As someone with ADHD who loves to worldbuild, I was curious and decided to do the only logical thing, ask a bunch of strangers how many of them have ADHD. This is a simple questionnaire, fill it out however you see fit.

View Poll

Hello everyone, i already posted it on r/writing, reposting here because i couldn't crosspost

I'm currently working on a fantasy world that includes various fantasy beings from different cultures. However, i'm aware that the use of dwarfs as fantasy beings can be a sensitive issue due to their association with real-life individuals with dwarfism. While my intention is not to offend or disrespect anyone, I want to make sure that my world-building is inclusive and respectful of all cultures and identities. Therefore, I'm considering using gnomes as an alternative. I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Have you also faced similar concerns in your world-building or writing? How did you address them? Moreover, I'm also worried about the use of orcs, ogres, and trolls in my world. While I would like to include them, I don't want my world to feel overcrowded with sentient beings. I'm also concerned about differentiating them from each other in a meaningful way. One idea I had was to use only one of them, but then it wouldn't represent various cultures. How do you differentiate between these beings in your world-building or writing? I appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have on these issues. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

I found in a lot of fantasy stories and worlds that non-powered characters get shoved into the background. Can non-powered characters make any sort of meaningful difference in your world?

One of the species of my world, ferals, are the descendants of a civilization of were beasts. They have inherited the disease from their ancestors but this has caused it to change their biology.

They are in a permanent human-beast hybrids. They lean more towards a humanoid form with apposable thumbs, legs, and feet. But they are covered in fur (or feathers for the few werebird races) and have extended jaws.

The muzzles aren't as long as the actual beast they are genetically modeled with but it is noticeable.

Would this prevent them from speaking the human language? I know I could just ignore it, but I am a fan of realistic fiction.

Please read the hard-rational magic system and philosophical explanation of my world for context, but it's not necessary.

The following is a semirealistic, or at least plausible, explanation of the Universe. I've rendered it less scientific and more "philosophically-logical", but it should still be a somewhat scientific description, since I already have a philosophical explanation. Please know that I'm not a scientist, nor I try to be one. Remember that belief is not necessarily reality, and yes, I believe some of what I've written in my posts to be true, but I've put it in a fictional world to make sure not to mess with reality itself. I'm opened to suggestions to expand this initial idea.

The Whole universe is described as a hypersphere, the most plausible shape because it has an infinite surface but finite volume. At observable size it is a chronotopic field, influenced only by itself. The chronotope is the geometric representation of space-time presented in general relativity.

It is a dimensional field, unlike the dimensionless quantum field, speaking of which, at the fabric, the Universe is a probabilistic field, and the particles that compose it are points of the probabilistic function, but three-dimensional. A quantum field is a variable quantity that mathematically describes the wave characteristics of a particle. The value of a particle's wave function at a given point in space and time is related to the probability that the particle is there at that moment.

The observed particle is therefore the collapse of this function. The atom is therefore formed by several collapsed functions, which must exist in a single quantum field. The universe is, therefore, a quantum field, a probability. And if all probability has a chance of existing, then there are infinite parallel universes. If the universe has no probability of existing, then it does not exist, but by definition the universe exists in all its probability. So in relation to atomic physical dimensions the universe is pure mathematics.

Hi. I am writing a manga which takes place in a "semi-realistic" setting and uses weapons such as modern assault rifles. However, i want to also make many characters use weapons such as swords/axes/bows without them being trivialized by guns. Bullet deflection is definitely a go to but I reserve it only for katanas.

Please read first the already confusing hard-rational magic system of my world.

The *conceptual state*:

All states have to be guided by a multidimensional force (essential but non-fully comprehensible thriving state) described as the *concept of desire*. That's why even the most apathetic or calm subjects continue to be, to exist with their abstract purpose or curiosity. In fact, the consciousness of the individual creates a *persona* based on the memories accumulated over its history crafted by its body mechanics; therefore *death* is just the organisms incapable of maintaining their inner processes, and returning their individual consciousness to the Whole universe. A magician able to manipulate a subject into losing completely its desire won't change anything, because the subject's consciousness will craft another desire until its death.

Axioms:

Desire (all "living" things, or better all states of active consciousness)

Death (all other things, or all states of passive consciousness)

It is, in fact, this Whole universe is the centrifugal force of all consciousness, meaning that it is, indeed, an entity. It may be described as the constant embrace of Death and Desire. Before the advent of *delirium* in the universe, and after the *destruction* of itself during its last soliloquy, those two "lovers" were eternally bonded together.

* *"If by any chance they were to be observed beyond reality, their template would look like a black monolith, in the emptiness of light or, better, the impossibility and absurdity of nothingness. This canvas is where the author imagined their work, with their meta power manipulation."*

A supreme entity should be omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. Based on this axioms, the following is an ontological proof, an explanation of the universe:

1. *Nothing* by definition cannot exist, since it is null.

