-
December 18th, 2019, 07:10 #1
Should this introduction be more concise or verbose?
I want to introduce the player to Call of Cthulhu in 1850s France. I want to make him aware of the level of technology and a bit about the political stage. What else would a player be interested in learning about this world from the start? Is it boring already? (This scenario will not include any combat, so yes, I can describe rifles, but I don't think they'll come up during the campaign.)
"God is dead! The sky is empty...
Cry, children! You no longer have a father!"
- Gérard de Nerval, 1854
France, January the first, 1850.
The industrial revolution is in full swing. Boiler driven steam boats have begun to traverse rivers, railroad tracks are beginning to stretch out from Paris, and people have even taken to the sky in giant balloons. While the public still has to make do with mail and messengers, the government can now coordinate near instantaneously via the electric telegraph.
Following his invasion of Rome last year, president Louis-Napoleon, and his political "entrustees", are in open conflict with the roman-catholic church as well as his own parlament. The printing presses seem to spit out an ever faster pace of anti-parlament newspapers, but a gentleman like you prefer proper newspapers like The Press.Last edited by MooCow; December 18th, 2019 at 07:14.
-
December 18th, 2019, 07:59 #2
I would say that two paragraphs are not enough and I am keen to read more on the setting you will present
The past is a rudder to guide us, not an anchor to hold us back.
-
December 18th, 2019, 08:17 #3
-
December 18th, 2019, 12:07 #4
The state of the economy, the smell of the streets, some headlines from both sides...
-
December 18th, 2019, 13:19 #5
[Moved thread from the CoreRPG ruleset sub-forum to the Commons sub-forum]
Private Messages: My inbox is forever filling up with PMs. Please don't send me PMs unless they are actually private/personal messages. General FG questions should be asked in the forums - don't be afraid, the FG community don't bite and you're giving everyone the chance to respond and learn!
-
December 18th, 2019, 14:24 #6
I considered your proposals, but they don't really seem relevant to a campaign that won't actually be about politics or the economy. ...or stenches. Sorry.
The streets are actually fairly okay by now, at least in the finer neighbourhoods. There's newly built underground sewer systems in the largest French cities. ...but the smell is something that the characters are just used to, just like we're used to breathing combusted gasoline. Any lingering cholera and bad streets, I'll describe as the characters encounter them. Paris just had a big outbreak of cholera last year.
Yeah, I figured it would get moved. Sorry.
-
December 18th, 2019, 15:36 #7
I could see the next paragraph start with something like;
You are a gentleman who...
As a gentleman you spend your mornings reading the Press while sipping your cafe and then you turn to your ledgers... The evenings you spend in a parlour, perhaps your own or a friend's, with the company of... discussing...
To me, that would give a nice flavor as to the generic character type and useful information and setting for such a character. Perhaps you could name drop so they have a few NPCs to draw upon.
Problems? See; How to Report Issues, Bugs & Problems
On Licensing & Distributing Community Content
Community Contributions: Gemstones, 5E Quick Ref Decal, Adventure Module Creation, Dungeon Trinkets, Balance Disturbed, Dungeon Room Descriptions
Note, I am not a SmiteWorks employee or representative, I'm just a user like you.
-
December 18th, 2019, 16:06 #8
So nothing more about the world setting then? That would mean that I'm finished. I can always restructure my phrasings later. This text I just hastily transcribed from my background documents in five minutes.
Keep in mind that this is supposed to be a world setting introduction for the entire group of players. I took the liberty of having them all subscribe to the most common right-wing newspaper at the time, but if I dictate more than that, that'd probably feel a bit too controlling, and it's also something geared toward events occuring to them inside an adventure, which would be a separate description.
-
December 18th, 2019, 16:17 #9
Then imo that good, as long as their is more character specific information coming, not a problem with just that.
Problems? See; How to Report Issues, Bugs & Problems
On Licensing & Distributing Community Content
Community Contributions: Gemstones, 5E Quick Ref Decal, Adventure Module Creation, Dungeon Trinkets, Balance Disturbed, Dungeon Room Descriptions
Note, I am not a SmiteWorks employee or representative, I'm just a user like you.
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Bookmarks