Question for players: how much reading is okay before a campaign?

[Wik]

Ideal world? One page. Written sparsely - no long paragraphs. It really should just be an expository hook, explaining some of the differences between your campaign and "core" D&D.

Then we have a session dedicated to making PCs, where I can explain the geography and world in a bit more depth to them, focusing information on areas individual players are interested in.

Afterwards, each PC has a binder, and at the start of each session, I hand out relevant pages of notes to PCs based on their background and role - so the PCs from the north get the "northlands geography" on session one, "The north code of honour" on session two, "Beasts of the north" session three, and so on. Basically, giving them background information as the game progresses.

also, there is a wiki maintained by players that gets updated every session.

Of course, that's an ideal. In reality, I generally have a two- or three-page writeup, a bit of work on a wiki (which no one, including me, will ever update a month in), and two hours dedicated to making PCs. Players make character concepts and expect me to shoehorn them into the campaign.

The "each player has a binder of background notes" bit actually works, though. I plan on doing something like that for my upcoming Dark Sun game, while also including relevant rituals and martial practices for each book.

 

[Orius]

I'd say no more than a page is good. More than that and a lot of players aren't going to read it. I also have to honestly say, the more you establish in your campaign document before you start the campaign, the more difficult things might get creatively for you later on. A fiction writer can create whatever lengthy setting bibles he needs for a book, but it helps to be more flexible as a DM.

Paritally depends on how much of this doucment is house rules and how much is fluff as well, and how long the campaign's been going. A long campaign is going to have a lot established background long time players will be familiar with, but you don't want to innundate a new player with reams detailing 5 years or more (especially many more) of gameplay either.

I think ideally this longest a player handout should be is 1 page house rules and 1 page setting information.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I once did up a campaign intro that was 7 pages long. I know most of the group never read any of it past the first page (stat gen, allowable classes & races). What a waste of time. Nowadays I'd give the players the gist of the world in 200 words or less. Hopefully a lot less.

 

[RangerWickett]

Thanks for the feedback.

Okay, then I think I'm going in sort of the right direction with this. I've got a 2-page primer, which will have links to more details for those who are interested. I'll paste the primer below. If anyone would be willing to give it a read, and tell me if your eyes roll off it in boredom, I'd greatly appreciate it.

(The map below is just a rough thumbnail, and will definitely be changed, but it gives a vague sense of the relations between the different nations.)

[sblock]

[/sblock]

Zeitgeist
Player Guide​

Steam and soot darken the skies above the city of Flint, and winds sweeping across its majestic harbor blow the choking products of industrial forges into the fey rainforests that dot its knife-toothed mountains. Since the earliest ages when the people of Risur founded this city, they feared the capricious beings that hid in those fog-shrouded peaks, but now as the march of progress and the demands of national defense turn Flint into a garden for artifice and technology, the old faiths and rituals that kept the lurkers of the woods at bay are being abandoned.

The Unseen Court, the Great Hunt, and the many spirits of the land long ago conquered by Risur’s kings no longer receive tribute, but they cannot enter these new cities of steam and steel to demand their tithe. The impoverished workers who huddle in factory slums fear monsters of a different breed, shadowy children of this new urban labyrinth. Even their modern religions have no defenses against these fiends.

Times are turning. The skyseers – Risurs folk prophets since their homeland’s birth – witness omens in the starry wheels of heaven, and they warn that a new age is nigh. But what they cannot foresee, hidden beyond the steam and soot of the night sky, is the face of this coming era, the spirit of the age. The zeitgeist.


Campaign Primer: A Step Away from Classic Fantasy
In the ZEITGEIST campaign saga, your characters serve in the Homeland Directorate of the nation of Risur, protecting the country and its citizens from foreign threats lurking within Risur’s borders. During missions of espionage and assassination, your duty will be to root out hostile spies and pursue international conspiracies. As you learn more of your homeland’s own secrets, however, your loyalties may be tested, may even be turned, and you may find that it is you whose hand controls the gears of the turning age.

