The setting details and lore found in the D&D 5e core rule books don’t interest me in the slightest. It’s then a little surprising that I absolutely adore reading the item descriptions in the Soulsborne (a portmanteau of Dark Souls and Bloodborne) series of video games made by From Software. The team responsible for writing this lore did an impressive job at including just the right amount of detail. Sometimes it’s hard to resist including a near-encyclopedic amount of backstory; the restraint is admirable. The narratives found in the games are frequently obtuse, and it’s probably common for players to complete one of the titles and still be mostly fuzzy on exactly what the story is.
Miyazaki Hidetaka, the main director of the series, mentioned in an interview that he has enjoyed playing D&D and role-playing game books since he was young. In light of this detail, the approach to narrative in the series makes more sense. The games feel like the From Software’s attempt to capture the experience of tabletop role-playing in the video game medium. Story tends to happen a bit more organically in a tabletop session. Players do and say things that no Game Master can predict, meaning that any tabletop narrative is bound to go in unexpected directions. How exciting!
It’s difficult to articulate what makes a setting appealing or not. In the case of From Software’s worlds, the gloomy atmosphere combined with a healthy dose of mystery makes them especially intriguing. What are the rules of this world? What is happening and why? The player is encouraged to explore and find answers for themselves. In an ideal tabletop session, players will be sufficiently engaged to do likewise.
There’s also a great deal of the strange and wonderful in From Software’s work. Take, for instance, the undying curse that is a primary feature of the Dark Souls games. Not only does it offer an in-universe explanation for a central game mechanic (i.e., the player suffers a curse that revives them upon death), it’s an element of the game world that spurs the imagination. What would the world be like if people couldn’t die? Then there are the elements that are simply left to the player’s imagination. Who made the giant statues of humanoid warriors with hawk heads in Heide’s Tower? What exactly are the Fire Keepers?
It’s a good exercise to think carefully about we find inspiring. Hopefully players will feed off of a Game Master’s excitement for the setting. Aside from incorporating elements that explicitly appeal to the players’ own interests, what else should a GM do to encourage player buy-in?