I hope this is helpful. Here is a good sample prompt for Midjourney: imagine/Top down aerial view of fantasy medieval village map for role playing game, --v 5.1 --s 1000 --weird 2000 --ar 16:9

@azifukare

5 ай бұрын

Awesome!~ TY for the prompts. Love that "weird" command, especially when used with "chaos".

@DarkWallay

5 ай бұрын

What is the purpose of, "--v 5.1 --s 1000?"

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

@@DarkWallay v = version (I think v 6 is also available) and s = style. Style can be a range of numbers and you can play with that setting.

@andrewlustfield6079

4 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs It's interesting you mention the wild west, because one of my towns is definitely modeled on HBO's Deadwood. I do disagree with you on the concept of tavern's, inns and alehouses being something of a 19th century creation. Taverns and inns are ancient--Modern History has a good video on medieval inns, taverns and alehouses. When I was in Austria, there were places to eat and sleep that were older than our country. Some were monasteries. A lot of places would turn you out if you appeared to be sick--but the knights hospitalrs were forbidden to turn anyone away, so there were places to go even if you got sick on the road---and it's why we now have places called hospitals.

@welovettrpgs

4 ай бұрын

@@andrewlustfield6079 Hi. I think it was misunderstood. Yes, Taverns and Inns existed however a small village (Like the Village of Homlett) would not have had one. For a community to have one it would have required a certain level of economic activity that from my reading of history was not present in small hamlet's and villages. If you watch "The World's End" it has a traditional Scottish bar from Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile that dates to the 16th century. But that wasnt built around a tiny village.

The wild west town is the perfect analogy for what players expect in fantasy medieval town.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks.

@dane3038

5 ай бұрын

Yep, it's like one of those things that you always knew but didn't realize you knew until someone said it. Aten said it. And gave us light. lol.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

@@dane3038 haha thanks buddy!

@sequoyahwright

5 ай бұрын

IMO the single greatest kernel of insight in this video, among many.

"They just can't murder their way across the city." Arlen-hold my beer.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

exactly

You are half right. Pending which part of the medieval era we are talking about, taverns were in fact a gathering place for local people. (That was one reason the church hated them. It was a place outside of church where people gathered). However, travelers would often stay at homes of locals who shared their profession. For Example, a blacksmith would look for another blacksmith to take them in for the night. Giving both a chance to talk shop.. as it were. Hospitals actually get their name from Hospitality homes. Places where those who were sick or outcast would be welcomed to stay for the night. Sorry, I'm a nerd when it comes to the European history. :D

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! Good info! (no need to apologize) I should have been more clean about community size. Of course in larger settlements there would have been INNs and taverns etc .. I was still thinking about the small village (or Hamlet like Village of Hommlet that was far too small for an Inn.) In fact I was thinking about the counter argument based on that Inn specifically from "World's End" which I had only know the history of because I had to do research on "Mother Damnable" for my professional work. (So that is an example of a 16th century Inn if my memory is correct?)

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

I had to look it up "The World's End is an iconic pub in Edinburgh. Located on the Royal Mile, it stands just inside the historical boundary of the 16th century walls, next to the city gates. Hence it was last building people would see before leaving the city, and therefore its name." Here where I live we had a figure from our history that was called "Mother Damnable" and I as trying to figure out the origins of her title and traced it back to "Mother Damnable of Kentish Town" which somehow led me back to that Simon Pegg movie .. It's been a while now so I've forgotten the details.

That's some fancy facial hair, definitely a secret vampire

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

ssshh! they can't know! :)

When you compared villages to a wild west town it immediately hit me. Ive heard dnd compared the wild west before and love the analogy, so I cant believe it didn't dawn on me sooner.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Did you ever read old Dragon Magazines? I think that's where I first read the Wild West comparison but over the years I narrowed it down to seeing D&D communities specifically in that light. Also, I think it just makes it easier for Game Masters to translate their own creations using it as a starting point. Thank you for your support!

