Creating People, Places, and Things, Pt. 2 - Things

Written By Than Gibson

"How Galahad drew out the sword from the floating stone at Camelot." From The Romance of King Arthur (1917). Arthur Rackham, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how to create interesting and believable characters for your TTRPG campaign using the world around you. We discussed the non-physical and physical traits of those characters and how to define those first before ever thinking about game stats.

 

In Part 2, we're going to look at how to create interesting and memorable things - mundane and magical, again through the lens of the world around us. I bet you were expecting we would talk about places next, right? We're going to save places for last because the people or things in that place help define it.

 

What Makes a Memorable Item?

Sauron Forges the One Ring, Alan Lee.
https://arthur.io/art/alan-lee/sauron-forges-the-one-ring

Unlike people, your audience doesn't usually care about whether or not an item is believable. They want something memorable. Like people, however, the qualities that make an item memorable are its non-physical qualities. Whether that is an item's magical powers, the beliefs about that item, or the memories that are associated with an item - these are traits that make an item unique. An item can be rather plain and yet have a non-physical quality that makes it memorable. The One Ring is just a plain gold ring but it is precious because it is what binds Sauron's spirit to the world and grants its bearer power even if at a terrible cost.

 

When making a memorable item think about these traits first. If you're designing a magic item for an adventure or campaign think about what that item does first then worry about its physical nature. Too often, I have seen players and novice GMs bemoan that a certain magic item isn't usable because that item's equipment slot is already filled with something else. If you want a Cloak of Elvenkind but you're already wearing a Cloak of Resistance, why not work with the DM to design an amulet or ring that does the same thing?

 

What Makes a Memorable Item Interesting?

Apparently no one has ever illustrated a Mouse Cart, most likely due to its absurdity! So, I resorted to using Midjourney for this illustration. If you are an illustrator who can do a better job, contact me!

Also like people,  the traits that make an item interesting can be physical or non-physical. One of my favorite magic items from the days of AD&D that I have not found in 5e is the Mouse Cart. This is a tiny cart just big enough to hitch a mouse to. However, when you do so, the cart grows to the size of a horse cart but is still able to be pulled by the mouse. A miniature cart that can grow to full size? That's useful. A full-sized cart being pulled by a tiny mouse? That's interesting.

 

When you're making interesting items think about how you can make that item unique. Consider its size, color, weight, decoration, smell, and sound. What about a mithril frying pan?! It's not truly magical, just made with a magical substance. It only functions as a frying pan, but it is light enough to be carried in your camping supplies without counting for encumbrance. Does it make sense to make something so basic out of something so rare? No! But that is definitely interesting!

 

Giving Your Items Stats

Once you know what you want your item to do, you can give it the stats that are appropriate for the rules system that you are using. For example, if we're talking about D&D 5e does a magic item require attunement? Does the Mouse Cart require attunement? No, probably not. Does that Ring or Amulet of Elvenkind require it? Most likely. You start to get a sense of the power of these things as you conceptualize them. From there, the stats fall into place.

 

Using the World Around You for Item Inspiration

More than people, items are everywhere! Just looking at my desk as I'm writing this I see a coffee mug, a candle, a box of Pocky, and various books and notebooks. Every one of these is something that you can turn into a unique item in your world. The coffee mug may be a Mug of Warming, the candle could be made from the rendered fat of an owlbear, and the Pocky could be an elven treat that fills your stomach like Lembas Bread from Lord of the Rings. I wish I could eat just one Pocky! The point is don't limit yourself to thinking only character gear should be memorable and interesting. Look around and find things to fill your campaign setting with that make it special.

 

DMing the World in Practice

Try it out for yourself!

  1. Pick an item from either your current space, a fictional story, or a historical event, and then ask yourself the following:

    • When did this item exist?

    • When was it made?

    • Why was it used?

    • Why was it made?

    • How was it used?

    • How does this item work?

  2. Embellish the character. Modify the traits you just defined. Add on unique traits like:

    1. Physicality

    2. Quirks

    3. Flaws

  3. Stat the Item! Using whatever rules system you prefer, define the following:

    1. Key Qualities (magic or mundane)

    2. Key Attributes (buffs, debuffs, etc)

    3. Actions - Attacks, Spells, Powers

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Creating People, Places, and Things, Pt.1 - People