Using lore skills to build a world

Anders · 04-02-2020, 02:01 PM

By lore skills I mean not only Hidden Lore, but Literature, History, Law, Savoir-Faire, etc.

The idea is this - instead of preparing a massive information dump for the players at the beginning of a campaign (which is my usual method), allow them to participate in the building of the world using lore skills. A successful roll against e.g., History, allows the player to make up a historical fact about the world. How significant a fact depends on the Margin of Success. No such fact can contradict an already established fact... but if the player can come up with a good explanation for why there is only a seeming contradiction, the GM should let it pass. The GM should also make sure that the suggestion fits the tone of the campaign - in a game of Cosmic Horror, a chibithulu would be out of place.

04-02-2020, 02:01 PM	#1
Anders Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden	Using lore skills to build a world By lore skills I mean not only Hidden Lore, but Literature, History, Law, Savoir-Faire, etc. The idea is this - instead of preparing a massive information dump for the players at the beginning of a campaign (which is my usual method), allow them to participate in the building of the world using lore skills. A successful roll against e.g., History, allows the player to make up a historical fact about the world. How significant a fact depends on the Margin of Success. No such fact can contradict an already established fact... but if the player can come up with a good explanation for why there is only a seeming contradiction, the GM should let it pass. The GM should also make sure that the suggestion fits the tone of the campaign - in a game of Cosmic Horror, a chibithulu would be out of place. __________________ “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius Author of Winged Folk. The GURPS Discord. Drop by and say hi!