What is a Fastaval scenario?
Role-playing is a core activity at Fastaval and the congress has a unique tradition of writing and designing role-playing games. A roleplaying experience at Fastaval is often called a scenario. A scenario is characterized by the fact that it is a written, self-contained role-playing experience for 2+ participants, usually lasting between 2-6 hours.
A scenario has at least five runs, often more, divided over two blocks of time, and GMs can be both volunteer participants, or recruited by the author or the organizers. So people you have never met might run your game.
Scenarios are not limited to any particular genre, system, or themes. Many games have similar styles as Nordic LARP, although Fastaval is mostly a table-top or chamber LARP convention. There is definitely also room for system role-playing and dice rolls at Fastaval, but as a writer you should prepare for the fact that people should preferably be able to participate in your scenario, without preparation or knowledge of a particular system, setting or genre.
Although most Fastaval scenarios are tabletop, we would very much like to also have LARP on the program. A Fastaval LARP can be minimalistic in its use of costumes and props, but if you have some wild ideas you can talk to us about what might be possible. Props and other equipment are most probably something you should bring yourself.
Role-playing at Fastaval has a huge diversity both in design and content and Fastaval is a good place to make role-playing games if you want to experiment a bit with role-playing as a medium, but we also really want classic system role-playing games. The scenarios can be grave, imaginative, or action-adventure comedies and there is room for everything from Call of Cthulhu, investigation, love stories, surrealism and historical drama.
Scroll down to read more about synopses and how to become a scenario writer
Become a scenario designer for Fastaval 2026
If you are dreaming about writing a scenario for Fastaval next year, you will have to submit a synopsis by August 22, 2026 to scenarieansvarlige@fastaval.dk.
A Synopsis is a 1-2 page text describing your scenario idea - its story, structure and particulars. The synopsis is a tool for you to describe to the Scenario Coordinators what the participants are going to experience during the game and why it is going to be the bomb. The Scenario Coordinators curates the program for Fastaval based on the incoming synopsis'. Read more about how to write and compose a Fastaval synopsis further down this page.
Workshops before deadline and synopsis sparring
During the next months the scenario coordinators will be hosting different workshops, developing your scenario idea and preparing you to submit your a synopsis. These are open to all regardless of experience at Fastaval. If you, as a non-Danish speaking designer, wish to participate in one of these, please send us an e-mail.
This summer we are planning an idea-workshop Tuesday, June 24 and synopsis workshops July 30 and on August 11All workshops will be hosted online on Fastaval's Discord Server.
If you are a first-time designer or have only written a few scenarios, we would also like to help you with a synopsis sparring partner. This is a person who knows the sysopsis format well and who can help you formulate your idea.
We will send back answers in the first half of September. Shortly after, we will present the field on Fastaval.dk and Fastaval's social media.
The finished scenarios must be submitted to the Scenario Coordinators before 1. Februar 2026 kl. 23.59
Okay! So you have a great idea for a Fastaval scenario, what now? How do you get your scenario on the program for Fastaval and what can you expect as a scenario designer?
The first step toward a place on this year's program is to write and submit a synopsis to the Scenario Coordinators. The scenario year usually begins already shortly before or just around the Danish summer vacation time, when the Scenario Coordinators issue a call-for-synopses, usually announced on Fastaval's Facebook page, our Twitter and here on the website. There are often many people interested in designing a roleplaying game for Fastaval and therefore we unfortunately don't have room for all the synopses we receive. It is important for the Scenario Coordinators and for Fastaval that we have a good amount of debutants each year – so we gladly use extra energy to help new designers begin their writing process.
If you would like help writing and formulating your synopsis, Fastaval hosts a series of workshops leading up to the synopsis deadline. Here you can get sparring, meet other potential designers and talk through your idea. You can also get a synopsis sparring partner, who thoroughly knows the format and can help you write a clearly defined text.
If your synopsis is selected then Fastaval offers additional help to support you along the way. You can be assigned a sparring partner, who is an experienced Fastaval writer who will help you execute your idea in the best possible way. You will also be invited to workshops and to the annual Desigerns Weekend Retreet where you can meet with the other designers.
During the year the Scenario Coordinator makes sure to be in touch with you, just as you can communicate with the other designers in a closed group on Facebook or at bi-weekly online meetings.
