DF: Does the world matter?

[Johnny Angel]

I don't think a specific world is necessary to get a game started.

I agree with what a lot of Bruno has said.


However, I also think having a few bullet points to give some context to your players helps get the game moving.

When I have run a DF game in the past, I tried to do what some others have suggested: I used the player characters to help build the world. If a player said their character was from a place, or that they worshipped a god, or they were part of some organization, it became part of the world. Though, some players are more comfortable with this than others, and I found that (as said) having a few bullet points established helped get things moving by giving the players some ideas to work from for character creation. In turn, their ideas then gave me a few things to build on and flesh things out a little. I didn't sketch out everything, but this gave me enough to inform my decisions and answers when I was asked if/where things were available in the game world.

"You're starting in the town of [place]. The surrounding environment is [climate/significant feature]. Recently, [event 1]; [event 2], and [event 3] happened."

In addition, I ask the players to come with how their character knows at least one of the other characters.


So, it might turn out like one of the following...

1) "The campaign starts in Blancodorf, a community of about 500 nestled in the mountains. An especially harsh winter has come. In recent months, the most popular subject to talk about has been a business dispute between two rival cobblers. A few weeks ago, a few employees of the Apollo Mining Company (they mine "everything under the sun") were killed in an unexplained explosion."

2) "The campaign starts in Biszumeau, a trading city of around 9000 which rests on a small hill sandwiched between two rivers. For the past several years (following a war) the city's control has been split between two kingdoms as part of a peace agreement, with a small wall in the middle and each side under the control of a minor noble from each kingdom. About a month ago, a meteorite crashed nearby. Travelers report being accosted by a group of dinomen who have started to gather around the crash site."

3) "You're all on board a prison ship crossing the Grandeblau Sea. It doesn't matter if you committed a crime or not. Whether guilty or innocent, some circumstance lead to your incarceration for some amount of time. Thankfully, today is the day you will be released from your sentence and transported to the settlement of Fraisanfang. Unfortunately, the stigma of a criminal record makes gaining traditional employment difficult. Fortunately, Fraisanfang has some unique opportunities. A week ago, you received a letter stating that an adventuring company is offering work to newly released prisoners who are willing to take a few risks. The same letter stated that Antiguo Altmann, an old semi-retired adventurer, is looking to score a treasure which has long eluded him, but he is having trouble putting together a team because the local people tend to be the settled, secure, and unadventurous types. All who are interested are to visit the Outside Inn and give his name to receive a free night's stay. Then, in the morning, a carriage will arrive to transport them to The Paladin's Plate for free pancakes and a discussion of his offer."



Certainly, you could run a game without doing any of this and just make it up on the fly too. A lot of games start that way. For me, I've found that having a rough outline or a few bullet points helps both my players and myself. It helps the players make a few character-making decisions and it gives me at least some basic framework from which to build or invent things as the game moves forward.