Testing Your Homebrew World | GM Worldbuilding Tips 

*Thanks for watching!* What is your favourite smell? Let us know in the comments below! Check our World Anvil and their inspiring blogposts here: worldanvil.pxf.io/rPqPv Use the code GREATGM for a discount when you sign up for a subscription on their platform. Find each chapter easily by clicking on the timestamps in the description.

My favorite smell is the heavy, earthy ozone-laden scent of an imminent storm breaking out. It makes me feel like a kid again.

Favorite smell: petrichor. After that first rain in a long while, there's that earthy smell coming up from the wet ground. Thanks for a great video, a great series, and so much more you've created here. I love all of it.

Guy asks us to think of a smell and play with ourselves; this is one of my favorite videos so far.

Favorite smell: large quantities of books of a certain age. Usually in a library or a book depository. Runners up: fresh peaches (I grew up in an orchard). also newly mown grass.

I love the sickly sweet vanilla smell of old books! 💖

The Journey solo RPG game is a worldbuilding tool that lets you fill out a place's details with essentially this same method (and some additional prompts)

The smell of fresh mowed grass. Seriously. This sounds like a very good idea.

Best advice so far. It can't be overstated how important and powerful a tool visualizing can be, especially while actually running the game. I've met a lot of DMs that basically write what they think will sound cool or impressive, but never really imagine it outside of broad strokes. I fell into the trap of planning a session, imagining the location in vivid detail, writing narrative from that and feeling very proud of what I'd done. Come time to run the game and be more focused on making sure I used exactly what I wrote than actually immersing myself in the scene. Since course correcting, at most I have a few keywords to jog my memory and I just dive in with my mind's eye and narrate from there. It has greatly improved my descriptive narration and I never draw a blank when something unexpected happens or is asked. Most importantly though, it has increased my enjoyment significantly (not that I didn't already really like DMing) and I find I appreciate scenes my players describe so much more.

There is an incense called "Vampires Blood", I can't explain it well, but it reminds me of a woodsy old victorian houses with those somewhat musty felt like fabric furniture and drapes.

Culinarily, my favorite smell has to be hot, buttered popcorn. But in the whole, wide world of scents? The temperate, Hoh Rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It was honestly the most vibrant, and deep-reaching aroma of living earth that I've ever experienced! Perfect for druid or witch inspiration!

This was an excellent video. You reminded me of what I had forgotten. Visit my world myself, imagining it, the small things not the fantastic ideas I had for states or tech or magic or animals. No, the small things, those that make you smile when you imagine them. The feel and taste, the smell and noise. Thanks.

My favorite scent: the smell of the high desert borne on the winds at night, warring with the incoming marine layer at the coast. Alas, these are usually harbingers of wildfires and/or the onset of people's seasonal allergies, but that chary, charged desert redolence is a drug to me.

My favorite Smell? The smell of ash (like from a fire burning or ether after the fire is out.

Petrichor is hands down my absolute favorite smell. Doesn't matter what sort of mood I am in, Petrichor will make me happy and calm.

I’ve been binge watching these and just want to particularly thank you for the be a tourist in your world advice. That’s also great advice for internalizing pre-gen worlds, which has been a particular challenge for me.

As always, Guy, I love watching your videos (you have a very engaging voice) and greatly appreciate your thoughts. As I'm worldbuilding at the moment, these are the kinds of things that inspire changes far beyond merely "This is what your characters sense," but goes into "This defines who your characters are."

the smell of wild strawberries brings back good childhood memories like nothing else.

Favorite smell: cooling wax- the smell of a hundred candles that have just been blown out. Evokes memories/emotions connected to Christmas eve midnight services at church asI was growing up.

Cannot wait for Dung Video!!

My favorite smell: petrichor (the smell after it stops raining).

Wow, this is a really great tip! Such a simple idea yet it sounds incredibly powerful and I haven't thought of it despite often imagining places statically. I tend to have dreams about exploring random extensive buildings, places and cities - on foot, in a bus, in a car - and I always wished I could just export these dreams as 3D models to implement them. This just might be the way to do exactly that - although it will be day dreaming to come up with stuff this time around.

My god, this is exactly what I needed today.

As a fairly new worldbuilder (about 6 months now), your videos have been quite helpful and inspiring. I just watched this and it helped break a bit of writer's block I was having, and I sat down and wrote up the three pillars of elvish society in my world, which fit into the way the elves live, and the way they build communities, and even raise children. This is information that may never come up in a game, unless a player wants to play an elf, and then I can tell them how elves are typically raised, and where they live, and what they find important. Also, while watching this, I found that this is what I had sort of been doing as I was trying to imagine and work out the various cities, as well as rural geography in the land I'm creating. Now I have some structure I can apply this thought experiment and that will also be helpful. Thanks again.

