Engineering principles for better fantasy worlds, cities, and dungeons.
Real-world Knowledge - How infrastructure, construction methods, and city planning actually work - adapted for fantasy settings and wondrous elements.
Useful Tips - Practical guidance that you can actually implement at your table during prep or improvisation.
Story Hooks - Ways to use infrastructure not only to increase immersion, but to generate story hooks and conflict, and to encourage creative problem-solving.
I am a professional civil engineer who runs tabletop games and writes fantasy. I started this site to help bridge the gap between real-world infrastructure and the worlds we imagine - because the worlds we create tell stories in a thousand ways beyond what the characters say.
I am a fan of many old-school TTRPGs, such as Old-School Essentials, Mothership, and Knave; however, I also have a lot of experience running more modern RPGs such as 5E and Pathfinder. Most of my advice should be applicable to both old-school and modern gamers, as well as world-builders of all kinds.
The purpose of this site is not just to help others make realistic worlds for the sake of realism, but also because those same elements of realism can add a host of other benefits to your stories. By having a solid understanding of how your fantasy setting works, you can empower players and readers to come up with innovative solutions to problems. The layout of roads and location of key infrastructure can provide clues about ancient civilizations. Attentive players can make meaningful predictions about the layout of upcoming rooms in a dungeon that was designed intentionally. Tension can be escalated quickly by constraints, such as the weight limit of a bridge or the material strength of a siege engine.