Submit Your Questions for the September (actually in October) Q&A Livestream!

I have the problem to fill my Cities with life. I mean yeah every city got a smith, a herb seller, a grocery etc. etc. a market.... but i feel like they always miss the small details to make them really feel alive. Any Ideas where to begin with the inclusion of such details ?

How do you use high level campaigns vs lower level hack and slash to keep the party interested?

How do you prepare NPCs for a city - if you aren't sure what your players will do and where they'll go, how do you make sure to create enough interesting NPC's to encounter without burning yourself out?

How would you get players to be more interested or invested in the world building aspects of your campaign?

In brainstorming a campaign do you prefer to focus more on a theme or idea for a party/world such as "soldiers in a rebellion," "paranormal investigators," "city intrigue" or do you spend more time on the target end of the campaign, big bad encounters, dungeons, overriding conflicts and the like? Is there one you favor more or a particular mix in how you approach campaign creation?

I guess my question verges on the possibility of being two, but I'm just rewatching your "Behind the Screen" video in preparation for starting a campaign as a first time DM. I'm feeling a little freaked out or overwhelmed by the level of organization required and don't feel like I'm organized at all. So...what are specific tools and methods each of you recommend for keeping your sh*t together :) and do those tools and methods change when playing online/at-the-table?

KrushIt

Chapter 1 of the DMG suggests a core assumption that "the world is ancient." Chapter 3 recommends that adventures have "a clear focus on the present." How do you reconcile these two elements (which could just be called "world building" and "adventure design")? Specifically, what are some ways a DM can suggest layered history or create a mood of ruined antiquity, without getting too bogged down in writing backstory that PCs may not even care about?

Everett Patterson

For backstories and getting the PCs involved in the campaign and the setting, I tend to weave different parts in at different times. Some start out with a hook right away. Do you have any advice on the pacing of this kind of thing? Should background hooks continue throughout, or is it preferable to have character decisions bring it to a head quicker than originally planned? I think I know the answer, but I'm really curious what you have to say on this!

How do you create an active religion for your world

ttyybb

How would you best create and introduce a rival team that were later going to be villains?

Gregory Russell