AI Prompts for Claude for Worldbuilding

I am building a world for a [GENRE] story. The premise is [BRIEF PREMISE]. Give me the five foundational facts I need to establish before I can build anything else — the facts that everything else will depend on. For each, explain why it is foundational.

My world has [ONE KEY DIFFERENCE FROM THE REAL WORLD, E.G., "MAGIC COSTS THE USER YEARS OFF THEIR LIFE"]. Work out the full consequences of this one rule. How does it affect economics, politics, social hierarchies, family structure, and religion? I want the downstream effects, not just the surface description.

I am creating a [SPECIFIC TYPE OF SETTING, E.G., "A FLOATING CITY ABOVE THE CLOUDS"]. Give me the three biggest practical problems this setting would face — logistics, resources, social — and a plausible solution to each that does not feel like a hand-wave.

My world has two nations in conflict: [NATION A DESCRIPTION] and [NATION B DESCRIPTION]. Give me the shared history that led to this conflict, making sure both sides have a legitimate grievance. I do not want a good side and a bad side. I want a conflict where the reader understands both positions.

I need a map of the power structures in my world. Who holds formal power, who holds informal power, who wants power they do not have, and who appears powerful but is secretly constrained? Give me a brief breakdown of how power flows and where the pressure points are.

I need to develop the culture of [GROUP OR SOCIETY IN MY WORLD]. Give me their three core values, the taboo they consider unforgivable, the coming-of-age ritual that defines adulthood, and the way they talk about death. Do not make them a carbon copy of any real-world culture.

My world has a caste or class system structured around [ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE, E.G., "MAGICAL ABILITY" OR "BLOOD LINEAGE"]. Work out the social texture of this system. What does someone in the lowest tier do to survive? What does someone at the top believe justifies the hierarchy? What is the approved way to move between levels — and the unofficial way?

What do ordinary people in my world do on a normal Tuesday? Describe a day in the life of a [SPECIFIC TYPE OF PERSON, E.G., "MERCHANT IN A PORT CITY" OR "FARMER IN A BORDER VILLAGE"]. I want small, concrete details: what they eat, what they worry about, what they say to their neighbors.

I need to develop the religion or belief system of [SOCIETY IN MY WORLD]. What is sacred? What is the relationship between believers and the divine — distant, transactional, intimate? What do the institutions of this religion want, and do they align with what ordinary believers want?

My world has a recent historical event that shaped everything: [BRIEF EVENT DESCRIPTION]. How do different groups in my world interpret this event differently? Give me three perspectives — one from each side of the conflict and one from a group that was affected but not a main participant.

Here is the magic system I have developed: [DESCRIBE YOUR MAGIC SYSTEM]. Find the inconsistencies and loopholes. What does this system imply that I have not thought through? What would a clever character try to exploit? What rules would society develop around this magic to prevent abuse?

I have a technology or innovation in my world: [DESCRIBE IT]. What second- and third-order effects would this have? Think about labor, warfare, social inequality, religion, and everyday life. I want effects that are non-obvious and potentially uncomfortable.

I need to design the economy of my world. The main resources are [LIST RESOURCES]. The main trade routes connect [LOCATIONS]. Who controls access to the most valuable resource, and what lengths will they go to to keep that control? What happens when the resource runs out or becomes less valuable?

My world-building has a contradiction I cannot resolve: [DESCRIBE THE CONTRADICTION]. Help me think through possible solutions. I want three options that each preserve internal consistency, with the trade-offs for each clearly explained.

I want to check whether my world feels too modern or too convenient. Here is a brief description: [DESCRIBE YOUR WORLD]. Flag any elements that feel anachronistic or that do not follow logically from the world's rules and technology level. Suggest what would be more consistent.

Write a one-page scene set in [SPECIFIC LOCATION IN MY WORLD] that reveals the culture, social structure, and history of this place without any character explaining it. Use what the characters see, do, and take for granted. No dialogue where a character explains things to another character.

My character arrives in [NEW LOCATION] for the first time. Write their first impressions in a paragraph that is entirely through their specific perspective and assumptions. What do they notice because of their background? What do they misinterpret? What makes them uncomfortable?

I have been writing worldbuilding as exposition — characters explaining things to other characters who should already know them. Here is an example: [PASTE EXAMPLE]. Rewrite this so the information comes through action, dialogue subtext, or physical detail instead.

Write a brief scene that conveys [SPECIFIC FACT ABOUT MY WORLD, E.G., "THAT MAGIC IS FEARED AS WELL AS RESPECTED"] without stating it directly. The scene should feel like a normal moment in this world while making the reader understand something important about how this world works.

I want to write a scene that makes my world feel ancient — like it has been going on for a very long time before the story started. Set the scene at [LOCATION] and write it so that the weight of history is present in small details: worn stone, faded symbols, habitual customs that no one questions anymore.