Greetings, RTR!
One of RTR’s longest-running and most popular programs is our Semi-Organized Play, or SOP Program. The concept of Semi-Organized Play (SOP) Campaigns is modeled loosely on the concept that Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons have used successfully for years. The players in each SOP represent some sort of gathering of characters with a shared goal and purpose. The settings of these SOPS vary wildly, from superhero teenagers attending high school to brave investigators of Gaslight London fighting for Humanity against the agents of Mythos.
Game play is divided into seasons that correspond with the four quarters of the calendar year. Games switch each quarter and often return for follow-up seasons in the future. Currently we play on second and fourth Fridays and second and fourth Sundays, with each session offering two to four different games in the SOP setting. Gameplay can take place in-person, through virtual tabletop, and a variety of digital mediums such as Discord.
An SOP is typically run by a team of 4 or more volunteers, with one volunteer acting as the Showrunner. The level of narrative or administrative authority that the Showrunner has varies from SOP to SOP; however, at the end of the day, the Showrunner bears the responsibility for ensuring that the SOP runs smoothly. They also act as the point of contact for the SOP Organizers.
Nearly all of our SOP campaigns will be coming to an end in the next couple of years, and we’d love to hear pitches for new campaigns to take their place! If you have an idea for an SOP you’d like to create, please get in touch with the Organizers at rtr-organizers@googlegroups.com.
GUIDELINES
In order to reduce volunteer burnout, we have some guidelines for new SOPs:
- SOPs must have 4 volunteers or more.
- In order to be a Showrunner for a SOP, we strongly recommend you have participated as a volunteer in at least one SOP.
- If this is not the case, we will attempt to pair an experienced Showrunner with you for mentorship.
- An absolute requirement is that you must have led some RPG event for RTR in the past. This could be a Try-It-Out, a mini-Campaign, or a session at a Special Event.
- In order to volunteer for a SOP, you must have already participated as a player in at least one SOP (preferably the one you want to volunteer).
- New SOPs must spend at least a year in development after being pitched to the organizers before being run for players.
- It isn’t necessary for the Showrunner to have a full team of volunteers when they pitch the SOP, but they must finalize the team early in the development period.
- SOPs should avoid TTRPGs with overly complex rule systems. As much as we love Shadowrun and HERO system, they aren’t sustainable in this format. If you’re unsure about your preferred RPG rules set, reach out to an Organizer to discuss it.
If you have an idea for an SOP you’d like to Showrun, please send the Organizers the following information:
- Your name
- Your experience volunteering in the SOP program
- What RPG rules set and setting you’d like to run
- What time slot you would like to run in (typically Friday evening or Sunday afternoon, and what quarter of the year you’re interested in)
- If you know of other members who want to volunteer as GMs, let us know their names as well.
We’re excited to hear new voices and visions for our SOP program!
