Create New World

Create a new worldbuilding project for: $ARGUMENTS

Overview

Creates a new world directory with full folder structure and an initial World Overview document. Can run in:

•Interactive mode (default): Asks questions to generate a customized World Overview
•Quick mode (--quick): Creates structure with template placeholders only

Instructions

Step 1: Parse Arguments

Extract from $ARGUMENTS:

•World name - Required (ask if not provided)
•--quick flag - Optional, skips questionnaire

Check if world already exists at Worlds/[World Name]/. If yes:

"A world named '[World Name]' already exists. Would you like to:

•Open the existing world

•Choose a different name

•Delete and recreate (WARNING: destroys existing content)"

Step 2: World Name Validation

Ensure the world name is:

•Evocative and memorable
•Title Case with spaces allowed
•Valid as a folder name (no special characters: / \ : * ? " < > |)

If name seems generic (e.g., "Test", "New World", "World 1"), offer suggestions:

"Would you like a more evocative name? Here are some suggestions based on fantasy naming patterns:

•[Generated name 1]

•[Generated name 2]

•[Generated name 3]

•Keep '[Original Name]'"

Interactive Mode (Default)

Step 3: Core Identity Questions

Ask these questions to generate customized content. Present as numbered options where applicable.

3A: Genre & Tone

"What genre and tone fits your world?"

•Epic Fantasy - Heroic adventures, clear good vs evil, grand scale (Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time)

•Dark Fantasy - Grim, morally gray, dangerous (Dark Souls, Warhammer, Witcher)

•Sword & Sorcery - Personal stakes, pulpy action, rogues and warriors (Conan, Lankhmar)

•Mythic Fantasy - Gods walk among mortals, legendary heroes, fate-driven (Greek myths, Exalted)

•Low Fantasy - Subtle magic, political intrigue, grounded (Game of Thrones, First Law)

•Whimsical Fantasy - Lighter tone, humor welcome (Discworld, Princess Bride)

•Horror Fantasy - Dread, cosmic terror, survival (Ravenloft, Call of Cthulhu)

•Other - Describe your vision

Store response in world_tone.

3B: The Hook

"In one or two sentences, what makes this world unique? What's the first thing you want players to discover?"

Examples:

•"Magic is dying, and the last mages are hunted as heretics"

•"Three empires vie for control of the only river in a vast desert"

•"The gods went silent fifty years ago, and cults have risen in the void"

•"A floating archipelago above an endless storm-sea"

Store response in world_hook.

3C: Magic Level

"How common is magic in this world?"

•None - Magic doesn't exist; purely mundane

•Mythic Only - Magic existed in legends, maybe traces remain

•Rare - Most people never see real magic; practitioners are legendary

•Uncommon - Magic exists but is notable; mages are respected/feared

•Common - Part of daily life; magical services available in cities

•Pervasive - Magic is everywhere; even commoners have cantrips

Store response in magic_level.

3D: Technology Level

"What's the baseline technology level?"

•Primitive - Stone age, tribal societies

•Ancient - Bronze/Iron age, early empires (Egypt, Mesopotamia)

•Classical - Greek/Roman equivalent, sophisticated but pre-medieval

•Medieval - Feudal kingdoms, castles, knights (standard D&D)

•Renaissance - Early gunpowder, printing press, exploration age

•Industrial - Steam power, factories, early modern

•Magitech - Technology powered or replaced by magic

Store response in tech_level.

3E: Scale & Scope

"How much of the world do you plan to detail?"

•Local - One city and surroundings; tight focus

•Regional - A single kingdom or territory

•Continental - One major landmass with multiple nations

•Global - Multiple continents, world-spanning scope

•Planar - Multiple planes of existence matter

Store response in world_scale.

3F: Central Conflict

"What's the primary tension or conflict driving events?"

Examples:

•War between nations

•Ancient evil awakening

•Political succession crisis

•Plague with no cure

•Planar barriers weakening

•Resource scarcity

•Religious schism

•Or describe your own

Store response in central_conflict.

