Why You Should Create A Calendar For Your TTRPG World

    Have you ever noticed that most games you play seem to be during summer by default? If you sit down at the GM starts describing your surroundings you mind probably starts with summer. That's fine, but as you continue with the campaign a lot of GMs forget to progress the seasons or include cultural events that come with the seasons. This may not seem necessary to some people, but I want to talk about how this adds to your game and why you should include it. 

    Let's say your game is not focused on role playing and you're more about the action. Great, that can be tons of fun. A calendar with diverse seasons can really add some spice to that action. What monsters, animals, or demons show themselves in different seasons. Does the natural death of fall bring out specific enemies? Does it weaken or empower certain creatures? In the fall the cover of the trees is lost, the forest can be harder to trudge through because of two feet of leaves, and when it rains the leaves become slippery and climbing becomes dangerous. What monsters will hibernate in the winter, and which will finally show themselves? Can your players properly grip their weapons when freezing in the harsh cold air? Springtime is a beautiful and welcome sight, but it may cause the dungeon your players are in to flood! Seasons can bring many new challenges and excitement to the action and battle in your game! 

    Whether you're in it for purely action, just role playing, or a fine balance, a calendar and seasons enhance the immersion into your world. Think of real life and how so much of what we do is based around holidays or seasonal changes. We just passed new years, which can be a reason to let loose all inhibitions and party hard for some. For most it's a time we consider our accomplishments, reevaluate ourselves, and set goals for the future. The world is filled with different holidays that some practice and others don't. Planning out a calendar and dropping some holidays throughout will give shape to your social world. It may bring deep meaning to what your PCs or NPCs do. 

    Also, think of how people's behaviors change with the seasons. I hide in the winter and definitely feel more depressed. How would your people behave in the winter? Would they invent games and festivals to keep their spirits up? Does your town or city come to life in the spring? Do people fear the decay of fall? There is so much you can do with social behavior and the seasons. 

    The change of seasons should give your players more to role play with. An expedition into the mountains during the winter is not the same as the summer. Give your players environmental descriptions so their characters can react. Add weather related difficulties and penalties. Maybe your characters need to make successful survival rolls on a regular basis to be adventuring in the winter. Maybe food becomes scarce in your town and players have to function with low strength and energy. How often do natural disasters happen? What must your players do to survive an extreme snowstorm? Does spring bring mud slides that could wipe away the town? Does summer bring tornados?

    Creating a calendar and adding these details will cause players to make more long-term plans, to change the way they make choices, and work within the societal events in your calendar. It's not uncommon for players to wait a week here or there for a chance to act. If you have a regular game going months can go by quickly in your world and it will be much richer if the seasons change during that time. If you don't want to do the work or creating a fantasy calendar then just use a real calendar. If you want to learn how to make fantasy calendar, shoot me a message and I can do a future post on that! 

As usual, you can contact me if you have any further questions. If you'd like to see me write a post on a specific topic. I am a GM supplement writer for hire. I will talk to you about what you're trying to create and put your ideas into a design to improve your campaign. 

You can find me on Twitter @flayer85

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