Principles for Wardens

Information

• Provide useful information about the game world as the characters explore it.
• Players do not need to roll dice to learn about their circumstances.
• Be helpful and direct with your answers to their questions.
• Respond honestly, describe consistently, and always let them know they can keep asking questions.

Difficulty

• Default to context and realism rather than numbers and mechanics.
• If something the players want to do is sincerely impossible, no roll will allow them to do it.
• Is what the player describes and how they leverage the situation sensible? Let it happen.
• Saves cover a great deal of uncertain situations and are often all that is necessary for risky actions.

Preparation

• The game world is organic, malleable and random. It intuits and makes sharp turns.
• Use random tables and generators to develop situations, not stories or plots.
• NPCs remember what the PCs say and do, and how they affect the world.
• NPCs don't want to die. Infuse their own self-interest and will to live into every personality.

Narrative Focus

• Emergent experience of play is what matters, not math or character abilities. Give the players weapon trainers and personal quests to facilitate improvement and specialization.
• Pay attention to the needs and wants of the players, then put realistic opportunities in their path.
• A dagger to your throat will kill you, regardless of your expensive armor and impressive training.

Danger

• The game world produces real risk of pain and death for the player characters.
• Telegraph serious danger to players when it is present. The more dangerous, the more obvious.
• Put traps in plain sight and let the players take time to figure out a solution.
• Give players opportunities to solve problems and interact with the world.

Treasure

• A Treasure is specific to the environment from where it is recovered. It tells a story.
• Treasure is highly valuable, almost always bulky, and rarely useful beyond its worth and prestige.
• Relics are not Treasure, though they are useful and interesting.
• Use Treasure as a lure to exotic locations under the protection of intimidating foes.

Choice

• Give players a solid choice to force outcomes when the situation lulls.
• Use binary "so, A or B?" responses when their intentions are vague.
• Work together using this conversational method to keep the game moving.
• Ensure that the player character's actions leave their mark on the game world.

Die of Fate

• Occasionally you will want an element of randomness (e.g. the weather, unique character knowledge, etc.).
• In these situations, roll 1d6. A roll of 4 or more generally favors the players.
• A roll of 3 or under tends to mean bad luck for the PCs or their allies.