Forgotten Realms: Do players care about canon?

[NiTessine]

So you have to be a published author to change canon?

Umm... yes. Canon is the stuff that's in the books. It's official. Adjusting it in a home campaign is an entirely different thing, and does not require one to be a published author.

And I was actually referring to the fact that in Shelzar: City of Sins, there is an NPC named Bla'yne Nightfall, Sage of Shelzar.

I think it's great that Nightfall was able to help sell the SL setting so well to his players. It doesn't invalidate the question of would he quit it if confrontated about the "canon" aspect of it though.

I agree that it's bad form to question the DM in any setting but since many peopel claim that instead of X being a fantastic setting, that they went to it because it didn't have a lot of published work or an extnesive history, I'd like to know what happens when X does have more details or players know X better than the GM. Do they then switch to campaign Y?

People should switch campaign settings because a new campaign has something that interests them, not because players know more than they do.

True. My view is that when players start complaining about how the DM interprets a setting, it is time to change the players, not the setting. However, sometimes this may not be possible, perhaps due to a limited player pool, and a canon nazi on the wrong side of the DM screen can really make it difficult to run a good game.

Then, I have never really run into this problem, since I generally know my settings better than my regular players do. I pick the settings I run based on how interesting they are, not the amount of material that's been published for them.

So, how would you approach the issue?

 

[Wraith101]

This is one of the reasons I will never be able to run L5R (that's true to the setting) for many of my freinds because they all know far more than me about the setting, it's history and all it's characters.

If I ever ran in Rokugan or FR I would ignore almost everything ever published and set the game in an obscure undetailed location. Kinda defeats the purpose!

Other settings however, I find much more manageable. I actively encourage my players to read Kingdoms of Kalamar books, if I know someone has been reading up on particular aspects of the setting to get some character ideas/background/knowlege, I like to work in elements of that aspect so a player can actually be an authority on something.

Perhaps it is the smaller number of suppliments and fixed timeline that does it but I just find it so much easier to pull off.

 

[JoeGKushner]

So, how would you approach the issue?

My mantra for many years has been no gaming is better than bad gaming. This is especially true if I'm the GM.

As I haven't had any long stretches without gaming, it seems to be working as both a player and a GM.

My time is too valuable to be wasted. If I tell a player once that "You don't know what's actually happened here and if you try to use player knowledge out of character again I'm going to ask you to leave" and it happens again, that player is gone.

If every player feels that way, I'm the one in the wrong and in the wrong group and need to move on.

With so many things to do, painting miniatures, movies, hanging out with the girlfriend, catching up on the reading, playing in another group, etc..., the potential of no game does not bother me.

No gaming is better than bad gaming.

 

[Henry]

So when GMing the Forgotten Realms, do the players demand everything be canon?

Some players do, and are inflexible about it (I've seen many posts on WotC forums where posters declare, "That wouldn't happen because Elminster/Thay/The Seven Sisters/Mystra wouldn't allow it"). However, most I've fun into don't follow the canon enough to where it's an issue. I love talking canon with Greyhawk fans and Faerun Fans and Eberron fans; as long as someone is able to draw a clear dividing line between what they're reading, and what they're playing, then I enjoy gaming with them, too.

 

[diaglo]

Read the Story hour in my sig for the rest of the details..

DMOlgar: What do you guys think if I send an invitation to Ryan to join?
diaglo: He should be better as a playa.
PlayerShayne: I've got some other friends who might want to join. Is it okay if I invite them?
DMOlgar: Lets see what Ryan says first. We have 5 players right now. Ryan will make 6.


next session...


playerAngelsboi: So, I say we go and find Elminster.
DMOlgar: Who?
diaglo: (oh no here we go again) We are only just starting out our adventuring careers. Why would we want to travel to such a far off place?
playerAngelsboi: Well, Elminster can do this.. and that... and Once when he...
DMOlgar: Those are all strictly Legends as far as the PCs know.
playerShayne: I say we go and find an animal companion for my druid. I think I want a Wolverine or maybe a small Earth Elemental.
diaglo: I think I want a drink. A stiff drink.


eventually, the situation settled down. we added and lost players over time. the campaign is still going after 3+ years. in fact, next session is this Sunday.

 

[Henry]

My mantra for many years has been no gaming is better than bad gaming.

And yet, my mantra is, "The worst gaming session is still better than the best fishing trip."

 

[JoeGKushner]

And yet, my mantra is, "The worst gaming session is still better than the best fishing trip."

Now that's just crazy talk!

 

[diaglo]

My mantra for many years has been no gaming is better than bad gaming.

mine is. if you fall off the wagon. due to gaming. get back on but bring better pretzels next time...

no wait.

mine is:

Life is too short to play crappy RPGS.

but that hasn't stopped me from trying to find fun ones.

each time you fall off. get back on but at a different stop. new faces. new luck.

patience is a virtue seldom practiced.
it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
OD&D(1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

 

[Henry]

Testify, Brother D!

 

[Voadam]

mine is. if you fall off the wagon. due to gaming. get back on but bring better pretzels next time...

no wait.

mine is:

Life is too short to play crappy RPGS.

but that hasn't stopped me from trying to find fun ones.

each time you fall off. get back on but at a different stop. new faces. new luck.

patience is a virtue seldom practiced.
it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

From what I've seen, none of these have been your mantra here.

OD&D(1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

There it is.