@paavohirn3728

5 ай бұрын

Yeah! That's a fascinating point! And practical. I really leaned into the wild west mythology, tone etc in my last 5e game running the Dragon of Icespire Peak. The whole mini campaign is written like that to begin with. Generally I like a little more medieval/renaissance in my fantasy settlements but it's relatively easy to dress things up.

@benjaminholcomb9478

5 ай бұрын

@@paavohirn3728 the funniest part is that that's usually how I treat villages anyway. I've just never consciously put 2 and 2 together.

@paavohirn3728

5 ай бұрын

@@benjaminholcomb9478 Yeah! Pretty cool!

Another great video with some very useful ideas. You can do a lot with villages you could start small with a Hamlet of a few buildings and have very limited supplies - that in its self can start an adventure.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Yes, or even just a trading post on the frontier. Imagine a few other houses in the nearby woods, maybe spread out by a few acres or more. But if a threat comes near they band together.

@Mark-nh2hs

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs great idea 😊👍. There is so much you could do and make a refreshing change to dungeons and Caves. Throw a bit of political intrigue , or waring trade posts or Hamlets. Corrupt village head who's creating or lying about what's happening to the population. You could create an entire novels worth of stories and adventures 😂

I currently run a viking style campaign. The original player characters all come from the same village and each one has had a "kid adventure" with each other character (nothing fancy, maybe even just a "I brought you home one day when you were so drunk that you couldn't walk anymore"). They share memories ("Cookies and hot milk" in the house of one character's granddad, who told them stories - world-building). And they know who is who and where is what in that village. At a slightly higher level they were asked for help by a lady who some had a crush on 10 years ago but who married into a bigger community a little further away which is now threatened by giants. So they got there, already had a person whom they trusted and liked, she was happy to hear from her old village and introduced them to various important NPCs. So now at level 10 they are about to move into the real wilderness to deal with the giants - but they have now 2 settlements that they can call home. Of course they have visited other villages as well and I have made sure that some of the NPCs of tose villages have become friends so the village carries meaning to my group. It is so much fun seeing them "live in that world and those communities".

@welovettrpgs

2 ай бұрын

That sounds really cool! Bravo!

Here is to supporting your efforts on this most excellent video. ❤

I like seeing world building and GM advice on KZread, especially if it’s functional and gamable like this.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Awesome! Happy to help!

I've often gone with Wild west towns (In aesthetics and layout) because a lot of the areas explored in my games end up being "New" territory, already established empires pushing into frontiers, either because what was there is now ruins, or because it's truly untouched. Older villages have a very natural "Growth" that is quite unlike a "Prescribed" wild west style town that is planned and built with intention, utility. I enjoy both, but I'm also a nerd that's looked into such things, so I always do the checklist of "What do they eat? What do they drink? Why are they here? Why do people come here?" which makes the world feel much more alive, and simply What do they eat/drink goes a long way to make sense of a town, you won't build a town in the middle of a harsh desert away from water, especially if it's not a waypoint between two major cities. Similarly, stuff like walls only make sense if there's something to warrant the walls, invaders, monsters, harsh wildlife, you have to ask "What's the threat?" and then respond accordingly. It's really easy to paint the past with a modern lens, and frankly, that's fine, it's fantasy, but it can end up standardizing the world to be less "Fantastic" or interesting, either leading to every place being just a copy paste, or turn it into a theme park where they have a "Gimmick" that is mostly just a gimmick or an attraction, rather than have a sense of naturally occurring or a community desire to exist and persist. A sense of history, a sense of reason to be, a sense of culture, all go a long way to make the area a part of the story, and even if it is just a small not important village, it can still impart an idea of why your characters are on the journey, a quiet halfling town with nothing going on except a good time and humble living can motivate the characters to stop the bad guy to preserve the idyllic lifestyle that seems to live unaware to danger, or you can see a squabble here and there, problems arising from the plot in ways that don't seem immediately obvious, like the bad guys did something that caused the town's supply of lead to be cut off or jump drastically in price, or the stress of the looming danger has people on edge, or perhaps, the heroic spirit makes them a bit more willing to help. The town tells a story, it's more than just a utility. Great videos, came here from your latest, amazed you don't have more subscribers.

