conjectural roleplaying gamemaster emulator

By Zach Best

What is CRGE?

The Conjectural Roleplaying Gamemaster Emulator (“CRGE”) is a supplement for any pen and paper roleplaying game to help facilitate the play of the game without a gamemaster (“GM”).

CRGE is universal. It was designed to be run with every standing genre in the tabletop roleplaying hobby because CRGE runs as an overlay for when the game system would require an answer from a GM. When the game system has objective answers to questions (“do I hit the enemy based on the enemy’s stats?”), CRGE easily moves out of the way.

CRGE is dynamic. A GM can use it to shake up his or her own world for her players. A group of players without a GM will find stories that may have never been told with a GM. A solo player can assume all the roles necessary to play a favorite RPG on her own.

CRGE is internet friendly. It was partially designed to incorporate play-by-post style roleplaying in addition to playing at the dining room table. CRGE gives guidance as to player’s turns, sharing “GM responsibility” through taking control of NPC’s, and even working in separate scenes.

When to use CRGE?

CRGE is used to answer binary questions that a player would normally ask a GM. CRGE answers these questions, sometimes with a twist. CRGE ultimately leads toward the unexpected. What good GM would not add some surprise in to the story to shake the players off the foreseen path? CRGE makes sure to emulate that GM tool of surprise.

In addition, CRGE has a framework where players take turns controlling the flow and scenes of the story. Nobody controls the game like a GM would, but players are given the chance to chase their own vision and make sure their player characters (“PC’s”) have some of the limelight.

Conjecture

“Is the door locked?” This is a very simple question applicable to many RPG adventures. It’s answer seems very simple, but the simple answer ripples outward toward many other follow-up inquiries.

Why was the door locked? Who locked it? How difficult would it be to pick the lock? In an office building where PC’s are breaking in to Mr. Bad CEO’s office to steal important data, many of the answers fall in to obvious place because the door would probably locked for corporate security purposes.. When the PC’s are in an abandoned manor that appears to have been untouched for decades a locked door can make things very interesting.

Conjecture is the foundation of all Conjecture Games supplements. The world grows as players ask simple follow up questions to randomly rolled facts. With the context and the new facts, the logical and imaginative mind begins to fill in all the betweens, and a living world begins to emerge. The mind creatively tries to fill the gaps between the points of data.

Using conjecture as a vehicle for imagination is by far the most important aspect of CRGE.

Mechanics Primer (in order of appearance)

Loom of Fate – the binary GM emulator, which answers questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”.

Stage of the Scene – the variable based on the dramatic stage of the story that determines the amount of randomness in the scene.

Surge Count – an increasing counter that pushes answers towards the unexpected in the Loom of Fate.

Unexpectedly Modifier – a modifier rolled from the Loom of Fate that changes the gameplay in unexpected ways.

Scene – a discrete moment in time where the PC’s are played.

Thread – a plot device that helps to record interesting storylines.

The Loom of Fate

Binary Gamemaster CRGE Module

The entirety of CRGE revolves around the Loom of Fate table. It is a table to answer yes/no questions normally given to a GM. However, not all answers are binary, and sometimes the unexpected takes over. The Binary GM Emulator can be used in games without a GM, or if a GM wants to give up control of a scene the Binary GM Emulator can be overlaid in that instance.

Determine the stage of the scene. Ask the question “where are we heading?” to determine either To Knowledge, To Conflict, or To Endings. See pg. 16, Stage of the Scene, for more discussion.
Ask a question having a “yes” or “no” answer. Roll a d100 (or 2 d10 dice with one die being the 10’s) and add or subtract the Surge Count (see pg. 8) to get a response from Table 1. If the “and unexpectedly” result is rolled then continue to Step 3. Otherwise go to Step 4.

Table 1: Loom of Fate

Roll d100.