My favorite smell in the world is coffee, especially freshly ground, there is nothing quite like it, and with the multitude of varietals, every single one smells different, so each new blend is a new olfactory delight. Speaking of coffee, did you drink some before this video? You were really excited, and I liked it!

My favorite smell is NOT this stupid smell that comes after COVID... favorite smell in general is storms and/or autumn leaves. I do visualization at the table, but not in prep. This is excellent advice!!!

I was born with an incredibly low sense of smell, to the point that I can't really smell anything except really strong odours. I more likely to taste it in the air than anything. But one that always stuck out to me was sandalwood. To me it's a subtle earthy smell that has this spicy smoke taste that clings to the back of my throat in a nice way, but to many people I know it's just so strong a smell.

11 minutes of waffling. Truly masterful.

Strange answer but my favourite smell is a dry, warm mix of eucalyptus and ox dung. A town from my childhood had that smell in the air so it reminds me of the fun times spent there. Second favourite smell, is a whole lot more normal, a fresh bunny chow

My favorite smell is the smell of freshly baked bread. Usually because a tasty sandwich is going to be sold nearby.

Lilacs and gooseberries.

I wanted to say that my favorite smell is that earthy scent in a deciduous autumn forest... but it's probably the scent of cooking garlic, if we're being real. Or of baked goods, such as banana bread and apple pie.

My favourite smell is probably chlorine from a swimming pool, which is weird, but it was absolutely the smell which got me the most excited as a kid so remains my favourite.

You had me at "execution by mob" lol Favorite smell: fresh-dug earth. Or bacon.

"Slightly wet vinegar" made me lol.

I love that you do (and recommend) this, as well. I don’t do it nearly enough (it’s a big world) but I have wandered around many, many parts of my world. I also do it in different time periods (so I can see how it develops, what historical precedents were set, how it’s evolved, what technologies are developed (or lost)! I love being in my own world. Dang. I’m miss it. I’m going back on vacation ASAP. :)

"soup that taste like wet vinegar"... best description ever.

Citrus is my favorite smell.

That is THE greatest advice i've heard, thanks A LOT, it is really helpful and fun!

Favorite smell: Cake in the oven. Doesn't matter what kind of cake. It's less about the smell itself but more about the anticipation, there's a cake waiting to be baked, to be cooled down, to be decorated... and eventually to be eaten.

"The Ins and Outs of Dragon Dung Disposal: A Primer"

I love this tecnique, I honestly find little hard doing it but I do somthing similar that maybe can help others. I just write in first person an event that i want to narrate, like a note or a part of a diary of a character, and this just put my mind engine on the right road. If come up well i can olso use it during the campagn and is olso a good writing exercise.

I'd say favourite spell is probably cherry blossoms, or lilacs. Both are smells I strongly tie to my home, as they grow in our garden.

favorite smell? I must say mixture of freshly cut wood, gas and oils from chainsaw. But it may be closely tied to memories of me working with my father in forest :)

Than you very much! it's a great video, your excitement got me very excited so it's fun and very helpfull

The smell of an active fermentation room at a distillery. Different mashes have different smells, and I could stand in those rooms for hours savoring them all.

The smell... (Deep Inhalation) of Victory. Ahhhh!

I don't know if it's your haircut, the casual look with the T-shirt and the wristwatch, or what, but you look good.

Pine trees after a rain.

Well, this episode went all sorts of places.

I just started posting my own campaign last night on twitch, and have archived them onto RU-vid… Someone let me know, gently of course, some constructive criticism to make it better. Next game Could be tonight if everyone shows up, otherwise Sunday nights are going to be the regular time. I’m calling it Genesis because the central story revolves around a magic school that attempts to disengage itself from the crystals sphere, and create a better place for the children… And something goes wrong. Most of the pantheon has been wiped out, and a major portion of the history of this world has been altered… There’s a mystery here, and intrigue large and small. I’ve been working on this for a few years, and I hope everyone enjoys the story we are building together… Hazaa!

Thank you! I'm trying to have a car race in my game and playing it is Greatly helpful.

My favorite smell is the smell of green onions. I dont know why but i love it. I wish i could have a candle of it.

You’re an outstanding guy, Guy.

Excellent!

Favorite Smell: Spring morning air gently coming in the window with early morning sun.

Horseradish is surprisingly my favorite smell

The smell of books!

The video that made me think about dung in a whole new way. It might even be my new favorite smell.

Reminds me of the first person mode in Theme Park World lol. Very cool idea

The smell of grilling thick, glistening ribeyes right over the fire, with buttered onions, peppers, and prawns on the top shelf wreathed in the rising steak-smoke.

