World Anvil Academy
Practical lessons for curious worldbuilders, imaginative writers and unforgettable game masters. Your next great idea starts here.
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Learn how Fallout creates factions that feel real, from the NCR to Caesar's Legion. Five worldbuilding tips for GMs, authors and hobbyists, plus how to start your own.
From Inkarnate to Wonderdraft to World Anvil's interactive maps: a practical guide to fantasy map-making tools, techniques, and how to decide what your world actually needs.
Gothic isn't just a bunch of tropes or an aesthetic. It's far more seductive - and subversive. Unpack why gothic exists, what makes it tick, and how to craft a gothic setting for any genre.
This guide will show you how to build a mythic fantasy world that feels like The Odyssey, like Xena: Warrior Princess, like Hercules — but with your own geography, gods, monsters, and lore.
Revolutions and rebellions are a staple of fantasy and science fiction for good reason. Here's a guide for how to write - and subvert - them in your stories and games.
Solarpunk is a speculative fiction movement — part aesthetic, part political philosophy, part genre — built around one electrifying premise: what if we actually fixed things?
Why does the Evil Empire keep showing up as fiction's go-to villain? And more importantly for worldbuilders, how do you create a fantasy or scifi empire that doesn't feel like a cliche?
Here's how to make your world history a fascinating mystery, including five ways to destroy your ancients like a wrathful god, and the tools to make sure your audience is dying to know what really happened.
Economics is one of the most commonly glossed-over elements in worldbuilding. Don't miss out on one of the most powerful tools available for generating conflict, culture, and depth.
Second worlds are the most common type of setting in traditional fantasy, and the most ambitious. This checklist cuts through the overwhelm by focusing on what actually matters.
Worldbuilding politics doesn't have to feel like a chore, or a minefield. When you get it right, a rich vein of juicy conflict will run through the very bones of your setting. Here's a step-by-step guide.
Without people - sapient species & cultures - your setting isn't a place where stories can happen. Here's how to start populating your world.
MacGuffins, or quest items, are objects that propel your adventure plot. Here's how to create interesting, powerful relics and artifacts worth hunting!
Used well, fantasy jobs and occupations convey a wealth of information about how your world works - literally and figuratively.
A worldbuilding checklist can help you create a basic setting, to start playing (or writing) faster. And you can get there in just 10 steps!
Learn how to create castles that make sense, and have more story possibilities than arrow slits!
Is romantasy a buzzword for romantic fantasy, fantasy romance, or a whole new thing? A worldbuilding guide to the tropes and trends of this popular fantasy subgenre.
Enjoy tales of hackers fighting to take down corrupt corporations? Then grab your trench coat and mirrorshades as we hack into the slick, neon-drenched world of cyberpunk.
Organizing your world is key to unlocking its full potential. Let’s dive into why, when, and how to keep your worldbuilding project on track!
Sword & sorcery is a fantasy subgenre defined by its rugged heroes, mastery of the blade, and thrilling adventures in untamed lands.
Science fiction or fantasy communication is a great area of your world setting to expand, because it’s rich with possibilities.
5 tried and tested techniques for creative brainstorming, helping you solve problems and come up with ideas in a hurry!
History, religion, myths and legends all add depth to your fictional world. So let’s get into how to create a mysterious, misty past for your fresh new world.
Religion can be a source of motivation, magic & conflict for the characters in your game or novel setting. Here are some resources for worldbuilding one!
Every great world starts somewhere
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