These world building prompts come from 3000 World Building Prompts, which you can get at Amazon. This section is focused on creating species and races.
- Will there be more than just humans in the setting?
- How long have people been here?
- Did they evolve here or come from somewhere else?
- Does your answer apply equally to all species?
- Are you using public domain races like elves and dwarves?
- What is the reason for your choice?
- What distinguishes your version of public domain races?
- Are you going to use the usual word (like elf) for them?
- Are you creating your own races/species?
- Do you need to invent your own or want to, and why?
- Do you want to mix yours with public domain ones?
- If you use the word “race” to distinguish between elves and dwarves, for example, what word are you going to use to distinguish between black and white humans, for example?
A Species or Race
These prompts pertain to inventing a species/race. Remember to avoid a monoculture, meaning they’re all the same; some of these prompts can be interpreted as making them all the same, but these are general questions to get us thinking, not a recommendation to create a monoculture. The words species and race are sometimes used interchangeably here, as the questions usually apply to inventing either.
- Is this a species?
- Or a race of a species?
- How many members of this race/species will appear in the work?
- If only one, do they represent the race very well or are they different from most?
- How many populations exist in different geographical areas?
- If you’re going to use them to comment on humanity, what trait allows this and what aspect of humanity are you commenting upon?
- Are you using an analogue to create them, and if so, what is it?
- How does your invention differ from the analogue in three key ways?
- Do you intend to use them as easy-to-kill inhabitants (think goblins)?
- Do you intend them to be more fully fleshed out (like elves)?
- What are they called?
- Do they have nicknames?
- What is their origin?
- Did gods create them? If so, which one(s)?
- Which gods do they often worship and why?
- Have they discovered anything?
World View
- Is their morality (good vs. evil) uniform or more nuanced like humanity?
- If uniform, what actions cause them to be viewed as good or evil?
- Are those actions indisputably bad/good or subtler and open to interpretation?
- Are they viewed poorly because of cultural differences that lead to misunderstandings?
- What are those differences and do they realize this is why others view them that way?
- Is there a “good” race (wood elves) of the species and an “evil” one (dark elves)?
- Do the good and evil versions look enough alike that they can impersonate each other?
- How can someone truly tell them apart if so?
- How skilled are they at impersonation?
- Can they only fool someone in certain situations, in low light, or for a few minutes?
- Is the race hostile to civilization?
- Is the race forbidden anywhere?
- How integrated with the world and other societies are they?
- How frequently do they travel outside their homeland?
- Are they found in great numbers elsewhere or just a few?
- What kinds of places attract them in higher numbers?
- Where they are welcomed, why is that?
- If they are unwelcome, why is that?
- What past incidents caused the response they receive?
- Or are they distrusted because of reputation, misunderstanding, or another factor?
- If they keep to themselves, why is that?
- Do they welcome strangers or even friends to their homelands?
- If welcoming, do they set aside areas to which other races are restricted?
- What happened and with who?
- How long ago?
- Do some within their lands rebel against any isolation?
- What effect has any isolation had on their world view and attitude toward strangers?
- How are uninvited visitors to their settlements greeted?
- If with hostility, are visitors killed on sight?
- Are they jailed?
- Enslaved?
- Are they prone to fears and prejudice about other races?
- What fears and prejudices do others express toward them?
- How do they feel about the fears and prejudices others have toward them?
- How tolerant are they of social diversity/issues?
Relationships and Family Life
- Do they marry and at what age is considered young/old?
- Is divorce possible?
- Do people have more than one spouse? Are both genders able to or only one?
- Do they have a written language?
- If so, what form does it take (symbols, letters, etc.)?
- What languages do they know?
- How often do they give birth?
- How long is pregnancy?
- Are young born like people or in an egg?
- Are twins, etc., common or uncommon?
- How long do parents rear the children (to what age)?
- Are both parents equally involved in child rearing?
- When are children expected to leave the home?
- What do children begin schooling and in what subjects?
