World Building Template

Important Information ▼

This template is free to use and I copy/pasted it from https://ellenbrockediting.com/worldbuilding-bible-template/
If you use this, please give credit where credit is due.

This is a basic template to help when world-building. Not all worlds will use everything listed. You can pick and choose depending on what your world requires. This tool is just meant to be a starting point and may not cover everything your particular world might need. BUT, it is a good starting place!

THE NATURAL WORLD
Stars, suns, moons, and planets
Oceans and/or major bodies of water
Mountains, woods, and/or other prominent features of the landscape
Common plants
Rare plants
Poisonous and/or medicinal plants
Common animals/creatures
Rare animals/creatures
LOCATIONS
Natural formations
Monuments
Government buildings/castles
Train stations/airports/subways/launch pads/highways
Shops/stores
Houses/apartments
Countries/states/cities/planets
TRAVEL
Restrictions on travel
Dangerous locations
Luxury/vacation locations
Immigration/emigration
Travel times between locations
Common methods of travel
Affordability of travel
ARCHITECTURE & INFRASTRUCTURE
Common building materials
Expensive building materials
Appearance and layout of typical houses
Appearance and layout of expensive houses
Appearance and layout of typical shops/stores
Streets and sidewalks (brick, cobblestone, dirt, etc.)
Availability of plumbing and sewage
Garbage collection
Distribution of energy
Burial practices
MEDICINE
Curable diseases
Incurable diseases
Common diseases
Rare diseases
Availability of medicine
Cost of medicine
Legal drugs/potions/substances
Illegal drugs/potions/substances
PROFESSIONS
Common professions
Less common professions
Rare professions
Gender/racial/species/education restrictions of professions
Unemployment rate
ECONOMY
Distribution of wealth
Lifestyle of average income earners
Lifestyle of the poor
Lifestyle of the rich
Money system or bartering system
HISTORY
Major world events
Major wars
Major natural disasters
Age of civilization
Previous leaders/rulers
Recent cultural shifts/changes
CLOTHING
Cheap fabrics
expensive fabrics
Lower class clothing styles
Middle class clothing styles
Upper class clothing styles
Differences in clothing between genders
Differences in clothing between regions
Differences in clothing between cultural groups or species
FOOD
Staple foods
Luxury foods
Availability of food
Local/regional dishes
ENTERTAINMENT
Professional sports
Hobby/schoolyard sports
Board games and/or card games
Music styles
Common instruments
Common themes and subject matter of fiction
Government/legal/regional restrictions on films, plays, novels, music
Affordability of films, sports games, board games, instruments, books, etc.
LAW
Criminal justice system
Minor crimes
Major crimes
Laws impacting daily life
Common sentences for crimes (prison, labor, execution, etc.)
Police behavior, uniform, practices, powers
Prison conditions
Public opinion of law enforcement
POLITICS
Political parties
Ruler/King/Queen/President/Prime Minister
Prominent Members of Court/Government
Secret government agencies and/or organizations
Public opinion of the ruler/government
MAGIC
Common spells
Rare spells
Restrictions on spells
Common magical skills
Rare magical skills
Restrictions on magical skills
Common potions
Rare potions
Restrictions on potions
Prevalence of magic users
Society’s perception of magic
Requirements of using magic
TECHNOLOGY
Availability of technology
Capabilities of technology
Weapon technology
Entertainment technology
Energy creation technology
Transportation technology
RELIGION
Major religions
Dynamics between religious groups
Places of worship
Religious holidays
Morals and beliefs
Origin of religion
Prevalence of religion
Separation (or lack of separation) between church and government
FAMILY
Typical age of marriage
Typical number of children
Typical family dynamic/structure
Attitudes towards children
Attitudes towards the elderly
Attitudes towards romantic love
Care for elderly relatives (in-home, nursing homes, etc.)
Care for children (traditional parenting, nannies, boarding school, etc.)
Gender roles (or lack of gender roles)
Importance of birth order to family roles, inheritance, profession
EDUCATION
Typical education level
School subjects
School environment (strict, lenient, etc.)
Availability of schooling/education
Cost of education
Restrictions on education due to gender, abilities, species, etc.
LANGUAGE
Primary/major languages
Regional/minor languages
Prevalence of multilingual/bilingual people
Colloquial phrases, slang, and curses
RACES & SPECIES
Primary/major races and/or species
Minority races and/or species
Dynamics between species and/or races
Cultural disconnects between species and/or races
Commonalities between species and/or races
WEATHER
Typical weather
Atypical weather
Seasonal variations in weather (or lack of variation)
Clothes for each season
Heating & cooling homes