creating a fantasy world
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I. The WorldA. Basics
Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real
life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
Is this generally an earth-like world? Is it an "alternate Earth"?
Are there different human races, whether or not there are non-humans like eles or dwares? Howdoes the cultural and ethnic diersity of this world compare to the real world?
How long hae there been people on this world? !id they eole, or did they migrate from
somewherewhen else?
How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with world population? #hat
is considered a small townlarge towncity in terms of number of people?
#here does magic power come from$ the gods, the "mana" of the world %as in &arry 'ien(s
"#arlock" stories), the personal willpower or life force of the magician, somewhere else? Is magican e*haustible resource? If a magician must feed his spells with his own willpower, life-force, or
sanity, what long-term effects will this hae on the health andor stability of the magician? !o
different racesspecies hae different sources for their magic, or does eerybody use the same one?
+. Alternate Earth Are there non-human inhabitants of this planet %eles, dwares, aliens)? If so, how numerous?How openly present? #hat areas do they occupy %e*amples$ dwares in mountains or caes, elesin forests, etc.)?
How similar are the history and culture of the alternate earth to real history and culture? #hy is it
so similardifferent?
Is there a specific historical point where this world split off from ours %e.g., 'apoleon won at
#aterloo)? If so, what was it? How long ago was it? How much has changed and will continue to
change as a result? Is the split in history a result of the presence of magic, or is the change the
thing that made workable magic a possibility?
If there is no specific point of diergence, what are the differences between this imaginary world
and the real one? How obious are they in eeryday life? If magic e*ists but history is more or less
the same, why has it had no effect? If magic works, eles e*ist, etc., but most people don(t know it,
how and why has this been kept secret? If magic is known to e*ist, which historical eents hae changed and which are the same? How
hae organied religions reacted? oernments? rdinary people? #hat laws andor professions
are different? #hat effect will the general and specific differences hae on the social /uestionsbelow?
0. Not Earth at All How does this world differ physically from earth? Is it the same sie %same density, same graity),
same ratio of landwater, same atmosphere, etc.? !oes it hae more than one sun or moon? 1ings?
Are there spectacular constellationscomets, etc. isible at night or by day?
Are there non-human inhabitants of this planet %eles, dwares, aliens)? If so, how numerous?
How openly present? #hat areas do they occupy?
How are the continents laid out? If there is more than one moonsun, how does this affect winds,
tides, and weather generally?
How much land is there, and how much of it is habitable?
Is the a*ial tilt and orbit the same -- i.e., does the world hae the same seasons and same length of
year as Earth?
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II. Physical and Historical Features!. General
In which geographical areas will the story take place? How much ground will the story coer?
#hat are the most striking features of landscape, climate, animals, etc. in this area? How will
these features affect trael time, communication, etc.?
If there are non-human inhabitants, are there any areas they particularly claim as their own %e.g.,dwares traditionally lie underground, usually in mountains)?
E. Climate and Geography Hae human actiities affected climate, landscape, etc. in arious regions? How? %E*ample$
2ahara !esert growth has been increased by oer-farming.) If this is an alternate earth, will the
"alternate" part change e*isting effects? %If there are no people in '. Africa, desert growth is
probably slower.)
How do differences from Earth %multiple suns, moons, etc.) affect the climate in arious areas?
How much land is in each of the e/uatorial, temperate, and polar ones?
'ote$ climate affects landscape through erosion and weathering3 the distribution of plants
and animals, and formation of soil. As a result, it determines what crops can and can(t be
grown, what animals can and can(t lie in an area, what clothes must be worn to copewith the weather, and how houses are built. #inter freeing and thawing may change
trael patterns, as waterways freee or flood and passes close. #eather also affectsaailable sports, like skiing. Are all these things consistent with what you say the climate
is like in particular areas?
#here are ma4or mountain ranges? 1iers and lakes? !eserts? 5orests, tropical and otherwise?
rasslands and plains?
If there are imaginary animals %dragons, unicorns, etc.), how do they fit into the ecology? #hat do
they eat? How much habitat do they re/uire? 0an they lie anywhere, or do they prefer or need
specific kinds of climate or terrain? Are they intelligent andor capable of working spells, talking,
etc.?
5. Natural Resources #hich areas are the most fertile farmland? #here are mineral resources located? #hich animals, birds, fish, and other wildlife are commonly found in which areas? If there are
imaginary animals such as dragons, where do they lie?
#hich natural resources, if any, hae been depleted in which areas oer time?
#hich resources %e.g., coal, oil, iron ore, gold, diamonds, limestone, etc.) are particularly
abundant, and in which areas? #hich are scarce? Are there places where there are rich deposits
that haen(t been discoered yet, or where they haen(t been fully e*ploited?
How much conflict has been or might be caused by these imbalances in resources? How much
actie, peaceful trade?
#hat water resources aailable, and for what uses %a mill wheel re/uires flowing water, i.e., rier
or stream3 irrigation needs a large, dependable water source like a lake or largerier3 etc.)?
. World History How far back are there records or tales of historical eents? How widely known are these stories?
!o aerage people beliee old tales, or do they dismiss some that hae a basis in fact %e.g., 6roy)?
How long hae there been people on this world? !id they eole, were they created by the gods,
or did they migrate from somewhere else? If there are non-humans, how long hae they beenaround and where did theycome from?
How similar is the history and culture of an alternate earth to real history and culture? #hy is it
similardifferent?
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#here did ciiliation begin? #hat directions did it spread? How was its deelopment affected by
the presence of magic? 6he presence of non-human races, if any? 6he actions or direct
interentions of the gods?
#hich peoplescountriesraces hae traditionally fought, allied, traded, or been rials? #here are
there still hard feelings about old eents?
#hich peoplescountriesraces hae been in conflict in the recentpast? #hy? #hen and why was
the most recent war? #ho won? #hich peoplesetc. are considered the most ciilied? #hich are most technologically adanced?
#hich are most magically adanced? &east adanced? #hy?
Is there a single, generally accepted calendar %including time measurements), or do different
countries or peoples or races hae different ones?
How many languages are there? #hich ones are related %e.g., the 1omance languages) and why?
#hich languages borrow words or phrases from other languages? #hich is likely to be most
widely spoken?
Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between countries that don(t speak the same
tongue? Is there a "uniersal language" spoken by educated or noble persons, as &atin was in the
7iddle Ages?
H.
Specific Country(s) History
How accessible is this area? #hat natural features mark the borders? #ho are the neighboring
countriespeoples and what are they like?
#hy did people settle in this country in the first place -- strategic location, trade route, water
transport, minerals, good farming, etc.? Hae things changed much since, or do they still depend
on whateer brought them in the first place?
How do the weapons of this country compare with those of surrounding cities and countries? Hae
there been recent innoations that may upset the balance of power, or is eeryone more or less
e/ual?
#ho are the rials or enemies of this country? How close are they physically? How powerful?
#ho are the heroes and illains of each country(s history %e.g., #ashington and &incoln in the
8.2.3 Henry 9 in England, etc.)? #hy are they heroesillains and what do this say about the
country and the people who admire them? How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with world population? #hat
is considered a small townlarge towncity in terms of number of people?
How dierse is the population of this country -- how many different races %human or non-human),
creeds, etc. normally lie in arious cities and towns in this country? In what percentages?
Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to coast, etc.? #hy --
inasion, plague, gold rush, etc.? #hat effects has this had on the places being left? 6he placesgaining people?
Is magic legal here? All magic, or only some types? !o laws ary widely from country to country,
or is the attitude generally similar?
#hat does this country import? E*port? How important is trade to the economy? How is currency
e*change handled, and by whom? #hat is the system of coinage, and who mints it?
#hich peoplescountriesraces hae been in conflict in the recent past? #hy? #hen and why was
the most recent war? #ho won?
#hich peoplescountriesraces fought, allied, traded, or were traditional rials? #here are there
still hard feelings about old eents?
How much of the country is farmland? 5orest? !esert? 7ountains? :lains?
#hat are the primary crops %e.g., potatoes, cotton, tobacco, coffee, rice, peanuts, wheat, sugarcane,
etc.)? Are any grown mainly for e*port? #hat crops can notbe grown here because of the soil,
climate, or for other reasons?
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#hat water resources aailable, and for what uses %a mill wheel re/uires flowing water, i.e., rier
or stream3 irrigation needs a large, dependable water source like a lake or largerier$ etc.)?