2. If the Universe does not exist, nothingness exists. Therefore the Universe exists.

3. The Universe is, by definition, all that exists, and therefore omnipresent.

4. If omnipresence does not exist, then the Universe itself cannot exist. Therefore it exists.

5. If omnipresence exists, and is a fundamental property of God, then the other properties of God exist.

6. If omnipresence exists, and is a fundamental property of God, then God is all that makes up the Universe, therefore the Universe itself.

7. If God is the Universe and is omnipotent, any possibility is reality, so such results are defined by functions and exist by necessity.

8. If such functions exist by necessity, then any event exists by necessity, so it is present.

9. If God is omniscient, and every event is present, then past and future do not exist and God is eternal. Time is just a form of measurement.

10. If God is the Universe and is omniscient, then any subject retains that property, varying the degree of consciousness depending on the state of complexity in which it finds itself.

11. A subject can be aware of itself and, depending on the degree of consciousness, reflect on itself.

12. If a state reflects on itself, it can generate fundamental questions related to the reason for its existence.

13. If a subject tries to express itself, it can generate art.

14. If a subject tries to define itself, it can differentiate itself from others by generating culture.

15. Every subject of the Universe, and therefore of God, is inevitably in eternal juxtaposition and coexistence with other states.

16. If a subject wants its existence in relation to or at the expense of others, it can generate morality, or other types of codes.

17. If most subjects vote by a majority, and there is a margin of error, then the ultimate resolution is the consensual process.

18. If a state tries to understand its existence through logical processes, it can create axioms.

19. If a state tries to answer fundamental questions, it can create a religion.

20. If God is the Universe itself, and every state is the Universe itself, then every religion is God trying to explain himself.

From this ontology it is clear that all religions in this world have something in common, even if they seem completely different. That's the belief of omnism. Actually this way of thinking is mostly agnostic omnism, because the deities mentioned in all religions seem to manifest only before death, in a dream or illusion. The thriving force of desire here is visualized by a distant, behemoth genital of the afro mentioned deity, and the insertion of one's body is the ultimate metamorphosis into a titan (primordial god), or more plausibly the return of the consciousness to the Whole universe. Omnist philosophers crafted a Myth of Creation to conciliante all deities ever conceived, and it is true to the mind of the holder, and therefore to reality (based on point 8 of the ontological proof) because those deities are referred to as *dreams* and exist in the *conceptual state* of reality, just another state of emotions. They may not be described as persofinications as the myths say, but they surely exist as mere interdimensional concepts; the legends are just easier to comprehend for the masses.

Summary:

meta state -> 0 dimensions (outside of the fictional setting) -> it's both nihilism and absurdist, therefore it's represented by Delirium and Destruction

emotional state -> 2 dimensions -> emotions

mood state -> 3 dimension -> it can be Positive or Negative

conceptual state -> 4 dimensions -> it contains Death, Desire, Dream(s)

The various *dreams* also called *essential forces* are:

dualism of movement -> dreams of kinetics and flow -> chronotope

dualism of manipulation -> dreams of elektrokinesis and scorching -> wave functions

dualism of omnism -> dreams of ether and totality -> hypersphere

(TBA. Each one of the dreams is personified in an entity called "titan" in the Myth of Creation elaborated by the omnists. I'm currently working on it)

(TBA. I'm also writing a more scientific explanation of the Universe, going in more detail about chronotope, wave function, hypersphere and stuff like that. I'm no scientist, so I actually take a more philosophical approach; but hey, it's still a fictional world, so who cares)

Hello everyone, reposting here because i couldn't crosspost

I'm currently working on a fantasy world that includes various fantasy beings from different cultures. However, i'm aware that the use of dwarfs as fantasy beings can be a sensitive issue due to their association with real-life individuals with dwarfism. While my intention is not to offend or disrespect anyone, I want to make sure that my world-building is inclusive and respectful of all cultures and identities. Therefore, I'm considering using gnomes as an alternative. I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Have you also faced similar concerns in your world-building or writing? How did you address them? Moreover, I'm also worried about the use of orcs, ogres, and trolls in my world. While I would like to include them, I don't want my world to feel overcrowded with sentient beings. I'm also concerned about differentiating them from each other in a meaningful way. One idea I had was to use only one of them, but then it wouldn't represent various cultures. How do you differentiate between these beings in your world-building or writing? I appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have on these issues. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Hello! I'm developing a TTRPG setting called Selador, where two true gods exist: the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine. Although mortals have assigned gendered attributes to these forces, the gods themselves don't identify with any gender. The Divine Feminine is more involved with mortals and has divided herself into 'splinters of divinity' to better understand and represent mortal creatures and concepts, such as goddesses of humans, elves, dwarves, and broader concepts of the mortal condition like death, revelry, trickery, battle, and love.