Result	To Knowledge	To Conflict	To Endings
Yes, and unexpectedly	96-100	99-100	100
Yes, but	86-95	95-98	99
Yes, and	81-85	85-94	81-98
Yes	51-80	51-84	51-80
No	21-50	17-50	21-50
No, and	16-20	7-16	3-20
No, but	6-15	3-6	2
No, and unexpectedly	1-5	1-2	1

Unexpectedly. Roll a d20 to gain an unexpected modifier from Table 2 if “Yes, and unexpectedly” or “No, and unexpectedly” are rolled from Table 1. See pg. 10 for explanations.
Interpret the Results. If the binary response (yes or no) is modified answer that as well according to the following:

And – this modifier reinforces the response of “yes” or “no”.
But – this modifier diminishes the response of “yes” or “no”.
And Unexpectedly – this modifies the answer, the scene, or the whole game.

Table 2	Unexpectedly	roll	d20	see pg.	10	for	explanations
1	foreshadowing	6	to knowledge	11	limelit	16	cross-stitch
2	tying off	7	framing	12	entering the red	17	six degrees
3	to conflict	8	set change	13	to endings	18	re-roll/reserved
4	costume change	9	upstaged	14	montage	19	re-roll/reserved
5	key grip	10	pattern change	15	enter stage left	20	re-roll/reserved

Follow Up. Ask the question “why?” or “how?” or another pertinent question relating to the interpretation. Answer this question on your own (without rolling on the Loom of Fate). This is also a good time to move the narrative forward, if possible. If the asking player has a strong gut reaction to the answer, go with that. If things are still not clear then consider asking the Loom of Fate the follow-up questions.

The Surge Count

The Surge Count is an additional rule on top of the Loom of Fate, which is used to push the game towards the unexpected.

When the Loom of Fate is asked a question and the result is a plain “yes” or “no”, use a notecard or a d20 and add two (2) to the notecard or d20 after the question is resolved. This is the Surge Count.

When a Loom of Fate question is asked add or subtract the current Surge Count from the d100 roll. If the d100 roll is above 50 then add the Surge Count to the result. If the d100 is 50 or lower, subtract the Surge Count from the roll. Then, if the answer is anything other than plain “yes” or “no”, reset the Surge Count. If the resulting answer is just “yes” or “no” add another two (2) to the Surge Count.

Any result outside the range of the table (roll of 3 minus a Surge Count of 6) is automatically treated as a corresponding “and unexpectedly” result.

Narrative Momentum

The most important aspect to using the Loom of Fate is knowing when to start asking questions and when to stop. On one hand the Loom of Fate can be asked for every minute detail. Are there more than six patrons in the tavern? Is the fire burning brightly? Is tonight’s dinner lamb? Gruel? Do the floor grains run perpendicular to the bar? Asking questions in the Loom of Fate can quickly get out of hand.

If a stage is being set it is okay to ask multiple questions in a row. However, once the ball gets rolling and certain facts start becoming likely, don’t stand in the way with more questions. Ask a question and then move the narrative based on the answer (See Follow- Up Facts below) before asking more questions. Additional questions to clarify are often necessary, but asking many questions in a row usually grinds game momentum down to a halt.

Probabilities and Being “Fair”

The Loom of Fate operates on a 50% chance of the answer being “yes” or “no” with some twists, of course. If the probability of an answer being known is “very likely” (a very scientific amount) the game will play much faster if the question is not asked to the Loom of Fate. There will always be more questions to change the course of the game. However, it is up to the player in deciding whether to ask a question with a “very likely” answer because the story may go in an interesting direction.

There will also be moments where your gut is answering “yes” but you want to be fair. Your rational mind is telling you that it isn’t that simple. If you do feel conflicted, use the Loom of Fate.

However, when the answer goes in the opposite direction be much harder on the follow up. Instead of just asking “why?” also consider asking the question “why not?” For example, if you (the player) really thought the intruder was a zombie, but the Loom of Fate says “no” try and spin what facts you have to answer the question “why not?” Perhaps a zombie-killing NPC has unexpectedly returned.