The setting of ZEITGEIST stands apart from the ‘points of light’ assumed world of traditional Dungeons & Dragons. Many tropes of classic fantasy still find their home here, but have histories and relationships unique to this setting. We suggest all players give this section a quick read to get the gist of the setting. If you’re interested in learning more, follow the links to the recommended pages.

• Humans and the Great Nations. Humans rule three of the five great nations of the region. Their ascendance in the past thousand years toppled a mighty eladrin empire and has provoked belief in doomsday millenialism among many dwarves. Every PC has a strong loyalty to Risur (pg xx), even if the character does not hail from there.
  
  
• Eladrin, Devas, and the Great Malice. Five hundred years ago, the death of the eladrin goddess Srasama caused nearly every eladrin woman to perish. Those few who survived were often claimed as trophies by human conquerers, though a handful of free matriarchs head their own family lines in the ruins of the old empire. Those interested in the eladrin should read the section on Elfaivar (pg xx).
  
  Mortals present at the death of the eladrin goddess have continually reincarnated in the following centuries as devas, as if a sliver of Srasama’s divine spark has granted them a semblance of immortality. Those interested in devas should read the section on Crisillyir (pg xx).
  
  
• Tieflings, Technology, and Dead Magic. When the eladrin goddess died, an entire other nation became a dead magic zone, and some in that land were marked by a curse, turning them into tieflings. In the centuries since, however, the tieflings have come to rule that nation, and in the last few decades they have begun a revolution of industry and mighty science almost as powerful as the magic they lack. Those interested in tieflings should read the section on Danor (pg xx).
  
  If you are interested in utilizing some of the new revolution’s technology for your character, such as firearms and steam engines, see the section on Equipment (page xx).
  
  
• Dwarves, Doomsday, and Nihilism. The major dwarven nation is bleakly resigned to the belief that the end of the world is imminent, yet adherence to duty is so ingrained in their culture that they persist in their toil even as they prepare for doomsday. Those interested in dwarves should read the section on Drakr (pg xx).
  
  
• Savages, Primitives, and Peace. The youngest of the great nations formed from an alliance of several monstrous races who now live in an uneasy peace as their rulers seek to force the disparate peoples into the modern age. Those interested in dragonborn, goliaths, half-orcs, minotaurs, or shifters should read the section on Ber (pg xx).
  
  
• Piety and the Planes. The heavens possess an undeniable hold on the world’s religions, its people, and its very structure. In Risur, skyseers believe that the movements of the night stars foretell the future and direct the fate of the world. More enlightened scholars study distant planes of elemental and temporal power to understand how the flow of their energies affects the fundamental nature of reality. The eladrin people have begun to withdraw into the feywild, and the bishops of the high church of the Clergy invoke condemned spirits from the shadowfell to frighten sinners into worship.
  
  The Astral Sea, Elemental Chaos, and Far Realm exist only as postulations, and there are countless other theories on the nature of reality. No one in this world has ever traveled to these planes, and the few beings that are summoned through the veil are only visitors, returning as soon as the spell that called them ends.
  
  Those interested in the setting’s metaphysics should read the section on The World (pg xx).
  
  
• Heroic Themes. Recent products introduced the concept of character themes. The ZEITGEIST campaign setting presents themes that reinforce the heroic archetypes of the world, such as dockers, gunsmiths, and technologists. Each player should choose one Theme for his or her character, preferably one unique to the world of ZEITGEIST (pg xx).

 

[steeldragons]

I would say, it is really dependent on the character, him/herself (and to some extent as others have noted, the writing ability of the DM). With good writing, I'll read an entire sourcebook. But realistically, for just getting started, it really should be accomplished in anywhere from 2-5 pages and cover the following (general) bases:

1) Where I come from. I should have a fairly thorough knowledge of the town, terrain, landmarks, creatures, notable NPCs and other peoples of my home. How far out that knowledge extends depends on my background. Bare minimum, I probably know little beyond a day's travel from my village, the closest town with a market and probably the closest major and/or capital city of my realm. The name of my realm/region/barony/duchy and greater kingdom (if there is one.) and it can be safely assumed that I know who is the ruler of my land (be it local noble, king, high priest, etc...all rulers make sure their people know who they are.)