@welovettrpgs

3 ай бұрын

Great comment! Much Appreciated! And .. "amazed you don't have more subscribers." - My videos don't appeal to the D&D Drama / Clout chasing / 6 minute attention span crowd so KZread doesnt share my videos. Usually kills them in the first 24 hours. Glad you found me. Thanks!

This is great, first vid I stumbled on of yours. Looking forward to going through the rest of what you've made, thanks for putting yourself out there!!

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you!

Love your content, thanks for the uploads. The game that I'm currently running started one year ago, the players are currently 7th level and have spent 95% of that time in the same city. They have just set out on a ship for a new destination. Cities are a great place for long term campaigns.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoy it! Agreed!

I enjoy all of We Love TTRPGs videos

@welovettrpgs

2 ай бұрын

Thanks! I enjoy you being here!

Excellent video! It says something when your content actually helps someone with over 4 decades of experience. I had never seen the book "Spectacular Settlements" - thank you for the info! I'll definitely check it out! I'll also check out your video on the book. There's a type of village that I believe you left out of this video - one that can practically write some of the adventures for you. Sometimes, a village springs up around a family. A noble family. For instance, let's imagine that there is a man - Baron Endrick Vaskitch. He is a lesser noble in a Kingdom - true - but he owns some land that has some significance... maybe he's on the border of a neighbouring Kingdom or perhaps his lineage has long owned the land that sits against a vast mountain range. Whatever the case, he has constructed a splendid home for himself, and, being a noble, this home is not a center of industry, nor is it in harm's way like a fort... perhaps it's just got a nice view. Well, even though there aren't resources there, and it's not a strategic fort, and it's not necessarily along a trade route, the Baron lives there, so, a village or even town springs up around his family's keep or estate. Here, it's more about being close to the nobility - and so your NPCs sorta create themselves. The local blacksmith, there, is "Baron Vaskitch's personal blacksmith" and prides himself on his superior products - from halberds to hammers to horseshoes. The baker is "Baron Vaskitch's personal baker" who makes treats the noble family loves most... so, a group of elitist NPCs. The estate of the Baron doesn't need to be on a trade route - in fact, perhaps he prefers it not be - he likes the more peaceful quiet, out here... but - it does need to have proper defenses and it (ideally) has access to a river, perhaps even beginning underground beneath the estate, for quick and easy escape should that become necessary. Similar settlements can be found amongst your mentioned agricultural areas - where it can be common for the actual village to spring up around the small keep of the local landed lord that owns all that farmland that the farmers are working... I believe the true art, though, in creating settlements comes from creating the NPCs that inhabit them - as it's the people that the players will remember. I'll have to check out your other video you mentioned on that topic - and I'm certain that when I start creating content, I'll be referring people to see your videos. They're quite informative.

@welovettrpgs

Ай бұрын

Awesome! Thanks!

