Here's a question about how much to tell the players about the setting. Would you let a player read the section on Westcrown from "The Bastards of Erebus", either in its entirety, or in a slightly sanitised variant?
BFD
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I gave my players a "player-friendly" version. This was only given to the characters who were originally from Westcrown. The one newcomer didn't get any of this. This was a way to connect the players with Westcrown more, by having them be from the city.
The point was to take out detailed history, spoilers, and any other information that average citizens would definately not know.
I originally posted the whole thing, until I realized the content's not under OGL.
I started at the stat block for Westcrown.
* I took off the text just after "Metropolis"
* I took off the alignments and classes of any persons mentioned
* Government, Politics, & Order: I took out the part of the last sentence from "though the true end lies with the shadowed coffers of the fabled Council of Thieves."
* I end "The Dottari" with this sentence after Duxotar Iltus Mhartis. "In actuality, they are four almost independent forces: the Condottari, Rundottari, and the Regidottari."
* The Dottari: Instead of the paragraphs for the dottari, I just put: "Dottari, Dottari: the common dottari man the gates and control the streets of the Spera Condottari: the canal wardens control the Westchannel, the Dhaenflow, and the canals of the Regicona
Rundottari: the ruin wardens man the walls of the Rego Cader
Regidottari: the palace wardens man the Regicondan Walls."
* Mayor: I deleted everything from "While the royal seat of power" to "he solidified his grasp on power."
* I deleted the entire section on the Council of Thieves. (of course)
* Nobles & the Politically Powerful: end with the sentence "Today, 12 major noble houses remain as the powers-that-be in Westcrown"
* Westcrown by Night: begin with the sentence "Today, with the dying of every day’s light"
* I didn't include "The Upper Adivian" or "The Westchannel"
* Parego Regicona: end with the sentence "Each of the 8 islands of the Regicona holds no less than two major vaneos (manor houses) or full viras (estates) occupied by noble or influential Wiscrani families."
* Regiconan Walls: end with "billeting at least a score of soldiers."
* I didn't include the chain arches, canals, or canal bridges.
* The Korradath: I deleted the sentence that begins "Rumors
persist of secret"
* Vaneo Drovenge: I only put the middle sentence about it getting scrubbed clean.
* I deleted Vira Oberigo, Sostarlannex, The Dorjanala, Vira Julistarc, Vira Grulios, Staviancara, Vira Salisfer, Trivardum, and Vaneo Dioso.
* Rego Aerum: end with "The park at the south end of Karhal formed in 4040 AR."
* Rego Cader: end with "Now, most are either squats and partial homes for barbaric humans and worse."
* The Dusk Market: end with "The Dusk Market is a semi-secret marketplace."
* Ramble Gardens: I took out the section about assasin vines.
* Obrigan Gate: I only put "The heavily reinforced gate stands more than three stories tall and twice as deep as the walls it pierces
between Rego Crua and Rego Cader. Its four doors,
two portcullises, and obligatory squad of 12 rundottari
keep all threats out of the Dospera."
* I took out Walcourt
* Canaroden: end with "great 15-foot-tall friezes"
* :Taranik House: I took out the first sentence. I also removed the history of the house and everything after "Paralictor Gonville Chard"
* Delvehaven: I put "a lodge of the Pathfinder Society, this walled vira is abandoned." and began with "Its gates permanently barred"
* Rego Sacero: I only put the first sentence in.
* Vaneo Arvanxi: end with "diversion of the city’s elite."
* Qatada Nessudidia: I include the first and last sentences
* I didn't include the Imperial Marina.