Describing a Culture

[MaxKaladin]

I've been working on and off on a new homebrew setting and I'm trying to compile a standard set of headings to use to describe the different cultures. I'm not going for an in-depth description (which is my usual problem) but rather a reasonably short overview. An example of such a list might look something like:

Social Classes
Customs
Religion
Food
Clothing
etc.

I'm wondering what sort of topics people think ought to be included in such a list.

One of my goals with this is as a writing tool. I have a tendency to let myself go overboard and end up with a huge document that wanders across dozens of subjects -- and which nobody but me is ever going to bother reading. I'm trying to impose some discipline on myself by working to an outline of set topics I need to address rather than allowing myself to wander.

Thanks.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Check out: http://www.io.com/~eighner/world_builder/world_builder_index.html

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

That overview looks like a pretty good format. It'd probably be detailed in customs, but a list of holidays associated with any culture and how they are celebrated might be useful.

One thing I always try to include is a list of sub-cultures. Groups that are very orthodox, or very rebellious, that sort of thing.

 

[dougmander]

Here are the headings I used to describe the cultures featured in Northern Crown:

Overview: What would a player interested in playing a PC from this culture have to know? This is a one or two paragraph summary.
Attitude: What's the typical hero's response to life in the literature or mythology of this culture?
History: How the culture came to be.
Relations: Friends and enemies.
Lands: Where does this culture dwell?
Authority: Who's in charge? How much power do they have?
Law: What's the basis for the law?
Magic: What's their attitude toward magic?
Religion: What's the dominant form of worship?
Arts: What is the "culture" of the culture? Poetry? Drama? Weaving?
Food: What's the cuisine?
Language: What language(s) do they speak?
Names: What are some common names for people from this culture?
Appearance: What is the clothing, hair, adornment, of the culture?

Then, I included a rundown of the most common core classes found among PCs of that culture, and how they were interpreted uniquely through their own cultural lens.

 

[nato9]

This is a subject that really interests me, and is something I try to do for my world too. I thought about it and I felt I came down to the single most important quality for describing cultures: values. The ideas, emotions, actions, and roles that a culture reveres and despises.

I think thats the key, and is the best advice I have.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Items I would also include (which could fit under the headings you've already listed, but IMO deserve mention as subheadings to be certain of their inclusion):

Architecture -- What does a typical <culture> dwelling look like?

Family -- What is the standard family model (nuclear, extended, something unique)? Is the society predominately patriachal, matriarchal, or egalitarian? Do the society's views on sexuality tend toward the permissive or the restrictive (no gaming 'bedroom moments' required, this simply affects how the society will structure interpersonal contact from tavern to court)?

Birth to Death -- How does a typical member of the society progress through life? How are children cared for & treated? At what age is adulthood attained & what rites accompany it? What are the society's views on death & the afterlife (segues into religion)?

Fun Bits -- I try to come up with a few quaint customs &/or sayings to add flavor to each culture which features prominantly enough to need fully fleshed out. In one campaign I had the players starting in a forgotten tribe, and gave them a few tidbits of flavor & slang. The society used curtains instead of doors for privacy, so they had such things as clapping instead of knocking to request entry, & used the term 'sharing curtains' to refer to spending a night together (behind the bedroom curtains). The players picked up on these & used them even after their characters had left the tribe!

 

[Tonguez]

Legitimate Authority
Control of Knowledge/Power
Gender Roles and the status of male/female/others
Family Structure
Rites of Passage
Property Ownrship (communal vs personal property, inheritance rights)
The Treatment of the Elderly
The Treatment of the Sick, Destitute, Orphans, Widows
The Treatment of Outlaws, Slaves, Enemies and non-members
Ethics of Honour, Courage and Diplomacy

 

[Agback]

This is a subject that really interests me, and is something I try to do for my world too. I thought about it and I felt I came down to the single most important quality for describing cultures: values. The ideas, emotions, actions, and roles that a culture reveres and despises.

I think thats the key, and is the best advice I have.

It's good advice, too. What a character aspires to, what he admires in others, what he is not prepared to do to get these things (in short his values) are the most important thing to have in mind when trying to portray him as an NPC or PC, or when trying to manipulate, anticipate, motivate, or circumvent him as a fellow-denizen of his world.

