Geography (Rimworld Supplement)
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Every Rimworld is different and can be crafted by the DM to fit the needs of the campaign.
Biomes[edit]
The different biomes of the rim.
Temperate Forest[edit]
Forests of deciduous trees interspersed with fertile clearings. Many species of animals move around among the trees and on the plains.
Temperate Swamp[edit]
Wetlands choked with vegetation and disease. Dense overgrowth makes it hard to move around, and clearing areas for building takes a long time. Much of the terrain is too marshy to support heavy structures.
A more wet version of the Temperate Forest. Like in all swamps, diseases are more common.
Arid Shrubland[edit]
A dry region, but not dry enough to become a true desert. Open plains with grasses and bushes give way to scattered groves of trees. Plants are hardy and there is a moderate density of animals, but arable soil is hard to find.
Boreal Forest[edit]
Forests of coniferous trees. Despite the harsh winters, boreal forests sustain a diverse population of small and large animals, and have warm summers.
Cold Bog[edit]
A wetland packed with trees and vines. Much of the marshy land here can't support heavy structures, moving around is slow due to choking vegetation. Disease is endemic in this dense, wet ecosystem.
A more wet version of the Boreal Forest. Like in all swamps, diseases are more common. The marshy soil will probably require bridges before constructing buildings and the terrain is really slow to travel, but this biome also has more fertile soil.
Tropical Rainforest[edit]
A thick, moist jungle, buzzing with animal life and infested with disease. Despite its visual beauty, this is a very dangerous biome. Choking overgrowth, aggressive animals, and constant sickness are why some explorers call this the "green hell".
Tropical Rainforests are famous for having many diseases, including Sleeping Sickness: a slow-progressing, long-lasting disease that is exclusive to the tropics. Many trees make it difficult to clear land and rapid plant growth makes it difficult to keep it clear.
Tropical Swamp[edit]
A plant-choked, steamy swamp seething with parasites and pathogens. Much of the land is too marshy to build on. Difficult movement, aggressive animals, and rampant disease make living here a nightmare.
A more wet version of the Tropical Rainforest. Like in all swamps diseases are more common. The marshy soil will probably require bridges before constructing buildings and the terrain is really slow to travel, but this biome also has more fertile soil. Diseases are even more constant here than in Tropical Rainforests, so making a proper hospital and having good doctors is a priority.
Desert[edit]
A very dry area which supports little life. There is very little arable land, and animal life is very sparse. Deserts can be hot, or quite cold.
With so few animals to hunt, growing crops is a priority on one of the few arable patches. The hot temperatures can cause problems for colonists and tamed animals. This biome has patches of soft sand which prevent building, but can be removed with moisture pumps.
Tundra[edit]
These mostly-frozen plains bear almost no trees and little vegetation. There are a few small animals interspersed with large herds of migratory grazers and their predators. Animal migrations may occur once or twice per year.
Growing periods are generally very short or non-existent.
Extreme Desert[edit]
An extremely hot, dry area, devoid of almost all life. Searing heat and a near total lack of arable land make it very difficult to survive here.
The hot temperatures can cause problems for colonists and tamed animals. Its warm enough for growing plants outdoors, but it has to be done in stony patches around hills and mountains. Even though potatoes grows better in stony soil, you need to plant rice first so you will not starve while waiting for potatoes. Strawberries are also a good idea since there is no wood for cooking. Later hydroponics can be used instead of ground. This biome has patches of soft sand which prevent building, but can be removed with moisture pumps. Animal migrations may occur, about once every other year.
Ice Sheet[edit]
Sheets of ice which can be kilometers thick. There is no soil for plants to grow in. The only animals here are migrating to somewhere else - or badly lost.
The only land possible to farm is stony patches around hills and mountains, but they need to be heated indoors and also have sun lamps. You will need to do hunting, trading and cannibalism until you get a heater and a sun lamp. Later, moisture pumps can create larger growable areas and hydroponics can be used instead of ground. Geothermal vents can be used for free heating. With so few animals here, any predators that roam in will become hungry soon and target your colonists and animals.
Sea Ice[edit]
Permanent ice sheets floating on water. There is no soil for plants to grow, no minerals to mine, and almost no animal life.
