The thread about what settings have inspired your world-building impulse had mentions of geology texts, which didn't seem to quite fit with the thread subject. So this thread is here for that. What books are your essential references for world building? Let me prime the pump and give you an idea of what I mean.
The Science Fiction Writing Series, edited by Ben Bova, has a number of titles that are very good references for anyone wanting to build worlds. Books like World Building, Aliens and Alien Societies, Space Travel, and Time Travel, as well as a number of others, condense down a lot of concepts for each subject. This is especially good for those who want solid science behind their worlds, but who may not have the strongest science background.
The Science of Aliens by Clifford Pickover is a great book, which discusses everything from how alien biologies might work to how aliens might think. Much food for thought for scifi gamers, but also is very inspirational if you play a fantasy game and want your nonhumans and monsters to be really different from the humans.
A Handbook for Space Pioneers is a late 70s oddity that details a number of fictional planets that have been colonized by humans. The books details the process of becoming a settler on these colonies, and provides a lot of detail on the planets themselves, from a world with trilaterally symmetrical lifeforms to a planet with a fairly hostile environment but rich with minerals. Scifi in theme, the planets could also be used for fantasy settings.
After Man and The New Dinosaurs, both by Dougal Dixon, a paleontologist. Both explore the implications of evolution in a unique, enjoyable way. The former presents an Earth 50 million years after the (unexplained) extinction of the human species. Dixon shows how evolution can take surprising turns, with predator rats preying on rabbucks, but also how evolution can fill niches with animals wildly different from their predecessors, but which can look hauntingly similar (convergent evolution). This is explored further, and in a different way, in The New Dinosaurs, in which Dixon posits a world in which the dinosaurs survived and evolved over the last 65 million years. Both books present alternative ecologies that could make for very colorful settings with a minimum of effort - most of these critters can easily use the stats for existing animals, whatever game you play.
GDW put out a world building book, based on theories of planets of 30 years ago, detailing types of stars, habitable zones, etc. that's handy.
Fernand Braudel, and economic historian, put out 3 books about how biome, food type, economy, and culture are interrelated.
Quote from: NicephorusGDW put out a world building book, based on theories of planets of 30 years ago, detailing types of stars, habitable zones, etc. that's handy.
Interesting. Was it for Traveller specifically? I don't recall it.
Actual game books I feel are worth recommending are:
The Dungeon Master's Survival Kit, World Builder's Guidebook, Dungeon Builder's Guidebook, Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide, Creative Campaigning, the Complete Book of Villains, and the Castle Guide are all worth looking at, even if you play a game other than AD&D (which these were written for). The first five make the best reading, and I remember being quite taken with CSCG and Creative Campaigning when they first came out.
The Order of Hermes and Covenants are Ars Magica books. Together, they are good inspiration for wizard-dominant settings.
A blank spiral bound note book that will fit in you back pocket for jotting down ideas as you have them.
Quote from: ColonelHardissonInteresting. Was it for Traveller specifically? I don't recall it.
Somebody remove this mans gamer geek card.
Traveller is like only the first and probably most successful sci-fi RPG (okay maybe Star Wars in it's various forms got more success).
Quote from: BagpussSomebody remove this mans gamer geek card.
Traveller is like only the first and probably most successful sci-fi RPG (okay maybe Star Wars in it's various forms got more success).
What are you on about? I know what Traveller is. Hell, I have dozens of the little black books. I was asking about the specific book mentioned in the post I quoted. Notice he didn't even mention Traveller - he only said GDW.
Probably thinking of World Tamers' Handbook.
Cheers,
Roger
I often browse this site http://www.otherworlds.net/otherworlds.net/worldbld.htm
to replenish my world building library. One book that was particularly good was Climate And the Affairs of Men by Nels Winkles and Iben Browning. Lots of good stuff in this book about climate change and societies.
There are loads of books, on scifi/fantasy/other world building to suit your gaming needs, whatever the genre or power level.
Now back to your regular programme :)
Regards,
David R
Quote from: ColonelHardissonInteresting. Was it for Traveller specifically? I don't recall it.
Yea, from the MegaTraveller era if I recall. I don't recall the exact name, it's in the back of my closet somewhere.
Quote from: David RI often browse this site http://www.otherworlds.net/otherworlds.net/worldbld.htm
to replenish my world building library. One book that was particularly good was Climate And the Affairs of Men by Nels Winkles and Iben Browning. Lots of good stuff in this book about climate change and societies.
There are loads of books, on scifi/fantasy/other world building to suit your gaming needs, whatever the genre or power level.
Now back to your regular programme :)
Regards,
David R
Cool link. Some of the books I mentioned above are named there. I was surprised to see Imaginary Worlds: The Art of Fantasy by Lin Carter listed there. I have this book. Carter, no matter what you think of his fiction, was a hell of an scifi and fantasy editor and historian. It's too bad he's been gone for going on 20 years now.
I used ICE's original Campaign Law for many years. It was both concise and informative, and its general advice (regarding geography, weather, cosmology, politics, etc.) could apply to any FRPG.
Quote from: AkrasiaI used ICE's original Campaign Law for many years. It was both concise and informative, and its general advice (regarding geography, weather, cosmology, politics, etc.) could apply to any FRPG.
I'd forgotten that one. I need to dig it out. Rep++
Quote from: BagpussA blank spiral bound note book that will fit in you back pocket for jotting down ideas as you have them.
Exactly. I often use my regular players as a resource, too. The more brains working to create an economic system, the better the world will be, and it gives the PC's an idea of how the system works, without me having to explain it.
