Rules

Blocking or Soaking an Attack
Parry • Raise shield • Trust in your armor
• Brace for impact • Take it on the chin •
Absorb with a spell of protection • Divine
or mystical intervention
You rely on passive means (such as bodily
constitution or armor) or the ability to actively block
an attack to protect yourself from harm in a reaction
roll. You can raise a shield, activate a magic item, or
otherwise move to brace for the incoming harm, or
simply rely on your toughness and armor.
Being surprised may prevent the use of active
defensive tags, as well as count as a negative status
for this reaction. Conversely, in some cases you
might even be able to lessen attacks you are unaware
of, using passive defensive tags such as armored hide.
If your rolled total is 10 or higher, you can use some of
your Power to notice something important (Discover),
turn the situation in your favor (Enhance), or bounce
back from a bad position (Restore). If you have
the ability, you could even absorb the energy of the
attack to empower yourself (Enhance) or regenerate
(Restore), or reflect the attack back to the attacker or
to another target (Attack).
POWER
armor or thick skin • physical durability or
constitution • cover • pain tolerance • large size •
shielding magic • parrying weapon • opponent's
restricted movement • natural barriers • poor visibility
attacker's quickness and skill • attacker's weapons
• attacker's superior position • weak points and
vulnerabilities • intangible or invisible attacker •
caught unawares
SUCCESS
LESSEN the Effects of the attack or harm.
DI S C OV E R a valuable detail about your opponent
or their fighting style and abilities.
ENHA NC E by giving yourself a sudden advantage
such as momentum, parrying, or emboldened.
RE S T ORE by recovering from a tough spot,
removing distracted, distressed, or off-balanced.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Counterattack (keep the spotlight).
• Draw your weapon, raise your shield, or reach for a
useful tool.
• Block your opponent's path or push them back.

Dodging an Attack
Duck • Jump back • Leap out of the arrow's
path • Roll with it • Fly away • Flow around
the attack • Lead the attack around you •
Become incorporeal
You move in order to avoid harm with a reaction roll
to lessen Consequences. This represents using any
of your natural and enhanced movement abilities
capable of putting distance between you and the
incoming harm, moving around harm, or having
harm move around or through you.
Being surprised may prevent the use of active
defensive tags, as well as count as a negative status
for this reaction.
If your rolled total is 10 or higher, you can use some of
your Power to notice something important (Discover),
turn the situation in your favor (Enhance), or bounce
back from a bad position (Restore).
POWER
sharp or enhanced senses • speed and reflexes •
survival instinct • poor visibility • flexibility • battle
experience or training • someone to push you out of
the way • ethereality and incorporeality
attacker's quickness and skill • attacker's weapons
• attacker's superior position • area attacks • slowness
• limited movement capabilities • caught unawares
SUCCESS
LES S E N the Effects of the attack or harm.
DIS C OVE R a valuable detail about your opponent
or their fighting style and abilities.
EN H ANC E by giving yourself a sudden advantage
such as momentum, evasive, or emboldened.
RE S T OR E by recovering from a tough spot,
removing distracted, distressed, or surrounded.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Regain your initiative and counterattack (keep the
spotlight).
• Move to a different position in the battlefield.
• Draw your weapon, raise your shield, or reach for a
useful tool.

Taking Cover or
Erecting a Barrier
Fall prone • Camouflage • Duck behind a
wall • Summon a mystical barrier • Pile up
furniture • Conjure a wall of stone • Call
upon spirits or deities to protect you
You find a safe spot, move to a defensive position,
create magical protection, or otherwise use your
abilities to improve your protective capabilities to
physically block harm.
POWER
heavy objects or barriers (e.g., loose stacked
barrels) • thick undergrowth • higher ground • small
body • quick thinking • self-preservation instincts •
camouflage • defensive or concealing magic
flimsy objects or barriers • small space •
opponent's sharp senses or quick movement
SUCCESS
QUIC K You find or create cover, averting an
incoming Threat, for now.
C RE AT E OR ENHA NC E a tag or status such as
camouflaged, magically-shielded, dug-in, barred door,
or barricades, with the aim of helping your next
action to lessen incoming harm or move across
dangerous terrain unharmed (Moving Around the
Battlefield, page 30). If you add tags to your cover
and make it into a theme, such as perfect lookout
position, the Narrator can add a negative story tag.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Find cover further away from danger.
• Find an alternative path to advance.
• Leave something behind.
• Take something or someone with you.
• Reach cover undetected.
• Misdirect your opponent.
CONSEQUENCES
» The cover you found does not provide actual
protection (exposed, only if there was no Success).
» The cover is temporary, and expires after one use
(Yes, but...).
» The cover introduces a new hazard or opponent
(New Challenge).
» The enemy knows you're here (Exposure).
Cunning
F
rom thieves sneaking on rooftops to spymasters
scheming in courts, many fantasy characters
engage in nefarious activities. Other Heroes are
clever and resourceful without being criminal,
stretching the limits of honor or simply finding ways to
work smarter, not harder.

