It might be a little scary and overwhelming to start writing down what your kingdom is all about. After all, it's not just one character you're focussing on here. It's an entire land of people, and they all fall under your responsibility!
But fear not. Though you don't need to follow these steps in order to create a good kingdom, it might help you gain some perspective on how your creation will function. So here goes!
Step 1: the general concept
This step you most likely already figured out, but for those of you who are completely lost on what to create, this is for you. The general concept is, well, the general concept of your kingdom. Think of what kind of society you wish to create. Perhaps your land is an economical pearl with a magnificent port that trades all over the Expanse. Or perhaps your kingdom is but a small city state where the most lowly of criminals gather and form their own society. Let your imagination run wild on this one, and you'll come up with some great ideas!
Step 2: the location
The Expanse is large, and there's certainly a spot for you to settle into. But take heed that nature in the Expanse is very different depending in which direction to decide to settle. Taking this into account can drastically change the way your creation handles produce or acts in general.
To the North you will find a lot of arid and desert-like areas. Though the Expanse has a wide array of mountainous areas, the northern regions have the most grouped together. Temperatures are generally very hot during the day and unforgivingly cold during the night, but a lot of lost treasures and ores can be found within here.
To the East you will find the most fertile lands. From grasslands to pleasant woods, here you will find the most countries and big cities. From here the sea is the most hospitable as well, making it so many ports bringing foreign goods anchor here as well. The further east you go, the more island you will encounter as well, and the more tropical it gets. Don't sail too far east, though, or you might get yourself caught in the Shrouded Sea.
To the South you will find that nature runs rampant. With mountains here and there, the south is one big massive mess of thick woods and jungles as well as wetlands and marshes. Not everything in the South is mapped, and is thus very mysterious indeed. Only few kingdoms ever get started here due to run-ins with strange wildlife. Only the truly hardy folks manage to settle well here.
To the West lie the frozen wastes. The further West you go, the colder it gets. Even the Shrouded Sea is consistantly frozen throughout the year. What causes this wintery wonderland to exist is a mystery, but what is known is that the west is a rough place to live, and only the toughest survive there.
Step 3: Details
With the former two steps decided, it is time to fill in the details of your kingdom. Is there a specific hierarchy? What is the history of your country? What are its citizens like? What kind of troops does your creation house, what is your infrastructure like and who are the notable characters? This is the fun part!
Step 4: Diplomatic relations
Now with your kingdom nearly finished, you should decide how they react to the others. Every creation is different than the other, and thus a clash of cultures can make it so that they will not get along well with some kingdoms while they are fantastically close to the other. Take your time deciding this and if needed, ask your fellow players for more information. We're all nice people here willing to help out!
And there, that ought to cover it. if I have forgotten a topic or you have some tips yourself, feel free to share them here! I will also include a link Miss gave us a while back. It shows a game that allows you to build a kingdom and it comes with some very useful steps as how to build it. Though we don't use the system described in the book, it's still an interesting read!
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/kingdom-building
But fear not. Though you don't need to follow these steps in order to create a good kingdom, it might help you gain some perspective on how your creation will function. So here goes!
Step 1: the general concept
This step you most likely already figured out, but for those of you who are completely lost on what to create, this is for you. The general concept is, well, the general concept of your kingdom. Think of what kind of society you wish to create. Perhaps your land is an economical pearl with a magnificent port that trades all over the Expanse. Or perhaps your kingdom is but a small city state where the most lowly of criminals gather and form their own society. Let your imagination run wild on this one, and you'll come up with some great ideas!
Step 2: the location
The Expanse is large, and there's certainly a spot for you to settle into. But take heed that nature in the Expanse is very different depending in which direction to decide to settle. Taking this into account can drastically change the way your creation handles produce or acts in general.
To the North you will find a lot of arid and desert-like areas. Though the Expanse has a wide array of mountainous areas, the northern regions have the most grouped together. Temperatures are generally very hot during the day and unforgivingly cold during the night, but a lot of lost treasures and ores can be found within here.
