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GM Move: Bring in Backstories & World-building
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this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2024
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A lot is expected from DMs, but I don’t see calls to action to up the ante for the players. I get not demanding much other than enthusiasm from a new player - learning the ropes can be overwhelming. But that leeway is supposed to wear off as time goes by.
If the game uses a published setting, there are no reasons players shouldn’t be expected to learn enough of the lore to tie their character backstories into the bigger narrative. They should definitely create family members, friends, frenemies, rivals, love interests, jobs, places… ideally with blanks so they can tie in with other player’s backstories.
One way to encourage that is by using supplemental character sheets. Basic character sheets focus the core mechanics of the game as they should. But having something asking those questions from the players helps spark creativity. And perhaps a character that has ties in the world they inhabit is less likely to go murderhoboing around.