A whole new world
For every gamer, there’s a first time that they ever tried an RPG, and a first time they’ve explored any particular game setting. Every time and for every player, there’s a learning curve. And it goes double for the Storyteller — they have to learn the setting and also teach it to the group. That’s true whether the players read the source material or not; not every player has the time or inclination to read a game manual or tie-in novels. And if you’re running a homebrew setting, there might not even be anything like a manual.
If you feel comfortable doing so, jump right in! Wing it and learn as you go along with your players. It’s a fast and low-prep way to dive into your game.
But that’s not how I do things. I’m neurodivergent and every day is about controlling unknowns so that I don’t melt down. So I like to prepare.
I write up extensive notes for my homebrew settings, and even take notes on published game worlds, highlighting things that I want to use. I watch tie-in movies or read the novels obsessively before a game so that I can match the style and lingo, or draw on details to make sure that both I and my players are as immersed as possible.
But no matter how prepared I and some of my players are, some players show up to game without any research. Not everyone wants to make an obsessive study of a game like I do — and that’s fine! So then it’s my job to teach the game world to my groups, especially if I’ve made any changes or created any personalized canon, as I often do. And using a few pretty simple methods, I’ve introduced my players to game settings and homebrew worlds that they now know as well as any other media franchise.
It begins at character creation. A player may want to be a spellcaster or a warrior, but where those people come from and how they get their skills in this world may vary. Character creation is my first chance to share lore about the world, usually in fairly broad strokes. This kingdom over here is really magical, this alien species has a long warrior tradition, and so on. When they pick a kingdom or a world to come from, there are some things they should know about it. Who their ruler or governmental body might be, if they have any long-standing traditions — anything that an average person from that place would know.
When game begins, I’m pretty free with the exposition. I don’t ask that anyone make skill checks to know what the capital city is, or about basic history. While the American school system has got a lot of problems and some egregious oversights, most American kids know the three branches of government, who the president is, and some major points of national history. Pitching exposition from that point of view shapes the characters just like it does real people. Most every character has had a childhood in their homeland, and probably been taught that their nation or planet is the best one. Learning their own incorrect assumptions and the hidden lore of their home can come later, with skill checks, role-playing and effort.
And when it comes time to make early-game decisions about things like which road to take or how to get in to talk to the local governor, I tend to give my players multiple choice options, rather than completely open-ended “What do you want to do?” Where does the party want to go? Well, if they don’t know anything about the world and setting, how can they answer? They can’t decide to visit the astral kingdom if the players don’t even know that it exists. Instead, NPCs might put some jobs on offer, or even come to the party with a desperate quest to a specific place — and a backstory about the quest so that they understand what is being asked of them.
After they’ve learned to walk, then it’s time to run. As the players settle into the world and come to understand more about it, they can add their own touches to the lore, their character’s personal history — how they interact with the game world — and discover whatever dark secrets or hidden truths wait to be learned.
