/r/worldbuilding

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For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Le Guin, to the science-fiction universes of Delany and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond.

This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes.

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For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien, Le Guin and Howard, to the science-fiction universes of Burroughs, Delany and Asimov, and to the tabletop realm of Gygax, Barker and Greenwood, and beyond.

This subreddit is about sharing your worlds, discovering the creations of others, and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes.

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/r/worldbuilding

1,229,379 Subscribers

1

What kind of villain within your world building had it epic way of fighting

Mine is a villain named dark falcon who is called King of villains amongst the dimensions he chose to fight utilizing his own special abilities and skills passed on from his father and mother having the ability to nullify one power that his opponent can use or even boosting his own abilities through his powers with aura

0 Comments
2023/09/26
18:29 UTC

1

Archaeology Field School at Cottaquari, sponsored by G.A.S [Padhopper]

Greenmarsh Archaeology School is proud to present the opportunity to learn archaeology in the desert ruins at Cottaquari!

Palimtafoni - Scour natural pockets in the cliffs for tortoise graffiti, game pieces, and goods!

Cooked Columns - Catalogue the crumbling columns before the desert converts them to dust!

Dusty Scrubs - Survey the sandscape for signs of Desert Tortoise occupation!

Serir Cemetery - Excavate the eroding burial grounds to help defend the dignity of critters come-and-gone!

Context: Padhopper is a critter-based archaeological fantasy book that involves ancient artifacts, a war for water, and a long-lost loved one. Groundling governments must find a way to fight the Flyers who monopolize the moisture of Mezal Taroc.

(Don't worry, the whole book does not contain this much alliteration)

0 Comments
2023/09/26
18:25 UTC

1

Does worldbuilding ever feel stressful at some point? Or do you ever feel like your losing your creativity as you set out on the road of working on your world

I'm currently trying to make my world which for context is entirely focused on being a japanese/Ainu/Ryukuan fantasy...However as of recently I feel I've done so much research into the land I feel like I'm unable to come up with anything original or creative or "A new way of interpretation". Admittedly I love researching the culture and history and when it comes to being creative I've always struggle to find ground, always using some reference and creating a society around that idea, for example I was able to make a religion entirely focused on the electromagnetic spectrum. But if you ask me to make up a society on the spot I will shrug my shoulders and say "I dunno"

Now as I'm working on this world I feel as though I've not only hit a roadblock but a Tsunami that just froze solid. I feel the creative ideas I make for my world are either almost directly ripped from the history, or they just aren't creative at all. And the other thing that pressures me about it is that its meant for a Dnd game amongst my friends, however I've been stressing myself o0ut with how long I've been taking, meanwhile they are able to come up with a story/world almost immedietly and I just look at how much I've done in my world and just feel its not enough.

It's even harder with having Restless leg syndrome AND ADHD...which has made me struggle to do any type of work since college. Most of the time I'll theory craft while walking around...but then I never write anything down...Which has made it hard to find a way to keep notes. I don't know how I can keep my societies at surface level especially as im trying to figure out a bunch of clans and how they work or when it comes to even writing a story I've struggled to figure that out...And the worst part is my struggle with being creative here hasn't always been an issue. Before this I had a society about prehistoric martial arts, I even tried to design each of the martial arts by studying how the prehistoric animals move as well as studying if other martial arts used relevant moves.

But now...I feel like I have a blank plate in my head that's been weened off of research and relies on it so much that it can't make decisions for itself. So I ask, if you have been in a slump like this, how do you ween yourself off of it?

0 Comments
2023/09/26
18:21 UTC

1

Multiple sources of magic.

Hello all,

As I undertake yet another book project, I was wondering if there are too many sources of magic within one world. The lore around magic in my world is that it is only just been distributed to the masses after it was kept away for many years. Some are born with inherent magic, others learn it though study, and some barter with dark forces to obtain theirs. Is this too much for one world?

TIA and happy writing!

1 Comment
2023/09/26
18:21 UTC

1

In your fictional world, what are your favorite elements from real history that you’ve added?

Looking to get inspired in this topic for my own story… 😊

3 Comments
2023/09/26
18:08 UTC

3

What races populate your world?

