Contributor
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I suppose this is specifically about Play by Post (where my own situation has arisen) or perhaps home games which are more leisurely than convention play or game night slots at the FLGS, as I doubt these types of situations would come up when time is tight.
So, I'm running Rise of the Goblin Guild as a PbP game here on these boards. If you've read/played/run that scenario, you know that most of the faction mission stuff is actually front loaded, with VC Heidmarch sort of giving the Pathfinders the afternoon off to wander the city and, for most factions at least, the opportunity to visit City Hall, a Varisian "camp," a noblewoman's house, what-have-you.
I ran the faction missions via PMs, and we took some time with them. Thinking to give better RP value, I took the time to carefully read Magnimar, City of Monuments and incorporate geographical and social information into the faction missions—physical descriptions of neighborhoods and architecture, the "feel" of the districts, etc.
One player (the only one who has at least thus far failed his faction mission, actually) asked, after he was stymied in getting to talk to the official he needed to talk to, where he could go to take in some of the local art scene. His character is a paladin of Shelyn interested in the visual arts, especially drawing and painting. I decided that a passerby would direct him to the square around the nearby Cenotaph monument, figuring that local art students would be present sketching the pillar (basing this off my experience of such monuments in European cities). He wandered over and I set the scene as having a sausage seller, a couple of Pharasman clerics patrolling the plaza, and some artists with portable easels.
One thing led to another, with various NPC interactions, and he eventually decided, after hearing that other people often did the same, to spend some time praying at the foot of the Cenotaph. Whether I should have or not, I gave him the Knowledge (Religion) check listed under the Cenotaph's monument bonus description in the Magnimar book, which he hit, and so I'm giving him the 24 hour +1 bonus to Fortitude saves.
Have I made a mistake here? Particularly in giving him the bonus, which isn't described in #4-01 at all, but also in "branching out" to incorporate other Magnimar material at all? Is it generally a good idea or a bad idea to incorporate "extra" stuff if and when there's time? (As another example of this, I wrote up extensive district/neighborhood descriptions for Absalom to use in First Steps Part I since I figured half the point of that scenario is to introduce PCs to the city.)
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I would say, using the extra fluff to enhance the gaming experience in a roleplaying setting is fine, using that fluff to grant bonuses that the rest of the part doesn't get to have the chance to get, probably not a good idea .... not to mention that that negates who whole run as raw thing for a society scenario as he is now going to have a completely different experience than everyone else who plays that scenario.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010
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@Chrisopher: I've been reading along with your PBP group, I've been enjoying the detailed descriptions, and it sounds like your players are having a lot of fun so far.
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
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It sounds like you're having an awesome game and your players are having fun. And nothing you describe is outside the realm of what I would see as reasonable.
In a game-store or convention environment, you're on a timer and so don't have the opportunity to delve into this kind of detail. But with a PbP, you don't have to worry about that, and so you *can* get into that kind of stuff.
I'd say you did very well and you should keep it up!
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Shoot, I would use the extra knowledge if I had the time and resources.
It makes for a more rich and vibrant experience for the players. I would say go for it! You might spur interest in acquiring the book and every player become more familiar with the town they are adventuring in.
Besides a +1 is not a huge advantage. Lots of things grant a +1, it is not unusual or game altering. Besides, the PC deserves a reward for role playing that well!
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Using additional material, so long as knowledge of that material is not required for the adventure in question, is a GREAT idea and can pique the players interest - like Erosthenes said, causing some of them to want to purchase the book(s) you referenced.
I'm all for set dressing and promoting the environment, so long as it doesn't become a history or geography lesson, thus detracting from the adventure.
Fully-realized worlds are great, especially when my players ask periphery questions ("Can I get <item name> in <city name>?"
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Remember that, frequently, the "Where this is happening" box in the scenario includes a reference to various books with more information on the area, saying "Not required, but helpful." so they want you to use those resources, if you have them.
For example, from Scenario 49:
#49: Among the Dead is the sequel to #7: Among the Living, one of the first Pathfinder Society scenarios ever released. Though players do not have to play through Among the Living to participate in Among the Dead, these two scenarios can be played back-to-back as a fun mini-arc in Taldor’s bustling capital city of Oppara. Additionally, those who wish to learn more about Taldor and its capital, Oppara, can purchase Taldor: Echoes of Glory, a Pathfinder Companion product that goes into much greater detail about the empire and it’s capital city than this adventure. Taldor: Echoes of Glory is available at your local game store or online at paizo.com.
Things like that say, "No, you don't need it, but if you have it, use it." to me.