Summary RP
From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki
See Also Writing Posts and Basic RP Rules
Summary RP is away to accomplish something that is considered too mundane to play out in full, yet needs moderator balance and control. Too, it might be interesting to show to other players. Dealing with some of the details of the lives of your characters can be boring to play out. Instead you want to concentrate on the fun of roleplaying: the intense moments, the interaction with other PC's, adventures, quests etc. To avoid getting bogged down into long threads that only hold you back from what this game is about you can use a summary post. A summary post is similar to a Recess write up, but on a much smaller scale.
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Definition of a Summary Post
In a Summary Post not surprisingly you summarize what actions your character takes in a long story post where you can assume partial success (so as not to hold up the story). A summary will take up the space of no more than one part of the day, but not less than two hours, so it also simply describes time you decide not to play out. The moderator may reply with the results of actions, the information you gathered etc, in essence finalizing the story. These summaries may include more than one player and be co-written if that is in the interest of all players involved, such as with training or mentoring (see below) programs.
In cases where your character is learning skills which may be boring to learn in play (etiquette, literacy, new languages) but which will help round out your character one may use a Summary Post in which you summarize your actions.
Using a Summary Post for Leisure Time
Your character may be doing some housekeeping, or reading a book. Taking care of children or a spouse. Perhaps just sleeping or spending some time in the sun. Anything that you can come up with will do. It can add new depth to your character and might even inspire you to new things.
Special Summary RP for personal time: Character Development
Other PBP's tend to call them Round Robin.
- The modern use of the term dates from the 17th Century French ruban rond (round ribbon). This described the practice of signatories to petitions against authority (usually Government officials petitioning the Crown) appending their names on a document in a non-hierarchical circle or ribbon pattern (and so disguising the order in which they have signed) in order that none may be identified as a ringleader.
The term Round Robin indicates a post that doesn't need a moderator reply because it is self contained. It has a beginning and an end. They can be co written by more than one writer if that is enjoyable. It is more of a statement, a way to give colour to a story without there being a direct purpose, a piece of the puzzle as it where, important to the player but less so for moderators. Moderators do not need to reply to these posts, though they may choose to do so.
Using a Summary Post for your Job
A job is not always fun. It contains many tedious moments. Yet it is there, regular like clockwork. You can't always skip it to go save the Empire. If your character were a blacksmith, but you didn't want to go into the detail of his afternoon working, then you could easily write a Summary Post.
If you are in a position of leadership you have an unit, embassy or empire to run. Your PC might use a summary to give orders, or hear 'pleas from the people' or even write up some new laws or holidays! These things give flavour to his day-to-day business without the need of an additional thread detailing every little exchange with his servants.
Using a Summary Post to run your household & estate
There are many day to day interactions in a household, even in a large estate, that add to your background and general enjoyment of the game. However since they do not necessarily add to the events outside your household, a moderator will generally allow you to describe them in a summary post for the pure joy of writing, developing and reading. As long as assumptions do not give you an extra advantage but merely document daily life & tribulations this is perfectly acceptable.
Likewise when a friend visits you should feel free to show such already established details. Should of course trouble come to call then the moderator will take over from that point onwards, until normality resumes.
Using a Summary Post to gain skills
Skills will be awarded to a Summary Post depending on the care and attention given to the write-up. Success of actions will be determined by the moderator. No skills will be awarded to skills which are already at the level of Apprentice or higher, so take care when creating a skill learning summary to ensure you don't do an excellent write up for a skill you're already at Journeyman in! Instead, try to use it to work on a support skill for said skill.
This system is meant to explore areas of your character that you hadn't thought (or thought too boring) to pursue IC, but that help make a more "real" concept. A player will be eligible for one skill stars for each class they follow with a maximum of three classes per day. When three classes are followed, all three stars from the classes can be traded in for one new skill at basic to be distributed as makes sense. The three stars may be distributed with one in each class, two and one or all three in one or all three traded for a new skill. You may also chose to not take all three stars.
Skills may NOT be raised above the level of Apprentice in this way. Further advancement beyond that point must be done in character.
Students who do not write summaries will not recieve the skill advancements , but may still assume that their character attends class and so long as you don't get yourself in a Time knot by being in another thread at the same time. Your PC will not have any reprocussions from not attending class and it will be assumed they were there but didn't absorb much that day.
If you attend class you may not gain skills in any other Summary Post for that IC day!
Note: although it's fun to write up how 'well' your character does, there is depth to failure. Take time to think about what potential road-blocks there could be and 'use' them. It's more interesting and also gives you a chance to see how your PC handles their inadequacies. Magick/red skills CANNOT be learned this way, but may be improved upon up to Apprentice level.
Personal Summary
Use a personal summary to practice a skill that you either haven't used before or to work on raising one you have to Apprentice. A personal summary will be YOU taking your learning into your own hands by giving a detailed write-up of going to the library and researching to get Culture or honing sketching skills by doing a still-life of a bottle of whiskey. This is, of course, limited by your own ability to teach yourself, and some things will be more difficult than others to master in such a way.
Class Summary
A Class Summary is slightly more specific and players seeking more information on these should check the wiki page for the different institution for details and specifics or PM the coordinator of the area.
Mentor
In cases where a new (or less trained) PC meets up with a more trained PC or NPC they may set up a mentor program. The mentor (advanced PC) must be at least level Apprentice or higher in any skill they wish to teach, and the skill teach will make it 'easier' but will not guarantee success. The mentor must come up with specifics of the thing being taught (dance is not specific, but belly-dancing is) and give an appropriate several paragraph long description of the time spent teaching the skill as well as to what things they anticipate the pupil(s) having trouble with.
The student will then give a response summary of what they learned.
After this a moderator may give a final wrap-up and then award skill advancements (if merited).
En Fin
Summaries shouldn't take the fun out of playing, but add to it! It's tempting to summarize rather than play, but you don't want to miss out on all the fun PBP has to offer. Use summaries as a tool to pass time where you don't have threads as well as to flesh out what your character does in leisure time. You will likely see this used most by students or members of guilds who are training, but anyone can implement it and use it to their advantage.