I know that sounds pretty vague so let's set some parameters, yea?

I only wanna ask about sentient races. That means of course they can be non humanoid, just as long as they have- well- sentience.

Which also makes me ask as a side question, what do you guys call all sentient races as a whole? Like mankind or elfkind for each race but what about all sentient races as a whole? Sentient kind doenst really have a ring to it.

12 Comments
2023/09/26
18:04 UTC

2

What would pets in space look like?

Curiosity and for a project.

6 Comments
2023/09/26
18:03 UTC

3

Crime Syndicates, fun to make, sleazy bosses, and havens for anti-heroes everywhere, what's the crime ring of YOUR world?

When I mean crime, I am very inclusive, it could be as small as a one-man hotline, to as big as a world wide conspiracy! From mobsters, assassin guilds, drug dealers, and black markets, how does crime operate within your world or universe?

2 Comments
2023/09/26
18:00 UTC

2

About Races

What are the different races in your world, what do they look like, whats their purpose and whats the inspiration behind their title/concept?

3 Comments
2023/09/26
17:37 UTC

2

Constructed worlds that aren't traditional high fantasy

What are some constructed worlds that around in the high fantasy genre like Middle Earth, D&D, and Warcraft? Fictional worlds that aren't set on Earth, whether present day, an alternate history, or in the future. They can combine elements of genres like fantasy, sci fi, horror, etc.

2 Comments
2023/09/26
17:34 UTC

2

Strange Exchange reaction

Imagine that something from your world somehow ends up in someone else’s world this could be a weapon an item a spell whatever. Go ahead and describe the item and what it does and others will say how their world would react to it.

Note: If you do post an item be sure to also react or comment on how your world would react to someone else’s item.

10 Comments
2023/09/26
17:24 UTC

1

Justice & Vengeance

In my setting there is a God Of Justice and she is fed not only by rituals but by acts of justice.

Now my group is wondering how mass murder in retribution for the lost can tithe to Justice. Since Justice is just a concept anything considered an act of Justice can feed the God Of Justice as what is the difference between Justice & Vengeance and what is the catalyst for either but Punishment.

0 Comments
2023/09/26
17:23 UTC

0

Words for a male god, ruler, etc. (or some other way to have gender-symmetrical terminology?)

This is ultimately a question about English-language writing, but it involves a lot of worldbuilding context (which I'd also like to share) so I'm posting it here.

First of all: What do you call the male god in a dyotheistic religion with a male god and a female god?

Obviously the standard English word is "god", but this is unsatisfactory because it would create a misleading impression of the way the people in my world think about their gods. The two gods are seen as coequal in power and authority, and there is no question of one being superior to the other because their wills are always in perfect accord, but it's also very important for people to understand which god is responsible for which things. The standard English usage of "god" and "goddess" has an unavoidable connotation of hierarchy and asymmetry (especially "God" with a capital G and no "the", which brings to mind the Abrahamic God).

On the other hand, I want the terminology in my writing to feel natural, as if it's translating an in-world language that has co-evolved with dyotheism for thousands of years. It seems like the best way to do this is to invent a separate word for a specifically male god, and then use "god" or "the gods" only in a strictly neutral way. I suggest "godder" by analogy with "widower". How does this sound?

I remember after I first waved farewell to my parents at the dockside, I headed straight for the shrine to light a candle for their safe passage. But there the sister corrected me, saying I should go to Godder's temple instead, for Goddess would not hear me.

"But we pray to Her to rain on our crops," I said, "so why not for sunny skies?"

"Ah, but you see, my son, the sea is salty, the blood of the world. And if Godder decides whose blood is spilt in battle, so too does He choose whose blood the sea will drink."

It was all very confusing, but I was mortified. Had I offended Godder by praying to the wrong god? What vengeance would He visit? The nun must have sensed my fear, for she sent me on my way with a blessing - "Go, but worry not. The gods do not begrudge a true heart."


Second, can we do something similar with noble titles? The problem is trickier.

