Info dumps, let’s face it, no one likes them but the dungeon master… But there is an interesting “necessary evil” element to info dumps because of the nature of dungeons and dragons, or any TTRPG. The simple fact is that at the core of TTRPG’s, there is an element of a world that exists in your mind, and you are inviting players to be a part of it and make it their own.
So the tough part is that you really do need to get that information out of your head and delivered to the players. But if you just dump massive amounts of history on your players, they are likely to lose it or become bored with your long winded explanations, how are you able to fix it to get the best possible outcome.
What is an Info Dump?
So let’s get specific about “What is an Info dump?” The simple definition of a “Info Dump” is the idea that you take time in your session to deliver a long winded explanation of something about your world. And in my experience these are usually long winded expositions, or massive lore documents that no one has time to read. As a result, the thing many dungeon masters are most proud of “their world building,” goes largely unrecognized or enjoyed by anyone else.
Why is this so hard?
Honestly, part of the problem you have with lore delivery is information overload, and the purpose of the information. At the end of the day, the players only care about the things that are right in front of them. So really you have these two opposing forces, the challenge of what’s in front of them, and wanting to know about the world around them. And the answer here is that you need to provide them with information that they are going to find useful and mix in little bits of the broader world.
What is a Lore Delivery System?
When I was researching this topic, I came across a great video by Matt Coville of MCDM:
And honestly, this is one of those “It’s so obvious!” type solutions.
How did I solve this?
Ledgers in Zenith, are a magic item that almost all citizens have and utilize. The ledger is essentially a tool for accessing networks of information, and used to inform the populace. A ledger is given to a person traditionally when they reach 10 years old.
Appearance:
All ledgers look different, but almost always include some form of gemstone on them. These magic items do not require attunement and can be accessed at anytime. They grow with you, so the ledger your given fits when you are 10 years old, and then grows to fit you as an adult. The look of it reflecting your own personality as you evolve and change.
Once the ledger is put on, it can be removed if required, but generally most never remove them.
What can your ledger do:
Your ledger can be used for the following actions:
- Getting news alerts from Zenith government.
- District information for Zenith, and the parts of the city.
- Accessing public news through Beacon’s Light
- Accessing public records*
*requires a skill check
Expanding your ledger:
All major organizations in the world maintain their own information networks and if you have membership in that organization, you are likely given access to their ledger network. This gives you specific information about their organization. This can include but is not limited to:
- The organizations news and announcements
- The organizations records
- Potentially even communication options between members
Getting Information from your ledger:
If you would like to search records from your ledger you may make inquiries in game and make an investigation check to get more information. As normal, the DM can decide if they are just going to give information or require an investigation or a general intelligence check. Based on the roll, that can determine the results of the ledger.
How does this work in your game?
The perk of using these devices in your game is that players can use them as a resource to ask questions or get information when it is ultimately relevant for them. First and foremost, it puts them in the driver seat of determine what information they want, and when they get it. So no longer are you spending 20 minutes dumping information that your parents won’t remember.
These ledgers can also make for nice quest hooks. Like you need to go do X, Y, and Z to get access to a network that can tell them something they need. Or you can have the Watch Brigade recover information from murder victims ledger.