The Only Worldbuilding Checklist You’ll Ever Need
Worldbuilding is the heart and soul of fantasy writing. Whether you're crafting an epic series, a one-shot D&D campaign, or a standalone novel, your world needs to feel real—even if it's full of dragons, eldritch gods, or sentient mushrooms.
But worldbuilding is huge.
There’s so much to think about—geography, politics, cultures, magic systems, and a hundred other details that can make or break immersion. That’s where a worldbuilding checklist comes in handy.
I’ve spent years building fantasy worlds (and tearing them down when they stopped making sense), so I know how overwhelming it can be.
To help, I’ve put together this practical checklist for worldbuilding, covering everything from the big-picture stuff to the tiny details that make your world feel lived-in.
Topics covered in this post:
Worldbuilding checklist: The big questions
Before you dive into the deep end of your world, take a step back and answer some core questions. These set the foundation for everything else.
What’s the central theme or tone? Grimdark, high fantasy, cozy fantasy, something else?
What’s the scope? Are you creating a single city, a whole planet, or an interdimensional empire?
What makes your world unique? What’s the one thing that sets it apart from other fantasy settings?
How does magic work (if at all)? If magic exists, is it rare, common, scientific, chaotic?
If you can answer these questions, congrats! You’ve already got a solid start. Now, let’s get into the details.
Geography and environment
The physical world affects everything—cultures, economies, warfare, even mythology. Here’s what to consider:
Landscapes: Mountains, deserts, forests, oceans—what’s the dominant terrain?
Climate & weather: Is it stable, seasonal, or unpredictable? Does magic affect the weather?
Natural resources: What materials are valuable? Are they rare? Who controls them?
Flora & fauna: Are there unique plants and animals? Any legendary creatures?
Natural disasters: Earthquakes, magical storms, deadly fog—what threatens life here?
💡 Example: If your world has floating islands, how do people travel between them? Do they use airships, dragons, or magical bridges?
Civilizations and cultures
A well-developed world needs believable societies. Here’s your d&d worldbuilding checklist for cultures:
Dominant civilizations: Who are the major players—empires, city-states, nomadic tribes?
Cultural values: What do people believe in? What’s considered honorable or shameful?
Daily life: What do people eat, wear, and do for fun?
Traditions & holidays: What’s celebrated? What are the biggest festivals or rituals?
Technology level: Medieval, steampunk, advanced magic?
Languages & dialects: Do different regions have their own languages?
Architecture: What do cities and homes look like?
💡 Example: If one kingdom values absolute loyalty, maybe they tattoo their ruler’s sigil onto their skin as a sign of devotion.
Politics and power
Fantasy worlds love political intrigue. Whether it’s warring kingdoms, corrupt guilds, or secret societies, politics drive conflict. Here’s your world building checklist for power structures:
Government types: Monarchies, republics, theocracies—who’s in charge?
Succession & power struggles: How is leadership decided? Are there assassinations or elections?
Laws & punishment: What’s illegal? How is crime handled?
Conflict & war: Who’s fighting, and why? What are the major tensions in the world?
Trade & economy: What do people use as currency? What’s considered a luxury?
Social hierarchy: Who holds power? Are there nobles, castes, or guilds?
Secret organizations: Are there hidden factions, assassins, or underground movements?
💡 Example: If a kingdom relies on magical crystals for energy, a black market for illegal crystal trade could create major conflict.
Magic and its place in your world
Magic systems need structure to feel believable. Even if magic is mysterious, it still follows some kind of logic. Here’s what to figure out:
Magic system rules: Can anyone use magic, or is it rare? Does it have limits or consequences?
Types of magic: Is it elemental, divine, alchemical, rune-based, something else?
Where does magic come from? Is it divine, elemental, tied to ancient relics?
Who can use magic? Is it genetic, learned, or gifted by higher powers?
How is magic accessed? Is it drawn from nature, channeled through artifacts, or fueled by sacrifice?
What are the limits and costs? Does magic drain energy, shorten lifespan, or require rare materials?
How is magic controlled? Are there laws regulating magic? Are certain types banned or restricted?
How does magic shape daily life? Is it used for farming, healing, warfare, or communication?
