So You Want to Play A Scribe

Huddled over ancient tomes of lore, transcribing the legends of old, and documenting the official histories of the world are just a few of the duties of a Scribe. Blessed with the sacred skill of written language, Scribes are the pillars of culture, history, and government. The keepers of records and stories, they are simultaneously responsible for maintaining the bureaucracy and creating art in the form of books, poems and even typography. A scribe must master not only composing diplomatic letters and maintaining ledgers, but also entertaining others with history and fiction.

A Scribe is an important and noble profession.

What does it Mean to Play a Scribe?

In the modern world, and especially in the role-playing culture it is rare that to find a person that lacks the basic skill of literacy. This almost seems to push the profession of scribe out of existence, since their primary defining attribute, knowing how to read and write, is common among all of the players. You simply don’t need another person nearby to scribble down words for you so they can be delivered to your political rival, or maintained in libraries for posterity.

At the same time, though, a player interested in being a scribe can be so much more important for the survival of a game than anyone ever realizes, once you redefine the job from being merely the word processors of the days of old, and look at them for what they are in the modern era.

Scribes are writers, publishers, and graphic designers all rolled into one.

If you want to stand out as a Scribe, you need to make sure you are seen scribbling away the stories of your game, and share them. Keep the histories for your friends in character. Volunteer to draft a letter on behalf of your knight. Throw yourself into the fun of playing a character that is dedicated to not just writing things down, but creating documents and seals.

It also helps to get into the organization side of things. Chances are, since you are already carrying a notebook and a pen, you’ll end up hanging on to other papers, too. Sooner or later, you’re going to end up helping with the mundane tasks of running the game simply by virtue of having the right tools. It’s okay if you don’t want to do that, as far as the general masses are concerned you won’t get much thanks or praise, but when it comes time to do promotions, awards and honors, I assure you that the people up the ranks notice these kinds of things.

Besides, if you’re playing a scribe, you’re probably already pretty inclined into keeping a hand in the paperwork pot of bureaucracy.

Keeping an in-character journal is a good idea for any player, but for you, it means having a place you can quickly jot down ideas for stories or notes that you need to write up beautifully later.

Tools of the Trade

If you’re going to play a scribe, you need to have a few things that just scream, “Scribe-i-ness.” You’re going to need something to be able to write on, something to write with, and a way to carry them all around easily. These are going to be as important a part of your character as your garb and weapons. Spend time picking out what you want for your character. Just like the rest of your kit, use a cheaper, easier alternative in the short run while you are working towards getting your signature piece.

The Paper

You can go with a nice bound journal or just a stack of printer paper. In reality the actual paper you write on in the field won’t matter to anyone but you, so make sure you find something that fits your tastes, and use that. If you’re doing a special project for someone else and you need a special heavy, muslin parchment, you can get that when you need to.

Pro Tip: Go cheap while you’re at the game. Anything you write out there should be considered draft copy, really. If you go with an expensive journal for your character, carry something cheap, like some printer paper or a spiral notebook, too. That way you can jot down your ideas and notes quickly, and then transcribe them into your nice journal later.

Remember, this is your character’s signature prop, and it is worth the extra effort to make it amazing.

Best Option: Journal

Nothing gives the air of an adventuring scribe quite the way a leather journal does. It evokes just an idea of mystery and elegance, even if it isn’t entirely historically accurate. This is the piece that really stands out and screams “Writer” about your character, whether you’re keeping your liege’s ledger or transcribe tomes of ancient sorcery into it, and fortunately you have a few options on how to get them.

Of course the easiest way to get your hands on one is to buy it. With great websites like Rogue Journals and Renaissance Art, you can get your hands on some truly amazing works of art to jot your ideas into, though the prices can be pretty high. A good alternative in the short term is to go with a faux-leather massed produced journal, Markings makes a plentiful selection, or even a Moleskine. Another fairly popular choice due to it’s ease and affordability is a standard hard cover sketch book. What makes them a great choice is that you can get them at just about any big-box general store, and you can almost always find a merchant at any Ren Faire that sells unique, hand-made, leather covers for them.

Of course, if you are the super crafty type, you can make them yourself!

Second Option: Loose Leaf it Up

Another great option is to just carry loose paper. It can be much harder to keep track of this way, but it is much more historically accurate. People jus didn’t carry books all that often. Plus it can be much more convenient if someone asks to borrow a piece of paper, and this is going to happen… often. I recommend if you are going to go this route that you carry a combination of cheap printer paper or inexpensive, higher quality printer paper, and some nice parchments.

If this is the route you plan on going, I recommend finding a nice stationary store. Part of the appeal and fun of going this route is being able to pick all kinds of different papers to use for different things.

The Pen

We all have the image in our head of the classic writer, scribbling down ideas and thoughts with a quill pen. As brilliant as it is to think about that, the truth is, writing with a quill pen sucks, and it sucks even more if you’re not sitting at your desk or table with plenty of time to let your inks dry. The argument can also be said that ballpoint pens just break the look of a character and destroy immersion. I’ve never been a big believer in that train of thought, though. Of course, there is always the middle ground of getting a good fountain pen, too.

My personal recommendation is to follow this instructable, and build your very own ballpoint quill! It has the convenience of a ballpoint pen and the look that everyone loves.

If you want to do some awesome calligraphy work, then you can invest in the tools for that, but those are the types of projects you work on at home, away from the dirt, sweat and grime of an event.

Something to Carry it In

You don’t want your hands full when some big orc comes at you with his axe, so you’ll want to get something to carry your tools in. I recommend getting your hands on a nice satchel. You can find them all over the internet in a variety of types. A good place to start looking is Etsy. You are basically looking for a messenger bag that fits your character. Another great way to get one is to find out if there is anyone in your game that makes leather bags, or sews pouches. If you’re feeling creative, you can even sew your own.

On a special note, if you plan to carry your paper loosely, then you’ll want to get your hands on a scroll case. You can spend some money buying them from Ren Faires or online from shops that cater to the LARPer/SCA crowd and modern day pagans. If you’re strapped for cash, you can also make your own scroll case from a Pringles can. If you’re a crafty person with a bit of money, or a person with a bit of money and a crafty friend, you can also make your own out of leather.

A Few Mundane Tips:

• Keep cheap pens and paper handy. People will come to expect you to have it just because they see you writing things down often at events. You do not want to lend them your nice pens or a page ripped out of your journal.
• Write things down quickly on cheap materials and the transfer them to you expensive props. It might be extra work, but you’ll be happy you did when you are getting compliments on your extremely well done props.
• Don’t worry too much about authenticity. The authentic tools suck and are hard to get your hands on anyway.

So, at your next event, head proudly out to the field, holding your head high. You are the the history books, the news papers and the government records for your entire kingdom. Demand the respect that you deserve and Scribe on!