Roleplaying Games and Story Structure, Part 2

Let's talk about story structure first.

Roleplaying games are best defined as "episodic." Episodic structure is the same kind of story structure most TV shows use (remember, they're called episodes?) to do their thing. Of all forms of art and entertainment, I find RPGs best fit in this format more than any other, so let's investigate what episodic format is first.

Stories with an episodic structure tend to have the following traits:

• The same characters developing over the course of many stories
• Many small recurring characters, both enemies and allies
• Each episode contains a main plot and one or more subplots, resolved within a natural period of time.
• Smaller episode contributing to a larger plot developed over a season
• Over several seasons, the main plots of previous seasons may resolve an even larger story
  

Some shows that make good use of these principles are Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and 24. Most sitcoms do not fall into this category: Sitcoms function only if the characters do not grow. For instance, Seinfeld's writers were wizards at tying together multiple plotlines over the course of an episode, but the characters did not mature over the course of the show's run (which of course led naturally to the humor).

So, let's look at these individually:

• The same characters developing over the course of many stories

Okay, that one's easy. That's what we do. The PCs develop both in terms of skill set and in terms of the player understanding them, seeing their world.

• Many small recurring characters, both enemies and allies

In a good game, we know of the importance of recurring NPCs. They're useful love interests, villains, henchmen, comic relief, and allies in the good fight. This one's easy, though just take a look at it and see how it fits in with the other aspects of an episodic campaign.

• Each episode contains a main plot and one or more subplots, resolved within a natural period of time.
  

Here's where things get real, and here's where I turn into the lecturer. Each session of an RPG campaign should have a main plot or story. In writing terms, this is called the A plot. The A plot is the major thing that must be resolved before the characters can continue on with their lives. There are usually two subplots called (creatively) the B plot and C plot. Often, a C plot involves character growth or backstory development (and so sometimes we see a minor resolution in character growth), and usually a B plot is connected to the A plot - either as a solution to the otherwise insoluble A plot or as a problem springing from it.

• Individual episodes contributing to a larger plot developed over a season

Now things get tougher: Potentially, any one of the plot lines in an individual episode present a "piece of the puzzle" for an entire "season." Even the lowly C plot can occasionally provide an important clue for later. Essentially, a season has an A plot, B plot, and C plot all of its own. Just as mentioned above, a B plot it usually the solution to or cause resulting from a B plot and a C plot is typically character driven.

• Over several seasons, the main plots of previous seasons may resolve an even larger story

It's the same three-tiered structure as before. One big story, fed by two little stories.

That's a quick rundown of episodic structure. Read well, for next up: How to apply this to RPGs!