Most genre-based gaming is set in entirely different worlds from the one we live in. That's the point of it being science fiction or fantasy or horror or whatever. A new world affords new story possibilities, new ideas, different ways of thinking, and of course, the chance to escape our mundane world for a period of entertainment. When I'm making a new world, it's always easy to just re-work an historical Earth civilization dress it tip with new names and tweak a couple aspects - but the result usually leaves me (and my players) feeling uninspired. "Oh no, not another version of Medieval Europe!" "Isn't this place just like feudal Nippon?" "So, what do you call the Roman Centurions in this world?" To prevent such reactions for my own gaming and fiction writing, I've come Lip with this list of details to consider when I'm creating a new civilization. It includes the obvious items such as religion, government and military; but it also delves into oft-neglected aspects such as food supply, commerce and sewage disposal! Many of the details may seem terribly esoteric, and inapplicable to an adventurous gaming campaign. But I've found that especially the small and seemingly unimportant details bring a great deal of life to an imaginary culture. They'll make your players feel as if this civilization truly could exist in a self-sustaining manner. "Wow! The people in this world have to use the toilet just like the rest of us!" "You mean this NPC actually has a job? He works for a living?" "Too bad they have to import so much of their food; they're too dependent upon that banana republic they get their food from." I've written these details in the form of questions - things to ponder as you create the background material for your gaming campaign. You don't necessarily have to answer every question, and certainly don't need to write down voluminous answers. Mostly they're things to think about. Keep the answers in the back of your mind and they'll naturally pop up later to give your culture a sense of completeness and internal consistency. Many an aspect will not pertain to your civi. lization at all, but you should explain to yourself why it doesn't pertain. Often, this can be the spark for a whole branch of cultural details that really make it come alive. Sentences in italic type, usually beginning with Invent something.... are direct instructions to flesh out a complete element and write it down. In all cases, these will be details you can (and almost certainly will) use in actual gaming sessions. For example: a distinctive food dish of which the characters can partake when they visit your culture; or a style of clothing you can describe to illustrate how the people took; or a religious ceremony the cleric character will perform. Power Source What powers the machinery of this civilization? In many ways, this is the most fundamental and important item to consider, for no civilization can develop without a source of power to free the people from the labors of mere survival. Of course the power source you choose depends upon the Tech Level of your game or this particular civilization. Also, consider non- earth-like situations such a world without fossil fuels or aliens from a nonoxygen atmosphere. Fortunately, with science fiction and fantasy, we can give our imaginations free reign to invent wild and bizarre possibilities. Although any moderately advanced civilization would employ several different fuels for different tasks, pick one as the single most important and most relied,upon fuel. Others will suggest them. selves when needed, but will not be the foundation of the entire civilization. This is true even in the real world, in that petroleum pretty much powers all the so-called "First-World" civilizations of the 20th century. Other power sources such as woodburning, nuclear fission and photovoltaics are simply not the fundamental power in our world. Some examples and their fuel sources follow. Human or Animal Labor The earliest foundation of any civilization, this can only drive purely mechanical devices. Despite being low-tech, for many tasks it's simply the most efficient method conceivable. Even an extremely high-tech civilization will employ manual labor to some degree, although it may become less of a necessity and more an enjoyment. Fire Fire is of course a basic source of power (at least on Earth), and it can be generated by wood, vegetable oil, animal-fat oil, coal, petroleum, fission, fusion or other methods arising from a science fiction concept. In higher technologies, the fire might be used merely to generate steam, which is the actual agent of power. Similarly, electricity may be generated by any of the above, plus photovoltaic solar-cells. Magic If magic is to be the culture's sole (or even primary above others) power source, you should have an exceedingly thorough concept of how it works. Also, consider how prevalent and available it is to the general populace. Is the magical power distributed to all or restricted to a few? Exactly how much of the peoples' day-to-day living tasks can the magic accomplish? Finally, what does a reliance upon magic do the the psychology of the people? Future Science One can extrapolate many current theories into workable systems. Some examples: Nuclear fusion, matter/antimatter reaction, harnessing quantum particle fluctuations, perhaps even psionics. Production & Distribution Is the power (or its,, fuel) produced by individuals themselves for personal use, or generated centrally and distributed to all consumers? Are there costs and consequences associated with this? Environmental Impact Almost any conceivable power source must rely upon a raw natural resource as a fuel. Is it prevalent or rare? Is it replenishable or are supplies dwindling? Are the people aware of the balance/imbalance of use and renewability? Even if you don't plan to make "environmentalism" a theme in your campaign, you should still consider these issues. Food Supply The acquisition and distribution of food. What do the people eat and where is it found? How do they harvest the various items, and then process them into edible food. Invent a few distinctive dishes for which this culture is known. Some categories: gathering, hunting, fishing, fowling, farming, ranching, processing, packaging, restaurants. Distribution of Food Does most of the population produce their own food for themselves and family; or do they purchase it from professional providers (such as farmers, ranchers, processing plants, restaurants, etc.)? How does this civilization move the foodstuffs from source to market to consumer? In many ways, what people eat and how they acquire it fundamentally determines the structure of their civilization. For example, if they primarily hunt for food, then they will be nomadic, in which case they're unlikely to have developed cities, higher technology or similar elements. Even the concept of permanency might be foreign to them. If they farm, they must be sedentary, which stimulates the development of leisure time, cities, arts, and so forth. Of course, many truly interesting fantasy or science fiction worlds can be created by defying this concept and coming up with realistic explanations of how the culture developed counter to earthly expectations. Even social issues will be determined by how the food is acquired and processed. More on this later. Natural Resources Decide what materials are available to this culture, and where they're located. Next determine how the people acquire each raw material, how it's distributed to those who use it, and how it's processed into products (usable or salable goods). Start thinking about the products manufactured from these raw materials, but you'll detail them later tinder the Commerce section. Invent at least one natural resource which this culture has in abundance over' other peoples in their World. Also, invent at least one resource which is rare and valued by your civilization. Some possibilities: water, food, animals (wild, managed, and domesticated), herbs & spices, lumber, quarried stone, mined minerals, gemstones, refined metals, fibers & textiles, petroleum or other fuels, radioactives, hydrogen or helium and of course magical and future science raw materials. Population Distribution Urban versus rural. For the most part, this will be determined by the location of the previous two items: Food and Natural Resources. Level of technology will also be a factor determining how much of the population is actually needed to acquire these resources. Also, people tend to cluster around the most life-necessary commodity water. Housing What types of shelters do the people build for themselves? Are they constructed by individuals or families for their own personal use, or by professional builders? What sorts of raw materials are prevalent in the region, and therefore used most often; what materials must be imported? How are the dwellings maintained to prevent decay, and are they passed on to future generations? Invent a few architectural styles. Later, when inventing this civilization's Civic Services, you might consider architecture in the form of public buildings, churches, government facilities, institutions, and so forth. Such buildings usually tend to be more permanent structures than personal housing, and more artfully constructed. Clothing How do the people protect their bodies from the elements? Consider the climate extremes they experience, as well as the textiles and materials available. Will differences in social class or caste affect clothing styles in this culture? Don't forget gender and age differences, as well as the needs of specific professions. Consider jewelry and decorations, prevalent color-schemes, hats and hoods, footwear, gloves, eyewear, and uniforms. Invent some distinctive fashions, styles and decorations. Commerce and Social Structures Back to Shadis #23 Table of Contents Back to Shadis List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines © Copyright 1996 by Alderac Entertainment Group This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com