In a previous post about briefing NPCs, a commenter brought up the following thing as a key part of successful NPC briefing:
"Background info - Most NPcs are better at their roles the more they know. Keep background info available in monster camp for them to read when curious. Have maps, have writeups, have ways for them to grow their world knowledge that enables them to better handle the unexpected."
I feel like this is a really good point. It's an awkward experience when your merchant NPC who, allegedly, "has been living here for her entire life," doesn't know the political climate of the capital, the state of the roads through the eastern forest, or the activity of a mercenary band in the north. Although, as Berta the Merchant, you may quite well understand your mission, your stats, and the items your carrying, it's uncomfortable to be unable to answer PC questions like, "So what do you think of the civil war in the west?" Cool PCs, realizing a new NPC might not have the background knowledge that they do, will generally try to help you with gentle hints-- but it shatters game immersion for everybody. Especially in a game that has been running for multiple years, this is a tricky situation. Moreover, even if you brief NPCs well and provide them with all the pertinent information for an event, newer ones (and even more experienced ones) can't get everything from a write-up or a conversation with a staff person.
Considering all this, I am a huge fan of "background information." That stuff available in Monster Camp that involves histories, timelines, current events, maps, pictures, lists of key NPCs-- anything. Many games, such as Aralis, Lost Eidolons, Endgame, and the upcoming Invictus, also have websites available providing world info that both new PCs and NPCs can access.
With all of that being said, different games have different ways of providing background information. I wrote this post mainly to source ideas from readers. How does your game provide background information to PCs and/or NPCs (if at all)? What are the benefits and risks of a providing background info to NPCs? As a PC, what sort of background information would you like prior to starting a game? As an NPC, what information do you appreciate having available?
