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RPG Worldbuilding Questions

Part I: The Fundamentals of the World

Questions on the World Itself
  • What is this invented world called?

  • What kind of world is this?

  • Is it Earth, an Earth-like world, an alternate history Earth a completely alien planet?

  • If it is an A-H, what is the specific historical point of departure (POD) where this world split off from the history of the primary world?

    • How long ago did this happen; how much has changed and will continue to change as a result?

  • If this planet is not Earth, how does it differ physically from Earth? -- is it of comparable size and composition or quite different?

    • Comparable density, gravity, ratio of land to water, atmosphere, etc.?

  • Are there any satellites, rings, unsuspected alien satellites or the like?

  • How many suns are there?

  • How many other planets in the system?

  • Are there spectacular constellations, comets, nebulae or other astronomical phenomena visible at night or even by day?

Questions on Geology & Climate
  • Describe the climate this society deals with. How severe are their seasons?

  • What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to?

  • If there is more than one moon or sun, how does this affect winds, tides, and weather generally?

  • Are the axial tilt and orbit comparable to those of Earth -- i.e., does the world have similar seasons and length of year as Earth?

  • How old is the planet and its parent star?

  • How geologically active is this planet?

  • How are the continents laid out?

  • How much land is there, and how much of it is habitable?

  • How much land is in each of the equatorial, temperate, and polar zones?

  • How have peoples' activities affected climate & landscape in various regions?

  • Where are major mountain ranges, rivers and lakes, deserts, forests, jungles, grasslands and plains?

Questions on Ecology: Natural Resources, Flora, Fauna & Sophonts
Natural Resources
  • What is this region's most abundant resource?

  • What is its most valuable resource?

  • What resource is it most lacking?

  • Which natural resources, if any, have been depleted over time?

  • Is there usually enough food and water for the population?

  • How has the location and availability of natural resources affected relationships between peoples? -- are there conflicts over limited resources or active, peaceful trade?

  • What water resources available, and for what uses are they put?

  • Which areas have the most fertile farmland?

  • Where are mineral resources located?

Flora, the Plants, Fungi & Similar
  • What are the most common domesticated plants here? What are they used for?

  • For how long a period of time have people been domesticating and propagating plantlife?

  • Are people actively seeking to breed plants for specific traits or purposes?

  • How hardy or fragile are the domesticated plants considering their yield in food or other useful materials?

  • What are the most common wild plants here and what are they used for?

  • Do any of the plantlife pose serious threats to people, animals or other plants?

Fauna, the Beasts & Animals
  • Which animals, birds, fish, and other wildlife are commonly found in which areas?

  • What are the most common domesticated animals here and what are they domesticated for?

  • What are the most common wild beasts?

  • How are wild animals treated?

  • Which animals are likely to be pets & which ones won't be?

  • If there are animals such as dragons or unicorns or megafauna such as sivatherium or mastadon or deinotherium, where do they live and how do they fit into the ecology?

  • What do they eat and how much habitat do they require?

  • Can they live nearly anywhere, or do they prefer or need specific kinds of climate or terrain?

  • Are there intelligent animals, perhaps nearing the threshold of awareness and personhood?

Sophonts: Races of People, Spirit Beings, Angelic and Divine Beings
  • Are there different races of sophonts on this planet or only one and has this always been the case?

  • How are living beings that are persons differentiated from living beings that are not persons?

  • Can one's status change: .i. from non-person to person or vice versa?

  • What are the other races called?

  • How long have there been people on this world?

  • Did they evolve here, or were they created here or did they arrive in some manner from elsewhere?

  • If there are several sophont races, how numerous are they and in what proportions are they to each other?

  • How openly present are they? -- do some hide themselves away from others, or do they not care whether their existence is known by others?

  • What regions do they prefer to occupy?

  • How diverse is the population of this country by race and ethnicity?

  • How does the cultural and ethnic diversity of this otherworld compare to the primary world?

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