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Plot Tracks

Plot Tracks are the backbone of your story’s structure in PUM. They help you organize your adventure into meaningful sections and keep your narrative moving forward.

What is a Plot Track?

A Plot Track is a sequence of Plot Beats—important moments or scenes that advance your story. Think of it as a roadmap for your adventure, from beginning to end.

Plot Scope

Before you create a Plot Track, define your Plot Scope. Is your story a full campaign, a short quest, or a single dramatic episode? The scope helps you decide how long and detailed your Plot Track should be.

Types of Plot Tracks

PUM offers several Plot Track templates, each suited for different play styles:

  • Standard: A generic structure for most games. Great for beginners and short stories.
  • Prepless: Build your track as you go. Perfect for freeform or evolving stories.
  • Escalating: For stories that ramp up in intensity and challenge.
  • Dungeon: Structured for exploration and discovery.
  • Journey: Focused on travel, quests, and progression.
  • Heroic: Spotlight on protagonists and their personal arcs.
  • Survival: Emphasizes danger, resource management, and overcoming adversity.
  • Crisis: Episodic, problem-focused adventures.
  • Drama: For introspective, character-driven stories.

Customizing Your Track

You can edit, expand, or rename sections of your Plot Track at any time. For improvised games, add new beats as inspiration strikes!

Advancing the Plot

You move forward on the Plot Track by playing Plot Beats. These can be:

  • Random Prompts: Let PUM suggest what happens next.
  • Modified Proposals: Propose an important moment, and let PUM add a modification.

Each Plot Beat can be a scene, event, or turning point. Use them to mark progress, celebrate victories, or introduce complications.

Tips for Using Plot Tracks

  • Don’t be afraid to skip, repeat, or change beats as your story evolves.
  • Use the Plot Track as a guide, not a constraint.
  • Mark your track as finished when your story concludes, or keep playing for epilogues and bonus scenes.

Next: Plot Nodes