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<blockquote data-quote="GreyICE" data-source="post: 5855916" data-attributes="member: 6684526">So the players can't do this without you there to hold their hands and give them little pointers?&nbsp; They need a DM to tell them that there's a tribe of northern barbarians?&nbsp; The DM has to tell the player that there's an island ruled by a wizard that the player could escape from?&nbsp; See, I don't have a problem with the players telling ME that there's an island that is ruled by a powerful wizard's guild that they escaped from.&nbsp; I don't have a problem with the players telling ME about the tribe of northern barbarians.The DM cannot create a complete world in one sitting, and as you noted, attempts to do this result in the '15 page handout that no one reads.'&nbsp; At the end of the day it is easier and saner to have the players tell the DM what the background of their character is, and have those elements incorporated into the world.&nbsp; It also makes for a MUCH more interesting story.&nbsp; If you come up to me and say 'well I want to play a Barbarian, what Barbarians are there?' and I say 'I don't know, you tell me what Barbarian tribes are around, or where your Barbarian came from' then that's the player's cue to go make up a cool Barbarian tribe.&nbsp; And if his friend is a druid, then that interaction could be made easily.&nbsp; But I don't need to get involved, I don't need to sketch out backgrounds for every single class and race on the offchance a player might take one, which is a hell of a lot of wasted work (why sketch out four cool origins for a Dragonborn character if... no one makes a Dragonborn?&nbsp; Wasted effort ho).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GreyICE, post: 5855916, member: 6684526"] So the players can't do this without you there to hold their hands and give them little pointers? They need a DM to tell them that there's a tribe of northern barbarians? The DM has to tell the player that there's an island ruled by a wizard that the player could escape from? See, I don't have a problem with the players telling ME that there's an island that is ruled by a powerful wizard's guild that they escaped from. I don't have a problem with the players telling ME about the tribe of northern barbarians. The DM cannot create a complete world in one sitting, and as you noted, attempts to do this result in the '15 page handout that no one reads.' At the end of the day it is easier and saner to have the players tell the DM what the background of their character is, and have those elements incorporated into the world. It also makes for a MUCH more interesting story. If you come up to me and say 'well I want to play a Barbarian, what Barbarians are there?' and I say 'I don't know, you tell me what Barbarian tribes are around, or where your Barbarian came from' then that's the player's cue to go make up a cool Barbarian tribe. And if his friend is a druid, then that interaction could be made easily. But I don't need to get involved, I don't need to sketch out backgrounds for every single class and race on the offchance a player might take one, which is a hell of a lot of wasted work (why sketch out four cool origins for a Dragonborn character if... no one makes a Dragonborn? Wasted effort ho). [/QUOTE]

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