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The setting is a major factor in forming the story and improving the game experience in the expansive and immersive universe ofDungeons & Dragons. Every area has a unique tale waiting to be discovered, from the creepy depths of abandoned dungeons to the breathtaking summits of ancient mountains.
Developing your environmental storytelling skills as a Dungeon Master (DM) may take your campaigns to new heights by engrossing your players in an amazing and adventurous setting. Luckily, there are small steps you can take to improve this ability and make the environment come alive by becoming another player in your campaign.
Engaging All The Senses
Draw in your players' senses with detailed descriptions of the surroundings that arecolorful and emotive.To completely immerse them in the situation,use all of their senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and even taste. The sound of athundering waterfall in the distanceor themusty smell of ancient books in a dusty libraryare two examples of how sensory details can bring the scene to life in your writing.
These senses can tell a story by simply existing. Your party walks into a damp prison cell, the warm,musty smell of blood fumes in the air. Now, not only do you players know thatthere’s blood, but it seems fresh. Something could havejust happened here, and there’s a reason to be alarmed.
A great way to bring the senses into a group is through props! Bring a candle you think smells terrible and have the players sniff it. Or use a wet brick for your players to touch if they are blindfolded in a cell.
By bringing props, you can bring the players into the world first-hand, and they can literally feel, see, smell, and potentially taste what you’re trying to convey!
Soundscapes and sound effects are also a low-budget and effective way to convey the environment to your players and can easily be done in-person or on a virtual tabletop!
Use Foreshadowing To Build Events
Using the environment tobuild tension and foreshadow future eventsis a great way to further your storytelling. If your party is battling in an old mansion, mention how the sways of battle are causing an old chandelier to rock on the ceiling.
Allude to the fact that it looks like thechain is old and rusted, and as it swings, it creaks and moans. This also taps back into engaging the senses with sight and sound.This may also give your party a hint that it is not far from collapsing down onto someone or something.
While wandering through the forest, the party could findscratchings in a tree, noting an encounter with a hag. This would make your party sit on the edge of their seat as there’s an entire side quest oradventure appearing before their eyes without a single piece of narration. Add foreshadowing to the environment, the same way clouds tell you rain is coming.
Make Your Environment Dynamic
As time goes on and player activities alter, create dynamic landscapes that adapt and change as well.Embrace weather patterns, environmental dangers, and other dynamic components that may affect gameplay and force players to overcome barriers and adapt.
Dynamic settings make your game more unpredictable and exciting by bringing players into the constantly changing world around them.Things like abrupt rockslides that block mountain passesand torrential downpours that flood dungeon chambers can put a party on their toes.
To generate dynamic and unforgettable gaming experiences, design interactions that capitalize on theenvironment’s special qualities, such as terrain challenges, environmental dangers, and interactive objects.
Dynamic encounters give your game an air of unpredictability, whichkeeps players interested and on the edge of their seats, whether they’re a dramatic battle atop a perilous cliff overlooking a roaring river or a thrilling pursuit through a dense forest full of obstacles and traps.
If at the beginning of your campaign, there’s asmall village being built, later when your party comes back to it, maybe it’s a sprawling town.This would add so many small stories throughout, and let your players feel like they’ve experienced progression in your world.
Some different hazardous environments to build a story upon:
Add Seasons To Your World
To give your game world more complexity and variation,consider including seasonal variations.Examine the effects that time and seasonal changes have on the environment, wildlife, and people living in various places.
Seasonal changes may modify your gameworld’s tone and ambiance, opening you up tonew possibilities for exploration and narrative.Examples of these variations include a lively springtime meadow brimming with fresh life or a harsh winter wasteland covered in snow.
However, you don’t need to stick to reality when it comes to telling a story with the seasons.Make up a new season, or maybe your world only cycles through two of them. What kind of celebrations exist during those seasons? Rather than Halloween in Autumn,what kind of special days exist, and how do people celebrate?
Maintain Consistency
Perhaps themost important thing, though, is maintaining a sense of consistencywith all these different details. If there was an enormous snowstorm in your village that your party got snowed in during, take note of that and how it affected them and the people. This could later prove to be apowerful tool for storytelling,and it can always be brought back up in the future.
Consistency provides a solid framework for narrative arcs to grow upon, which enhances the storytelling experience while also supporting immersion. Players feel more a part of the universe when theycome across well-known characters, places, and storylines that stay faithful to the established narrative and characteristics.
Areal, breathing environmentthatresponds dynamicallyto the player’s decisions might be created by the design of a busy marketplace, the behaviors of a devoted ally, or the consequences of a previous choice.
Taking notes is a huge part of staying consistent and making sure your world stays in order. Utilize a good note-taking program like Microsoft OneNote, Google Docs, or the classic notebook to ensure everything stays organized! Don’t be afraid to ask your party either.
If you cannot remember something, surely one of your players took note of it because they felt it would affect the story.
