Natural Resources — Distribution and Valuation
Homebrew world · D&D 5e (2024) compatible · Companion to World Foundations (file 10)
Purpose: This file defines the world's natural resources, their strategic values, and their regional distribution. Resources determine the empires' power, political posture, and trade dependencies. Distribution is based on realistic geology; gaps have been left that can be adjusted later for political balance. Structured data for visualization lives in
resource_data.json.
Design Principles
- Realistic distribution + flexibility: Resources cluster by geology and climate (mountain=ore, forest=timber, grassland=livestock). Gaps have been left that can be adjusted later for political balance.
- No continental limit on basic resources: Vital resources such as food and iron exist on every landmass — no one collapses from basic scarcity.
- Special resources are regionally dominant, not monopolies: Rare resources concentrate in certain regions but can also be found in small amounts elsewhere — because even small quantities feed political events.
- Raw potential logic: A resource's presence and the power to process it are separate things. The cumulative power score measures "raw potential"; without the technology/magic/labor to work it, potential lies idle. Access and capacity matter as much as ownership.
- Values are variable: A resource's worth depends on the society and its accessibility. Supply–demand–price balance and policy will be defined later, both narratively and mechanically.
Valuation System
Every resource carries two labels:
- Strategic Value (1–5): 1 = ordinary, 5 = unique/game-changing.
- Tier: Abundant / Rare / Unique.
A region's Cumulative Power Score is the sum of the strategic values of its resources (raw potential). Four main conflict axes contribute the most to this score: anomaly resources, fertile lands, rare war metals, and high-magic components (arcane crystal).
Resource Categories
Base Metals — The Floor of the Economy
Found on every landmass; no continental limit.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 2 | Abundant | Mountains, hills | Foundation of army and tool |
| Copper & Tin | 2 | Abundant | Hills, sedimentary zones | The pair for bronze |
| Silver | 3 | Rare | Mountain veins | Currency + against lycanthropes/fey |
| Gold | 3 | Rare | Riverbeds, mountain veins | Standard of wealth |
Rare War Metals — Military Superiority
Regionally dominant; not a monopoly. Conflict axis.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adamantine | 5 | Unique | Deep mountains, meteor craters, underground | Unbreakable armor/weapons |
| Mithral | 5 | Unique | High mountain ranges, underground | Light+strong, elven craft |
| Cold Iron | 4 | Rare | Deep underground veins | Effective against fey/fiends |
Gemstones & Arcane Crystals — Magic Components
Arcane crystal is bound to the leylines. Conflict axis.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemstones | 3 | Rare | Mountains, sedimentary zones | Spell component + wealth |
| Arcane Crystal | 5 | Unique | Old leylines and near the Nexus | Raw component of high magic (magic=power) |
Special Timber & Organics
Tied to climate and habitat.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darkwood | 4 | Rare | Ancient/enchanted forests | Light+sturdy timber |
| Healing Herbs & Components | 3 | Rare | Forests, swamps, grasslands | Divine/natural magic component |
| Monster Parts | 4 | Variable | Dangerous habitats (habitat matrix) | Magic/craft component |
Food / Agricultural Base
Found on every landmass; vital.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fertile Lands | 4 | Abundant (critical) | River valleys, plains | Population = power. Conflict axis |
| Fish & Seafood | 2 | Abundant | Coasts, open-sea lands | Coastal economy |
| Livestock / Pasture | 2 | Abundant | Grasslands, hills | Meat, leather, nomad power |
Mounts
Cavalry and mobility power.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warhorse | 3 | Rare | Grasslands, wide plains | Cavalry superiority |
| Exotic Mounts | 4 | Unique | Race/region-specific habitats (griffon: mountains, dire wolf: north, etc.) | Elite units, status |
Industrial Base
Craft and processing power.
