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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Scarey Nerd's Avatar

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    Default What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    As the title suggests, I felt like I should make a "cheat sheet" of stuff that the players in my world should know from the ground up; stuff like the calendar, the Gods, anything major about the kingdom they start in geography/history-wise, etc. Is there anything that you guys have put into things like this that I'm missing?
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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    TheYell's Avatar

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Who's in the party?
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    Orc in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    - Technology level(s) in comprehensible terms (usually by comparing to time periods of (regions) of the real world, e.g. "late medieval, early renaissance Western Europe but no gun powder", "Bronze Age Greece and wider Mediterranean but with some primitive steam technology", "Pre-columbian Mesoamerica with added horses")
    - High magic or low magic setting (or any intermediate level)
    - Customs that are substantially different from what players are used to (from real life or previous campaigns) but which should be familiar to their characters

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ThePurple's Avatar

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scarey Nerd View Post
    Is there anything that you guys have put into things like this that I'm missing?
    Major nations, their major cities, and their major players (e.g. the emperor, his duplicitous son, the head of the sacred order of the mystical wombat). It's nice to be able to call these important details up at a moment's notice.

    You might not need to know what the population, imports, exports, and age of a given settlement is, but you're liable to need to know this stuff.
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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    LudicSavant's Avatar

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scarey Nerd View Post
    As the title suggests, I felt like I should make a "cheat sheet" of stuff that the players in my world should know from the ground up; stuff like the calendar, the Gods, anything major about the kingdom they start in geography/history-wise, etc. Is there anything that you guys have put into things like this that I'm missing?
    The most important thing players need to know isn't gods, calendar, geography, or history. It's culture and central themes and conflicts.

    Yes, all of those are factors in culture, but the point bears emphasis. For instance, I've seen many worldbuilders say much of the personality of the gods themselves, while saying little of the priesthood and religious practices surrounding them... which is the far more relevant point unless the game is actually taking place on Olympus or something.
    Last edited by LudicSavant; 2016-07-10 at 02:50 AM.
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    Orc in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Quote Originally Posted by ThePurple View Post
    You might not need to know what the population, imports, exports, and age of a given settlement is, but you're liable to need to know this stuff.
    It's a cheat sheet for the players though, not for the DM. They are much less likely to need this information, certainly at the start of the game.

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    ThePurple's Avatar

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Quote Originally Posted by Corneel View Post
    It's a cheat sheet for the players though, not for the DM. They are much less likely to need this information, certainly at the start of the game.
    Derp. Missed that.

    Still, I think that the major cities and major (obvious) players are probably known to the PCs. You probably wouldn't want to put every politician and the capital of every state in a cheat sheet of the US, but you'd definitely want to include the PotUS and a few major cities like New York and LA.
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    Orc in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Quote Originally Posted by ThePurple View Post
    Derp. Missed that.

    Still, I think that the major cities and major (obvious) players are probably known to the PCs. You probably wouldn't want to put every politician and the capital of every state in a cheat sheet of the US, but you'd definitely want to include the PotUS and a few major cities like New York and LA.
    That's why I snipped that part in my quoting you.

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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Max_Killjoy's Avatar

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Quote Originally Posted by LudicSavant View Post
    The most important thing players need to know isn't gods, calendar, geography, or history. It's culture and central themes and conflicts.

    Yes, all of those are factors in culture, but the point bears emphasis. For instance, I've seen many worldbuilders say much of the personality of the gods themselves, while saying little of the priesthood and religious practices surrounding them... which is the far more relevant point unless the game is actually taking place on Olympus or something.
    I think part of that is because much of what we see written for popular consumption about polytheistic religions centers on the deities themselves, and because of how almost every D&D chapter or book talking about religion focuses almost entirely on the deities. This isn't something that "homebrew worldbuilders" started doing on their own.

    There's also a fuzzy line between "this god teaches these things according to the followers of the religion" and "this god is X, Y, and Z objectively".
    Last edited by Max_Killjoy; 2016-07-22 at 09:19 AM.
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  10. - Top - End - #10
    Troll in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Languages, ethnic groups, currencies, polities. All the things that players won't remember, no matter how many times you tell them.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    All you really need:
    • Overarching setting details (fantasy, space opera, modern, etc.) and general feel (swashbuckling, crusading, dungeon delving, exploring, etc.)
    • 3 to 7 important factions (to include nations and factions within nations). More factions can be developed later.
    • Faction goals
    • Threats (if applicable).


    The players don't really need anymore than that to start making their characters or to interact with the world.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    I would suggest a few things:
    1. A list of any excluded character options such as races or classes that are not allowed in your world, or simply a list of allowed character options.
    2. Information about character options such as races or classes. Such as how your world's dwarves are actually a sea-faring race, or how wizards all require wands to focus their magic to be able to cast spells.
    3. Basic information about major cities, or if the world is large enough kingdoms, so that the players can build their backstory to a greater extent.
    4. A list of organizations and factions, in case the rogue wishes to be a member of this certain thieve's guild or the fighter wishes to be a knight of a certain order, or if a player wishes to have an enemy in their backstory that is an organization of some sort, such as an elf who wishes to take down the organization that is secretly killing off elves for their blood to put into healing potions, due to its healing properties.
    5. A list of major conflicts going on in the world, like repeated attacks on a major port city by pirates, or a siege on the king's castle by a powerful dragon and his worshipers.
    6. A list of major events in the history of your world, like a war between the fire and frost giants, or the invasion of the lich king's army.

    These are just a few things off the top of my head. Hope it helps.
    Last edited by Devcon1; 2016-07-23 at 03:27 AM.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    GnomePirate

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    I'd go for one or two stand-out fun-facts about each location/culture/person, too.
    No matter how good your worldbuilding is, if you get a list of kingdoms and kings, it's very hard to remember the difference between those the first few sessions. Sure, one is the big evil empire and the other is ruled by a nice queen, but those do not make players go "Oh, it's that kingdom!" or "Hey, remember when we went here before?"

    If you have the one kingdom in which everyone dresses in enormous hats, the priest with the big fat nose, the port city that has creepy gargoyles on every corner, and the queen who secretly breeds bunnies - then suddenly they'll be remembered.

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    Pixie in the Playground
     
    DwarfFighterGirl

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    Different names or titles based on race can be really handy for me. Calling every noble you meet "Lord ___" and every criminal "___ the Thief" can get kinda dull for players. Just jotting stuff like "Craftmaster", "Shortbeard" for Dwarves or "Grand Shaman", "Sapling", "Sprite" for Elves will help a ton; especially if your world has many nations.

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Honest Tiefling's Avatar

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    What social class am I, as a player, expected to play as? How do I interact with the other social classes without getting my head cut off? Are there any taboos (like not talking back to priests) I should be aware of?
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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Beholder

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    Default Re: What should go into a world "cheat sheet"?

    For races/social norms: include anything that's different from the standard. For races, this generally means anything that doesn't fit the Peter Jackson mold; I'd call it "the Tolkien mold," but it's 2016, so I think we all know the score. For social norms, assume the characters approach the world the same way the players approach theirs: while a Middle Ages scholar (or a high fantasy buff) might take it for granted that, in a Middle Ages-based setting, the local high priest is an individual of staggering political power and reverence, the players aren't likely to think of him as being any different than the minister of the Methodist church 'round the corner.

    If you're changing to a new setting with players who are quite experienced in another setting, it'll probably be more helpful to point out how this setting is different from that one rather than from any tabula quasi rasa assumptions.

    Salient point: don't talk about how things are, talk about how things are different.

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