Question for players: how much reading is okay before a campaign?

[the Jester]

It depends. How well do I know the dm? How good of a dm is he? How good of a writer is he?

Ideally, buy-in shouldn't take more than a page. However, a good dm that can write an especially engaging setting- I'd read hundreds of pages.

 

[IronWolf]

I would likely do a fair amount of reading if there was material available. Now the premise of the campaign should be able to be handled in less than a page I would hope. But then, if that has grabbed my attention I would be wanting an overview of possible areas I might have come from and then from there I would want to read more in-depth for the area of my choosing. So this could come to a good number of pages.

 

[Haltherrion]

As I get older, the more that I believe that as much of the game's "text" should be revealed in-game. If you must have a document for a player to read, have it be either mechanics or options they can take, but be prepared for a player who doesn't know (or didn't care to know) anything about your world.

The first half of the session should be enough for them to understand what your campaign's going to be thematically about.

Well... I agree with you in principle. It's certainly a good rule of fiction to reveal by showing than by exposition. BUT don't forget at campaign start, you are expecting the players to pick PCs they have to live with for some time and, possibly, make other setting specific decisions that they also have to live with for some time.

I think pre-game, it is proper to explain the bulk of what a chararcter at the starting level would know. This allows them to chose a character and craft a background that fits the setting.

If you reveal everything in game and in the course of that, reveal that arcane casters are reviled, that really wouldn't be very fair (to me) to your players who might take an arcane caster.

 

[Crothian]

If I like the way it sounds I'll read what needs read. As a DM I will ridicule players that don't read and point out useful info they miss that was in the reading that they didn't do.

 

[john112364]

Ideally, I would like the beginning info to include just what the characters would know. Give me a list of the major organizations in the starting region (i.e. churches, guilds, type of govenrment, etc.) attitudes towards various classes, some detail of the town, etc. Don't give me the history of the world unless I would have a reason to know it.

I agree with Saeviomagy's view. This is my favorite way to start. It's like unwrapping a present a little bit at a time.

 

[Sorrowdusk]

OH BELIEVE ME-I know what it is to try to game under a DM who has volumes of stuff he's written for a home setting, (and even translated out of his mother tongue into english no less) and LOVES it to pieces, and expects you to know EVERYTHING. (And becomes upset when you havent read this or that section or article and do not call things by their exact proper name. OKAY-so its the 14th Millez of The Night of Demons in the Time of Uruao...does that or doesnt that mean we are meeting him in the godam cemetery at 2am this thursday or WHAT?!)

Personally, I'll read however much interests me, but regardless of how much lore you have, I'd condense it all into a primer into just what you NEED to know. And then read or make checks on things as, or ask questions you go along.

I think if its not handwritten, a free Wiki is a nice way or organizing things.

 

[DumbPaladin]

Me personally? I'd read 50+, but I think I'm an abberation.

Not as much of one as you think. I'd read 50+ pages and possibly more. I did read my Player's Handbook, after all, and it's a about 300 pages, isn't it?

There are about three levels of reader: those who can appreciate War and Peace and finish the entire thing; those for whom Harry Potter is taxing; and those for some the restaurant menu is taxing.

It's really quite OK to be in the "War and Peace" group.

 

[scourger]

Me personally? I'd read 50+, but I think I'm an abberation...

Yes, I would read a bunch of pages, but I think most players won't. At least, that's the way it works in my group. So, generally the more concise you can make it the better. One to five pages should be your target.

The best success I've had is giving each player a few pages of information that the character knows. That technique has worked for me even with information from a pre-printed source, which is mostly what I use. It is really cool when the players eventually figure out that the characters don't all have the same knowledge base--even though the first couple of parapraphs may be the same--and they start comparing information and figuring out things about the world. I even like to give different players maps of different levels of detail if available and appropriate to their characters' backgorunds (which it usually is (or can be)).

The worst implementation I've seen is a "campaign document" that fundamentally changes some aspect(s) of the base game. Players of a certain game come to the table with some existing ideas of what the game is about and how to play it. It is almost inevitable that the house rules will conflict with the base rules in a way that does not favor the players, which will cause problems--possibly campaign-ending problems. Do yourself and them a favor and stick to the core rules. In other words, write all the fluff you want but leave the crunch alone.

Hope that helps.

 

[HeavensThunderHammer]

I'd say a page or 2, probably double spaced or frequent paragraphs.Especially if I don't know the game or setting.

I usually get hooked on the concept of the game, not the write up.

 

[C_M2008]

I'll read lots if its a friend and its good. If only one of those criteria are present probably 10-20 pages max.

If its for a random gaming associate and it sucks well after paragraph 2 I'm probably done.

I'd say 1 page for houserules and 1-3 pages of background is a perfectly
acceptable requirement for players to read though.