Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="HJFudge" data-source="post: 8216694" data-attributes="member: 6997593">On reading more of this thread it is quite clear to me that some folks put way more effort into trying to explain game mechanics than I do.I nor my players have ever really concerned themselves with why an elf who is 300 yrs old (or whatever) would only be lvl 1. I have never really tried to explain hit points or critical hits either. They are merely game mechanics that are used to make sure everyone around the table has a fun time and understands whats going on game-wise. Narratively my game does not need nor rely on mechanics of any kind really. The story goes on, we use the game aspects to help gauge success or failure which influences the narrative and provides direction, but trying to make sense of things like levels/hp/whatever is a fools errand and adds nothing to my table. Having years pass between sessions is an excellent technique, too, and I have done this when it seems appropriate. It is not always so. But when I DO have years pass between adventures, I have also asked my players for a short paragraph or three on what there character has been up to in those years.This, like backgrounds, helps get their characters thinking of themselves as part of the world. It is not the only tool that helps this, but it is a good one and very useful.Obviously this is a situation where different people have different preferences, there isn't a right or wrong but rather more of a 'what works for me might not work for you' and vice versa.But in most cases when I homebrew, Im getting to know my world as a DM as we play the same as the players. Am I more familiar? Of course. But I never ever know everything about my world. So as my players give me backgrounds or discuss background ideas with me, we work together as a group to shape the world. Because many times my players will have better ideas than I."So, why is your elf from the human kingdom, Bob?"Well HJFudge, the human kingdom has been run for years on the sly by the Elves in secret. It was only 10 years ago that it was revealed to the populace and there was a huge revolution, and now humans and elves are on the outs. So my elf character decided to get out of dodge, having been instrumental in running the beurocracy for years but is now persona non grata""Oh thats a cool idea lets go with that"In this case, I had no idea that Generic Human Kingdom had been basically a secret puppet state of the elves. Because of this background, it enriched and enlived that area of my world and guess what I needed to do 0 work for that. That was a freebie given to me by a player. Could I have said No? Sure could. Then the player woulda come up with something else. But in this example, it seemed like a cool idea so hey.I guess my question is: Why WOULDNT you want your players to help you worldbuild? It helps offload the work from just one person to many and it allows them to feel as if they are part of it. You retain creative control (everyone understands you get to say No, and if they dont thats a player issue not an issue with backgrounds) and you can use the coolest ideas your players have to help tell awesome stories in an awesome setting.</blockquote>

Verification