What Mundane Details Are Important In Your Fantastical Game/World?

[The Soloist]

Latrines. You want to make sure the dominant wind blows in the right direction. Underground, a nice shaft going deep down an empty cave or river is preferable.

 

[Baron Opal II]

So what mundane elements of world building do you find important, interesting and/or necessary? Things liek calendars with month names and holidays? Fashion and dress? Food and culinary? Languages? Cultural practices? Consumer goods or brands? That sort of thing.

Some food and drink, local wines and liquors (Ophirian Yellow is sour, great for Summers and hot work). I comment on customs, sometimes. (Dvergar sew a small stone into their hat or helm to reflex a portion of their holy book - "While sheltering under my hand you shall enjoy my protection." Travelling morlocs have black line "X" tattoos across their lips. They have ritually forsworn cannibalism, and are "safe".)

I messed around with changing calendar days and months, that my players and I found that to be more a pain than it was worth. We used our common calendar, and we found that jarring. So, I used the Zodiac names for the months and just a number for the day. The Keldes, Ides, and temple days are called out as specific, but that's it. That finds a comfortable middle ground.

 

[bloodtide]

Are you writing the songs and then having the players sing them in character? Or are you recording the songs yourself then playing them to the players as clues to the adventure? Or... ???

I'm not writing or recording songs: not really my skill set.

And remember, I don't do any sort of "memory check" where a player can have a character "try to remember anything". So good, clever players get information through role playing.

I will take a real song and change the words. (to Yankovic a song IS in my skill set)

Typically characters listen to songs at taverns or other such places. In the past I would just describe the song. And clever players would role play their character either getting a copy of the song or transcribe it. Then I can just give the player a copy of the song.

Patron of the Arts is a Downtime activity in my game, and good players will have characters spend time going plays, concerts, and such.

In our modern world....I can have AI sing the song, in say to voice of Faith Hill or Tim McGraw. (and my AI Taylor Swift can write songs for me...the future is crazy)

Plenty of my good players are into music, and often play bards or other music based characters. They are more then happy to sing.

One of my house rules is players can create unlimited fiction for the game, like tall tales, stories, or songs and get xp, inspiration points or such. Plenty of players do this.

 

[Lanefan]

I'm not writing or recording songs: not really my skill set.

And remember, I don't do any sort of "memory check" where a player can have a character "try to remember anything". So good, clever players get information through role playing.

I will take a real song and change the words. (to Yankovic a song IS in my skill set)

I too have done many rewordings over the years.

In our modern world....I can have AI sing the song, in say to voice of Faith Hill or Tim McGraw. (and my AI Taylor Swift can write songs for me...the future is crazy)

I'm nowhere near that point yet, if for no other reason than my tech is (relatively) ancient.