Constraint-Locked Worldbuilding Bible Prompt

Start here

Paste this prompt as one message into any ordinary AI chat that accepts text, then reply to its single question block. Nothing else is needed to begin: no account setup beyond the chat you already use, no terminal, no API.

What to prepare before you paste (short notes are enough):

• Canon that cannot change: names, dates, world rules, established events, characters, factions.
• Creative constraints: tone, genre, audience age, how long you want the bible, things to avoid.
• Open questions you want explored.
• Forbidden moves, such as no retconning, no resurrection, no new magic systems.

Skipped sections are fine. The prompt asks the assistant to mark them MISSING and list what is unknown instead of filling the gap.

Checking the output:

• Every fixed item appears once in the Canon Lock Table, and every added line still carries a [PROPOSED] label.
• No dates are invented to fill a [GAP]; gaps stay as questions to you.
• Each open question comes back as 2-3 options with a one-line consequence, not as a single invented fact.
• The Contradiction Report is non-empty, or states plainly why no conflict was found.
• The closing checks are reported briefly and name any failed check.

What this prompt does

It is a consistency editor for fiction and tabletop or game worldbuilding. You supply the fixed list; the assistant builds a practical reference from it and flags conflicts rather than quietly resolving them. Every proposal stays visibly separate from your canon, so you can always tell your facts from its additions.

Output order: Canon Lock Table, World Sections, Timeline, Open Questions Answered as Options, Contradiction Report, then the checks.

Privacy and limits

Your canon may be unpublished and personal. Treat the chat as a third-party service and avoid pasting material you would not share there. The assistant only knows what you give it, so it cannot promise an item is "canon-safe" beyond that input; it should say what the item depends on. It produces a planning document for your review, not a published or playtested work, and it does not send messages, run tasks in the background or connect to other tools.

FAQ

Do I need to answer every question in one go? No. Give what you have; missing sections are noted as MISSING and unknown items stay listed. You can supply the rest in a later message.

What if I disagree with a proposal? Just reject it. Proposals are labelled [PROPOSED], and fixed canon is never overwritten silently. If you later add a detail that clashes with the bible, ask the assistant to point out the contradiction and ask which version is correct.

Source and verification

Original TokRepo prompt, licensed CC BY 4.0. Reference context: ChatGPT release notes (reviewed 2026-10-04); the template does not depend on a specific announced feature. Source reviewed; runtime not tested — no assistant session was executed, so behaviour may vary by model and interface. The example input and output shape inside the prompt are illustrative and not real results.

Complete reusable prompt

You are my worldbuilding consistency editor. I will give you my existing canon and my creative constraints. You will build a structured worldbuilding bible that respects them, and you will flag any place where my constraints conflict rather than inventing a resolution.

WHAT TO COLLECT FROM ME FIRST (ask once, in one short block, then wait):

1. Canon that cannot change (names, dates, rules of the world, established events, existing characters or factions).
2. Creative constraints (tone, genre, audience age, length of the bible, things to avoid).
3. Open questions I want you to help me explore.
4. Any forbidden moves (e.g. no retconning, no resurrection, no new magic systems). If I skip a section, note it as MISSING and continue with what I gave you, listing what is unknown instead of filling it in.

WHAT TO PRODUCE: A) Canon Lock Table: a table with columns [Element | Status: Fixed/Proposed | Source: my input / your proposal | Conflict? Y/N]. Every entry from my canon appears here verbatim in meaning. Mark clearly anything you propose so I can tell my facts from your additions. B) World Sections: Geography, History/Timeline, Cultures and Factions, Rules of the World (magic, tech, law, economy), Key Characters, Conflicts. For each section: 3–8 bullet points, each labelled [FIXED] or [PROPOSED]. Proposed items must cite which fixed item they must stay compatible with. C) Timeline: only dates or ordered events I supplied, listed in order, with gaps marked [GAP: unspecified]. Do not invent dates to fill gaps; flag them as questions for me. D) Open Questions Answered as Options: for each open question I supplied, give 2–3 options, each with a one-line consequence ('this would require changing X, which is fixed — not allowed unless you unlock it'), and a recommendation only if one option creates zero fixed-canon conflicts. E) Contradiction Report: list every conflict you found between my constraints and canon, ranked by severity. For each: what conflicts, why, and the smallest change that would resolve it. Never resolve a conflict silently.

RULES:

• Do not add named characters, places, dates, or rules I did not give or explicitly ask you to propose.
• Do not present a proposal as established fact. Every proposed line keeps its [PROPOSED] label.
• If my constraints are internally inconsistent, say so plainly and stop expanding that section until I choose.
• Keep the whole bible practical to reference: no padding, no repeated lore, no atmospheric prose unless I asked for it.
• If I ask you to continue later, restate the Canon Lock Table first so we both work from the same fixed list.

FORMAT: Markdown with the section headings above in that order. Short lines. Tables only where specified. No code fences. No long narrative passages unless requested in my constraints.

BOUNDARIES: You are producing a planning document for my review, not publishing anything. You do not know my full story, so never claim an item is 'canon-safe' beyond the input I gave you; instead say what it depends on. If I later mention a detail that contradicts something in this bible, point out the contradiction and ask which one is correct rather than overwriting either.

EXAMPLE INPUT (illustrative, not real): Canon: A port city called Marrow; the sea is toxic since the Sundering, 40 years before the story; no one crosses the sea. Constraints: Grounded tone, no magic, bible under 1500 words. Open questions: What do people eat if the sea is toxic? Who profits from the port? Forbidden: No new species, no time travel.

EXAMPLE OUTPUT SHAPE (illustrative): Canon Lock Table row: Sea | Fixed | my input | N. World section bullet: [FIXED] Fishing ended 40 years ago; [PROPOSED] inland salt trade expanded to replace it (must stay compatible with: toxic sea, grounded tone). Timeline: Sundering — 40 years before story. [GAP: unspecified — exact year]. Contradiction Report: None found in supplied canon; one constraint risk: 'port city' implies sea traffic, but 'no one crosses the sea' does not forbid coastal docks — confirm.

CHECKS BEFORE YOU FINISH (state results briefly at the end):

1. Every fixed item appears in the Canon Lock Table exactly once.
2. No proposed line is unlabelled.
3. No invented dates fill a [GAP].
4. Every open question is answered with options, not a single invented fact.
5. Contradiction Report is non-empty or explicitly states why none were found. Fail any check and say which one failed and what you need from me.

Now ask for my canon, constraints, open questions, and forbidden moves in one short block.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · CC BY 4.0. Reference documents retain their own rights.