Scenario of roleplay

In Roleplay, a scenario , or “scénar'”, is the screen which will be used for the development of the history. One also speaks about ventures , in particular in the translations (the English term is adventure , the German term Abenteuer ). At the beginning, one spoke about module (it was the name of the scenarios of Donjons and Dragons ).

Scenario in the course of the play

The scenario must be prepared by the Meneur of play before the part. The scenario can be:

writes by the leader of play; the preparation is then useless, except if he were written a long time ago;
bought in the case of a scenario of the trade;
downloaded on Internet, free or against payment.

A scenario of the trade can be

sold as such;
integrated in the rules of the game, either in the basic booklet, or in a supplement;
offered in a review.

The preparation consists primarily with:

to read the scenario in entirety, in order to impregnate history, environment;
to take notes on the principal elements (places, characters, events, objects…) in order to be able to find them easily;
to find an introduction allowing to integrate the characters in the scenario, according to the past of the character-players, the countryside…
to adapt the scenario according to the character-players: for the engagements, to increase or decrease the number or the power of the opponents, to decrease or increase the difficulty of the obstacles of crossing so that the progression is neither too easy, nor impossible;
to adapt the scenario according to the taste of the players (more or less of action, more or less of intrigue…) ;
to photocopy or recopy the assistances of play: charts, illustrations, elements to be given the players (false newspaper cuttings, false manuscripts or tapuscripts…).

Types of scenarios

One distinguishes typically various types of scenarios:

according to the narrative structure:

linear scenario: the unfolding of the scenes is predetermined, either in a directing way (the external events force the characters players to follow the screen), or because it is the only manner of progressing (place to be explored, objects to be collected, information to be gathered);
open scenario: the scenario describes the framework (places, characters not-players…) and some predetermined events (what the characters not-players do if the character-players do not prevent it, accidental events) and the players are free to act within this framework (several possible developments of the history);

according to the type of history:

police investigation;
exploration of a place: cave of a character, cave, “keep”, Carry-monster-treasure…
search;
escort, protection of a character, a good, guarding, exfiltration, rescue;
infiltration: espionage, burgling;
plot (assassination, campaign discredit) to go up or thwart;
to survive: to reach a safe place, to resist the attacks, drive out with the man;
…

Constitution of a scenario

Certain leaders of play very at ease with the improvisation can make a part with Juste a synopsis (a general line); the places and characters are invented progressively. But in majority of the cases have, a scenario is more detailed. Some scenarii are very detailed, others leave on the contrary more margin to the leader of play, which can then clarify the points itself during the preparation, or during the play while improvising.

Typically, a scenario includes/understands:

a synopsis, describing the screen;
an introduction;
a description of the important places, with possibly of the charts and plans;
a description of the characters important not-players, their characters, their motivations, like their characteristic;
a description of the screen: events which will proceed if the character-players do not intervene, interactions between the characters players and not-players, and specific rules of the game applicable in certain cases;
one or more outcome possible (the real outcome being able to be very different);
the “reward” which the characters players can obtain: financial, in the form of particular objects, social recognition (friendship, fame, debt towards them…), progression of the characters (for example Points of experiment in certain plays)…
the “pans” which they can recover: sworn enemy, bad reputation, sought by the authorities, debt towards a character not-player, disease or curse…

Introduction of the character-players

The character-players must have a motivation “to enter the history”. With leaders of play beginning, the other players should be understanding and agree to enter the history even if the introduction is not convincing.

In the case more opened, the players do not have a constraint and voluntarily decide to make such or such act, and find themselves mingled progressively with an intrigue. The leader of play, or the scenario, must then envisage several possible intrigues, or skilfully sail to introduce the intrigue without artifice too obvious.

If not, the traditional introductions are:

lure of gain: somebody proposes an amount of money or a good, a service, to carry out a mission, or the characters hear of attracting spoils;
the “good heart”: a character not-player is in distress and requires the assistance of the character-players; that can be a “weak” character (child, stereotype of the woman without defense), related to the character-players (family, friends, relation) or respected (main, celebrity);
obligation rising from the membership of an organization (professional obligation, voluntary engagement, Search): the character-players are police officers having to inquire, of the employees (private or civils servant) or of the members of a clergy, of a secret society, a secret service… charged to carry out a mission;
the character-players are mixed against their liking with events;
the character-players are forced: blackmail, removal of a close relation, they are carrying a disease and must find an antidote or to carry out an action exchanges some (see for example Los Angeles 2013 ), they are carrying a bomb with delayed-action (as in New York 1997 ), they is made prisoners and must escape or to carry out a mission in exchange of their freedom…
there also exists, for the laziest mj, a very simple possibility, which is to send the player to the ANPQ (National agency For the Searches) where a search will be delivered to them which it will have to carry out against a sum ofmoney (Nb: by measurement of convenience, it is interdict with whoever to take a new search before to have finished the first). In a general way, the ANPQ, or any other organization having for goal to bring together the applicants of searches and the people in the need are only one derived from " the taverne" , place running of meeting enters of the adventurers and the people requiring of the services the worlds of Donjons and Dragons.

Linearity

When one writes a news or a novel, the history proceeds in a given way; work is linear. The difficulty of the writing of a scenario of roleplay is to make it possible to diverge, to have several possible unfoldings, while keeping a dramatic interest.

The characters players start from an initial situation and have a goal to reach. On the basis of there, the writing of the scenario can allow freedoms more or less:

the event are connected in an irrevocable way, but the characters manage them with their own way; for example, if they progress in a building (or a “keep”), the order of the visited parts and made meetings is determined by their fitting; or, the characters undergo the actions of characters not-players or the natural events;
the history must pass by point-keys, but the order is free; for example, the characters must collect information, meet characters, collect objects to achieve their goal, but they have any freedom of organization;
the history must pass by point-keys, but there exist several ways between two point-keys; for example, a voyage comprises stages, but there exist several roads between each stage; or, the characters players must meet a character not-player or recover an object, but the manner of making is free (how to get information, locate the person or the object, to approach it…) ;
the history can comprise several possible outcomes.

Of course, the players being free to act within the framework of the rules, the history can always diverge and know various ends. But the fact of envisaging a certain number of options and point-keys makes it possible to preserve a narrative coherence without having to be too much interventionist.

Strings and stereotyped

In a rather astonishing way, the recourse to strings and processes well-worn are rather well tolerated by the players, contrary to other fields (such as for example films); the players appreciate even these stereotypes. One even can, for certain plays, to define a “scenario-type” (standard of history recurring), prototypes: to save the removed princess, to find a hidden treasure, to save the world…

Perhaps this tolerance comes owing to the fact that they live this adventure and are not “passive receivers”.

Countryside

A countryside , it is when parts of roleplay have a strong bond between them; the term comes from the “military countryside” which comprises several battles disctintes but within a common framework and with the same final goal.

Certain campaigns are in fact a long scenario being spread out over several parts. In other cases, it is about scenarii distinct but being located in the same universe, with recurring elements (protagonists, places…). A campaign can be spread out over three parts or of course several years.

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