Questions to ask about your Society
1. Who has power, and how much of it? What is the hierarchy?
2. If you had to describe this society as rigid or free, with no nuance, which word would you pick and why?
3. What jobs are…Respected? Hated? Feared? Stigmatized? Sought after?
4. What jobs exist in it that don’t exist in the real world? Why do these jobs need to be done?
5. Do people generally have the sort of job they want to have, or is it a matter of what their family does, or of what is accessible to them, or of what pays?
6. How are different ages treated? Why?
7. What happens to people when they grow old?
8. What happens to the sick and disabled?
9. What is valued in this world? Magic, strength, intellect, talent, physical appearance, royal blood, caste?
10. What religions, if any, are practiced? How much of a hold does each have on the world? What happens to people who don’t believe?
11. How do people communicate across long distances?
12. Is change and evolution feared, or do people find it exciting?
13. How educated is the general populace? What’s the literacy rate? How much does the average person know about mathematics, or biology, or the daily goings-on of their government?
14. How much does the government keep secret from the general populace? How much of that stays secret?
15. How much is community valued? Do people care for one another, or is it more of an Every-Man-For-Himself situation?
16. Is there policy in place to care for those who cannot care for themselves, or do those people rely on the goodwill of others?
17. If there is magic, how many people have it? How much access to magical knowledge or objects does the average person have? How is magic integrated into the world?
18. How is crime treated? Is the government lax, or overbearing?
19. How fair is the government? Is it more or less forgiving of certain groups?
20. What is the most common mode of transport, and how accessible is it to the general populace?
21. What are the society’s main imports and exports? Are they more necessities, or luxuries?
22. How much power does your society have on the nations around it?
23. What does your society rely on other societies to produce? Why can they not make this themselves?
24. What is the opinion of the general populace on other nations?
25. How accessible is international travel and emigration?
26. Does your society have more immigrants, or emigrants? Why? What nations are most of these people from, or where are they going?
27. What superstitions are prevalent in your society? How much do they impact daily life and the world?
28. How much influence does the general populace have over their government? What is this relationship like?
29. What does your society’s healthcare situation look like? How advanced and accessible is it?
30. What sports or other events does your society participate in? Do they involve other nations? How much of an influence do these events have on the society as a whole?
31. What holidays are there? How connected are they to religion? Do people get time off work for them? What do people participate in to celebrate?
32. What kind of pets do people have, if any? Are they mostly around to perform jobs, or just for affection?
33. What does the education scene look like? Is it accessible to everyone, or is it dependent on money or some other factor? Is it provided or controlled by the government?
34. What is taught in school? If writing a magic school, how much of the curriculum consists of regular classes like reading, writing, and mathematics?
35. How often and where do people barter or trade? Is trading a thing, or is the exchange of goods facilitated entirely through money?
36. How often and in what situations do people haggle? How is haggling viewed by vendors and customers? Is it seen as an insult, or is it expected?
37. What do certain goods cost, and why? Why are the most expensive things expensive, and vica versa?
38. How are government leaders (And, for monarchies, members of the royal family) treated and viewed by the general public?
39. What is the process for convicting someone of a crime? Does the accused get a trial?
40. What crimes are most common in your society? Why?