Create a Homebrew Campaign | #6: Writing Copy for Your Players
Introduction
We’re finally here! The session I’ve really been looking forward to… writing copy for your players. Today, we’re going to create something we can give to our players that they can use to build the backstory for their characters. I’m going to talk about the different things I include in this initial handout and I’ll even be giving you access to the handout that I’m creating for you to review. I’m eager to get started, so let’s just dive in!
As always, I have a video version of this post available if you would prefer that. You can check that out here:
What to Include
Remember that you’ve been invested in the creation of this world, so you have a really solid understanding of your setting and story. Your players, however, have no idea what you’ve got in store from them (unless I suppose, you’ve been sharing updates with them). This is important to remember because you have to create a handout that is concise and cohesive; people who can’t get inside your head will be relying on this handout to understand your world. You need to be as thorough as possible without giving away spoilers!
Readily Available Information
Any information that every character should have at their disposal--such as the names of places, rulers, regions, deities, and other aspects of your world should be included in the handout. If there is anything in your handout that you believe your players should know but that their characters should not, be sure to include a note stating as much. Otherwise, you should tell your players that they can assume their characters are aware of everything given to them in the handout.
World Map
The first and most obvious thing that you should include in your handout is the world map. If something on your map is a secret that’s just for you, then make a new version of the map that has information that would be at the disposal of the players. Include this map in your handout. Be sure to mention to your players that the map is deliberately incomplete at this time, as their backstories will help you shape more of the world!
In the World Map section of the handout, you’ll also need to include the description of each region in your world map. This means that if you haven’t already done so, you should go back to the region form (which was mentioned and linked in the previous course) and jot down a description for every region of the map. I always tweak my personal region descriptions when I’m creating a handout for my players. I like to make each region sound enticing rather than informative for the handout.
Arc Region Map
Take time to hone in on the region where the first arc is taking place. The characters your players are creating should have pretty solid information about this area right from the start, as you’ve already fleshed it out considerably and they have likely spent quite a bit of time here. This doesn’t mean give them everything, but you should at least provide them with the basic information that anyone familiar with this region would have at their disposal.
I like to include a breakdown of every notable landmark in the area, like the range to the north of Kessit or the lake to its west. Anyone who’s been in this area for more than a few days would likely have at least a basic understanding of these geographic points of interest.
Arc Hook
Next, try to summarize the plot of your first arc with one or two paragraphs. Let the players know what they can expect from this first arc in your campaign. This will help them understand the sort of character they need to make. Not necessarily in the build and optimization sense, but more in terms of personality. Because my arc is focused on trying to restore order and peace to Kessit, my players will know that they should create a character who is interested in raising cities up, not razing them to the ground (you see what I did there?).
Character Requirements and Limitations
If there is anything that you are wanting to forbid, encourage, or require for every character in the campaign, be sure to note that. For example, my current campaign’s handout expressly stated that there are no clerics or paladins permitted in the campaign at this time. There are multiple lore and story reasons for this, and I wanted to make sure my players didn’t get their hopes up about a particular character idea only to later find out that the concept wouldn’t fit in with the world.
This would also be where you’d mention character creation steps if those differ from what is normal. I always have slightly different character creation steps depending on the campaign setting. In my first campaign, I made character creation rules that were meant to make the player characters more powerful than they would ordinarily be. For my second, I’ve done the opposite. All of this was noted before my players even started making their characters.
Player Questionnaire
This is a questionnaire that is personal to the player specifically. I use this as an opportunity to ask about the player’s comfort zone and about what interests the player most about the game we’re running. If there is anything the player would personally like to see in the campaign, this is the perfect opportunity to make that voice heard! The campaign I’m running right now had an in-depth survey because it’s a horror-centric campaign. I needed to ensure that my players were comfortable with some of the themes I would be portraying, which were going to get—and have gotten—quite dark. Giving them the opportunity to speak up before diving in and writing the overall campaign arc will save you from having to rework a lot of content later when you learn that one of your players is truly uncomfortable with something you’d planned.