In addition to the scenario itself, you must also write a preview text for the website (deadline in December), so potential players can see if your scenario is something for them. The deadline for submission of your finished scenario is usually in the beginning of February, depending on how Easter falls.
If you have questions about being a scenario designer, or if you have an idea that falls outside the usual framework at Fastaval, you can always contact Ann and Nynne, who are the Scenario Coordinators for 2025 and 2026. Send us an email at scenarieansvarlige@fastaval.dk
We expect that you do your best to produce a solid scenario for it takes both time and energy to design and write something good. You don't need to take leave from your studies or your job, but expect that it will take up a portion of your free time, especially in December and January. Plot structure and design questions will haunt your thoughts for the next half year. That's part of the fun. og design spørgsmål vil hjemsøge dine tanker det næste halve års tid. Det er en del af det sjove.
In return, you get the opportunity to become part of an exceptional, creative environment, with experience and inspiration built up over decades. You will meet a diverse group of designers who are happy to help you brainstorm and challenge you on what role-playing is and can be. It's not unlikely that you will make friends for life in the process and develop a broader taste and appreciation of role-playing as a medium. The Scenario Coordinators are part of the process all the way and will do their best to help you get the scenario across the finish line. During Fastaval you meet players who will certainly tell you ALL about their great experience, and eafter Fastaval you can get thorough and structured feedback from the Otto JuryFastaval will do everything in its power to secure at least five runs of your scenario (unless your scenario has an alternative format), making sure that your game is played by a good number of people. Last, but not least, there is the fundamental joy of working with a creative project, of writing, and struggling to make the scenario as good as it can be. It's not always easy to be a scenario designer, but always engaging.
May-June: Idea workshops and synopsis sparring (mostly for new designers)
You've got a great idea for a scenario and you're excited to get started working on it. The time between Fastaval and summer vacation is perfect for developing the game on a small scale and presenting your idea to the world. This year we're hosting an online idea workshop on June 24th.The workshop is for everyone who would like to design a scenario for Fastaval 2026. Keep an eye on Fastaval's Facebook page or write to us to get the Discord links sent to you.
If you haven't designed a scenario for Fastaval before, we would love to put you in touch with a synopsis sparring partner. This means that an experienced Fastaval writer can help you, reading through your synopsis and providing constructive criticism. The details of the collaboration will up to you to deside. Send us an email at scenarieansvarlige@fastaval.dk, if you are interested.
August: Synopsis workshop and synopsis deadline
In August you really need to work on the synopsis. Your idea has taken more and more shape and is ready to be put down in writing. The Scenario Coordinators hosts one or more synopsis workshops, where participants can get constructive and caring feedback on their preliminary synopsis text. Keep an eye on Fastaval's Facebook, or write to us by email.
Synopsis workshop I, Wedensday 30. juli kl. 19.30
Synopsis workshop II, Monday 11. august kl. 19.30
Synopsis deadline, Friday 22. august kl. 23.50
September: Presentation of this year's program
In the weeks after the synopsis deadline, the Scenario Coordinators meet to curate the program. They strive to give designers an answer within ten days of submission and you will either be invited to have your game be part of this years Fastaval or you will be asked to revise and resubmit your synopsis next year. Afterwards designers will have a couple of days to respond and ask questions. When everyone has received a response, the program is presented here on the website and on Fastaval's social media.
If your scenario idea is selected for Fastaval, the Scenario Coordinators will ask if you want a sparring partner. If yes, you will be hooked up with a veteran designer for the next part of the writing process (if you want one). We also invite the designer to join a closed Facebook group, where you can exchange ideas and contact each other.
November: Writers Retreat
Den 7-9. November afholder vi forfatterweekend i Hvalsø på Midtsjælland. Her får årets scenarieforfattere mulighed for at møde hinanden, sparre og udvikle ideer. På forfatterweekenden kan man både deltage i forskellige scenarieudviklingsworkshops og skrive på sin tekst. Der er også mulighed for at få testet et eller flere elementer af dit scenarie, hvis du har brug for det. Om aftenen hygger vi og drikker en øl eller sodavand sammen.