Forcing an Opponent to Move
Push or pull a target • Throw a target •
Present an obstacle • Menace a target
• Force a target back • Employ fancy
footwork
You use physical strength, earth-shaking magic,
intimidation, tactical maneuvering, or any
combination of these in order to move your target or
force them to move to where you want them to be.
POWER
physical strength • tactical advantage • taunting
skills • quick movement • appropriate weapon
• intimidating look • advantageous terrain •
telekinetic spell
limited mobility • target's quickness or
robustness • target's wings or climbing appendages •
disadvantageous terrain
SUCCESS
QUIC K You move your target or force them to move
to the desired location.
DI S RUPT with a tag or status that represents the
hindering nature of your target's new position, such
as exposed back, neck deep water, prone, or corrupted
(e.g., if pushed into a demon's maleficent miasma).
W E A KE N by removing a beneficial tag or status
such as concealed, commanding position, aiming, or
magically-empowered (e.g.,if pushed away from place
of power).
E X T RA FE ATS
• Place them in between you and a threat.
• Cause them to drop something.
• Keep the spotlight and follow-up with an attack.
• Prevent being attacked during the movement.
• Knock the target off of their mount.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target forces you to move (exposed).
» You fall down (prone).
» The target attacks you (wounded).
» The target hunkers down against further attempts
(dug-in).
» You draw unwanted attention to yourself.

Mounted and Transport Battle
Calm a spooked horse • Pilot a ship on the
sea • Stay on a winged steed • Control an ox
cart on a winding road
Your mount or transport is usually represented by a
tag that you can add to any action it can help you with,
such as charging (Preparing an Attack, page 27),
running someone over (Hand-to-Hand Attacks, page
18), pushing someone back (Forcing an Opponent
to Move, page 29), or flying over a bulwark
(Moving Around the Battlefield, page 30).
The Hero riding, driving, or piloting usually takes
actions and reactions on behalf of their ride, since
they are the one in control of it.
A mount or a transport can be Created when Making
a Purchase (page 72), Conjuring a Creature (page
64), or Crafting and Tinkering (page 11).
Many mounts can get agitated, scared, harried, or
otherwise emotional during a fight, leading to
them possibly running wild and possibly getting
injured or lost. Actions that Enhance, Restore, and
Influence could be used to tend to them in battle
when they get hurt or scared, such as through
Treating Injuries and Other Conditions (page 53)
or Animal Kinship and Handling (page 43).

Moving Around the Battlefield
Reposition • Dash • Leap • Swing on a rope •
Tumble and roll • Attain the high ground •
Hide and sneak • Get behind • Fly around on
your broom • Spur horse on • Charge
You move to a desired position while facing
opposition, danger, or difficulty, or move under
pressure, for example when under fire, maneuvering
in tight spaces, racing to beat time, moving while
injured, not sure where to go, etc. Your desired
position can be a specific position on the battlefield
such as “on top of the open trapdoor” or a relative
position such as “above my opponent”.
In many cases, moving around the battlefield does
not require a roll – you narrate moving together with
another action (Common Simple Actions, Corebook
Vol. I, page 152). If you are moving to take cover, see
Taking Cover or Erecting a Barrier (page 33). If
you are traversing through a hazard represented by a
tag or status, see Travel and Wayfinding (page 50).
POWER
fortitude • quickness • athleticism • invisibility •
wings • grappling hook • magical transportation •
handholds • map of the area (for a military unit)
hesitation • injuries • opponent's alertness and
senses • enemy scouts • physical barriers • rough
terrain • hazards • environmental opposition (e.g.,
crosswinds) • enemy scouts (for a military unit)
SUCCESS
QU IC K You arrive at the desired destination.
EN H ANC E yourself with a status that represents
the benefit of your new position such as improved-
position, clear-shot, high-ground, out-of-sight, blocking-
the-path, charging, etc.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Avoid being attacked on the way.
• Keep the spotlight to take a follow-up action when
you arrive.
• Take someone else with you.
• Make an impressive entrance.
CONSEQUENCES
» The path is blocked (Blocked; only if there was no
Success).
» You come under attack or suffer from a hazard on
the way (wounded).
» You are ambushed at your destination (surprised).
» You drop something on the way (scratch a tag).
» You fall down (prone) or off something tall
(concussed).
» An enemy also maneuvers (gains a status or
story tag).

