Make it an adventure
Prepare a problem for your players and the people involved. Explore the campaign manager.
Your first step into a bigger world
Start with one idea.
See where it leads.
You do not need a finished map or centuries of history. Begin with a character, a place, or a question you cannot stop thinking about.
01 / Give it a home
One character.
A thousand possibilities.
Create your world and write your first article. Give your character a goal, a fear, or a secret. A few details are enough to begin; use the template prompts when you want a question to help you go further.
If a location or a piece of history excites you more, start there instead. There is no required order for imagining a world.
02 / Make a connection
No idea has to
stand alone.
Describe a place that matters to your character. It could be the home they left, the city they want to reach, or the ruin they should never enter. Give that location its own article and link the two.
You now have a small piece of a connected world. Develop it by asking what happened there, who else cares about it, and what might change next.
Try this small beginning
- A personAn apprentice who has inherited an impossible debt.
- A placeA harbor where every promise is recorded.
- A connectionThe apprentice must find the person who holds their contract.
03 / Follow the next idea
Choose the next step
that excites you.
Make it a story
Write the scene that brought this idea to life. Explore Manuscripts.
Give it a wider world
Add a map, develop a culture, or explore its history. Discover the worldbuilding tools.
A little clarity
Your next chapter,
without the guesswork.
Do I have to finish every template field?
Begin with the details useful to your idea. Return to the prompts when you want to develop the article further.
When should I add more tools?
When they help answer a question. Use a map when geography matters, a timeline when you need to organize events, and a family tree when relationships become important. Check membership details for the features and privacy you need.
Built with our community
Your world grows.
So do your tools.
Always moving forward
Explore the changelog for improvements to writing, worldbuilding, and the everyday experience of creating. See what has changed and put it to work in your world.
Your ideas have a voice
Use community suggestions to share the changes you want to see and support ideas from other creators. Your experience helps shape what comes next.
Begin for free
Create a free account and start with a small project. Explore memberships when you need more capacity, privacy, or advanced tools. Choose the tools that serve your next step.
Make room for your next idea
Why choose World Anvil?
Look beyond your first page of notes. Choose a home for the world, the stories, and the adventures still to come.
For the campaign that keeps growing
World Anvil
vs Kanka
Bring your session preparation, living lore, player discoveries, and future stories into one creative home.
Compare with KankaFor a world with more to reveal
World Anvil
vs LegendKeeper
Connect your atlas to timelines, family trees, rich worldbuilding templates, and a world your audience can explore.
Compare with LegendKeeperFor stories that live beyond the novel
World Anvil
vs Campfire
Develop your world, draft with Manuscripts, and bring the same setting to readers and the gaming table.
Compare with CampfireYour next creative chapter
Follow your
next idea.
Explore our worldbuilding software, prepare your next adventure with the RPG campaign manager, or compare worldbuilding tools.
Begin with the part of your world you cannot wait to create. Give it a home, make a connection, and let the next idea follow.
Every great world starts somewhere
Let yours start here.
Start Creating! It’s FreeDive deeper and learn about how World Anvil can help you!