Introducing Players to The Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Introducing Players to The Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kgiggles
11-10-03, 12:54 PM I was wondering how some of you introduce your players to the Realms, do you lead them on as you go. Do you give them material to read. I`m a long time player and I was going to start DMing for the group soon. However I would like my players to know a little something about the Realms so they could get into a pretty cool little story also.

Thanks,
Keith
Herr Doktor
11-10-03, 12:59 PM If I had a printer I would provide my player's with a nice sheet of recent events in history and important local NPC names and known organizations at the start of each campaign/session where such information would be relevant and useful.

Unfortunately, I don't. So I have to simply relay it to them... They take notes (on occasion) but it's not as easy a reference as a nicely organized hand out would be.

I'd say reading one of the various Realms intros (from the older campaign settings or the 3rd Edition FRCS) these are usually the written word of a powerful and important NPC (El, Aluando, et cetera) try and get your hands on them... Paraphrase or read it to your players to get them in "the mood".
Jindael
11-10-03, 04:29 PM Pick a city that has a number of mixed races and tell the characters that they are all from the same city. All the PC's know is stuff about their city and perhaps a few ranks in "Knowledge: Forgotten Realms" so you can drop them hints. Then have them slowly explore the world around them and reveal it to them bit by bit.

The problem with this method is that you have to be very accurate with your descriptions of life and society to convey the flavor of FR.

The other option is to have them read the FRCS up to the geography section and then have them pick where they want to be from. After they pick, let them read the section on their home region.
Patrakis
11-11-03, 12:21 PM To adress the problem about printer...i suggest you make a little web page for your players where you could post information about your campaign, some backgroud about the realms, etc. That s what i did and my players appreciate it immensely. With Microsoft Frontpage you dont have to know anything about Web programing...it's like using word.

Just a suggestion
Lashan
11-11-03, 08:32 PM What I like to do does involve a printer, but could be used with a web page. It is better with hard copy, though, so that in a session, they can access the info.

I would make each person a packet. In it is various print outs that are specific to that character. It would include details of the home city that that person is from. It also has extra details depending on their skills. If someone takes Local History, then there is tons of stuff to print out for that person. If someone takes Weaponsmithing, then they can get a printout of various types of metals, weapons, and whatnot specific to FR. If the character has Knowledge: Religion, then they get a printout with a snippet of each god and religion. If someone has a patron, then they get a decent amount of details on that god.

What I do is use a hole-puncher and put each one into one of those binder/folders. That way, they can easily carry it around with their character.

When the characters spend a bit of time in a new area, I then print out info on that area. If they spend an adventure or two in Deepingdale, then I print out a map and a summary of Deepingdale for them to put in their book. This way, each character has info at their fingertips that is specific to them. What I recommend is that you put relevant info in these packets, so that each character will have to know the info and be required to use it. This way, their skills translate to real gamming knowledge!

Just some thoughts.
avian tiefling
11-11-03, 10:08 PM I would recommend that, in addition to the printoff idea suggestion by lashan, that you give them references to or acual copies of FR novels, maybe start with some stuff by RAS, Greenwood, Cunningham, and perhaps a few of the Cities novels.
i was introduced to FR via AD&D games (BGII, specifically)

My other idea is somewhat reminiscent of Planescape: Torment
You could set up a campaign where the PCs are all complete amnesiacs and introduce the setting to the players and their characters simultaneously, via dialogue and other happenings in the area. start them out in a city, and have them wake up in a temple or something, having recently been healed. later on, as the players become more familiar with the setting, you could give them "memories" of there character's past, and eventually reminding them of how they came to lose their memory in the first place.
tell them at the start that their party had been hired by the local city authorities to take care of some of the mundane tasks that are usually assigned to low-level mercenary types. they then encountered some lurking thieves guild or some such, which they eventually go and investigate. that would be when their memories return, starting as they enter the stronghold of this plague to the city, and/or when they encounter other victims on the streets, bearing the trademarks of the guild/cult/whatever-you-may-call-it.
not only would that help introduce the players to the setting, but it would provide a side-quest as well. just don't make the enemy NPCs too powerful for a fledgling adventuring band to tackle, but don't make it too easy, either. it would also give them valuable XP and maybe some nice equiptment. and the players can expand on their own characters as they go along, as it doesn't demand that they write up their character's past right away, but gives them time to explore around and see what they would want their characters's past to be like, after interacting with creatures of all races and origins to give them a feel for life in the realms.

that's all i can think of right off the top of my head at the moment.

the Tiefling
Pallis
11-12-03, 03:58 AM ...some excellent suggestions, but I'd steer clear of the whole 'amnesia' thing. It's becoming a bit of a cliche now...
Wooly Rupert
11-12-03, 09:08 AM Originally posted by Pallis
...some excellent suggestions, but I'd steer clear of the whole 'amnesia' thing. It's becoming a bit of a cliche now...