First time seeing your channel, and this was terrific. Instant new subscriber. What I always like to think about is what a smaller village WOULDN'T have. The level of food surplus and economic activity needed to support a professional class (dedicated blacksmiths, carpenters, and the much overlooked farriers & tanners) is considerable. Unless you're in an actual city, or a castle town for a feudal lord, almost everyone is going to be a farmer, fisherman, hunter, or herder of some sort, who will take care of a lot of those activities themselves. Wild West towns could have stores, shops, and taverns/inns because they were cash-based, food-rich societies. If your fantasy town isn't both of those, then you shouldn't find those things. What you would find are people with a variety of (non-expert) skills who are willing to help travelers who themselves are willing to help. Just like playing Skyrim (or any other similar RPG), every new village should be a place to pick up side quests. For everything the party wants, just populate someone who can do that for them... if the party can _________. Need some augmentation for your armor? Well, Jacob down the road is the most skilled blacksmith in these parts, so you could talk to him. What's that? Jacob says he can do it, if the party can retrieve his grandfather's special hammer that was stolen by the local orc tribe in a raid many years ago? Perfect.... DMs always seem more comfortable doing that sort of adventure bartering when it comes to magic shops or temples, but in a pre-industrial world of magic & monsters, peasants should have MUCH more use for folks willing to do dangerous things than they would for silly coin. Adventurers are people who can solve problems that regular folk can't. So give them problems to solve that money can't.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Ecellent feedback! Thank you and I'm grateful you enjoyed the video. We will continue to explore these issues in the future. This and my NPC video are really intended as entry level information to help newer DMs but Id like to get deeper into the topics when I don't have to rely so much on the youtube algorithm.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Also, how much would the local ruler control blacksmiths creating weapons and armor? Would such labor only be available to those loyal to and serving the ruler? Would there be blackmarket blacksmiths? And what if a necromancer used undead to plow the fields? etc ...

Your videos are DND nuggets of gold for me, and I'm already a out of the box thinker. Lol. thank you.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

You are so welcome

Damnit Aten! How dare you give such good advice all the while looking so dapper! No, but really that is solid advice, a great video, and more books I need to read. A trick I have found that works is to find floor plans for malls or shopping centers. Then fill in the blanks and bam, you now have a city street. Link a few together and you have a neighborhood.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! Glad you liked it! Also I love nabbing real world maps - be it modern or archaic - to use either directly or for inspiration. Modern maps are priceless for Gamma World / Fallout / Mutant Crawl Classics futuristic genre games.

@therealGibralter

5 ай бұрын

I used to steal real world maps all the time when I ran Rifts.@@welovettrpgs

@sequoyahwright

5 ай бұрын

It is good to see YT creators commit to professional appearance in their role as media personalities. Personally, I find the waxed mustache, well-groomed beard and cravat marvelous combination, well complimented by the jacket and waistcoat (I want to say... Edwardian Modern?). On a practical note, the ensemble also allows our good host to maintain a measure of privacy IRL, unless Aten goes about running errands and the like in full regalia. :)

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

@@sequoyahwright Thanks! I'm a little scruffy looking in that video but my favorite hairdresser was in today and ill be all proper for next week's video!

Walls. Some villages will have one big one around the entire village and some will have just certain buildings behind walls, creating little defensive islands within the village that they can trap invaders between. Even just a couple buildings hidden behind a 10’ wall made of timber and packed earth will have an ominous, threatening feel to it. A marketplace or caravan ground will give you a place where the PCs can camp within the village if there isn’t an inn or other lodging. The guards there are to protect the village from the PCs as much as to protect the PCs. Depending on how new the village is, the whole village or part of it may be people living in tents instead of permanent buildings.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Great tips! thank you!

Thanks for the vid. Building a village based on evolving phandalin currently

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Good luck!

Absolutely SOLID tips and advice, sir. Advice hard earned over decades, no doubt. In the Old Days, I thought RPG settlements needed to be fully mapped, every structure detailed, and every NPC named. This was due, in my case, to the excellent supplement/campaign setting City State of the Invincible Overlord (Judge's Guild, 1976), which set a lofty example of obsessive setting preparation. Some time later, I committed to using the also excellent Lankhmar: City of Adventure (TSR, 1985), trading in some measure of obsession to detail for handy and reusable random tables and ap geomorphs. I continued to evolve my technique over the years since, and these days, I take a minimalist approach, like yourself and other popular YT DM Advisors, all of whom likewise developed their skills over decades of making mistakes and seeking better ways of doing things. Truly we live in an age of wonder, with such easy access to the knowledge of skilled experts and experienced artists and crafts-folk. Thank you for your worthy contributions, Aten.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Oh you're too kind! For my current campaign I use "City of Cats" by Kobold Press and just changed around some names (For example instead per-bastet I call it Bubastia. Both are real Egyptian city names for Bastet but I liked Bubastia better - a city of cats with "purr" in it just sounded too silly imo) Its a great setting for any Egyptian themed campaign. Next up I'll be using Necroplis for 5E by Gary Gygax.

