Building a World

There are two common approaches to running an RPG: module or sandbox.

## Module

A module is a premade adventure. The GM plans out the adventure and has a general idea of what to expect during the game.

### Advantages

* Preparation makes the game more polished.
* The GM knows what to expect.
* Generally preferred by GMs who like to plan.

### Disadvantages

* The adventure is less spontaneous.
* Requires players to “stick to the script.”
* The GM can run out of material and get stuck.

## Sandbox

In sandbox games, the GM adapts to the players and spontaneously creates adventures based on context.

### Advantages

* More spontaneous and organic.
* Can lead to interesting and unexpected adventures.
* Players have more freedom.

### Disadvantages

* Requires an extremely creative GM.
* Adventures are typically less polished.
* The game can feel directionless if players don’t take charge.

Neither approach is better than the other. It’s entirely up to you to find a GM style that suits your unique tastes. Many GMs will prefer a mix of planning and spontaneous creativity. Tavern Tales accommodates whichever play style you prefer. If you’re new to Tavern Tales or RPGs, it’s recommended that you start with module adventures.

## Handling Neutral Tales

How your players handle Neutral Tales will have a major impact on your game. In many other RPGs, the players control their characters and the GM controls everything else. When the players arrive at a new town, it’s typically the GM’s job to describe the town and the townsfolk.

However, Tavern Tales is a little bit different. The players and the GM can tell Neutral Tales whenever they want, which means that players might have control over the game world. Creating an entire game world can consume a lot of brain power, so the GM may find it beneficial to outsource this creative task to the players. Discuss the options below with your gaming group to find a comfortable level for your game.

### Low Player Control

Players can tell Neutral Tales to describe their own characters and nothing else. This is ideal for module-based games, because the players won’t disrupt what the GM created. Example:

* My cloak flaps in the wind.
* My stomach growls from hunger.
* I wipe the blood from my sword.

### Moderate Player Control

Players can tell Neutral Tales to describe some of the features of the world around them, mostly focusing on aesthetics. Basically, the GM gives the players permission to help build the world. For example, suppose a player wants to go to a tavern. The player can invent the tavern and describe it to the other players. This doesn’t disrupt the game much because the GM was probably going to invent a tavern anyway. So, why not let the player do it? Example:

* I travel to the Hooting Owl tavern, which is a humble stone building. A surly looking dwarf is working at the bar. A group of sailors are clearly drunk and are singing sea shanties. I walk to the bar and order a drink.

### High Player Control

In the most extreme version, players can declare anything with a Neutral Tale (as long as it’s Neutral). A player can invent an entire quest, including the reward. Obviously, it’s up to the GM to step in if a player goes too far. This approach is ideal for experienced players in a sandbox game. The GM doesn’t need to plan because the players and the GM can work together to spontaneously create a quest. For example, suppose the players enter a new town. The GM could allow each player to add something to the town. Perhaps one player says that there’s a hidden thieves’ guild operating in the docks, and they’re looking for someone to assassinate a merchant. Perhaps another player says that some of the villagers are werewolves.

## Adventure Seeds

In real life, seeds are tiny, light-weight, and hold a lot of potential. If you plant a seed, it might grow into something unexpected.

Adventure seeds are like real-life seeds. They’re small, simple, and can grow into a full adventure whenever the need arises. Each seed is a sentence, like “There’s an abandoned silver mine in the mountains.” Regardless of whether you’re playing a module or a sandbox game, it’s a good idea to plant seeds throughout the game world.

Seeds are incredibly useful because the GM and the players can use them when the need arises. For example, suppose you add the seed “There’s an alchemist guild in town.” Players can use this seed in their adventures. Perhaps they’ll buy healing potions from the guild, or perhaps they’ll find out that someone was poisoned and they need information about poisons. Also, the GM can use this seed for inspiration. If the GM needs quest ideas, the GM could say that an acidic ooze escapes a lab, or that the alchemists need explorers to track down rare alchemical reagents. Here are a few example seeds for an arctic town:

* The barbarian Stag Clan roams the western tundra.
* A magic aurora happens every new moon.
* A human town rests next to a frozen lake.
* The villagers are in a dispute over land rights.
* There’s a monster asleep under the frozen lake.

GMs who prefer to run modules should flesh out these seeds. What’s the monster under the lake? Why is it asleep? What will it do when it wakes up? GMs who prefer sandbox games don’t need to answer these questions because they’ll be spontaneously answered during gameplay. Here’s an example:

> **Seed:** There’s a monster asleep under a lake.
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A PC asks the locals about the monster, so the GM has the player roll Spirit. The player and the GM can spend Good, Neutral, or Bad Tales based on the roll to spontaneously decide the answer.

