Editing Unwritten: System Reference Document/What is Unwritten? (section)

==For Veteran Role-players==
Those of you who have role-played before have probably seen more ‘What is role-playing?’ chapters than you can count. Instead of going through that again, I’d like to focus on what this setting can do for you.

Pulp gaming avoids the modern era because much of it involves exploring edges of the known and delves into the unknown. Our modern world has a lot less room for that than the world of the pulp magazines. Because of pervasive technology, we just know too much. The D’niverse brings us back to delving into the unknown by opening the door to an infinite number of strange worlds. If you want to trek through unknown wildernesses and negotiate with strange civilizations, Unwritten can do that. If you want weird science, there’s room for that in Unwritten as well. Best of all, it’s equally available to your characters in the 1890s, the 1930s, or the modern day.

Adventure stories work nicely in ''Unwritten''; any pulp story about rugged archaeologists delving into forgotten tombs can find a place in Unwritten. But you also have a chance for stories that focus on exploration itself. Characters are not only up against antagonists, but the unknown. Your game can give you chances to uncover mysteries, whether they are the secrets of the universe or just what is on the other side of the hill. Sometimes the environment itself will be the obstacle in your way, clearing the way for a story of person versus nature or versus themselves.

The Art of Writing allows a gamemaster a way to include very different environments into the same game, and an easy way to bring them in. Characters can always just find another Book that takes them to another world with minimal fuss or concern about ‘railroading’. The Art also gives players a chance to create parts of the world, not just as co-authors of a shared experience, but in a definite in-character perspective.

If you are familiar with Fate Core, you will see a lot here that you recognize. You will also see some significant changes here and there, in order to capture the unique feel of the D’niverse.

Some topics are only given very broad consideration in Unwritten. If you want more specific systems for various elements, bring them in from your favorite Fate game. In fact, you’ll find a few suggestions for that towards the end of this book.