Follow-Up Facts

Once the game has a strong story momentum, ask a question from the Loom of Fate, record the answer, and then create a few obvious follow-up facts. These follow-up facts are just as important as an answer from the Loom of Fate. For example, if the Loom of Fate says that Mr. Bad CEO’s office door is not locked, a follow-up fact might be that the cleaning crew is around. If the Triad is not chasing the PC’s, decide who is chasing them. There will be a point of conjecture where the answers seem to have a life of their own. A feeling of pattern recognition occurs where all the answers seem pre-ordained to mean one thing. The gut feeling is overwhelming. Take that point and run with it. That is the subconscious finally making sense of all the randomness, and it will create a very strong sense of definition for the game.

Chipping Questions and Cutting Questions

Picture a gem in the middle of a rock. You can carefully chip around the edges of the rock, or you can cut right down the middle to the prize. In CRGE this is a helpful analogy for asking Loom of Fate questions. Do you chip away or cut right to the core?

It’s important to understand the benefits of direct cutting answers. In Star Wars, I have Luke battling Darth Vader, and I ask “is Darth Vader Luke’s father?” That question is going to swing the story in extremes. Even if the answer is “no”, it can cut off a large part of “could be’s”, or it can swing my other questions in unforeseen directions.

Compare that to the chipping answers in a direction towards the above cutting question, such as: “was Darth Vader a Jedi?”, “is he human?”, “did he know my uncle?”, “has he ever been to Tatooine?” Finally the follow-up fact of “well he must be Luke’s father” just makes sense. There’s a lot more dancing around, and the chipping answers might have never arrived at Darth Vader being Luke’s father.

Just like knowing when to ask a question, knowing how direct to ask a question is also a matter of balance and style. A good balance is to always ask questions straight from your subconscious (gut-feeling questions) whether chipping or cutting, and when trying to think of questions, ask a few chipping questions, then lunge for something with a cutting question.

The “genre” of the game is also influential in determining how direct to be in asking questions. In a pulp game where pro-action is forefront, direct questions should be the norm. In a mystery, a multitude of slower chipping questions would be better.

Player vs. Gamemaster

One of the hardest issues with a GM emulator is separating player knowledge from player-character (PC) knowledge. Meta-gaming is where a player has a PC act solely on player knowledge. For CRGE, the easy thing to do is only find answers to questions the PC would know. However, this does not lend itself well to momentum or creating a rich story or world. Again, it’s a balance.

For example, I can ask “is there an assassin in the crowd?” I get “yes”. Then I need to decide whether my PC knows or not. I can do this with the Loom of Fate, with an RPG system’s rule (roll a spot check), or just assume. If my PC fails to notice the assassin, I have to split my role as PC controller and GM. I become the GM to facts unknown by my PC, and with an acting fact, such as an assassin, a lot of game movement can occur before my PC can react. These make for some very tense moments.

What if the question was based on an “unexpectedly” roll of Entering the Red (see pg. 10). My character might live in a world of danger, but I have no idea who would want to assassinate my character. Does my character know? I can choose to stop the immediate action to deeply color the assassin. I can create the assassin’s order, history, and strengths and weaknesses.

Perhaps then in the immediate action, where the assassin attacks, my character crits the assassin and kills the assassin dead. Did I waste my time with all the depth to the assassin? In one sense I did and the present story did not move forward much at all. That’s fair enough. In another sense, I have a much richer world. I now know all about the assassin’s order, I probably have a good idea why they were after my character (even if just hired). I have quite an in-depth part of the world for use later on. A future string of Loom of Fate questions might lead me right back towards the assassin’s order or why the PC must die.

Ultimately, choosing the amount of depth is a question each player can only answer for themselves, but it is a question that is good to answer before huge tangents are made in to things the PC wouldn’t instantly perceive. Do you, the player, want to move forward with the PC now or deepen the world?