#hat wild animals, actual or imaginary, lie in this area? Are any of them potentially useful --
e.g., for fur, whale oil, hides, magical ingredients, hat feathers?
#hich animals, actual or imaginary, are commonly domesticated in this area? #hich aren(t here,
but are elsewhere? %E*ample$ water buffalo in India s. o*en in Europe s. camels in desert areas.)
How do most of the citiens make their liing -- farming, fishing, trade, manufacturing? !o non-humans tend to take up different trades from humans? Are they legally limited to certain trades?
III. Magic and MagiciansI. Rules of agic
#hat things can magic notdo? #hat are the limits to magical power? How do magicians try to get
around these limits?
#hat is the price magicians must pay in order to be magicians -- years of study, permanent
celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.? !oes anyone eer try to get
around the price of magic?
Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished?
#here does magic power come from$ the gods, the "mana" of the world, the personal willpower of
the magician? Is magic an e*haustible resource? If a magician must feed his spells with his own
willpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term effects will this hae on the health andor stabilityof the magician? !o different racesspecies hae different sources for their magic, or does
eerybody use the same one?
How does a magician tap hisher magic power? !oes becoming a magician re/uire some rite of
passage %inesting one(s power in an ob4ect, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being gien
a permanent link to the source of power) or does it 4ust happen naturally, as a gradual result of
much study or as a part of growing up?
#hat do you need to do to cast a spell -- design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mi* the right
ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that arenecessary to hae before casting spells? If so, where and how do new wiards get these things? !o
they make them, buy them from craftsmen, inherit them from their teachers, or order them from
#iardry 2upplies, Inc.?
Is there a numerical limit to the number of wiards in the world? #hat is it? #hy?
How long does it take to cast a spell? 0an spells be stored for later, instant use? !oes working
spells take lots of long ritual, or is magic a "point and shoot" affair?
0an two or more wiards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done only by
indiiduals? #hat makes one wiard more powerful than another -- knowledge of more spells,
ability to handle greater leels of power, haing a more powerful god as patron, etc.?
!oes practicing magic hae any detrimental effect on the magician %such as becoming addictie,
fomenting insanity, or shortening life-span)? If so, is there any way to preent these effects? Are
the effects ineitable to all magicians, or do they affect only those with some sort of
predisposition? !o they progress at the same rate in eeryone? Are they uniersal in all species, or
are some races %dwares, eles, whoeer) immune to these detrimental effects?
How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what is
commonly known is wrong %e.g., Aristotle(s ideas about human anatomy, which were wrong butaccepted for centuries)?
#hat general arieties of magic are practiced %e.g., herbal potions, ritual magic, alchemical magic,
demonology, necromancy, etc.)? !o any work better than others, or does only one ariety actually
work?
Are certain kinds of magic practiced solely or chiefly by one se* or the other? +y one race or
another? Is this because of inborn ability, natural preferences, or legislation?
!oes a magician(s magical ability or power change oer time -- e.g., growing stronger or weaker
during puberty, or with increasing age? 0an a magician "use up" all of hisher magic, thus ceasing
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to be a magician? If this happens, what does the e*-magician do -- die, retire, take up teaching, go
into a second career, start a freelance consulting business?
0an the ability to do magic be lost? If so, how -- oerdoing it, "burning out," brain damage due to
feer or a blow, etc.?
0an the ability to work magic be taken away? If so, how and by whom? %6raditional e*ample$
certain spells that can only be worked by irgins3 raping such a witch robbed her of her powers.)
;. Wi!ards !oes practicing magic hae any detrimental effect on the magician %such as becoming addictie,
fomenting insanity, or shortening life-span)? If so, is there any way to preent these effects? Arethe effects ineitable to all magicians, or do they affect only those with some sort of
predisposition? !o they progress at the same rate in eeryone? Are they uniersal in all species, or
are some races %dwares, eles, whoeer) immune to these detrimental effects?
#hat is the price magicians must pay in order to be magicians -- years of study, permanent
celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.? !oes anyone eer try to get
around the price of magic?
How do arious religions,if any, iew magic? !o any forbid it? #hy or why not? !o any re"uire
priestspriestesses to be magicians? !o anyfor#idmagicians from holding some or all religious
offices?
How long does it take to learn magic?
Is magic a profession, an art, or 4ust a 4ob? #hat is the status accorded to magicians in this
society? Are they the e/uialent of shyster lawyers, politicians, and used car salesmen, or are they
considered aerage working stiffs, or are they looked up to and admired?
Are wiards organied? How? #hat hierarchy, if any, do they recognie? #hat happens if the
personpeople at the top get killed? #ho takes oer? How soon?
0an anyone become a wiard, or does one need to be born with some special talent or gift?
Are different racesintelligent species good at different types of magic? If so, what types are
associated with what racesspecies? Are there species that use magic more or less unconsciously --for instance, dragons using magic to fly without being consciously aware of it, or werewoles
using magic to change?
0an you make a liing practicing magic, or do you hae to hae independent means? If you can
make a liing, what are you doing -- making magic swords, or making it rain for local farmers?#hat(s a wiard(s 4ob market like? #hat(s a wiard(s aerage income, relatie to the rest of
society?
Are magicians a force in politics, or are they aboe it? Are there national politics that reole
around magicwiards %i.e., trying to outlaw, protect, or promote certain kinds of magic, trying todraft wiards into a ruler(s army, licensing of magicians, etc.)? !o wiards hae a lobby? !o they
need one?
!oes it re/uire a license to be a wiard? If so, is it more like a drier(s license %something nearly
eeryone in our culture gets upon coming of age) or like a doctor(s license %something only a small
percentage of the population will eer get)? #ho certifies wiards$ goernment, wiard(s
guildA7A, local priests?
How do local people iew wiards? Are they good guys, bad guys, 0lint Eastwood %call in only to
get rid of dragons), regular working stiffs, iory-tower academics, nuisances who make it rain
when you(re plowing, dangerous folks to stay away from? How do you get to be a wiardmagician? !oes it re/uire inborn talent, study and hard work,
practice, or all of the aboe?
Are wiards barred from certain kinds of goernment 4obs or offices? !o some goernment 4obs
re/uire that their holder be a wiard?
If magic re/uires study, where do you go to learn about it? How do people fund their training? Is
there an apprenticeship system, or are there wiard schools, or is it one-on-one
tutoringmentoring? Is an untrained wiard dangerous, or 4ust an ordinary person?
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!o wiards hae a special language that is used for magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it safe
to chat in this language, or is e$erythingsaid in it automatically a spell? If so, how can it safely be
taught to new students?
Is magic considered a science, or are scientists and wiards enemies or rials? Are magic and
science compatible? 6o what degree does the presence of magic, magical ob4ects, and wiards
replace technology %for e*ample, a chest that is enchanted to keep its contents cold could replace
the refrigerator)? !uplicate technology? 2upplement technology? Are wiards aboe or below the law -- I.e., do they hae full rights as citiens, no rights, or can
they do as they like without regard to anyone else(s rights?
Is the relatie power of a country or ruler usually measured by the sie of the army, the number
and ability of his wiards, or the amount of money at his disposal?
0an two or more wiards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done only by
indiiduals? #hat makes a powerful magician?
#hat do you need to do to cast a spell -- design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mi* the right
ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are
necessary to hae before casting spells? If so, where and how do new wiards get these things? !o
they make them, buy them from craftsmen, inherit them from their teachers, or order them from
#iardry 2upplies, Inc.?
#here does magic power come from$ the gods, the "mana" of the world, the personal willpower of
the magician? Is magic an e*haustible resource? If a magician must feed his spells with his ownwillpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term effects will this hae on the health andor stabilityof the magician? !o different racesspecies hae different sources for their magic, or does
eerybody use the same one?
How does a magician tap hisher magic power? !oes becoming a magician re/uire some rite of
passage %inesting one(s power in an ob4ect, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being giena permanent link to the source of power) or does it 4ust happen naturally as part of growing up,
like puberty?
!oes a magician(s magical ability or power change oer time -- e.g., growing stronger or weaker
during puberty, or with increasing age? 0an a magician "use up" all of hisher magic, thus ceasing
to be a magician? If this happens, what does the e*-magician do -- die, retire, take up teaching, go
into a second career, start a freelance consulting business?
