The hazards of letting a writer run your game...

[Mouseferatu]

Well, I've just finished putting together all the files I intend to print and give to my players before the start of my next campaign.

Now, in my defense, this is a homebrew world that is (if you go back to its most basic ideas and concepts) almost 20 years old. It's a world that many of my players have played in before, albeit it in different time periods. I have to give enough info for them to remember what's the same (it's been a while) and know what's changed. And I need to give the new players enough info that they don't feel like they're missing half the background story. Plus there's all the basic campaign stuff people really have to have--gods, nations, PC races, calendar, etc...

Still, perhaps 15,981 words is a bit much to expect people to digest in "campaign-info" handouts...

 

[Nightfall]

Mouse, maybe you should just make them play in Termana.. Might save them headache.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I'm lucky to get my players to read their own character sheets.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I'd be happy if my players were middling familiar with the Player's Handbook

The number of times I had to explain to my Champions group how to add their OCV into the attack roll and how to count up damage was stunning. These are smart people

It wqas the same problem I had with Vampire: The Masquerade, the big, rich, detailed backround was basically unused, and the players were stuck with playing Neonate Anarchs becaseu they just would not read the background material.

Any chance you could email me a copy of that background Mouse? I love rading that kind of thing.

jeff_ranger@yahoo.com

 

[humble minion]

I have a slightly different problem. I run Star Wars, so there is cubic metres of background material available, and some of my players are actually willing to read some of it. But unfortunately, Lucas Licensing cares less about creating a functional and consistent gaming environment than I do, so any given Star Wars sourcebook/reference is almost guaranteed to directly contradict two other Star Wars sourcebooks... *sighs*

And yeah, like Billy and if you don't mind sending me a copy, I'd love to have a look at what you've written.

greg.rogers@csiro.au

 

[ForceUser]

I'm with the Colonel; if they can add up their attack bonus without holding up the show I'm resigned to being satisfied.

 

[Darrin Drader]

15,000 words??? Feh! You should see the 40,000 words worth of required reading I have for everyone entering a campaign in my homebrew world (actually you ca by going to my website and then downloading the PDF).

 

[Mouseferatu]

15,000 words??? Feh! You should see the 40,000 words worth of required reading I have for everyone entering a campaign in my homebrew world (actually you ca by going to my website and then downloading the PDF).

I'd love to. Kinda need the URL, though...

And yeah, 40K is impressive for campaign info. I think I've got that much on my world, if you count all its previous incarnations (as I said, I've run games in multiple time periods), but I've never given nearly that much to players. I'm not really a completist in that regard, to be honest. So long as they have enough to begin with, I'm willing to fill them in as they go. My files don't really go into great detail on the nations, major NPCs, etc.--names and quick basic descriptions is it.

So far as those who have asked to see the handouts, that can be arranged. I might be putting them up on my Livejournal in a day or three. If I do, I'll just provide a link here. If I decide not to, I'll see about sending 'em out.

 

[Mark]

How much does a 1st level character know about the world?

 

[Shallown]

I put out like 3 pages on cities and another 2 on recent history (last 2 years which was during a war) and count myself lucky if 1/2 my players read it. On the other hand I don't baby them when they screw themselves over becuase they didn't read the info. If they just head to a city and haven't read the notes I gave them then get taxed, robbed etc in that city and they ask why didn't I tell them the city was a haven for thieves, I open up the notes I gave out show it to them and they most often shut up. I show I did tell them. So they have learned to at least read up on where they are headed but miss most of the interaction I underlie my campaign with. I would still do they background info even if they never read it becuase it makes the game easier for me.

Perhaps you should get character back grounds and customize or limit what info each gets. when they have secrets from each other they sometimes will pay more attention As long as they aren't disruptive secrets.

later