I have kept a notebook with me most of my life, to jot down phone numbers and other info, as well as ideas for campaigns or fiction I'm writing. But I also am the first to say I need help with the nuts 'n' bolts of world creation.
Quote from: AkrasiaI used ICE's original Campaign Law for many years. It was both concise and informative, and its general advice (regarding geography, weather, cosmology, politics, etc.) could apply to any FRPG.
Thanks for the reminder. I'm trying to set up a new campaign, and had that lying under my nose the whole time :ponder: . Hopefully, it will help jog my processes up, and then I can get to the stage of Bagpuss' notebook
I did a quick search for Campaign Law, and it looks like it isn't currently for sale anywhere online. Even ICE doesn't mention it on their site. That's too bad, as it sounded interesting.
The MegaTraveller world building book was by Digest Group Publications and it was called World Builder's Handbook. It was a compilation of two earlier books called Grand Survey and Grand Census. Though it was useful principally for traveller, I used it for other settings as well; had pretty useful guidelines for defining things like continent shape, continental drift, etc. Though robust for the time, it has some scientific innacuracies in it.
Later resources I use for scientifically faithful world build are GURPS Traveller first in, and a non-gaming title World Building (part of the aforementioned Ben Bova SF Writing Series.)
Once TSR's World Builder's Guide was published, it received a permanent spot on my shelf. It's full of little idea seeds, useful notes on demographics, mapping guidelines, etc. Anyone who has this, important note: the tables describing map scales need to be increased by 25%.
I get some good use out of Hero games Fantasy Hero for 3rd and 4th edition, more in the vein of campaign conception that world design. For SF games, GURPS Space plays a similar role. Both of interesting compilations of common genre conventions and tidbits for their restpective genres.
Quote from: ColonelHardissonI did a quick search for Campaign Law, and it looks like it isn't currently for sale anywhere online. Even ICE doesn't mention it on their site. That's too bad, as it sounded interesting.
Wow, that's too bad. The advice was only about 30 pages or so (albeit with that ridiculously small font that ICE used back in the early 80s; it would be around 70 pages today) but incredibly useful. I still remember a lot of it today (especially the basic geography stuff, which was great).
ICE should republish that material as a 'generic supplement'. It would do well, I think, at least as a pdf.
Quote from: Caesar SlaadThe MegaTraveller world building book was by Digest Group Publications and it was called World Builder's Handbook. It was a compilation of two earlier books called Grand Survey and Grand Census. Though it was useful principally for traveller, I used it for other settings as well; had pretty useful guidelines for defining things like continent shape, continental drift, etc. Though robust for the time, it has some scientific innacuracies in it.
That's why I didn't recognize the description of the book above - I never made the move to Megatraveller. I stayed with the little black books. Thanks for the heads-up.
Quote from: Caesar SlaadLater resources I use for scientifically faithful world build are GURPS Traveller first in,
Damn! I keep hearing recommendations for this - Psion, at EN World, is among the foremost fans of this book. Trouble is, it's out-of-print, and last I checked eBay, it was going for a lot more than I was willing to pay. I'll just have to keep my eyes open at the game shops, I guess.
Quote from: Caesar Slaadand a non-gaming title World Building (part of the aforementioned Ben Bova SF Writing Series.)
Yeah, that entire series is really useful for this sort of stuff.
Quote from: Caesar SlaadOnce TSR's World Builder's Guide was published, it received a permanent spot on my shelf. It's full of little idea seeds, useful notes on demographics, mapping guidelines, etc. Anyone who has this, important note: the tables describing map scales need to be increased by 25%.
Thanks for the note - how did you find this out? The WBG is a classic of its kind, in my opinion. Worth looking for. Plus, now I believe it can be bought as a pdf.
Quote from: Caesar SlaadI get some good use out of Hero games Fantasy Hero for 3rd and 4th edition, more in the vein of campaign conception that world design. For SF games, GURPS Space plays a similar role. Both of interesting compilations of common genre conventions and tidbits for their restpective genres.
I have the old GURPS Space. I wonder how good the new hardback is? GURPS Fantasy and Infinite Worlds are both top-notch, by the way. Fantasy is a very good overview of just about all the various shadings of fantasy that one can use for one's campaign. Inifinite Worlds is basically an expansion of the Alternate Earths books about parallel/alternate universes. Lots of food for thought, even though I like the first Alternate Earths book on its own.
Quote from: ColonelHardissonsion, at EN World, is among the foremost fans of this book.
What a coincidence. (Note which NTL "class" I took. ;) )
QuoteThanks for the note - how did you find this out? The WBG is a classic of its kind, in my opinion. Worth looking for.
Well, about the time it came out, I had maps of my main campaign world in paper, and when I wanted to break down a region into smaller maps, I would break a big hex into little hexes A LA the old Judges Guild "campaign mapping system."
This required me to do a little math if I wanted to know exact distances of smaller hexes. I soon became pretty familiar with the proportions of various components of a hex, and something looked funny when I was looking at their mapping table.
QuotePlus, now I believe it can be bought as a pdf.
Yeah, I think it's great that they put this title out in PDF. Will make it useful to another generation of gamers.
Quote from: Caesar SlaadWhat a coincidence. (Note which NTL "class" I took. ;) )
Well, I'll be damned.
Oh, here's one to add:
Aria: Worlds
Quote from: SobekOh, here's one to add:
Aria: Worlds
Funny... I've had that one at hand for some 10 years, but haven't yet found time to study it anything like seriously
very cool.