Is a magician(s lifetime normally longer or shorter than aerage? #hy? !oes this ary for different
racesspecies? Are there racesspecies all of whose members are magicians?
Are there fashionsfads in magic -- are herbal spells "in" this year and ritual spells "out," or ice
ersa?
Are certain spells %as opposed to magic generally) illegal? #hy -- because of the effect of the
spell, or because of the ingredients or procedures needed to cast it, or what? If so, how would a
criminal magician be detected? Apprehended? :unished? Is catching and punishing illegal
magicians the responsibility of the magician(s guild, or do the ordinary courts hae to handle it?
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How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? 0an an ordinary, non-weapon-type
ob4ect be enchanted to make it e*tremely lethal %the 5rying :an of !eath) or will this work
properly only on things that are already weapons? 0an ordinary ob4ects be enchanted to makethem %or their user) supremely good at something %the 5rying :an of 8ltimate ourmet 0ooking,
the 0omb of 'o +ad Hair !ays Eer)? How common and useful are such enchantments?
6o what degree does the presence of magic, magical ob4ects, and wiards replace technology %for
e*ample, a chest that is enchanted to keep its contents cold could replace the refrigerator)?!uplicate technology? 2upplement technology?
0an spells andor magical items be mass-produced? Are there magic carpet factories and bouti/ues
selling magic rings?
0an spells andor magical items be used to increase the efficiency of manufacturing or mass
production? !o businesses keep a wiard on retainer, as modern businesses might keep a lawyer
or efficiency e*pert? #hat, e*actly, are they paying for?
&. iscellaneous agic &uestions Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world %to accommodate magic), or are
they the same as in real life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
If there are imaginary animals %dragons, unicorns, etc.), how do they fit into the ecology? #hat do
they eat? How much habitat do they re/uire? Are they intelligent andor capable of working spells,
talking, etc.?
#here did ciiliation begin? #hat directions did it spread? How was its deelopment affected by
the presence of magic? 6he presence of non-human races, if any? 6he direct or indirect action of
the gods?
In what ways can magic or spells be abused? How often does this happen?
#hich peoplesracescultures are considered the most ciilied? #hich are most technologically
adanced? #hich are most magically adanced? &east adanced?
Is magic legal? All magic, or only some types? !o laws ary widely from country to country, or is
the attitude generally similar?
#hat wild animals, actual or imaginary, lie in this area? Are any of them potentially useful --
e.g., for fur, whale oil, hides, magical ingredients, hat feathers?
Are there magical beasts, like dragons and unicorns? If so, which ones? How many? Are they
common, or are some endangered species? Hae any been domesticated? Are there magical artifacts %rings, swords, etc.)? If so, who makes them and how? Are the spells
permanent, or do they wear off after a while?
#here is scientific andor magical research done -- uniersities, priate labs, under the auspices of
the rulergoernment, etc.?
ien the magicaltechnological leel of this society, what is an appropriate ration of farmers or
food producers to urban residents? If farm production is based on magic, how many urbanresidents are going to stare if the spells supporting farming %weather, land fertility, etc.) fail
suddenly?
#hat are the ma4or political factions at present? How long hae they been around? #hich factions
are allies, which enemies? Are there any potential new forces on the political scene %e.g., a risingmiddle class, a uniersity gaining une*pected power because of certain magical discoeries, etc.)
Are magicians a force in politics, or are they aboe it? Are there national politics that reole
around magicwiards %i.e., trying to outlaw, protect, or promote certain kinds of magic, trying todraft wiards into a ruler(s army, licensing of magicians, etc.)? !o wiards hae a lobby? !o they
need one?
How much has the presence of magic affected strategy and tactics in general? Is magic used
primarily for intelligence gathering %spells of inisibility, scrying, etc.), or are there spells that are
of use on the battlefield %summoning a demon to attack the enemy, casting fire storms at them,etc.)? If battlefield magic is possible, how can it be defended against?
Is healing generally a magical process? If so, how does the magical healing talent work? !oes a
magical healer hae to consciously direct the healing process %meaning that lots of knowledge of
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!o men and women, parents and children, serants and master, eat separately, or does eeryone
eat together? How is status displayed at the table %seating aboe or below the salt, near or far from
the head, etc.)?
#hat dishes are considered holiday food? #hat foodsdrinks are associated with particular
holidays, eents %e.g., funerals, weddings) or times of the year?
#hat distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal, besides /uantity and
ariety of food? How do high-court manners differ from eeryday ones? #hat eating utensils are used, if any? 5orks, eating knife, spoons, chopsticks?
#hat is the order of a typical upper-class meal -- do they start with wine, then a sweet, then a
stew, then a salad, or do they bring eerything in at once?
Are special arrangements necessary for entertaining guests of different racesspecies -- taller chairs
for dwares, raw meat for werewoles, perches for harpies, etc.? How do the eating customs of
different races reflect their cultures and biology? How difficult does this make social interaction
among the races?
Is sanitation good enough for untreated water to be safe to drink? If not, what do people drink
instead?
#hat shapes are tableseating areas %round, oblong, s/uare, rectangular, etc.)? #here is the "place
of honor" for a guest? #here do the important members of the household sitreclinewhateer?
#hat things, while edible, are neer eaten %what(s not kosher)? #hy? Are some common human
foods poisonous to dwares or eles %or ice ersa)?
#hat types of food or seasoning are characteristic of different races? !ifferent cultures? !ifferent
countries?
:. Greeting and eeting #hen meeting someone, how are they greeted -- wae, handshake, bow, some other gesture? How
did the greeting gesture originate %e*ample$ shaking hands to proe one(s weapon hand was
empty)? Is there a special I-am-not-armed gesture for wiards?
Is there a difference between the greeting offered to an e/ual and that offered to a superior or
inferior? Is there a difference between the greeting offered a man or a woman? Humannon-
human?
Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting?
How are two people who hae neer met normally introduced to each other? #hat is the order ofprecedence when there are seeral people of differing se* or social status present, all of whom
need to be introduced to each other?
Are there classes of peoplebeings who are neer introduced to other classes of peoplebeings? Are
"true names" significant, and if so, under what circumstances would someone be gien another
personbeing(s true name?
Are there customs inoling the way in which someone is named when being introduced %for
e*ample$ giing all of a person(s names and titles at the first meeting, but neer repeating them
afterward, so that he(s always referred to as "eorge" een though he(s introduced as the !uke
eorge Edward 0anterbury orden de la 2uis-5oule, 7ar/uis of Horsham, #hitewater and
5ramingham, Earl of 2t. :eter(s 0lose, and 9icount of Abernathy)?
Is there any difference in the way you greet someone you already know, compared to greeting a
stranger %or does eerybody 4ust always hug or shake hands or whateer)? How does someone
acknowledge seeing an ac/uaintance at a distance %passing on the other side of the street) -- by anod, tipping the hat, wae, smile, or not at all?
=. Gestures #hen meeting someone, how are they greeted -- wae, handshake, bow, some other gesture? How
did the greeting gesture originate %e*ample$ shaking hands to proe one(s weapon hand was
empty)?
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Are gestures and body language in this society generally subtle or not? !o people talk with their
hands, or is that considered ulgar?
Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting?
#hat is a comfortable and polite speaking distance for people in this culture? ther
culturescountriesraces? How aware are people of these differences?
#hat gestures are insulting? #hat do they mean? !o some gestures differ in meaning depending
on the culture, race, or time %e*ample$ the American "9"-for-ictory sign, which became the peacesign, and which iswas highly insulting in Europe)?
How do gestures and body language differ between countries? +etween species? Are there things
that don(t matter in one area that are mortal insults in another %eating with the left hand, etc.)?
#hat are the ways of showing respect %bowing, saluting, etc.)? 6o whom is one e*pected to show
such respect -- one(s elders, superiors in rank, teachers, priests, etc.?
1. 'isits Are there /uestions that must be asked or aoided %how(s the family, how(s the business, neer talk
politics or religion, etc.)? Are there topics that can only be raised by the host? 6he guest?
How seriously does the culture take the responsibilities of host and guest? #hat rules define when
someone becomes a host or guest %e.g., in mid-eastern countries, giing bread and salt to someone
makes the person your guest3 giing a >-course meal without bread or salt doesn(t)? #hat things are considered courteous to offer a guest$ food, reading material, personal guards or
attendants, musicentertainment, a person of the opposite se* to sleep with?
