The
metaplot is the overarching storyline that binds together events in a
role-playing game. Major story events that change the world, or simply move important
non-player characters from one place to another, are part of the metaplot for a game. For example,
White Wolf Game Studio's
World of Darkness was brought to an end by major events in the metaplot as part of the
Time of Judgment. Because of events like this, many gaming groups choose to ignore the metaplot for a game entirely.
Metaplot information is usually included within gaming products such as rule books and modules as they are released. Major events in the metaplot are often used to explain changes in the rules in between versions of the games, as was the case in White Wolf's World of Darkness and in Wizard of the Coast's
Forgotten Realms and
Dragonlance.