Generic Campaign Question - Need Opinions

[Vlademeer]

I have finally decided to try and write a Campaign Book for the world I have been running for probably over 10 years now. We are currently working on Chapter 3 of my campaign and each chapter progresses the world plotline further.

I have written a Campaign book for the current Chapter but not for the entire world so I left out most of the history and backstory to be learned in-game as character knowledge.

If I could get some opinions on how you would like to learn the backstory of a Campaign, I would appreciate it.

This has also been brought up to the players, but I wanted a wider scope on the subject.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Well as a DM, I have used:

-Old journals, newspaper clippings, other various writings (usually for local and more modern backstory).
-Memories being brought into being from an ancestor of the PCs.
-Having a false backstory developed, and through the events of the plot it begins to fall apart revealing the real backstory.
-Steal tomes of history from the guarded libraries.
-Go to a place with long-lived individuals (think like Sigil) and hear various stories and accounts from those who witnessed the pass.
-Bar stories and legends, Bard tales.

 

[Fanatic]

I too have done this, apart from designing a world campaign book I also made several different things.

Firstly I made a city book akin to the 'City of Splendor's' FR book which some of my players read.

But in game wise I provided them with a 'Meridith City Guidebook' which was written like a travel guide.

Some things like gossip about a current notable figure can lead into a larger backstory.
Off cuff remarks like 'This is worse than the time that Druid summoned a wave of a thousand puppies upon the city'
Relate somewhere in the adventure some link to the past (history repeats itself) meaning the PC's can gain the advantage if they look up old manuscripts or books in the library.
Dreams or Prophecies that have images from the past.

 

[Ginnel]

Um where is the option for both? have a general overview for the country/local region and common myths/rumours about other countries/regions, then the players get to figure out if what they think they know is what exists or not.

Also you may want to consider player created fluff? players backgrounds are very useful in establishing ideas and fluff in games, or you could take their backgrounds and fit it in to your written world, asking them for compromises maybe. This would be another good indication of how much they should know about in the world.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I have finally decided to try and write a Campaign Book for the world I have been running for probably over 10 years now. We are currently working on Chapter 3 of my campaign and each chapter progresses the world plotline further.

I have written a Campaign book for the current Chapter but not for the entire world so I left out most of the history and backstory to be learned in-game as character knowledge.

If I could get some opinions on how you would like to learn the backstory of a Campaign, I would appreciate it.

This has also been brought up to the players, but I wanted a wider scope on the subject.

Move to General Discussion? This doesn't seem to be 4e related.

I'd like to learn the backstory of a campaign by playing it - provided mostly by NPC's, or through DM handouts. I would prefer not to be handed a book or clump of documents - I think I'd find it a lot to get through.

 

[Pickles JG]

All 3. I like to read a bit but not great volumes - maybe a couple of pages. Then as stuff is revealed through the game I normally want to read a bit more. However since I am (oddly) not a fan of fantasy fiction, often I do not care much & just want to get back to the killing & taking.

 

[Bandreus]

I just leaverage some amount of knowledge to every player, based on their charackters background. A literate character who studied a lot in his background story should be aware of the most notable facys and events in recent history, military chars could be more informed on the matter of wars and such, and so on and so forth.

It's really a character-centric thing, I usually let players know what their chars are obviously supposed to know, all the rest will eventually pop out when they research for it or while the campaign unfolds, someway or another

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Um where is the option for both? have a general overview for the country/local region and common myths/rumours about other countries/regions, then the players get to figure out if what they think they know is what exists or not.

Also you may want to consider player created fluff? players backgrounds are very useful in establishing ideas and fluff in games, or you could take their backgrounds and fit it in to your written world, asking them for compromises maybe. This would be another good indication of how much they should know about in the world.

Yeah, I can't really vote on one or the other when "both" works best.

As for player based stories, I've found that, more often then not, DMs will never be able to make a better story about the character then the player will. Far better to work with them then against them.

 

[WhatGravitas]

First option. But keep it short and flavourful.

Reasons: If you're experiencing it in-game, it's easy to gloss over, there's less impact. If you read about it and it comes up in-game, there's more response, because you have a general idea.

Example:
Let's take FR. Let's say you've never heard about FR. Then you interact with some Thayan wizards. The DM tells you what you know about them, including how dangerous they are. You'll get a feel, but it takes time.

If you, however, have read about them, including Szass Tam and so on, and your DM tells you there are Red Wizards - well, you say "Oh, %§$%!!!", because you're not just hearing what the DM told you, but also have background that drives home HOW dangerous they are!

Cheers, LT.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

First option. But keep it short and flavourful.

Reasons: If you're experiencing it in-game, it's easy to gloss over, there's less impact. If you read about it and it comes up in-game, there's more response, because you have a general idea.

Example:
Let's take FR. Let's say you've never heard about FR. Then you interact with some Thayan wizards. The DM tells you what you know about them, including how dangerous they are. You'll get a feel, but it takes time.

If you, however, have read about them, including Szass Tam and so on, and your DM tells you there are Red Wizards - well, you say "Oh, %§$%!!!", because you're not just hearing what the DM told you, but also have background that drives home HOW dangerous they are!

Cheers, LT.

The downside to this, however, is that if you're Jack the Fighter, some poor schmuck who took his guard armor and halberd out into the world to get some money and elf skirts, you might not know what Thayans are; they just look like more finger wagglers, only these ones have an even worse fashion sense ;p