@sequoyahwright

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs WAIT... Necropolis as in Dangerous Journeys-Mythus Necropolis?! The best pseudo-Egyptian TTRPG supplement I am aware of, though my awareness is far from comprehensive. I salute you! Bubastia is indeed a better name, I agree. I am not above humor in my games, but I endeavor to shy from bald-faced silliness unless it is baked into the tone of the game/setting in use. Well done. Kobold Press is a respectable Third Party creator/publisher. One could do much worse. Well done again!

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

@@sequoyahwright yes there's a 5e version. Ill be doing a video about it after we complete (in a year lol) There's a really facinating history about it. Tomb of horrors was inspired by the dungeon ideas of a friend of Gary Gygax. I read that Necropolis was Gary's second and more successful attempt at reproducing his friend's original ideas. (Ill also be doing a tomb of horrors video in the future)

@sequoyahwright

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs Outstanding! I have a great deal of respect for the work Gygax did with the Mythus line of products. Looking forward to seeing what comes of your adaptation!

Great video again! Nice job as always!

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks again! I apprectiate you!

@djeternaldarkness3769

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs And we appreciate you ya goof. Even if we aren't always in contact

When I started designing a starting settlement I was remembering the Cadfael tv series with it being set near a monastery being important.

This was excellent. Crisp and to the point. Looking forward to trying this out AND watching more of your videos

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for your kind words of inspiration!

Love the video man, thanks

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you very much! I appreciate your support!

Absolutely awesome video and so helpfull will be preparing to get back into running my own games and this will be very helpful.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank You so much my friend!

I'm obsessed with village creation and you did great! My adds without thinking too hard or reaching for my notes are: 1. smells. A lot of these establishments will have a particular smell. In some cases they will be smelt before seen. 2: Leader(s). The players will likely need to interact at some point. Cemetery or funeral pyre. I mapped out a few graveyards before I realized that in my world with all the ways undead can and are created, that most cultures would opt for cremation. But a funeral pyre just over the hill or across the river gives it's own flavor. 3. Light. My world has a lot of light adverse monsters, so lighting the village at night is an effective defensive measure. *Lamp oil becomes a critical resource and cost much more.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Absolutely. In my world because of the wars all one use healing items like potions and scrolls are in short supply and controlled by the governments to support their own soldiers. At a time when the Undying One has possessed the body of one of the world's most powerful rulers there are undead armies devastating civilized lands and my players were recently horrified when the Queen of the safe haven they've been adventuring in decided to start using mindless undead to guard the city walls and serve as support for mortal guard units. They've been reanimating slain criminals and other enemies of the state. What could ever go wrong with that? :)

@dane3038

5 ай бұрын

Love it. And if you're not affraid of politics ( I am ) then what happens when they need more undead. "You're Town Crier is full of it, there's no connection between the increased sentencing and the growth of the undead army". "Jay walkers deserve death". It's about time someone did something about it". @@welovettrpgs

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

@@dane3038 I love that idea! Very much inspired by real world propagandists. I watched a stormtrooper skit on KZread last night that was parody of 9-11 conspiracies with one of the Stormtroopers claiming the death star couldnt have been destroyed by a single x wing .. there had to be a planned demolition. It was hilarious!

Great subject! Your right. Most towns it's just passing through, but in a campaign it's great to develop. We, or rather, our D.M. does. It's the details that really flesh out the story. We know the name of the local Blacksmith shop and Apothecary ect. Reading others comments, it is true that certain public places will be centered in the core of the village or town, burgomiester office, or church , or chopping block. We did open up our campaign years ago when we encoperated Asian Adventures , the idea of not just doing the " wild West" , or typical medieval town. ( It's been a few decades and I'm not sure if Oriental Adventures has aged well or not). It's definitely worth developing a setting like this if the P.C.s are going to be spending any meaningful time in that environment. Awesome video Aten 👍 ( I'm going to overlook the fact that A.I. generated " art" has dessimated my field of Illustration). I'm looking forward to your next video! Peace my friend! 🤘😁🖖🇨🇦🍻

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Notice I call them "Image Generators" not "art generators"

Excellent video full of extremely useful information

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you!