- Do they have higher education (college, technical school) or must they get it from another race?
- Are children expected to take over a family business? What happens if they do not?
- Is the first/last born treated better than others?
- In combat, do they run or fight?
- Do they only fight when they outnumber their opponents by a wide margin?
- Do they engage in fights of honor?
- Do they have any preferred or unique weapons?
- Do they have calvary?
- Are there any typical battle formations or plans?
- What kinds of armor do they wear most often?
- Do they have any unique defenses, whether from equipment or abilities?
- Are they resistant to magic or supernatural o technological phenomenon (radiation)?
- Is there anything they are afraid of?
- If so, what is it and why?
- Which other races are their consistent allies?
- What other races are their consistent enemies?
- With which races do they have a more variable relationship?
- Are there any specific wars or battles in which they played a pivotal or memorable role?
Habitats, Settlements and Home Life
- Are they so welcoming of other species and people that they have furniture and even homes sized for other races?
- What is the typical floor plan for homes and other buildings?
- Are they distrustful or have they had poor experiences with others?
- Are their settlements hidden?
- Is anything done to erase an unwelcome visitor’s memories of this place before setting them free somewhere?
- Do they live in settlements others have built?
- Have they built any settlements with other races?
- If so, was it just because they lived in the same area?
- Or was it a peace-making joint operation?
- Was there another purpose behind it?
- Does it still stand?
- Are both still in power there?
- If it was an experiment, has that failed or been a success?
- Do they tend to be in positions of power, even in settlements or sovereign powers other species built?
- If so, what traits cause this?
- If not, are they often marginalized in another race’s society?
- Are there only specific races or nationalities that are unwelcome?
- Do they have a long-standing feud with another race or nearby settlement?
- What are their preferred habitats (forest, mountain)?
- Are they afraid of open spaces from living somewhere enclosed? Or the opposite?
- Do they dislike and avoid the sun or nighttime?
- Is there a terrain that they prefer (mountains, forests)?
- Why do they prefer that terrain? Does it give them an advantage and how?
- Are there terrains they dislike?
- If so, what causes this reaction and are they able to overcome it?
- Is there a climate they prefer or avoid, or which makes them [un] comfortable?
- What happens to their bodies or minds when exposed to it?
- What are their sleeping habits?
- How many meals do they need per day?
- What kinds of food do they prefer or avoid?
- Are they nomadic?
- Do they live in tribes?
- Do they farm?
- Are they able to build homes and to what level of sophistication?
- What sort of materials are homes and buildings constructed of (wood, stone, metal, glass)?
- Are there are rooms with a specific function inside homes or other buildings?
- Can they build towns and cities?
- How many days of the week do they work?
- How many hours a day do they work?
- What is considered “normal” work schedules for the average person, to the point of society planning around it?
- Do they take lunch breaks long enough to nap?
- Who do they do for fun?
Their Bodies
- Has their preferred habitat impacted their bodies via adaptation?
- Which adaptations have they made?
- Can they see in the dark?
- Do they have webbed toes and fingers?
- Do they have a tail?
- A forked tongue?
- Which senses are heightened from their habitat?
- Can they tolerate hot or cold temperatures better than humans?
- What skin colors are predominant?
- What in their habitat caused the skin color(s)?
- Which other races judge them poorly or favorably for their skin color(s)?
- How tall are they?
- Has their average height changed in the last hundred years?
- How fit are they?
- Are skinny or overweight ones common or rare?
- Has their average fitness changed in the last hundred years?
- How long can they live?
- How long do they typically live?
- Is the lifespan better or worse now than before?
- What hair colors are most common, or rare?
- Is there a posture common to them?
- Are they humanoid?
- If so, are their faces round, oval, square, heart-shaped?
- Are their brows prominent or shallow?
- Are their eyebrows rounded, arched (and to what degree), or a mono brow?
- Are their eyes round, slanted, deep set, up/down turned, wide/close set, hooded, protruding, or monoid?
