After you have designed all your cities as their own separate entity now we form the kingdoms to which they will be placed in. Pick from your cities those that go to 'Kingdom A'. On a sheet of paper draw the symbol you wish to use for cities to indicate their location. Placing them the distance and position from each other that looks good to you. Now using those city's elements as a guide design the landscape around them (ex: If major Mining city, draw hills and/or mountains around it; If Agricultural then lots of open fields and meadows).

Keep in mind that each city needs a water source nearby, be it a river, lake, or sea (If Port then on coast, Duh). Based on their size and strength, determine the land under which they could control; this limit is the kingdom's border. Do only one kingdom at a time, don't worry about the borders matching up, just allow each one to be itself. In this way you will insure that all of what you want within the borders fit. Drawing a map of the world first and then trying to squeeze in the kingdoms can give you a headache. (Plus later when we put them together it will give you a much more unique shape to your world.)

Once you have the first kingdom done get some paper so you can now describe it...Remember that this is for the kingdom as a whole.

1) Type of government: Although I have been using the term Kingdom, there are many forms to chose from other than that. Empire, Confederate, Principality, etc. (DM Guide has this in it)

2) Import/Export: Based on the cities lack and abundance what would this kingdom need/want to import and have surplus to export. To who and where comes later and will be added here.

3) Military: This is for any forces outside the cities. If you plan to have hostile neighbors or wilderness beyond its borders then any forts or keeps are mentioned here. Any military bases or training centers not within city limits also. Shows these on your kingdom map as well.

4) Terrain: Even though you have a map it is one dimensional. Describe the land as YOU see it on the map so that others can get a feel for what your map is trying to show. (ex: The vast region of Aster is covered by gentle rolling plains of the most fertile fields in Brunmaldar. Crossed by a multitude of rivers, great and small, streams, and irrigation canals. Most of the central and northern regions are plowed for corn, wheat, and other such bounty. While the far east gives way to the rising hills that lead into the Great Jarrian Mountains. To the west lays the....)

5) Unique Features: Give descriptions of any known points of interest; Monasteries, unusual sites (tar pits,geysers,redwood forest,etc.), very special villages/towns, heavy bandit activity, ancient ruins, and the like. Show these on the kingdom map.

6) Important/Unique Roadways: Due to the importance of roads in medievil society and economics a description of such would be of value. Specifically any major trade routes, hazard warnings, and unique styles. (ex: The Milante road begins in Venkiland and travels the distance through Malenon, Pakenjak, and ends in Delpherius. Upon its surface the caravans of the vital grain shipments from Aster, the iron ore from Malenon, and Delpherian silver wear the stone-slabs smooth; Due to the heavy rains during the spring the Galli Road has been raised in some places to ten feet to prevent flood waters from obstructing passage. This has been done by....) When you have the kingdoms all together longer routes and such can be added here. Draw in these roads on your map, smaller roads need not be added for they would only clutter the map.

7) Currency: If you wish to have each or most of the kingdoms have their own coinage then this kingdoms variation is mentioned here. Giving the denominations and descriptions of the coins. (ex: The Malenonian gold piece is imprinted on one side with a picture of the Malenon Star symbol while the reverse shows a depiction of Emperor Marcus IV on his warhorse with the words 'Fields of Battle Praised' below, the motto of his honorable family.) If all coins will be the same and such detail is not needed ignore this.

8) Notable NPCs: Only the greatest of NPCs need be listed if they reside in this kingdom. The ones that the common man would have heard about. Give their name(s) and what brought them fame. You can even say where his domicile is if that would be known.
The Following sections can be completed after you have finished all the other kingdoms and put them together to form your world.

9) Foreign Affairs: Wars, conflicts, treaties, alliances, rebels, pacts, etc with this kingdom.

10) Trade Routes: Using the import/export section list the routes and what is traded to other cities and kingdoms.

11) Patron Deities or Pantheons: List and describe the gods that have a major following within this kingdom. (To allow balance and areas of primary influence it is better to do this after the kingdoms are connected).
Now go back and double check the cities in this kingdom for inconsistencies...like under City Government you have a Duke in charge but the kingdom is a Republic and thus the city leader should be a Governor, Lord Questor, or Primus Protectorate.
There's your first Kingdom...now do all of the rest the same way, one at a time.


Now that you have all of your kingdoms mapped and designed we will put them together.

On a larger sheet of paper (I prefer to use posterboard) transfer your kingdoms. Much like a jigsaw puzzle, but they don't have to fit perfectly or even connected. Just ensure that the port cities are positioned so that they will face the sea. Now connect the kingdoms by coastlines; encircling all or most of the kingdoms...you can have island kingdoms you know. Even drawing the coast around large unclaimed areas to be used later as Elvin, orcish, etc lands or as wilderness regions.

My one thought is that you don't make your world a whole continent, have the land 'move' off one or two sides (corner) of the map. For although you're creating your 'world' you are not really designing a whole planet, think much like a map of Europe would look like without Russia. This is for several reasons:
1) An enclosed world limits future expansion of your world by land.
2) Gives the area to much space...medievil societies were small, think the space of Europe.
3) Gives the allure of uncharted terrain and mysterious regions from were barbarians can sweep in from.
4) To me, looks silly.

Now edit the maps borders and terrain. Redraw the borders of some kingdoms to touch; divide others with large mountain ranges that no one claims (their to wild); separate two with maybe a vast swamp or everglade region; another border filler could be a desert or even a lake. Just add whatever looks good and makes sense...a northern hemisphere world has cold, snowy regions in the north (top of map) and jungles and deserts in the south (equator-bottom of map).

