How Play-by-Post Roleplaying Works on Myth-Weavers

Updated

Myth-Weavers is a play-by-post (PbP) RPG platform where games run asynchronously on forums instead of in real time. You write your character's actions and dialogue as forum posts, the GM and other players respond when they can, and the story unfolds over days or weeks rather than in a single session. It suits people who want to play tabletop-style RPGs but can't commit to a fixed weekly time slot, or who prefer writing to speaking. The site has hosted games since 2006 and currently lists more than 50 active games across 9 systems.

The core loop: posts instead of sessions

A typical game lives in its own forum. The GM sets up threads for the story, out-of-character discussion, and sometimes private scenes. When it's your turn to act, you write a post in the rich text editor — describing what your character does, says, or thinks — and submit it. The next player reads it and responds, and so on.

Because nothing happens in real time, pacing is set by the group. The site's own recruitment listings show how much this varies: one Blades in the Dark game, Emberwatch Rises, advertises "two posts a week," while other games may move faster or slower. Before joining, check the recruitment post for an expected posting rate — that's the single biggest factor in whether a PbP game feels alive or stalls.

What the platform handles for you

Myth-Weavers bundles the tools a PbP game needs so you're not juggling separate apps:

  • Integrated dice rolling — rolls happen inside the post editor, so results are visible and logged in the thread rather than trusted on the honor system.
  • Character sheets — free sheets you can link directly to your posts, so your stats are one click away for you and the GM.
  • Post as your character — custom templates and formatting let a post appear in your character's name and style, keeping in-character and out-of-character voices distinct.
  • Rich text editor — full formatting support for immersive, readable posts.
  • Real-time updates — WebSocket-powered live updates show new posts as they arrive, so you don't have to keep refreshing to see whether the game has moved.

Roles, privacy, and who sees what

Games aren't a single shared feed. The GM controls visibility at the forum, topic, or post level, which enables:

  • Whispers — messages only specific players can see.
  • GM notes — content hidden from players.
  • Player-specific content — information revealed to one character but not the others.

Roles reflect this: a game can have a game master, assistant GMs, active players, and readers. Readers can follow a story without taking a turn, which is useful if you want to see how a group plays before committing to a game of your own.

Finding a game and getting in

  1. Create a free account — you need one to browse all active games and to post.
  2. Browse the "Games looking for players" list. Each entry shows the system, a pitch, the GM's handle, and the current player count. For example, Hollow Season (Call of Cthulhu) describes "frontier horror in a valley that empties every autumn… three seats open," while Emberwatch Rises notes "no system mastery required."
  3. Apply in the recruitment thread. GMs typically ask for a short character concept or writing sample rather than a rules test.
  4. Set up your character sheet once accepted, and link it to your posts.
  5. Post at the agreed pace and use whispers or OOC threads for anything the table shouldn't see in-character.

Common sticking points

  • Pace mismatch. A game advertising two posts a week will feel dead if you expect daily turns. Confirm the rate before applying.
  • Turn order drift. In combat or tense scenes, waiting on one slow poster stalls everyone. Many GMs set a "if you don't post in X days, we move on" rule — ask about it.
  • System familiarity. Some listings explicitly waive it (Emberwatch Rises: "no system mastery required"), but others assume you know the rules. The system tags — D&D 5e, Call of Cthulhu, Blades in the Dark, Pathfinder 1e, and others — tell you what you're signing up for.

If you want to write collaborative fiction with dice and rules attached, on your own schedule, this is the format to try. Start by reading a recruitment post closely, then apply to one game rather than several at once — a single active game is more satisfying than three stalled ones.