A Simple Way of Worldbuilding...

[pblackcrow]

Start off by creating a hamlet(>100), village (100-500), or small or medium town (500-50,000). A general store, road side market, inn/tavern, blacksmith shop, and whatever else is appropriate. Map it if you wish.

Then name and place it...mine is called Langerton, it is between a forest to the north, a mysterious energy vortex to the east, river to the west, and a dragon to the south. The forest is full of game and monsters such as Almiraj, jackalopes, hoppers, fae, etc.. River feeds a wide creek that runs through and supports the settlement. The river and feeds into the ocean 1d4 miles to the south at a port city controlled by the dragon marquess, Wu Jong Lee. Under the northern part of the settlement there is an old "abandoned" passages and rooms that the dwarfs had built and then oddly abandoned. The rooms and passages are not but 5'5" high. Though some places in the northern part of the settlement uses it to store food and valuables there, and though primarily they hide their kids during raids...leads out to the river cliff, with a door disguised as a bolder. And on to it when need be.

And finally create a storyline specifically for the PCs. Such as: boogiemen are kidnaping children who were sent into an old underground passages, for their protection while goblins attacks the settlement...breaking the smith's forge, and sets fires with flaming crossbow darts in the raid to distract the players. Boogiemen paid the goblins to raid the settlement.