#hat is considered a courteous response to a host(s offer? Are there things it is considered rude to
accept? 1ude to turn down? 1ude to ask for? 1ude notto ask for?
#hen a guest arries, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interal, or only on re/uest? Is
there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly arried guest?
How do different eating customs of the arious cultures and races interact and conflict? E*ample$
a person from a culture that considers it impolite to refuse an offer of food being the guest of
someone whose culture considers it impolite to stop offering food until the guest says "when."
2. anguage Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between countries that don(t speak the same
tongue? Is there a "uniersal language" spoken by educated or noble persons, as &atin was in the
7iddle Ages?
Are some or all people bilingual? Is there a common second language many people know?
Are there "secret" languages or codes known only by priests, soldiers, wiards, guild members,
etc.? #hy were they deeloped?
#hat are the ariations in speech patterns, synta*, and slang from one social class to another? ne
occupation to another? ne region to another? ne race to another?
#hat areas do local slang phrases come out of? %E*ample$ in a fishing town, referring to good
luck as "a good catch," while people in a farming town refer to it as "an une*pected harest".)
#hat kinds of colorful turns of phrase do people use?
#hat things in this culture would their language hae many specific words for %e.g., Inuit
languages that hae @ words for different kinds of snow)? #hat do the people in this culture
consider important enough to name? #hat does this say about the way they look at the world? #hat things would the people of this culture not hae a name for, or hae one word that coers
numerous ariations? #hat do they consider too unimportant to name? How does this affect the
way they see the world?
Are there words that must neer be spoken e*cept at particular times, in ceremonies, or under
particular circumstances? Are there words that must not be spoken in polite company? !o thesewords differ from culture to culture or race to race?
#hat will people swear a binding oath by? #hat do people use as curse words?
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How many languages are there? #hich ones are related %e.g., the 1omance languages) and why?
#hich languages borrow words or phrases from other languages? #hich is likely to be most
widely spoken?
Are there different languages for different races %dwares, eles, etc.), or is language based more
on geography than racespecies? Is there a special language you need to learn in order to talk to
dragons or other magical beasts?
!o wiards hae a special language that is used for magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it safeto chat in this language, or is e$erythingsaid in it automatically a spell? If so, how can it safely be
taught to new students?
6. Ethics and 'alues #hat will people swear a binding oath by? #hat do people use as curse words?
#hat is the most desiredmost aluable stuff in this society -- gold, 4ewels, drugs, money, furs,
reindeer, etc.? #hy is it desiredalued? !o different races alue different things? Is there araceculture for whom non-material things %information, time) are the most aluable things? How
did they get that way?
#hat things are considered normal and acceptable in this society that would not be considered
normal or acceptable in yours? %E*amples$ dueling, drugs, open homose*uality, polygamy,infanticide.)
#hat things are considered shocking in this society that are not considered shocking in yours --
e.g., showing a woman(s ankles, eating left-handed, reading in public? #hat would be the reactionof an ordinary person who sees someone doing one of these things -- to turn away, call the cops,
draw a sword and challenge the offender to a duel, etc.?
#hat are the acceptable limits to honor andor honesty in this society? Are "white lies" acceptable
socially, or is lying in any form considered beyond the pall? Is thieery an accepted, ifdisreputable, occupation, or is it a crime?
Is a binding oath unbreakable no matter what, or can you get out of it if the other party turns out to
be eil scum or if you weren(t fully informed? #hat is considered the right thing to do if two oathscome into conflict -- do you hae to decide as best you can, hold to the most recent oath, hold to
the oath to the mostleast powerful person, commit suicide?
#hat are attitudes toward ownership? #hat constitutes "theft" and what can be stolen -- gems,
gold, someone(s good name or reputation? Are thiees independent criminals, members of anillegal guild, business people licensed by law, or what?
#ho is considered a citien, with the rights and priileges thereof? #hat are those rights and
priileges %oting, protection from thiees, the right to a hearing in 1ome) and whatresponsibilities go along with them %4ury duty, proiding funds or knights for the lord(s army?
Are there certain classes of people %wiards, foreigners, children, peasants, women) who hae
fewer legal rights or less recourse than full citiens? #hy? Are they considered mentally or
morally deficient, a danger to the state, or is there some other rationale?
Is there a group of people who do not hae full rights in this culture? #hy not? Are they
considered mentally or morally deficient, a danger to the state, or is there some other rational?
#hat are the controersial sub4ects in this culture? #hat things can you start a friendly argument
about in any bar? #hat things will automatically start an unfriendlyargument?
#hat are the social taboos -- what things are "not done," like wearing a bathing suit to the office?
#hat things are not talked about? #hat would happen if someone did? How do these taboos aryamong the different races?
#hat are the biggest social fau* pas -- burping loudly at a formal ban/uet, drawing steel in the
presence of a /ueennoble, asking a dwarf whether it(s male or female? #hat sub4ects or actions
cause embarrassment or discomfort?
#hat are the society(s mores regarding courtship, marriage and family? Is marriage primarily a
ciil or a religious institution?
#ho are the persons or groups to which one automatically has a duty simply by being born --
one(s family, one(s towncity, one(s country, one(s rulerpresident, the gods? #hat is the hierarchy
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of duty among them -- is it considered more noble to follow your mother(s teaching or to follow
your emperor(s orders?
#hat are the standards of beauty for people? :aintings and sculpture? 0lothes and furniture? How
do they differ from the standards in your culture %e*ample$ a country which considers fatness a
highly desirable beauty trait)? How do standard of beauty reflect the physical traits of the arious
races %e*amples$ dwares might consider e*cessie height unattractie3 werewoles might be
attracted by long teeth or a particular scent)? #ho are this culture(s historic heroes and illains %e.g., #ashington and &incoln in the 8.2.3 Henry
9 in England, etc.)? #hy are they admired as heroesillains and what does this say about the
people who admire them?
#hat is the ideal life that people aspire to? !o people mostly want to retire to a little house in the
country, buy the most "toys," sere in the armynay?
#hat kinds of people are the rebels and outcasts of this society? How does society deal with
them? #hat actions or ideas will get you made an official outcaste*ile? #hat happens to people
who don(t fit the accepted social order -- do they hae their own sections of town, or are theyinisible %"in the closet"), or do they get kicked out of the country altogether?
#ho are the arbiters of ethics %as opposed to law)? How did they get to be arbiters? #ho are the
social arbiters? !itto, ditto.
#hich ethicalmoral decisions are considered the proince of religion, and which are not?
8. Religion and the Gods How do arious religions, if any, iew magic? !o any forbid it? #hy or why not? !o any re"uire
priestspriestesses to be magicians? !o anyfor#idit?
Are there actual godsgodlike beings? If so, do they take an actie role in a) the temples, churches,
and religions that worship them, or b) the lies of eeryday people? #hy or why not? How manygods are there, and is there a hierarchy among them? #hich ones are good or eil, or is this
meaningless when speaking of gods?
How do arious religions iew non-belieers? 5oreigners? 'on-humans? #hich support the
staterulergoernment, and which are interested mainly in ordinary people?
#hat customs surround a birth and the introduction of a new child to the family? Is the mother
se/uestered for some period? Is the child? Is there a formal presentation of the new child to
parents, grandparents, oerlord, priest, the gods? Is a feast and celebration declared, or doeseeryone keep a low profile to keep from attracting demons or bad luck?
#hat customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people %doctors, priests,
funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies? #hat things must be done and why%burn hair to free spirit, burn body to preent necromancy, coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)? Are
the dead feared, reered, or ignored?
Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished?
Is there tension, rialry, or outright hostility between any of the actual gods? How does this affect
church politics? :eople(s eeryday lies?
#here does religion fit into this society? Is there a state church? Is freedom of religion the norm?
!o people generally think of the templeschurches as parasites or as a useful part of society?
#hich ethicalmoral decisions are considered the proince of religion, and which are not? !o the
gods care how people behae? #hy or why not?
If there are actual, demonstrable gods, what part does faith play in their worship? #hat are theirarious rites like, and why? #hat offerings are considered good, better, best? Are people supposedto pick one or more gods to worship and ignore the others, or does eerybody officially worship
eeryone? How do people decide whom to worship? How do they decide which temple to be
affiliated with?
