Writing Fantasy Religions

“I pray to the four winds… and you?”

– Conan the Barbarian, 1982

Writing stories involving fantasy religions is fun and for some folks tricky. Religion is a large part of the human experience, and you lose some great story potential if you choose to omit religion from your world.

This post is not about the deities themselves. Great stories are about conflict and the darker side of human nature, so with that in mind, let’s proceed with some basic design choices, then get into the juicy bits with followers, dogmas, sin, heresy, redemption, and crusades. Continue reading “Writing Fantasy Religions”

Writing Fantasy Timelines

Anyone who has studied the timeline in the appendices of the Lord of the Ring knows what life is all about: writing fantasy timelines. Right?

You can easily get lost in your creation when you write a fantasy timeline. I know I have, so you should make some basic design choices and nail down some fantasy staples, before your focus on the core of your story: the needs of your characters.

The following is a generalization of (mostly) European history and fantasy tropes and may serve as a blueprint for a fictional history.

Continue reading “Writing Fantasy Timelines”

Create Fantasy Roleplaying Game Adventures

How do you create a fantasy roleplaying game adventure? It can be daunting, and you need to prepare smart to get the best results. This post shows one way to organize your ideas for excellent results with minimal effort. I wrote this with beginners in mind, but everyone is welcome to join in.

I’m going to assume the adventure is a one-shot or part of a series of self-contained adventures. Keeping things simple is a great way to start for beginners, or if your group includes busy people with low attendance, and you want everyone to feel welcome.

Continue reading “Create Fantasy Roleplaying Game Adventures”

Create Roleplaying Game Characters

Creating a new character for a roleplaying game is one of the highlights of the game. You both get to create a new alter ego – good or bad – for yourself, and enjoy figuring out the character’s relation to the other characters.

This post is not about creating the characters themselves – your system of choice will explain that – this post is about making the characters fit in the story. There are many things to consider, for players and game masters alike, so let’s get started. Continue reading “Create Roleplaying Game Characters”

Create Fantasy Names and Languages

How do you create names and languages for your fantasy people and places? Do you make a unique creation, base it loosely on earth, or try to find some middle ground between the two? How do you mold random names and phrases into some consistent?

There are two ways of doing this: Hire a linguist and get it right, or you can fake it. This post is about faking it. Continue reading “Create Fantasy Names and Languages”