HYPERBOREA / Player Knowledge of Hyperborea

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 3/25/2014 7:41 am

This has yet to arise in our game (we're two sessions in; "maybe you could get plate mail in Gal" has been said). But I was wondering how much information out of the Gazetteer Refs are giving out to their players. Or are you simply letting everyone read vol. 6 and apply his/her knowledge as needed? Dropping hints as part of campaign play? Using someone's keen magician-research system? My *feeling* is that once they get a level or two under their belts and get to a more coastal part of the Gal Hills, Hyperborea will open up some. I want them to see a lot of parts of it, and I want to see a lot of parts of it! Just seems like the kind of game where one is meant to do some traveling (whereas we have an AD&D campaign that stayed entirely on one [large] island).

Any thoughts?

**Posted by JasonZavoda** 3/25/2014 8:14 am

I would be inclined to start them in rather reclusive enclaves such as a viking clan or Gal village that has very little knowledge outside their immediate area. Once they start exploring the gain knowledge of your version of Hyperborea (my own has turned into something quite a bit different from the original setting from the Gaz).

**Posted by Blackadder23** 3/25/2014 9:37 am

I asked them to read the whole thing and assume it's what their characters believe to be true about Hyperborea. If someone doesn't want to read it, that's his problem; I guess his character is unusually ignorant.

**Posted by Crisippo** 3/25/2014 1:28 pm

I've neither demanded nor denied that my players read the Gaz. I know some of them have read parts of it and i let them use that knowledge, others again have read next to nothing. I let them ask questions about the world and answer, sometimes cryptically ;), on a case by case basis.

The Gaz is an overview of the setting and i'm constantly developing the details, and the devil is usually in the details, as the PC's travels on.

Last edited by Crisippo (3/25/2014 1:31 pm)

**Posted by NAJones** 4/05/2014 12:53 am

I printed up that section of the book and encouraged everyone in the game to read it, if only to get into the vibe of the setting (with the caveat that nothing should be taken as gospel). I almost had to do this after I discovered that I'm the only person at the table who had ever read a lot of "Weird Tales" fiction (CAS, REH, or HPL) so people's swords & sorcery and weird fiction "literacy" mostly came from bad 80s films, Schwarzenegger's Conan movies, Stephen King novels and the like.

Ultimately, the players understand that the gazateer is a book of rumors, legends and other bad assumptions, recorded by a highly sagacious, but possibly unreliable, citizen of Khromarium; one who had studied a lot of books and talked to a lot of people, but probably hadn't actually done much travel outside of the city himself.

Last edited by NAJones (4/05/2014 12:53 am)

**Posted by Ghul** 4/05/2014 11:54 am

Crisippo wrote:
I've neither demanded nor denied that my players read the Gaz. I know some of them have read parts of it and i let them use that knowledge, others again have read next to nothing. I let them ask questions about the world and answer, sometimes cryptically ;), on a case by case basis.

The Gaz is an overview of the setting and i'm constantly developing the details, and the devil is usually in the details, as the PC's travels on.

This is pretty much how I handle it as well.

**Posted by Ghul** 4/05/2014 11:58 am

NAJones wrote:
I printed up that section of the book and encouraged everyone in the game to read it, if only to get into the vibe of the setting (with the caveat that nothing should be taken as gospel). I almost had to do this after I discovered that I'm the only person at the table who had ever read a lot of "Weird Tales" fiction (CAS, REH, or HPL) so people's swords & sorcery and weird fiction "literacy" mostly came from bad 80s films, Schwarzenegger's Conan movies, Stephen King novels and the like.

Ultimately, the players understand that the gazateer is a book of rumors, legends and other bad assumptions, recorded by a highly sagacious, but possibly unreliable, citizen of Khromarium; one who had studied a lot of books and talked to a lot of people, but probably hadn't actually done much travel outside of the city himself.

I'm in the same boat. Out of my current crew, I don't they've read much of the three primary inspirational authors of Howard, Smith, and Lovecraft, but in some ways this can be good, because you can use elements of your favorite tales and the players never have that "Aha!" moment, where they can identify it; it's all new to them.

It sounds like you are using the gaz as I'd intended it; it's written largely from the viewpoint of Khromarium sages, and that can be as reliable or unreliable as the individual referee chooses.

**Posted by Chainsaw** 4/05/2014 8:15 pm

I assume the gazetteer reflects knowledge common enough that the PC would have accumulated some of it growing up, some of it in training and the rest by either asking a few questions here and there or simply listening to bards' tales in the taverns and inns. I imagine the average PC to be relatively curious by nature, regardless of actual INT, as learning legends and collecting rumors goes hand in hand with acquiring wealth and power. Besides, on a very practical basis, I'm comfortable with the players having a common frame of reference from the beginning (makes my life easier). Last, I don't expect people not to read the material in the books they buy if they want. It's fun! So, I have no issues with them reading it. Nevertheless, I am happy to answer questions as needed.

As others have said, whether that gazetteer knowledge ultimately pans out as accurately as they think is quite another matter.

**Posted by chrisj** 4/06/2014 11:07 am

I wish all of my players would read the gazetteer. Players who do that tend to be more invested in the game.

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/06/2014 11:20 am

Chainsaw wrote:
I assume the gazetteer reflects knowledge common enough that the PC would have accumulated some of it growing up, some of it in training and the rest by either asking a few questions here and there or simply listening to bards' tales in the taverns and inns. I imagine the average PC to be relatively curious by nature, regardless of actual INT, as learning legends and collecting rumors goes hand in hand with acquiring wealth and power. Besides, on a very practical basis, I'm comfortable with the players having a common frame of reference from the beginning (makes my life easier). Last, I don't expect people not to read the material in the books they buy if they want. It's fun! So, I have no issues with them reading it. Nevertheless, I am happy to answer questions as needed.

As others have said, whether that gazetteer knowledge ultimately pans out as accurately as they think is quite another matter.

I agree with the above. Much of the info in the Gaz is at the 30k ft level. Some are rumors and hearsay. The actual details on the ground are mine!! Another advantage of the way things are written.

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/06/2014 11:24 am

chrisj wrote:
I wish all of my players would read the gazetteer. Players who do that tend to be more invested in the game.

I continue to pull cool nuggets from the Gaz. I have one player that reads and is very familiar with the material which challenges me to invest more! Most have not read the material.

Morgan

**Posted by WSmith** 1/28/2015 11:02 pm

During their travels across the Black Wastes, my group encounterd a caravan that was lead by this sage/mystic/hippie guy. After much discussion and relaxation, he gave them a book which was the entire Gazateer chapter. This way, the players can reference it at anytime.

A little backstory. Most of the characters were from Greyhawk (in an AD&D game) and were hurled through space and time to Hyperborea after a most unfortunate incident at a crazy wizard's inherited estate near Dyvers. OOC, I was transitioning the game from 1st ed. to AS&SoH. This gave me not only a way to give them a place to safely rest while wandering the dangerous wasteland (and they needed the rest), but I was also able to give them a swath of setting info in one fell swoop. It just happened to work out.