Retreating From Battle
Tactical withdrawal • Run for your life •
Escape a dangerous scene • Let us away! •
Teleport out
In many situations, getting out of a scene is a Simple
action. If there are unaddressed Threats, escaping
means that the Narrator gets to inflict Consequences
as normal, representing the Heroes' focus on getting
away over acting in response to the Threats present.
These Consequences might be one last attack
(wounded, bleeding, scorched, or similar), equipment
snatched or left behind (scratch tags), harm from
the environmental (shocked, cursed, or similar), harm
from the escape itself (tired, bruised, or similar),
personal cost or aftermath (frustrated, sorrowful,
disheartened, homesick, or similar), etc. Consequences
might even come during the next scene or later,
in the form of marked, ill-repute, lost, or similar,
representing fallout from leaving things hanging.
If escaping poses a dramatic challenge, a roll may be
required. See Moving Around the Battlefield (page
30) or Travel and Wayfinding (page 50). If
enemies pursue the PCs, set up a Chase (page 47).
Engaged
To make in-battle movement more difficult – thus
placing more emphasis on maneuverability and
defensive tags – consider using the engaged status to
represent being in melee with an opponent that is
actively trying to harm you.
Being engaged does not help with attacks against
the opponent, but it does hinder attempts to move
away from them. This makes moving away always
dangerous, and never Simple.
Engaged can also affect ranged attacks, making it
more difficult to hit the intended target. In addition
to hindering the attack, it also adds the possible
Consequence of hitting your ally.
BATTLE DEFENSE
A Hero with the right tags can combine different
defenses in the same reaction roll. See also Dispelling
Magic (page 55) and Warding (page 61) for
other forms of defense that can be in handy in battle.

Area Attacks
Cast an explosive spell • Bombard with siege
weapon • Shower with a hail of arrows •
Cleave with a mighty weapon • Infuse an
area with evil spirits • Blanket area with
magical hoar frost
You deliver an attack to an entire area. Targets in the
area are hit selectively or indiscriminately, depending
on the nature of your attack. If there are defensive tags
shared by most of the targets, they apply to this roll;
otherwise, targets defend from this attack individually
(Area Effect Actions, Corebook Vol. I, page 178).
This action often requires some Might to perform,
depending on the area covered or number of targets;
see Hand-to-Hand Attacks and Ranged Attacks for
attacking single targets.
POWER
attack rate or speed • large melee weapon •
explosive arrows • command of terrain • brute force
• destructive attitude • chaotic or dangerous magics •
targets in a choke point
targets are spread out • cover or hiding spots •
slow-firing weapon or slow projectile • detrimental
weather conditions
SUCCESS
AT TAC K to inflict a harmful status such as
wounded, bleeding, burned, electrocuted, or corrupted,
usually applied to the Limit harm or destroy.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Prevent a counterattack.
• Create a mess or cause chaos.
• Disperse the targets around.
• Remove obstacles or hiding places.
• Block the opponents from reaching a destination.
• Cause the target(s) to retreat in a certain direction.
CONSEQUENCES
» You are caught in the area of effect and take the
same status.
» The targets counterattack (wounded).
» You expose your position (Exposure).
» You harm allies, innocents, or something valuable
to you (Ill Tidings).
» You overexert your resources (scratch a tag).
» Your attack obscures the area (e.g. smoke cloud) or
creates an unintended hazard (e.g. dark magic residue).
Multiple Attacks
Your ability to attack multiple times in quick
succession should be represented by a tag such as
double strike or many-armed.
If you attack in a fashion that utilizes your quick rate
of attack, add these tags to the Power of Hand-to-
Hand Attacks (page 18) or Ranged Attacks (page
18). If you're attacking multiple opponents, tags
for multiple attacks can help to offset the Power loss
from Might. You may also be able to use multiple
attack tags to unleash Area Attacks (page 17).
You can also use an extra feat to keep the spotlight
for another action after your attack, but typically the
Narrator will allow only one such "follow-up" attack.
Precision
Precision Attacks
Attacks
Called shot • Accurate slice • Aim for a
weak point • Stunt shot
If you want to make an attack more precise to
maximize damage, see Preparing an Attack (page
27) before making an Hand-to-Hand Attack (page
18) or Ranged Attack (page 18).
If you make a precise attack to impair a target's specific
ability or their equipment, see Impairing Attacks (page
23) or Disarming and Sundering Gear (page 20).
If you make a precise attack to perform a stunt, see
Trick Shots (page 24).

Hand-to-Hand Attacks
Sword strike • Mace swing • Punch • Kick •
Bash • Stab • Slash • Thrust • Bite • Impale
• Brush with poison • Touch with magical
effect • Splash with alchemical substance
You strike at close range in order to harm.
POWER
the weapon • weapon skills • weapon
enhancements • touch-based abilities • specific
maneuvers • strength or speed • empowered or
excessive energy • superior position • target's weak
spots or vulnerabilities • target's inferior position
wounds or pain • physical restriction • unstable
ground • faulty or poor weapon • target's armor,
shielding, or dexterity • target's natural or magical
resistances
SUCCESS
AT TAC K to inflict a harmful status such as wounded,
slashed, impaled, bleeding, burned, electrocuted,
poisoned, or corrupted, usually applied to the Limit
harm or destroy.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to make a quick second attack.
• Prevent counterattack.
• Push them back.
• Block their path.
• Keep them focused on you.
• Draw someone else's attention.
• Draw an item out of a pouch.
• Maneuver around or away from them.
• Keep your touch unnoticed.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target counterattacks (wounded).
» You get off-balanced or expose yourself.
» You are forced into an inferior-position or become
blindsided.
» You exert yourself (winded).
» You lose hold of your weapon (scratch a tag).
» Your weapon gets a dull blade, your shield is worn-
down, or your armor gains broken straps.