December: Foromtaledeadline
I løbet af december skal alle forfattere aflevere en foromtale, hvor de kort beskriver hvad scenariet handler om, samt hvilke spillere og spilledere det kunne interessere. Fastavals deltagere bruger foromtalerne til at beslutte hvilke scenarier de vil vælge til og fra.
Januar og februar: Scenarieskrivning og deadline
Nu er det nu at scenariet for alvor skal skrive ned på papir. Hvis du ikke allerede har sat en spiltest op kan du med fordel planlægge én i december eller i første del af januar. Deadline for aflevering af færdige scenarier er søndag den 1. Februar 11.59 PM
A synopsis is an overview of your scenario idea which gives the scenario coordinators a foundation from which to evaluate it. A synopsis does not have to go into very specific details, or explain the entire course of the plot or the background story of all the characters. Instead, focus on touching on all the important aspects of the scenario. You need to make the scenario coordinators understand what the players are going to do and experience during the scenario.
We love when we can sense the enthusiasm in your idea and when you can tell us how your idea will create a good and engaging experience. On the other hand, you should like to avoid excessive bragging and long manifestos about what “true” roleplaying is, and also are not interested in negativity about other kinds of roleplaying games or styles.
Når du sender en synopsis ind, behøver scenariet ikke at være testet eller tilnærmelsesvis nedskrevet. Langt de fleste scenarier er kun på idéstadiet, når der er synopsisdeadline, men vi vil gerne have et klart indtryk din vision. Ideen skal være formuleret klart og virke nogenlunde færdigbagt, så de scenarieansvarlige kan få en fornemmelse af om scenariet realistisk kan blive færdigt til tiden.
If you want good extra advice for your synopsis, you can attend one of the synopsis workshops.
Here kan du læse tre eksempler på gode synopser indsendt til Fastaval 2024
En synopsis er et kort skriv der forklarer scenariets særtræk, hvad deltagerne konkret skal gøre undervejs, og hvilken oplevelse spillerne får. Den skal indeholde følgende information (ikke nødvendigvis i denne rækkefælge):
Title. Can be a temporary working title
Type. Full length, novella or other
Genre, er dit scenarie fantasy, historisk drama, surrealism, hverdags komedie, eller noget helt andet.
Description, typisk 1-1,5 siders tekst om scenariet med fokus på hvad spillernes oplevelse vil blive. Vi vil gerne høre om rollerne, verdenen, regler, plot, stemning og hvad der ellers relevant for at forstå scenariet. Du behøver ikke gå i minutiøse detaljer om hvordan dine virkemidler kommer til at fungerer, det er nok for os at vide at de er en del af et scenariet eller at du vil arbejde på at udvikle dem i løbet af din skrive process. Brug heller ikke for mange ord på prosa og baggrundsbeskrivelser, vi har primært brug for et overblik.
Target Audience, hvem er scenariet for. Du skal især forholde dig til om scenariet skal være kategoriseret som +13, +15 eller +18 år og hvorfor.
Key words. Style of play / setting etc.
Number of players
Number of game masters. typisk har et scenarie én gm, men nogle scenarier kan også have flere eller ingen alt efter hvilket rollespil du laver.
Forventet spilletid, maks 6 timer (med mindre du designer et live eller en helcon)
Personlig information, Name, email, and phone number of all participating authors. (It is possible to write under a pseudonym, but the scenario coordinators must still ask for author data.)
Optionally, a brief introduction of yourself, if you are a new writer and not acquainted with the scenario coordinators. Include some information about what else you have worked on roleplay-wise. In no way does it count against you being inexperienced, but we would like an insight into your level of experience and your roleplaying style. It is important for us that we get a good mix of experience among our writers so that we constantly get new blood and new ideas into the environment around the Fastaval scenarios.
Optionally, a short 1-2 sentence pitch, to put on fastaval.dk if the scenario is accepted. You can also let the scenario coordinators write this.
At Fastaval, we go to great lengths to accommodate all kinds of ideas, but there are certain limitations and frameworks that you need to be aware of if you are considering writing for Fastaval.