Amazing advice

this is an amazing video, and as someone who is starting to Dm again i'm going to do this now every time a new town/ city is introduced: about the favorite smells however? its an odd mix of metal smell and scented oils and incense. ( yes i know, Mechanicus)

I love the smell of fresh brewed coffee :)

My favorite smell is the smell of grass the first time I mow in the spring.

I agree with "Dancer."

This is literally my favourite part of any world: the local customs, clothing, festivals, food, etc. My favourite authors/books always make sure to describe these things.

The smell after/during a rain within a spring day.

Rain in the spring on a freshly cut lawn.

Finally caught up!

this one is nothing new but I love the smell of Rain

The smell of a used bookstore - the bit of dust, the leather, the decaying paperbacks…

I haven't been able to smell for the past decade but I still remember the smell of the sea.

This is great advice, but I'm not sure this video really explains HOW someone becomes a tourist in their own homebrew world. I'm doing it by both writing stories about characters adventuring in the world, and by writing mini-guides for the many rival cities in the core region. I am getting mixed results. Favorite smell? I really don't do favorites. One smell I enjoy, which is rather odd for someone to really enjoy, are the wild mustang horses some rich folks are training near a client's house. I love the smell of horse in general, it's a luxury for an ordinary guy like me, but these have a distinct smell, one that carries across 150 yards/200m.

The smell of thunder and spring rain🦋

Instructions unclear, got my wobbly bits cut off because I took an apple of a market stall without paying because I was so engrossed with the smells and sounds of said marketplace. 3/5 would visit again.

Heavy sage and eucalyptus in the southern hills of San Jose, CA

The smell of enchiladas de mole 😍

Cut grass. I struggle with S.A.D in the winter and play cricket throughout summer, so grass getting cut again is cemented in my mind as the end of the thing I hate and the start of the thing I love.

My favorite smell is the smell of a library. No, that's not a joke.

It would have to be the smell of fresh baked cookies, sizzling sausage in the morning, the pages of a new book, clean clothes that have just come out of the dryer, and a cool, rainy evening.

It's cliche, but I love the smell of a used bookstore.

I recommend telling everything aloud and recording yourselves. When you're done, listen to the recording and parse the data in notes. Also, I have the same t-shirt but so does 50% of people who watched this video.

Favorite smell (one of): Onions and garlic searing in olive oil. O.O.

Ionized air, that smell that indicates a storm is about to break out. It’s that smell of rain.

My favorite smell is unequivocally green soap The smell all fellow tattooed people associate with tacking on a new piece It's also indelibly what tattoo parlors used to smell like

Freshly cut grass Is my favourite smell

My favorite smell is fresh-ground coffee

Hot bread: I cannot find a better smell to me.

Cel-Vinyl acetate cels. Unfortunately nobody makes acetate cels anymore, as cel animation is now done entirely on computer. So my next favorite would be gunsmoke.

Heated wood. Not wood burned in a fire, but the smell it gives off after being cut with a saw.

I like the smell of food cooking cause it means I’ll be eating soon 😆

Favorite smell? Vanilla. I've never used this method for finishing out a setting. Ive always just stopped when it seemed about right. I'm not sure if it's more of a good thing, or a bad thing.

This one was artsy

Fresh cut lawn at low tide

It's fun to play with alternatives for archetypal "standard fantasy/D&D" race setups. Add a few twists here and there and they feel fresh. Say, elvish cuisine can be very flavourful to elves but much less so to most other races, with some more affected than others, because elvish sense of taste is insanely detailed and needs little. (In general, if you want high detail, think about how different races might differ in their natural sense of taste!) Or, instead, it could be very intensely flavourful to everyone, because elves' food is one of the aspects of their culture where they seek to enjoy life to the fullest, stimulating their discerning senses, even if they otherwise act reserved, because culinary enjoyment is seen as refined and noble to them. (This could also be a unifying thing among different elven alternate cultures that differ otherwise, like high/wood/dark elves, providing them a common touchstone and shared experience and a degree of mutual understanding.) Orcish food could be simple but extremely well prepared and very flavourful because good food is crucial to health and fighting ability, is one of the few "refined" pleasures orcish life can reliably offer, and either provide many potential dishes from the few ingredients they normally have, or have few dishes that they refined to perfection over their culture's development. Dwarven cooking could be hearty and filling and well-made but taste almost the same no matter what dish it is, nice but just identical, because that particular dwarven culture does not like to change things at all and likes things traditionally uniform. This could be a fine point of cultural antipathy between them and Flavourtown style elves, or could be a curious unintentional situation with the "different sense of taste" kind, where dwarves think elven food is good by dwarven standards because it tastes the same to them, but they simply lack the overly sharp sense of taste to discern the variety.

8:00 Something more personal…🤣🤣🤣

My favorite smell is camphor.

Freshly baked bread in the tavern

burning charcoal. i love a barbeque.