In this episode, we are going to talk about how to understand, create and use Mission Briefs. This is STA Engage!

Welcome to the show. I’m your host, Dr RPG, Jeff Harvey. Last time, we talked about how to use the setting of the Star Trek universe to rethink the way you craft your stories. If you missed it, go back and catch episode 6 and 7… it was a short two parter, and worth a listen.

In this episode, we are going to talk about Mission Briefs, how to read them, create them, and run them., This is a topic that is very near and dear to my co-host, the immutable, Michael Dismuke

The goal of this show is to help fans of Star Trek, and of role-playing, better engage with the Star Trek Franchise, the Star Trek Adventures game, and the community at large.

This show is brought to you by the letter R, the Number 9 (Production code of the TOS episode), and the support of people like you. So, like, subscribe, share, and support us on patreon.

You can find more info about the folks that sponsor us and are putting this show together, our production team at Studio Tembo, the folks at Continuing Mission, and our primary sponsor for this season, Adventure Ink, just follow the links down in the doobly do.

Let’s get down to business.

What is a mission brief
Who are they for
How do we read one of these
Creating the beats
How to end it
Where to find more examples

I think the most important thing to remember about mission briefs is, when you are crafting your stories, you don’t have to overthink it. Don’t let the fear of writing a good story overwhelm you. Role-playing is a collaborative storytelling experience. It’s a lot like a writer’s room… all you really need is a basic idea, add ion a few conflicts, or brick walls…. These are your story beats… I promise you, if you do that, your players will take care of the rest.

If you can’t think of any good beats, look at your players sheets. Let their values, talents, goals, and motivations inspire you.

Don’t worry about planning out every single scene. Improv is a skill every great storyteller hones in time. No plan survives first contact with the enemy, and no plan survives first contact with the players. As long as everyone had a good time, then the story worked… whether you wrote a 1000 page epic, or a 1 page Mission Brief.

And on that note, we are gonna call it a wrap. Next time, on STA Enage, we are going to have a special guest, the curator of the Star Trek Adventures subreddit, prolific story creator, and online play guru. ELH

So tune in next time for: Flesh and Blood OR Welcome to Verteron City.

Until then, If you like what you hear, and you want to help this show, share this episode with one other person who might enjoy what we’re doing. I’m your host, Dr RPG Jeff Harvey, and on behalf of myself, my co-host Michael Dismuke, and everybody that works behind the scenes, Live Long and Prosper.