The Paradox of Lore (and why I don't like licensed RPG settings)

In this video, I share my opinions on lore and licensed settings.
(Spoiler alert: I think less is more when it comes to lore. And licensed settings are problematic for several reasons.)
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:12 Recent Reflections: Genghis Con
01:16 Main Topic: The Paradox of Lore
01:48 Forgotten Realms (D&D)
02:55 Glorantha (Runequest)
03:10 Lord of the Rings (The One Ring)
04:08 World of Darkness (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, etc.)
04:28 Star Wars
05:20 Coriolis
05:52 Is lore actually helpful?
08:07 The problem with licensed properties
11:49 My preferred approach
12:38 FitD / PbtA (e.g. Blades in the Dark)
16:00 Warlock! / Warpstar!
18:22 Pirate Borg
20:30 DCC (Dungeon Crawl Classics)
22:49 Broken Compass
24:04 Conclusion
Below is a list of some of the RPGs I mentioned in this episode.
(Disclaimer: These affiliate links help support the channel at no extra cost to you)
- Apocalypse World (bit.ly/41RwIYx)
- Blades in the Dark (bit.ly/3mCOD4X)
- Broken Compass (bit.ly/3F4P7HM)
- Coriolis (bit.ly/3ygGyFX)
- DCC (bit.ly/3vtvyn4)
- Fallout (bit.ly/3jIh8wK)
- Mork Borg (bit.ly/3lvzjXw)
- Pirate Borg (www.limithron.com/pirateborg)
- Runequest (bit.ly/3F3v8ZG)
- Scum & Villainy (bit.ly/3l0vCZN)
- Warlock! (bit.ly/3jKaZjK)
- Warpstar! (bit.ly/3G7RmJN)
Leave a comment to let me know YOUR thoughts on lore and licensed settings.
Blog post: www.digitalhobbit.com/2023/03...
#rpg #ttrpg #lore #licensed #starwars #lotr

[@timwest2322]

I agree with you on a lot of points. For the past couple of years I've been creating a Bronze Age Sword & Sorcery setting "toolkit" which I share on my blog. Most of the material consists of tables and tools to help people create the setting as they play (factions, city states, cultures, religions, adventure ideas etc.). The rest is high level ideas and concepts and short single paragraph pieces of fiction to convey feeling and tone. I don't want people to feel constricted or that they're doing it wrong, because there is no right way.

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

Thanks for the comment! That sounds like a fun project, and a great way to convey what your setting is about. Please feel free to leave a link to your blog, if you like.

[@TheNubiS]

I don't think I disagree with any point you've made in this video - I too have a bad memory and mostly remember the vibe from movies and tv shows. Glad to know I'm not the only one haha. With regard to lore in RPG books, I have to say that Mothership sets out an excellent way of handling the amount of lore and the way it's delivered. The first party products are dense with information, but it's broken up into control panel layouts, very much oriented towards ease of use during actually running games. That presentation was a bit daunting at first, but after I wrapped my head around the style I really think it's my favourite way of lore presentation. It's sort of like a puzzle you need to piece together when first reading through a module, but by the end everything connects into a clear picture. They certainly don't read like novels (like official 5e adventure books tend to, for example) but they are filled with hooks, tables, and other actionable content. The lore can be found between the lines, in NPC and location descriptions. A very good balance between density and usability, imo.

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

Good to know! I haven't looked at Mothership in detail yet (waiting for the Kickstarter to deliver the physical book), but I had a feeling it might handle this well. Presentation wise, it seems like it strikes a good balance somewhere between the Mork Borg and traditional styles.

[@MarkHyde]

YT put up this video on my front page via the algorithms. Just wanted to pass on that while I agree with your criticisms of licensed settings, in principle, I prefer them as someone relatively new to the hobby - far from being unoriginal I think they spark more creativity in me than limit it - as in to try to create my own worlds - not 'like' them but to get fresh ideas - I can't agree that 'setting-less' rules are better - far to limiting in my view, only focused on rules as mechanical understanding of games. IMHO. Anyway, thanks for this video - I subbed to your channel and am hoping to watch more videos.

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

Appreciate your comment! I recognize that my preference is entirely subjective. For example, players that enjoy the act of reading more than I do, or are better at remembering details from books or movies, would likely benefit more from detailed lore or licensed settings. I just figured I'd outline a few alternative approaches in case they resonate with folks. Thanks again for the comment and sub!

[@MarkHyde]

@@DigitalHobbitRPG No problems - definitely open to alternatives for others. Makes a lot of sense - enjoying your videos - the ones I've watched. :)

[@savethefantasticfour292]

I don't mind lots of lore but I do mind a meta plot that is too powerful. For instance, it is hard for me to enjoy gaming in Middle Earth. I know how things are supposed to go. Likewise, major events like the Spell Plague, in the Forgotten Realms, that completely redo a setting put me off if I was already familiar with and gaming in that setting.

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

I didn't even think of metaplot with regards to LotR, but you're right - it seems like it could easily dominate the campaign, or make it harder to explore other facets of the setting, knowing what's going on in the background.

[@WaynePeacock]

I agree IP-based games just do not intrigue me. I too find lore and player assumptions about an IP constraining.

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

Yeah, I also much prefer not to play within those constraints.

[@konserwowy1092]

Man, I hate lore.
First, it's constraining. When I got my hands around Vampire: the Masquerade rulebook in mid-90s, it seemed to me the best game ever. But the myriad sourcebooks and bloating metaplot quickly left zero space for my own creativity and ideas, not to mention stripping vampires of any mystery.
Second, it's usually badly written. I love reading, but the thing is, games are usually written by gamers, not writers, so the style is abysmal at worst and amateurish at best. Funny thing is, since English is my second language, reading bad writing in it hurts considerably less. And so, I prefer my roleplaying games in English, even though translations are readily available nowadays.

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

That's an interesting perspective. The quality of the writing definitely makes a difference, and I'm sure language plays a role as well. I actually do enjoy consuming fiction novels, I just struggle to make time to sit down and focus on reading, so I listen to a lot of audiobooks instead. :)

[@davidquihuiz4240]

you say most of the latest star wars stuff is great then say you are unable to follow story like it was your fault somehow. the reality is that shit made no sense and you like the vibe borrowed from the whole and just implant on the new. ya good, star wars is long dead

[@DigitalHobbitRPG]

To each their own. :) I'm not a huge Star Wars fan to begin with. But the original trilogy was my favorite.