+1 for great video on important details for running a good game.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! Much appreciated!

Some NPCs and establishments will be found on the outskirts or outside of a settlement. Woodcutters and brick makers. A gambling den or house of prostitution. Traveling merchants and performers often set up just outside of town. And not to be gruesome, but the gallows or chopping block may be the first thing you encounter. Sending a clear message to any potential law breakers.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Agreed, I use those too. I like cages hanging on the road into town. :) Also, for castles there's typically going to be less permanent buildings all around the outer walls. Then when they hear of an invasion everyone tries to come inside.

Also check out Frank Gruber’s seven western plots .. instead of railroad use caravan route (?)

Love that 1930s mental hospital idea! :-D

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Most of them did as well but it wasn't without its issues. They were only 4th level exploring a dungeon and had been surprise attacked by an illithid. While it mind blasted them they all fell into this mass delusion of being mental patients who thought they were fantasy heroes. (It's a little more complicated than that but that's the basics). The whole thing was inspired by a classic AD&D sketch (from one of the core books) of a mind flayer mind blasting a group as they walked through a dungeon door.

@KabukiKid

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs LOL! Love it! :-D I wish I was in your group for that one. Very clever.

Now that's a useful list 😊

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! 😊

Thanks!

@welovettrpgs

Ай бұрын

Thank you very much! Youre awesome!

@agilemonk6305

Ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgsyou asked for help in a kind and reasonable way to have support for this excellent video. So I did 😊. Plus, there is too much negativity out there and KZread just stinks in the way it abuses content creators. 😢. Thank you, for this video. ❤

I keep forgetting about the jail , stocks and gallows . Any chance you will be going to shirecon In Connecticut or Mepacon in Pennsylvania?

@welovettrpgs

Ай бұрын

Hi! I don't even go to local events, I'm a real hermit except for work but perhaps after a year or two of channel growth I'll rethink that. Thanks! (Also "stocks and gallows" as well as any form of public shaming is a typical practice even in modern times.)

Don't forget your friendly, local Barber/surgeon/dentist. They're likely all the same person.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Yes, and that's an another example of how adhering to the Wild West analogy can help anyone create a great fantasy village. Thanks my friend!

@cadenceclearwater4340

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs You're welcome 😊

I would also mention a good toolbox of random tables and at least a list of NPC names.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

yes good advice.

Often, at least into late medieval early modern, larger estates had their own smithy for common tasks like nails and horseshoes. And I'm sure you know this but I didn't hear it in the video; blacksmiths didn’t make armor or weapons, just hardware, everything was highly specialized down to farriers making only horseshoes and whitesmiths only working cold working soft metals.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks. Yes, thats what I call "advanced class." We've had many discussions about it. In my world no ruler is going to allow any blacksmith talented enough to make weapons and armor just make such things for the peasats to over throw them.

This is because the Wild West, as a series of frontiers over about 80 years, is the most recent and relevant “frontier setting” for people today. It was an archetype of the frontier because it was governed by all the same rules as previous frontiers, but influenced by revolutionary technologies (re: spells), and it was well-documented. You can also study the Wild West (across all its eras) to better understand migrations, diasporas, invasions, and settlement/nation building throughout history. The bronze age, for example.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Yes, all of D&D is made in that mold. But with swords and ogres.

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer is invaluable for getting a flavour of what a real medieval society was like. Recommended if you haven't read it already.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Sounds great! Thank you. I'll check it out!