As I continue to work on Selador, I want to create more goddesses that represent other important aspects of the mortal condition. I'm currently thinking of adding about 15 more goddesses, and I would love to hear your suggestions. What do you think?

Quickly, I want to acknowledge that the gender binary divine structure may be problematic for some. I'm researching gender androgynous, transgender, and gender fluid gods in fantasy and real life to respectfully include alternative conceptions of divinity among the varied peoples of Selador.

I'm curious about what kinds of stories the people in your world tell. The kinds of stories they tell, the kinds of lessons they express, etc. can say a lot about your world or the person telling the story.

I don't mean the religious teachings the people of your world believe or the very real lore if your world has real gods. I mean the stories that parents tell to scare their kids into behaving, the stories to impart lessons, the Grimm's fairy tales and Aesop's fables.

Does your setting have ubiquitous characters that everyone knows, like the cunning fox? Do they have near-mythic folk heros like Paul Bunion?

I'll tell one below

I have a desire to worldbuild but somehow something is preventing me from doing that. My heart says worldbuilding but my brain says no worldbuilding. I honestly don’t know what to do. Worldbuilding seems very fun…should I go ahead and give it a try?

In real life most Boxers and MMA fighters have 2-3 fights a year (More fights for amateurs usually. This help prevents injuries. And give the fighters enough time to train. This is different from the 1800s when Boxers could fight multiple a week. And hand rounds that lasted 40-50 rounds. But of course, this was dangerous. That led to the Boxers being servilely injured at best. And death at worst.

My world is a little bit different. Since my fighters are somewhat superhumans. And technology is more advanced in my world. Therefore reducing the injuries of fighters. So the fighter's match increases throughout the year calendar. My fight calendar is inspired by Pro Wrestling (WWE). Even though my combat sport is based on Pankration. A modern version of Pankration at that.

So how does this work in your world? Especially if your world is about modern combat. I assume live tv fights and PPVs would exist in your world too. If your fighters are fighting a lot in a year. How do your PPVs or star power fights still feel special if the audience can see big-time fights on cable tv for free?

This is one question that gets me curious the most when it comes to stories over top combat.

Essentially, an entire continent (or just a large strip of land in general) from your world is suddenly highly radioactive. So much so that it’s impossible to live there. How would the people in your world react?

I'm trying to create a scientifically informed world but with "Races" analogous to standard fantasy races (specifically Humans, Halflings, Dwarves, Elves and Orcs). I'm trying to figure out how the evolution timeline would need work for each of the "Races" to speciate into separate species or at least separate enough so that they couldn't easily "merge" back together by interbreeding later.

​

I've included an "evolution chart" of what I'm going for if that helps.

https://preview.redd.it/9iy3iodwpiqa1.jpg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=f3a7720dee0d09da50e2f92198a7df3ab7dcb00b

Introduction to Zeleryn

In the beginning, a cosmic dragon named Solvyra was soaring through the universe being chased by her evil twin brother named Solvrexx. One day, Solvrexx eventually caught to her. Roaring with a powerful booming voice "Your soul will be mine!" He shouted. Solvyra realized she's finally met the end of her escape, she decided to make one last attempt to stop Solvrexx from stealing her soul. Summoning all the energy of cosmic power she had left, she curled herself into a sphere thus creating a new phenomenal event. A massive power wave of energy exploded pushing everything away in sight including Solvrexx several light years away. After all the cosmic dust had finally settled, a new planet was born. Seeded deeply in the planet had grown to surface the first sign of life. This plant was called the Genesis Tree. The planet now has become known as Eros, it currently rests in the star system known as Zeleryn.

In my world I have many races here is a brief summary of them and what they are

Bovidae Description: humanoid body hooved feet with bull/buffalo-like heads with horns of varying sizes & shapes they have fur covering their whole body in varying lengths, patterns, & colors. They are one of the larger races, with the largest reaching the size of some Ursidae, they are broad and very muscular. they can be found all over the western hemisphere. A peaceful people that live in large groups, share most things and are rarely the aggressors in situations. They tend to be great farmers, laborers, and builders. They focus on defense and have safety in numbers mind set they are friendly towards all races and are accepting of most if they help and contribute to the group they also for the most part are vegetarians.