Agreed. Forget about amnesia! :rofl:
ENHenry
11-12-03, 10:30 AM One thing that makes a world "alive" (especially Faerun) is the little peices of lore that are dropped here and there. Just like when you are on vacation, and a guide tells you interesting stories about the places you are visiting? You can do the same thing in the Realms - when the PC's are interacting with an NPC or better yet a guide, have on hand a sheet of interesting things that happened in the area they currently visit, or an unusual sight that they just HAVE to ask someone about.

For instance, travelling down the main road of Shadowdale, people are bound to take note of the Old Skull Inn, the Old Skull itself, Erek's Pit, the shrine of Mystra, etc.
Azzadar
11-12-03, 11:36 AM If they are first level, choose the starting location and describe what they should know about the area. Then go over commonly known people, locations, monsters and deities. As they travel introduce them to new things in game. They don't need to know everything, just where they are from.
kgiggles
11-12-03, 11:38 AM Hey thanks for all the ideas, I`m getting somewhere now. Now if could just get my friend to get into the experience, he`s still a hack and slash guy and isn`t really interested in the world around him.
Israfel666
11-12-03, 01:35 PM My favourite for introducing players to specific setting is having them play characters from far-off, isolated regions (eg Icewind Dale barbarians). You tell them a lot about their homeland, then they will learn the rest as they travel (it's a remix of the "amnesia" trick, basically). If the group mixes newbie and experienced players, it is a good idea to have those with FR knowledge play travellers/world-wise characters, so that they can help illustrate the world to the newb.

As for your hack'n slash guy, plenty of advice can be found on the What's a DM to do? board (I think this is *the* most F. AQ there). My suggestion would be to drop him into an intrigue-heavy storyline, in which he can neither fight nor just stand idle following the other characters (which is what HnS players tend to do out of combat). Having him accused of a crime (of which he is innocent) would probably work.
Lashan
11-12-03, 07:58 PM Even with printouts, I have had a bit of problem with the volume of information to give the players. My players are all adults with jobs and families to pay attention to. Sometimes, they don't have the time to just go read volumes of information in a handout or on a website. Most of my players are not well versed in FR, but have been having fun in my game.

I've started a webpage with information about the home city and am slowlyl stocking it with tons and tons of useful information. One of my players suggested that if there was something for the players to do when they went to the website, that they might go to it more often and look at things in more detail. What can I do on the website to make it more interactive?

I've already thought about having character journals. Each character can send me a journal entry and I can post it up. I've even thought about linking it with a blog system so that they can adminstor their own journals. This is good, as players can read interpretations of events from the view of the other players. This will make some want to post more on the same events to show their own view. Still, though, not everyone is interested in this type of feature. What else can I do to make the website more intereactive?

I've got various business filled out and am going to populate the city with various NPCs. The players are always free to email me between sessions to "walk about town" and investigate things. If they don't write me, then their characters just mind their own business between sessions. This works, but still doesn't really draw the players to the website.

I've thought about making some sort of game that the players can play on the website. I've seen some d20 products that talk about types of tavern games. If I can con one of my friends who can program in java, maybe I can get them to make a web based version of one of these games? You have to click through the city and click into a tavern, and then you get the option of playing the game. That might be cool, but it I think it would require a lot of work for someone to program the whole thing. I've also heard that HARN has a good supplement on trade, shipping, and merchantilsm. They have some sort of system that automates buying products in one area and then selling it in another. I could get this product, and then convert it to FR. It might take a good bit of work, but it might be worth it. If I can then find someone to convert that into a web based interface, then that would be really cool! It would teach them about the game world while they have fun.

These are the only things that I have come up with so far. Does anyone have any ideas of interactive things to put on a home campaign website to make it more interesting? I'd like to entice the players there.

thanks for any thoughts.
Israfel666
11-13-03, 12:21 PM Trivias are an obvious idea, but they start becoming fascinating only when the players already know a lot about FR - I don't know what level of knowledge they are at, so I'm not sure it would fit.

A feature I'd like to see in a FR website is the "Did you know that... of the day", meaning everyday the site includes a tiny bit of information about the Realms, drawn randomly every day from a pre-made list. Things like "They say that Zhentil Keep is not a safe place to visit for a worshipper of Cyric" or "You want a spell, you visit Silverymoon. You want a gadget, you visit Lantan" or even "When you meet a merchants' caravan bearing a Z, watch out the sky".