I never thought of it before but the "Wild West" is the actual analog for the typical fantasy RPG village. Only Harnworld gives a true actual analog for a European Medieval village. And it's nothing that a D$D player would recognize. Check out Harn Manor for more ( assuming he doesn't mention it at the end ).

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Also, D&D itself is a mixture of Middle Ages / Sword & Sorcery Fantasy + The Wild West (including the conquering of "untamed lands from the savages.")

@dane3038

5 ай бұрын

It is. I suspect the broader old West is Howard's influence. Without think too hard about it. But the D$D village is a reskinned Old West town Town 100%. @@welovettrpgs

Nice reading list

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I need mustache twirling tips.

@welovettrpgs

2 ай бұрын

Then stick around and that may come up!

In medieval Europe, villages did not have guards per se. Usually the locals were bonded together into a posse comitatus, not unlike the old west, however if they did not find the accused wrongdoers they were often subject to the punishment instead. This was the start of more than a few campaigns for me. PC's were villagers tasked with catching the bad guys (who may be morally good) in order to save their own skins. This also makes villagers wary of drifters and adventurers as they (the villagers) will be held responsible if the newcomers start trouble. The game is always rigged in favour of the Nobility.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Agreed about guards - it's why I talked about the locals forming a "militia." There are a lot of details like that both important and trivial that would itself take up an entire video. I highly recommend those "Life in ..." books for everyone wanting to be more true to history. Thanks for commenting!

@HistoricOutdoors

5 ай бұрын

In the most recent campaign I've run, the PC's were banished to the desert to die when they ran afoul of some of those European rules and crime family regulations. Eventually wandering into a North African type caravan village, they were able to barter skills to clear monsters from some valuable mountain goat pastures that had been over run, in exchange for some gear and survival equipment. It took the villagers days to make their requested items, and they eventually traded monster loot for a camel, and a tent on top of their bespoke goods. The camel obviously became a favorite NPC and needed fleshing out further over then next many months of game play.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

@@HistoricOutdoors that's wonderful!

Who's ready to fight some Timberwolves

I ❤ all your videos

@welovettrpgs

4 ай бұрын

Thank YOU!

The problem with most fantasy village maps is that they're not logical to a D$D world we're they are in constant threat of attack. No walls.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

right! Imagine how xenophobic everyone would be if undead were real. Illusionists were real, etc..

@almitrahopkins1873

5 ай бұрын

Depending on the age of the settlement, it might just be one or two buildings in the town protected by an outer curtain wall. Those walls would likely be within arrow-shot of each other as well.

Your mustache... my hunger... hand it over.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

"I got that moustache feeling." - The Tick (best episode ever)

@DarkWallay

5 ай бұрын

I love The Tick@@welovettrpgs

gygax compared the towns near a dungeon as gold rush towns

@welovettrpgs

3 ай бұрын

I largely based my own evolution on those early dragon magazines and the idea that the Wild West = D&D is certainly not a new one!

This was definitely interesting and well worth the watch, thanks for all your hard work and dedication Aten. =^_^=

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Ecology is the supreme answer to everything. Once you can see the village in your head, you can guide the game through the rest with ease. Lots of cows equals milk, beef, leather and big muscly dudes doing dude stuff. Lots of cotton might be meek folk doing a lot of stitching. I think there is value to having towns grow around colleges and universities in a world where genuine peer comes from knowledge and magic. The post apocalypse mentality is also very good. You just don’t get enough distrust from locals in D&D now because everything is so positive and accepting and this just isn’t the way things worked in the past. Trust must be earnt but it’s a much bigger deal to win over the townsfolk as a result.

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

good advice thanks

@Xplora213

5 ай бұрын

@@welovettrpgs hopefully someone reads it, you certainly don’t need it LOL great job, I have found dungeon master piece to be awesome and your style would be helpful on those subjects.

15:35

your Hommlet being labeled in german surely wasnt something I expected. xD do you live in germany or was that just a decision to deceive your players?

@welovettrpgs

5 ай бұрын

I placed it in a Germanic region (Das Reich) in my world ... to deceive my players.