Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
To help with worldbuilding, there are a few pre-designed templates I tend to keep handy, as well as a bunch of spreadsheets. The two main ones are city and country templates.
I don't regard them as set in stone, but they are really helpful as a way of making sure I don't forget some key information players are likely to ask about, or some facet of a location that I need to keep in mind as characters explore the place.
Fields in the City Template
The fields the city template contains include the following;
Initial Impressions
This is a brief description of what a new visitor to a town will see as it comes into view. It covers obvious landmarks (rivers, ports, citadels, the inevitable golden-roofed temple etc), as well as information on the "feel" of the place. Is it dusty, bustling, decrepit, oppressive ?
Colour palettes are important here, as well as anything else which gives an immediate flavour of the place, including not just sights, but also smells.
Who Rules
This is the answer to the "take me to your leader" question players seem to often ask. Is there a king, queen, duke, city council or whatever ? Who are they and what are they like ?
I don't put in a stat block here, just a brief description - age, key appearance and personality traits. Just enough to act as a quick reminder when I need to play that NPC.
Who Really Rules
This is information on the power behind the throne, and adds depth that the players won't initially know and should only find out over time, if at all. I think of it as the "who gets to veto the rulers decisions" question.
There may be a Duchess in charge, but perhaps her power is circumscribed by having to bear in mind the interests of a council of guildmasters, or perhaps she always discusses the business of the day with her husband. A good example from fiction of this kind of personality is Grima Wormtongue in The Lord of The Rings.
Other Important People
This is usually a section that expands as adventures happen in a town ! It includes direct family of the rulers, their captains of the guard, leaders of the local law enforcement bodies, intelligence gatherers, key merchants etc.
Pretty much any NPC players interact with will end up going in this section, as well as NPC's operating behind the scenes they might either ask about or who will influence events even if the players don't know it. As with the "who rules" section, it's just brief notes on each, enough to enable them to be consistent when played, and I tend to add more info as it turns up in play.
Notable Buildings
This section is pretty self-explanatory. As well as government and administrative buildings, temples and barracks, it also includes key marketplaces and merchants the party might want to shop at.
In most towns I also try to outline at least three inns or taverns the players might be able to find lodgings at; one each for up-market, average, and complete dives. It's always an interesting roleplay opportunity to see which players prefer which kind of place, and how the group reaches a consensus (or sometimes not !)
Normally, I number each building, so that I can locate it on the city map. If I need to generate a city on the fly or don't have too many pre-conceived ideas, the tool I find best is Watabou's Fantasy City Generator
Economy
Although it might seem mundane, this section is essential. In essence, it often covers "why this town is here". What does it make, trade, import and export ? To deal with this, I usually need to refer both to my world map and to the country profile for where the town is located.
The economy section can have surprisingly complex and long-lasting ramifications. A good example is that I once mentioned that the dwarves of Mount Stonedelving make a much sought-after liqueur called "chrumensaft", produced by fermenting and distilling the juice of mushrooms grown in their deepest caves. Ever since then, it has become a kind of shorthand to indicate luxury and affluence; if the characters are offered chrumensaft, it shows they are in the company of someone with a LOT of money and connections !
Religion
This one is pretty obvious, but I always make sure to add in not just details of which deities are worshipped in the town, but also their attitude to others and whether any particular practices (e.g. human sacrifice) are acceptable, frowned upon, or completely forbidden. I tend to also note whether there is an underlying stratum of previous religion that is now forgotten or suppressed.
Notable Local Laws
This is where as a Dungeonmaster I have the chance to be a bit evil ! It is usually a brief section, but can create wonderful opportunities to trip characters up and have fun making their lives awkward. Is spitting in the street punished by summary flogging or fines ? Are the players told that their passes expire every three days ? Is it forbidden to mention the Queen's disgraced former husband by name, or to wear red on a Tuesday ?
Law Enforcement
There is no use having laws if they are not enforced ! What do the local authorities look like ? Do they have uniforms or badges ? Are they corrupt, efficient, lazy, local or mercenaries ? How are they organised, and how much are they respected by the locals ?
Another thing I tend to add in this section is whether there is a second "layer" of law enforcement. The local watch might be underpaid, lazy and corrupt, but there might be a separate and efficient secret police reporting directly to the Count's Head of Information.
Armed Forces
Separate from the local law enforcement, I note what armed forces might be present in town. This ties in with the country profile, and gives an indication of who might hit the streets if the players really manage to create a disturbance, or if there is an external threat that turns up while they are in town.
Coat of Arms
Okay, I admit I like a bit of heraldry ! This section can be important in setting the colour palette for the town. Is the local kingdom's flag flying from every tower ? What badge do the guards wear ? Do the local militia wear the green and white of the Baron's banner ? In some cases, this section will have a number of different sets of insignia, if a city is fragmented into competing guilds for example.
Conclusion
I'd love to hear what you all think of this template ! Is there anything you include that I have missed out ? Is there anything in it that really isn't needed ? Would you like to see an example of one of my completed templates ?