It must be possible to run the scenario at Fastaval. Langt de fleste scenarier, spilles i et klasselokale på Mariagerfjord Gymnasium, hvor den eneste scenografi er borde og stole. Der er dog også plads til rollespil i Fastaval fællesområder eller i naturen bag gymnasiet. Vi går langt for at imødekomme skæve ideer, der leger med rollespilsformen, men du skal forberede dig på, at Fastaval ikke ejer kostumer, props eller lys, som du kan bruge. Al ekstra scenografi og alle props til dit scenarie, skal du som udgangspunkt have med selv.
The scenario must be written down. Et fastavalscenarie kan fylde alt mellem 10-100 sider( i sjældne tilfælde endda mere) og fungerer som en slags manual/drejebog til dine spillederne (gm’er). De fleste scenarier har 5+ afviklinger på Fastaval og derfor skal rollespillet kunne læses, forstås og køres af folk som ikke er dig. Den nedskrevne tradition er også en vigtig del af at udvikle og styrke kvaliteten af rollespil på Fastaval. På hjemmesiden Alexandria website, you have free access to fixed selection scenarios over many years, a fair bit of which has been translated to English and can be read, learned from, and played. It is not required to put your scenario online on Alexandria for free if you have commercial plans for it, but definitely in the spirit of Fastaval as a non-profit, volunteer-driven convention.
The scenario is automatically included in the Otto competition. Som scenarieforfatter skal du være forberedt på at alle scenarier er med i konkurrencen om årets Ottoer – det er en hovedpræmis, når man har et scenarie med på Fastaval. Din tekst vil altså blive læst og bedømt af et dommerpanel under Fastaval. Hvis du gerne vil høre dommernes tanker og analyser, sender de konstruktiv feedback ud til de forfattere som ønsker det efter Fastaval. Læs mere om Otto-konkurrencen here.
The scenario must be written specifically for Fastaval. Fastaval er stolt af sine premierescenarier og vi vil gerne skabe og pleje et miljø, hvor rollespil som medie hele tiden er i udvikling. Derfor godtager vi ikke rollespil, som er skrevet til andre kongresser eller lignende events. Vi ser dog gerne genfortolkninger eller fyldige omskrivninger af gamle scenarier, ligesom det natuligvis er tilladt at spilteste sin idé på andre conner.
As far as possible, you should recruit five Game Masters for your scenario. Fastaval stræber efter at alle almindelige scenarier bliver spillet minimun fem gange. Desværre er der altid mangel på spilledere og det er et kæmpe arrangørarbejde at sørge for at alle forfattere får oprettet deres fem+ hold. Hvis du er ny forfatter, skal du ikke lade dig afskrække, vi har et par dygtige spillederansvarlige som meget gerne hjælper dig. Vi forventer blot, at du gør dit bedste for at skaffe så mange spilledere som muligt. For rutinerede forfattere og dem med et solidt netværk på Fastaval forventes det, at de finder minimum fem spilledere selv.
Det er tilladt at indsende mere end én synopsis. Vi anbefaler dog at du fokuserer på at udvikle én scenarieidé, frem for at sende mange løse. Kvantitet hjælper ikke nødvendigvis på dine chancer for at blive udvalgt.
It is Fastaval's Scenario Coordinators who have the responsibility and privilege of reading the submitted synopses and selecting the scenarios that will premiere at Fastaval. The scenarios are selected as a complete field. We therefore do not only look at the individual synopsis quality, but also how your idea differs and compliments the others.
First and foremost, we select based on a desire for diversity. We wish to offer Fastaval's participants a broad palette of role-playing experiences. Everyone who reads Fastaval's program should ideally be able to find at least one scenario that speaks to them. We strive for good breadth in terms of genres, themes, forms, content and systems. Just as we also look at which age groups the scenarios are aimed at. Most preferably, we would like to have both dice games, action, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, social realism, feel-good drama, historical narratives, larps and everything in between and beyond.
We are also looking a diverse group of designers with different levels of experience.. Each year make a conscious effort to include debutants who get the chance to try their hand at scenario writing, so we continue developing the Fastaval roleplaying community. Naturally we also need designers with two or three scenarios under their belt, who get the chance further grow creatively and technically. Finally, there must also be room for the seasoned designer, who in addition to their scenarios also contribute greatly to the community by sharing their experiences at various workshops and the designer weekend retreet.
Fastaval is not only for Danes and therefore the Scenario Coordinators also consider language and nationalityWe welcome international designers who show interest in Fastaval, and therefore we always hope to be able to include a small handful of scenarios from abroad, even though the majority are still written in Danish.
