Making Moves

Just like the players have moves they can make during the game, you also have GM moves that change the story in response to their actions. Unlike the PCs, you aren’t bound by specific spells you can cast or certain effects you can do—when you make GM moves, you are acting to shape and facilitate the story, whatever that requires. When you begin a GM move, you are starting your GM turn. When you are done making your GM move (or moves) and play passes back to the PCs, your GM turn is over. At its most simple, a GM move is anything you do that guides the story. These moves can heighten the danger, often by introducing conflict or increasing the Difficulty, or they can offer ease and support, often by revealing new information or relieving a burden. This ebb and flow of opposition and cooperation facilitates dynamic play and invites opportunities for both GMs and players to surprise one another with exciting choices. If moves are your chance to make things happen in the scene, what should you do? The upcoming sections provide suggestions (and examples in the “Example GM Moves” section), but these decisions are hard to make in a vacuum. The best tool you have at your disposal is listening to your players as they add to the narrative, then weaving your moves into theirs.

When to Make a Move

Knowing when to make moves (and what kind of moves to make) is a significant part of learning to GM Daggerheart. The frequency and severity of these moves depends on the type of story you’re telling, the actions your players take, and the tone of the session you’re running, but the general rule of thumb is this: you can make a GM move whenever you want. That’s right! You’re the GM—your job is not to crush the PCs or always act adversarially; it’s to help tell a story. You should be making moves whenever you see an opportunity to do so. Consider making a GM move when a player does one of the following things:

• Rolls with Fear on an action roll.

• Fails an action roll.

• Does something that would have consequences.

• Gives you a golden opportunity.

• Looks to you for what happens next.

Note that making a big move isn’t always necessary! When you can’t see an opening for a narratively impactful move, remember the other tools in your toolkit: make a PC mark a Stress, progress an event happening outside the current scene, or even defer the consequence for later. For example, perhaps nothing happens when you break the cursed object now, but its rightful owner might come to collect their due down the line.

They Roll with Fear on an Action Roll

If a PC rolls with Fear, play returns to you to make a GM move. Whether their roll failed or succeeded, your move should generally build on the action the player just attempted.

They Fail an Action Roll

If a PC fails an action roll, play returns to you to describe the failure and what comes next in the story because of it. If it’s a failure with Fear, consider choosing a harsher consequence or complication than you would otherwise.

They Do Something That Would Have Consequences

Sometimes a PC makes a move that, regardless of whether they succeed or fail, has inevitable consequences. In these situations, you can make a move to reflect that outcome. For example, if a PC wants to save someone from a burning building, the player declares they want to run inside. You can explain to that player that no matter how high they roll, a consequence will occur: the character takes damage from the fire, the building collapses around them to prevent an easy escape, or something they’re carrying is damaged in the flames.

They Give You a Golden Opportunity

Sometimes, a PC’s decision gives you the perfect opportunity for a dramatic move—perhaps they move too close to a waiting predator or get distracted while watching for intruders. In these cases, a roll doesn’t prompt your move, but you can still seize the opportunity for a powerful dramatic beat. For example, if the PCs are hiding from a group of thieves while discussing the bandit leader’s plans, a PC might say with dramatic irony, “But surely they won’t look in the eaves of every barn in the district!” In response, you might describe the barn door noisily swinging open as a bandit steps inside, a lit torch in one hand and a sword in the other as they peer into the rafters where the characters are hiding.

They Look to You for What Happens Next

Your job is to keep the story moving, so when the players aren’t sure what to do, they’ll likely look to you to find out. This is usually a sign that you should make a move. For example, if the PCs are conversing with each other during a dinner party then reach a lull in the conversation, the players might glance at you to see if it’s time for an NPC to speak or take action. Similarly, you should make a move when the players are stumped about what to do or when they seem frustrated about a lack of information. When you need to get the scene moving again, a softer move might do the trick (see the upcoming “Softer and Harder Moves” section), but sometimes a harder move is needed to provoke the PCs to action.

How to Choose a Move

When a player makes an action roll, the result influences how the scene changes—but those changes depend on your chosen GM move. Consider the following examples of phrases you might say to the player after an action roll, and what moves you might make:

Critical Success

“That’s a critical success! You get what you want and a little extra. Gain a Hope and clear a Stress. Tell me how this happens…”

Let the player describe their success, then give the party an additional opportunity or advantage in the scene because of it.

