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Does the world exist for the PCs?
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<blockquote data-quote="HJFudge" data-source="post: 7613468" data-attributes="member: 6997593"><p>As opposed to this:</p><p></p><p>A DM decides to run a game entirely based on the player characters. He has received the character sheets from the players, and low and behold...</p><p></p><p>Player 1 wants to play a Tempest Cleric that was a former pirate. </p><p></p><p>Player 2 wants to play a Fey Pact Warlock Firbolg.</p><p></p><p>Player 3 wants to play a Dwarven Barbarian.</p><p></p><p>So the DM decides to build the world around these folks. He thinks 'Oh, a former pirate. I am going to have it so the main enemy for the first arc is a pirate lord who takes Player 1's quitting of the pirate trade personally! Oh, and I'll have him stealing and plundering from the Ancient Dwarven Ruins, which angers the Dwarven Barbarian! Oooo and the Pirate Lord will have a pact with the same Fey Being that Player 2's Warlock has! Interesting and fun, the players will surely love and be motivated by this!</p><p></p><p>The DM eagerly preps and crafts the world, putting in various hooks and reveals that 100% relate to the characters. The first session begins. It is a high seas adventure which seas the former pirate fleeing from his old comrades, and the Warlock and the Barbarian and he join forces to cut down the enemy! They sneak through the ruins and sabotage the plundering operations of Evil Pirate Lord. This arc lasts about 3 sessions. All is going well...or so the DM thinks.</p><p></p><p>Session 4 comes around...and well, the Barbarian can't make it, something has come up with the Warlock's work, and that former pirate lord has decided to go play battletech instead. The DM is confused. Werent the players having fun? He confronts them.</p><p></p><p>Player 1: "I mean, sure it was cool and all but I was a 'former' pirate. I really didnt wanna do anything with pirates man.</p><p>DM: "But I thought cause you were a former pirate that..."</p><p>Player 1: "Nah it just sounded cool and maybe I could make pirate jokes now and then."</p><p>DM: "Oh..."</p><p>Player 2: "Yeah, I mean, the game was okay and all but when I started I really wanted to go to the nearest city, but you said it was some huge Tortuga-like hive of scum and villainy. Whats with you and pirates?"</p><p>Player 3: "I dunno, it just seems like it doesn't matter what we want, you've decided what we want. Everywhere we tried to go it was pirates and dwarves. Isnt there like...any normal cities?"</p><p></p><p>Do you see the issue here? </p><p></p><p>Also, before you run a campaign, best practice is to send your players what is called a Pitch Doc...where you explain the setting (briefly) along with maybe some of the major players/powers. Then the players will create character concepts that make sense for that world...sure, putting their own personal spin on it that you as a DM should both allow and encourage. But the horse goes before the cart. You let the setting/world inspire the players to create their characters...that way they always will fit, and always in a way THEY want to fit. Not what you think they want.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="HJFudge, post: 7613468, member: 6997593"] As opposed to this: A DM decides to run a game entirely based on the player characters. He has received the character sheets from the players, and low and behold... Player 1 wants to play a Tempest Cleric that was a former pirate. Player 2 wants to play a Fey Pact Warlock Firbolg. Player 3 wants to play a Dwarven Barbarian. So the DM decides to build the world around these folks. He thinks 'Oh, a former pirate. I am going to have it so the main enemy for the first arc is a pirate lord who takes Player 1's quitting of the pirate trade personally! Oh, and I'll have him stealing and plundering from the Ancient Dwarven Ruins, which angers the Dwarven Barbarian! Oooo and the Pirate Lord will have a pact with the same Fey Being that Player 2's Warlock has! Interesting and fun, the players will surely love and be motivated by this! The DM eagerly preps and crafts the world, putting in various hooks and reveals that 100% relate to the characters. The first session begins. It is a high seas adventure which seas the former pirate fleeing from his old comrades, and the Warlock and the Barbarian and he join forces to cut down the enemy! They sneak through the ruins and sabotage the plundering operations of Evil Pirate Lord. This arc lasts about 3 sessions. All is going well...or so the DM thinks. Session 4 comes around...and well, the Barbarian can't make it, something has come up with the Warlock's work, and that former pirate lord has decided to go play battletech instead. The DM is confused. Werent the players having fun? He confronts them. Player 1: "I mean, sure it was cool and all but I was a 'former' pirate. I really didnt wanna do anything with pirates man. DM: "But I thought cause you were a former pirate that..." Player 1: "Nah it just sounded cool and maybe I could make pirate jokes now and then." DM: "Oh..." Player 2: "Yeah, I mean, the game was okay and all but when I started I really wanted to go to the nearest city, but you said it was some huge Tortuga-like hive of scum and villainy. Whats with you and pirates?" Player 3: "I dunno, it just seems like it doesn't matter what we want, you've decided what we want. Everywhere we tried to go it was pirates and dwarves. Isnt there like...any normal cities?" Do you see the issue here? Also, before you run a campaign, best practice is to send your players what is called a Pitch Doc...where you explain the setting (briefly) along with maybe some of the major players/powers. Then the players will create character concepts that make sense for that world...sure, putting their own personal spin on it that you as a DM should both allow and encourage. But the horse goes before the cart. You let the setting/world inspire the players to create their characters...that way they always will fit, and always in a way THEY want to fit. Not what you think they want. [/QUOTE]
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