If I'm a mercenary (or perhaps a bard) who's traveled a certain part of the world, then I may know more countries/cultures/peoples/further afield. If I'm a wizard or cleric, I probably have knowledge of the names and rulers of most (if not all) civilized countries/nations/peoples. Most of this info can/should be given in a single line or two.

2) Races. What race am I and how much info is there available on my culture? What races are known (by my/most people) to be in the world as a whole? In my local region/realm? Have I ever seen an elf before? A gnome? Ever heard of a tiefling or dragonborn (if you use such abominations ? Naturally, if I am a member of a race other than human than I have a different knowledge/perspective on this.

Also, naturally, if I play an elf (or some-other long lived race) I'm going to possess extensive background/history information...since I've been around for 400 (or 1,000) years or so...Whether this is doled out at the beginning or inserted in-game as needed/"it comes up" is entirely up to you and how much you, as the DM, work out beforehand. But do not forget, in play, what races you have at the table...a dwarven education/experience is not the same thing as that of the elven mage from the south country or the human barbarian from the east.

3) I have some knowledge of my realm's religion...even if my character him/herself is an agnostic or atheist or just not a particularly religious person. I will know, at least, the god (few gods) worshiped in my local area/needed in the every day. I will know a national deity (i.e. the acceptable religion of the state), if one exists. I, undoubtedly, have been taught/warned/heard legends growing up of some "dark force or god" that is the root of all evil that I must avoid (or appease) at all costs. If there are large or long established holy orders around (i.e. the Knights of Thatland or the Holy Sisters of Overthehill Abbey), I have probably heard about them.

Obviously, if I'm a cleric (or have the "Knowledge: Religion" skill) then I would have a fuller understanding of the entire pantheon, and those of other realms/nations (if applicable), possibly/probably lost or dead deities who are no longer worshiped (though this might also be gleaned from "Knowledge: History, Ancient"), heard or read whispers of major evils (demon princes and archdevils known to assault the material world).

4) Class background. Does my class have any specific traits, culture, skills, knowledge that other PCs wouldn't have (beyond what the PHB says, I mean)?

I.e. Is my wizard part of a Guild? Are there different guilds for different types of mages/regions/countries? How do they interact? Are all paladins a member of a particular order? How affluent/influential is the temple of my cleric's deity? Do all temples of God A accept/host clerics of God A as members of the same order? How does my temple/followers of my god view and interact with followers of other deities? Did my rogue (prior to her "life of respectability" as an adventurer) belong to a band of outlaws? Did my bard go to college?

What knowledge, services or products does my character have (or have access to) as a result of this affiliation (if any)? How large is the organization? Where are their headquarters/towers/hideouts? Do I know (and how well) any higher-ups in the organization? Do we get along?

5) Worldwide Organizations & Persons of Note (if any). Are there any truly "famous" groups, creatures or persons whose names live in bardic song, ancient tomes, campfire stories or terrifying infamy spanning history and/or the realms?

Is there a massive Assassins guild across the realm that makes the blood run cold at the very mention of their name? Are the Paladins of Thatland known (to my character) as great heroes or ravaging invaders? A tyrannical warlord who almost conquered the whole world a 1,000 years ago? A Merchants guild that controls economy over a large region? The ancient wyrm, Realbignscaley, that holds his massive hoard in a lair beneath the Highcloudy Mountains..."C'mon, you've heard of Realbignscaley, ev'rybody back home has."

6) Currency. For some people this is a non-issue, others use it a lot. It's up to how you run your game. What is the currency which I have/use? Is this universal/throughout the world? When I go from Kingdom A to Trade City B will they take my money/coinage? If they differ, do I know what the different currencies are, what they're worth and how to interchange them?

All in all...give me my "common knowledge"...and that should be able to be accomplished, more or less, in 2-5 pages. As noted re: "long-lived races", if it requires 10 pages of world history and legend, alone...so be it. If the DMs a good writer with a cool setting, I'll read all day. But most of the basic bases should/could/can be covered within 5 pages.