Unexpectedly Explanations

Scenes and threads are discussed under the sub-heading Conjured Threads (see pg. 15). Otherwise interpret the Unexpectedly modifier with what makes sense. The terms and definitions should be read liberally. The player that was in control of asking the question of the Loom of Fate is in control of any decision making with regard to the unexpectedly modifiers unless otherwise stated.

If the current scene (or the next scene) has already been burdened by too many “unexpectedly” rolls from the Loom of Fate then feel free to ignore any further unexpectedly modifiers until a clean scene is started.

Cross-stitch – choose another thread to be the main thread for the rest of the scene.

Entering the Red – threat of danger or combat arrives. The premise of the scene gets more dangerous in a way that forces the PC’s to respond by leaving, fighting, or taking their chances.

Enter Stage Left – a PC or NPC (new or pre-existing) arrives fresh in the scene.

Costume Change – an NPC drastically changes their mind, motivations, alliances, etc. for better or worse. This could be a big story reveal or a simple change of heart.

Foreshadowing – set a thread to be the main thread for the next scene. The current scene should then start wrapping up and heading towards the next scene.

Framing – an NPC (new or pre-existing) or object becomes critical to the main thread.

Key Grip –set the location or general elements for the next scene. The current scene should then start wrapping up and heading towards the next scene.

Limelit – the rest of the scene goes great for the PC’s. Assume that the majority of the questions pertaining to the main thread with regard to the scene are answered in a way that benefits the PC’s.

Montage – the timeframe of the scene changes to a montage of actions set across various scenes to move forward.

Pattern Change – the main thread gets modified, drastically. Whatever direction the main thread was heading, make a hard left. Use a generator, such as Rory’s Story Cubes, tarot cards or a random Wikipedia page, as necessary.

Reroll / Reserved – these slots are reserved for specific “GM actions” found in an RPG system, such as a compel action in the FATE system. Specific examples can be found at conjecturegames.com.

Set Change – scene continues in another location. The current thread remains as much as makes sense.

Six Degrees – a meaningful, but not always positive, connection forms between two PC’s and/or NPC’s.

To Endings – the next scene resolves or substantially moves forward a thread of your choosing. Set the main elements of the next scene, and start heading toward them in this scene.

To Conflict – the next scene centers on a conflict of your choosing. Set the main elements of the next scene, and start heading toward them in this scene.

To Knowledge – the next scene centers on lore or investigation of your choosing. Set the main elements of the next scene, and start heading toward them in this scene.

Tying Off – the main thread resolves or substantially moves forward in this scene by narrative decree. This does not mean that the main thread cannot create follow-up threads.

Upstaged – an NPC makes a big move. If the NPC has any motivations, plot vectors, or goals they go into overdrive.

Conjured Threads

Story Indexing CRGE Module

The Loom of Fate answers questions, and it is easy enough to run a game only using the Loom of Fate and an RPG. However, there are two story elements in CRGE that act to help define and focus on certain elements of the story. They are Scenes and Threads.

Scenes

Scenes are the storytelling bread and butter of roleplaying games. They exist so that the PC’s can have a place to act. Real life has scenes of a person standing at a bus stop, choosing which ice cream to buy, or running out of toilet paper. These are not the most exciting examples of a story. Role-playing game scenes are usually akin to scenes in a play, movie, or video game. where there is a reason for placing the audience at the scene. In a GM-run roleplaying game, the GM usually will only include scenes pertinent to some facet of the story, even if that scene is just meant to get the PC’s talking to one another.

Similarly in CRGE, each scene has purpose, usually defined by a “thread”. Scenes do not necessarily need to move the grand plot, campaign, chronicle, etc., but each scene will have something to tell or some reason for being. Something interesting to the thread or notable to the PC is about to happen.

Threads

A thread is a plot device that focuses the story. Many threads are questions. What was taken off the beach? Who inhabits the island? Other threads involve PC desires such as “taking revenge” or “finding the McGuffin”. Threads weave together to become a larger story.

