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CONTRIBUTING.md

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Contributing to Valdris

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Valdris! This collaborative D&D campaign world grows richer with every contribution. Whether you're adding a mysterious ruin, crafting an NPC, or expanding the lore, your creativity helps make Valdris a living world.

🌟 Quick Start

  1. Fork the repository on GitHub
  2. Clone your fork locally
  3. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/your-addition)
  4. Make your changes following the guidelines below
  5. Test your changes in both Obsidian and browser
  6. Commit with a clear message (git commit -m "Add: The Whispering Forge ruins")
  7. Push to your fork and submit a Pull Request

📝 Content Guidelines

General Principles

  • Maintain consistency with existing lore and themes
  • Keep it collaborative - leave hooks for other contributors
  • Think modular - content should work standalone or integrated
  • Stay system-agnostic in lore (mechanics can be D&D 5E specific)
  • Be inclusive in your writing and worldbuilding

Writing Style

  • Present tense for descriptions ("The tower stands..." not "The tower stood...")
  • Active voice when possible
  • Show, don't tell - use sensory details
  • Leave mysteries - not everything needs explaining
  • Player perspective - no secret DM information in main content

🔗 Link Formatting

For GitHub Pages / Web Viewing

Since we maintain both an Obsidian vault and a web version via GitHub Pages, please follow these linking guidelines:

Internal Links

<!-- Good - Full path from root -->
[Grimhaven](Settlements/Grimhaven.md)
[Tinker-Priests](Factions & Organizations/Tinker-Priests.md)

<!-- Bad - Assumes file is in root -->
[Grimhaven](Grimhaven.md)

From Subdirectories

When linking from files in subdirectories:

<!-- From Settlements/Grimhaven.md -->
[Thymeris the Golden](../Architect Ruins/Thymeris the Golden.md)
[Welcome](../Welcome.md)

Non-Existent Links

If linking to planned but not-yet-created content:

<!-- Remove the .md extension -->
The mysterious [Order of the Silver Key] guards ancient secrets...

File Naming Conventions

  • Use descriptive names: The Singing Spires of Kelathon.md not spires.md
  • Spaces are fine: Architect Ruins.md not architect-ruins.md
  • Maintain consistent capitalization
  • Group related content in folders

📁 Directory Structure

Valdris/
├── Adventures/          # Ready-to-run quests and campaigns
├── Architect Ruins/     # Major ancient sites
├── Economics & Trade/   # Commerce and economy
├── Factions & Organizations/  # Groups and societies
├── Lore/               # History and world information
├── Music/              # Songs and musical culture
├── NPCs/               # Notable characters
├── Player Resources/   # Character creation and player info
├── Political Systems/  # Governance structures
├── Regions/            # Geographic areas
├── Settlements/        # Cities, towns, villages
├── Social Systems/     # Culture and society
├── Technology/         # Architect devices and innovations
└── Templates/          # Templates for new content

🏷️ Tagging System

Use consistent tags to help with organization:

  • #location - Physical places
  • #npc - Characters
  • #faction - Organizations and groups
  • #lore - Historical or world information
  • #quest - Adventure hooks and missions
  • #item - Artifacts, treasures, equipment
  • #architect - Related to ancient technology
  • #recent-awakening - Current events

✅ Contribution Checklist

Before submitting your PR, ensure:

  • Links use full paths from vault root
  • New content has appropriate tags
  • Lore is consistent with existing material
  • File names follow conventions
  • No DM secrets in player-visible content
  • Tested in both Obsidian and browser
  • Spell-checked (especially "Valdris" not "Valderis")
  • Added to relevant indexes or navigation

🎨 Types of Contributions

New Locations

  • Include physical description
  • Add cultural/political context
  • Create 2-3 adventure hooks
  • Link to relevant factions/NPCs

NPCs

  • Provide appearance and personality
  • Include motivations (public and secret)
  • Add connections to places/factions
  • Suggest how to use in games

Adventures

  • Clear objectives and hooks
  • Scalable difficulty options
  • Multiple possible outcomes
  • Connections to larger world

Lore Expansions

  • Build on existing mysteries
  • Add depth without closing doors
  • Include multiple perspectives
  • Reference existing content

🐛 Reporting Issues

Found something that needs fixing? Please open an issue with:

  • Clear description of the problem
  • Location (file path) where found
  • Suggested fix if you have one
  • Label appropriately (bug, inconsistency, typo, etc.)

💬 Getting Help

  • Check existing content for examples
  • Review recent PRs for style guidance
  • Open an issue with questions
  • Tag your PR as "needs feedback" if unsure

📄 License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license as the rest of the project.

🙏 Thank You!

Every contribution makes Valdris more vibrant and exciting. Whether you're adding a single tavern or an entire region, you're helping create something special for the entire D&D community.

Happy worldbuilding! 🎲