Ranged Attacks
Shoot with bow or crossbow • Blast with a
magical bolt • Throw a rock • Hurl an apple
You shoot, throw, launch, or otherwise propel a harmful
projectile, object, energy, or substance at range.
To attack an area, see Area Attacks (page 17).
POWER
the weapon • weapon skills • weapon enhancements
• custom arrows • aiming or great accuracy • manual
dexterity • ideal conditions for a clear shot • empowered
or excessive magical energy • superior position • target's
weak spots or vulnerabilities • target's inferior position
wounds or pain • physical restriction • unstable
ground • faulty or poor weapon • extreme range • poor
vision or visibility • target's armor, cover, shielding, or
dexterity • target's natural or magical resistances
SUCCESS
AT TAC K to inflict a harmful status such as wounded,
slashed, impaled, bleeding, burned, electrocuted, poisoned,
or corrupted, usually applied to the Limit harm or destroy.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to shoot again.
• Prevent counterattack.
• Keep them pinned down.
• Keep them focused on you.
• Create a distraction.
• Stay hidden.
• Misdirect the source of the attack.
• Move into position for the next shot.
• Slide down a hillside while firing.
CONSEQUENCES
» You lose sight of your target (Complication).
» The target closes in, to within melee range
(Complication).
» The target fires arrows or spells back at you (wounded).
» You expose your position (Exposure).
» You are forced into an inferior-position or become
blindsided.
» You hit an unintended target (Ill Tidings).
» You lose your aim.
» Your bow string breaks, you run out of arrows, or
your magical power is exhausted (scratch a tag).

Restraining an Opponent
Chokehold • Pin down • Throw down •
Tackle • Body slam • Leg sweep • Control
someone's body • Grapple • Wrestle
You use your body or weapons to limit your target's
movement in close quarters. See also Hand-to-Hand
Attacks (page 18).
POWER
physical strength • large size • martial arts
training • tool or weapon such as a garrote, net, or
whip • target's physical restraints • extra limbs
small size • target is nimble or slippery • target's
strength • target is electrically charged, cold to the
touch, or covered in spikes • target strength • target
has many limbs, long neck, or other advantageous
body shape
SUCCESS
AT TAC K with subdued, restrained, or pinned to max
out your target's subdue Limit.
DIS R U PT your target with a hindering status such
as prone, concussed, pained.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Move them around.
• Avoid their counterattack.
• Position them in between you and a threat.
• Cause them to drop something.
• Take something off of their person.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target attacks back (wounded or restrained).
» You are thrown off-balanced or prone.
» You become exposed.
» You are forced back into an inferior-position or
become blindsided.
» You exert yourself (winded).
» They take something from you (scratch a tag).
Surprise Attacks
A combatant that is taken by surprise may receive
the status surprised, whether through a player
action, as a Consequence, or by the Narrator simply
translating the narrative into game Effects.
When a Hero is surprised, the status negatively
affects their reactions to what surprised them. A
Hero may avoid or lessen being surprised with a
reaction using tags of vigilance or advance warning.
When a Hero surprises their foes, and especially
against alert opponents, the Narrator might
require a player to first take an action to gain the
element of surprise (give surprised). See Sneaking
and Hiding (page 40).
The Narrator may also rule that certain defensive
tags are inapplicable when a combatant is surprised,
such as agile, a tower shield, and even certain forms of
armor that an unseen attacker can easily circumvent.
To keep an attack undetected to parties other than
the target, use an extra feat.
Two-Weapon Fighting
Two-weapon fighting is represented either by having
two separate weapon tags, by having a tag that
outlines your skill with two-weapon fighting, or both.
You can perform any battle action using these tags.
Combo Attacks
The actions in this section describe distinct battle
actions, but every offensive action can potentially
combine multiple Effects, depending on the tags
used and the amount of Power at your disposal.
• You can shoot your great bow at a chandelier above
a target so it'll fall on them as an Attack to wound
them, while also Creating a flaming chandelier story
tag blocking the entrance.
• You can use your vampiric magic tag suck life force
to Attack and give the enemy drained-life, Weaken
their energized status, and Recover to heal your
own wounded status.
• Your vial of acid could Weaken an enemy's heavy
armor and Attack to give them acid-burns.
• You can pounce from the darkness and stab a
monster's limb with a silver dagger to Disrupt
them with a weak limb and Influence them to be
frightened!
TACTICAL
ATTACKS

