Implied Transcreation is a variant mechanic for establishing what is narratively canon during a tabletop game.
Description[edit | edit source]
Pop culture references are a frequent occurence at any social gathering, including tabletop games. They can even be useful for storytelling by providing a benchmark that people are already familiar with: “I met an elderly goblin who was basically Yoda.” This can prove to be an issue, however, when it comes to collaborative storytelling. By mentioning Yoda, is Star Wars now presumed to exist within the canon of Quelmar? Where do you infer the line between real-life cultural references and intended fantasy worldbuilding? This is where the mechanic of Implied Transcreation may come in handy at your table.
In the field of entertainment, “transcreation” is the practice of adapting media for foreign markets in a way that accounts for cultural differences more comprehensively than a direct translation would, with the aim of retaining the same emotional impact across cultures as well as adapting the language.
Implied Transcreation is a passive narrative mechanic which states that real-world cultural references made during a Quelmar game are presumed to be transposed into a canonical reference of comparable cultural impact. In practice, this allows players and gamemasters to more easily express ideas at a table without expanding the lore of Quelmar in unintended or anachronistic ways.
For example, if a player were to make a reference to the 2001 cinematic masterpiece Shrek, this does not mean Shrek now automatically exists in Quelmar; but rather, it can be assumed in-game that their character referenced a theoretical separate work already existing in Quelmar and which other characters would recognize to the same extent that people in the real world recognize the film Shrek. There may be a popular book or bardic tale within Quelmar which carries similar themes or a cultural legacy as Shrek. Whatever it is does not need to be stated; by the rules of Implied Transcreation, it is simply presumed to exist.
This principle is a discretionary storytelling mechanic and by no means universal. If it is the stated desire of the storytellers to canonize a real-world cultural reference, then Implied Transcreation need not take place.
