Writing and Organizing Scenes

The Scenes screen in the Mythic Apps is the hub of your adventure. It gives each chunk of play a clear container so you can track each phase of your adventure clearly.

Developing your scenes in the app

Scenes are the basic units of in‑game time that bring form and order to your story. Creating a Scene in the app locks in the context, sets the mechanical tempo (Chaos Factor), and gives you a focused place to write what happens.

1) Start the scene: expectations and Chaos

• First Scene: Your adventure starts with an opening scene that “gets the story rolling.” Play generally proceeds based on “Current Context”, a concept thoroughly explored in the book.
  • Inspired idea: Use your concept for the opener.
  • Random inspiration: There are many ways to start your first scene. Use Meaning Tables to generate an opening prompt (Action Meaning 1 and Action Meaning 2) or roll a full Random Event to spark your start.

Back in the Fate Chart

• After the first, every new scene begins as Expected — how you think things will play out. You can test that expectation with a Scene Check as desired.
• Tap Scene Check to roll it. Expected Scene means the scene goes forward as you expected.
• If the scene is Altered — tweak location, activity, or an NPC; go with the next most expected outcome.
• If the result is Interrupt Scene, your expectation is ignored and the app rolls the Random Event for you in the same Adventure Log entry. Do not tap Random Event as well, because that adds a second event. The Random Event already includes any results linked to its Event Focus, and with Roll Event Meaning automatically turned on it can include Meaning Table words. Roll another Meaning Table from the Game Panel if you want more to work with.
• While the Prepared Adventure Event Focus Table is selected, Scene Check never gives Altered Scene or Interrupt Scene. It gives Expected Scene, and a roll at or under the Chaos Factor adds a Random Event to it.

Tip

You can switch your home view between Fate Chart and Fate Check in Settings. Either way, the Scene Check result is saved to the Adventure Log as Expected Scene, Altered Scene, or Interrupt Scene. It is not added to a Scene’s Summary.

2) Define the scene: name and description

• Title: give the Scene a short title so you can find it later. Summary (supports Markdown): use headings, bullets, and bold, and switch between Edit and Preview to check the result.

• Chaos Factor: a new Scene takes the Journal’s current Chaos Factor by itself. Saving your latest Scene sets the Journal’s Chaos Factor to the value on that Scene, and editing an earlier Scene leaves the current Chaos Factor alone.

  Tip

  You can pin and reorganize scenes in your scenes list. This is useful if you want to use scenes for metadata, character sheets, or keep certain key elements at the top of your scene list.

3) End the scene: resolution and bookkeeping

Scenes end when the main action resolves, or when the story’s structure naturally shifts (time, location, tone, or focus).

• When to transition:

  • Interest: the key point of interest is concluded
  • Time/Location: you jump time or move to a new place
  • Narrative shift: a dramatic reveal changes the focus
  • Mood: current events feel stale — energize with a fresh scene
  • Automatic Interrupt: stuck? Make the next one an Interrupt to force a Random Event

• End‑of‑scene bookkeeping:

  • Adjust CF: Were you mostly in control (progress) or out of control (setbacks)?
    • In control → CF − 1 (min 1)
    • Out of control → CF + 1 (max 9)
  • Update Lists (Characters/Threads/Features):
    • Add new important entries that emerged
    • Promote relevant items by adding an extra entry (up to three times total)
    • Remove items that are no longer relevant

App workflow tips

• Keep Scenes short and focused — it makes Fate results easier to interpret and logs easier to review
• When your intuition stalls, roll a Meaning Table from the Game Panel on the Fate screen or from the Meaning Tables screen. The result is saved to the Adventure Log, not to the Scene.
• Chaos Factor: a new Scene takes the Journal’s current Chaos Factor by itself. Saving your latest Scene sets the Journal’s Chaos Factor to the value on that Scene, and editing an earlier Scene leaves the current Chaos Factor alone. Adjust it between Scenes, not during them.
• Keep Scene notes in a portable notetaking pattern (bullets + sub‑bullets) for a quick skim later, and add your own interpretation of a Fate or Scene Check result if it helps. Either way, the Scene Check result is saved to the Adventure Log as Expected Scene, Altered Scene, or Interrupt Scene. It is not added to a Scene’s Summary.

Many Pathways

Mythic is very flexible. There’s not a “wrong way” to play and many of the variations explored in the Magazines, Variations, the community, and Tana’s blog clearly embody the spirit of play which is flexible and caters to your style. As you play, you will discover what works for you and what doesn’t.