If you had the forethought to create different climate-oriented societies (Egyptian desert empire, Aztec jungle kingdom, Mongol plains tribal region, etc.) be sure they are located and supported by your map. Be kind of funny to have an 'Egypt' in the icy wastelands of the north. And remember to use the terrain that you have put into your kingdom's map, the land forms don't stop at the realm's border.

Use as many types of terrain as possible without making it look to crowded or nonsensical. This gives you more adventuring options in future games. And keep editing until it looks good to you and is something you can work with. Depending on how detailed and pre-planned you want to be you can skip this part altogether.

(Discussing these within the context of this message board would be to extensive, so I will only give the basics):

A) Climate: If your map is of the northern hemisphere the winds travel from the north to the center of the map and from the south to center most of the time. Where they meet they form a shifting line of fast moving air called the 'jet stream'. Thus on your map if you visualize this you can see where the wind flows from land to water and from water to land. If the wind moves over water to the land (wet air) this region of terrain would get MORE rain fall then areas that the air currents move from land to sea (dry air). Understand? If mountains block 'wet air' flow then large rivers form from that side of the mountain and flows down into the flatter regions, the other side would be dryer and if they were high enough form deserts. This should give you a little in placing rivers and calculating precipitation.

B) Weather: In the Summertime the winds move faster in the south (bottom of map) and slower in the north (top) and the opposite in winter. Faster moving air currents causes more weather variations and thus 'harsher' weather. Storms more in the north during winter (blizzards) and more in the south during summer (hurricanes). Keep this in mind when planning weather conditions.

C) Calendar Events: Divide your map up into large distinguishable regions (frozen waste lands, the great plains, the grand valley, dark jungle, etc.) and for every region make up a yearlong calendar. I use one that has twelve months, each with 30 days...a 360 day year, makes it all simple. Then using the regions climate and weather patterns as stated above fill in the days with the Average Temperature, Rainfall Amount With Percentage, and Storm Hazard Percentage. Something like this; March 10th: 58o, 0-1"-30%, 5%...Sept 11th: 63o, 2-3"-20%, 15%....Now these are only the averages and something that, if you wish, can be used to roll against to determine weather. I use these Regional-Calandar Charts to make up a calendar with the actual temps and weather for the year in the region that the players are adventuring in...so therefore I have something to look at to know the weather on any given day as we play. Surprising the twists to an adventure, when months before in making the calendar, I have a massive thunderstorm shown just when the players wish to take a sea trip...and its not like I just added it to screw with the players. (It also helps in creating a truer world order if players time-travel AND/OR gives correct, and with no need to memorize, future weather events for PC that use future seeing spells or devices.)
Now go back over all the sections and info you have on your world and make sure it all 'works'.

Power Bases:
Throughout the course of designing your world, and even creating powerful NPCs, developing the corporations infrastructures, or inventing the history of conquests and legends of your world, keep in mind that all of these things are built upon Power Bases.
A Power Base is that which gives the 'item' or person a value beyond its simple existence. (The 'item' can be a village, city, kingdom, stronghold, barony, providence, guild, organization, or unified network).
What determines an 'item' or persons 'Total Power Base' is the number, and their levels of each, under its control.

Power Bases include; the amount of manpower, military force, major and minor elements, resources, wealth, unique/useful abilities, special individuals (major NPCs), enhancing structures, any cohesive force (like loyalty, honor, duty, fear, worship, etc.) and its ranking within its category/sphere/industry.
And each Power Base is given a level based on its strength, usefulness, or amounts. (Having 100 fighting men is of a lower level then 1000 men.)

Why take notice of something's Power Base?
It determines the outside world's view of that 'item' or person.
Example 1: A city like Rome has many, if not all, of the Power Bases listed and most of them with high levels, this makes it more glorious and desirable to rule, conquer, or have as an ally. And by the DM being aware of this fact the actions taken when Rome is involved will be a reflection of its Total Power Base. So when the DM is faced with a situation like...The leader of Rome and the leader of Tinyville both wants exclusive trade rights with the Island of Gold he will have a better idea of which one would get it.

Example 2: The PCs are working for the Duke of Smalltown (with a low TPB) to find a lost magic item. Another rival group is working for the Thief's Guild leader, Nakanuwee (with a high TPB). So with the DM's knowledge of the competitor's Power Bases the NPC group under Nakanuwee would have a better shot at reaching said magic-item first. Perhaps the networks and more money of Nakanuwee would allow the NPCs to get info quicker and easier then the PCs. Thus to the PCs, the NPCs would always seem ahead of them in their collective search.

If you actually get into this way of thinking you might be surprised as to how often it comes in handy to give a more realistic aspect to the how and whys. (For a DM to THINK that his Magic-User's Guild is more influential then his Thieves Guild. But not to give them the Power Bases to show this, may make it seem funny to the PCs when they work for the M-U Guild, but the Thieves Guild has more capabilities and resources.)

Power Bases also come into play when writing your world's history. It will give you a better understanding as to how things might work out in a more realistic fashion. Like as to why this kingdom might be involved more in things then another, why the downfall of that guild meant little, or the death of some patriarch sent shivers throughout the shipping world.

You can give an actual numbering system for each Power Base and its level to give each 'item' or person a Total Power Base point total. ((Like PB+L=TPB...Troops(5) plus number of troops 100(10) equals 15 TPB. OR Three Factories(3) plus 'fair' level of industry(2) equals 5 TPB.))

To me this is OK if you have the time and can do it for everything, but I just keep an understanding of this concept in my head whenever an appropriate situation arises.

Edited by T