The Game
Dash
Define lines that should not be crossed. Pause or rewind the game if something uncomfortable happens during a session. Always make sure everyone is comfortable with the direction of the story.
One person is the game master (GM), the rest are players.
GM: Guide the story, present challenges to the group. Be a fan of the players. Ask them questions, fill the world with their answers. If it's cool, let them try or split complex challenges into clocks.
Player: Narrate what your character does. Make action rolls when things are risky. Give everyone a time to shine. Fill the world with your ideas. Take risks, and rise up from failures.
When there's a challenge that needs to be overcome, and there's a risk of failure, make an action roll. This resolves the action of the PC as well as any GM characters that are involved
GM, telegraph the risk of the roll (low, moderate, high) and the effect (limited, standard, great). Pick an action, roll 1d6 for each action dot, and read the single highest result.
If you end up with zero or less dice to roll, roll 2 dice and keep the lowest.
- On a 66, it's a critical success. You achieve your goal with increased effect.
- On a 6, it's a full success. You achieve your goal.
- On a 4-5, it's a partial success. You achieve your goal, but there's a consequence.
- On a 1-3, it's a bad outcome. Things go badly, and there's a consequence.
When a player makes an action roll, that roll can generate momentum. You start every session with 2, and generate more when you make successful rolls. You use momentum to get various bonuses or resist incoming consequences.
- On a 4-5, you gain 1 momentum.
- On a 6, you gain 2 momentum.
- On a 66, you gain 3 momentum.
When momentum is spent for a roll, that roll cannot in turn generate momentum.
If you make an action roll, and you get a partial success (4-5) or a bad outcome (1-3), you suffer a consequence.
- Reduced Effect : reduce the effect of the action by one level.
- Complication: tick 1-3 segments on a new or existing danger clock, based on the risk.
- Escalated Risk: increase the risk of future related action rolls by one level.
- Lost Opportunity : what you tried didn't work, you need to use another action.
- Worse Condition: take 1-3 stress, based on the risk.
STRESS: When your character takes stress, tick segments on your stress clock. Update your character’s condition beside the clock. If you fill the clock, clear it, and you are taken out for the scene. To recover stress, rest, lay low or seek medical attention. The GM will look at the fiction and tell you how much stress (1-4) you clear.
DETERMINATION ROLL: To resist or limit your or someone else’s consequence, build a pool of d6s by adding 1d6 for each charge of momentum you are willing to consume. Roll and take the highest result.
- On a 1-3, the consequence still happens.
- On a 4-5, the consequence is reduced.
- On a 6, the consequence is avoided.
- On a 66, the consequence is avoided, and the risk of your next roll is lowered.
When creating a new character, write down their details:
- Concept: an elevator-pitch version of who the character is.
- Appearance: what the character looks like, what they wear, etc.
- Ties: 1-3 relations that the character has with certain people or organizations in the world.
Assign 4 action dots among the following 6 actions on your character sheets.
- Muscle: move, overcome, wreck.
- Finesse: hide, skulk, lurk.
- Move: run, jump, climb.
- Study: gather, scrutinize, analyze.
- Talk: befriend, charm, manipulate.
- Focus: concentrate, meditate, trance.
At character creation, actions cannot have more than 2 dots.
PROGRESSION: After a big story event, every PC gets a new talent. This either gets you a new action dot, or a situational talent. For the latter, decide on a specific situation that activates the talent’s bonus and fill the blanks on your sheet.
When the PCs face a complex obstacle, like enemies putting up stiff resistance, or when you want to inject the tension of impending danger, don't leave it to a single action roll: draw a clock.
Clocks are circles divided in 4, 6 or 8 segments. Generally, the more complex the problem, the more segments in the clock.
When a PC tries to overcome an obstacle with an action roll, tick a progress clock with 1 segment for a limited effect, 2 segments for a standard effect, or 3 segments for a great effect.
When a PC gets a complication as a result of their action, tick a danger clock 1 segment for a low risk, 2 segments for a moderate risk, or 3 segments for a high risk.
PUSH YOURSELF: Consume 2 momentum per push and gain one of the following.
- Add 1d6 to your action roll.
- Increase the effect of your action.
- Take action even if you were taken out.
ASSIST: Consume 1 momentum to add 1d6 to an ally’s roll. Doing this also exposes your character to the same risks.
ADD TENSION: Ask the GM to add a consequence to the scene. If you accept it, add 1d6 to your action roll.
SET UP: Make an action roll to improve the effect or risk for people following through with your action.
PROTECT: Step in to confront a consequence that an ally would otherwise face. Describe how you intervene, and suffer the consequence for them. You can try to reduce or cancel the consequence with a determination roll.
FLASHBACKS: Call for a scene that has happened in the past to affect what hasn’t been established in the fiction yet. The GM sets a cost in momentum, between 0-2, and asks for action rolls if necessary.
FORTUNE ROLL: To disclaim decision making, you can make a fortune roll. The result of the roll helps guide the outcome as to where the story goes next, but doesn't feature momentum nor consequences. Roll a number of d6s based on a specific action or the odds of a thing happening, and interpret the results.
- On a 66, it’s a critical success. There are great results, and something exceptional happens.
- On a 6, it’s a full success. There are great results.
- On a 4-5, it’s a partial success. There are mixed results.
- On a 1-3, it’s a bad outcome. There are bad results.
