Settlement Workflow — Practical Summary
The three modes map onto the artisanal-to-automatic spectrum: Full is a nearly complete collaborative collapse, Medium is hybrid, Quick is a minimal seed.
Session Zero Starting Settlement (90-120 min, Full)
- Setup (5 min): Choose tier, determine region count
- Founding Phase (30 min): See Founding
- Roll geography, draw terrain, roll 4 terrain features
- Roll founding resource, place on map with 2 power tokens
- Roll settlement decision, create first district
- Roll first faction paradigm, name it, 2 tokens, add landmark
- Roll second faction relationship, name it, 1 token, add landmark
- Name the settlement collaboratively
- Development Phase (40 min): See History
- Roll 5-10 historical events (based on tier)
- For each: interpret, perform actions, update map, record timeline, note lore nodes
- Detailing (20 min):
- Use Beak, Feather & Bone or Street Magic to add 2-3 landmarks per faction
- Create 3-5 key NPCs — document in People
- Optional: Generate settlement threat
- Document (10 min):
- Photo/scan the map
- Type up timeline
- Create wiki stub with factions and NPCs
New Settlement During Campaign (30-60 min, Medium)
- Quick Founding (15 min): Geography, resource, 2 factions with goals, name
- Key Events (15 min): 3-5 events, arrange chronologically, update map
- Adventure Hooks (15 min): 1 landmark per faction, 1-2 key NPCs, obvious conflict
Background Settlement (5 min, Quick)
- Choose terrain and founding resource
- Create name
- Note 2 factions with a one-sentence relationship
- Add to regional hex map
Expand if players visit: run Medium before the session.
Integration with Other WH Systems
| After Ex Novo… | Next System | What It Adds |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement map with factions | Street Magic | Sensory district character, True Names |
| Faction landmarks | Beak, Feather & Bone | Three-layer descriptions, rivals |
| Historical timeline | Microscope / Chronicle | Deeper lore — the edges behind the edges |
| Faction power balance | Kingdom | Crossroads and developmental choices |
| Abandoned districts / ruins | Ex Umbra / Delve & Rise | Dungeon generation within settlement |