Ashrum the Black
Explorer
I know thirty pages sounds like a lot, but I started giving each of them just the background on thier country, along with some general world history. That didn't amount to more than maybe eight typed pages each. I gave them all the rest when they seemed to flounder without more detail to work with and after the first 10-12 sessions. Imagine trying to play the realms without having at least flipped through and skimmed the main book and that's what they were like. So I gave them the rest, at their request, and they seemed to do much better.
The books and prophescies really have supported two purposes. One was to drop plot hooks liberally behind me of things they could do and places they could go. That's worked somewhat, but they seem to ignore these more than any other hook. The book that details the tomb that harbors a powerful magical staff has been in their keeping since about 7th level, and they have yet to even comment on it really. Mind you that is an example of the issue, I don't mind them ignoring the plot hooks they're not interested in, I just can't seem to get them interested in any unless the plot hook jumps up and screams "Over Here!"
I'm actually not to bound up in the world I've generated, it's pretty vague actually. I've not detailed more then a few cities and towns and only when they actually went to them. I've only framed out the generalites of the countries. Just enough to establish character, and some places of interest. I've fleshed out a few of the movers and shakers in the world as well as the country they've been in mainly. Of which the PC's are movers and shakers.
As for clarity, I will admit, perhaps it is just my perspective as the writer of the material. I see links everywhere which mayben they can't. But at the same time, I just can't see how ALL of the stuff is that obscure. As for which bits of information they pick out that I pass aling to them, they seem to not be picking out anything.
Which I suppose is the root of the issue for me. I love to play, and imerse my character in the world the DM creates. This, to me, means taking an active part in helping the DM flesh out the story. I'll hand him a hook that says this is what I'd like to do with my character. This is why I adventure. He'll hand back other hooks that say this is what you can do. This information is what you find in this old tome after raiding this tomb. Cool, it mentions an ancient staff, lets set a sage to research that while we go off to save this village.
I don't want the campaign to just flow through an outline that I've written and bang its done. I want the PC's to look at the information I've given them and say "Hey! I think this means abc!" when I actually meant for it to say xyZ. Cool, at least they're involved, and I'll adjust to make abc work. But I can't seem to get them to this level of involvement though.
I'm starting to think that perhaps my very roleplaying heavy group just may want to be a beer and pretsels group now. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, and they're getting more than I think they are. I think I may email them all and see what thier preferance in play style is.
-Ashrum
The books and prophescies really have supported two purposes. One was to drop plot hooks liberally behind me of things they could do and places they could go. That's worked somewhat, but they seem to ignore these more than any other hook. The book that details the tomb that harbors a powerful magical staff has been in their keeping since about 7th level, and they have yet to even comment on it really. Mind you that is an example of the issue, I don't mind them ignoring the plot hooks they're not interested in, I just can't seem to get them interested in any unless the plot hook jumps up and screams "Over Here!"
I'm actually not to bound up in the world I've generated, it's pretty vague actually. I've not detailed more then a few cities and towns and only when they actually went to them. I've only framed out the generalites of the countries. Just enough to establish character, and some places of interest. I've fleshed out a few of the movers and shakers in the world as well as the country they've been in mainly. Of which the PC's are movers and shakers.
As for clarity, I will admit, perhaps it is just my perspective as the writer of the material. I see links everywhere which mayben they can't. But at the same time, I just can't see how ALL of the stuff is that obscure. As for which bits of information they pick out that I pass aling to them, they seem to not be picking out anything.
Which I suppose is the root of the issue for me. I love to play, and imerse my character in the world the DM creates. This, to me, means taking an active part in helping the DM flesh out the story. I'll hand him a hook that says this is what I'd like to do with my character. This is why I adventure. He'll hand back other hooks that say this is what you can do. This information is what you find in this old tome after raiding this tomb. Cool, it mentions an ancient staff, lets set a sage to research that while we go off to save this village.
I don't want the campaign to just flow through an outline that I've written and bang its done. I want the PC's to look at the information I've given them and say "Hey! I think this means abc!" when I actually meant for it to say xyZ. Cool, at least they're involved, and I'll adjust to make abc work. But I can't seem to get them to this level of involvement though.
I'm starting to think that perhaps my very roleplaying heavy group just may want to be a beer and pretsels group now. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, and they're getting more than I think they are. I think I may email them all and see what thier preferance in play style is.
-Ashrum
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