Main Component: The Story

Aside from players (and a set of rules), the number one component needed for a CQ StoryHammer game is a “story.” But not just any story will do.

Stories that work best for CQ StoryHammer games are one-sided and plot-driven; that is to say, the plot would unfold the same way regardless of the type of protagonists. Fantasy, horror, magical realism, mystery, science fiction, and western stories are particularly conducive for play – especially if they have a good bit of adventure and/or intrigue mixed in.

Stories can have any length though the longer the story, the more time it will take to complete it. Some stories can be completed in one game session, while others might take years to complete. The minimum amount of time required to complete a story is 3 – 4 hours. This is 3 – 4 hour window is considered a “session”. While some stories can be completed in one session, most stories take multiple sessions to complete.

The stories required for CQ StoryHammer games aren’t just written-out narratives. While there is a fair amount of details involved, it is laid out in a mix of bullet form, outline form, and table form. Since leads direct where the action happens and the approach, it is better to have the infrastructure laid out (with easy-to-find pertinent information) and adapt to the leads’ choices than it is to have large chunks of text that you need to sift through – or worse – never use because the leads decided to take a scene in a completely different direction.