Assisting an Ally
Shout a warning • Cast a helpful spell •
Hand a potion • Pull a team-up maneuver •
Reposition together
You provide an ally with a momentary advantage or
boost. Several Fellowship members can help together,
each making their own assistance roll, as separate
actions. Assistance can also be provided during
another Hero's action by invoking one of your tags
(Helping Each Other, Corebook Vol. I, page 158).
To treat wounds during battle, see Treating Injuries
and Other Conditions (page 53). To help outside
of battle, see Helping and Supporting (page 86).
See also Granting Abilities to People or Items (page
68), Invigoration (page 51), and Crafting and
Tinkering (page 11). To prepare yourself, see
Preparing an Attack (page 27).
POWER
Relationship and Fellowship tags • relevant
equipment • battle maneuvering skills • tactical
skills • camaraderie and leadership • blessings
confusion • internal strife • opponent's
preparedness to prevent the assist • communication
difficulties • large distance between you and the ally
SUCCESS
ENHA NC E to give your ally alert, good-fortune,
got-your-back, protected-flank, resolute, etc.
BE S T OW to give your ally makeshift weapon,
protective winds, or enshrouding mists.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Prevent being attacked during the assist.
• Position yourself to protect your ally.
• Hide intentions from opponents.
• Extend the spotlight and give it to your ally.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your opponent attacks you or the ally (wounded).
» You hinder your ally (negative status instead or in
addition to positive; only if there was no Success).
» You exhaust yourself or run out of supplies
(scratch a tag).

Assuming a Battle Stance
Adopt a swordplay stance • Go into a rage
• Fight defensively • Battle dance • Mystical
trance • Act as a bodyguard • Mark your
prey • Ready yourself for battle
You change your posture, focus, or demeanor in
order to gain certain advantages in battle. A “stance”
can be anything that significantly skews your
capabilities in battle, such as favoring defensiveness
over aggressiveness, focusing on one target at the
expense of others, or a type of movement that favors
one specific kind of attack.
POWER
the stance • specialized weapons • mental focus
• specialization in a battle tactic or behavior •
personality trait
exhaustion • physical or mental restraints •
target's countering maneuver • energy block •
distracting environment
SUCCESS
EN H ANC E to gain a status such as battle-rage,
defensive-stance, warrior-aspect, or hunter's-guile. This
status stays for as long as you maintain the stance.
It is helpful for any action within its scope, while
hindering any other action. For example, hunter's-guile
helps guileful actions but hinder brute force actions,
such as picking up a heavy stone and using it to attack
a foe forcefully, unless you first exit the stance, losing
the status in the process.
A Hero can exit a stance during their spotlight,
usually without requiring an action to do so. Even
so, the status remains in effect until the scene is re-
Established, so it can still affect their reactions.
C RE AT E a tag for the kinds of capabilities you've
unlocked by assuming this stance, such as defensive
combatant, disarming moves, or intimidating posture.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Keep the spotlight for a stance-appropriate follow-
up action.
• Improve position.
• Draw or stow weapons.
• Grab a useful object.
• Strike an impressive pose.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your opponent maneuvers while you assume your
stance (surrounded, or they gain a positive status).
» You suffer physical, mental, or mystical strain
(strained or similar, or scratch a tag).
» You take a status that will go into effect when you
exit the stance (e.g., disoriented).

Improvising Weapons
Pick up a discarded weapon • Pull a weapon
out of a bag • Smash a bottle • Conjure a
weapon • Distribute armaments
You grab something in your vicinity to serve as
a weapon, or create a temporary weapon from
nearby resources or using magic. This can be a
prep action (Indirect Tags and Prep Actions,
Corebook Vol. I, page 153).
If there's no danger or chance of failure, this is a
Simple action. If finding, making, or forming the
item into a weapon requires time, skill, or effort, this
should be a Quick action. As a Detailed action, spend
Power to Create specific tags.
POWER
resourcefulness • desperation • nearby rocks or
tree branches • toolkit • a stocked armory, alchemical
laboratory, or storehouse • item conjuring powers •
weapon-dispensing allies
physical obstacles (object is secured, chained, or
buried) • hindered vision or manual dexterity • lack
of creativity or willingness to break things • desolate
or otherwise empty surroundings
SUCCESS
S I MPLE or QUIC K You grab an item which is
already a tag in the scene, or acquire a weapon which
the Narrator can make into a tag.
C RE AT E a story tag representing the new weapon,
or a theme representing the item and its abilities,
such as bar stool, broken blade, heavy rock, jagged,
etc. If you create a theme, the Narrator can add a
negative story tag.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to immediately attack.
• Remain unnoticed and hide the weapon on you.
• Break or don't break something as part of
retrieving the weapon.
• Deliver the weapon to a beleaguered ally.
CONSEQUENCES
» You draw attention (Exposure).
» There's nothing useful left in the armory or the lab
runs out of ingredients (Blocked).
» You cause unintended damage while grabbing the
object.
» You strain (winded) or harm (wounded) yourself.
» The weapon has an unwanted feature (a negative
tag) (Complication).