For certain magic-related reasons, rulers have always been equally likely to be men or women, and the attitudes stemming from this fact are reflected in both religion and society. But gender isn't a matter of indifference either, since the various noble houses practice different inheritance patterns on a spectrum between strictly patrilineal, male-preference, neutral, female-preference, and strictly matrilineal. The neutral pattern is actually the least common since it tends to be unstable over time - if by chance a house has several male (or female) heads in a row, it becomes increasingly difficult for a female (or male) heir to take control while maintaining the house's standing amongst their peers. (Again, there are also magical reasons for this.)

At the same time, the noble houses themselves are constantly moving up and down the hierarchy over generations, and the rate of turnover is faster at the highest levels. A single house will rarely hold the Imperial title for more than two generations, while at the Royal or Ducal level a dynastic change might happen every six generations or so, and the rank of village chieftain often stays in the family for many centuries. The upshot of this is that while each individual house cares a lot about whether their head and their heirs are male or female, the total number of male and female rulers at each level is roughly equal over time.

So this raises the terminology problem: What words can we use for noble titles to distinguish male and female, but avoid implying superiority/asymmetry?

I can't figure out how to do this in English. Whenever we have a pair like prince/princess, duke/duchess, etc., the "-ess" word always suggests an inferior and derivative status with respect to the male word. Maybe we could (like with "Godder") use a new specifically-male derivation like "princer" "duker" etc. and then just avoid using the original male forms entirely. But this seems to grate on the ear even harder than "Godder" (and I don't know what to do with "emperor" and "king"). Or maybe I should discard all English-language titles and use conlang words, or a new set of coinages? This also sounds confusing.

What do you think?

4 Comments
2023/09/26
17:22 UTC

0

If Your Non-Human Character Was Actually Human, What Would Be There Ethnicity?

Just what (human) race would you picture them being?

8 Comments
2023/09/26
16:54 UTC

1

No computers

What would a world without computers be like what would the other technology's be like.

And by no computers i mean no computers of any sort so no laptops no consoles no phones nothing like that.

3 Comments
2023/09/26
16:51 UTC

1

How to make modern society seem horrifying?

I decided it would be really fun to make a sequence of someone from a solarpunkish commune or town seeing and being horrified at modern society or some other more extreme form of it.

How they might react to the constant cold and rain, depression and alcoholism being rampant all sorts of things

11 Comments
2023/09/26
16:31 UTC

3

how would a nomadic pastoralist or hunter gatherer view sedentism and urban centers?

Assume it's some time in the Bronze Age: bronze is a known thing but tin is genuinely hard to source, so stone tools are still used for their precedence and their reliability. Copper, on the other hand, is restricted to a few implements (awls and other sharp points) and shiny prestige items, and is mainly worked via cold hammering. Bronze and meteorite iron are exotic imports, and are seen as basically magical, or at least associated with very powerful people.

People's lifestyles ranged from hunting-gathering to living in dense urban centers of almost 10,000. But most would fall somewhere in the middle, as either slash-and-burn sedentists who still moved every couple years or nomadic pastoralists who followed their massive herds.

So, somebody from the lower end of the scale, say, a sort of witch in the woods who hangs around the edges of woodland communities, dispensing divination and herbal concoctions, is called by a distant relative to mediate a housing dispute in the city. The witch has zero experience of permanent sedentism beyond hearsay. She speaks like an ancient tablet, using "camp" in place of "city," and has… horns (?) like the cityfolk's grain goddess who taught them irrigation (think Shennong).

What would stand out to her about cities? The smell and sound of so many people in one place, obviously, but what else?

3 Comments
2023/09/26
15:58 UTC

4

A short intro that describes the 12 gods of my world.

1 Comment
2023/09/26
15:34 UTC

13

Show me your legal or governmental system and I'll try to find a loophole

Write a few paragraphs about an aspect of your legal or governmental system and I'll try to come up with a way it could be corrupted or manipulated if the right people were involved. Monarchy, democracy, theocracy, I don't care, I just think it could be fun.

71 Comments
2023/09/26
15:25 UTC

42

Need help regarding ocean

Hi, I just finished making this (horrible) topography map, and it just doesn't feel right, the ocean in particular. I guess I'm just bad at making anything but welp, how could I make it look better?

