Do you like fiction in your gaming books?

[Kichwas]

Mongoose often has a bit of a story blurb taking up a page here and there. I'm not aware of anyone else who does it but I'm sure someone does.


What do you think of this tactic?

An option 1 example is any Mongoose book: a short story up to 1 page to get across flavor, inspiration, or clarify some point by putting it in context.

I think Eldritch Magic vol 1. was an option 2 example: Nothing but strict game mechanics.

An option 3 example is Relics and Rituals: a lot of the items and spells had colorful descriptions of their history in the Scarred Lands world. Not a story per se, more like a short bio to give flavor and context.

 

[Black Omega]

AEG does sometimes as well. I like it as long as it's fairly short. No multipage stories, but something that relates to the topic is just fine.

 

[Nik_the_Pig]

Shadowrun

FASA does (did? who owns Shadowrun these days??) it all the time, some sourcebooks being writen totally in the form of a story or a NPC yappin away as a guide to this city or that type of magic. Can be interesting but is a royal pain in the @$$ when looking for info or stats between all the babble.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I voted for flavor text without pure fiction, straight PHB-style. While I like a bit of flavor to make the text less dry, I don't really care for D&D-type fiction. It's been years since I was interested in Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms fiction, so finding such things in my gaming material hold no appeal for me. I'd rather the pages be spent on more gaming material.

On the other hand, I don't want my gaming books to read like a medical journal either...

 

[Scarab]

Feng Shui starts each chapter with a one-page short story relevant to what the chapter is about. That one small thing added lots of flavor and inspiration. I guess this falls under the "colorful flavor text" option.

 

[fba827]

could be remembering incorrectly but i think Sword and Fist has it too - like two short stories whose purpose was to illistrate how some of the moves/feats would play out in a scenario....

i could be remembering wrong..

and no, this information does not really add to the conversatioin so I'll shut up.

 

[Tsyr]

Sometimes it's good. Like the two-three page story in the front of the Shadowrun book... it's well wrote, and sets the flavor of the game quite well (I tell all new SR players to read that story).

I don't mind it as long as it's well done fiction.

 

[Kichwas]

Feng Shui starts each chapter with a one-page short story relevant to what the chapter is about. That one small thing added lots of flavor and inspiration. I guess this falls under the "colorful flavor text" option.

A one page story would actually be exactly what I'm getting at in the idea of fiction in your game suppliment. It's a story in a game book put there to get across flavor and or clarity.

 

[SableWyvern]

Quotes as found in ICEs Essence Companion are the go (a few teasers):

"I can do it, but I'll need a used chicken."

"Never taunt a powerful wizard with phrases like, 'We've got your wife.' Especially if you have his wife.

"Humility is a virtue that has it's place even amongst wizards. Peasants should not be kicked or referred to as 'filth.' It is difficult to find someone willing to sell you dinner after such displays."

"Never wade in or drink from pools of acid."

 

[Paka]

I really liked the way fiction was used in the old Legends of the Five Rings Clan Books. Friends who didn't game read them through, cover to cover.

If written well, I think it can give alot of flavor and inspiration.