Download the Model
This is the home of the Just In Worldbuilding Tech-Mag-Fan model. If I make updates to the model, they'll be published to the excel spreadsheet downloadable here.
The current version is version 2.0 (Fantasy has been added separately to magic)
The model is explained in full in Worldbuilding Blueprints Vol I (Coming Soon) and in the linked episode of that podcast. A basic reminder of the levels and enablers are provided below.
The Levels
The model defines six distinct levels for technology, magic, and fantasy, each representing a progression in complexity and capability.
Each level has a few bullet points that describe how life might be in that level. There’s an and/or between each bullet point, not an and or an or (boy was that a complicated sentence).
Tech Levels
Level 1: Primitive Technology​
Level 2: Early Agricultural
Level 3: Classical and Medieval
Level 4: Renaissance and Early Industrial Revolution
Level 5: Modern Technology​
Level 6: Futuristic Technology
Magic Levels
Level 1: Low to No Magic
Level 2: Basic Magic
Level 3: Intermediate Magic
Level 4: Advanced Magic
Level 5: High Magic
Level 6: Epic Magic
Fantasy Levels
Level 1: Low Fantasy​
Level 2: Basic Fantasy
Level 3: Intermediate Fantasy
Level 4: Advanced Fantasy
Level 5: High Fantasy
Level 6: Epic Fantasy
The Enablers
To calculate where a culture is in terms of its enablers, the model breaks down each element (tech, magic and fantasy) into 4 enablers which are then scored by selecting a level in the tables in the excel worksheet.
Tech Enablers
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Power Source: This represents the power that the society brings to bear in their technology, like fire, wind for sails, waterwheels, steam, electricity and so on.
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Engineering Level: This represents the society’s ability to create and engineer infrastructure and devices.
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Science Knowledge: This represents a society’s ability to understand the world around them and formulate the natural laws of their world, magical or scientific.
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Material Mastery: This represents the materials society can work with, from clay and rough woven cloth to textiles infused with nanobots and plasticret made from alloys we haven’t yet mastered in our world.
Magic Enablers
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Magic Source: This represents the strength and availability of magical energy or power in the world.
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. Magical Skill: This represents the expertise and proficiency of the practitioners in using magic.
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Magical Principles: This represents society’s understanding of the rules and laws governing magic.
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Constraints: This represents the limitations and restrictions on the use of magic, whether they are physical, mental, or resource-based.
Fantasy Enablers
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Fantasy Substrate: The degree to which the world’s fabric is infused with mythical or fantastical traits (e.g., ley lines, dream realms, sentient geography, magical weather).
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Fantastical Biome: The influence of magical flora, fauna, races, and ecosystems on daily life and societal development.
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Fantastical Resources: The presence and cultural integration of rare, world-altering materials (e.g., soulmetal, dreamglass, phoenix ash).
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Supernatural Governance: The degree to which divine beings, spirits, or metaphysical hierarchies shape politics, law, or cosmology.