BUILDING A WORLD
DETERMINE TERRAIN
The following are rules for placing terrain on a previously generated planet. To begin building your world select a region on you map and roll 36 pairs of Destiny Dice to form a Destiny pool. This Destiny pool will be used to determine the size of terrain areas found in a region. Next roll the Terrain Type die and use dice from the Destiny pool rolled earlier to determine size and nature of the terrain area, see below. You can use the Regional Template to record your results.
TERRAIN TYPES
This section will go over the different terrain areas generated for your selected region. Sometimes terrain areas overlap one another.
Highlands: A Highlands Terrain area, referred to as a chain, covers any rough terrain including hills, mountains, plateaus and basins, table or broken lands, cliffs or gorges, and other rough terrain found within the terrain area. If Highlands are rolled, roll the Highlands Type die once per Destiny die to determine which of the below types are present. These Terrain sub areas within a Highlands area are referred to as a range. If multiple options exist, choose one or roll a Fudge die to determine if a sub area is the first option (+), second option (-), or mixed ( ). You can use the Highland Chain Template to record your results. A Highland chain is typically named after its most prominent range.
- Mountains: Elevated terrain range, taller than hills.
- Hills: Common elevated terrain range, but shorter than mountains.
- Plateaus or Basins: Elevated or depressed terrain range, often with cliffs at their edges.
- Table or Broken Lands: Elevated often flat topped terrain range or rugged minimally elevated terrain range.
- Cliffs or Gorges: An escarpment that separates two different elevations or a narrow steep sided depression.
Wetlands: Wetlands cover any watery terrain including swamps, marshes, coastal and riparian, moors, mires, glaciers, and other watery terrain.
Woodlands: Woodlands cover any forested terrain including forests, jungles, and other forrested terrain.
Grasslands: Grasslands cover any grassy terrain including steppes, savannas, and other grassy terrain.
Badlands: Badlands cover any barren terrain including deserts, shrub lands, tundras, and other barren terrain.
TERRAIN SIZES
Use die from the Destiny pool rolled earlier to determine size and nature of the terrain area rolled by choosing 1-4 dice and multiplying the total by 1 + the total of 0-4 additional dice selected from the Destiny pool. This is the number of 30 mile hexes each terrain area takes up. Keep track of the Triumph and Tragedy taken from the Destiny pool, these dice form the Terrain pool, and will be used to determine the nature of features generated for the terrain area. If Highlands are rolled duplicate the Triumph and Tragedy taken from the Destiny pool before determining the total size of the highlands and Terrain pool, but after determining the number of Highland ranges present in the Highland area. The various Highland ranges rolled will be placed within this area, see below.
TERRAIN FEATURES
This section will go over the different features generated for a terrain area. Roll one fudge die per Destiny die used for the Terrain pool for each color pool to determine features of the terrain area (if over 4, add additional results or roll additional die). Use the Terrain Pool to determine features needed for the Blue and Bone pool. If at any point you run out of destiny die to use, treat remaining features as having rolled a 1 (alternate between Triumph or Tragedy).
Red Pool: The red pool is used to determine if the generated terrain area is arid (+), humid (-), or neither ( ).
White Pool: The white pool is used to determine if the generated terrain area is warmer (+), colder (-), or neither ( ).
Green Pool: The green pool is used to determine if the generated terrain area is dense (+), sparse (-), or mixed ( ).
Blue Pool: The blue pool is used to determine if the generated terrain area has any water features and if they are beneficial (+), detrimental (-), or none ( ). Each + is a beneficial water feature, and each - a detrimental water feature. If water features are rolled, you will need to also roll the water feature die as well to determine if the water feature is one of the below. Water features can be placed within terrain areas. When this happens either displace the existing terrain to the border of the terrain area, or instead replace part of the existing terrain area.
- Seas: The terrain area is either along a coast line or there is an inland sea or seas within it or along one of its borders. Choose dice from the Terrain pool to determine the size and nature of the inland sea or seas rolled by choosing 1-4 dice and multiplying the total by 1 + the total of 0-4 additional dice. This is a total size to be split among any number of inland seas.
- Lakes: The terrain area has a lake or lakes within it or along one of its borders. Choose dice from the Terrain pool to determine the size and nature of the lake or lakes rolled by choosing 1-2 dice and multiplying the total by 1 + the total of 0-2 additional dice. This is a total size to be split among any number of lakes.
