Microscope
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Tuesday - 4:00 PM UTC
Dec 13
Session Duration / 2–4 hours
0 / 4 Seats Filled
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Schedule
About the adventure
What is Microscope? Humanity spreads to the stars and forges a galactic civilization… Fledgling nations arise from the ruins of the empire… An ancient line of dragon-kings dies out as magic fades from the realm… These are all examples of Microscope games. Want to explore an epic history of your own creation, hundreds or thousands of years long, all in an afternoon? That's Microscope. You won't play the game in chronological order. You can defy the limits of time and space, jumping backward or forward to explore the parts of the history that interest you. Want to leap a thousand years into the future and see how an institution shaped society? Want to jump back to the childhood of the king you just saw assassinated and find out what made him such a hated ruler? That’s normal in Microscope. You have vast power to create... and to destroy. Build beautiful, tranquil jewels of civilization and then consume them with nuclear fire. Zoom out to watch the majestic tide of history wash across empires, then zoom in and explore the lives of the people who endured it. Mock chronological order. Defy time and space. Build worlds and destroy them. A role-playing game for two to four players. No GM. No prep.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
3 years on StartPlaying
About me
I'm genderfluid, neurodivergent, and have a passion for storytelling. My favorite games are ones that emulate genre fiction and encourage players to create the narrative together collaboratively. I love to cater stories to my players and weave together the ideas they give me. I welcome metagaming and out-of-character discussion so everyone is on the same page about what we want to happen next. I always use Safety tools like Script Change and Lines & Veils, though I tend to keep things PG-13 by default. I have facilitated dozens of one-shots and several campaigns over Discord, my preferred platform. My favorite genres are sci-fi mystery, cosmic horror, and fantasy drama. My favorite games are Microscope, Fate, and Powered By the Apocalypse. However, I have also read hundreds of indie games published on itch.io and I would love to try my hand at GMing them. I GM because I enjoy the experience of crafting a story my players want.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
You do not play as a single character. We take turns adding events to a timeline. We have the option of roleplaying Scenes and playing as characters of our choosing, but there is no guarantee you will play as a specific character. This is a game about improvising a story where you say "yes, and" when other players do something you didn't expect.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Everyone should make an account on https://utgars-chronicles.app/ for writing the timeline, and join Discord for a voice chat session. No dice or character sheets are necessary. It is recommended, but not required, that you read the rules for the game or listen to this podcast example of play to hear all of the rules in action: http://drunkandugly.com/category/microscope/
What trekie140 brings to the table
I will bring a PDF copy of the rules, a Discord server for voice chat, and a link to our shared play space on https://utgars-chronicles.app/
Platforms used
Safety
How trekie140 creates a safe table
We will use the website https://utgars-chronicles.app/ to play Microscope and create the timeline together. X-Card and Lines & Veils will be used. The in-game Palette also serves as a safety tool.
Content warnings
Safety tools used