Introduction to Story Arc

Story Arc is a system for powering roleplaying games. A roleplaying game is a story that you and your fellow players tell together by each taking on a fictional identity and interacting with each other in some kind of shared context. There’s a lot to say about roleplaying, but if you’re reading this book, with any luck you already know what it is and why it’s so cool. Otherwise, by all means browse the web, where you will find a lot of information.

The very basic idea, however, ultimately boils down to a simple set of steps:

1. The gamemaster (also known as the Cobbler) tells the players what’s going on.
2. The players speak for their characters and/or describe their intended actions.
3. The Cobbler tells them what happens as a result.

To play, you’ll need a few things:

• A character sheet for each player, on which he will keep a record of the traits his chosen fictional persona possesses. Character sheets for Story Arc are part of this wiki or are available on the website, and you can photocopy any of this as needed.

• Polyhedral dice. These are available in most hobby stores. You just need a bunch of twenty-siders. This wiki also has a die roller which you could use instead.

• An understanding of some basic rules.

• Your imagination and the imaginations of a few friends, one of whom is willing to be the gamemaster. Friends can be a bit hard to come by, but if you use your imagination, you will likely be able to obtain some. Imaginations are even harder to come by if you don't already have one, but if you use your imagination, you’ll probably be able to find one of those as well. Gamemasters, on the other hand, are available in six packs in most hobby stores.

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