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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 06:15:35
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While I could easily "Wing" an entire city, I find myself pressed for information on the city of Laothkund. There appears to be literally ZERO information on this place, and unlike Sembia, which is designed to remain undesigned, I find myself forced to run an entire campaign in the Wizard's Reach.
So, I now need to do this.
Here's what I have so far. I've opted for a "Robin Hood" style campaign, with an evil Lord Mayor and evil Sheriff, with secret manipulations by Thay and Ysvel.
This means that I have plenty of MATERIAL, but no shopkeepers. :)
Worse, I've been running the game for FIVE levels now with no information.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36797 Posts |
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 07:28:58
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Here is the problem with doing that.
My game has run constantly, in the same Realms, for (Twitch, Shudder) 18 YEARS!
I've never failed to use published material.
So what happens when someone publishes something that has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, yet is Laothkund?
I can't suddenly go "BAM, 50,000 Npcs explode and are replaced with these 50,000"
I'm so far ahead of the timeline they're still trying to catch up to me.
The City of Shade is still giving my gameworld fits. (Quite frankly, I wish they had left the City of Shade in the toilet, along with the entire Lost Empires of Faerun sourcebook.)
Because, for anything in the past...You're RIGHT. You can just change some names and make it up.
For stuff that happens after the sourcebooks are released? Your back door is constantly invaded by text gremlins, usually by people who have never played in your game, and do things where you twitch and say "Oh, my god, that would NEVER happen."
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36797 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 11:26:08
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| If there is nothing published on an area, then you are free to do as you will. And if you tweak existing names sufficiently, then no one will know you're using existing characters. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 14:34:15
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You could use a NPC name generator along with that 100 NPC trait chart to give some of the characters a little bit of depth, as well.
C-Fb |
Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 14:51:29
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quote:
Originally posted by msatran
Here is the problem with doing that.
My game has run constantly, in the same Realms, for (Twitch, Shudder) 18 YEARS!
I've never failed to use published material.
So what happens when someone publishes something that has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, yet is Laothkund?
If you are really worried about this than your only real option is to run games in the past. If you get ahead of the current timeline you always run the risk of continuity problems. Lets say you run a game in Waterdeep. There is a plethora of published stuff there, so everything you have is official. What happens if you move ahead of the timeline to say 1380, then a novel comes out set in 1376 in which the hidden lords are done away with and Khelben takes complete rule of the city. Then all of your stuff happening in 1380 is no longer official.
That is the problem with a living world. The only way to ensure continuity is to only run games in the past.
Disclaimer - I am not predicting the Black Staff to oneday rule Waterdeep, I was simply using an example. |
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Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 14:56:52
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True - but there is also a time where you have to take on creativity and if later books come out, then you have to discount them for your current game. You can't struggle with a decision you make regarding what's published at a certain time. You just have to wait until next game to add it in. Certainly your players will understand - you're already running a game for them. Think about how many role-players out there don't even have the luck of a gaming group?
C-Fb |
Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
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Chosen of Bane
Senior Scribe
USA
552 Posts |
Posted - 20 Oct 2005 : 15:18:07
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I agree 100%, I was simply responding to the original posters concern about having Laothkund described in a future novel and having it be different than the Laothkund he described.
I think anybody who runs a game in a published world for a significant length of time is going to run into some continuity problems. I know some scribes here don't even use the Time of Troubles in their Realms.
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2005 : 03:44:37
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Right. You've hit the nail of the problem on the head.
Let's say I get a new player (Gasp, Shudder). The new player has read event X, and thinks that event is really COOL.
I tell the player "Look, that didn't happen."
Now, most of us who play in the Realms are pretty sensitive folk. We like things the way that WE want them.
What's going to happen?
I'm going to lose that new player. 99.9 percent of the time. THAT's why its a problem. Suddenly, you don't have a gaming group anymore. |
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Thysl
Seeker
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2005 : 05:27:42
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Man, if that player wants to play bad enough he/she will eat alittle crow and buy into your small tweak to the gameworld. And 99.9% of the time might be a teeny bit of an over-estimate  |
There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.
--Carl Jung |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36797 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2005 : 11:29:03
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quote:
Originally posted by msatran
Right. You've hit the nail of the problem on the head.
Let's say I get a new player (Gasp, Shudder). The new player has read event X, and thinks that event is really COOL.
I tell the player "Look, that didn't happen."
Now, most of us who play in the Realms are pretty sensitive folk. We like things the way that WE want them.
What's going to happen?
I'm going to lose that new player. 99.9 percent of the time. THAT's why its a problem. Suddenly, you don't have a gaming group anymore.
I think only the most die-hard canon fan would leave a group because of that. And if someone is that inflexible, you don't want them in your group, anyway. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2005 : 15:49:32
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quote:
Originally posted by msatran
Right. You've hit the nail of the problem on the head.
Let's say I get a new player (Gasp, Shudder). The new player has read event X, and thinks that event is really COOL.
I tell the player "Look, that didn't happen."
Now, most of us who play in the Realms are pretty sensitive folk. We like things the way that WE want them.
What's going to happen?
I'm going to lose that new player. 99.9 percent of the time. THAT's why its a problem. Suddenly, you don't have a gaming group anymore.
If a player reacts badly to a change in the setting like that, then he shouldn't be playing, but just stick to reading the novels and sourcebooks. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2005 : 08:30:26
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What's fairer? To shatter a new player's hope of playing the concept they had in mind, or to stay true to what happened in game and lose the player?
For many of you, the answer is easy. For me, it's not. I don't like people to have a bad time, and I don't want people to play "The Concept they had to settle for." |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2005 : 14:06:36
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Time to stop suckling on the teat of published stuff and make your own bro.
There's plenty of ways to do it. Lots of help online.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36797 Posts |
Posted - 22 Oct 2005 : 16:04:05
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quote:
Originally posted by msatran
What's fairer? To shatter a new player's hope of playing the concept they had in mind, or to stay true to what happened in game and lose the player?
But again, only the most die-hard person is going to refuse to play on the basis of one event not happening. I've never seen that happen, nor have I heard of it happening. No offense, but I think you're worrying overmuch on this one. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Looking for information
