Play By Post (Part 2)

You've drunk the Kool-Aid and decided to GM a play-by-post RPG campaign on Scribarchy. First of all, congratulations—and possibly, condolences. Either way, you've committed. So what now?

Here’s your step-by-step guide to getting started.

1. Create an Account (easy)

Use the link provided by itch.io to head over to the Scribarchy site. Near the big, friendly “Sign In” button, you’ll find a smaller “Create Account” link trying its best not to be noticed. Click it. Make an account. You're in.

2. Create a Multiverse (easy)

All you need is the name of your campaign and a very short description (seriously, like two sentences max). Fill out the Create Multiverse form and submit it for approval.

3. Wait (easy)

Check back in a day or so to see if the Great Curator in the Sky (that’s me) has approved your Multiverse. If not, I’m probably asleep or procrastinating.

4. Assemble Your Players (moderate)

Convince your friends to join this brave experiment. Once they’ve signed up, they should click on “Play,” select your Multiverse, then click “Create Person.” Like you, all they’ll need is a name and very short description for their character. Submit for approval.

5. Approve Your Players (moderate)

Click “Curate,” pick your Multiverse, and choose “Approve Persons.” This is your opportunity to fix typos or tweak names/descriptions so they better fit the campaign’s tone—or at least spell "rogue" correctly.

6. Create and Approve Roles (hard)

Now comes the collaborative bit. You and your players should brainstorm Roles that make sense in your campaign—nothing exhaustive, just enough to get going. Roles require a name and a very short description. Submit them, then go to “Curate” → “Approve Roles” to bring them to life.

7. Create and Approve Lifepaths (hard, optional)

Want to add a bit more depth? Create a Thing for each character that represents their past—a background, a defining experience, etc. These can be created by players or the GM. Use “Create” → “Thing” to name and describe it, then configure it with bonus/penalty Roles. Set them as non-droppable (they’re events, not objects). Approve them via “Curate” → “Approve Things.”

8. Create and Approve a Meeting Place (moderate)

Your characters need somewhere to gather in the present. Work with your players to come up with a location, then use “Create” → “Place” to submit it. Approve it with “Curate” → “Approve Places.”

9. Create and Approve Routes to the Meeting Place (easy/hard)

If you skipped lifepaths, this is a breeze. Have a player use “Create” → “Choice,” give it a name/description, mark it “Always Successful,” and set the “Success” destination to the Meeting Place.

If you did create lifepaths, buckle in. Each player should make a similar Choice, but they also need to add their lifepath Thing under “Add Thing” on the Success tab. Approve all of this under “Curate” → “Approve Choices.”

10. Travel to the Meeting Place

Players click “Play,” choose your Multiverse, and select their Person. Everyone starts in “The Past.” They’ll see the Choice(s) to move forward—either the basic path or their individual lifepath journeys. Click the appropriate one to arrive at the meeting place.

11. Begin the Adventure

You’re ready to roll (or post, rather). Players can now create Choices that describe what they want to do next. They can also invent new Roles, Things, and Places as needed. You, as GM, can tweak and approve their additions, helping shape the unfolding story. You can even create your own Persons—i.e., NPCs—whether they’re there to help, hinder, or horrify.

The players can form one or more Teams to pool their abilities if they wish.  

In Conclusion

Starting a play-by-post campaign in Scribarchy might look like a lot—and, okay, it kind of is. But it breaks down into manageable steps, and once you’re through the setup, your game becomes a living, evolving narrative world built collaboratively with your players. The tools are simple, the vibe is flexible, and the story is yours to tell.