Article:
LARP Plot Tips: Plot Webbing

In a previous article on organization, I talked about the importance of coordinating the schedule of the weekend with the other plot members. All I really focused on was timing and making sure that the players were already engaged. However, you can also do a lot of great work interweaving plotlines using the same graphical tool used for timing. I like to call it Plot Webbing.

Usually, the biggest difference between a good story and a great story is how dynamic the plotline is. Since you'll be working with a group, there is a good chance that most of your plot lines will be independent of other plot lines. If you work out a web with the other plot members, it's a lot easier to determine which modules would affect other modules.

How It's Done
Start out by drawing a major crisis that is scheduled to happen in the near future. This can be something that happens at this event, or even something that happens a few months down the road. Make the summary brief. Now, create small nodes around the circle which represent all the modules you have scheduled for the event. Mark each module as "Comabt," "Social," and/or "Skill." Now, draw an arrow to the major crisis. Above the arrow, write the affect that a successful outcome will have on the crisis. Below the arrow, write the affect that an unsuccessful outcome will have on the crisis. Both of these could be "No effect" if a module is truly independant of the major crisis, but what we're really trying to do is link events to one another. Once you've linked all the modules to the major crisis, you can also look at links between modules. All of a sudden, you have a fully developed storyline, as opposed to a series of independent events.

Use different color markers if you have them, to represent the different elements of modules (combat, social, and skill). When you're done, you can take a step back and see if you have too much of one element or not enough of another. By this method, plot webbing can also give you an idea of how well rounded your event is, and whether or not you need to add something to the game.