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 3 | Rare | Mountainous, sedimentary zones | Critical for ironworking, heat, craft |
| Clean Water | 3 | Variable | Rivers, springs (away from anomalies) | Some waters were tainted in the Cataclysm — highly valuable in anomaly regions |
Anomaly Resources — High Power + High Risk
Very rare. Forbidden yet tempting. Conflict axis. Corrupts the user (consistent with the Corrupted Veins principle).
| Resource | Value | Tier | Terrain | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anomaly Essence | 5 | Unique | Anomaly fields (very rare), densest at the Cursed Heart | Immense power, but corrupts the user |
| Explosive Anomaly (sub-type) | 5 | Unique | Anomaly fields (very rare) | Devastating but unstable/risky (gunpowder equivalent) |
Regional Distribution — By Landmass
Realistic geology + arcane bound to the leylines. Values can be adjusted later for political balance.
The Main Continent (whole, wounded interior)
The most diverse and richest land. Mountain ranges, plains, forests, a desert patch, and inland seas together.
- Dominant: Base metals (abundant), fertile lands (river valleys), gemstones, coal.
- Leylines: Arcane crystal, where the old leylines run through the continent — increasing toward the Cursed Heart, along with the danger.
- Around the Cursed Heart: Dead lands + unique anomaly resources together. Anomaly essence and explosive anomaly are densest here, and most dangerous.
The Encircling Continent (crescent, partially wraps the main continent)
Buffer/transit zone.
- Dominant: Grasslands (warhorses), livestock, healing herbs, fish (coast).
- Rare: Traces of cold iron (underground), gemstones.
The Child Continent (like the main continent, small)
Sibling geography, balanced.
- Dominant: Base metals, forests (darkwood potential), fertile lands.
- Rare: Traces of mithral (high mountains).
The Distant Continent (far, isolated)
Self-sufficient but cut off.
- Dominant: Rare war metals (isolation = preserved deposits) — strategic for adamantine/mithral.
- Rare: Exotic mounts (isolated habitats), exotic monster parts.
Continent V (open sea, southeast)
Sea-centered.
- Dominant: Fish & seafood (abundant), non-salt sea resources, coral/marine components.
- Rare: Rare sea-monster parts, arcane crystal (an undersea leyline?).
The Polar Regions (Northern & Southern Glaciers — unexplored)
Terra incognita.
- Unknown potential: Undiscovered unique resources (exotic mounts: dire wolf etc.), deposits hidden under ice, possible anomaly traces.
[LATER — exploration round]
Islands & Archipelagos (minor regions)
Small landmasses between and around the continents. Resource-poor but strategically placed — waypoints, not powers. Aligned with the political map; names provisional.
| Isle(s) | Location | Settlement | Resources / Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Isles | Between Encircling & Main | Fishing village | Fish; stopover on the coastal trade route |
| Strait Isles | Between Main & Child | Waystation port | No extraction; lives off passage and resupply |
| Beacon Isle | Between Child & Distant | Lighthouse | Sea-monster parts in the dangerous strait waters |
| North Watch Isle | Below the northern glaciers | Hunters' camp | No extraction; last stop before the unexplored north |
| South Reach Isles | Between Main & Continent V | Fishing hamlet | Fish; southern sea road |
| Temple Isle | West of Continent V | Monastery & pilgrim harbor | Independent holy order — holy ground, no extraction |
| Council Isle | Northeast of Continent V | Free port | Independent Free Trade Council — trade hub, no natural wealth |
| Pirate Atolls | Southeast of Continent V | Pirate cove | Plunder economy; lawless waters (fish only) |
Open Decisions
- Supply–demand–price system — each resource's value by society, mechanical pricing.
[LATER] - Processability/capacity — which race/institution can work which resource (turning raw potential into power).
[LATER] - Exact regional densities — matching with the empires in the power centers round.
[LATER — Round 2] - Polar resources — to be opened in the exploration round.
[LATER] - Naming — the resources' world-specific names.
[LATER]
Attribution This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2 ("SRD 5.2") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.