Plot tools

Introduction

The main wiki describes a set of plot guidelines - but these are really a set of rules for things not to do. There is a lot of advice on what to avoid writing - and it is important for aspiring plot writers to ensure that they had read these guidelines - but there is almost nothing on what you can write, or more importantly what tools exist to write plot with. That information is described here.

This is a big document - there is a lot here! The previous game we ran had something of a shortage of interesting elements to create plot with. For this reason, when Empire was created we made a conscious effort to fill it with as many plot elements as we could possibly manage.

I've split this loosely into three sections, but I suspect it will end up being a set of linked documents.

Campaign Elements

Empire is a closed world - that means that everything that exists in the world is known of - if not about. In Empire we can't introduce a race of giants - because we want one for a plot - giants don't exist in the world and the whole concept of a closed world is to preclude the ad hoc creation of new things. The closed world of Empire is described in great detail on the wiki.

Ideally, this should channel our imagination, rather than limiting it. For example, we can't suddenly create a brand new Imperial institution, the Forgers - and claim they have always been there. But there is an Imperial Mint in the setting - if we want to run a plot about forgery (please don't!) - we could use the Mint and create a dishonest NPC who works for the Mint.

To make this process viable, the Empire setting is filled with scores of campaign elements, things that exist in the world that can be used as base elements for plots.

Imperial Institutions

The Senate

The Senate is primary ruling institution of the Empire - it is the Imperial Senate that creates new laws, new titles and raises armies. We have two civil servants who work in this area acting as impartial chairman of the debates and votes that take place.

The Senate presents many opportunities for plot - NPCs may want new laws passed - or old laws repealed. They may want a new title created. The Senate has many different powers and for every power they have, there are a dozen different reasons an NPC might want them to use it.

When writing plot that involves the Senate please try to avoid motions that are going to pass without anyone voting against them. An NPC could pay a Senator 5 crowns to raise a motion saying that that NPC was brilliant - but nobody is ever going to vote against that motion - why should they? So the plot is not going to create any ramifications or political fall-out of any kind. It will take longer to brief the NPC than the plot will endure in the field. Good Senate plot should present the players with controversial motions that cause political disagreement and fall-out. That is the sort of plot that will reverberate around the field.

There is also potential for us to present opportunities to the players in the Senate. This gives the players the chance to use the powers of the Senate in ways that they would not normally be able to achieve - the example used is the chance to upgrade the armour of an Imperial Army more cheaply. Like any other Senate plot - these motions need to be controversial, they need to cost the players something. We want motions that cause the players to fall to bickering amongst themselves trying to decide whether or not to take advantage of the opportunity.

An easy way to achieve this is to prejudice an opportunity and load it with problems. An opportunity to upgrade an army is interesting - but is fundamentally unlikely to cause a lot of trouble - it will pass or fail and then everyone will move on. An opportunity to upgrade a League army is more interesting - because now the League wants to take advantage of that and their enemies don't want them to get it. An opportunity to upgrade a League army - but at the cost of reducing the output of every farm in the Empire as food is diverted to pay for the new army... That will cause massive ructions if written right - now the League desperately want it - while the Marchers will be desperate to prevent it from happening.

Of course all these things need good IC explanations for the motion or the opportunity - the key point though is to understand the structural opportunities that the Senate presents.

Internal Threats

These are enemies that exist within the borders of the Empire. Most of these groups are closely tied to one or more nations (for example, the Feni are mostly active in the Marches) but they are intended to be used as threats to any nation - the Feni have effected the Brass Coast already, and it is easy to see how they might cause trouble in Wintermark, for the Navarr, or in Dawn.

Foreigners

Local Foreigners

Axos, Faraden, Skoura, the Iron Confederaxy, Xira

Distant Foreigners

The Sumaah Republic, The Asavaen Archipelago, the Commonwealth, the Principalities of Jarm, the Sarcophan Delves

Structural Elements

As a LRP game, Empire has a defined format that provides a number of structural elements that can be used to develop plot. These structural elements include opportunities to introduce, develop or resolve plot - like quests and battles, potential sources of plot through backgrounds and skills, and various mechanisms for plot delivery that I have loosely called economics.

Logistical Elements

It is not enough to write plot, it needs to be run at events. You may be content to allow others to run their plot, or you may prefer to be more hands on briefing NPCs and getting the the props, resources and costumes they require for them. Whatever level of involvement you have, it helps to appreciate what the logistical process is - and what elements are involved. There is no point creating a plot that involves a thousand orcs parachuting into Anvil - the logistical elements do not exist to run this plot.

Divination

Empire has a number of rituals that can be used by players to gain information about a situation, item or place. Two rituals bear special mention - Whispering Shadow Courtiers and Signs and Portents can be used to seed information or story hooks into the game directly.