Shurz
2007-04-18, 07:38 AM
When running a campaign, how important is in-game time, to keep a timeline progressing the world around the adventurers?
Obviously not only as a way of keeping tabs on travellers rations. Should there also be a progression of events in the local area? As in what happens to minor NPCs is important as well, not only updates about what has happened in the world at large.
For example, if they frequently run through the same village and stay at the same inn:
"welcome back adventurers !! Did ye have a good journey? I see ye have
armour to repair. Barney the blacksmith got kicked in the chest by horse while replacing a horseshoe. It broke a few ribs so his son Thor is working the forge now.
Ye should have been here last week, Mary the miller daughter married Fred the forester. Ooch, 'twas a grand party and Martin the miller got so drunk he fell into the pond and had to be rescued. 'Tis why Sarah, Mary's sister, is our new barmaid.
I see ye still have Billy the Bard with ye, could ye play for us tonight?
Be careful if ye plan riding to Ironfel, Baron Haarkness's wife run off with a bard. Put up rewards for capturing bards so he has, and flogged a few as well."
"A flagon of ale for each of us, barkeep, got a dire thirst to quench"
"have ye heard anything more about the war? A merchantman last week told us that war has broken out between Teskia and Skedaria. No more petty raids or border clashes, their fleets met at Greenwater Reef and a grand battle it was. Both claim to have won the battle.
The caravan from Farleign got attacked and gutted at Roalds ford. Travellers found the remains of it and people think Bertram the Banditlord took it. He has been getting more aggressive lately.
As if this wasn't enough, cattle has been disappearing in Neegai without a trace, some say it is witchcraft or foul spirits from the old ruins in the hills"
While Thor is making a new horseshoe for one of the packhorses, Barney complains,
"this is the fourth time a tools shipment of mine has gone missing. Master workmanship tools, made by Master Blacksmith Twinbeard of Ironfel. It should have come with the caravan in a few days. One could think I was cursed by foul spirits.
Now I heard the others talk about Bertram again, bah, he has no reason to wait this long. Why should he take the caravan several days hard ride from his keep, when there are better ambush sites than the ford closer to his keep."
This is the style I am planning on using, but am worried I am adding too much irrelevant detail, too many stories and rumours.
Now, I was thinking that adventurers would be more keen to go to places they had heard more rumours about than just a single rumour. Obviously it depends on the quality of rumour and detail of information presented as well. By nature a rumour will change from being told over and over again, which is why I think that with more rumour sources a more complete picture would be presented. That they would be more inclined to interact more with NPCs than just hack & slash.
Am I barking up the wrong tree?
/Shurz
Obviously not only as a way of keeping tabs on travellers rations. Should there also be a progression of events in the local area? As in what happens to minor NPCs is important as well, not only updates about what has happened in the world at large.
For example, if they frequently run through the same village and stay at the same inn:
"welcome back adventurers !! Did ye have a good journey? I see ye have
armour to repair. Barney the blacksmith got kicked in the chest by horse while replacing a horseshoe. It broke a few ribs so his son Thor is working the forge now.
Ye should have been here last week, Mary the miller daughter married Fred the forester. Ooch, 'twas a grand party and Martin the miller got so drunk he fell into the pond and had to be rescued. 'Tis why Sarah, Mary's sister, is our new barmaid.
I see ye still have Billy the Bard with ye, could ye play for us tonight?
Be careful if ye plan riding to Ironfel, Baron Haarkness's wife run off with a bard. Put up rewards for capturing bards so he has, and flogged a few as well."
"A flagon of ale for each of us, barkeep, got a dire thirst to quench"
"have ye heard anything more about the war? A merchantman last week told us that war has broken out between Teskia and Skedaria. No more petty raids or border clashes, their fleets met at Greenwater Reef and a grand battle it was. Both claim to have won the battle.
The caravan from Farleign got attacked and gutted at Roalds ford. Travellers found the remains of it and people think Bertram the Banditlord took it. He has been getting more aggressive lately.
As if this wasn't enough, cattle has been disappearing in Neegai without a trace, some say it is witchcraft or foul spirits from the old ruins in the hills"
While Thor is making a new horseshoe for one of the packhorses, Barney complains,
"this is the fourth time a tools shipment of mine has gone missing. Master workmanship tools, made by Master Blacksmith Twinbeard of Ironfel. It should have come with the caravan in a few days. One could think I was cursed by foul spirits.
Now I heard the others talk about Bertram again, bah, he has no reason to wait this long. Why should he take the caravan several days hard ride from his keep, when there are better ambush sites than the ford closer to his keep."
This is the style I am planning on using, but am worried I am adding too much irrelevant detail, too many stories and rumours.
Now, I was thinking that adventurers would be more keen to go to places they had heard more rumours about than just a single rumour. Obviously it depends on the quality of rumour and detail of information presented as well. By nature a rumour will change from being told over and over again, which is why I think that with more rumour sources a more complete picture would be presented. That they would be more inclined to interact more with NPCs than just hack & slash.
Am I barking up the wrong tree?
/Shurz