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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 3934996" data-attributes="member: 172">It's not?My most successful campaigns are based on the philosophy of making the present the logical outcome of the past.Wait, so you are saying history does matter? Or I guess you are trying to say only define history that matters to what you have planned right now?The problem with that AFAIAC is that:1) The history is not just there for the players, it's there for the DM, too. Gaming can be a complex thing, I frequently have to consider things like how an NPC or nation would react. By plugging into my backstory, I have some grounding to make a consistent decision.2) I don't always decide how I am going to mess with the players at the beginning of the campaign; indeed, I expect new ideas and opportunities as the campaign progresses. I might not have the perfect way to bring an interesting historical note into play right now, but the time may ripen to bring it forth and make it relevant later. Having stock useful fodder for plots is very useful IME.3) If you only advertise the history that is relevant to the PCs today, the players see any history you present as personally relevant, which is only appropriate in some sorts of campaigns.</blockquote>