This past Sunday I wrote a thread on Twitter I thought might be worth posting in a clearer format here. We’re putting out the casting call soon for [REDACTED] so I needed to pull together the campaign synopsis, which is one of my favourite exercises for a new campaign. They are an absolute necessity for actual plays, ensuring everyone is on the same page coming into the project. But I used to do them for my non-AP campaigns as well, it’s a great tool for player buy-in and a point at which to start discussions in the Session Zero.
But writing a synopsis if great for *me* as well, because it helps me focus on only the most important details. If I have to be concise, what aspects of my campaign are vital for a potential player to understand and get a feel for what we’ll be playing? I can’t tell them everything up front (ssssecrets!), but I want to give applicants enough information that, if they are cast, they don’t feel they were mislead about the campaign when we get to Session Zero. And of course I want applicants who are excited for the particular brand of whiskey we’ll be imbibing together.
Here’s what I included in my synopsis:
- summary statement
- campaign details
- media touchstones
- content warnings
- character death
- about the game system
Let’s expand on these.
Summary Statement
I start with a few lines describing the central idea of the campaign, with as much of the tone and overall feel as I can. It helps me to think of this as the back cover blurb on a TTRPG book; if the player picked up this book in a game store, what would I say to grab their interest? I keep myself under 100 words because concision is key here. Not only is there plenty of time to expand later once the shoe is cast but keeping it this tight forces me to really think about what is most important in communicating the game’s themes. This part more than any other will also be useful later when we begin marketing and promoting the show.
Campaign Details
The name of the campaign, the type of game and which game system we’re using, the basic setting, and how many players I’m casting. In this case I also mentioned the possibility of guest players, and talked about aspects of how the show will be produced (live-stream versus pre-recorded, other media elements, costumes or no, etc).
Basically, the nuts and bolts of what we are doing together as a cast. Along with questions later in the casting form, this helps give applicants an idea of their time commitment and let’s them decide if what we’re doing is interesting to them. Hopefully more than interested, my goal is to get four players who are as excited about the campaign as I am.
Media Touchstones
What media inspirations am I drawing on for this campaign? Listing them is a great shorthand to let players know more about mood, setting, themes, cultural influence, and so on. As an example, while in the campaign description I said it was a horror game, horror is a broad umbrella. Listing both Alien and Event Horizon as media touchstones, however, gives players a better sense of what kind of horror I want to incorporate. And specificity is good! A player may have no issues with ghostly horror, but bounce hard off slasher horror.
Not everyone watches movies a bunch, but may read voraciously. So I also try to include multiple media types: books, TV, movies, music, as well as what cultures I might draw upon. In my case, while we are dealing with the Fae in this campaign, culturally I am drawing on specifically Scottish folklore and traditions, as opposed to the Irish, Welsh, Scandinavian, etc.
Content Warnings
This campaign is running on Exquisite Corpse Presents and they are an excellent channel, so safety tools are a mandatory part of all productions. But because this is a horror game and I am telling stories around themes particular to Fae folklore, there are certain aspects I know will be part of the campaign ahead of time. This is where I list those, so players for whom those are definite Lines can make an informed decision about applying. While this might decrease the number of applicants overall, I would rather not waste anyone’s time later on or accidentally place them in a situation which is not safe for them. Better they opt out now rather than be forced to opt out at Session Zero.
And you don’t have to be running a horror game to do this. If insects are an integral part of your game/campaign, mention it here; folks with phobias will thank you. Maybe you’ll have themes around adoption or abandonment in your game. Mention it here so potential applicants who might be working through some of that stuff in real life can decide if they want to engage with it on screen.
I don’t specifically mention safety tools in this section because the form mentions them later on. But this would be an excellent spot to include them if they aren’t mentioned elsewhere. Of all the sections, I think this is the one in which you want to be as detailed as you can.
Character Death
I like to be as explicit as possible about this up front. In some games it won’t be an issue, so I would say that. In my game I felt it important for applicants to know that it’s on the table. But also, under what circumstances it might occur.
If the campaign is going to be a “let the dice fall where they may, death comes on swift, silent wings” situation, say that. If character death is not necessarily permanent, mention that. If character death can be avoided or delayed somehow, mention that. As with content warnings, this is a time to be as explicit as possible. Next to content, I think this topic is one which is the most polarizing for players, so give them as much information ahead of applying as you can.
About the Game System
This is where I talk about the game system we’re using and what changes I am making to it, if any. This can include restrictions in character creation (no bards or aboleths!), a change in the game’s base setting (Call of Cthulhu but in the 1620s) or any special leveling rules (only on non-consecutive days with a “T”). Since we’re live-streaming, if I know that the audience is going to affect game play somehow I would mention that here; not everyone likes to play a game where viewers can muck things about.
Again, I want to give applicants as much information as I can so they can make an informed decision about applying or not. It would be a shame to have someone apply to join my Call of Cthulhu game with their heart set on sweet Prohibition-era Mythos, if we’re 300 years earlier.
If there are problematic aspects of the game system, this is also where I talk about how we plan to mitigate those aspects. Keeping Call of Cthulhu as my example, the sanity mechanic is still a clumsy and ableist method of representing the effect the Mythos has on characters. I don’t use it, so here I would tell players that, and talk about what we might use in its place.
I didn’t include a section discussing accommodations for folks who might need them, because the application form covers that already. If it didn’t, it should be included here. Ensuring your applicants know what accommodations can be made for disability is important. Think about your campaign through a disability lens to make it as inclusive as possible for all involved.
And that’s pretty much it. There are details you may need to include particular to your campaign, so no list like this will be comprehensive. But this will get you started. Even if you aren’t planning an actual play anytime soon, I highly recommend doing this for your next home game. I think your players will appreciate it, and it will help get your campaign off to a great start.