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SETTING
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Theatnx is capable of great versatility A Theatrix
Setting may take place in any context, anytime, any­
where However, the 'Core Rules' as presented in this
book make up only the skeleton around which you'll hang
the flesh of your Setting. You'll need to create the
geographical, social, political, and dramatic environs of
your Setting as well You may also need to create
secondary guidelines to handle the specifics of your
Setting. Such guidelines may encompass, for example,
the learning and casting of mag1c, the development and
use of psiontc powers, or the creat1on of movie style
mart1al arts These may entail providing new Skill Lists,
creating new Advanced Resolution Flowcharts (a repro­
ducible blank is provided), the detailing of new Setting
specific Descriptors, or the formation of new rules for
character generation. Such guidelines may be tailored to
your specific genre. For example, rule modifications
made to handle the feel of mag1cal spells in one Fantasy
Setting may dtffer greatly from the modifications needed
to handle them in another Depending upon your genre,
th1s whole process may require several hours work
However, we feel that such dedication easily pays off in
your increased enjoyment of the game.
The sections ofthis chapter will take you through the
process of creating a good Setting, one step at a time.
These are, in fact, the same steps we use in creating the
Theatrix Setting Books carried by your local gaming or
hobby store. wherein you may find completely detailed
genres ready for your use wtth all the work outlined below
already done for you
GETTING STARTED
- Gilbert Ryle
The proper starting pomt for the fonnat1on of your
Setting is an idea The Idea can be as simple as a smgle
word, such as 'Esp1onage', or as complex as the repro­
duction of an existing senes of flct1onal works We'll
handle the translation of this idea into a fully functional
world in the following sections. For now, JUSt hang onto
your idea and write it down. Putting everything down on
paper as you go will help keep this process on track, and
with some refinement, will serve as a guide to your Setting
when you're done
THE STAGE
Every Scene in every Episode takes place upon a
particular Stage. This Stage is the scenery, the sights, the
sounds, and the people with which the Main Cast may
interact. We've urged you to use your mind's eye to the
fullest in describing these moments. For example, an
alley is much more real With the smell of bacon and
hamburger grease dnfting down it, and the sound of
heavy foot falls splashing into puddles of water, echoing
off old brick walls and metal fire escapes, than simply as
'an alley'. This is just as true for the Stage of a Setting, le
the scenery which composes an entire genre. Take your
idea and start imagining. Write down some notes on your
world. Try to write down the look and feel of it Try thinking
about the books and movies you admire, and about
exactly what made them so powerful. What you're fann­
ing is an environs The machinery behind the Chronicle
You'll want to be describing in detail your Setting's
geography, politics, values, people, and dramatic con­
text. The last, the dramatic context (see the sect1on titled
'Dramatic Context', coming up tn lhts chapter), Will be the
most important, and contains elements of all the others
Theatrlx - The Core Rules 115