3G: Inspirations (Optional)

"What are 1-3 inspirations for this world? (Books, games, movies, history, aesthetics)"

Store response in inspirations.

Step 4: Create Directory Structure

Create the following structure in Worlds/[World Name]/:

code

[World Name]/
├── World Overview.md
├── Characters/
├── Settlements/
├── Items/
├── Creatures/
├── Organizations/
├── Concepts/
├── History/
├── Geography/
├── Encounters/
├── Maps/
└── Sessions/

Folder purposes:

Folder	Contents
Characters/	NPCs, protagonists, antagonists, familiars
Settlements/	Cities, towns, villages, taverns, shops, temples
Items/	Weapons, armor, artifacts, potions, books, vehicles
Creatures/	Monsters, animals, species, plants
Organizations/	Governments, guilds, cults, military, criminal orgs
Concepts/	Deities, pantheons, magic systems, calendars, currencies
History/	Ages, events, wars, battles, dynasties
Geography/	Continents, regions, terrain features, dungeons
Encounters/	Combat, social, exploration encounters
Maps/	World, continent, region, settlement maps
Sessions/	DM session prep notes and logs

Step 5: Generate World Overview

Create World Overview.md with content filled from questionnaire answers:

markdown

---
tags:
  - world
  - overview
  - [world_name_tag]
name: "[World Name]"
aliases: []
status: draft
# World Details
genre: [derived from tone]
tone: "[world_tone]"
time_period: "[tech_level era name]"
magic_level: "[magic_level]"
technology_level: "[tech_level]"
scale: "[world_scale]"
created: "[current date]"
---

# [World Name]

> [!info] World Overview
> This is the central document for [World Name]. It tracks high-level worldbuilding details, themes, and relationships between major elements. Use `[[wikilinks]]` to connect to entities as you create them.

## Premise

[Expanded version of world_hook - 3-4 sentences elaborating on the unique concept, the current situation, and what makes this world compelling for adventures]

## Tone & Themes

### Tone
**Primary Tone:** [world_tone]

**What This Means:**
[2-3 sentences describing how this tone manifests - violence level, moral complexity, humor appropriateness, stakes]

### Central Themes
1. **[Theme 1]** - [Brief description derived from hook/conflict]
2. **[Theme 2]** - [Second theme]
3. **[Theme 3]** - [Third theme, if applicable]

### Inspirations
[List inspirations if provided, or leave as prompt]
-
-

---

## The World

### Geography Overview
[3-4 sentences describing the world's physical layout appropriate to the scale. For continental: describe the main continent. For local: describe the region.]

**Scale:** [world_scale] - [What this means for play]

### Major Powers
| Power | Type | Region | Status |
|-------|------|--------|--------|
| [Placeholder] | [Government type] | [Location] | [Current state] |
| [Placeholder] | [Government type] | [Location] | [Current state] |
| [Placeholder] | [Government type] | [Location] | [Current state] |

### Timeline
| Era | Approximate Period | Key Events |
|-----|-------------------|------------|
| Age of [Myth/Creation] | Ancient past | [World's origin] |
| Age of [Growth/Expansion] | [Time period] | [Key developments] |
| Current Era | Present | [Current situation from central_conflict] |

---

## Magic & Technology

### Magic
**Magic Level:** [magic_level]

[2-3 sentences describing how magic works in this world, who can use it, and how society views it - derived from magic_level choice]

**Key Questions to Answer:**
- Where does magical power come from?
- Who can use magic and how do they learn?
- What are the costs or limits?
- How does society treat magic users?

**Magic System(s):** (Create with `/create-entity magic system`)
- [[]]

### Technology
**Technology Level:** [tech_level]

[2-3 sentences describing the technological baseline - what exists, what doesn't, any anachronisms or unique innovations]

**Notable Technologies:**
-

---

## Cosmology

### The Divine
[Placeholder text based on tone - for dark fantasy: "The gods are distant or cruel..."; for epic fantasy: "A pantheon of gods watches over mortals..."]