Sea Ice does not have ruins and geothermal vents. Deep drills cannot dig up stone chunks and moisture pumps will only generate more ice, which means it is impossible to grow anything on the ground. You will need to do hunting, trading and cannibalism until you get a heater, a sun lamp and a hydroponics basin. It is worth mentioning that Sea Ice was designed to not allow colony building, only to allow traveling in the area, even though it is possible.
Ruins & Ancient Evils[edit]
Old buildings abandoned and destroyed. Some known as Ancient Shrines or Ancient Evils are sealed off structures that hold Ancients sleeping in cryptosleep caskets. Ancient evils also tend to hold powerful items and gear, guarded by powerful Mechanoids or Insectoids. The ancients in ancient evils can be hostile, but not all of them. These ancients will often begin to fight eachother upon being awoken from their caskets, also being attacked by any Mechanoids inside.
Vaults[edit]
Vaults are giant maze-like structures meant to protect sleeping ancients in cryptosleep caskets which keep them alive for centuries. They are etched into mountains and have advanced technology such as gene tailoring pods. They are protected by turrets and traps, and the ancients inside are typically not friendly and usually have powers that those resting within ancient evils don’t.
Factions[edit]
Tribes[edit]
”These people have been here a very long time. Maybe their ancestors crashed here a thousand years ago. Maybe they survived some cataclysm that destroyed a technological civilization here. In any case, the tribals are a mostly nomadic people who live off the land using primitive tools and weapons. Despite their apparent technological weakness, the tribals can be dangerous enemies and valuable friends because of their skill with low-tech warfare, their numbers, and their hardiness."
Tribes are low tech factions which can be divided into 5 types. Statblocks to use for tribals include commoners, tribal warriors, and archers (see Volo's Guide to Monsters).
Gentle Tribes[edit]
”This particular tribe pursues a gentle way of life where they can. They are quite open to trade and alliances, even with strange peoples."
Peaceful tribes that will be friendly towards most.
Fierce Tribe[edit]
"This particular tribe values warlike dominance; it may be difficult to turn them into an ally."
Violent tribes that are hostile towards most, although they are accepting of those who prove themselves to them.
Savage Tribe[edit]
"This particular tribe is driven by a blood-and-honor culture; you will not be able to ally with them!"
Violent tribes that believe violence is always the answer, don’t even try allying with them.
Cannibal Tribe[edit]
"This particularly vicious tribe believes eating the flesh of their enemies is a great honor."
Violent tribes that eat the flesh of their enemies, visit these tribals if you want to be eaten alive.
Nudist Tribe[edit]
"This particular tribe believes that covering one's body is wrong."
Friendly tribals who practice nudism.
Outlanders[edit]
"These people have lived here for decades or centuries, and have lost most of the technology that brought them to this world. They usually work with simple machinery and defend themselves with advanced gunpowder weapons. They are concerned with the practical matters of trade, trust and survival."
Outlanders are industrial era societies that occupy the rim. They often inhabit cities and towns, using chemfuel as the backbone of their industrial societies. They are often led by a democratic government, with a popular title for its leaders being “Prime Councilor”. Statblocks to use for Outlanders include commoners, guards, veterans, and archers (Volo's Guide to Monsters; replace bows with hunting rifles that deal 2d6 piercing damage).
Civil Outlanders[edit]
"This particular group holds civil behavior in high regard."
Civil Outlanders are refined mercantile civilizations that do not value war, instead promoting peace and trade across the rim.
Rough Outlanders[edit]
"This particular group has a streak of barbarity in them."
Rough Outlanders are societies that reject the diplomatic methods of their Civil counterpart. They often will be distrustful of outsiders and will only open up diplomatically to its trade partners, so if your not one of their friends, don’t come there unless you have something for them.
Pirates[edit]
"A loose confederation of pirate gangs who've agreed to mostly fight outsiders instead of fighting each other. Pirates don't sow, they don't build, and they rarely trade. Driven by a blood-and-honor culture that values personal strength and ruthlessness, they enrich themselves by raiding and robbing their more productive neighbors. Their technology level depends mostly on who they've managed to steal from recently. Mostly they carry gunpowder weapons, though some prefer to stab victims at close range."