Last, but not least, we cannot deny that the quality of your scenario idea, as it is written in the synopsis, naturally plays a role. The Scenario Coordinators are looking at the maturity of your idea and whether we believe that it, within the timeframe, can become a finished and solid scenario. We are also considering the quality of your writing and ability to articular ideas clearly in text. Small linguistic errors and a handful of wrong spellings are not something we pay attention to. However, if your grammar and spelling is making it difficult for us understand how the game is supposed to be played or the submitted synopsis is incomplete, then we sadly cannot trust that the designer will be able to communicate a complete scenario to a game facilitator and to the players.
Fastaval has two scenario coordinators and it is our task to ensure the participants at Fastaval have the best possible role-playing experiences, as well as to ensure that Fastaval’s writers all have a good experience writing their scenarios. First and foremost, it is we who select this year’s scenario program, but it is also our task to arrange workshops for the authors, and provide feedback and moral support during the entire writing process from idea to finished scenario.
One is not the scenario coordinator indefinitely. Typically, a new duo is rotated every other year, to take over from the old organizers. In this way, we ensure that Fastaval’s program is constantly evolving and provides space for new ideas and priorities.
If you have questions about the scenarios or would like to hear more, you are welcome to contact us here: scenarieansvarlige@fastaval.dk
Hvorfor er der kun plads til ca 30 scenarier på Fastaval?
Antallet af scenarier på Fastaval har to forklaringer. 1) Fastaval er begrænset af antallet af spillokaler, vi har adgang til på Mariager Fjord Gymnasium. 2) Fastaval prioriterer at de udvalgte scenarier skal have så mange afviklinger som muligt, over at have så mange scenarier som muligt. Det tager tid og frivillige kræfter at skrive et fastavalscenarie og derfor vil Fastaval hellere have lidt færre scenarier, der så i tilgift kan blive spillet mere.
Who decides which scenarios are included?
Det er de scenarieansvarlige, der står for at udvælge årets felt til Fastaval. De scenarieansvarlige er arrangører på Fastaval, som sidder for to år. De arbejder for at skabe en god spredning og diversitet blandt scenarierne, så der er noget for alle at spille..
Why can’t I submit my finished role-playing game as a synopsis?
There have been years where Fastaval has received 70+ synopsis, which in itself is a huge amount of reading material for the scenario coordinators and finished scenarios would only give them even more work. The synopsis form is there so that the scenario managers can easily form an overview of all the scenario ideas and thereby select the best overall program. Even though you may find it annoyingly redundant, you should still write a synopsis, even if you may already be far with your written scenario.
Kan jeg tage et rollespil med på Fastaval uden om synopsisudvælgelse og scenariekonkurrencen?
Fastaval er et stort sted og hvert år er der masser af deltagere, som kommer for at spille deres egne rollespil og kampagner, uden om det officielle fastavalprogram. Det er der heldigvis masser af hjerterum til, men det forgår ofte i fællesområderne på gymnasiet, da Fastaval skal bruge klasselokalerne til programsatte aktiviteter.
The scenario coordinators 2024
Nynne has been coming to Fastaval since 2010. She has written two scenarios; one very sweet and one very cruel - both about horses. In addition, she has been a scenario judge three times and head judge twice. Before she fell in love with Fastaval, she was an incarnate liver, playing everything from Nordic Larp to Krigslive. She has both made children's role-playing games with Rollespilsfabrikken and been one of the main organizers of the conferences Forum and Knudepunkt. Nynne also has a penchant for things like Vampire the Masqurade and Warhammer and is no stranger to rolling dice.
Ann first came to Fastaval in 2011 and wrote her first script in 2014. Since then, she has written six scenarios plus a little blackbox. On the practical side, she has done both website and communication for Fastaval for many years, served on the Otto jury, been part of the TV team Pingvinstuen (yes, I sing the Toast song) and was part of the tragic main organizing group that cancelled Fastaval in 2020. Besides Fastaval, Ann enjoys a good live role-playing game every now and then (preferably something with big dresses) and she has been a part of Rollespilsfabrikken once upon a time.
You can always get in touch with us at scenarieansvarlige@fastaval.dk