Ideally, these aenigmatic phrases will sparkle the players' curiosity, and they will be pushed into discovering more ("why should I watch the sky? mmm..."). If you have time to spend (and they don't), just made each daily statement a link to a page where you explain what it means. Otherwise, if you prefer to let them find out on their own, it might be a good idea to award bonus XP to those who come to the next session with the explanation of one or more phrase.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kgiggles 11-10-03, 12:54 PM	I was wondering how some of you introduce your players to the Realms, do you lead them on as you go. Do you give them material to read. I`m a long time player and I was going to start DMing for the group soon. However I would like my players to know a little something about the Realms so they could get into a pretty cool little story also. Thanks, Keith
Herr Doktor 11-10-03, 12:59 PM	If I had a printer I would provide my player's with a nice sheet of recent events in history and important local NPC names and known organizations at the start of each campaign/session where such information would be relevant and useful. Unfortunately, I don't. So I have to simply relay it to them... They take notes (on occasion) but it's not as easy a reference as a nicely organized hand out would be. I'd say reading one of the various Realms intros (from the older campaign settings or the 3rd Edition FRCS) these are usually the written word of a powerful and important NPC (El, Aluando, et cetera) try and get your hands on them... Paraphrase or read it to your players to get them in "the mood".
Jindael 11-10-03, 04:29 PM	Pick a city that has a number of mixed races and tell the characters that they are all from the same city. All the PC's know is stuff about their city and perhaps a few ranks in "Knowledge: Forgotten Realms" so you can drop them hints. Then have them slowly explore the world around them and reveal it to them bit by bit. The problem with this method is that you have to be very accurate with your descriptions of life and society to convey the flavor of FR. The other option is to have them read the FRCS up to the geography section and then have them pick where they want to be from. After they pick, let them read the section on their home region.
Patrakis 11-11-03, 12:21 PM	To adress the problem about printer...i suggest you make a little web page for your players where you could post information about your campaign, some backgroud about the realms, etc. That s what i did and my players appreciate it immensely. With Microsoft Frontpage you dont have to know anything about Web programing...it's like using word. Just a suggestion
Lashan 11-11-03, 08:32 PM	What I like to do does involve a printer, but could be used with a web page. It is better with hard copy, though, so that in a session, they can access the info. I would make each person a packet. In it is various print outs that are specific to that character. It would include details of the home city that that person is from. It also has extra details depending on their skills. If someone takes Local History, then there is tons of stuff to print out for that person. If someone takes Weaponsmithing, then they can get a printout of various types of metals, weapons, and whatnot specific to FR. If the character has Knowledge: Religion, then they get a printout with a snippet of each god and religion. If someone has a patron, then they get a decent amount of details on that god. What I do is use a hole-puncher and put each one into one of those binder/folders. That way, they can easily carry it around with their character. When the characters spend a bit of time in a new area, I then print out info on that area. If they spend an adventure or two in Deepingdale, then I print out a map and a summary of Deepingdale for them to put in their book. This way, each character has info at their fingertips that is specific to them. What I recommend is that you put relevant info in these packets, so that each character will have to know the info and be required to use it. This way, their skills translate to real gamming knowledge! Just some thoughts.
avian tiefling 11-11-03, 10:08 PM	I would recommend that, in addition to the printoff idea suggestion by lashan, that you give them references to or acual copies of FR novels, maybe start with some stuff by RAS, Greenwood, Cunningham, and perhaps a few of the Cities novels. i was introduced to FR via AD&D games (BGII, specifically) My other idea is somewhat reminiscent of Planescape: Torment You could set up a campaign where the PCs are all complete amnesiacs and introduce the setting to the players and their characters simultaneously, via dialogue and other happenings in the area. start them out in a city, and have them wake up in a temple or something, having recently been healed. later on, as the players become more familiar with the setting, you could give them "memories" of there character's past, and eventually reminding them of how they came to lose their memory in the first place. tell them at the start that their party had been hired by the local city authorities to take care of some of the mundane tasks that are usually assigned to low-level mercenary types. they then encountered some lurking thieves guild or some such, which they eventually go and investigate. that would be when their memories return, starting as they enter the stronghold of this plague to the city, and/or when they encounter other victims on the streets, bearing the trademarks of the guild/cult/whatever-you-may-call-it. not only would that help introduce the players to the setting, but it would provide a side-quest as well. just don't make the enemy NPCs too powerful for a fledgling adventuring band to tackle, but don't make it too easy, either. it would also give them valuable XP and maybe some nice equiptment. and the players can expand on their own characters as they go along, as it doesn't demand that they write up their character's past right away, but gives them time to explore around and see what they would want their characters's past to be like, after interacting with creatures of all races and origins to give them a feel for life in the realms. that's all i can think of right off the top of my head at the moment. the Tiefling
Pallis 11-12-03, 03:58 AM	...some excellent suggestions, but I'd steer clear of the whole 'amnesia' thing. It's becoming a bit of a cliche now...