To the East you will find the most fertile lands. From grasslands to pleasant woods, here you will find the most countries and big cities. From here the sea is the most hospitable as well, making it so many ports bringing foreign goods anchor here as well. The further east you go, the more island you will encounter as well, and the more tropical it gets. Don't sail too far east, though, or you might get yourself caught in the Shrouded Sea.
To the South you will find that nature runs rampant. With mountains here and there, the south is one big massive mess of thick woods and jungles as well as wetlands and marshes. Not everything in the South is mapped, and is thus very mysterious indeed. Only few kingdoms ever get started here due to run-ins with strange wildlife. Only the truly hardy folks manage to settle well here.
To the West lie the frozen wastes. The further West you go, the colder it gets. Even the Shrouded Sea is consistantly frozen throughout the year. What causes this wintery wonderland to exist is a mystery, but what is known is that the west is a rough place to live, and only the toughest survive there.
Step 3: Details
With the former two steps decided, it is time to fill in the details of your kingdom. Is there a specific hierarchy? What is the history of your country? What are its citizens like? What kind of troops does your creation house, what is your infrastructure like and who are the notable characters? This is the fun part!
Step 4: Diplomatic relations
Now with your kingdom nearly finished, you should decide how they react to the others. Every creation is different than the other, and thus a clash of cultures can make it so that they will not get along well with some kingdoms while they are fantastically close to the other. Take your time deciding this and if needed, ask your fellow players for more information. We're all nice people here willing to help out!
And there, that ought to cover it. if I have forgotten a topic or you have some tips yourself, feel free to share them here! I will also include a link Miss gave us a while back. It shows a game that allows you to build a kingdom and it comes with some very useful steps as how to build it. Though we don't use the system described in the book, it's still an interesting read!
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/kingdom-building
I'm stuck on two vastly different kingdoms to make. A floating island in the shrouded sea or a lost civilization in the jungles if the south. The first being pre-victorian era and the second being sort of aztec. What are your thoughts?
The Victorian setting sounds kind of interesting, if it doesn't mesh badly with the High Fantasy setting and there's a good way to traverse the mists of the Shrouded Sea! Have the GMs figured that out yet? :U
I'm working on a band of pirates myself--not a kingdom, mind you, but something that can still add conflict to the setting!
I'm working on a band of pirates myself--not a kingdom, mind you, but something that can still add conflict to the setting!
I'm currently working on a semi-hidden kingdom in the coastal wetlands to the south. Generally kind but have a stance of Armed neutrality and are Very protective of their borders. (kind of like Switzerland)
I found some very interesting information upon Switzerland's Government style. It could be used to fill your kingdom with governmental detail! Other than that, it looks to be a very good start. If you would like to brainstorm ideas with the other players, I believe we do have a forum section for that.
http://swiss-government-politics.all-about-switzerland.info/
http://swiss-government-politics.all-about-switzerland.info/
virusghost18 wrote:
I'd want Rynh's blessings first. 
Bless you, my son.
You are allowed to have more than one kingdom if you think you can manage it! Do take heed that it might become a bit much to focus on two kingdoms at once, but if you can handle it, go ahead! I especially like the Aztec themed society you conjured up!
I do take a bit of issue with the pre-Victorian theme. I allow a little bit of steampunk, such as clockwork tools and small airships, but I don't think I can allow anything much further than that. Not to mention if every citizens wears a top hat and a fancy suit, it would indeed conflict with the aestethic feel of the Expanse. So if you take note of these two things, you can go right ahead with it!
Also, yes, if you wish to brainstorm over your kingdom's general idea, you can create your own board regarding just that in the "Kingdom creation - the very first stages" forums. If we were to all discuss it in this one thread it might otherwise get hectic.
Now that you mention it I may just need to take Seraphine down. I don't feel confident about managing two kingdoms. Go ahead and remove Seraphine, I'll start with the Aztecs and then move on to remake Seraphine better than before once my confidence is higher.
I was looking into doing a kingdom that would seem small were it not for the fact that a majority of it is actually carved out of a cave system beneath The Expanse, it's just I haven't got the slightest idea where you would put a sprawling underground cave system...
I believe an underground society would be best placed in a mountain's side. As I have experienced Dwarf Fortress, it is a very simple entrance, but it could lead to a vast under-empire. I believe there are at least hills in The Expanse, which are very discreet entrances, and there could be a mountain.