Have fun and happy wordsmithing.
--Steel Dragons

 

[Umbran]

The written word is a fine thing, but let us not kid ourselves - it is also about the lowest bandwidth communication available. Sending out a document for players to read is terribly inefficient. It would typically be far more efficient and effective to get the players together in one place to talk about the setting.

That being said, how much I'd be willing to read depends a great deal on the DM, and the general concept, and whether I get the idea that I, as a player, actually need the information.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

As I get older, the more that I believe that as much of the game's "text" should be revealed in-game. If you must have a document for a player to read, have it be either mechanics or options they can take, but be prepared for a player who doesn't know (or didn't care to know) anything about your world.

The first half of the session should be enough for them to understand what your campaign's going to be thematically about.

Please no. If you want to piss me off then waste my gaming time by reading or giving a summarizing for large parts of the first session information that all the players could have read in 10 minutes in advance.

Gaming should be more like sitting at a bar with a bunch of friends and less like an amateur poetry reading.

Set the mood all you want, but if your main campaign reveal (especially in a homebrew) comes in a first session disertation then I am going to be very bored and the character I created while I had none of this information is going to be very bland.

 

[DragonLancer]

To be fair, if the DM writes a short document with any relevant details/changes to races and classes, a brief guide to the nations, who the gods are and a bit of history, then the players should have the decency to at least read it and take it in.

I agree though that if you are mailing out a copy of War & Peace then you've overdone it.

 

[fba827]

I hate to give a difficult answer but ... Depends on the layout and format and 'focus'

Under the presumption that it is being setup for a long-term regular campaign, and that I had a reasonable amount of time to read it and make a character, I'd be able to straight-read ten pages. Or, if it's 50 pages of background that I could refer back to and skim for info as the campaign progressed, then that's fine... but just have an "abridged version" (a couple pages, or top ten list, etc) that can be used for character creation purposes.... and let me learn about the world mainly through exploration ("Show me, don't tell me") with the 50 pages as a reference tool.

On the other hand, if the world was SO complex that I NEEDED 50 pages just to understand the basics, chances are I'd never remember it all or grow a little frustrated with it. And I'd lose interest and not finish it and be too frustrated with it to want to use it as a reference tool later on.

All that said, in either case, it should be:
* written well (i'm not the editing police. but it needs to be 'clean enough' that i'm not so distracted by grammar and spelling that i can't comprehend the content).
* organized (i.e. race stuff together, some progression and sorting to stuff about locations. and history should be chronological or some other order that is plainly obvious).
* formatted well with headers, and possibly lists, etc. since those types of things make skimming easier.

etc.

 

[steeldragons]

Please no. If you want to piss me off then waste my gaming time by reading or giving a summarizing for large parts of the first session information that all the players could have read in 10 minutes in advance.

I agree with the Doc that offering material in advance is great. But definitely concur with Umbran also that time should be made for in-person discussion, answer questions, offer more details if asked for. It is, as you note below, a social game.

Gaming should be more like sitting at a bar with a bunch of friends and less like an amateur poetry reading.

Definitely. But I think the idea is that this written material would be available beforehand and could be reviewed as a part of a character creation evening. Some of the details of the setting might spark a different character type than you'd originally planned. (and, it helps with the general "bar" feeling if there's beer/wine/cocktails during said session. lol.)

Set the mood all you want, but if your main campaign reveal (especially in a homebrew) comes in a first session disertation then I am going to be very bored and the character I created while I had none of this information is going to be very bland.

Again, agreed. It shouldn't be like attending a seminar. But I think is valuable as part of the creation/pre-game process...then more stuff can be added/filled in/expanded upon as the game continues/expands out into the rest of the world.

Personally, as I said, I would do this as part of a character creation session. If you have a concept for a character already, a good DM (and good homebrew setting) should have some way of incorporating that into the framework of the world without giving you a whole book in advance...but explore/talk it out together and create a) What you want! (first and foremost) and B) Something relevant to the setting.

Does that sound right/acceptable?

--SD