Wooly Rupert 11-12-03, 09:08 AM	Originally posted by Pallis ...some excellent suggestions, but I'd steer clear of the whole 'amnesia' thing. It's becoming a bit of a cliche now... Agreed. Forget about amnesia! :rofl:
ENHenry 11-12-03, 10:30 AM	One thing that makes a world "alive" (especially Faerun) is the little peices of lore that are dropped here and there. Just like when you are on vacation, and a guide tells you interesting stories about the places you are visiting? You can do the same thing in the Realms - when the PC's are interacting with an NPC or better yet a guide, have on hand a sheet of interesting things that happened in the area they currently visit, or an unusual sight that they just HAVE to ask someone about. For instance, travelling down the main road of Shadowdale, people are bound to take note of the Old Skull Inn, the Old Skull itself, Erek's Pit, the shrine of Mystra, etc.
Azzadar 11-12-03, 11:36 AM	If they are first level, choose the starting location and describe what they should know about the area. Then go over commonly known people, locations, monsters and deities. As they travel introduce them to new things in game. They don't need to know everything, just where they are from.
kgiggles 11-12-03, 11:38 AM	Hey thanks for all the ideas, I`m getting somewhere now. Now if could just get my friend to get into the experience, he`s still a hack and slash guy and isn`t really interested in the world around him.
Israfel666 11-12-03, 01:35 PM	My favourite for introducing players to specific setting is having them play characters from far-off, isolated regions (eg Icewind Dale barbarians). You tell them a lot about their homeland, then they will learn the rest as they travel (it's a remix of the "amnesia" trick, basically). If the group mixes newbie and experienced players, it is a good idea to have those with FR knowledge play travellers/world-wise characters, so that they can help illustrate the world to the newb. As for your hack'n slash guy, plenty of advice can be found on the What's a DM to do? board (I think this is the most F. AQ there). My suggestion would be to drop him into an intrigue-heavy storyline, in which he can neither fight nor just stand idle following the other characters (which is what HnS players tend to do out of combat). Having him accused of a crime (of which he is innocent) would probably work.
Lashan 11-12-03, 07:58 PM	Even with printouts, I have had a bit of problem with the volume of information to give the players. My players are all adults with jobs and families to pay attention to. Sometimes, they don't have the time to just go read volumes of information in a handout or on a website. Most of my players are not well versed in FR, but have been having fun in my game. I've started a webpage with information about the home city and am slowlyl stocking it with tons and tons of useful information. One of my players suggested that if there was something for the players to do when they went to the website, that they might go to it more often and look at things in more detail. What can I do on the website to make it more interactive? I've already thought about having character journals. Each character can send me a journal entry and I can post it up. I've even thought about linking it with a blog system so that they can adminstor their own journals. This is good, as players can read interpretations of events from the view of the other players. This will make some want to post more on the same events to show their own view. Still, though, not everyone is interested in this type of feature. What else can I do to make the website more intereactive? I've got various business filled out and am going to populate the city with various NPCs. The players are always free to email me between sessions to "walk about town" and investigate things. If they don't write me, then their characters just mind their own business between sessions. This works, but still doesn't really draw the players to the website. I've thought about making some sort of game that the players can play on the website. I've seen some d20 products that talk about types of tavern games. If I can con one of my friends who can program in java, maybe I can get them to make a web based version of one of these games? You have to click through the city and click into a tavern, and then you get the option of playing the game. That might be cool, but it I think it would require a lot of work for someone to program the whole thing. I've also heard that HARN has a good supplement on trade, shipping, and merchantilsm. They have some sort of system that automates buying products in one area and then selling it in another. I could get this product, and then convert it to FR. It might take a good bit of work, but it might be worth it. If I can then find someone to convert that into a web based interface, then that would be really cool! It would teach them about the game world while they have fun. These are the only things that I have come up with so far. Does anyone have any ideas of interactive things to put on a home campaign website to make it more interesting? I'd like to entice the players there. thanks for any thoughts.
Israfel666 11-13-03, 12:21 PM	Trivias are an obvious idea, but they start becoming fascinating only when the players already know a lot about FR - I don't know what level of knowledge they are at, so I'm not sure it would fit. A feature I'd like to see in a FR website is the "Did you know that... of the day", meaning everyday the site includes a tiny bit of information about the Realms, drawn randomly every day from a pre-made list. Things like "They say that Zhentil Keep is not a safe place to visit for a worshipper of Cyric" or "You want a spell, you visit Silverymoon. You want a gadget, you visit Lantan" or even "When you meet a merchants' caravan bearing a Z, watch out the sky". Ideally, these aenigmatic phrases will sparkle the players' curiosity, and they will be pushed into discovering more ("why should I watch the sky? mmm..."). If you have time to spend (and they don't), just made each daily statement a link to a page where you explain what it means. Otherwise, if you prefer to let them find out on their own, it might be a good idea to award bonus XP to those who come to the next session with the explanation of one or more phrase.