Absolutely agree. I set a game in the real(ish) world once, so it was a setting where everyone knew the base “lore.” It was so nice! I could reference things, name-drop countries, and introduce old grudges without having to exposition it all. People just got things. We’ve since done enough games on the sword coast that that works too, now.

Simply ignores it while regurgitating my personal opinion as if reiteration and intuition could trump the cold equations themselves 😎😎😎

20 years

20 years

20 years on the other side of the planet with the average citizen so uninterested that weeks would past without a news story on it. How is that not the definition of terrifying? Hell, it was terrifying to Americans who were paying attention.

My favorite DMing style is what I like to call “train line DMing.” The train goes to all the stops but you can do whatever you want at them.

There is a plot, no crazier than any purchased campaign, but it’s structure consists of a chain of open-ended* scenarios. Its a contract: the players are willing to follow the general and well telegraphed line of plot hooks and in return they do whatever they want in the scenarios and I do my best to incorporate their interests and backstories.

And like all contracts it starts with explaining that and seeing who is interested. Example: “I want to run a short campaign where you explore X looking for Y. Be whoever you want, except one key part of your character is they want to find Y.” Then we do it if people want.

*Open-ended here means “no right/pre-planned answer” not “no ending to lead to the next part.” For example, city A has a cult to deal with and the leader has a letter pointing to city B. Whether they kill the leader, join the cult, plan an economic take down to render the cultists penniless and impotent, or something weirder, they get the letter.