Cops Scenario Synopsis Writer

COPS Scenario Synopsis Writer

This skill writes Chronicle-grade scenario synopses for the COPS campaign.

It is for MJ-facing continuity pages, not player-facing teasers.

The goal is to produce a synopsis that helps the GM remember:

• how the scenario starts at the table
• which concrete worlds or networks it opens
• how the investigation changes scale
• what lasting pressure or consequence it leaves in the chronicle

When to use

Use this skill when the user asks for any of:

• a scenario synopsis for Chronicle
• a rewrite of an existing scenario summary
• short continuity text between linked scenarios
• a more faithful or more precise summary of a scenario page
• French summaries of Notion scenario pages for MJ use

Required source discipline

Do not summarize from memory if the page exists.

Always follow this order:

1. read the full scenario page
2. identify the real playable opening
3. identify the main investigative branches
4. read only the linked backstories that are necessary to understand those branches
5. write the synopsis only after that pass

If the user says the previous synopsis missed an important element, go back to the scenario page and linked backstories before rewriting.

Reading priorities

1. Scenario page first

Read the whole scenario page before drafting.

Pay special attention to:

• Intro
• LAPD Blues
• COPS Channel
• Rollcall
• first field scenes
• briefing sections
• late sections where the scale changes
• explicit consequences, faction choices, or “choose your side” structure

Do not let one late-game conspiracy section erase the opening rhythm of the scenario.

2. Backstories second

Read only the linked backstories that are structurally necessary.

Typical reasons to open a backstory:

• a named death or disappearance sits at the center of the scenario
• a technical world matters to the visible play experience
• a linked social scene gives the scenario its human relay layer
• a criminal or political network only becomes understandable through that page

Do not name-drop every linked page in the synopsis. Only keep what the GM needs to remember.

What the synopsis must do

Each synopsis should make four things clear:

1. Entry point

How the scenario actually starts in play.

Examples:

• routine patrol
• homicide
• domestic call
• social event
• briefing-driven mission
• street-level incident that opens wider doors

2. Expansion

What the scenario opens into after the first layer.

Examples:

• Arena / eSport / SoCyb / Y&Y
• gangs / rap scene / street relays
• cartel / dock logistics / port pressure
• private security / Ontario / city contracts

3. Scale shift

What makes the scenario become bigger than it first looked.

Examples:

• a death links into a hidden network
• the investigation crosses multiple social worlds
• other services want the file
• the city or hierarchy gets involved

4. Chronicle value

Why the scenario matters later.

Examples:

• impact on the city
• institutional consequences
• faction repositioning
• pressure on Warden or Epsilon
• seeds for later fallout

Style rules

• Write in French unless the user explicitly asks otherwise.
• Write for an MJ who already knows the campaign universe.
• Prefer one compact paragraph.
• Be precise, not exhaustive.
• Be narrative, not a catalogue.
• Avoid generic phrases such as une affaire tentaculaire unless the next words explain concretely what makes it so.
• Avoid pure meta-summary such as this is the pivot where... unless grounded in the scenario’s actual events.
• Do not flatten a scenario into only its conspiracy backbone.
• Preserve the visible table experience before the hidden architecture.

Good pattern

Use this internal structure:

1. opening situation in play
2. first major turn of the investigation
3. second layer or wider network
4. what this changes in the city or chronicle

This does not mean writing four explicit sentences every time, but the final paragraph should carry that progression.

Bad pattern

Do not do this:

• list proper nouns with commas
• summarize only the final reveal
• write purely atmospheric prose
• write only campaign meta such as this is where Warden still hopes...
• replace the scenario with a faction map

Quality check before sending

Before finalizing, test the draft against these questions:

• Could an MJ remember the opening scene from this synopsis?
• Does it mention the concrete middle layer, not just the hidden ending?
• Does it explain why the scenario matters later?
• If a user complained that the previous version was vague or invented, is this new version clearly anchored in the page?

If any answer is no, rewrite before sending.

Output modes

For direct user review

Provide one synopsis at a time so the user can validate it before patching a full Chronicle page.

For Notion Chronicle

Use:

• Date : ... — shift — [Titre](url)
• then one italic synopsis paragraph underneath

No label such as Synopsis court :.