How much of a part do arious religions and philosophies play in public and priate life? Are
philosophers and theologians considered iory-tower academics, or do they debate in the
marketplace, like 2ocrates? How much influence do their theories hae on the way people actually
behae?
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Are priests and philosophers full-time workers, or do they need day 4obs? If they are full-time,
who supports them -- the congregation, a wealthy patron, the temple(s inestment fund, the god
they sere?
#hy are the gods interested in people? Are they like the reek pantheon %/uarrelsome, larger-
than-life humans), or are they transcendent and incomprehensible? !o the gods hae limits to
what they can do? 6o what they illdo? 0an the gods make mistakes?
How do the arious temples and philosophies e*plain the classic "problem of eil"? !o they think
bad things are always a 4ust punishment for some transgression, a character-building e*ercise, the
result of an eil antagonist %2atan, &oki) or 4ust something the gods can(t preent?
9. *opulation How many people are there in this country? How does this compare with world population? #hat
is considered a small townlarge towncity in terms of number of people?
How dierse is the population of this country -- how many different races %human or non-human),
creeds, etc. normally lie in arious cities and towns in this country? In what percentages?
Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to coast, etc.? #hy --
inasion, plague, gold rush, 4ob opportunities, etc.? #hat effects has this had on the places being
left? 6he places gaining people?
ien the magicaltechnological leel of this society, what is an appropriate ration of farmers or
food producers to urban residents? If farm production is based on magic, how many urban
residents are going to stare if the spells supporting farming %weather, land fertility, etc.) failsuddenly?
Is there much immigration into or out of arious countries? #hy? 6o or from what other areas?
#hich geographical areas are most heaily populated? &east? Are certain areas or terrains more
popular with certain races that with others? #hy?
V. Social Organization#. General
#here is scientific andor magical research done -- uniersities, priate labs, under the auspices of
the rulergoernment, etc.?
!oes it re/uire a license to be a wiard? If so, is it more like a drier(s license %something nearlyeeryone in our culture gets upon coming of age) or like a doctor(s license %something only a small
percentage of the population will eer get)? #ho certifies wiards$ goernment, wiard(s
guildA7A, local priests?
#hat are the arious ranks and titles and proper forms of address for the aristocracynobility? Is
eerybody "my lord" and "my lady," or are there more distinctions %your grace, your highness,
your ma4esty, your holiness)?
#hat occupations are respected? &ooked down on? #hy?
How many leels are there in this society$ peasant, bourgeoisie, warrior, noble? How difficult is it
to rise or fall from one social leel to another? How firm are the diisions between social classes
-- is it disgraceful for a noble to engage in trade or for a warrior to help with the harest?
How difficult is it to rise or fall from one social leel to another? How much social mobility is
there? How much do people thin+there is?
#hat are the standards of beauty for people? :aintings and sculpture? 0lothes and furniture? How
do they differ from the standards in your culture %e*ample$ a country which considers fatness ahighly desirable beauty trait)? How do standard of beauty reflect the physical traits of the arious
races %e*amples$ dwares might consider e*cessie height unattractie3 werewoles might be
attracted by long teeth or a particular scent)?
B. Go$ernment
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How has the presence of magic and magicians affected law and goernment? Are wiards barred
from certain kinds of goernment 4obs or offices? !o some goernment 4obs re"uirethat their
holder be a wiard?
#hat is the basic style of goernment$ feudal, aristocratic, oligarchy, absolute ruler, democracy,
what? #hat forms are used in neighboring countries, and why are they the same or different?
#hat serices does the goernment or head of state proide$ schools, wells, courts, an army to
protect people from the 9ikings? #hat serices are proided locally or priately? #ho has the right to ley ta*es? 5or what? n what or whom? 0an ta*es be paid in kind, or do
certain things re/uire money?
#ho proides support serices for the head of state? #hat are they called$
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Are there separate ciil and criminal courts? Human and non-human courts? Is there a separate
court or procedure for magical crimes? #hat is different about each type of court? Are 4udges or
other court officials re/uiredforbidden to know magic? Is eidence obtained by magic acceptablein court? Is eidence obtained by magic considered more reliable or less reliable than physical
eidence or eyewitness accounts?
#hat things are considered truly serious crimes and why? %E.g., in a trade-oriented culture,
counterfeiting might be a death-penalty crime, while in a place where life is cheap, murder mightbe something you pay a small fine for.)
#hat are the normal punishments for serious s. minor crimes? Are there prisons, or are people
punished and released? Are there degrees of punishment -- branding s. cutting off ears s. cutting
off a hand s. decapitation -- or do they 4ust hang eerybody?
#ho is responsible for catching criminals? #ho pays the crook-catchers -- the ruler, the city
goernment, a consortium of merchants, somebody else? How are they organied -- into
independent police precincts, or into oerlapping districts, or 4ust according to whoeer wants to
hire them? Are they full-time, part-time, or olunteers? :riate or public? #hat sort of facilities dothey hae? #hat arms are the allowed to carry?
Are there lawyers or adocates? #ho can afford them? #ho trainscertifies them?
Are people guilty until proen innocent, innocent until proen guilty, or does it depend on the
mood the lord is in when they bring the case before him?
Are there 4udges other than the ruler, lord, or landowner? If so, how are they chosen, how are theypaid, and who pays them? Are appeals possible, and if so, to whom? How often are outlying areaslikely to see a 4udge? Is "mob 4ustice" common or uncommon? Approed of or disapproed of?
Are there sumptuary laws regulating what different classesraces may wear? !o 4udges and
lawyers wear special clothes %robes, wigs) to indicate their calling?
Are wiards aboe or below the law -- I.e., do they hae full rights as citiens, no rights, or can
they do as they like without regard to anyone else(s rights?
Are highwaymen, muggers, and pirates common or rare? #hat sorts of crimes is the aerage
citien likely to run across during hisher lifetime?
#ho can make or repeal laws -- a group %an elected 2enate, an appointed 0ouncil, or an hereditary
House of &ords), or only the ruler or head of state? How much can the nobility, middle class
tradesmen, etc. influence the laws that are made?
How are alleged criminals treated before and after their conictions? !o the policemilitarycity
guard make a practice of roughing up suspects, or is this frowned upon?
AA.,oreign Relations !oes this country hae formal relationships with other countries? If so, who can be an
ambassador? Are there standing embassies and consulates, or are special enoys sent only when
something comes up?
How are treaties arranged? Are there any significant ones currently in force or coming up for
signing?
How much do official attitudes toward other countries affect commerce and trade? !o merchants
pretty much ignore tensions between goernment as long as they can make a profit, or will this getthem into trouble? Are there 0ustoms inspectors or their e/uialents at border crossings? Is the
e*portimport of some technologiesmagicscommodities regulated by the goernment, or by non-
goernmental cartels? How does this affect political relationships between countries? How much formal spying and intelligence gathering is normally done by goernments? 6he
military? 7erchant guilds and wealthy tradesmen? Are there actual organiations, or is spying
done by diplomats andor freelance agents? How effectie is it currently?
#hich countriesraces are traditional allies? #hich are traditional rials? How do these traditions
affect present-day relations between countries and races?
#hich heads of state are related by blood or marriage, and how important is this in determining
foreign policy?
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bullets, etc.? How hae these changes affected society? How will they affect relationships between
racesclansse*essocial classes when the war is oer?
Is the army integrated %i.e., men, women, eles, dwares, purple people, and green ones, all
sering together)? How does this affect battle formations? 2trategies? Are certain races or groups
isolated in particular units? If so, are those units considered elite troops or the most e*pendable
soldiers on the battlefield? How do these attitudes affect strategy?
Has science or magic been adanced in general by specific deelopments in the fields ofweaponry, tactics, or strategy?
Are there natural or imposed limitations prohibiting the deelopment or use of certain types of
weapons %e.g., only muscle-powered weapons because the "laws of physics" in this world don(t
allow the combustion of gunpowder)?
6o what degree has technology changed the face of war? Are there internal combustion engines
useable for large troop moements, or steam powered ships?
00. Weapons How do the weapons of this country compare with those of surrounding cities and countries? Hae
there been recent innoations that may upset the balance of power, or is eeryone more or lesse/ual?
Are magical weapons aailable? 0an magic be used in warfare? In what ways? Are spells fast
enough to be useful in hand-to-hand combat, or is magic more of a siege weapon, used only for
long, slow things?
How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? 0an magic make weapons more
effectie? !o you hae to do anything special to walls, armor, or weapons to make them better
able to resist enemy spells?