Success with Hope

“That’s a success with Hope, so you get what you want. Gain a Hope. Tell me how this happens…”

Let the player describe their success, then show how the world reacts to it.

Success with Fear

“That’s a success with Fear, so you get what you want, but it comes at a cost. I gain a Fear and here’s what happens…”

Work together to describe the PC’s success, then introduce a complication or cost as a GM move—but don’t negate their success with this consequence. Maybe an adversary attacks them in response or they mark a Stress from the toll it took to succeed. Perhaps they realize their ally is in imminent danger or get new information that raises the stakes.

Failure with Hope

“That’s a failure with Hope, so things don’t go according to plan, but you gain a Hope. Here’s what happens…”

Describe how the PC fails to get what they want, and how the situation goes wrong as a result, by introducing a minor complication or consequence as a GM move. Maybe they spot a new danger they must now contend with, face an attack or mark a Stress from an enemy they’re engaged with, or face collateral damage that puts them in a more difficult position.

Failure with Fear

“That’s a failure with Fear, so it doesn’t go well! I gain a Fear and here’s what happens…”

Describe how things go wrong by introducing a major complication or consequence as a GM move. Maybe they receive bad news and the information puts them in immediate danger, they become the focus of multiple adversaries, they are separated from their party, or an important opportunity is lost for good.

Quick Reference: Resolving Action Rolls

If you’re unsure how to resolve a roll, think about these quick phrases:

Success with Hope: Yes, and… (You get what you want and gain a Hope.)

Success with Fear: Yes, but… (You get what you want, but there’s a consequence, and the GM gains a Fear.)

Failure with Hope: No, but… (Things don’t go as planned, but you gain a Hope.)

Failure with Fear: No, and… (Things don’t go as planned and it gets worse. The GM gains a Fear.)

Obvious Moves

Sometimes, you’ll know without hesitation how to make a move in a scene. A PC just rolled a success with Fear on a melee attack against a powerful adversary? They get what they want, but it comes at a cost. In response, your move might have the adversary strike back or throw the PC across the battlefield. Maybe you’ve set up the scene so that they’re fighting on a precarious ledge, and the attack from the PC was successful, but momentum carries them dangerously close to the cliff’s edge and they must make an Agility Roll to see if they can keep from falling off. Other times, the move might not be immediately obvious. In that case, you can draw inspiration from the upcoming “Example GM Moves” section. If all else fails, either have the PC mark a Stress, or tell them “everything is fine… for now” and think about how you can bring more danger their way in a later scenario.

Player-Driven Moves

If you’re still not sure what to do, you might turn the decision over to the player, giving them an option of two different things or simply asking them what happens next. They sometimes put themselves in a more interesting or dangerous situation than you ever would’ve!

Social Moves

Keep in mind that GM moves are applicable in any situation. While combat mechanics naturally lend themselves to signaling when enemies attack, how much damage they deal, and so on, the concept of “making moves” applies across all scenarios within Daggerheart. A tense dinner between rivals, an important negotiation, an emotional confrontation—all of these scenes have a back-and-forth between the PCs and the GM. You can use moves to accomplish the single most important part of GMing: listening and responding to your players.

Avoid Undermining Success

On a success with Fear, one pitfall GMs can run into is undermining their players’ success when making a GM move as the consequence. For example, if a PC makes a Finesse roll in an attempt to move stealthily through a hallway, and they succeed but roll with Fear, don’t use your move to sound an alarm bell or make someone bump into them, spoiling their cover. The PC succeeded on the roll, and that success should be honored, even if it comes with a consequence. Instead, consider options such as introducing a new obstacle at their target destination or adding a new enemy approaching from behind to complicate their situation. Similarly, if a PC does something cool—such as cleverly casting a spell—let them enjoy it instead of immediately foiling their schemes and let the scene play out for a while, using moves to change and escalate the scenario rather than end the effect. For example, a PC might circumvent a trap you laid; rather than immediately use a GM move to spring the trap into working, let the PC feel smart as you instead use your next GM move to summon more foes or telegraph what other dangers might be on the path ahead. Use your GM moves to immediately shut down an effect when it involves a climactic moment or a powerful adversary—when you need to show that the situation is dire. Keep this principle in mind as you make GM moves. The following sections provide advice on what kind of moves you can make and how to implement harder moves with care. After all, not every move will be enjoyed in every circumstance. If the PCs are delivering a powerful artifact to a wizard to be destroyed, having a minor adversary steal the artifact can spark an exciting story arc—or it can throw icy water on the party’s excitement and make them feel all their work to retrieve it was pointless. As always, communication and collaboration are key, and hard actions shouldn’t negate player agency or feel punishing.

