Narrative authority mechanics govern who may establish, revise, or interpret elements of the shared fiction. They give participants explicit permission to contribute facts that would otherwise be controlled by the facilitator, predetermined by preparation, or left to informal negotiation.
Unlike facilitation patterns, narrative authority mechanics directly change the fiction through defined permissions and procedures. They may allow a player to establish prior preparation, introduce a detail, frame a scene, answer a question about the world, or revise an event within stated limits.
Narrative authority mechanics answer questions such as:
- Who may introduce a new fictional fact?
- What kinds of details can a participant establish?
- When may established fiction be expanded or revised?
- What costs, rolls, or constraints limit that authority?
- How is authorship distributed across the group?
Design Purpose
Narrative authority mechanics distribute authorship deliberately. They turn contributions that might otherwise depend on facilitator permission or informal convention into visible, reliable options available during play.
Common Approaches
- Retroactive Establishment: A participant reveals an action or preparation that occurred earlier.
- Declare a Detail: A player introduces a useful fact about the current situation.
- Scene Framing: Authority to establish where a scene begins, who is present, or what is happening.
- Prompted Authorship: A question or prompt assigns responsibility for creating part of the fiction.
- Shared Worldbuilding: Participants collectively establish locations, people, histories, or conflicts.
Related Patterns
- Flashbacks
- Unscenes
- Shared Worldbuilding
Pattern Definition
Narrative Authority Mechanics are procedures that explicitly distribute permission to establish, interpret, or revise elements of the shared fiction.