When planning to run a campaign with content sharing, there are a few questions that warrant consideration before inviting players to your game...

Q. Will all players be using shared content or will some want to use their own purchased content?

HLO implicitly supports a combination, and there is no limit on the number of PCs within a campaign that leverage content sharing, so a mixture is not a problem. However, there may be reasons to prefer having all players use content sharing, as then all the PCs are owned by the campaign and can have control assigned by the GM. For more details on the benefits of this approach, please see the article PC Ownership Versus Control.

Q. Do you want to limit the players to only use a subset of the content you've purchased?

There may be certain books that you want to designate as "off-limits" to the players. If so, you should ideally configure the character options to be used across the campaign before having the players create their characters. Once established, all newly created characters will automatically default to that same set of options.

Please be aware that HLO will not prevent a player from changing those options. However, if they do, you will see an indication of that deviation next to the PC. You can then discuss the matter with the player and take what actions you deem necessary. If you wish to make an exception and allow a player to use different settings, you can even clear the warning on the character. If an exception is not appropriate, a separate option allows adopting the established campaign options into the character. [Note: Neither clearing the warning nor adopting the campaign options are yet available at the time this article is written, but they are due to be added shortly.]

Q. Are you going to create the characters or will the players do that themselves?

If you're providing the characters, be sure to create them as "GM-Controlled PCs". Once you've got them fleshed out the way you want, you can then assign control of each to the appropriate player. After that, the player will manage the PC.

If the players are creating their characters, they should do so within the "My PCs" section of the "PCs and Players" tab. When the player wants to use shared content, the PC must be created as "owned by the campaign". For players with Apprentice accounts, this will be the default option presented, but other players must be sure to select that option correctly. If not selected properly, the PC won't have access to all the shared content and will need to have its ownership transferred to the campaign to accomplish that.

Once the characters are in place, you can then view them and assess whether they are suitable for your game. The GM can view the PCs in full at any time, but GMs are not allowed to modify them. Only the assigned controller can edit a character. If the campaign owns the PC, you can take control of a character and make edits, but the player will be locked out during that period and should ideally grant the GM permission to do this.

Q. Will all PCs be newly created within the campaign?

Another way to frame this question is: Are you or the players bringing in any characters that are created outside the campaign? Characters from outside the campaign will likely require a small amount of additional effort. For example, the character may not have been created with the same set of character options that you've chosen for the campaign. If so, that difference will be flagged, but it means the character will probably need to be revised to comply with those options.

Q. Will there be any players not using HLO?

If there will be one or more players that aren't using HLO to create and manage their character, you will almost certainly find it helpful to still track those characters within HLO. To make the most of HLO in this situation, please review the article Running a Game Where Not All Players Use HLO for some tips and suggestions.