I've run a few modules, but I'm beginning a new group with the Anniversary Edition of Rise of the Runelords. This will be my first AP to ever run.
At the beginning of each chapter and each section of chapters, there is a short description and usually some kind of backstory. I was wondering if it is a good idea to summarize this content and actually give it to the PC's before you begin the individual encounters. Or, is this content just backstory for myself to have in order to fully comprehend and build the story for PCs as they progress?
Any advice is much appreciated.
It depends. For the most part, the background is something the characters should learn over the course of the adventure. However, most APs and published adventures are notorious for lots of backstory that as written the party will never come to learn. Its up to you as a GM to decide what and when you think is important for the characters to discover sometimes to help the plot move forward and other times just to understand the current situation (oh so that's why dire corbies have made a lair here). That said not everything needs to be explained or is truly important. As a GM think to yourself as a player what you would want to know and ensure its somehow woven into the narrative is a good guideline.
A few techniques I've used in games to pass on otherwise undiscoverable info:
Knowledge checks
The Info-Dump NPC: a friendly local scholar/shamn/bard/fortunteller/prisoner that is able to fill in any blanks.
Haunts: Especially handy a PC enters a dungeon room experiences a flashback to a key moment in the adventure background.
Last thing of course is to listen to the players as they talk amongst themselves trying to puzzle out the adventure (e.g. if the players are going on about not understanding why the count is so reluctant to commit his troops you'll need to find a way for the party to learn about the count's humiliating defeat at the hands of the enemy three years ago)
You can use snippets of info from the back story as "rewards" for PC investigation or NPC interaction.
Usually the backstory is to help the GM understand the enemies and their motives, as well as the timeline. PCs could learn some of the backstory during the course of adventure (some times an NPC is specifically listed as being able to fill in the blanks regarding certain elements of the story), or because they research certain aspects of the story or the NPCs, while other parts of the backstory will likely never be revealed to the PCs.
Thx for the help. You all have given me some good info to work with.
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In the 1st AP of Runelords, I recommend NOT reading it to the players. They can learn of most of it by talking with townsfolk (the Late Unpleasantness that is), and they learn about Nualia through her journal and Tsuto's journal. These are better in story ways (IMO) to have the party learn the background material as opposed to just telling them.
The only AP I know of in depth off the top of my head is CC, and the background at the start is actually learned through rolls in the campaign. If you dump the background story on them, they will not need to investigate. The investigation is Experience rewarded, and leads the characters down the path intended. Therefore, I would not hand over information. Read the entire module, and then if the players are lagging behind recommended level, nudge them into learning the story, and reward experience for good Knowledge(***) rolls to discover the story.