- Are their irises a vertical/horizontal slit, round, a cat’s eye, or crescent?
- What are typical eye colors?
- Are their cheekbones sunken/indented, high/prominent, or low?
- Are their noses straight, long and wide, hawkish, snub, thin and pointed, bulbous, upturned, aquiline, broad with large nostrils, or the basic large nose?
- Are their mouths average, wide, small, full or thin lips (and are both the same?), rounded/pointed, or a Cupid’s bow?
- Are their teeth straight, crooked, missing, stained, pointed, serrated, poisonous, tiny, large, or multiple rows?
- Are their chins protruding, cleft, thin and pointing, round, square, jutting, receding, or long?
- Do they favor facial hair (and what type) or being clean shaven?
- Are their common beard and mustache styles?
- Do females also have beards?
- Do females shave their legs (or anything else)?
- Do males shave anything?
- If not humanoid, what animal(s) is their body and head based on?
- Are they capable of electro communication?
- Do they have magnetoception?
- Can they sense magical or supernatural energies?
- How strong/weak is their hearing?
- Can they hear things outside a human’s hearing range?
- Are they good/bad at distinguishing accents?
- Do they hear well/poorly in noisy environments?
- Are there any types of tastes they love or hate? Which ones?
- Can they identify the source of a flavor?
- Are they connoisseurs of food and drink?
- Or will they consume just about anything?
- What are they famous for loving?
- What are they famous for hating?
- Are their noses very sensitive?
- If so, are they frequently used in tracking?
- Are there any scents they find especially repugnant?
- What smells do they love?
- Do they sniff people as part of greeting them?
- If so, are they discreet or blatant?
- How do they react to those expressing discomfort with that?
- Which of their five senses are the strongest/weakest and most/least relied upon?
- What physical attributes (strength, agility, etc.) are strongest and weakest in them?
- Are they athletic?
- Do they have a higher or lower pain threshold than humans?
- Do they have any non-humanoid features (like a tail)?
- Do they have an innate supernatural abilities (like magic affinity)?
- What distinguishes their clothing?
- Are their items they typically wear (dress, tunics, kilts)?
- Is clothing bright or drab?
- Do they dress casually or formally?
- Is close ill-fitting or tailored?
- How stylized are clothes?
- Are slogans and images on their attire?
- Is clothing mismatched or a well-put together ensemble?
- How much jewelry and what kind do they wear?
Their Minds
- What mental attributes (intelligence, charisma, etc.) are strongest and weakest in them?
- How good is their morale?
- Are they scholars?
- Do they show a lot of skin or hardly any?
- Are they okay with public nudity?
- Do nude beaches exist?
- If so, how frequently?
- Do they act like the body is something to be ashamed of or proud of?
- What makes people feel shamed? Too much/little weight or something else?
- What forms of government are they capable of?
- What forms of government are most common?
- Do they have any sixth sense?
- Are they capable of telepathy?
- Clairvoyance?
- Telekinesis?
- Mediumship?
- Psychometry?
- Remote viewing?
- For each, how strong are they in the ability?
- How common is the ability?
- Are the abilities innate or can they be learned?
- Is there an age when the ability first manifests?
- Is there an age when they are expected to have mastered it?
- Do their abilities cause a fearful reaction among their own kind?
- Among others?
- Have they always had these abilities or are they recent?
- If recently, what caused them?
- What effect do these have on their culture?
Magic and Technology
- Are they technologically advanced or inferior to others in the setting?
- Can they invent technology and at what level of sophistication?
- Can they train others/themselves in technology or must they get training from someone else?
- Can they operate technology others have designed?
- What role does technology play in their society and lives?
- Are they capable of magic if it exists in the setting?
- Are they afraid of magic?
- How skilled with magic can they be?
- Are they able to invent spells?
- What role does magic play in their society and lives?
- Are they able to train others/themselves or must they get training from someone else?
- If there are different types of magic, which ones can/can’t they do and why?
- Is there a limit on how powerful they can become in magic?
- Have they invented anything?