What’s its impact on history? Have wars been fought over magic? Have entire civilizations collapsed because of it?
💡 Example: If magic drains years from a person’s lifespan, only the desperate or reckless would dare to wield it—making magic rare and possibly outlawed in certain societies.
Magical creatures, mythology, and the supernatural
Magic doesn’t just affect people—it shapes entire ecosystems, religions, and myths.
Magical creatures: Do they exist? Are they intelligent or just beasts?
Religions & deities: Do gods actively interfere, or are they distant legends?
Legends & folklore: What myths and stories shape people’s beliefs?
Superstitions & omens: What brings good or bad luck?
Forbidden or dark magic: Are there taboos around certain types of magic? Is necromancy outlawed?
💡 Example: Maybe a society believes that a certain constellation represents a cursed god, and any child born under that sign is considered dangerous or marked for exile.
How your world measures time
Time isn’t just a background detail—it shapes how people live. How do they track days? Do they have weeks and months, or is it all based on lunar cycles? Maybe time itself is unstable, and no one really knows what year it is.
Timekeeping: How do people track days, months, years? Do they use sundials, clocks, magic?
Seasons & cycles: Are seasons predictable, or do magical forces mess with them?
Historical eras: What major events define different time periods?
💡 Example: If time resets every 500 years due to a massive celestial event, history might be constantly rewritten. Imagine scholars arguing over whether their world is in its third or seventeenth cycle.
Transportation and communication
How people travel (or don’t) says a lot about your world. Do they have roads and trade routes, or is every journey a life-or-death struggle? Is communication instant with magic, or does it take weeks for a message to arrive by ship?
Travel methods: Horses, airships, teleportation, underground tunnels?
Long-distance messaging: Magic scrolls, carrier birds, speaking stones?
Trade routes: Are there well-established paths, or is travel dangerous?
💡 Example: If every written message has to pass through an enchanted archive before reaching its destination, whoever controls the archive controls the truth. That’s a lot of power.
Historical events and world timeline
Your world didn’t just pop into existence—something came before. Wars, disasters, golden ages… what shaped the present? Even if your characters don’t know every detail, the echoes of history should be felt.
Major wars & conflicts: What past wars or revolutions still affect the world today?
Natural disasters: Great floods, plagues, volcanic eruptions—any big ones?
Golden ages & declines: Was there a time when everything was great… until it wasn’t?
💡 Example: Maybe there was once a massive empire that ruled everything—until one night, it just vanished. Now, ruins litter the world, and no one really knows what happened. Or at least, no one who’s talking. Dun dun duuuun (sorry).
How to organize your worldbuilding notes (without losing your mind)
Let’s be honest—worldbuilding creates a lot of notes. And if you don’t organize them, you’ll end up with a chaotic mess of half-written ideas scattered across notebooks and Google Docs.
That’s why I swear by Notion for worldbuilding. It’s flexible, searchable, and lets you link everything together.
Final thoughts
Worldbuilding is a rabbit hole, and honestly, you don’t need to flesh out everything. Focus on what matters for your story. The goal isn’t to drown in details—it’s to create a world that feels alive.
If you want a structured system to keep track of your world, check out my ✅ Notion Worldbuilding Template—it’s a complete world building worksheet and database that’ll help you stay organized.
Frequently asked questions about worldbuilding
How much worldbuilding is too much?
If you’re spending more time on maps, family trees, and economic systems than actually writing your story, you might be overdoing it. Worldbuilding should serve the story, not stall it. Focus on what directly impacts your plot and characters. If you find yourself creating a 200-page document on the history of elven plumbing… maybe rein it in.
How do I make my world feel unique without overcomplicating it?
Start by tweaking familiar concepts rather than reinventing everything. Maybe your elves live underground instead of in forests. Maybe your magic system is powered by memories instead of mana. A few well-placed twists can make your world stand out without making it overwhelming.
Should I reveal everything about my world in the story?
Nope! Readers don’t need a history lecture every time a character enters a new town. Sprinkle in worldbuilding naturally—through dialogue, setting details, or conflicts. If it doesn’t serve the story, leave it in your notes. The world feels richer when there’s depth behind the scenes, but you don’t need to explain every detail upfront.
