this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2023
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Only really fits settings where PCs are somewhat famous, at least on a town-level, or already somewhat know each other. If the party starts not knowing each other, why would they have heard any rumours about these other randos?
Take a comic book character like Bruce Wayne of Peter Parker. Someone could take one look at them and come up with some dirt. Remember, it doesn't have to have anything to do with reality. Every pretty girl is a slut, a snob, or a dope. Every big guy is a bully, a moron, or a cream puff.
Bruce Wayne is a billionaire philanthropist, but I'll give you Peter Parker in the timelines where he's not working on the cutting edge as a scientist.
The question isn't "why would they have rumours?" but "why would the party be privy to them?" If you're famous, these rumours float around by themselves but why would the party be asking about the other members? Again, unless they were somewhat famous or already knew each other.
The sticking point is the word "rumour" or "dirt". Rumours are thinking that build up slowly, like dust in a corner. It almost sounds like you're saying players should form impressions of the other party members which...yeah, that should happen when they get described.
Look up old time writer Damon Runyon. His short stories inspired the musical 'Guys And Dolls.' He wrote about Times Square and the showgirls, gamblers, crooks, bar flies, social workers, servers, bouncers, general riff raff, and hoi polloi that he'd seen.
It's common in his stories for people to strike up a conversation with a stranger and ask about what's going on. Even a small time hustler will be known by sight, and a stranger in town is evaluated.
Also, remember that when you ask A about B, A is telling you a lot about themselves. In 'Stranger Things,' the boys warn the new girl that the town is full of bullies, which tells her that these are the kids who get bullied.
epic outer planes level character
Have them meet at a tavern, someone at the tavern knows them and can give all of the gossip.
It can even be made into a game where you have to earn the gossip.
Yeah it seems good for characters starting at level 4, those starting at level 1 are too insignificant to have any juicy rumours, but early level events become rumour as you get further from the place, time and people involved
My group got to level 2 in a dungeon crawl in which they got pretty wealthy. They had a deal with the guy who owned the entry to the dungeon, which they honoured, but no one else knows what they faced underground, how wealthy they got...
I can imagine they'll hear about their exploits amplified if they go to a t in a neighbouring town