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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 8001888" data-attributes="member: 29398">Just as well I'm not American, eh? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Perhaps, from a Human perspective.Butt you'll have Elf PCs who are old enough to have lived through a few centuries of it, meaning that if something big (e.g. a massive volcanic eruption in the region) happened 154 years ago they'll know it - whcih means you-as-DM have to have this stuff noted somewhere.Also, having this mostly nailed down ahead of time makes it way easier to present the setting as a living breathing thing rather than a static backdrop.  If in your history you've already plugged in a volcanic eruption 154 years ago followed by a barbarian invasion from the northwest then instead of you-as-DM knowing only this..."Ruined castle on hilltop, underneath is dungeon from [module XYZ] with modified ground floor, bugbears instead of orcs"...you can have this..."Ruined castle on hilltop.  Ruin caused by loss vs. barbarian invasion in year 929 while locals weakened due to volcanic eruption in year 928 and subsequent crop failure.  Bugbears on site now are descendants of original serving staff, long since gone 'wild'.  Clan Forbyderne held castle for centuries before ruin, built dungeon (use module XYZ for this) as tomb for selves as per old local custom."...without a second's extra work on your part; and you can present as much or as little as you like.  Most important, if your players ask you'll have the answers and they won't conflict with anything you've said earlier or will say later.Even if the players ignore it, it's still there for them - and more importantly, it's there for you-as-DM.Which sounds nice in theory, but in practice I've learned that working it up as you go inevitably leads to painting yourself into a corner: some major thing that was relevant six real-life months ago now makes no sense due to subsequent other things that have been brought up since.Far better to have the framework in place and iron out these bugs before players even get involved.</blockquote>

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