- Rivers: The terrain area has a river or rivers within it or along one of its borders. Choose 1 die from the Terrain pool die to determine the number and nature of the rivers rolled, this is the number of rivers in or along the border of the terrain area. Choose a source for the river near or in the terrain area and create a path to a sea, lake, or another river that takes it through or along the border of the terrain area.
- Rapids: The terrain area has a river or rivers with a rapids section within it or along one of its borders. Choose 1 die from the Terrain pool die to determine the number and nature of the rapids rolled, this is the number of rapids on rivers in or along the border of the terrain area. Choose a river or rivers already in or along the terrain areas border to place the rapids or create a new river if there are none. Choose a source for the new river near or in the terrain area and create a path to a sea, lake, or another river that takes it through or along the border of the terrain area.
- Falls: The terrain area has a river or rivers with a falls section within it or along one of its borders. Choose 1 die from the Terrain pool to determine the number and nature of the falls rolled, this is the number of falls on rivers in or along the border of the terrain area. Choose a river or rivers already in or along the terrain areas border to place the falls or create a new river if there are none. Choose a source for the new river near or in the terrain area and create a path to a sea, lake, or another river that takes it through or along the border of the terrain area.
- Canyons: The terrain area has a river with a canyon section within it or along one of its borders. Choose dice from the Terrain pool to determine the size and nature of the canyon on a river in or along the border of the terrain area rolled by choosing 1-2 dice to determine length of the canyon with a width of 1. Choose a river already in or along the terrain areas border to place the canyon or create a new river if there are none. Choose a source for the new river near or in the terrain area and create a path to a sea, lake, or another river that takes it through or along the border of the terrain area.
Bone Pool: The bone pool is used to determine if the generated terrain area has any civilization features and if they are beneficial (+), detrimental (-), or none ( ). Each + is a beneficial civilization feature, and each - a detrimental civilization feature. If civilization features are rolled, you will need to also roll the civilization feature die as well to determine if the civilization feature is one of the below.
- Cities: The terrain area has a city or cities within it or along one of its borders. Choose a die from the Terrain pool to determine the size and nature of the city rolled, a 1-3 is a town (501-5,000), a 4-5 is a city (5,001-50,000), and a 6 is a metropolis (50,001+). You can add additional die from the Terrain pool to the result to get a higher city size.
- Ruins: The terrain area has a ruin or ruins within it or along one of its borders. Choose 1 die from the Terrain pool to determine the number and nature of the ruins rolled, this is the number of ruins in or along the border of the terrain area.
- Darklands: The terrain area has an area of Darklands lying beneath the surface within it or along one of its borders. Choose dice from the Terrain pool to determine the size and nature of the Darklands rolled by choosing 1-4 dice and multiplying the total by 1 + the total of 0-4 additional dice.
HIGHLAND ZONE SIZES
Use the Terrain Pool to determine the size and nature of the individual Highland zones within the Highlands area by choosing 1-4 dice and multiplying the total by 1 + the total of 0-4 additional dice selected from the Terrain pool. These dice form a new terrain pool for each Highland zone. Highland zones do not have to be adjacent to one another, as long as the total area of the Highlands area is not exceeded. If you want to add more randomness when picking the above die, you can roll fudge die to determine what die to pick, choosing a Triumph die for every + rolled and a Tragedy die for every - rolled.
FEATURES OF HIGHLAND RANGES
This section will go over the different additional features generated for each Highland range. Roll one fudge die per Destiny die used for the Highland range Terrain pool for each color pool to determine features of the Highland range (if over 4, add additional results or roll additional die).
Red Pool: The red pool is used to determine if the Highland range is active (+), dormant (-), or none ( ). Each + or - is a volcano, vent field, or geyser field if the range is volcanic, and each + or - a dormant volcano, vent field, or geyser field if the range is dormant.
White Pool: The white pool is used to determine if the Highland range is high (+), low (-), or mixed ( ). For Basins, Broken Lands, and Gorges high means deep, and low means shallow.
Green Pool: The green pool is used to determine if the Highland range is rugged (+), smoother (-), or mixed ( ).
Blue Pool: The blue pool is used to determine if the Highland range has hot springs (+), natural springs (-), or none ( ).
Bone Pool: The bone pool is used to determine if the Highland range has cave systems (+), shallow caves (-), or none ( ).