Pirates speak for themselves. Pirates will often ambush you, and raid nearby settlements for loot. Trying to befriend Pirates is a lost cause, as they will only listen to the words of their brothers, and even then infighting is rampant.
Cannibal Pirates[edit]
"This particular gang of pirates are cannibal"
A group of pirates cast away from their fellow gangsters for eating flesh, attracting other cannibals to their group.
Empire[edit]
”An ultratech refugee society from the planet Sophiamunda. Their culture is based on a code of honor, a strict class system, and enforced social stasis. These are the survivors of a great calamity that tore apart Sophian society. They fled to the rimworld using the remnants of their fleet. Despite losing so much, their ships and technology still make them powerful. They will refuse to trade with anyone who lacks the appropriate royal title.”
The Empire is a powerful futuristic civilization ruled by The Stellarch and his two advising Consuls. Their military is mostly filled by Psycast warriors, such as Cataphracts.
They were forced to leave their homeland after “The Calamity”, although the nature of the calamity is never told to outsiders of the civilization and thus information on it is scarce near the rim.
The Empire will cooperate with those who are granted titles, most rim settlers get titles by doing favors for The Empire, who will then send a bestower to grant you the title. These titles are mostly honorary as the empire mostly operates in space with its real rulers and royal families living in massive starships.
If The Empire is interacting with your planet, they are most likely trying to exert control over it. Some civilizations will try to reject the influence of The Empire, while others are content as vassals.
Kingdoms[edit]
Inspiration[1]
“It is believed that some tribespeople and outlanders had come to embrace the medieval way of life and decided to unite. Though still technologically inferior to many other factions, subjects of the kingdom are well-known for using towering fortifications to protect their assets, as well as adopting the use of shields in combat and fighting in a particularly orderly manner.
In a world of advanced tech and magical beings, Kingdoms are unique for their way of life on the rim. All Kingdoms have several reasons for being the way they are, maybe they existed on the rim before the more advanced cultures, maybe they just made contact for the first time, maybe they’re luddites rejecting outlander society?
Kingdoms are usually feudal but not always.
Civil Kingdom[edit]
“This particular kingdom is open to keeping trade relations good with other settlements to bolster their economic positions.”
Just because they reject the lifestyles of their neighbors doesn’t mean they won’t trade. Although kingdoms lack the industrial might of most other factions they often are able to provide high quality goods from their skilled craftsman and artists who’ve inherited ancient techniques that industrial societies lack.
Rough Kingdom[edit]
”This particular kingdom is ruled under a heavy hand and wishes to expand by laying the less fortunate to waste - though it is still possible to befriend them.”
These kingdoms are skilled in combat and engage in conquest for the good of the nation. They generally are aggressive towards outsiders, especially those of industrial cultures, unless they have trust in them.
Savage Kingdom[edit]
”This particular kingdom is driven by a warband styled culture; you will not be able to ally with them!”
Unlike Pirates, Savage Tribals, or Bandits, these people value skilled warriors and desire conquest above all else. They will not accept any attempts at alliance and will refuse any attempts at providing tribute.
Nordmen Clans[edit]
Inspiration - [2]
”These clanmen have been here for a very long time. Perhaps their ancestors crashed here a thousand years ago, as their legends suggest. In any case, the nordmen are fierce people who live off the work of others, and their not afraid to use force to take what’s not theirs. Albeit not as technologically advanced as other factions, the nordmen can be a valuable ally and a terrible enemy due to their heathen ways.
Warriors of the north who live from raid to raid, they have more honor than pirates and are not driven by greed. They reject industrial technology for their traditional ways.
Rough Clan[edit]
”This particular clan values warlike dominance; it may be difficult to turn them into an ally.”
Most clans take this form, they are open to alliances with those who they view as honorable. They will rarely trade, usually preferring to take what they want instead of buying it.
Slaver Clan[edit]
”This particular clan wreaks havoc in the surrounding settlements and takes any survivors into slavery - it will be very difficult to become their ally.”
Exactly what it says on the tin. They have a habit of completely razing everything they raid to the ground in order to take every drop of resource they can, as a result they have gained a naval reliance in order to reach more lands after they raze everything around them.
It’s not impossible to ally with them, but it will take a lot of effort and may end up with you as a nordmen slave.
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