Placeholders and player setup
Ask players questions before the story starts with ${placeholders}, and let them name their character with <PlayerName>.
You can let each player personalize your scenario before it begins. Their answers are filled into the story, so every adventure starts a little differently.
Placeholders#
Put a question in ${…} anywhere in your Opening prompt:
You are ${your character's name}, a courier from ${your home city}.
Tonight you carry a package for ${the person you owe money to}.
When a player starts the scenario, the setup wizard shows one step for each different placeholder. The text inside the braces becomes the question, so write it as a clear prompt. Every question must be answered before the player can continue. If the same placeholder appears more than once, it's asked once and filled in everywhere.
The player's name#
On the Details tab, tick Enable Character Name Prompt. Players will be asked for a Character Name before they start.
You can then write <PlayerName> in your text and it's replaced with the name they chose. This works in the opening prompt, Plot Essentials, AI Instructions, Author's Note, Story Summary and State Card entries. If no name has been given, it reads "the player".
<PlayerName> has been summoned to the Duke's hall at dawn.
When a player starts your scenario from Quick Story or Quick RPG, their display name is used automatically.
What else appears in the setup wizard#
Depending on your scenario, the wizard can also include:
- Choose your class — if you've written Class cards (see State Cards for authors). This step appears when players start from your scenario's page with Play.
- World info — the Notes from your State Cards, shown read-only before play begins.
In a multiplayer lobby, each player sets up their own name, class and stats in the waiting room instead.