For example in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, threads might be: (a) Jack Sparrow needs a ship, (b) Will loves Elizabeth, (c) What is the Curse?, (d) Jack Sparrow wants the Black Pearl, and (e) ending the Curse. Some of the threads could be resolved in a scene, such as Jack Sparrow stealing a ship. Ending the Curse and Jack Sparrow getting the Black Pearl ship took the whole movie. The thread “Will Loves Elizabeth” took three movies to settle.

Threads usually take at least one scene to resolve. They are not one-shot questions. If they are questions they require multiple steps to solve or investigate. Threads change as parts of their story unfolds, and as threads evolve they can offshoot new threads.

In CRGE the players keep track of threads to create a story. When a player starts a scene that player promotes one thread as the main thread of the scene. This does not mean other threads are ignored, but it does mean that significant story steps are taken towards the exploration or resolution of the main thread.

Players are also tasked with finding and naming threads as the story evolves. If answers from the Loom of Fate are explored (keep asking “why?”) the game will quickly find new threads.

It is usually a good idea to balance the resolution and creation of threads. Roughly five (5) active threads will be a good number for an expansive story, but allow for each player to have created at least one for themselves or their PC.

Stage of the Scene

The combination of a scene with the thread will lead towards story. Each main thread of the scene sets the stage of that scene with regard to the Loom of Fate chart. These stages are not in a set order. A thread that was just created could be so defined that its only stage is “To Endings”. It is up to the player to decide on the stage based on what questions will be the focus of the scene.

To Knowledge – use if the main thread is new and just beginning to be explored to create a lot of surprises.

The focus of the questions should be one of information gathering. The goal of this stage is to gain as many facts as possible to provide for a good base moving forward. However, this does not mean that conflict or resolution are absent.

To Conflict – use if the main facts of the thread are known so that this stage cements the facts and pushes the story forward.

The focus of the questions should be one of finding conflict. Do not avoid questions that have answers that might create problems. Conflict drives story! New information will very likely come up, and there is no reason a thread cannot be resolved in this stage (or any other).

To Endings – use if the main thread is nearing the end of its journey, which keeps things simple as the story heads towards falling action and resolution.

In this stage, the amount of Loom of Fate questions should be less than usual. The goal of this stage is to promote PC action towards resolution of a thread.

The Point of Origin

The first scene can be the hardest. There are no threads, and the PC is standing in a virtual white room. Where do you go?

It is a good idea to have an idea of the story you want told before starting. Find a plot hook in your favorite sourcebook. Take a famous movie or book, and twist it into your favorite roleplaying setting. Some RPG systems have features built in such as “quests” or “aspirations” that the PC has to move things forward.

If you start with context and momentum in play, the game will take off much faster than creating the game out of nothingness. Even if a sandbox-style play is the goal, starting with a certain point of origin does not mean that the origin controls the whole game (see Appendix II, pg. 28). Consider it more of an opening scene in a movie, which may have little to do with the plot except introduce the story and characters.

Main and Non-Main Threads

Each scene has a required main thread. This main thread is required for two reasons: (1) to answer the question “why are we playing this scene?”, and (2) to be modified by the Loom of Fate unexpectedly modifiers. The latter reason is a mechanical one within the CRGE system.

The intended focus of the scene is on the main thread, and players should generally acknowledge that focus. If the main thread is “Jack Sparrow needs a ship”, the Loom of Fate questions should be aimed generally in that direction. However, there may be overlap. Jack Sparrow could, for example, leverage Will’s love for Elizabeth to get Will’s help in taking a ship, which may modify that non-main thread.

Non-main threads should always be considered when interpreting the answers to the Loom of Fate. If you are bookkeeping well with all the threads laid out on the table, the answers might be right before you! At the end of each scene (see Fade Out below), every active thread should be briefly considered with the scene that just happened.