The next most imortant thing is routine. A culture in which nobles are always in their castles and merechants in their shops are much less real, much less interesting, and provides many fewer opportunities than one in which, for example, nobles spend winter in their strongholds, spring at court, summer in the mountains, and autumn touring their scattered manors, or in which the merchants go to the gymnasium in the morning, then to the baths, and open their shops only in the late morning, and go out to dinner at their friends' houses every now and again.

 

[Steverooo]

Adventure Hooks: Opportunities & Problems - Things that could potentially help or hurt the PC party, when dealing with the society... If the Barbarians hate Non-Clerical, Arcane (Sorcerer & Wizard) magic, then that is detailed under the Attitudes and Magic sections, possibly also the Law and Religions sections, but also mentioned here. Also, anything that could help the PCs, such as that the Barbarians strongly favor storm deities, and Druids/Rangers who can manipulate rains & winds. Art forms which are forbidden (such as dancing) or frowned upon (such as statuary), or ones which are especially honored (armour-smithing, bow-making, healing, weapon-smithing), and how this "honor" is shown (friendliness, free drinks at the pub, special salutes, awe & respect, special protection under the law, etc). It also helps to briefly explain WHY the society is this way.

For instance: "In the Cerosinian Wastes, water is a precious commodity. It is never to be wasted, and those above the age of four who do so are treated as arrogant, fools, or arrogant fools, shunned by all worthy men. Stealing water is treated the same as stealing a horse or beast of burden, punishable by death, except that the thief is even more dishonored. Lynching is more common than trials, in such cases... Likewise, those with the ability to Create Food & Water are seen as a community asset, and anyone known to have ever wronged such an individual will be shunned by all worthy men. Most will refuse to even speak with them, and no help will be forthcoming to such dishonored ones, if the Barbarians know of their offenses to the water-makers. Water IS life, in the wastes, and to steal water, or harm those who can give it, is seen as the same thing as stealing life!"

 

[Steverooo]

Synthesis of Cutural Synopsis Checklists:

I) Attitudes/Values - Ideas, actions, emotions, and roles revered/despised.
II) Language(s):
III) Culture: (Overview)
IIIA) Sub-Cultures:
IIIB) Land/Terrain:
IIIC) Centers of/Control of Knowledge & Power:
IIID) Government/Authority:
IIIE) Laws: Property rights, Crimes, Punishments, Enforcement, Trials, Appeals, Views on vigillantism, etc.
IIIF) Social Classes:
IIG) Religions:
IIIH) Customs:
IIIH1) Appearance: Clothing, hairstyle(s), adornment, weapons & armours, other.
IIIH2) Food: Types, spices, etc.
IIIH3) Holidays: What they celebrate, and how.
IIIH4) Relations with Friends/Enemies:
IIIH5) Arts & Sciences:
IIIH6) Names: Common ones, as well as customs.
IIIH7) Architecture: What type(s) of buildings do the various classes live and work in?
IIIH8) Families: Nuclear, Extended, or Other? Patri-/Matri-archal/Egalitarian?
IIIH8i) Sexuality: Permissive or Restrictive?
IIIH9) Birth-to-Death of a Typical Man/Woman: Treatment of children, orphans, and widows, the sick, elderly, destitute, halt, blind, maimed? Rites of passage? Slavery? Treatment of prisoners, outlaws, and outsiders?
IIIH10) PC Classes in the Culture: Common or rare, roles, how seen, honor/prejudice.
IIIH11) Adventure Hooks: Things that can help/hinder the PCs.
III-I) Magic: The culture's views on Arcane/Divine Magic, and its role in society.
IIIJ) History: Only important as it affects the above!
IV) Economics
IVA) Imports: What the society needs, but can't produce.
IVB) Exports: What the society has an abundance of, with special attention to I and IIIH5!

Naturally, sections with nothing important to be said about them should just be DROPPED. Also, the order can be rearranged if, for example, the views on "Magic" were heavily colored by the "Religion" section... Also, "Religion", especially, would have a LOT of Sub-headings, under it!

Cheers!