Questions to help with worldbuilding

[maxaroni033]

Healthcare:


How is healthcare funded?

How does healthcare differ between classes?

Where are the healthcare centers located?

Is healthcare magical, physical, or both?

What illnesses are common?

What do people think illnesses are caused by?

How often do citizens get sick?


Resources:


How do people get water?

Is the water sanitary? If not, how do they sanitize it?

How does agriculture work?

What sort of agriculture technology is available, and how does it affect food production?

Are farmers generally rich or poor?

What natural resources are common, and how are they obtained?

Is the country wealthy because of its resources?

What animals are most/least valued, and why?

What is considered a luxury/regular good, and why?


Transportation:


What are the forms of transportation?

How do classes affect transportation?

How far has the average citizen travelled?

What cities are most/least accessible, and why?

How do popular modes of transportation change the way towns/cities are laid out?

Is there a public transportation system?

Is there a postal service?

Who pays for it?

Is it reliable?

Are there any emergency methods of transporting information?


Economy:


How do people keep time?

How do people pay for things?

Does currency differ between places?

How does currency affect travel?

Are there banks? If so, how do they run?

Who owns the banks?

Is there a form of credit?

Is the country more dependent on small or big businesses?

How are workers treated?

Are there workers unions?

Is there a tax system?

Are there limitations on what certain classes can own?

How are records kept?

What kind of technology is popular, and why?

How does this affect the economy?

What are the major imports?

What are the major exports?

Does a particular area specialize in a certain type of good?

What types of goods are highly valued?


Politics:


What type of government does the country have?

What are the responsibilities of the government?

Describe the government’s sphere of influence.

How is the government perceived?

How are people put into power?

Does this differ between places?

Are there large scale organizations that could affect politics?

How did they come about?

How are wars fought?

What is the general philosophy about war?

What is the military hierarchical structure?

How does the military recruit?

How is the military viewed by the public?

What weapons are popular, and how does this affect war strategies?

What kind of sentencing system is there?

How are lawbreakers punished?

Are there prisons? If so, who runs them and how are they organized?

Do laws between cities change?

How does citizenship work?

Flora and Fauna:


How do people believe the world was created?

Does this change depending on the place?

What kinds of plants flourish and why?

Do any plants have magical properties? Is this common?

What kinds of wildlife are common?

What kinds of beasts are common?

Are there any natural wonders? How were they formed?

How does the weather form?

Is one kind of weather more common than another?

Are there seasons? How long do they last?


History:


When was the country formed?

Why was it formed?

How long has the country been around?

Who created it?

Describe major wars and why they were fought.
Are there any myths that surround the creation of the country?


Traditions:


Are there any rites of passage or coming of age rituals?

What age marks a child turning into an adult?

What are the traditions around death and burial?

What are the gendered traditions?

What are the traditions about marriage or proposal?

What are the most celebrated festivals, and why?

How are stories passed down through generations?

What are the common sayings/idioms?

Do people have accents depending on where they are from regionally?

What are the social taboos?


Class/Family:


Describe the class system and how it formed.

How does class affect business?

What is a normal family unit?

What constitutes a good father, child, or mother, and why?

How is marriage defined? Is there a religious institution or a civil union?


Culture:


How is culture preserved?

What defines culture in different places?

What role did art play in the culture?

What role did literature play in the culture?

What role did music play in the culture?

Who are celebrated artists in history?

Describe the fashion.

Does clothing reflect status?

Are there dress codes for different professions?

Are there any regional dishes?

How do poor citizens eat?

How do rich citizens eat?

What is considered a staple food?

What are the traditions surrounding mealtimes?



Religion:


Who/What do people worship?

Where do people worship?

When do people worship?

What functions do gods/deities serve in society?

What holy texts exist?

What holy texts are well-known?

Who are the significant prophets/religious figures in history?

Is there a hierarchical system in any religion?


Education:


Does formal education exist? If so, who is able to access it?

Is magic studied? If so, where, and to what extent?

What is the literacy rate among the general population? Among the upper classes?

How long do people go to school?

Are there schools that teach certain professions?

How many people are multilingual?

What language is most common? Does this change between places?

Are languages viewed differently?

How do people find their professions?

What professions are highly valued?


Magic:


Who can use magic?

What is magic?

How does it exist/where does it come from?

Is magic rare or common?

What is the history of magic in the country?

How does society view magic?

Is there a language that is needed to do magic? What is it, and why?

Is magic regulated? Is there a governing body that does this?

What are magicians' status in society?

How many magicians are there? How do they view each other?

How does magic affect medicine? Transportation? Communication?


Technology:


How advanced is technology?

How does technology affect society?

Are some types of technology limited to certain people/places?

Who makes weapons, and how?

Is it easy to obtain weapons?

Is it easy to obtain good technology?

Are there special weapons? Unique, enchanted, or otherwise?

Are there professions that have certain weapons?

Are there religious figures that have certain weapons?

[GalacticAxekick]

This definitely belongs in the World-Building sub forum.

The general homebrew forum is for game design (features, items, creatures, encounters, etc) and not story design.