D&D 5E Getting backstory and other info in published adventures to your players

[Olaf the Stout]

One thing I’ve noticed in many published adventures is that there is a whole heap of cool backstory, history, information, and sometimes even plot points that the DM gets to read about, that the players have no real way of finding out.

For example, in our current 5E Princes of the Apocalypse game, our DM has told us about a number of things detailed in the book that we didn’t have any obvious way of finding out during the adventure (he only told us once these bits were no longer relevant).

So DMs, what clever ways have you found to get that info out of the book and into your players hands?

Players, what are some techniques your DMs have used to pass this info on to you?

 

[mgshamster]

Most of the time, I just flat out tell them after the relevant spoilers have passed.

Although I've had an occasional villain monologue crop up, as well.

 

[Arilyn]

Depends on info. I have used NPC mouthpieces, dreams, written accounts players find, or sometimes just tell them.

 

[Sunseeker]

I tend to have a "Big Fat Handout" if anyone wants to read it (few do) so I usually give them "secret information cards". It's kinda fun when everyone knows something about history. It's less interesting when everyone knows everything.

 

[Quickleaf]

One thing I’ve noticed in many published adventures is that there is a whole heap of cool backstory, history, information, and sometimes even plot points that the DM gets to read about, that the players have no real way of finding out.

For example, in our current 5E Princes of the Apocalypse game, our DM has told us about a number of things detailed in the book that we didn’t have any obvious way of finding out during the adventure (he only told us once these bits were no longer relevant).

So DMs, what clever ways have you found to get that info out of the book and into your players hands?

Players, what are some techniques your DMs have used to pass this info on to you?

Tons of options...

• Interacting with villains without violence (e.g. via crystal ball, familiar, or courtly dinner)
• Share info. when PCs call upon their background features (e.g. Sailor using ship's passage hearing about water elemental cult's activities)
• Whenever the PCs use divination spells
• Instead of rolling on the magic item quirk tables in the DMG, use the cool backstory/history to inform your description of the item
• A pit trap, collapsing roof trap, or rolling boulder trap is sprung! PC falls into a "room revealing secrets" or boulder smashes wall revealing "room revealing secrets"
• When players ask you for more details about what they see, draw on backstory/history in describing architecture & environment
• Puzzling guardians who pose questions based on backstory/history (more about inspiring PCs to learn more)
• Ornate metal grate that, when backlit, reveals a key battle or other historical event with a map carefully hidden within the metalwork
• Slow it, spread it, sink it.

I'll give an example of "slow it, spread it, sink it" from my current Al-Qadim game, wherein I'm using an adapted published adventure (Blood and Fire by John Baichtal, Dungeon 63)...

There's a lot of background about two warring tribes which just had a big battle & a missing prince that the adventure thrusts the PCs into with a huge chunk of exposition vis a vis a quest-giver NPC right up front.

Instead, I sprinkled that information at a caravanserai with a "morally grey" NPC who escaped/fled the fighting...as well as with clues the PCs gathered while exploring the caravanserai and surrounding...and later the battlefield where the two tribes fought (which I greatly enhanced from what was in the adventure)...and finally with some potential encounters in the desert. Basically, I slowed down the flow of information, spread it among multiple sources, and let it sink in with the players who could pursue further information as they desired. Above all else, I avoided too much exposition, large hand-outs, or other "information dumps."