Collaborative Storytelling For TTRPGs

Hi! Havoc here with my first contribution to Plus One to Gaming.

In this post, we’re diving into Collaborative Storytelling 101 For TTRPGs. Let’s dive right in!

What is collaborative storytelling?

What even IS collaborative storytelling? Simply put, collaborative storytelling is any time you’re creating a story with more than one author. 

This can be kids playing pretend on the playground, a TikTok roleplay hashtag, any TV show or movie that has a group of writers, a discord roleplay server, or a Tabletop Roleplaying Game with your friends. 

While this article is going to be focused on collaborative storytelling in TTRPGs, the principles can be applied anywhere.

Collaborative Storytelling Rule #1 - Get Consent

The first and most important rule when it comes to collaborative storytelling is to get consent.

Consent can be the difference between an epic saga and a potentially traumatizing disaster that no one wants to speak about again. 

You can get consent at many different stages: at the start of each session, at the beginning of the campaign, before the pertaining arc, right before the event happens, or all of the above! Zero Session is also a great opportunity to get consent and discuss collaborative roleplaying.

Typically your GM can get your general roleplay limits by having you fill out a consent form.

The most common of which is the Monte Cook ‘Consent in Gaming’ checklist, but there are several others available online as well. Once your GM knows your limits, they can craft the story for YOU.

Collaborative Storytelling Rule #2 - Build Off Each Other

Once you have consent, how do you tell a good story? There is the joy of collaborative storytelling - you build off each other!

Everyone knows the golden rule of improv, “yes and,” and collaborative storytelling is no different. 

Unfortunately, many people think you have to agree with what is given, and that’s not exactly the case. “Yes and” just means you accept what your partner has offered and build onto it.

For example, if a player suggests that there’s a gift shop on an island with a “small” werewolf problem, a story-driven GM can take that singular thought, roll with it, and turn the entire island into a werewolf-themed tourist trap.

By telling the story together, everyone has a say in where the story goes. Decisions the players make can impact the world around them and even steer the plot in a direction the GM wasn’t expecting. 

A story-driven GM can roll with the punches and won’t punish their players for coming up with creative solutions. 

Instead of getting upset that your players want to befriend the giant frogs instead of fighting them, you could craft a plot thread about how one of them is a cursed prince. 

+1 Tip
Fairy tales are a great source of inspiration for coming up with things on the fly.

Collaborative Storytelling Rule #3 - Be Aware Of Character Bleed

Now, to talk about the part of TTRPGs – and roleplay in general – that a lot of people don’t like to talk about, and that is character bleed.

Character bleed is something a lot of us do without realizing, but what is it?

Character bleed is where the emotions of a character affect the player out of the game or vice versa.

For example, Player A’s character is in the middle of a love triangle with Player B’s character and Player C’s character.

Player A and Player D start dating. Player D then immediately becomes hostile toward Player B and C’s characters when they were previously very friendly. This happened because player D couldn’t separate themself from the character.

We play these characters for hours at a time, it is so easy to get swept up in their emotions and let them affect our emotions outside of the game. 

Most of the time when this happens there’s a romantic plot or PC conflict, So how do you cope?

Coping WIth Character Bleed

Be conscious. If you notice yourself feeling strong emotions during roleplay, pause. Think about whether those feelings are yours or your character’s and remember that the character is not the player.

Check in with other players. Talk to them after the game (or even during!) to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Explore your out-of-game feelings. Maybe there is something to what you’re feeling about the other player.

Acknowledge it and allow yourself to proceed safely. A lot of people make lifelong friends and even love in TTRPG spaces.

Talk to someone unrelated to the game. Sometimes, we need an outside opinion to provide us with a rational outlook on the situation.

Start Collaborating Now!

Collaborative storytelling is the backbone of TTRPGs and a great way to make everyone feel involved, you can even take it one step further into collaborative worldbuilding. Check out our article on Collaborative Worldbuilding for more roleplaying tips!