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Message: <blockquote data-quote="robertsconley" data-source="post: 3682477" data-attributes="member: 13383">When I sell the game to a new group of players. I hit on the following points1) You can forge your own history and become part of a 20 year game. 2) You can choose your own direction and wander the campaign freely3)  You will fun because I run encounter realistically and you will feel you have truly overcome a challenge.4) There are tons of details for you to explore if that what you want.Now the actual pitch is NOT just hammering on those  points. It more a soft sell. #3 is VERY important because when I talk about #3 I communicate some of things that make my campaign different. So even before their first game they know that it going to be different.When actual play start, I feel it to them gently. I will start a new group in a straightforward situation. Maybe they are all retainers of a noble, members of a temple, mage's guild. Some type of situation where things are more clearcut and easier to understand.If I am using GURPS or other non-d20 system I run a sample combat to let them get a feel for how the mechanics works. Then I set up a single plot and have them go on that adventure. (Usually it is a mission of some sort) The mission will reward preparation and punish rushing in. Plus I try make the plot so the consequence of failure does not automatically result in the death of the character. Along with this I feed them some background information. I do this in play as well as weekly hand out of common knowledge. Subsequent adventures get less and less structured while the player's use more of my campaign background and plots to set their own goals.Note I never throw new players in at the gates of City-State expecting them to find their own way. My objective for my players to have fun. NOT to beat them with a two by four in the mistaken belief that my game is "superior"To summarize1) I communicate on a out of game basis they can't expect leveled challenges.2) I teach them about my world's background so that they had enough information to make choices  and pursue goals and have fun.Plot note:I have two encounters that I usually throw into a plot for new players to show how I run my world. First is a role-playing encounter meeting a powerful NPCs. In my current game this involved a Paladin and a NPC Guild Mage going into Dearthwood to find a group of renegade mages that the Paladin needed to talk too. When the Paladin got close to the Mage's lair in the woods. One of their guardian treant's found them. The first thing the treant did was smash the Guild Mage into a pulp and then grappled the paladin. The encountered ended with the Treant questioning the Paladin and taking him to the renegade mages after the Treant was confident that the paladin was no threat.This adventure began with the low level Paladin having a dream about needing to into Dearthwood to counter a great threat. That he was to seek the renegade mage Jeremy. He went to the Mage's Guild because they had some information on the location of the renegades. The Mage's Guild saw this as a way of finding out more about the renegades so agreed to have one of their mages accompany the Paladin into the woods. They sent a low-level mages because they damn well knew that every previous attempt resulted in death or serious injury. They figure with a paladin, on a quest, there was a chance of getting in further they had before. But given the risk they sent somebody that was expendable with orders to come back and report after the paladin done.This was all behind the scenes. What the paladin was told was yes they would help and would give him a companion to help protect him against the perils of the journey. The mage accompanying of the paladin was told to gather information and try to get back when anything on the renegades. The adventure was a success and the player had fun. He role-played with Jeremy and other the renegades and got further clues to investigate on his dream as well as meeting the other players. He learned that the Mage's Guild were bastards and that what he thought he knew wasn't the complete truth. Finally much of the background and NPCs for this adventure were from the actions of former PCs and the former PCs themselves. This makes things more interesting as when player generate their strongholds and recruit their allies. Players don't screw around. They make the best defense possible and try to get the best people. Of course I keep copies of their notes and sheets for the next round of PCs.This occurred in a game set between 1992 to 1995.  That game used stuff that was in a game run in 1987 to 1988. And that game used stuff from yet another game run in 1983. In many cases I am running background and plots that have 2 to 4 generations of players involved.</blockquote>

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