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Ok I am pretty much done with the map of the Nineteen Kingdoms world module I am working on and I am about to start writing about the world on the kingdom level. What do you guys think should be in those paragraphs? I mean in your own campaigns what aspects of a kingdom are the most important to describe? I am not trying to go into exhaustive detail but I don't want to leave out any aspects that might stimulate role-playing or ideas for campaigns set in the world. Thanks!
Oh, good question. I've thought about such before. Depends, on what you are trying to accomplish and your views...
So, to start I would think some type of paragraph or two overview. Something that is common knowledge etc. A quick, this is what the place is known for, is it a trade hub, a farming region, known for flashy knights or a wizard's college? Things like that.
After that, ...
Well, I would check out one of the old campaign guides...
But, include something about
- government/nobility
- Law/criminal activity
- Major locations
- Major NPCs and power groups
- Current events
- Historical events
- Anything unusual; like lots of trade, unusual amounts of poverty, insular populace...
Hope that helps.
Names of people who are important and why they matter. Details of those people are less helpful, but having a cast of characters ready to go helps me as a DM, and makes the world immersive. Especially if you tie them to historical figures.
My absolute favorite world books are the ones for Rolemaster by Terry Kevin Amthor and the Van Richten's Guides for AD&D's Ravenloft. Both are about people. People tell the stories of the world. Sometimes with fake excerpts from in game texts that players could find in a library, sometimes just a two sentence quote here and there, and sometimes just being mentioned. To me, those are what I aim for, and as a DM and player the ones I want to read. Books like the sword coast guide that are all written like dry details of the world are boring and hard to read. They can also be harder to use because of the lack of personality.
My game starts by telling them almost nothing, the campaign is in a place called The Shattered Isles, for very specific reasons the character is looking to go there to a specific town. They have been traveling a long time and know nothing of this region of the Shattered isles. That way they can come up whit any background they want because they are from a place far away ( and never likely to return to ), and I get to introduce them slowly ( over the course of play ) the land they have arrived in.