How much has the presence of magic affected strategy and tactics in general? Is magic used
primarily for intelligence gathering %spells of inisibility, scrying, etc.), or are there spells that are
of use on the battlefield %summoning a demon to attack the enemy, casting fire storms at them,
etc.)? If battlefield magic is possible, how can it be defended against?
How has the presence of magic affected weapons technology? 0an an ordinary, non-weapon-type
ob4ect be enchanted to make it e*tremely lethal %the 5rying :an of !eath) or will this work
properly only on things that are already weapons? 0an ordinary ob4ects be enchanted to make
them %or their user) supremely good at something %the 5rying :an of 8ltimate ourmet 0ooking,the 0omb of 'o +ad Hair !ays Eer)? How common and useful are such enchantments?
#hat personal weapons are aailable to anyone who can afford them? Are some considered "for
nobles only" either by custom or by law? Are there laws forbidding certain classes from being
armed at all?
#hat is the leel of weapons technology? Are there guns, and if so, how sophisticated %flintlock,
matchlock, rifle, 8i)?
#hat ma4or weapons of war are aailable %e.g., siege towers, catapults, cannon, A-bombs)?
#hat weapons and armor are standard for armies? 7ercenaries? 'obility? Cour aerage peasant
trying to defend hisher home?
Are weapons, such as swords or pistols, a standard part of dress for anyall segments of society?
#hat are the accepted conentions of making war %e.g., only fight in winter when nobody is busy
with crops3 don(t make war on ciilians3 only certain kinds of weapons are aailable, etc.)?
VI. Commerce Trade and Pu!lic "i#e!!.General
#hich peoplescountriesraces fought, allied, traded, or were traditional rials? #here are there
still hard feelings about old eents?
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Is there a "trade language" that facilitates commerce between countries that don(t speak the same
tongue? Is there a "uniersal language" spoken by educated or noble persons, as &atin was in the
7iddle Ages?
#hat does this country import? E*port? How important is trade to the economy? How is currency
e*change handled, and by whom?
#hy did people settle in this country in the first place -- strategic location, trade route, water
transport, minerals, good farming, etc.? Hae things changed much since, or do they still depend on whateer brought them in the first
place?
How much do official attitudes toward other countries affect commerce and trade? !o merchants
pretty much ignore tensions between goernment as long as they can make a profit, or will this get
them into trouble? Are there 0ustoms inspectors or their e/uialents at border crossings? Is the
e*portimport of some technologiesmagicscommodities regulated by the goernment, or by non-
goernmental cartels? How does this affect political relationships between countries?
EE.Business and .ndustry How is business organied? Are there trade unions? uild structures? 7ulti-state corporations?
International cartels?
Are people able to cross-craft, I.e., learn or perform different trades? !oes cross-crafting re/uire
guild permission, a write from an oerlord, or is it automatically guaranteed by law? How strict
are craft restrictions -- are carpenters the only people allowed to build houses?
#hat types of trades would be represented in a small town? A middle-sied town? A large city?
Is currency and coinage standardied, or is there a system of e*change? #hat are typical
denominations? #hat types of currency is a traeler or merchant likely to carry on a trip? #hatare different coins called, and what are they worth?
Are industrial processes %e.g., swordmaking, weaing, etc.) considered "trade secrets," or are they
common knowledge?
#hat is the process a young person goes through to enter a craft or trade? An apprenticeship? 5our
years of college? Are the craft re/uirements for arious skill ranks %such as apprentice,
4ourneyman, master, or med student, intern, doctor, specialist) standardied, or does rank depend
more on the good faor of a master craftsman than it does on skill?
!o different regionscities specialie in specific crafts, processes, or products %e*amples$!amascus steel, +ordeau* wines, 0hinese silk, #isconsin cheese)? !o different races specialie?
#hat regulations, if any, has the goernmentruler placed on business practices? Are there
antimonopoly laws? Anti-pollution? Are there standardied systems of weights and measures, ordoes a merchant hae to specify "a &ondon bushel" of grain rather than "a Cork bushel"? How do
differing systems affect shipping and trade?
Are any new industries deeloping? #hich old ones do they compete with or make obsolete?
How are records kept -- tally sticks, parchment, clay tablets, beads?
Is there a merchant class? #here do they fit in society? Are there trading guilds? If so, how are
they organied? How much power do they hae to control trade? How much infighting is there
among them?
Are there trading organiations that transcend countries %like the Hanseatic &eague)? How large a
presence do they hae locally?
Is this a money-based economy, or mostly barter?
#hat goods are commonly aailable in small town markets? In large towns? In cities? How do
goods get to market?
#hat industries -- mining, fishing, shipbuilding, lumber, farming, manufacturing, etc. -- are
important, and in which areas? #hich depend on materials from other areas %as shipbuilding onwood, or weaing on wool)? #hat happens if supplies are disrupted?
#ho is responsible for coinage$ the ruler, local barons, someone else %merchant guilds)? Are there
generally acceptable standards? How easycommon is counterfeiting?
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How much smuggling is there? f what, from or to where?
55. %ransportation and Communication #hat are the common domesticated animals used for transportation at arious leels of society --
e.g., o*en, horses, donkeys, camels, etc.?
Are there magical means of transportation %teleport spells, magic carpets, dragon-riding)? How do
they compare in speed, safety and e*pense to non-magical means? Are there any drawbacks tomagical trael %for e*ample, teleport sickness)? How commonly are they used, and for what
purposes %industrial shipping s. trael for fun)?
5or traeling short distances within a city, what are the alternaties? 0an people hire a cab, a litter,
a rickshaw, or do they hae to walk or rely on their own serants or horses?
How are messages sent when necessary? Is there a publicpriate postal system, or does eeryone
of importance hae to send messengers? How fast can news get from A to +?
How aailable is water transportation? How reliable? How dangerous? How e*pensie?
How common is trael %for any reason)? !oes the concept of trael "to see the world" or for fun,
een e*ist? How dangerous is trael? How large a group is considered safe? How much traffic is
there inside and outside the main cities? #hich areas are bestworst?
#hat is the fastest means of traeling long distances oer land? er water? #hich methods are
safest? #hat is transportation like? Are there good roads? #ho built them? #ho is responsible for
maintaining them?
#here would a traeler stay at night? Are there enough traelers to support inns, or do people
hae to stay at some e/uialent of medieal monasteries?
Are some classes of people %slaes, peasants) not e*pected to trael at all? Are some %heralds,
messengers) e*pected to trael constantly?
How do people find out what is happening in the world -- rumor, town crier, newspapers, 69 and
radio? How slanted is the news they get this way, and in what direction? Is there freedom of the
press? If not, who controlscensors it and by what means?
How are books produced? Are they common %has the printing press been inented) or are they
rare, aluable, e*pensie, hand-written ob4ects? If the latter, who has the time and skill to produce
them?
#here are the great libraries or collections of booksscrollsmanuscripts? How accessible are theyto scholars, wiards, the general public? #ho supports them?
.Science and %echnology Is the leel of technology in this society comparable to that of ancient 1ome, the 7iddle Ages, the
1enaissance, the Industrial 1eolution, what?
#hat important inentions or adances hae been made %the wheel, gunpowder, printing, flush
toilets)? Hae any of them reached the point of affecting the daily life of the aerage person, or are
flush toilets a lu*ury for the nobility only?
#hat inentions or adances hae not been made that you would normally e*pect to see at this
stage of technological deelopment? #hich ones are about to be made?
How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what iscommonly known is wrong %e.g., Aristotle(s ideas about human anatomy, which were wrong butaccepted for centuries)?
Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real
life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
#here is scientific andor magical research done -- uniersities, priate labs, under the auspices of
the rulergoernment, etc.?
In what areas might magic replace technology, and thus suppress its deelopment %e*ample$ if a
spell to keep food cold is easy and cheap, there(s no need to inent refrigerators)? In what areas
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might magic cause more rapid technological or scientific deelopment %e*ample$ common use of
crystal balls might lead someone to think of inenting the lens or the telescope sooner)?
HH.edicine #hat customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people %doctors, priests,
funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies? #hat things must be done and why
%burn hair to free spirit, burn body to preent necromancy, coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)? Arethe dead feared, reered, or ignored?
