There's been a few questions about the PRP tag, which means 'Player Run Plot'. Basically, it's a small plot, run by a player rather than a venue Storyteller. Anyone can do it, and we'd love for you to!
- PRPs should be submitted to the venue HST for approval prior to being opened
- PRPs generally earn XP for the character in the venue, with the rationale that running a plot takes away from IC posting opportunities
- PRPs should focus on minor events that aren't going to wreck the venue, or city, and should be self contained.
- PRPs should require minimal (hopefully zero) oversight from venue staff
- PRPs should have a limited cast (2-5 player characters)
So that's what a PRP is. How does one construct and run one?
The biggest trap in play by post that Stories fall into is running too long. With that in mind, I've personally found that the best small plots run between 3-7 Scenes. Remember, also, that a thread is a Scene, and should encompass a logical unit of time (an hour) or a location. A thread should not be representative of an event in it's entirety.
With that in mind, I'm going to break down one that I just ran. Not to toot my own horn, but because it's fresh in my mind First, the roadmap of threads, then I'll break it down:
Plot Dispensing & Planning
* [Crocodile Tears] Setting the Stage
* [Crocodile Tears] Reconnecting at Asylum
* [Crocodile Tears] Finessing a Contact
Exploration & Initial Attempt at Resolution
* [Crocodile Tears] Pruning the weeds
* [Crocodile Tears] Applying the Pesticide
* [PRP] [Crocodile Tears] Contact
Regrouping
* [Crocodile Tears] Launching Pad
* [Crocodile Tears] Dip It In A Dream
Resolution
* [Crocodile Tears] Rocky Mountain After Hours Club
* [Crocodile Tears] First Rule of Chocolate Club
* [C Tears] Midnight in the Garden of Blood & Fudge
As you can see, it ran over the Scene target, but 'Contact' was an Allies Glimpse, and the insertion of a new character (Peter Baldwin) added to the regrouping phase. Also, the finale split into multiple Scenes because the party split up, but they ran concurrently. Note that even with a fairly simple plot, the scenes and time dilated substantially:
- Plot opened March 23 and finished June 23rd (three months)
- 10 Scenes, not including the Allies or Comms threads
- Simple plot: Find out about A Thing, Handle A Thing (Find a mortal npc, stop him from doing what he's doing)
- 3 NPCs, not including the Plot Dispenser.
- Trap door: higher level characters in Organization could have cleaned up mess
Plot Dispensing & Planning
- Characters were hooked in by their Organizational level ties (Invictus)
- Characters were vetted for similar abilities (xp level, mix of powers)
- Carrots and sticks were presented with a bare bones presentation of the problem
- Characters then had dialog about how to approach a solution
Initial Attempt at Resolution
- Initial investigation phase
- Unplanned event (Vampire Frenzy) absorbed
Regrouping
- Characters absorb information, apply information to bare bones outline
- Characters allowed to advance through Allies usage. Allow characters to advance, even if something went wrong, or they didn't approach the problem as expected.
- Characters allowed to add new face to roster. If a player drops, let them add a new face. Or tone down the confrontation.
Resolution
- Characters resolve problem
- Unplanned events (Peter's absence, Jennifer's Torpor) absorbed
- This plot could have been closed with narration before Peter Baldwin set the fire. "You burn the building. Take Jennifer Hazelton home. Thug the guy that got away." So even though it continued, it had a defined endpoint. Don't be afraid to use narration.
- Secondary plot accounted for by insertion of body into van, stolen Priscus, and possible Breach witness
Final thoughts:
- Have fun. It should be fun for the director as well as the actors. I wrote a Glimpse for pure LOLs to entertain myself.
- Present the Story in a way that motivates the characters.
- Design a Story that includes elements of splat specific conflict. Ex. Will the Masquerade be Breached?
- Design a Story that can be resolved Social, Mental, and Physical characters. If it's weighted, present that up front so that characters don't feel useless.
Please, feel free to ask questions! PRPs are something we'd all like to see more of!