Canidae Description: humanoid body pawed feet with four toes they have canine heads with varying shapes they have fur covering their whole body with fur patterns and colors, and they have claws on their hands and feet they are smaller than most races but are of medium to smaller sizes and some are on the large size they have the greatest variety of any race. They are also the fastest of the races, with Feliade behind them. they can be found all over the western hemisphere. They are numerous and can be found in most countries and assimilate into any kingdom or nation they have great families (the two biggest being the wolf, and mastiff, with other great families and smaller ones as well. They are very into bloodlines they will have generations living in homes or grouped together homes near each other, they are extremely loyal and are great trackers, hunters, and livestock farmers they are friendly to most races and will work for anyone but will protect their pack/family at all costs they are also for the most part carnivores

Elephantidae Description: humanoid body flat feet with 4 toes and 4 fingers, they have an elephant like head with big ears. They have varying lengths of fur and tusks they live the second longest of all the races they also have great memories and are one of if not the largest of all the races their smallest matching some of the tallest of the other races. they can be found all over the western hemisphere They are outcasts for what their ancestors did and are a dying race clinging on to survival, they have no lands of their own and are now nomadic traveling in groups or finding logging under lords, kings, or whoever will house them. They find work as laborers or mercenaries and eat mostly vegetation. They are a proud people and some are trying to change their name and make up for their ancestor’s wrongdoing, other wishes for the power they once had.

Felidae Description: humanoid body with pawed feet and hands with retractable claws on both four fingers and toes. They have cat-like heads that vary in shape, and they have fur covering their whole body with varying colors and lengths. They are for the most part medium-sized but most of them are bigger than Canidae and have some larger sized members. They are the third most abundant race and they can be found all over the western hemisphere. They can be found all over the western hemisphere They are natural-born hunters and a lot of them form smaller prides (groups) or go out on their own. They have a loner mindset and care for few outside their pride and can be described as being cold killers that you can never get a judge on. They eat mostly meat and fish.

Sapidae Description: They are humans very magically inclined, the highest magic-born users out of all the races. They have varying color skin from dark to pale and hair that has varying colors as well, and they are not fully covered in hair as most races and have the largest diversity in looks besides Felidae and Canidae. Only found on the Island hidden by the storm (Storm Island) They are in a constant stay of war against the click, a virus that takes control of bodies and uses them as zombie like minions until they are burned or the area in which the click attached itself is destroyed they live in very defense-oriented cities with many passages and escape routes and are constantly giving up cities to the click and then taking them back once most of the click leaves they are also stuck on an island surrounded by a eternal storm that destroys any ship that ventures into it. They eat anything they can.

Ursidae Description:humanoid body with a bear-like head and claws on their hands and feet they have fur covering their bodies which vary in length and color. They are one of the bigger races behind Elephantidae, Hippopotidae, Rhinocerotoidae, Sharidae and Balaenopteridae. They can be found all over the western hemisphere. They are very solitary people enjoying their space and live distance from each other. Even their few cities are spread out, they have a big sense that the strongest should survive and lead. They will have families of 3 to 5 sometimes. They work mostly as bodyguards, mercenaries, and hunters. They eat meat and berries along with some vegetables. They are a proud race and will enact violence when it is needed and sometimes when its not to prove a point

These are the main ones but there are more tell me your criticism or what you like be gentle please.

1

Among the species of this world, the Nhivakoon are perhaps some of the most perplexing. They don't seem to be as intelligent as the more civilized races, but they aren't stupid by any means. These creatures dwell in cave systems deep beneath the sands in the southern reach of the Sariteskhar region and are unlike any other creature. I've decided to research these undocumented creatures along with a crew of others who are curious about these mysterious monsters.

It's been about a week now and we seem to have come up with more questions than answers. They don't seem to have a language, at least from what we can tell, it all seems to be gibberish. Some of us who speak more languages than one recognize some of the words. They seem to speak a random word in one language and then pick a different one. Perhaps they're mimicking us?

After recording some of their speech patterns, we have confirmed that about every other sound they make is from a certain language, astonishingly even from languages considered dead. The words they speak don't fit sentences either, they're entirely random. Amongst their gibberish there is one phrase they often repeat: "Wain." As for what "Wain" is or what it means to them, we don't yet know.

We witnessed a pack of Nhivakoon hunt down one of the larger beasts of the desert. Their hunting methods are peculiar however. You see animals like canines put their snout to the ground and hunt based on smell. The Nhivakoon seemed to know somehow where their prey was the entire time during the hunt. We've ruled out enhanced eyesight since the prey was not always in their field of vision and they didn't have another separate one spying on the prey to communicate to the others where it was so we've began to wonder if their sense of hearing is much greater than ours. If this is true though, they might have the highest sense of hearing out of any creature on the planet.

So, magic is pretty common in my world. It's learnable by anyone even though genetics can give you a bit of boost/hindrance. Magic has been common for longer than writing has existed.

As such, there are a number of magic-based sports. The magic in my setting is normally quite flashy and colorful, so it's pretty to look at. And magic is definitely something you become more powerful in with training - so it has that element too.

The issue I'm struggling a bit with is the title. How prevalent should normal, physical sports still be realistically?

Do you think a large portion of the population would still develop and be interested in purely physical sports with balls, muscles, etc. despite the existence of much flashier, visually interesting magical sports?

View Poll