope. Highlight the struggle for survival, but remember moments of joy and camaraderie in the face of hardship.
- Practical Limitations: Travel takes time, news spreads slowly, and resources are scarce. Consider how characters overcome these daily obstacles.
Emphasize the Local
- Start Small: Focus on a single town, region, or small kingdom. Build outwards organically, exploring the power struggles and unique cultures within specific locales.
- Everyday Details: What do people eat, wear, and believe in? How does the land itself shape their lives? These details ground your world and make it feel lived-in.
- Local Threats: Low fantasy thrives on bandits, feuding lords, or mysterious creatures lurking in the nearby wilderness. These threats should be relatable and immediate.
Lean into Ambiguity
- Mystery over Explanation: Don’t feel the need to explain everything! Low fantasy preserves a sense of wonder and the unknown. Ancient ruins, forgotten prophecies, and strange rituals create intriguing questions for your players to explore.
- “Gray” Morality: Embrace the moral complexity of humans in harsh environments. There might not be clear heroes and villains, just people with conflicting motivations.
- The World Beyond: Keep the larger world mysterious, a place of rumours and distant empires. This maintains a focus on local struggles while hinting at a wider universe.
Additional Tips:
- Subvert Expectations: Take familiar fantasy tropes and twist them. Perhaps orcs are a peaceful tribe misunderstood by humans, or elves are arrogant isolationists.
- Play With Scale: A low fantasy campaign can still have epic stakes, even if they don’t threaten the entire cosmos. A peasant uprising or a war between neighbouring kingdoms can be just as compelling.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