How accurate is the diagnostic process? !o healers hae ways of telling two diseases with similar
symptoms apart? !o they depend on standard physical medical tests -- refle*es, temperature,
contracted pupils -- or do they normally use spells for diagnosis?
How e*pensie is a healer? How aailable are such serices to ordinary people?
How much is known about anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc.? Are treatments based on purely
practical e*perience %"#e know this works but we don(t know why"), or do healers understand atleast some of what they are doing?
How much training does a healer normally get? #here? 5rom whom?
Is healing generally a magical process? If so, how does the magical healing talent work? !oes a
magical healer hae to consciously direct the healing process %meaning that lots of knowledge ofanatomy, etc., would be re/uired), or does magical healing simply speed up the normal,
unconscious healing process in the patient? Is there more than one kind of magical healer %as there
are surgeons, eye doctors, etc.)? Are there both magical and non-magical healers, and if so, are
they rials or simply different specialties?
Is there a reliable method of birth control? #ho normally handles births -- midwies or doctors?
#hat is the mortality rate for pregnant ladies, new mothers, and children?
#hat leel is medicine at? #ho are the healers? !o you hae to hae a talent to heal, or 4ust
training? #ho trains healers, herbalists, apothecaries, surgeons, magical s. nonmagical healers,
etc.?
How much need is there for healers -- how much sickness, plague, in4ury, etc. is there in this
society? Are there enough healers to meet this need?
#hat kinds of treatments are aailable -- herbal brews, accinations, acupuncture, spells, etc.?
How effectie are they?
Is it possible to resurrectresuscitate someone who has died? If so, how long does it take beforethis becomes impossible? +efore serious brain damage sets in?
How is insanity treated? Are there asylums or treatment centers, or is it handled case-by-case?
How effectie are treatments for insanity?
How much do the physical differences between humans and non-humans affect their medical
treatment? Are there diseases that only affect non-humans, or only humans? Are there diseases that
affect eerybody, but with different degrees of seerity -- a mild cold in a human is galloping
pneumonia in a dwarf? Are some treatments lethal to one species but effectie for others? !odoctors or healers hae to specialie to do a good 4ob of treating non-human patients?
II. Arts and Entertainment #hat is the status of the arts %dance, music, theater, etc.) in this society? Are artists reered or
mistrusted? Are they considered noble or immoral? #ho supports the arts? #hich arts are most
highly alued and why?
Are there permanent theaters or concert halls for the performing arts? If so, who owns and runs
them? Are they profitable? Are there also traeling troupes of playersmusiciansdancers? How do
their performances differ?
#hat do people at arious leels of society do for fun?
0an magic be used in the arts, and if so, how -- paint that glows, pictures that moe, flutes that
play themseles, etc.? How do "normal" artists feel about this? Is there a separate branch of purely
magical art, such as illusion?
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#hat sports or pastimes are common %hawking, hunting, skiing, baseball)? #hich ones take skill,
money, andor leisure time?
Is magic a profession, an art, or 4ust a 4ob? #hat is the status accorded to magicians in this
society?
#hat games are commonly known -- chess, dice, poker? #hich are common among eeryone,
and which are limited to the peasantry or nobility? Are certain countriescities known for a
passione*pertise for particular games or pastimes? Hae paper-making and the printing press been inented, or are books and scrolls rare, e*pensie,
handwritten items?
#hat things are considered appropriate sub4ects for representational arts such as painting and
sculpture? #hich are not? %E*amples$ some culturesreligions forbid the painting or sculpture of
the human figure, and hae abstract art3 some hae limited painters to doing only "uplifting"
religious works, etc.)
Are there non-human races who tend to be naturally talented painters, dancers, etc.? How does this
affect human practitioners of these arts?
!o non-human races hae their own games and leisure pastimes? How do they differ from human
games? How do they reflect the physiology andor particular magical talents of the arious non-human races?
Are certain racescultures considered better at some arts than other racescultures? #here do the
best dancers, painters, musicians, actors, etc. come from?
#hat are the standards of beauty for people? :aintings and sculpture? 0lothes and furniture? How
do they differ from the standards in your culture %e*ample$ a country which considers fatness a
highly desirable beauty trait)? How do standard of beauty reflect the physical traits of the arious
races %e*amples$ dwares might consider e*cessie height unattractie3 werewoles might be
attracted by long teeth or a particular scent)?
;;. Architecture #hat is the most common building material? #hy is it used %aailability, cheapness, legal
re/uirement)? !oes it hae any ma4or drawbacks %e.g., the reat 5ire of &ondon)?
How tall a building can be constructed at a reasonable cost and in a reasonable time?
#hat are typical floor plans like -- can people afford to waste space on hallways, or do they 4ust
hae a series of rooms opening into other rooms? Are buildings normally built s/uare, triangular,domed, what?
How many people usually lie in a typical house? How large is a typical house?
#hat are the differences in materials and appearance between a lower-class, middle-class, and
upper-class type house? How do people decorate buildings %e.g., carings s. paint s. patterns
resulting from the use of different building materials)? Are there differences in ornamentation
depending on the purpose of the building %e.g., gargoyles and carings of saints used mainly on
cathedrals)?
Has technology or magic progressed to the point of making window-glass? If so, how e*pensie is
it? If not, what do people use to coer windows necessary for entilation and light?
How are liing /uarters arranged? Are bedrooms on the top floors for priacy or on the ground
floor for conenience? Are parlors or libraries common? How are houses heatedcooled?
Are wars and insurrections common enough that castles and cities are built with an eye to military
defense first and appearance later, or are palaces and wall-less towns the rule?
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!oes city layout reflect some philosophy %religious or otherwise), such as that the "head" of the
city must be at the center or at the highest point or at the most strategic location? r were layout
considerations mainly practical? r did most cities "4ust grow"?
Are there public or priate parks in mostany cities?
Are cities generally laid out on a s/uare-grid system of streets, or do they 4ust grow? How wide
are the streets and alleys?
#hat are the landmarks in each city? #here are the interesting neighborhoods, like 0hinatown orthe dwarish section, and what gies each its special character? !o the neighborhoods hae
names?
#here do people go to shop? 6o eat? 6o hae fun? 6o do "touristy" things? #hat sorts of
goodsfoodentertainment are aailable in large cities that are not aailable in the country?
&&.Rural ,actors Is population shifting from rural to urban, south to north, mountains to coast, etc.? #hy --
inasion, plague, gold rush, etc.? #hat effects has this had on the places being left? 6he places
gaining people?
ien the magicaltechnological leel of this society, what is an appropriate ration of farmers or
food producers to urban residents? If farm production is based on magic, how many urban
residents are going to stare if the spells supporting farming %weather, land fertility, etc.) failsuddenly?
Are peasantsfarmersyeomenserfs tied to their land by law or custom, or can they moe to town
if they feel like it? 0an they own their farms and property, or is it all "common land," or is it
rented from a lord or landholder?
ien the state of roads and transportation, how much food is it possible to ship to a gien
location before it spoils? %6his limits the sie of cities.)
Are rural areas primarily farms, forests, fields for graing, or "waste land"? In outlying areas
where there aren(t many people, how many roads are there, who builds them, and who maintains
them?
How reliable is the weather from year to year -- is crop production relatiely dependable, or do
people hae to cope with regular famines due to drought or floods?
#hat kinds of catastrophic weather are common -- tornadoes, hurricanes, bliards, waterspouts,
dust storms? How do people cope? How do non-humans cope? How are farmingfood-producing areas diided up between humansnonhumans? #hat kinds of
conflicts are likely to result? %E*ample$ E*panding human farms encroaching on a forest that
dragons or werewoles use for hunting.)
0an peasantsyeomen own their own land, or does it all belong to the lord? #hat kinds of rights
oer land, crops, game, etc. does a lordlandowner hae? Is poaching a problem?
VII. $aily "i#e77. General
How do ordinary people feel about foreigners? 'on-humans? How ready are they to acceptdifferent ideas? How cosmopolitan are they?
How much social mobility is there? Is it easy or hard for a person born a peasant to adance to the
middle class, or a middle class person to the upper class or nobility? How much resistance would
there be? #ould such a person eer be accepted socially?
#hat items or foods or materials are lu*uries -- chocolate, coffee, silk, spices, flush toilets? #hy?
#hat do people generally look like? #ould a blonde %redhead, brunette) stand out in a crowd?
