Lore & Mortar #4: Power Structures

Power structures define every single fantasy world. Who is in charge of whom? From whence does their power arise? How do they wield this power? What are the threats to their authority? How does this power trickle down hierarchically? These questions are absolutely fundamental, and they’re worth addressing regardless of if you’re designing a little hamlet or an entire cosmology. 

Any time you’re building settings for use in a tabletop context, you should always be considering how various NPCs, factions, governments, churches, and industries exert power over one another. An unusual synergy, a bitter rivalry, or a struggle played by proxy can be the exact fuel you need to inspire your next adventures.