Preparing an Attack
Aim carefully • Charge an enemy • Prepare
to pounce • Swing overhead • Draw arcane
power • Begin a haymaker • Raise weapon
to strike
You use your skills, tools, and perhaps an
opportunity to hang back for another beat and
prepare for a devastatingly powerful or precise
attack. See also Preparing an Approach (page 85).
POWER
favorite maneuver • martial discipline • controlled
breathing • marksmanship • energy channeling •
safe position • snuck up behind them
confusion or stress • harassing opponents • being
rushed • crowded battlefield • unstable terrain
SUCCESS
EN H ANC E yourself with a helpful status, such
as aiming, momentum, heavy-strikes, magically-
empowered, or ready-to-charge.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to attack immediately.
• Prevent being attacked during the preparation.
• Remain unnoticed.
• Draw their attention.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your opponent attacks while you're preparing
(wounded).
» Your opponent also has time to prepare (gain
positive tactical status).
» You focus too much on the action (distracted).
» An unaddressed Threat manifests while you prepare.
» You draw attention to yourself (Complication).
Preparing for a Fight
Sharpening weapons • Donning armor
• Contemplating the coming battle •
Applying oils • Consuming potions •
Casting protective spells • Praying
Combat preparation may involve any of the
following. If there's ample time and the action is
routine for the Hero, the Narrator can allow it to be
resolved as Simple (Simple Actions With Power To
Spend, Corebook, Volume I, page 157).
• To sharpen your weapons, apply oils, and
tighten armor and shield belts, see Crafting
and Tinkering (page 11), and keep your gear
in good order with Maintaining and Repairing
Equipment (page 13).
• To don armor, draw a weapon, or string a bow
is a Simple action if you have enough time.
Performing these actions with expediency or
under pressure is a Quick action.
• To consume special concoctions, potions, or
substances before battle, see Invigoration
(page 51) or Granting Abilities to People or
Items (page 68).
• To pray, focus your mind, remember why you
fight, or steel your nerves, see Mental and
Physical Resilience and Recovery (page 52).
• To rub a lucky charm, ask for divine protection,
or chant protective invocations, see Taking
Cover or Erecting a Barrier (page 33).
• To enter a battle stance or adopt a fighting form,
see Assuming a Battle Stance (page 25).
• To muster your allies, see Leadership (page
78), Gathering Support and Resources (page
77), or Conjuring a Creature (page 64).
• To prepare a plan of action with your Fellowship,
see Fellowship Preparations (page 87).

Scrutinizing the Battlefield
Peek out of cover • Consult your guardian
spirit • Employ tactical thinking • Sense the
life force of combatants • Size up a fighting
style • Identify weaponry • Notice a weakness
You survey the battlefield to gather or surmise
valuable insights such as your opponent's numbers,
position, tactics, objectives, intentions, or capabilities.
When fighting one on one, this could be used to
notice fighting styles, magical gear, or even level of
confidence. If appropriate, the Narrator may reveal
specific information from the Challenge Profile such
as Might, tags, Limits, Consequences, and Specials to
reflect the knowledge gained by a Hero.
POWER
sharp senses • supernatural senses • tactical
training • sense-enhancing gear, such as a spyglass
• superior position • experience with similar foes or
situations • relevant lore
poor visibility • opponent's speed or cover • unique
tactics, behaviors, or abilities • obscure fighting style
SUCCESS
QU IC K You learn the most valuable details.
DIS C OVE R specific information you're looking for.
DIS R U PT your opponent with weakness tags such
as gap in armor, slow left hook, or same old tricks.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep your target unaware that you have this
information.
• Keep the spotlight to act on the new information
immediately.
• Use the information to circumvent a Threat posed
by the target.
CONSEQUENCES
» You are attacked while scrutinizing (wounded or
off-balanced).
» The target changes their tactics, gaining a new
status or tag.
» You arrive at the wrong conclusion (only if there
was no Success).
» You expose yourself to danger (exposed).
» Your ability to survey the battlefield becomes
ineffective or impaired (scratch a tag).
Treating Injuries
See page 53.
Coordinated Attacks
Fellowship members can act in coordination by
using actions such as Assisting an Ally (page 24),
Feinting and Distracting Attacks (page 21),
Impairing Attacks (page 23), or Leadership (page
78) helping teammates or hindering opponents to
prepare a devastating follow-up attack.
In addition to the tags, extra feat and
Consequences listed in each specific action,
consider also the following.
POWER
protectiveness • mentor or apprentice relationship
• supporting attitude • military rank • advantageous
positioning • appropriate tactics
internal distrust or discord • bad timing • no
line of sight between allies • poor or untrained
coordination • wrong tactics
SUCCESS
E X T RA FE ATS
• Hide your involvement.
• Make an ally look impressive when they charge.
• Draw attention to yourself.
• Keep opponents in place for the attack.
• Switch positions with an ally.
• Extend the spotlight and give it to your ally.
CONSEQUENCES
» You get separated (Complication).
» Your opponents get reinforced to match your
numbers.
» You miscommunicate (confused, in-the-way).
BATTLEFIELD
MOVEMENT
For crossing terrain and other kinds of movement
outside of battle, see Exploration & Survival actions
(page 41) and Sneaking and Hiding (page 40).

