Play By Post (Part 1)

Today I want to talk about a use case for Scribarchy that might be appealing: the Play-by-Post RPG campaign.

Yes, play-by-post. The noble pastime of collaborative storytelling at a glacial pace. 

Wait, What Is Scribarchy Again?

At its core, Scribarchy is a system for managing evolving worlds, Multiverses, full of fictional people (characters), grouped into Teams, making narrative-altering Choices at various Places. These characters are defined by their Roles, which are paired into Things (think “Trained As A Prophet” or “Trained As A Librarian,” complete with fitting bonuses and narrative penalties). And you are the Player-Author.

Why Use Scribarchy for PbP Campaigns?

If you’ve tried to run a PbP game in a forum, Discord thread, or Google Doc titled “CAMPAIGN STUFF DO NOT EDIT,” then you already know the chaos that can ensue. Scribarchy might be able to help with that. Here's how.

Pros

• Centralized World-Building:  Everything in Scribarchy is structured in-universe. Places, Roles, Persons, it's all modular and curated.

• Built-in Team System: Teams give you a narrative and mechanical reason to group characters.

• Choices as Story Hooks: At each Place, you define Choices. They’re invitations for players to drive the plot forward, collaboratively.

• Persistence: A Scribarchy Multiverse is persistent and permanent, ideal for running a long term PbP campaign.

Cons

• Still Under Construction: Scribarchy is a work-in-progress. If you’re expecting a polished, push-button campaign manager with full Discord integration...

• Rules-Light (Sometimes Rules-Averse): There are no initiative rolls, no hit points, and no inventory weight calculations. If you like crunchy systems, you may find Scribarchy's abstract nature unsettling.

• No Real-Time Play (on Purpose): If you crave live sessions or instant gratification, Scribarchy will not satisfy you. It’s designed for the slow burn.

• No support for specific RPGs: If you want to play D&D, Ironsworn, or Burning Wheel, you can't. Scribarchy is its own generic system.  

In Conclusion

Scribarchy doesn’t replace the joy of a messy, sprawling PbP campaign, it just tries to contain it in a structured multiverse.  If you enjoy world-building and collaborative storytelling,  you might find a home here.