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

[Afrodyte]

I feel lazy compared to you guys. The only homebrew setting I did in any considerable detail, Winya Palurin, has only about 15 page of info, tops. Out of those 15 pages, I expect that each individual player would use about 5 at most. 1 1/2 of those pages (at most) is for the culture the PC comes from. Two are for maps (one topographical, one political). 1 1/2 pages are for the history (if known to the PC). The most I paid attention to was to the cultures I created, and even these were a scant 1 or 2 pages each. However, I made sure to cover all the necessary bases a player needs to get a feel for the culture. That, plus a one-page document detailing daily life in Winya Palurin, should be enough to help players get accomodated to how things work. A few of the things they take for granted (like horses) are replaced or non-existent.

This is for two main reasons. First, the setting is prehistoric, so many of the most important parts of the history are hidden. There is a certain timelessness that is a part of the setting that I like, and I think creating an elaborate chronology can go against that. Second, I prefer painting a setting in broad strokes and allowing players to fill in the specific details. It prevents frazzled nerves.

Since Midnight came out, I doubt I'll need specific house rules or additional crunchy bits. At most, I may add an additional feat or skill ranks.

 

[Psionicist]

I am writing my world as a poem (think Raven by E.A Poe). It is really funny.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I am writing my world as a poem (think Raven by E.A Poe). It is really funny.

I don't know if I'm more curious to see what you've got, or scared.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Only about half or less of my campaign world is found on my website. Most of it is in various files scattered around my computer. I concentrate on the big things more - the cosmology, history, broad overviews of religion and races, etc. The descriptions of nations, pivotal events, and such usually come up in campaigns or sometimes as needed (I have only a vague idea for about half the world's nations and regions).

 

[Mouseferatu]

Sigh...

And in addition to the hazards of letting a writer run your game...

If you've read over the handout, you'll have now seen the hazards of letting a writer put together a file without an outside proofreader.

This is why we have editors. Sorry, folks. Kindly ignore all the typos.

 

[Kichwas]

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

Doesn't sound like much. Sounds like a very small handout in fact...

Then again, I'm also a writer, so my perspective may be off.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Hey, folks, got a favor to ask...

As I said before, I know this handout isn't really "complete." Doesn't talk about a lot of world-related stuff. And I know, as well, that without a "hook," it's not likely to grab people the way some settings are.

Still, if any of you who looked over the handout are planning to steal/borrow even a few minor aspects for your own games, I'd really like to know what, and how you plan to use it. Just for my own edification.

(Now that I said that, nobody's going to wind up using it, and I'll be embarassed for asking. But that's okay. )

Thanks.

And BTW, if you're not planning to use any of this, please don't feel the need to apologize or explain why. That's not why I posted this, and I fully understand that much of what's in here won't fit into other games anyway.