Softer and Harder Moves

When play turns to you, you have many options for how to respond. Some are soft moves that are generally easier on the players—they give the party new information about the scene and offer them an opportunity to react to it. Others are hard moves that are usually harsher, bigger, or more direct—this fiction happens without allowing PCs to intercede. Consider using softer moves on failures with Hope and harder moves on any roll with Fear. Additionally, you might start off a session using softer moves and progress into harder moves as the story comes to a climax. Remember that your moves set the tone for a challenge or threat.

The next section contains example moves in approximate order of severity.

Example Gm Moves

GM moves are your most important tool as a storyteller in Daggerheart. The way you make moves truly defines your story and style. Everyone who plays this game will interact with GM moves differently, so you should never feel like you have to use them the same way anyone else does! As long as you and your table are having fun, you’re staying true to the story, and you’re acting as a fan of your players, that’s what matters. The following examples span the gradient from softer moves to harder moves. Look down the list until you find the move that seems appropriate. Don’t describe your move in the terms used in this section. Instead of saying “I show the collateral damage,” contextualize it for the players—describe how their missed arrow pierces the frayed rope holding a lantern aloft, and now the room in the bandits’ hideaway has been set ablaze! When you make a GM move, you might try one of these:

• Show how the world reacts.

• Ask a question and build on the answer.

• Make an NPC act in accordance with their motive.

• Lean on the character’s goals to drive them to action.

• Signal an imminent off-screen threat.

• Reveal an unwelcome truth or unexpected danger.

• Force the group to split up.

• Make a PC mark Stress as a consequence for their actions.

• Make a move the characters don’t see.

• Show the collateral damage.

• Clear a temporary condition or effect.

• Shift the environment.

• Spotlight an adversary.

• Capture someone or something important.

• Use a PC’s backstory against them.

• Take away an opportunity permanently.

Show How the World Reacts

To show how the world reacts, simply think about the way the PC’s move has affected the world and narrate that change in a way that creates new opportunities for the PCs to act. At its softest, you might describe them successfully breaking down a door, then give them a description of the next room and what danger they find there. You could also make the person they’re negotiating with present an option for compromise, or have an enemy they just hit attempt to retreat. This is your opportunity to make the world around the PCs feel real and alive.

Ask a Question and Build on the Answer

This is perhaps the most collaborative move—presenting the player with a question, and using their answer as truth to build the scene. You might ask them something like, “What do you see in this city that reminds you of home?” or “What about this place tells you someone else was here before you?” Typically utilized when establishing information about a scene or when you’re interested in a specific character or player’s perspective on the current situation, this move can be a great way to get the whole table involved in worldbuilding during the game.

Make an Npc Act in Accordance with Their Motive

When a scene includes characters other than the PCs, you can spotlight what these NPCs are doing in response to the PCs’ actions. You might show a friendly NPC helping the party in a fight, a group of townsfolk taking cover, or an enemy moving positions. Make sure their actions always flow from their motive.

Lean on the Character’s Goals to Drive Them to Action

One of the most powerful ways to change a scene as a GM is to introduce something personal to the PCs. If the character is seeking out a specific object or creature, you might reveal where it is and why it’s going to be so challenging to get there. Using a PC’s desires to drive them forward is a great way to reinforce why this scene matters to them.

Signal an Imminent Off-screen Threat

A rustle in the trees, an alarm bell being sounded, the clanging armor of reinforcements headed their way—this move creates a ticking clock for your PCs. They need to get moving now.

Reveal an Unwelcome Truth or Unexpected Danger

This versatile move is usually applicable in any scene—you’re simply heightening the drama or tension. Maybe an unexpected person steps out of the shadows, or the characters receive bad news that makes them rethink their plans. A soft version of this move might manifest as moving a group of dangerous foes within striking range of the PCs or revealing a guard captain just when the PCs think they have the upper hand over the guards. A harder version of this move might be an enemy pinning a PC against the wall, making a PC Restrained until they make a roll to escape the adversary’s grasp.

Force the Group to Split Up

Usually the result of an environmental hazard or a trap, splitting up the party can force your players to think differently than they normally would about how to accomplish a task. This move can also make for some fun cutting back and forth between scenes as the two groups work independently before finding a way back to each other.