9 Comments
2023/09/26
15:24 UTC

1

Help with ideas for quick worldbuilding?

Hey guys! this is a quick post. I'm an DnD DM i just got a new DM screen and i'm making a bunch of custom tables and resources to put on it. I've managed to fit a bunch of mechanical resources in one panel, and now i'm working on filling the other two. I had an idea to make a panel that would help me improvise worldbuilding quickly while in a session, so having a list of races to choose from when making NPCs, a layout of the existing organizations and what their goals are, a map of the world with big lables to quickly reference, that kind of stuff.

So i need help from more experienced worldbuilders and more experienced DMs that have resources like these at their table, what ideas do you have for these types of tools that are specifically for on the spot worldbuilding, rather than tools for running the game like a list of skill checks or rules for jumping? Anything can help really, thanks in advance to anyone that comments!

0 Comments
2023/09/26
15:22 UTC

30

how do you limit the capacities of healing magic?

can magic heal a papercut, a cold, a flu, a broken bone? could it heal a severed arm? could it heal a blind person? where do you draw the line what healing magic is capable of? is there a reason behind this? is it a limitation on the healer's own ability? is it a rare ingredient or is it difficult to make?

what about gods with healing? what would be a reason that you can't simply pray to a god for them to heal whatever ailment there is?

49 Comments
2023/09/26
15:13 UTC

38

Does your world have a group similar to Unit 731?

Wikipedia article for historical context.

In my world(s), during an event known as "The Reality Crisis", an untold number of people were taken/captured and subjected to all kinds of gruesome experiments by different research/scientific groups.

Some people still reference them by saying things like "[They] make Unit 731 look like a baking soda volcano/science fair project/etc."

Does your world have anything similar?

Edit: I just wanted to say that I'm honestly surprised by the number of responses. You guys have some dark stuff cooking, nice.

Edit 2: apparently, someone cross posted this to the worldjerking subreddit. Lol

22 Comments
2023/09/26
14:51 UTC

0

would it be cliche to add a "big scf fi weapon the bad guys have that the good guys have to destroy" to my world?

star wars did this not once, but 3 times. im worried it'll draw comparison to that.

9 Comments
2023/09/26
14:39 UTC

3 Comments
2023/09/26
14:11 UTC

149

In your world, are there any races that hate the human race

So are there any races like elves demi humans or dwarves that hate the human race or view them as inferior if so why??

155 Comments
2023/09/26
13:18 UTC

9

What could be the pros and cons of “systematized” magic?

Let’s say there is a world where, for the longest time, magic was a wild and unpredictable force that was less used than it was invoked—whether through bargains with magical entities or inherently unpredictable rituals. For a long time, magic users were either respected figures of the community who used low-risk rituals, usually communicating with 'friendly' local spirits/entities... or nigh-on mythical figures who more often than not changed history in wonderful or awful ways. As a result, seeking to use magic was in and of itself enough to disqualify the would-be student in many cultures as it would be seen as irresponsible hubris or worse.

Throughout the course of history this desire to learn magic never really died, so people tried to 'control' magic. It was a long and arduous process that was often ridiculed by outsiders, but after generations of work progress was made and a simple, safe, decently effective, and most importantly replicable system of knowledge was developed. Such a system became wildly popular as magic and its applications became more 'commonplace', even if in a much-diminished form when compared to the demigods of old.

However, I have a question. What could be the potential drawbacks—to the magic users themselves, to society, or to the world at large—if such a system was used? I had this thought when people on this subreddit discussed things like relying on the 'system' in 'magic systems' often created too much grief for writers and potentially added boring jargon/unwieldiness to narratives, but I wanted to look at an in-universe perspective. What could be the downsides that one could introduce in a world where people learn Vancian magic with strictly defined spell effects or something to that effect?

16 Comments
2023/09/26
13:12 UTC

0

Valery Vosa. The husband of Queen Hildegard, the master of economist and the right-hand man of the bandit Queen.

Continuation post from this.

Context: This is the Kingdom Come Universe - (Currently, my setting is in Wattpad in the form of half a dozen original books.)

