The World-Building Process!

Threat Level: Emergency Response is getting bigger. I have just released a new mission. This is based on a University of St Drogo. Pandleton has it's own Uni and that university has a secret society, the Midnight Club. Learn more in our new incident here @ https://www.pandyman.co.uk/product-page/well-street-incident-two

The process of world-building is also an interesting thing. This blog aims to discuss it. I would assume everyone has their own way of going about it. As I get closer to releasing Dwarven Holidays, I wanted to share a little tip for you, the reader. While you may have your way of doing it, I may have a different way. Who knows?

My first idea came when I started planning the game. From the initial "Fantasy Trench Offensive," I wanted it to be fun and solo. While Trench Offensive is a two or more-player game, I wanted the fantasy version to be a solo/co-op dungeon delver. Equally, I wanted to instruct the player on how to play. This should allow for easier learning of the rules—something like an AI walking you through the process. I needed a character to help with this.

Opher and Goblin!

Opher! He came to me in a dream. I paid a friend of mine (Dean) to draw him, and boom, Opher was real! Or as real as a drawing could be. With many different ideas for how to set the game up, I was lost.

I like to write missions with a song on repeat. I can't remember which Threat Level Incident I was writing. However, one of the songs I skipped through was "Summer Holiday" by the incredible Cliff Richard. I was like, "Oh My Goodness! That's IT! DWARVEN HOLIDAY!"

Coach holidays aren't probably what you would think of to start building your world. However, when I was a child, we would go on coach day trips to all kinds of places in the UK. My dad worked for a coach company and would drive some of them. This is probably why it stuck in my head! Plus, we have plenty of coach trips come to Bury St Edmunds, and we see them quite a bit. Equally, I have the body of a coach driver. Just not telling you where!

So, I had my initial idea and a barely fleshed-out character. I started building Opher, my dwarf. I wanted him to be different. I wanted him to be an interesting character. This dwarf didn't live under the mountains, but why? Opher is a sly, slick, money-hungry dwarf with the charm and wit to get people to book his "tours." But what would happen on his tours? Goblins and Kobolds are a great way to start an adventure.

Maz, the Kobold!

So, I decided he would have five Goblins! Plus a cross-dressing kobold called Max. Yes, I do watch too much MASH! Who knew it would be useful? At this time, I also made a rival for Opher. I asked my friend Daisy, to do this! she is an amazing talent and I can't recommend her enough! She drew the character and I had to do the rest! First, I was going to do a naming competition at UKGE. However, I decided to instead name her Aubrey: a Red-Panda Beast-kin bard with a rival Dungeon Delving tour company. The rules are already kind of written, and world-building is equally important in this kind of narrative game.

Aubrey the Beast-kin!

How does one player move past the training stage? Is there a big bad? I had to decide this. I was really lucky; I had met a friend of Dean's who had sketched out some skeletons and allowed me to make them into miniatures. I have decided to use these as a way to add a bad guy. More on that another time. Daisy also drew Max! If I am honest, I may need to advertise Max!

If you have gotten this far, we have the Russian and USA force books as PDF!

Keep watching our blog for more updates on all things Pandyman!