> **Good Tales**
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* > The monster is benevolent.
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* > There’s also treasure under the lake.
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* > The monster is a source of powerful magic.
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> **Neutral Tales**
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* > Rumor has it that a hermit who lives in the tundra is the only person who knows the monster’s identity.
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* > The monster has been frozen for over 500 years.
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* > Some villagers claim that the monster speaks to them in their dreams.
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> **Bad Tales**
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* > The monster will destroy the town if it wakes up.
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* > The monster is a demon that’s trying to melt the lake with hellfire. The villagers must use frost magic to keep it trapped, but their local ice wizard has gone missing.
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* > Anyone who crosses over the lake becomes possessed by the monster.
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## Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is a process that allows everyone to work together to flesh out your game world. It works in the following way:

1. The worldbuilder invents something about the world. The worldbuilder can be a player or the GM.
2. Each other person asks the worldbuilder 1 question about whatever was created.
3. The worldbuilder can answer the question, or let the person who asked the question answer it.
4. Continue until everyone has asked the worldbuilder 1 question.

Worldbuilding is a great tool that can help you develop ideas on the fly. For example, suppose that the players unexpectedly decide to charter a ship a sail across the sea. The GM might worldbuild the ship and crew.

> *GM: Let’s worldbuild the ship! You charter the Mako, a lightweight cargo ship.*
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> *Wesley: What are they transporting?*
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> *GM: Iron ore and silk.*
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> *Cory: What battle damage does the ship show?*
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> *GM: Oh, interesting question. You can answer that.*
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> *Cory: There are long gouge marks along the port side from a kraken attack. Also, they have a new mast because the kraken ripped out the old one.*
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> *Parker: How’d the crew survive the kraken attack?*
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> *GM: Hmm, let’s see... The first mate is a highly skilled alchemist named Karrick. He threw barrels of poison into the ocean during the attack, which scared off the kraken.*
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You’re encouraged to use worldbuilding frequently. Worldbuilding will make players feel more invested in the game world, and it can inspire the GM. Keep in mind that worldbuilding can last more than one round. If you like, everyone can ask two or three questions to create very robust lore.

If you are playing a sandbox game, let players worldbuild frequently with their Neutral Tales. If you are playing a more module-based game, then the GM might want to restrict worldbuilding.

Also, keep in mind that worldbuilding can be Good or Bad instead of Neutral. For example, suppose that the players are looking for people to help them break one of their friends out of jail. If a player rolls 8+ to find aid, the player might ask the GM for permission to worldbuild a helpful organization, such as a Thieves’ Guild.

## Session Zero: Creating a Game World

Before you start your first session of Tavern Tales, consider collectively building the game world. This process is simple: everyone takes turns worldbuilding until the world is fleshed out. Here’s an excerpt of how your session zero might go:

> *GM: OK, we’ve established that the world is mostly covered in ocean with a few island nations. Who would like to worldbuild next?*
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> *Nicole: I’ll go. Since there’s such little land, druids have built islands out of floating plants. They intertwine roots and vines so that the plants stay together.*
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> *GM: Are these common? What are they called?*
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> *Nicole: They’re called Sea Groves, and yeah they’re fairly common. You frequently see a few Sea Groves anchored near any island.*
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> *Sean: How big are they?*
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> *Nicole: I’d say on average they’re about the size of a football field.*
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> *Jason: What magic do they use to make the islands?*
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> *Nicole: You can answer that.*
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> *Jason: Islands have what’s called a Heart Tree at their center, which is bonded to the island’s druid. If the Heart Tree dies, the druid and the island dies with it.*
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During session zero, it’s also a good idea to have a group discussion about the game’s tone and everyone’s expectations. Everyone should have a chance to express their preferences. This is a good opportunity to decide what things are off limits for your game. For example, does your group think it’s appropriate to explore adult themes like torture? Will your game be light-hearted and heroic? Dark and gritty? Realistic? Collectively agreeing on a tone for your game can ensure that everybody starts each session with the same expectations.

## Interludes

In RPGs, the action always follows the players. This may leave you wondering about things that happen away from the PCs’ gaze. If you like, your group can explore these events through interludes. An interlude is a one-shot adventure within your game that uses different PCs. Basically, everyone stops playing their characters for one session and instead plays a different character. Interludes have several advantages:

* They let players take a break from their characters to play someone new and different.
* The GM can take a break from GMing for a session while someone else GMs.
* Interludes help you build a rich, exciting world.
* Announcing an unexpected interlude can keep the game fresh and exciting.
* Players are more likely to bond with NPCs if they get a chance to play as them.
* They allow players to view the world from a different perspective. Playing as misunderstood villains or terrified villagers can be a very eye-opening experience.

If you’re planning on running an interlude, it’s a good idea to make characters before the session starts. Character creation can be very time-consuming, so cutting out this step will allow you to jump straight into the action. Also, it’s important to work with your GM. If you’re a player and you’re planning on running an interlude, make sure that you get permission from your GM ahead of time. The general rule is that the person who introduces the interlude should be the GM. Here are a few example interludes:

* Play as NPCs from a previous adventure to find out what happened after the adventurers left.
* Play as villains or monsters who are working together on an evil plot. This interlude can set the stage for the adventurers to show up next session. Can the players defeat the evil that they created?
* One of the characters tells a story from their past. Everyone plays as an important person from the story.
* Play as minions embarking on an important mission.
* Play as an area’s previous inhabitants to discover what happened before the PCs arrived.

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