Other Notes on Threads

There is no proper length for a thread. At its shortest a thread can last a scene. A thread can also be the entire reason for the PC. The main quality of a thread, however, is it’s mutability. A short thread (Jack Sparrow needs a ship) can lead directly to another short thread (Jack Sparrow needs a crew). A long thread’s name can shift to reflect that the thread is slowly being resolved (Will Loves, Hates, and Distrusts Elizabeth).

While threads can be created from the PC’s point of view or the player’s point of view, threads ultimately represent a story that the player wants to explore. For example, in the assassin example from the Player vs. Gamemaster section (pg. 9), the player may decide that some part of the assassin’s history has created a really interesting thread. All the PC understood was that there was an assassin, and it took a crit to the face. By making a thread based on the player knowledge, the player is basically saying that the PC will learn more through the story focus on the assassin. If there are other players at the table, they will understand this as well.

Threads do not need to have answers or resolutions. The rule of thumb is to ride out a thread as long as it is interesting. Some threads fray. It’s just that simple. The game finds story momentum and takes off, and some “paths not taken” just get left behind. It is a good idea to consider these threads before removing them from play. They could still affect the story or get roped in to another active thread, but if the world has moved on, pitch ‘em. More threads will definitely get made.

Fade In

When a scene is opened, the scene controller should be explicit in sharing the vision of her scene. If the scene controller has a strong vision, it should be shared. Otherwise return to the Loom of Fate to draw borders around the edges.

For example, the PC’s are heading to confront a vampire whose hunting ground is a nightclub. The scene controller chooses the scene location “the night club” and the thread “chasing down the vampire”. She imagines heavy-thumping techno, lots of strobe lights, and a line out the door with a hardened bouncer. A good rule of thumb is to springboard off the scene controller’s vision, and then start to chip away at anything stereotypical. For example the Loom of Fate can be asked if the bouncer is subject to bribes or flirtations.

If the scene controller doesn’t have a hard vision then start to rope off boundaries of the scene by going around the table asking a few Loom of Fate questions.

Fade Out

When a scene ends, wrap it up with regards to the main thread and other threads. If the Loom of Fate kills a scene with an unexpectedly modifier (or otherwise) move on or fast forward with a montage of actions to quickly end the scene. Then ask the following questions: Did the scene modify a thread? Did it split any thread? Do any new threads replace old threads?

Do not rush to the next scene. The small amount of time taken to wrap up a scene, do a bit of bookkeeping, and make sure all the threads are in order will pay off big time. Take a moment to reflect on what just happened. It’s not good to realize three scenes later that the table missed an important part of a thread.

The One Rule

Everything here is guidance. It’s a system that works one way, but that doesn’t mean that it has to work only that way. Perhaps your favorite game system has heavy guidance to scenes or character activities, then lessen the role of Threads. Perhaps you want some surprise, but not that much. Throw out the Surge Count or narrow down the Unexpectedly Modifiers to your liking. If you want the thread’s story structure to be different, set the stages of the scene backwards. CRGE merely provides a handful of tools to make it easier to have GM-free tabletop roleplaying.

CRGE Scene Setup

A scene in CRGE is a specific portion of the roleplaying game having necessary elements:

(a) the scene must have at least a scene controller’s PC;
(b) the scene must have a main thread;
(c) the main thread must set the stage of the scene;
(d) the scene must have a location; and
(e) the scene will likely have other PC’s or NPC’s.

Choose the order of play. Each player will get a turn to be the scene controller. Clockwise is a good default, or choose a static order of players (e.g., alphabetical order or youngest to oldest). For solo players: congratulations, you control every scene.
Choose the main thread, stage of the scene, and scene location. The scene controller has absolute power in this regards. However, suggestions by other players are welcome, and any threads that could also become part of the scene should be noted.
Choose which PC’s and NPC’s will be instantly present. The main rule is a scene controller’s PC must be present. Everything else is optional including other PC’s. If the players are unsure if an NPC (or PC) would be present, consult the Loom of Fate as necessary.
Play out the scene. Be sure to watch for things that will affect the main thread in addition to the thing that might affect other threads.
Close the scene. The most important thing to ask when closing is “what effect did this scene just have?” Pay careful attention to how the scene affected the main thread and any other or new threads.

