RPG Worldbuilding Questions
Part I: The Fundamentals of the World
Questions on the World Itself
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What is this invented world called?
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What kind of world is this?
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Is it Earth, an Earth-like world, an alternate history Earth a completely alien planet?
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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?
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How long ago did this happen; how much has changed and will continue to change as a result?
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If this planet is not Earth, how does it differ physically from Earth? -- is it of comparable size and composition or quite different?
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Comparable density, gravity, ratio of land to water, atmosphere, etc.?
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Are there any satellites, rings, unsuspected alien satellites or the like?
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How many suns are there?
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How many other planets in the system?
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Are there spectacular constellations, comets, nebulae or other astronomical phenomena visible at night or even by day?
Questions on Geology & Climate
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Describe the climate this society deals with. How severe are their seasons?
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What kinds of natural disasters has this society gotten used to?
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If there is more than one moon or sun, how does this affect winds, tides, and weather generally?
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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?
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How old is the planet and its parent star?
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How geologically active is this planet?
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How are the continents laid out?
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How much land is there, and how much of it is habitable?
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How much land is in each of the equatorial, temperate, and polar zones?
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How have peoples' activities affected climate & landscape in various regions?
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Where are major mountain ranges, rivers and lakes, deserts, forests, jungles, grasslands and plains?
Questions on Ecology: Natural Resources, Flora, Fauna & Sophonts
Natural Resources
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What is this region's most abundant resource?
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What is its most valuable resource?
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What resource is it most lacking?
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Which natural resources, if any, have been depleted over time?
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Is there usually enough food and water for the population?
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How has the location and availability of natural resources affected relationships between peoples? -- are there conflicts over limited resources or active, peaceful trade?
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What water resources available, and for what uses are they put?
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Which areas have the most fertile farmland?
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Where are mineral resources located?
Flora, the Plants, Fungi & Similar
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What are the most common domesticated plants here? What are they used for?
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For how long a period of time have people been domesticating and propagating plantlife?
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Are people actively seeking to breed plants for specific traits or purposes?
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How hardy or fragile are the domesticated plants considering their yield in food or other useful materials?
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What are the most common wild plants here and what are they used for?
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Do any of the plantlife pose serious threats to people, animals or other plants?
Fauna, the Beasts & Animals
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Which animals, birds, fish, and other wildlife are commonly found in which areas?
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What are the most common domesticated animals here and what are they domesticated for?
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What are the most common wild beasts?
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How are wild animals treated?
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Which animals are likely to be pets & which ones won't be?
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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?
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What do they eat and how much habitat do they require?
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Can they live nearly anywhere, or do they prefer or need specific kinds of climate or terrain?
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Are there intelligent animals, perhaps nearing the threshold of awareness and personhood?
Sophonts: Races of People, Spirit Beings, Angelic and Divine Beings
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Are there different races of sophonts on this planet or only one and has this always been the case?
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How are living beings that are persons differentiated from living beings that are not persons?
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Can one's status change: .i. from non-person to person or vice versa?
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What are the other races called?
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How long have there been people on this world?
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Did they evolve here, or were they created here or did they arrive in some manner from elsewhere?
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If there are several sophont races, how numerous are they and in what proportions are they to each other?
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How openly present are they? -- do some hide themselves away from others, or do they not care whether their existence is known by others?
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What regions do they prefer to occupy?
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How diverse is the population of this country by race and ethnicity?
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How does the cultural and ethnic diversity of this otherworld compare to the primary world?