Designing TTRPGs For Dummies Cheat Sheet

You have lots of information to keep track of when designing a tabletop role playing game (TTRPG). One helpful way to do this is to prepare lists of the important people, places, actions, and equipment you need to include in your game. To help you get started, I’ve prepared two examples: a list of basic TTRPG actions that the player characters (PCs) in your game might take and a list of key village locations — essential buildings and businesses normally found in settlements.

Though these lists don’t include everything your game might need for these categories, they’ll give you a place to start.

Basic TTRPG actions

Whether you’re designing a fantasy, science fiction, Weird West, or another genre of TTRPG, your PCs will perform many similar actions. This section presents a list of important basic actions to keep in mind as you develop your mechanics (the rules for determining outcomes in your game). The exact language you use to describe these actions may vary depending on your genre. (See Chapter 11 in Designing TTRPGs For Dummies to learn more about taking action.)

Depending on the genre, you may need to expand this list to reflect the kind of tasks the PCs regularly perform. For example, if you’re creating an espionage-themed TTRPG, you might include “photographing suspects or documents” as a separate action.

Key village locations

The heroes in your TTRPG will likely spend at least some time in populated areas during adventures. This might be a village in a fantasy game, a mining town in a Weird West game, or a spaceport in a science fiction game. The list in this section includes key locations to include in these areas. Feel free to adapt them and expand this list as necessary, and see Chapter 5 in Designing TTRPGs for Dummies for more information on world-building.

• The seat of government or authority: This can be anything from a mayor’s office to a command center to a gambling den where the local crime lord does business. Your genre determines what is most appropriate.
• ‍Churches, temples, or houses of worship: If your TTRPG’s world includes any form of religion, be sure to include a place where the people practice it.
• ‍The central market or trading post: The local population and the PCs need a place to go where they can buy supplies and catch the latest gossip.
• ‍Inns, hotels, and other lodging: Most population centers provide accommodations for travelers, usually for a fee that varies depending on how comfortable they are!
• ‍The police station, city watch, or security offices: Decide who keeps the citizens in line, whether it’s civil law enforcement or corporate security guards, and give them a base of operations.
• ‍The transportation hub: Depending on your setting and genre, the transportation hub might be a harbor, airport, train station, or stable.
• ‍Theatres or entertainment venues: Every town needs a place where people can relax and unwind and where PCs can gather information and — even more likely — get into trouble! The number and type of venues depend on the size of the community and the game’s genre.
• ‍Schools or training facilities: The size and nature of schools in a community vary a great deal. An intergalactic spaceport may ban children entirely, providing only technical training, while a mining town may have a one-room schoolhouse. Choose what makes the most sense for the location and your TTRPG’s genre.
• ‍Factories, smithies, or industrial centers: Remote villages, towns, or space stations often produce many of their own goods and supplies. Decide what gets manufactured in the location and where the work gets done.

Feel free to modify and add to this list, but keep in mind how trade and natural resources limit the number and type of services available in a settlement.