The Kingdom Come universe is a science fantasy setting, in the galaxy set in the distant future, where multiple Human civilizations and Nation are beset by hostile Xenos and supernatural creatures or compete with other Xenos empires and nations, a setting in which War is common and while peace and diplomacy can still be pursued, they are but decades-long breathers before the next war inevitably comes to pass. A setting where Human Nations and Xenos Nations fight each other, form alliances, trade and engage in an ever-shifting and hostile galaxy, while Demons, Mutants, and Bandits roam the Galaxy, with the Gods themselves leading various civilizations of their own.

.

Valery Vosa is the second most powerful person in the Khalinite league. He is known as the minister of finance and the treasury, a man who knows how to ensure the tax system keeps going and that the League does not run out of money, as well as the love interest and husband of Queen Hildegard herself.
Valery Vosa is one of Hildegard's closest allies. He was married to her even before her exile and stuck with his dear wife. They met each other in one of the Kovenant's many wars and got happily married for 3 years before Hildegard's exile... Valery, being a man of honor and with no one else to live for since the death of his own parents, joined his wife in her exile.

In doing so would become crucial in the League when it was formed after Hildegard took over her former boss's world and established the Khalinite league.

You see, even before the formation of the League, Valery has been instrumental in terms of finance, budgets, and making sure that the money flows. This is due to Valery's education and path in life... Valery is first and foremost, an accountant and an economist, graduating with honors from college... As such, Valery knew what it took to manage finances, taxes, and the economy in general...
This would be useful in the mercenary days, where during Hildegard's early days, Valery would ensure the organization got its finances in order.

When Hildegard seized power after Serov's death and took over his world. (Something discussed in the previous post.) Valery's skills and knowledge would land him a job supporting his wife as the master of finance, meaning that he would have the added responsibility of ensuring the economy is developed and robust enough in order to supply and support Hildegard's drive to establish a new state with her and her family at its head.

Valery was more or less the reason why the Khalinite League was strong enough to conquer hundreds and hundreds of worlds and how they were able to get stronger economically from it. Organizing mass industrialization, creating more Agri-worlds, and aiming to make the economy even stronger.

.

In many ways, Valery is a foil to his wife. Yet at the same time, he could also compliment his wife.

Where Hildegard is charismatic, ruthless, intelligent, and patient and has an uncompromising, down-to-earth type of nature that makes her popular with the troops. As well as a logistician who knows how to make her public image good via careful management of her public appearance......
Valery is more of a visionary, a master with money, and finances, and with vast knowledge on how to grow and manage the economy. Valery is a taskmaster, less confrontational and less uncompromising than his wife... Yet, Valery compliments his wife's logistical skill, political maneuvering, and image-building with his money and being a silent workhorse.

Like his wife, Valery is a self-proclaimed autocrat and like his wife, wishes to carve out their own kingdom from what they can claim and unite through conquest or diplomacy in the Red Stars region. Like his wife, he has a fighting spirit and yet, unlike his wife, Valery is less confrontational.

Although this hasn't been enough to get passed some arguments with his wife, such as Valery wishing to consolidate, while Hildegard wants an endless conquest to unite everything in the region, Valery loves his wife too much to leave her, and by extension, her League, their league.

Valery will forever be the loving husband he always has been. Now and forever.

2 Comments
2023/09/26
12:57 UTC

3

Designing a world, need help on axial tilt, climate

Hello all,

So, I'm tinkering with a D&D-esque world idea. Due to a misunderstanding on how axial tilt works, I had an idea I really like, but it turns out it doesn't work and now I need help trying to make it work without just saying "magic". Long story short, my idea was to have a livable "belt" somewhere around 60 degrees south of the equator (or north, I guess it doesn't matter). Toward the closest pole, so south in my mind, is where temperatures creep up towards unlivable, eventually just being horrible desert. To the north temperature move down, eventually becoming a vast frozen wasteland. I'd like the "belt" to have roughly normal day/night cycles, though I'm willing to consider alternatives if I can make them work. Is there anyway to make this idea workable without just declaring "magic!"?

6 Comments
2023/09/26
12:56 UTC

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