World Anvil

World Anvil is an online worldbuilding platform for writers, game masters, and RPG fans. More than 3.5 million creators use it to build over 7.35 million worlds. It gives you 25+ templates for characters, places, items, religions, and magic systems. You can draw interactive maps, build timelines, and link every article together. Game masters get tools for 100+ RPG systems, with character sheets and stat blocks. Your work saves to the cloud and backs up many times a day. It is free to start, with paid memberships for more features.

Key Features

1. 25+ Worldbuilding Templates

Templates guide you through characters, locations, items, wars, myths, and more. Each one uses prompts that spark new ideas.

2. Interactive Maps

Link your lore straight to map pins, from world maps down to dungeons. Readers and players can explore your world visually.

3. Timelines and Eras

Track your world's history with parallel timelines split into eras. It is perfect for long campaigns and novel series.

4. Family Trees and Charts

Build family trees, bloodlines, organization charts, and diplomacy webs. They make complex relationships easy to follow.

5. Roll Tables

Create sortable, rollable tables for weather, loot, or random encounters. Link tables together for multi-step random creations.

6. Lookup and Link System

Type @ while writing to find and link your articles. New ideas get added to a to-do list so nothing is lost.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is World Anvil used for?

It is used to build fictional worlds and run RPG campaigns. Writers plan novels, and game masters manage campaigns, maps, and lore.

Which RPG systems does it support?

It supports over 100 systems, including Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu. Many come with ready-made character sheets.

Can I keep my world private?

Yes. You control who sees what, so you can keep a world secret or share it with players, readers, or the public.

Will I lose my work?

No. Your work is backed up on multiple servers many times a day, and you can export your world too.

Can I work with a team?

Yes. You can invite co-authors and players with different access levels, and even let fans contribute.

Is there a community?

Yes. The community has over 3.5 million worldbuilders, with competitions and events to join.

Conclusion

World Anvil is the most complete worldbuilding toolkit for storytellers and game masters. Maps, timelines, templates, and linking keep huge worlds organized and easy to share. It is free to start, with paid memberships adding more features. Beginners may find the options deep, but the guides help. Check the official site for current plan details.