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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 3026011" data-attributes="member: 32164">Okay, two things:As a player, I hate it when the DM hands me my background on a silver platter. I'd rather tell him what kind of character I want to play and work with him to design said character.Look at how the best writers expose their worlds. Think of how you're introduced to the world in The Lord of the Rings, Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser stories, Howard's Conan stories, Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, or even Jordan's The Wheel of Time.Writers KNOW that people aren't entertained by a history lecture. DMs need to learn it. You're best to come up with a Reader's Digest version of your setting history. In other words, "what do we know, and what's been happening lately?" Help your players construct their PCs. Most DMs want to skip this and go right into playing. Trust me that it's worth it to spend that first session helping your players ground their characters in the world.This is especially important when you're not using the Core Rules. Variant Player's Handbooks (like, oh, Iron Heroes) simply require character creation sessions. I can see it going something like this:Player 1 (after reading): "Hmm...I think I'd like to play a berzerker with the arctic born and savage appearance traits."DM: "Okay, that's cool. Sounds like one of the Frost barbarians from the Thulian Mountains. They're a semi-nomadic people - like a cross between vikings and highland scots. (Insert weird cultural detail here)."Once you have your list of PCs, then the DM can place his opening adventure someplace in the campaign world. And give the PCs the background of the area they'd know - and any recent major events that would be known.Vague events are far better than specific ones. And try dropping characters into a period of history that's, well, interesting. Real world examples:The Hundred Years War has just ended.Henry VIII is about to marry his 4th wife.King Charles has just been crowned Holy Roman Emperor.The Pope has just called for a Crusade to the Holy Land.Basically, give them a recent BIG event to sink their teeth into. Like Eberron's Last War. You'll find them grasping for more information about it. The more ancient stuff can come in time. Unless you have a PC who likes that sort of thing.It also keeps you from having to invent it all up front.</blockquote>

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