Homebrewing your own kingdom within aDungeons & Dragonscampaign can prove to be a daunting and complex task. But, it can also be some of the most fun you’ll ever have as a DM when it comes to shaping the arc of your campaign. For newer DMs or even seasoned players however, it can be tricky to know exactly how to begin that process.

Most tabletop sourcebooks provide details and inspiration for creating continents, worlds, and villages. For this guide, we’re going to focus on kingdoms, and break down how to come up with this massive backdrop for your campaign. Here’s what you need to know to start creating fantastical kingdoms of your very own.

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Establish Basic Kingdom Facts

This may sound daunting at first, but it’s better to start big before sweating the small stuff. It can be easy to get caught up in tiny details like city streets, local NPCs, or environmental variances. The best thing you can do when it comes to starting to homebrew avast campaign settingis towork through some basic factsabout your burgeoning kingdom.

Geography

Geography is the best place to start. Even simple things likepositioning your kingdom on a coastlineorin a mountain rangecan havemassive effects on the shapeand character of your nation. Ask yourselfthese questionsto begin.

Weather & Terrain

Theclimateandtype of environmentyour kingdom is situated in can beinstrumental in determining the characterof this place. As you think about geography, also consider some ofthe below climatesto choose for your kingdom, or whether your kingdomhas many different types of weather.

Weather And Terrain

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a farmland.

Pastoral And Calm

Wintery And Harsh

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Dense And Urban

History

Many dedicatedDMs will map out hundreds of years of historyfor their campaign settings. This, of course,includes a history of the kingdomson their respective continents. But,you don’t have to know every single beat of a country’s historyto create a compelling backdrop for adventures.Follow these stepsto createa generalized timelinefor your kingdom.

When was your kingdom founded?

Dungeons and Dragons, Island by Titus Lunter a large merchant ship on the water with sailbots in front of a small island town

What did the early days of your kingdom look like?

What was the peak of your kingdom’s history?

Ropes pinned into a mountainside

What was the low point for your kingdom?

What does your kingdom look like today?

Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Player’s Handbook artwork of orcs together in the desert.

As youcreate a basic historyfor your kingdom, considerpeppering your timeline with special eventsor historical moments of note.Evenly distribute theseevents or moments in history along a timeline that also features your kingdom’s founding, beginnings, and various ages.

Examples of these eventscould include the following.

Government

Lastly, considerwhat system of governmentthis kingdom employs. By default,most kingdoms will have a monarchof some kind. But, depending on the flavor you want to employ, you may consider any of thebelow systems of government.

Finally, no matter your system of government,create a few important NPCswho either rule on high as mighty monarchs or as a small council of few. Then, decide whattype of leader this NPC isbased on the below table.

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Description

Iron Fist

This ruler leads with a firm hand, and is unrelenting in their control.

Tough But Fair

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Though just and equitable, this variety of leader is not to be trifled with.

Benevolent

Kind and fair, benevolent rulers seek to do right by their people.

Figurehead

This type of ruler is merely a puppet for the real power behind the throne.

Machiavellian

Wielding lies and deceit is this ruler’s bread and butter, often using spies to achieve wicked ends.

Corrupt

Though neutral at times, this leader can be bought for the right price.

When designing a ruler or ruling body for your kingdom,consult the player alignment chartin Chapter Two of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide andascribe one of the nine alignments to themfor extra flare.

Giants in court in the sky holding an ordning from DND Bigby Presents Glory of the Giants.

How To Build Settlements

Now that you have the grand scope of your kingdom or nation,it’s time to work your way downwards. Depending on the size of your kingdom,craft a handful of settlementsfor your players to explore.

Small (An island or tiny crop of land)

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5-7+

Medium (Part of a continent or larger landmass)

8-12+

Large (An entire continent and beyond)

13-20+

Break Down Each Settlement

Once you have your settlements, you shoulddecide on a few key aspects for eachand make note of these.Create a tablelike the one below for each settlement.

City Or Settlement Breakdown

Settlement Name

The name of your settlement, which should include colloquial references or nicknames.

Population Size

How many people exist in your settlement, which should vary by geographic size.

Areas of Note

Key neighborhoods, monuments of note, or other interesting places your players may want to visit in the settlement.

Key NPC Or Leaders

Who lords over this settlement? Is it one person or a group?

Factions

Include any organizations or factions such as wizard schools or criminal syndicates that call this settlement home.

From there, you candecide how much detail you want to addto each ahead of the campaign. you’re able to eitherplan every street, nook, and cranny out in advance. Or, you candecide to wait until your party visitsto map out the details of each settlement more precisely.

Create Points Of Interest

Beyond just villages, towns, and cities, you shouldcreate other fantastical points of interest.These arenatural environments, man-made structures, or strange physical phenomenathat pepper the landscape of your kingdom. These can look like any of the following.

From there,draw out the generalized shape of the bordersof your kingdom anddot the landscape with your settlements and points of interest. Be sure to make sure these locales areevenly distributed.

Fortraversal purposesin your campaign,draw a scale at the bottom of your map,determining miles per inch on your map. There are also plenty of onlinemap-making resourcesat a DM’s disposal.

What’s The State Of The Nation?

Now that you know the character and shape of your kingdom, as well as its history mapped out, it’s timeto think about what the present day looks like. Whatcall to adventuredoes your kingdom offer thatwill make your players interested in visitingits storied lands?

Whatever you decide, this call to adventure shouldtie into either the welfare of your kingdomorone of its historic sitesor landmarks.

Use Adventure Hooks

Considerusing either one of your points of interestor anevent happeningin one of your settlements todraw the players into the adventure.Depending on the overall levelof your adventuring party,here are some examplesyou can use to pique the player’s interest.

Chapter 4 of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guidehas tables you can roll ontogenerate a random adventure hookif you’re feeling stuck!

Once you have your call to adventure, it’s timeto utilize its mystique to draw the players in. With the stage set and your details all fleshed out you’ll havethe perfect homebrewedkingdom for your campaign.