The other day, my imagination got the best of me — and it all began at Schiphol Airport. I was just going about my day when my eyes landed on a strange man dressed in dark clothing, lurking around a concealed corner. It was one of those moments where my curiosity kicked in, and without even thinking, a random story began to form in my mind.
For the next hour, I couldn't shake the thought of this mysterious character and the world he might belong to. I quickly jotted down a few notes, and before I knew it, I was building on that initial avalanche of inspiration that I had to sort out.
I would thus like to share with you some quick things that I had in mind while I was composing this masterpiece (as my loving ones call it anyway). Quick reference to that, I published it on Substack feel free to pop in a give it a quick read its not that long. It’s a practical chunk of lore, structured in a way that someone can incorporate it in a TTPRG campaign/adventure, fun one-shot or just get dreaming and add more flair to it, as I would do. The link to the story is here.
So here are the reflection points as to how to build a magical and immersive world on the go.
Just start with simple ideas
Start with a building, with a map, with a place. I started with an NPC. His name is Silas and that’s memorable for me and of course followed by a title to give it more character. Then give them a role. A broader role should be enough for now— like a merchant, a mercenary, a church etc.
Next, you can define its appearence— just paint the picture in your head, and at this point it's time to give them a meaning, as the infamous painter would say, what does this character do in this world? it's a good practice to tie it with how players can interact with it, and what are these mannerisms that the GM can give it their own interpretation and bring it to life.
Establish a Backstory
I would keep it short and flexible. Focus on key behaviors, events or characteristics that shape the course of action rather than specific details tha can kill further imagination. For example, you can say that “this X building is the house of some mysterious cultists”, and maybe add a small vague detail like a scar, to add more depth, rather than spelling out the name, the origin and the secret goals of these people.
Remember that this also gives space to you as well to turn the tides around later on. Next, in order to connect the dots, we have to provide a “guide” on how the rest of the story is going to unfold, by setting goals and a lot of hints.
Now this requires caution, because we wouldn’t want to spoil it or pre-decide it for the GM and the group. For example: “Ravwyk is different and was not happy with what his family left for him as a heritage” and as a guide: “His was well know for his lust for blood and revenge”.
Throw in some Hooks
This is where it becomes interesting— where you have the chance to give yourself or the players a whole experience rather than just a story. These can be also built as different scenarios where the NPC(s) can interact with the players. For example, a Quest, a moral dilemma, "Ravwyk needs help retrieving the stolen heirloom, rumored to be in a cultists’ lair underground".
Another idea is to give the chance to the players to interact with them instead, like "Ravwyk knows a lost legend that points to a lost heirloom" or even an obvious lie so somebody can dispute it. More adrenaline can be added by creating a sense of urgency like "Ravwyk is being hunted by assassins sent by the betrayer from their past." Lastly, one of the players might have some ties with this place or NPC.
Other Ideas
It's mostly in the GM and the group to bring the story to life, however why don't we help more? Some key suggestions based on your preferences can cut them some slack, like an NPC's voice, mannerisms or quirks. For example, "Ravwyk speaks in a melodious tone and often hums forgotten tunes while thinking."
My personal favorite is to include ideas for how an NPC might view the players, like dislike, fear, suspicion, appreciation etc.
We shouldn't omit to mention that it’s convenient for the purpose of the story to be modular and flexible. Some things to pay close attention to are the character’s origin, occupation, location and such. These should not be absolute in a way that the group interaction has to forgive a lot of inconsistencies and “poetic licenses”.
My ideas on that:
(a) Blurry affiliations with the past like organizations, guilds or other faction ties.
(b) A typical occupation includes jobs that can fit anywhere (e.g. a traveling bard, wandering scholar, or mercenary).
(c) Vague Location and/or Flexibility (e.g. inns, markets, or even realms)
Final Thoughts
We all live in this and all fantasy worlds for rewards. Make sure you do not deprive anyone of them. Giving purpose and possible outcomes, depending on the preferences of the players and their interaction with your story, can really elevate everyones experience.
This can be incorporated in short wins, like knowledge or small treasures. Alternatively, a little bit of hype can be built up with a bigger treasure as a result or even a jaw-dropping plot twist after the last encounter. Lastly, I believe it’s quiet acceptable by now that the games with consequences are just more exciting and I would personally pursue to punish those who try the easy way out or have the itch for playing around.