Generic Character Questionnaire
I always include a questionnaire for my players. It comes in two parts. One is generic, which means that it contains questions I could apply to any campaign. The second part of the questionnaire is campaign-exclusive, meaning that these questions can only apply to the campaign associated with the handout. For the campaign I’ve been working on for this course, these would be questions relating to the opinion that the players have of the situation in Kessit as well as why their characters care about Kessit’s dilemma. You can find the complete list of questions that I have in the resource I’ll be providing, which will be available in a link at the bottom of this post.
ANYTHING Homebrewed
If you are homebrewing any rules or content for this campaign, you need to mention it right from the start. You can always add things later, though you should discuss this with your players if you are changing things after the campaign has already started. Including your homebrewed content in the handout will save a lot of confusion and arguing later down the line. If there’s anything you know you’re going to change for your campaign, make your players aware of that right here and make sure the changes are clear and understood by everyone.
Photos!
I can’t emphasize this enough! Get some photos in there for your players. You don’t have to make all of the art—though if you can, good on you! There are lots of freely licensed photo resources online if you’re running something that’s public. If you’re running something private, then the options at your disposal are even broader. Include photos throughout your handout. This will help make it more engaging and will get the minds of your players turning as they envision your setting.
The handout that I am going to link for you will only have freely licensed photos like those that I use in this blog, but when I create handouts that are private and only for my players rather than public review and use, I grab art from some of my favorite artists.
Also, side note, support your favorite artists and creators. Let’s move on.
Discussing Some Questions in My Handout
While I am not going to go over every aspect of my handout because most of it is pretty straightforward, there are a couple of key things that I’d like to touch on, at this time. Some of the questions in my questionnaire are ones that may be a bit confusing at first, so I want to clarify them and explain why I include them! I would recommend going through the questionnaire I included in my handout (which you can download via the link at the bottom of this post) and seeing if there are any you have questions about! If you're curious about one of my questions, feel free to drop a comment on this post and I'll get my answer to you!
What is Your Deepest, Most Hidden Secret?
No matter how good you are, no matter how pure, there is something about you that you’d rather your traveling companions not know. This secret should be kept between the player and the dungeon master… until a time comes that the secret must be unveiled, either for the good or detriment of the group. Having each player think of a dark secret for their character that they’ll keep from the other characters in the party adds some tension and story dynamics. This is especially true because every player knows that each other character has a dark secret. Everyone is hiding something.
What is Your Long-Term, Ultimate Dream?
It’s important for players and their characters to have an end goal. I ask that my players not choose something that can be achieved easily, as this would make the character arc that I write for them—something we’ll be discussing in a later session—too easy and brief. This goal should seem nigh on unattainable. Is it great riches, is it to slay a dragon, is to avenge a loved one? Whatever it may be, I want all the details you’ve got so that I can create a brilliant arc for your character!
What Plans Do You Have for Your Character?
This is pretty generic. I want to know the short-term and long-term goals. Not the far-off dream that I requested above, but rather the nitty-gritty. What sort of clothing do you want to have? What’s your dream weapon? Do you have intentions to multi-class? If so, tell me about it so that I can start preparing to make that multi-classing seem natural. This is something that is continuously being updated through discussions with the player.
Conclusion
The rest of my handout should be pretty straightforward--I hope that it inspires you with your own handout! Once you have created yours and you’re ready to pass it off to your players, go ahead and do so! Send your campaign handout to the players who will be participating in your campaign and ask that they get their responses to the questionnaire, as well as their character sheets, back to you as soon as they can. I’m going to do the same because the next session that we have is going to rely on the feedback we get from our players! We’ll be starting the process of working our players into the world in the next session, so come prepared.
While you’re waiting for that next session, please consider supporting me! Subscriptions to my YouTube channel where I release video versions of this content are most appreciated. You can also follow me on social media! I’m @tlbainter on most social media platforms, with Instagram being my most active platform. I’ll also include links to those down below.
Thanks so much for taking the time to check out this part of my homebrew campaign creation series. I really appreciate it! I hope that you learned something and are eager to see what comes next. Until then, bye!
Download My First Draft of the Elzveir Player's Handout Here!