Scales of Conflict

This week, we are writing about death and war: how does it fit into your fantasy world, and how are you going to write it? What is the scale of conflict in your world?

But for those of us who have never fought a war, or want some tips and insights into writing the effects of it on a nation or a story, stick around and follow for this week's topic!

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Conflict is the core of any story - and history, whether fictional or not, is no different. What is the scale of the conflict in question, when you are writing your fantasy world? Here are five to choose from, whether you're determining the scales of a tabletop roleplaying game or the moral conflict of your fantasy novel.

1) Personal

Best for the beginning of an arc, or the end. These conflicts are about coming to terms with who you are and what you want!

Between one person and another person or small group, resolved without death, generally matters of inheritance or personal feeling, outcome of personal satisfaction.

2) Local

Conflicts about family, togetherness, and community values - these fights hit homes about what we surround ourselves with, and who we want to care for.

Involves between 10 and 100 people, up to 20 deaths, matters of land, honour or loyalty, outcome of local leadership change.

3) Regional

We're entering the territory of true wars: this is a smaller skirmish on the global scale, but we're confronting death and mortality for purposes greater than ourselves.

Involves 50 - 1,000 people, between 10 - 100 deaths, fighting for nobility, bloodlines, or territory, outcome of exile, leadership change, or law changes.

4) National

True war: soldiers taken and discarded for the manoeuvring of generals who don't know or care about them. These conflicts illustrate the depths of human love and hatred for themselves and ideals.

Involves 1,000 - 50,000 people, between 100 - 5,000 deaths, fighting in the name of a leader or ideal, outcome of massive legislative change, oppression, or military rule.

5) International

These wars are not about ideals - they are machines, eating and ripping people apart. These conflicts wrestle with the nature of our tiny existence and the precious value of human life and morality.

Involves 50,000+ people, over 5000+ deaths, fighting for domination or survival, outcome of genocide, continuous war, apocalypse.

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The other topics this week deal with motivations, plans, and battlefronts. How to draw them and how to plan them. The questions and tips to help you to create: not the feelings of soldiers, but the sprawling ethics of a nation.

Check out the rest of our blog posts for more: OUR BLOG SITE

Or head over to our YouTube channel if you want to watch some tutorials on mapmaking with some commentary on worldbuilding.