Bookkeeping

Notecards are possibly the best friend to any RPG table. It’s helpful to have them in abundance so they can be made, edited, and recycled at a whim.

Each thread and scene should have its own notecard. Put the name of the thread or scene at the top, and then put notes below it. On a thread notecard good things to keep track of in addition to the facts that “answer” the thread are visited scenes, related NPC’s, and the stage of the thread. On a scene notecard note all the information from the necessary elements above. Lay out each notecard on the table so that it is visible. Put a marker, such as a poker chip, on the main thread.

Individual notecards are also great for important things that accrue a lot of facts, such as NPC’s, McGuffins, or locations.

A lot of success in bookkeeping GM-free games also comes from using dry erase boards, mats, or cards. This allows for table space for map layouts as well. Some players just use a computer or a notebook. Personal wiki software or GM software, such as Zim Desktop Wiki or The Keep, can also help maintain very deep, connected records of the game.

In a group, the default is to take turns with scene setup. This gives players time to each control their PC’s story, personal quest, or aspirations. A player should only create a scene, with a thread, that their PC is directly tied to. Even with the responsibility placed on a single player, that role is not in a vacuum. The scene controller should feel free to collaborate or corroborate any decision making.

Not every scene requires every PC. With group play there is usually some sort of “party” to keep players together so that a GM, in a conventional game, would not be splitting everything up. With CRGE, players whose PC is not present in the scene is still very much part of the game. They can ask questions of the world. They can take control of NPC’s. They can still collaborate in the storytelling.

Collaboration is the key to a multiplayer CRGE game, but it does not mean a unified mind. Players are going to ask questions that perhaps other players didn’t want asked. These are still actual decisions and facts. They must be taken in to consideration. If one player finds out through the Loom of Fate that the thing lurking outside is a slugman (assuming proper for the game’s setting), it is thus. Other players might expound on that fact making it a friendly slugman or a wounded slugman. However, the pre-existing fact cannot be simply overwritten or ignored.

Meeting of Minds

It is also part of the social contract to play within the accepted social and cultural boundaries of the game. Many games have many different themes that can be explored, and it is a good idea when setting up a multiplayer CRGE game to make sure that everybody is on the same page. Players may wish to create a list with a focus column and banned column of themes, ideas, etc.

The goal of roleplaying is to create and have fun, and each player should be promoting another player’s fun as much as their own. Like a GM, each player in CRGE has a responsibility for all other players. The game can only benefit when a player acts unselfishly in creating stories. For instance, it is a great idea to pick up the mantle of an NPC important to the player’s PC so that the PC can have a multiplayer discussion, rather than a single player playing as both NPC and PC for a conversation.

Storyspinning

Frameworks for the Tales to be Told

Stories, Stories from Threads

The basic format in roleplaying can often be to just keep going. Start the party in a tavern, and then head out to find adventure in the whole wide world. In CRGE it can be much the same. Continue following Thread after Thread and the stories can continue indefinitely. This can be the sandbox that never ends.

Much of the time the indefinite continuity in RPG’s is broken up in to “campaigns” or “chronicles”, which are large stories sometimes running the life of the game. These can be further broken down in to things like “arcs”, “chapters”, etc. The lexicology for discrete units of story goes far and wide in the roleplaying hobby.

While stories in CRGE can be run under any of these monikers, CRGE also operates under story frameworks to keep everybody on the same page, including a solo player unaware where the game is going to go. This is not the same as deciding on the story ahead of time, but it is acknowledging that when the framework concludes that discrete unit of the story should close (helpful also to XP rewards). For example, it was understood that each Harry Potter book would occur in one school year even if the adventure during the year was unknown.

