Keyboard shortcuts

Press or to navigate between chapters

Press S or / to search in the book

Press ? to show this help

Press Esc to hide this help


id: world_primer title: World Primer type: world_primer level: campaign purpose: High-level overview of your campaign world author: Mimir Team variables:

  • name: world_name type: string description: Name of your world default: “[World Name]” required: true

{{world_name}} Overview

The foundation of your campaign setting


Core Concept

World Name: [Name]
Elevator Pitch: [One paragraph describing what makes this world unique]

Genre Tags: [e.g., High Fantasy, Low Magic, Renaissance, Post-Apocalyptic]
Inspiration: [“It’s like X meets Y”]
Unique Element: [What doesn’t exist in other worlds]


The Six Truths

Fundamental facts that shape everything else

  1. [Cosmological Truth]: [How the universe works differently]
  2. [Historical Truth]: [The event that changed everything]
  3. [Magical Truth]: [How supernatural forces operate]
  4. [Cultural Truth]: [Universal social norm or conflict]
  5. [Geographical Truth]: [Physical reality of the world]
  6. [Political Truth]: [How power actually works]

Geography Overview

The Known World

Size: [Rough dimensions or travel times]
Shape: [Continents, islands, unusual features]
Climate Patterns: [General weather trends]
Natural Barriers: [What divides regions]

Major Regions

RegionTerrainClimateDominant CultureCurrent Status
[Name][Type][Type][Who lives there][Peace/War/etc]
[Name][Type][Type][Who lives there][Peace/War/etc]
[Name][Type][Type][Who lives there][Peace/War/etc]
[Name][Type][Type][Who lives there][Peace/War/etc]

The Unknown

Beyond the Maps: [What lies past civilization]
Why Unexplored: [What keeps people away]
Legends Say: [What might be there]


Cosmology

The Planes

Material Plane: [Name and nature]
Other Realms:

  • [Plane]: [Connection and influence]
  • [Plane]: [Connection and influence]
  • [Plane]: [Connection and influence]

Travel Between: [How it’s possible, if at all]

The Heavens

Sun: [Natural or divine?]
Moon(s): [Number and significance]
Stars: [What they actually are]
Comets/Portents: [What they mean]


Magic System

How Magic Works

Source: [Where power comes from]
Access: [Who can use it and how]
Cost: [What it demands]
Limits: [What it cannot do]

Magic in Society

Prevalence: □ Rare □ Uncommon □ Common □ Ubiquitous
Public View: □ Feared □ Distrusted □ Accepted □ Revered
Regulation: [How it’s controlled]
Organizations: [Who teaches/polices it]

Unique Magical Elements

  • [Special type of magic]
  • [Magical phenomenon]
  • [Forbidden practice]

Divine Forces

The Nature of Divinity

Gods Are: [Real/Myths/Unclear/Dead]
Divine Power: [How it manifests]
Mortal Relations: [How gods interact with world]

Major Deities

DeityDomainSymbolFollowersStatus
[Name][What they rule][Holy symbol][Who worships][Active/Silent/Dead]
[Name][What they rule][Holy symbol][Who worships][Active/Silent/Dead]
[Name][What they rule][Holy symbol][Who worships][Active/Silent/Dead]

Religious Practice

Organized Religion: [Dominant churches]
Folk Beliefs: [Common superstitions]
Heresies: [Forbidden faiths]


Historical Eras

Only the periods that matter to now

The Ancient Days

When: [Time period]
What Happened: [Major events]
Legacy: [What remains]

The Turning Point

When: [Time period]
The Event: [What changed everything]
Immediate Impact: [How world reacted]
Current Echoes: [How it still matters]

The Recent Past

When: [Last 50-100 years]
Major Changes: [What shaped today]
Living Memory: [What people remember]


Current Era

Technology Level

Common: [What everyone has]
Rare: [What exists but isn’t widespread]
Impossible: [What definitely doesn’t exist]
Regional Variations: [Who’s advanced/primitive]

Political Landscape

Major Powers: [Who controls what]
Rising Forces: [Who’s gaining strength]
Declining Empires: [Who’s losing grip]
Conflicts: [Current or brewing wars]

Economic Forces

Trade Routes: [Major commercial paths]
Currency: [What people use]
Valuable Resources: [What nations fight over]
Economic Centers: [Where wealth concentrates]


Cultural Overview

Common Elements

Languages: [Trade tongues and regional dialects]
Naming Conventions: [How people are named]
Social Structure: [How society organizes]
Gender Roles: [Expectations and variations]

Cultural Tensions

  • [Group vs Group]: [Source of conflict]
  • [Belief vs Belief]: [Ideological split]
  • [Old vs New]: [Generational change]

Daily Life

For Common Folk

Work: [How most people earn living]
Home: [Typical living situations]
Food: [What people eat]
Entertainment: [How they have fun]
Concerns: [Daily worries]

For Adventurers

Legal Status: [How society views them]
Employment: [Who hires them]
Resources: [Where they resupply]
Reputation: [How deeds spread]


Threats and Dangers

Environmental

  • [Natural disaster type]
  • [Dangerous regions]
  • [Magical phenomena]

Political

  • [War or threat of war]
  • [Internal strife]
  • [Succession crisis]

Supernatural

  • [Ancient evil]
  • [Planar incursion]
  • [Magical catastrophe]

Mysteries of the World

Unknown even to scholars

  1. [Unexplained phenomenon]
  2. [Lost civilization secret]
  3. [Cosmic question]
  4. [Historical contradiction]
  5. [Prophesied event]

Campaign Hooks

Personal Scale

  • [Individual adventure seed]
  • [Local problem]
  • [Small mystery]

Regional Scale

  • [Kingdom-affecting issue]
  • [Regional threat]
  • [Political opportunity]

World Scale

  • [World-changing discovery]
  • [Apocalyptic threat]
  • [Divine intervention]

Design Notes

Themes to Emphasize: [Core feelings/ideas]
Elements to Avoid: [What doesn’t fit]
Inspiration Sources: [Media to reference]
Expandable Areas: [Where to add detail later]


Remember: Start with broad strokes. Add detail only where players explore.