The Outline

Definition

The Outline is 250-300 words giving an overview of life in this Playset.

  • You'll describe the structure of society, how it's stratified and who's in control.

  • If it's not apparent from The Pitch, you might also describe where and when the Playset takes place.

  • Whether real or fictional (or a bit of both!), you might also include recent events and key history.

Intention

The utility of a Playset is that players don't have to create a world from scratch. This short section is your best opportunity to convey the fundamentals of the setting.

You should leave a few fun decisions for The Choices, so focus on the things that you believe are essential to it's success. Typically this means context ("what's going on?"), society ("how are we organised?") and strife ("what threatens the status quo?").

To that end, aim to create an unstable situation by the end of your Outline—a ruler deposed, a revolution brewing, a resource scarcity, etc. Things should feel tense and dangerous, even within the upper echelons of society that The Conspirators are a part of. The rise of The Knife from ruin to revenge is implausible within a stable, satisfied society—you need a little chaos for it to work.

Example

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