Hooks

A big mechanical feature of CRGE frameworks are the obscured hooks, which subtly guide the story. They can oblique such as a framework where the protagonist dies in the first scene and then you assume the role of the killer. Another hook might be where you aspire to have a certain scene with your PC, such as meeting royalty. Why would your PC meet royalty? Who knows! But, you can get there by continuing to keep the desired hook in mind. It doesn’t even have to be a thread, but it can be if you want it to be more concrete.

Frameworks are where CRGE substantially departs from sandbox gaming. Frameworks are where discrete stories are going to be told. They guide the story without rails. In the vignette framework the hooks are the dramatic structure.

Vignette Framework

The basic finite framework of CRGE is to determine a single waylay, theme, or question within the setting. Examples: in Wild Talents it could be the waylay of finding a nemesis’s hideout, in Earthdawn it could be the theme of kaer discovery, or in Werewolf: the Apocalypse it could be the question of what is it like learning a new gift from a spirit. Whatever the case, the framework should follow that subject, and there has to be a finality to the subject.

The vignette framework occurs within approximately three scenes or small acts:

Exposition - The first scene should be the scene that sets the PC’s on the path to finding the answer. Even though this is the exposition scene, it is still a scene that is being played. Make the scene dramatic from the start, and focus the questions on setting the stage for the rest of the arc.
Rising Action - By the end of the Exposition scene there will be a handful of threads to explore (including any from previous adventures). Pick one that makes most sense towards the theme. Again, this is a dramatic vignette – a slice of life where something happens. Things should be heading towards some conflict or challenge, and the questions you want to ask are the troublesome ones that take you straight towards that conflict or challenge of the theme.
Climax - This is the scene where answers are found, the conflict is met, or the challenge is overcome. Threads should be fighting for the limelight, and pick the one that will lead towards closure.
(Optional) Epilogue - Wrap things up in a montage-style format for this “scene”, as necessary. Narrate any fall-out.

After that, use the framework again, but with a new focus. The hideout has been found. What has the nemesis been up to? The kaer has been discovered. What horrors or survivors are found therein? The gift has been learned. What tale can stem from the spirit’s problems or using the gift? Consider each cycle of the framework to be a chapter.

It is critical to understand that this framework, and frameworks in general, do not owe allegiance to a single thread. In the vignette framework a new thread may be the main thread for each of the three scenes, or there might be one thread for all the scenes. It is best to decide which active thread is most pertinent at the time of needing the thread.

Follow what makes sense for scene’s direction. If at the beginning of the Rising Action scene the scene abruptly ends, this does not mean the next scene must be the Climax scene.

This goes for any “and unexpectedly” derailments. If there are a multiple threads that must be followed in the Rising Action sequence so that multiple scenes are required to tie them all together for the Climax, then follow the Rising Action in a small act of multiple scenes. If another Exposition scene is required because the threads in the first scene just weren’t there, there is nothing stopping another Exposition scene.

The idea of the vignette framework is that there is somehow going to be a short arc with heading and finality. If the Exposition scene is wrapping up, it is known that things are heading towards a Rising Action, even if the particulars aren’t known. At the final scene it is known that the vignette’s theme is going to end even if the entire story is just beginning.

Origins of CRGE

The vignette framework was the idea that became the first concrete element of CRGE. I was unhappy with my meandering solo RPG play because, unlike in a GM-run RPG, there never seemed to be a conclusion. Things were more like real life where the “sandbox” never ended. The “sandbox” play is totally valid, but I needed something more conclusive and dramatic for my own solo RPG play.

At the time, I was using Mythic, and my idea was to use the framework of a “Three Scene RPG”, which also had a nice ring to it. That way I could play so many of my RPG’s. I could run a tale of the Arab Spring in Cairo with Werewolf: the Apocalypse, and then I could fly in to Atomic Robo RPG with a brainstormed session involving Mayan pyramids and the vampire dimension. All the story hooks in the Monster Manuals and friends could be utilized!

I then moved onward from this Three Scene RPG to see how I could use the dramatic structure and finite story chunks in a whole GM emulator system. The culmination was CRGE.

Gamebooks

CRGE