**Pantheon:** (Create with `/create-entity pantheon`)
- [[]]

**Key Questions to Answer:**
- Do gods exist? Are they active?
- How do mortals worship?
- What happens after death?

### Planes of Existence
[Default based on scale - if planar: list expected planes; otherwise: "The material world is the focus of this setting."]

-

### Creation Myth
[2-3 sentence placeholder based on tone]

---

## Current Era

### The State of the World
[4-5 sentences expanding on central_conflict - who's involved, what's at stake, how it affects common people, what's the ticking clock]

### Major Conflicts
1. **[Primary Conflict]:** [central_conflict expanded]
2. **[Secondary Conflict]:** [Related or contrasting tension]

### Opportunities for Adventure
1. [Hook derived from conflict]
2. [Exploration opportunity]
3. [Faction-based opportunity]
4. [Mystery or discovery opportunity]

---

## World-Specific Rules

### House Rules
D&D 5e 2024 modifications for this setting:
- [Based on magic_level - e.g., if magic is rare: "Spellcasting classes require DM approval"]
- [Based on tech_level - e.g., if renaissance: "Firearms exist using DMG rules"]
-

### Unique Mechanics
Setting-specific systems to develop:
- [If magic is unusual: "Magic corruption/cost system"]
- [If appropriate: "Faction reputation tracking"]
-

### Restricted Options
[Based on world - species, classes, or backgrounds that don't fit]
-

---

## Development Notes

### Priorities
What to develop first (recommended based on scale):
1. [If continental/global: "Main continent geography and 2-3 major nations"]
   [If regional: "The primary region and its major settlement"]
   [If local: "The main city and its districts"]
2. Pantheon and/or magic system (if magic exists)
3. Central conflict factions and key NPCs
4. 2-3 adventure sites (dungeons, ruins, dangerous locations)

### Questions to Answer
Unresolved worldbuilding questions:
1. [Derived from gaps in provided info]
2. [Standard question for the tone/scale]
3.

### Session Zero Topics
Discuss with players:
- Appropriate character origins
- Tone expectations (violence, horror, humor levels)
- [Theme-specific topic]
- [Conflict-specific topic]

---

## Quick Reference

### Key Locations
- [[]] - [Description placeholder]
- [[]] - [Description placeholder]
- [[]] - [Description placeholder]

### Key Characters
- [[]] - [Role placeholder]
- [[]] - [Role placeholder]
- [[]] - [Role placeholder]

### Key Organizations
- [[]] - [Type placeholder]
- [[]] - [Type placeholder]
- [[]] - [Type placeholder]

### Key Concepts
- [[]] - [Magic/religion/culture placeholder]
- [[]] - [Placeholder]

---

## Image Prompts

### World Map Concept
**Art Style:** [Derived from tone - e.g., "Hand-drawn parchment map with aged edges" for classic fantasy, "Dark atmospheric satellite view" for dark fantasy]

**Prompt:** [To be filled when geography is established]

### Iconic Scene
**Art Style:** [Tone-appropriate]

**Prompt:** [To be filled - depicting the world's hook visually]

Step 6: Create Supporting Files

6A: .gitkeep Files

Add .gitkeep to each empty subdirectory for version control:

•Characters/.gitkeep
•Settlements/.gitkeep
•Items/.gitkeep
•Creatures/.gitkeep
•Organizations/.gitkeep
•Concepts/.gitkeep
•History/.gitkeep
•Geography/.gitkeep
•Encounters/.gitkeep
•Maps/.gitkeep
•Sessions/.gitkeep

6B: Create Session Log Template (Optional)

If user seems interested in running games, create Sessions/Session Log Template.md:

markdown

---
tags:
  - session
  - log
session_number:
date_played:
date_ingame:
---

# Session [X]: [Title]

## Summary
[2-3 sentence summary of what happened]

## Events
1.
2.
3.

## NPCs Encountered
- [[NPC Name]] - [What happened]

## Locations Visited
- [[Location]] - [What happened]

## Loot & Rewards
-

## Plot Threads
### Advanced
-
### Introduced
-
### Resolved
-

## Notes for Next Session
-

Step 7: Confirmation & Next Steps

Present a summary and clear next steps:

code

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║              WORLD CREATED: [World Name]                     ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                              ║
║  Location: Worlds/[World Name]/                              ║
║                                                              ║
║  Tone: [world_tone]                                          ║
║  Magic: [magic_level]                                        ║
║  Tech: [tech_level]                                          ║
║  Scale: [world_scale]                                        ║
║                                                              ║
║  Hook: "[world_hook - truncated]"                            ║
║                                                              ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║  NEXT STEPS                                                  ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                              ║
║  1. Review and refine World Overview.md                      ║
║                                                              ║
║  2. Choose your approach:                                    ║
║     • /generate-world [World Name]                           ║
║       Auto-generate 80-120 interconnected entities           ║
║                                                              ║
║     • /worldbuild [World Name]                               ║
║       Interactive guided building with Q&A                   ║
║                                                              ║
║     • /create-entity [description] for [World Name]          ║
║       Create entities one at a time                          ║
║                                                              ║
║  Recommended first entities based on your scale:             ║
║  [Scale-specific recommendations - see below]                ║
║                                                              ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Scale-specific recommendations:

Scale	Recommended First Entities
Local	Main city → Key district → Central tavern → 3-4 NPCs
Regional	Region overview → Capital city → 2 other settlements → Government
Continental	Continent → 3-4 regions → Major nation → Capital city
Global	World geography → 2 continents → Major nations overview
Planar	Material plane → 1-2 key planes → Planar connections

Quick Mode (--quick flag)

If --quick is in arguments, skip the questionnaire:

•Create directory structure (same as interactive)
•Create World Overview with all placeholder text (no filled content)
•Create .gitkeep files
•Brief confirmation:

code

World '[World Name]' created at Worlds/[World Name]/

Start by editing World Overview.md to define your world's identity.

Commands to continue:
- /worldbuild [World Name] - Interactive guided building
- /generate-world [World Name] - Auto-generate full world
- /create-entity [type] for [World Name] - Create individual entities

Duplicate World Handling

If Worlds/[World Name]/ already exists:

code

A world named '[World Name]' already exists.

Options:
1. Open existing - I'll read the World Overview and summarize it
2. New name - Choose a different name for your new world
3. Recreate - Delete existing and start fresh (DESTRUCTIVE)
4. Cancel - Abort world creation

What would you like to do?

If user chooses "Open existing":

•Read World Overview.md
•Summarize current state (entities created, status, etc.)
•Offer next steps based on world state

Naming Conventions Reference

When generating names for entities in this world, consult these reference files:

Reference File	Use For
`Templates/Reference/D&D Species Naming Conventions.md`	Species-specific naming patterns (Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Orcs, etc.)
`Templates/Reference/Tolkien Naming Conventions.md`	High fantasy linguistic patterns (Sindarin, Quenya, Khuzdul, etc.)

When to Apply

•During World Overview generation: Use naming patterns that match the world's tone and inspirations
•For Major Powers table: Name kingdoms/empires using appropriate linguistic conventions
•For placeholder entities: Suggest names consistent with cultural patterns

Matching Names to Tone

World Tone	Recommended Naming Style
Epic Fantasy	Tolkien patterns (Sindarin/Quenya for elves, Norse-inspired for dwarves)
Dark Fantasy	Harsher variants, Black Speech influences for villains
Sword & Sorcery	Mixed cultural human names, simpler constructions
Mythic Fantasy	Quenya (formal/divine), culture-specific for mortals
Low Fantasy	Historical human naming patterns (Germanic, Celtic, Slavic)
Whimsical Fantasy	Halfling/Gnome patterns, playful constructions

Integration Notes

•World Overview uses [[wikilinks]] syntax for Obsidian compatibility
•All YAML frontmatter follows template conventions
•Folder structure matches category mappings in create-entity skill
•Sessions/ folder supports session-prep skill output
•Encounters/ folder supports random-encounter skill output
•Maps/ folder ready for map templates

Examples

code

# Interactive creation
/create-world Eldoria

# Quick creation (no questions)
/create-world Shadowmere --quick

# Will prompt for name
/create-world