2omeone >( " tall? !o non-humans stand out in a crowd, or are there enough of them around
that they(re considered ordinary?
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#hat are accepted norms of personal hygiene? !o most people bathe regularly, or is bathing
considered a health haard?
How is garbage and other waste material disposed of?
#hat is furniture like -- big and blocky, delicate, simple, elaborately cared, painted? #hat is it
mostly made of -- cloth, wood, stone? Are certain things %like chairs with arms) resered for high-
status indiiduals?
In what ways does furniture design reflect the customs and lifestyle of the people %e*ample$ bedswith bed-curtains for priacy in medieal homes where serants wandered through rooms without
warning3 futons that can be rolled up and put away instead of beds in a country with little house-
space)?
#hat are the plumbing and sanitary systems like? #ho builds and maintains them? How reliable
are they, and who do you call when the drains back up? How do they differ from city to farm?
How do people cope with arious disasters -- fire, floods, tornadoes or hurricanes, bliards,
plague, etc.? How common are such disasters?
How early do people get up in the morning in the city? 0ountry? Are clocks common, or do
people tell time by the sun or by listening for church bells?
''.,ashion and 0ress
#hat do people wear? How e*pensie is it? 0an the material be produced locally, or must some orall of it be imported?
Are weapons a standard part of dress for anyall segments of society?
Are certain clothes customary for certain occupations -- e.g., military uniforms, 4udges robeswigs,
sports teams uniforms, etc.? How much ariation is allowed -- could a scholar wear a day-glow
green robe as long as the cut is right, or would that be too much? Is it color or style that is mostimportant?
Are the dyes for certain colors -- purple, indigo, etc. -- rare, making cloth of that color more
e*pensie andor resered for nobility or other high-status people?
Are there sumptuary laws, defining who can wear what? #hat are the penalties? #ho decides
when changes are needed? How often are they ad4usted?
Are there fashionsfads in things besides clothes -- styles of carriages, furniture, etc.?
Are there fashionsfads in magic -- are herbal spells "in" this year and ritual spells "out," or ice
ersa? How many changes of clothes can a normal person afford? A noble person? A peasant?
#hat is the current fashion in clothes? Hats? ;ewelry? 2hoes? !o such fashions differ for
humansnon-humans? +etween city and country?
#hat materials are appropriate to the climate? #hat materials must be imported, and are therefore
for e*pensie upper-class clothes only?
#hat things are considered tacky and ulgar, and what things are stylish?
#hat types of decorations and accessories are common? #hat colors and combinations of colors
are thought to look well or to clash? !o opinions on this ary from race to race?
#hat physical types and characteristics are currently fashionable -- tan s. pale skin, the
"consumptie look" s. robust good health, fat s. thin, blonde s. brunette, muscles s. "dead
poet", etc.?
How do non-human fashions reflect their physiology? !o dragons dress for dinner? !o mermaidshae a nudity taboo?
.anners #hat distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal besides /uantity and ariety
of food? How do high-court manners differ from eeryday ones?
#hat are the rules of precedence -- who gets to go through doors first? #ho gets introduced first?
Is there a distinction between "formal" or high court good manners and informal, eeryday good
manners? #hen and where are people supposed to be on their best behaior?
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How important are "good manners" in this society? #hat constitutes eeryday good manners?
How do "good manners" differ from race to race? How do peopledwareselesdragons react
when someone has 4ust been, by their standards, unspeakably rude?
#hen a guest arries, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interal, or only on re/uest? Is
there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly arried guest?
::.0iet #hat dishes are considered holiday food? #hat foodsdrinks are associated with particular
holidays, eents %e.g., funerals, weddings) or times of the year?
#hat distinguishes a formal, high-court dinner from an ordinary meal, besides /uantity and
ariety of food? How do high-court manners differ from eeryday ones?
#hen a guest arries, is food or drink offered immediately, after an interal, or only on re/uest? Is
there a particular food or drink that is customary to offer a newly arried guest? A guest who is
4ust departing %stirrup cup)?
Is sanitation good enough for untreated water to be safe to drink? If not, what do people drink
instead?
#hat things, while edible, are neer eaten %what(s not kosher)? #hy? Are some common human
foods poisonous to dwares or eles %or ice ersa)?
ien the magicaltechnological leel of this society, what is an appropriate ration of farmers orfood producers to urban residents? If farm production is based on magic, how many urban
residents are going to stare if the spells supporting farming %weather, land fertility, etc.) failsuddenly?
How many meals are considered normal in a day? #hen are they sered? #hich are substantial
and which are smaller? Are certain foods %e.g., eggs and bacon) resered mainly for a particularmeal?
#hat dishes or seasonings would be considered typical of this area? #hat wines or beers?
#hat foods are considered peasant food? #hat foods are staples, commonly eaten eery day?
#hat foods are rare? #hat foods are normally eaten cookedraw?
#hat is the food like? #hat herbs and spices are readily aailable, and what must be imported?
How commone*pensie are imported foods and spices?
#hat spices and herbs are produced locally, and which are rare and e*pensie? #hich are most
commonly used? !o people tend to like highly spiced food or not? How is food presered for use during the off-season -- smoking, canning, salting, drying, etc.?
How reliable are the methods used -- how often does "presered" food spoil?
#hen food is in limited supply, who gets first crack? 6he laborers and farmers who hae to work
to produce more, or the children who are the ne*t generation, or the wise and reered elders, or the
nobility?
#hat foods and seasonings do non-humans like, and how do these differ from those faored by
humans? Are some foods poisonous or distasteful to one species that are delicacies or necessary to
another?
Are there times when people are e*pected to fast %e.g., before solstice, after the birth of a child,
during &ent or 1amadan, after the death of a ruler, etc.)?
ien the state of roads and transportation, how much food is it possible to ship to a gien
location before it spoils? %6his limits the sie of cities.)
==.Education How much does it cost to get arious leels of education?
Is there an organied system of education? If so, who proides it$ goernment, churches, priate
persons? How is it supported? Is magic considered part of the general college curriculum, or do
you hae to study it priately?
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#hat sort of education is aailable, and where? Are there schoolhouses in eery town, or do
ordinary people hae to trael if they want to be educated? Are there uniersities? :riate tutors?
#hat is the leel of literacy in the general population? Is literacy considered a usefulnecessary
skill for nobility, or something only scribesclerkswimpsbourgeoisie need? How common arebooks? How are they produced?
#ho are the teachers? How are they trained? #ho pays them?
How much education is considered usual at each of the arious leels or classes of society? #hatthings are considered absolutely necessary for a gentlemannoble to know? A tradesman?
#hat things are considered absolutely necessary knowledge for a courtier %poetry, languages, skill
at arms, etc.)? #hich are nice but not necessary? #hich would be highly embarrassing if anybodyfound out about them %a passion for comic books, etc.)?
How respected are teachers and scholars? #ho supports them?
If magic re/uires study, where do you go to learn about it? How do people fund their training? Is
there an apprenticeship system, or are there wiard schools, or is it one-on-one
tutoringmentoring? Is an untrained wiard dangerous, or 4ust an ordinary person?
!o wiards hae a special language that is used for magic? If so, where do they learn it? Is it safe
to chat in this language, or is e$erythingsaid in it automatically a spell? If so, how can it safely betaught to new students?
11. Calendar Is there a single, generally accepted calendar %including time measurements), or do different
countries or peoples or races hae different ones?
How is the day diided into smaller time units? #hat are they %Hour of the &ark, 2unrise +ell,
'ones, etc.)? Are the names releant to anything? Is the length of an hour fi*ed, or does it arydepending on changes in the length of the day as the seasons change?
#hat are the names of months, and how many days in each? How many days in a week? 7onths
in a year? Are there leap years? If so, who keeps track?
#hich days are general holidays or festial times? #hat do they celebrate? Are there any that are
only celebrated in particular countries, cities, or regions?
#hat eent%s) do people use to date years? !o they use a single eent %the creation of the world,
the end of the reat #ar, the inention of atomic power, etc.) or are eents dated based on
recurring things %the Fth year of 6iberius( reign, the Gst year of the Han !ynasty)? How do people tell what time it is? Are there clocks, watches, sundials, etc., or do people hae to
4ust listen for bells from the castle or church, or 4ust eyeball the sun?
Are there any days that are considered "outside the year," like 7ardi ras or the 5east of 5ools?
How are these days customarily obsered? How did they originate?