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Fantasy author Joe Abercrombie reveals how to create the perfect RPG world

Wheels and Liv take a masterclass in world building

If you play any kind of tabletop RPG, at one point or another you understand the joys of inhabiting a fantastic world. Feeling the forests and plains come to life through brilliant descriptions as you travel the land, getting deeply invested in your cleric’s god who rose from the depths of your imagination, and crying at a perfect sunset that bathes your party in a golden glow after finishing the biggest battle of their career. We all know none of it is technically real - but when you have good world building, these places become more than just something you discuss over a gaming table, they become real memories and create real feelings.

Of course, that kind of immersive world building can be intimidating, especially if you’re new to GMing. Luckily everyone has an imagination, and like any muscle, it just takes some practice to make it strong. But where do you start when wanting to develop a sprawling fantasy world? Well, Wheels and Liv recently sat down with best-selling fantasy author Joe Abercrombie to discuss what goes into making a memorable and loveable world.

Find out what to do first in this whole process so you’re not surrounded by paper, maps and no idea what to do with it, through to making your world a compelling place to be for characters and readers alike as they follow an adventure. Or perhaps you want to make it feel realistic so the threat of the royal guards is ever-present and the colourful mushrooms growing in the feywild feel tangible. In a space with so many adventures, you’ll also learn how to make yours stand out and be remembered by your players for years to come. As well as a whole load more tips as Joe discusses how he has crafted worlds people can’t wait to return to.

Check out the video now above. You can also find l a ton of other videos on how to improve your RPGs as both a game master and player from developing great NPCs to making sure you love your character. You can also find let’s plays, reviews, and more on everything tabletop gaming.

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Dungeons & Dragons 5E

Tabletop Game

About the Author
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Maddie Cullen

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Maddie has spent most of her life writing and turned that passion for sharing words into video when she worked as producer at a creative agency. Until her colleagues got tired of the constant badgering to play board games or hear about her latest D&D session, so she joined Dicebreaker to find people who might be more interested.

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