Since it is an underground empire, you could play it as an expansionist empire very easily. And, if it nears certain kingdoms, it could easily trigger very interesting scenes..
Since it is an underground empire, you could play it as an expansionist empire very easily. And, if it nears certain kingdoms, it could easily trigger very interesting scenes..
It certainly sounds like it would lead to some interesting scenes! I initially played around with my own kingdom being expansionist but instead decided to me all...Switzerland-y. Also I put my kingdom in the information section if you guys want to take a peek.
The underground kingdom sounds awesome though!
The underground kingdom sounds awesome though!
Awesome ideas all around. I will soon open up the boards for both Osia and Ahuachtli so you can start having some fun with your kingdoms!
Also, an underground kingdom does sound interesting. As Miss mentioned, Dwarves tend to live in mountains and those are always a solid race to have. Alternatively, you could also create some sort of Underdark, meaning you'd have a big society underground that features its own ecosystem as well as some pretty twisted races that rarely come out of the daylight. Just something to think about!
Also, an underground kingdom does sound interesting. As Miss mentioned, Dwarves tend to live in mountains and those are always a solid race to have. Alternatively, you could also create some sort of Underdark, meaning you'd have a big society underground that features its own ecosystem as well as some pretty twisted races that rarely come out of the daylight. Just something to think about!
I think I'll put it in the mountains with various spots where it sort of peaks up and give it a little racial variety after I can do a little research into it. I think I'll work out some creatures to live down there so that if you go too far into the dark alone you're in a lot of trouble. I really enjoy the expansionist idea too!
I'm pretty sure there are mountains, since my kingdom is actually surrounded by the Renala Mountain Range which has been their major protection from invasion for millennia, so you shouldn't have a problem finding a mountainous area for your nation.
I've played about with the idea of there being tunnels and ruins located beneath the Renala Mountains, lost countless centuries ago during the fall of the First Kingdom of the Ancient Terelains with most of not all of the entrances to these underground areas having been lost or collapsed over the ages. I don't think I've included that here though, since these ruins only ever feature if I need somewhere to stick the loyalist Terelains when the Second Kingdom falls.
I've played about with the idea of there being tunnels and ruins located beneath the Renala Mountains, lost countless centuries ago during the fall of the First Kingdom of the Ancient Terelains with most of not all of the entrances to these underground areas having been lost or collapsed over the ages. I don't think I've included that here though, since these ruins only ever feature if I need somewhere to stick the loyalist Terelains when the Second Kingdom falls.
I think I'm going to put it in the north somewhere since there are a lot of mountains there, but the south poses as an interest as it was at one point a colony (My description is so incredibly vague about who and where.
That's cool, do you want me to avoid those or do you want the two to have a connection? I've worked out that the capital is carved into the side of a mountain, but since things are down and out from there with a few spots where it peaks up I might as well see who all I can connect it to. It'd be nice to establish a few spots.
That's cool, do you want me to avoid those or do you want the two to have a connection? I've worked out that the capital is carved into the side of a mountain, but since things are down and out from there with a few spots where it peaks up I might as well see who all I can connect it to. It'd be nice to establish a few spots.
Well your kingdom could connect up to the Renala Mountains, but I wouldn't put your capital there, it's a bit too close to home if you know what I mean. The Terelains might not be all that pleased about a foreign power tunnelling through the one major natural barrier they have to an invasion though. Would be an interesting source of conflict at least.
Which is why it's off on a random mountain somewhere. I was meaning just that some part of the general country could come up. I'll keep it in mind and then if I ever need a conflict I'll bring it up or vise versa.
I was thinking of a Kingdom REALLY far West. Blue skinned people, with blacks in their eyes instead of white.Probably with horns. They build their cities and towns underneath and around large ice structures to protect them from most wind. They live in an area, where, despite the cold, strange creatures thrive. They are very exclusive, while they send people out to trade across the seas, they seldom let outsiders in. They use strange metals and resources, mined from deposits deep inside the ice. Any thoughts on it?
I was thinking of a land in the mountains, it would fit what I have in mind perfectly.