Make a Pc Mark Stress As a Consequence for Their Actions

This move is perfect for a success with Fear when you’re not sure what other consequences apply—the PC can get it done, but it’s not going to be easy. For example, the PC can charge across the battlefield, but they’ll mark a Stress to do it. As a softer move, you can also make this an offer instead—maybe you give them the choice to only make it halfway across and not mark a Stress. When you have a player mark Stress, describe why the circumstance is stressful—or ask the player to do so. Is it physically taxing in some way? Does it bring up painful memories? Is the PC under significant pressure?

Make a Move the Characters Don’t See

This move is most useful when you have something happening behind the scenes that you’re waiting to reveal. You might start a new countdown or tick down a current one, add more damage dice to an enemy’s upcoming damage roll, adjust a narrative situation the PCs have yet to encounter, or create another consequence the players can’t foresee. When you do this, don’t tell them the move, but do create fun tension at the table by letting them know your machinations have changed: “Everything is fine… for now.” Depending on your style of play, you might instead tick down a countdown timer the players can see but don’t fully understand. You could also cut away to a scene that the players see but the characters don’t.

Show the Collateral Damage

This is a great move to use when the player tries to do something powerful and there’s a consequence. That fireball that missed? Maybe it went wide, struck the side of the mountain, and now they hear rumbling from above. An avalanche is about to swallow them! Whenever a PC does something that significantly impacts the world around them, you can use this move to show them the natural ramifications of that event.

Clear a Temporary Condition or Effect

If there is a temporary condition or effect on an adversary or environment, you can choose to clear it. When you make this move, lead with the narrative, describing who or what causes the effect to end, then how it changes the PCs’ situation. For example, if an adversary is Vulnerable because they’re being held down by a tangle of vines, you might describe them using their blade to hack away at the vines to break free. Or if the effect is caused by a spell, you might describe the adversary unleashing a hail of arrows toward the caster, missing them but inhibiting their ability to focus on the spell any longer. If a PC just started an effect, think twice before ending it—it will be more satisfying if they see it impact the scene first. Clearing some conditions or effects might also require you to spend Fear.

Shift the Environment

You can change the environment the PCs are navigating to raise the stakes. If you’re using an environment stat block, you could choose to utilize one of its actions. Otherwise, affect the area surrounding the PCs in a fun and engaging way—maybe the rope bridge they’re crossing suddenly snaps or a river sweeps them off their feet. Perhaps an angry crowd packs the marketplace, obscuring the person they’re following, or a building falls toward the PCs after being struck with a spell that missed its target.

Spotlight an Adversary

Heroes are molded when pitted against adversaries of equal mettle—this move allows your adversaries to act meaningfully in a scene. When you make this move, an adversary can move anywhere within Close range and perform an action. In battle, this often manifests as an attack—they move into Melee range with a PC, make an attack roll, and showcase their power whether the attack succeeds or fails. But this move isn’t limited to violence. When you spotlight an adversary, they can demonstrate their tactics, reveal their motives, use one of their actions, or change the scene in an interesting way. Whether an adversary bludgeons a PC with jagged maul, floods the room with choking gas, or reveals that a local leader is in their pocket, this move is your chance to prove their prowess. Sometimes, you might want to spotlight more than one adversary during your GM turn. You can spend a Fear to make an additional GM move, shifting the spotlight to another adversary in the scene. You can spend any amount of Fear you currently have to move the spotlight around the battlefield, but you can’t typically spotlight the same adversary more than once during your turn.

Capture Someone or Something Important

Taking away something the party desperately wants or needs can quickly ratchet up the tension in a scene. You might knock a weapon from a PC’s hand, capture a fellow party member or an ally of the group, or steal a powerful object from right under their noses. This move is an exciting, fiction-forward way to advance the story.

Use a Pc’s Backstory Against Them

Integrating a player’s backstory into your move can have a huge impact on the PC and make the story much more personal to them. Maybe someone from their past shows up, a mistake they made long ago catches up with them, or the scene parallels a past experience, giving them the chance to make a different choice. Grounding the move in a character’s history ensures their next decisions matter all the more to them.

Take Away an Opportunity Permanently

When things are dire, sometimes the PCs lose an opportunity they once had. A softer version of this move might be to collapse the party’s straightforward pathway through a cave system, forcing them to find another, more treacherous way to escape. A harder version of this move would be to kill a valuable NPC or destroy a powerful object the party desperately needs. These moves can be used to great effect when you want to twist the trajectory of the story in a new direction.