Disarming and
Sundering Gear
Sunder a weapon • Swat weapon away •
Break shield • Bust armor • Disenchant
weapon's magic • Destroy wand • Break claws
• Snatch out of their hands
You attack a piece of equipment on somebody's
person, either held, stowed away, or attached to
their body, with the goal of making it unusable or
unavailable to them.
Retrieving their gear might be as easy for your target
as reaching over to pick a pitchfork up from the
ground, or as complicated as spending weeks in a
sanctum of sorcery to repair their broken magical
talisman. If it is possible within the scope of a scene,
the Narrator can use Consequences later in the scene
to determine that the target retrieved their gear.
POWER
physical strength • precision • appropriate weapon
skills and maneuvers • long reach • opponent's
recklessness • entangling equipment or weapons such
as chains, whips, or flails • opponent's fragile gear
opponent's strong grip or extra arms • gear belts,
fastenings, chains, and such • gear that is small,
hard to reach, or well protected • limited space •
robust or magically-shielded equipment • weapons
or armor hidden under cloak
SUCCESS
QUIC K Remove an item not represented by a tag.
Consequences and activities involving the item are
not available until it is retrieved.
W E A KE N to remove an existing tag representing
gear. If you succeed, you could then Create for
yourself the same tag, meaning you managed to
grab hold of it and can now use it yourself (see
Improvising Weapons, page 26).
E X T RA FE ATS
• Kick the disarmed item away or otherwise prevent
it from being easily retrieved.
• Keep the spotlight to immediately attack.
• Prevent counterattack.
• Maneuver around your opponent.
• Place or plant something on your opponent.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target attacks you (wounded).
» You yourself are disarmed (scratch a tag) or your
grip is loosened (unbalanced).
» The target grapples you (pinned).
» The target secures their equipment (strong-grip;
only if there was no Success).

Feinting and
Distracting Attacks
Feigned strike • Misdirect • Battlefield
manipulation • Shock • Disrupt minds
• Throw smoke powder bomb • Feign
weakness • Dazzle with fire • Create a
diversion • Fake retreat
You use clever tactics or manipulation such as faking
an attack, enacting a false retreat, pretending to
let your guard down, or creating an illusion or a
loud noise in order to impair your target's judgment
or cognitive capacity, forcing them to make poor
choices or exposing them to a follow-up attack.
POWER
nimbleness • deceptiveness • appropriate gear
• powers of distraction • booming voice • illusions
• knowledge of the battlefield • battlefield tactics •
target's fear or gullibility • fake emotions
target's alertness, resolve, training, sharp senses,
or leadership • enemy reconnaissance efforts •
impaired communication, when leading a group
SUCCESS
QU IC K The target takes the desired action.
INF L U E NC E to dictate the target's next actions by
giving them a compelling status such as hostile to
their own allies, focused on something else, docile, or
overconfident.
DIS R U PT to inflict a hindering status such as
vulnerable, overextended, guard-down, or unaware,
surprised, dazed, or distracted.
WEAK E N to reduce a positive tag on the target that
represents preparation or commitment such as high-
morale, energized, or drilled maneuver.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to immediately attack.
• Prevent counterattack.
• Draw attention away from your allies.
• Move the target around the battlefield.
• Split up the target group.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target attacks you while you are feinting
(wounded).
» You get off-balanced or expose yourself.
» An ally gets confused as well.
» The target sees through your misdirection and it
backfires (exposed; only if there was no Success).
» The target wises up and makes you embarrassed or
taunted (only if there was no Success).
» The target becomes resistant to future misdirection
(alert or Blocked).

Holding Off or
Spurring Opponents
Fire covering arrow fire • Repel with sword
or spear maneuvers • Hold at swordpoint
• Smoke the enemy out • Maneuver your
troops to surround • Maneuver armies
against each other
You use force or the threat of force to limit a target's
tactical options, forcing them to reconsider, give
up, or take certain actions, such as stepping into
a specific area, revealing themselves, staying put,
attacking, drawing their weapon, or activating a
magical artifact.
If the target does not conform to your threat, the
Narrator should grant you the spotlight to Attack.
POWER
long reach • martial arts skills • tactical skills •
intimidating demeanor • target's fear • target's inferior
position • siege weapon, arrows, or spells • positive
ally troop morale • negative enemy troop morale
target's training • target's resolve • target's home
advantage • inconvenient angle of attack • negative
ally troop morale • positive enemy troop morale
SUCCESS
QUIC K The opponent's behavior is affected as
planned.
DI S RUPT or I N FL UE NC E to give the target
suppressed, cornered, threatened, demoralized, harried,
or harassed.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to immediately attack.
• Prevent counterattack.
• Push them back.
• Block their path.
• Keep them focused on you.
• Improve your position.
• Force a retreat.
CONSEQUENCES
» You harm allies, innocents, or something valuable
to you (Ill Tidings).
» You run out of ammo or magical power (scratch a
tag).
» You get off-balanced or expose yourself.
» You focus too much on the action (distracted).
» The target manages to partially circumvent your
attack (e.g., only one person escapes).
» They come to understand your tactics and avoid
them (Blocked).

