So what's YOUR world's 'hook'?

[curiosity]

IIRC, 'Dungeoncraft' by Ray Winninger demands that every campaign setting have it's point (or points) of distinction, so that it has a hook that will draw the players into the setting.

So, a good hook might be that dwarves have subjugated all other races and rule them with an oppressive totalitarian regime, or that the world consists of islands floating in space, or that dinosaurs still exist, etcetera etcetera.

What is YOUR world's hook? What makes it different? And what separates a good hook from a not-so-good one?

 

[diaglo]

the PCs are the soon to be next great heroes of the land.

they kill the bad guys and take their stuff.

 

[Wombat]

You are on the edge of a New World (much like the discovery of the Americas) and are part of a Secret Society (designed by the players -- included thoughts on religion, politics, social ties, ties to PrCs, and racial/gender acceptance). A big new land awaits exploration, full of strange wonders in the interior and tricky political and religious problems back in the city.

 

[JoeGKushner]

the PCs are the soon to be next great heroes of the land.

they kill the bad guys and take their stuff.

Do they all come from a small farm?

For me, I don't need a hook. I'm runnign the FR setting and will probably switch over to Eborron soon. Hooks are already predone.

 

[diaglo]

Do they all come from a small farm?

depends on the player's background.

i think one or two did say they were from a small farm. and one of those was just a pig watcher. he kept an eye on a white pig named Hen Wen or something similar.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

The players drive the metaplot.

"Hey, Biggus! Don't they always?"

No. Usually the DM shapes events around the players or the players take on quests to accomplish a goal they set. In my case, I set before them several tasks they can accomplish with the consequences clearly defined. I got the idea from Underworld several years back.

I've felt for a long time that there was nothing wrong with "beating" D&D. There should come a point where evil has been defeated and the world is saved with no little additions like "oh! but the evil bad guy has a clone who is MORE EVIL AND POWERFUL!!!!1!!1" I mean, if you really want the characters to keep on chugging, you really should just move the game to the planes. In my arrogant opinion, of course.

 

[the Jester]

Most of the world is under the dominance of an opressive lawful good theocratic empire.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

In my current campaign world, it's a pretty standard high-fantasy high-magic game. There are a diversity of countries and cultures, and I offer my PCs a lot of things to do. Like Biggus, I try and have the game revolve around the players, though he's probably far better at it than I am. I don't know if that's a "hook." Maybe just not focused enough. But we're all having a good time.

My next project is celtic mythology meets expansionism and the american western.

 

[Style]

The entire world and everything in it (including the PCs) is the dream of a dying god. Life is just a dream on the way to death and you are the figment of someone else's expiring imagination.

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah, my current campaign is built entirely with the Ray Winninger Dungeoncraft methodology. In fact, I've even documented exactly how it maps to his articles right here.