Tom Cashel
First Post
Mark said:
A first level elf probably knows quite a lot.
The hazards of letting a writer run your game...
- Thread starter Mouseferatu
- Start date
A first level elf probably knows quite a lot.
Henry
Autoexreginated
The thing people need to remember is to keep a campaign background file like a resume. If people have to read more than one page, chances are they aren't going to read it.
In my opinion, one page (two pages max) should be sufficient for campaign overview of a new player. Detail religion, overall history, with emphasis on the last 20-40 years, and most improtant political and geographic features.
More than that will stifle most players, who want to create a character and either start bashing heads, or explore the world on their own without reading dry text.
I have my own 30-page campaign cyclopedia detailing the geography, gods, vague history, and other details of my world -- but it's mainly for my personal enjoyment, and those interested in it. To date, only two players have actually desired to see the whole thing: the rest read the relevant parts of it (for picking gods, deciding where they come from, etc.)
In my opinion, one page (two pages max) should be sufficient for campaign overview of a new player. Detail religion, overall history, with emphasis on the last 20-40 years, and most improtant political and geographic features.
More than that will stifle most players, who want to create a character and either start bashing heads, or explore the world on their own without reading dry text.
I have my own 30-page campaign cyclopedia detailing the geography, gods, vague history, and other details of my world -- but it's mainly for my personal enjoyment, and those interested in it. To date, only two players have actually desired to see the whole thing: the rest read the relevant parts of it (for picking gods, deciding where they come from, etc.)
John Crichton
First Post
Henry's got it about right. I have a player who likes to know alot and will read whatever I feed him, but that is rare. So I'm in the process of doing creation of a region right now and when I'm finished I'm just going to make a cheat-sheet that will be about a page. I'll have other materials to read for the players but I'll make sure to highlight the main points on the cheat-sheet otherwise I know they'll just ignore most of it. Heck, I may even just make it a paragraph or 2 of flavor text and some bullet points in 14 point type. *sigh*
d20Dwarf
Explorer
I would like to say that as a writer I have not even tried to explain to my players what world they are in. Oh, I gave some lame thing about Dawnforge once, and they are about to hit Bluffside full throttle, but other than that...no flavor! 
Out of curiosity, does anyone run regular games without a campaign setting?
Out of curiosity, does anyone run regular games without a campaign setting?
trentonjoe
Explorer
d20Dwarf said:
WE do. When one guy in my groups runs a game it is just generic land. Clerics worship whomever they want, cities are all mostly interedependent, and there is no great master plan.
We just play.
It is kinda neat.
apocalypstick
First Post
if you don't post a link to that handout, i'd like to see it as well. I'm putting together my own campaign setting for a game I intent to run when my current DM falls to burnout, and i'm always looking for inspiration (read as: things to plagarize ).
as for getting the background to the players, I usually write up a one-sheet of the most pertinent details and follow up every gaming session with another half-to-one page handout containing a little history, or the customs of a place they may be heading to, or what have you.
I think if you spread out the information over a time period it keeps the players interested in your world, and they enjoy putting together the pieces. (one week hand out a page about what's been happening in the Kingdom since the King was assassinated three years ago, and a month later give 'em a sheet about religious power groups in the campaig with hints about which of them might have been responsible for that assassination... keeps 'em talking and thinking about your setting).
).as for getting the background to the players, I usually write up a one-sheet of the most pertinent details and follow up every gaming session with another half-to-one page handout containing a little history, or the customs of a place they may be heading to, or what have you.
I think if you spread out the information over a time period it keeps the players interested in your world, and they enjoy putting together the pieces. (one week hand out a page about what's been happening in the Kingdom since the King was assassinated three years ago, and a month later give 'em a sheet about religious power groups in the campaig with hints about which of them might have been responsible for that assassination... keeps 'em talking and thinking about your setting).
cptg1481
First Post
Me TOO!!
I can add that after 12 sessions that I finally got one of my players to actually bring a character sheet.....
He's very busy you know...his to hit is around +8 or so he has approximately 15000gp and amazingly enough he always has just the right potions for the job...BLAH BLAH BLAH, humm perhaps I'm too accomodating?
ColonelHardisson said:
I can add that after 12 sessions that I finally got one of my players to actually bring a character sheet.....
He's very busy you know...his to hit is around +8 or so he has approximately 15000gp and amazingly enough he always has just the right potions for the job...BLAH BLAH BLAH, humm perhaps I'm too accomodating?
Voadam
Legend
I don't write up stuff, but I'll tell a new PC a little about the land his character is from and the ones he has interacted with and heard some legends about.
My problem is I run a pre-conjunction Ravenloft and two of my players have read a few of the novels and one owned the setting years ago before he gave it to me.
So when I say "the wizard king of the north," some already know OOC some of his secrets.
My problem is I run a pre-conjunction Ravenloft and two of my players have read a few of the novels and one owned the setting years ago before he gave it to me.
So when I say "the wizard king of the north," some already know OOC some of his secrets.
Last edited:
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Mark said:
I'm probably with Mark asking this one.
I love detailed campaigns and all but to be honest, it's the GMs job to get the players involved into the campaign setting unless there are direct game effects on a character's class.
When I run Oathbound, I don't require the players to own copies of the book. As a matter of fact that ruins it in this case as Oathbound has some secrets.
I applaud the detail though.
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
d20Dwarf said:I would like to say that as a writer I have not even tried to explain to my players what world they are in. Oh, I gave some lame thing about Dawnforge once, and they are about to hit Bluffside full throttle, but other than that...no flavor!
Out of curiosity, does anyone run regular games without a campaign setting?
My first full 3rd edition campaign started off in the West Wood Barony from Fiery Dragon with NeMoren's Vault but there was so little detail to the setting at the time, it was basically without a campaign setting. It can be a little fun and allows you to kinda add as you go along, almost like a Manga or Anime.
"Ah, now you fight the world's most powerful foe ever!"
"But wasn't that so and so?"
"No, he only thought he was! Now die!"
Similar Threads