Impairing Attacks
Hamstring • Disable a limb • Break cover •
Cause pain • Impair senses • Throw sand in
their eyes • Lay a wicked curse
You shoot or strike your target with the intention
to impair a specific ability. See also Feinting and
Distracting Attacks (page 21).
POWER
learned maneuvers • weapon skills • precise
weapons • curse spells • agility and maneuverability
• quick reflexes • knowledge of physiology or target's
makeup
disadvantageous positioning • target's quick
reflexes • target's armor, shielding, or dexterity
SUCCESS
DIS R U PT by hitting a specific limb or organ, such
as with a crippling shot (hobbling), kick to the head
(dazed), or a strike to the ears (deafened or off-balanced).
WEAK E N to remove specific ability or advantage
tags, such as by shooting off a lucky hat, punching a
proboscis to impair acute smell, or throwing a knife to
slow down a fast runner.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to immediately attack.
• Prevent counterattack.
• Make the impairment go unnoticed.
• Cause your target to flinch or be distracted.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target attacks (wounded).
» The target is impaired, but in a different way than
expected.
» You hit someone or something you did not intend
to harm (Ill Tidings).
» The blow leaves your weapon with a loose hilt.
» You run out of arrows (Blocked or scratch a tag).
» You expose yourself to attacks (exposed).

Provoking
Taunt and tease • Challenge to single
combat • Insult opponent's ancestry •
Aggravate • Throw down your gauntlet •
Egg them to attack you (or someone else) •
Question their honor or courage
You manipulate your opponent into attacking you (or
someone else, although that is much harder to achieve).
Consider Might if your opponent is unlikely to give you
any attention or if you clearly outmatch them.
To disrupt an opponent's focus, see Feinting and
Distracting Attacks (page 21).
POWER
cunning • biting remarks • history with this
opponent • opponent's fragile emotional state or
propensity for rage • supporting audience
opponent's discipline • opponent's cowardice or
smarts • reputation as a trickster • lack of cunning or
smarts • opponent's wounds or wounded allies
SUCCESS
QUIC K The opponent will attack only you (until
circumstance or Consequences change this).
I N FL UE NC E your opponent by making them
provoked or taunted, a compelling status directing
them to attack you. It does not improve their attacks.
DI S RUPT your opponent by making them
distracted, seeing-red, humiliated, etc.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to immediately attack, move,
or parry.
• Prevent or block their counterattack.
• Make your provocation underhanded, unseen by
anyone else.
• Elegantly provoke them without sparking fury
(prevent enraged).
CONSEQUENCES
» The target attacks (wounded).
» The target becomes enraged, which makes it harder
to lessen their attacks.
» You provoke someone or something you did not
intend to (New Challenge or enraged).
» Your motivation is plain to see (Exposure).

Trick Shots
Ricochet an arrow • Disable a trap from afar
• Shoot an apple off someone's head • Show
off your weapon skills
You skillfully perform an impressive, accurate, or
complicated stunt with your weapon. For example,
trying to shoot and split an arrow you've already stuck
into a bullseye, throwing a handaxe to cut a rope across
the room, or slicing an apple in half with a sword and
having each half ricochet off a different opponent's face.
To harm multiple targets with a trick shot, see Ranged
Attacks (page 18). To impair a target's specific ability
or disarm them, use Impairing Attacks (page 23),
Feinting and Distracting Attacks (page 21), or
Disarming and Sundering Gear (page 20). To perform
a trick shot to create a new hazard, see also Creating
and Removing Hazards and Obstacles (page 48).
POWER
weapon skills • precise weapons • arrows or bolts
suited for the task • agility and maneuverability •
quick reflexes • mischievousness • useful objects in the
vicinity such as mirrors, hornet's nest, or weak hinges
heavy or bulky weapons • poor vision or visibility
• target's size • heavy, armored, or durable objects
SUCCESS
QU IC K You successfully pull off your stunt.
CRE AT E tags that represent new elements in the
environment produced by your trick shot, such as a
fallen tree, sudden flood, or flurry of falling leaves.
INF L U E NC E onlookers with a status such as
impressed, amused, or threatened.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Destroy an object or remove it from the scene.
• Cause others to flinch or be distracted.
• Create a breach or opening.
• Have the item arrive in someone's hands.
CONSEQUENCES
» You hit, but cause a reversed or undesired outcome
(only if there was no Success).
» You're embarrassed (only if there was no Success).
» You harm someone or something you did not
intend to harm (Ill Tidings).
» Your weapon loses its edge or aim ( dull blade).
SUPPORT
IN BATTLE

Crafting and Tinkering
Build from scratch • Cobble something
together • Concoct alchemical recipe
• Tinker with a mechanism • Artisan
handiwork • Tailor a garment • Reforge
from old materials • Hone to a razor's edge
• Make from whole cloth • Construct from
masterplans • Artfully embellish • Modify
in the laboratory • Heat up the forge •
Build a home • Finely engrave • Tan a hide •
Sharpen a weapon
You use your trained crafting abilities to create
a useful piece of equipment: a weapon, a relic, a
potion, a transport, etc. Alternatively, you work on
an existing piece of gear to make it perform better
than before. The action could reflect a quick, tinkered
assembly while at camp using materials and tools at
hand or a days-long project at your workshop.
For complex or time-consuming projects, the
Narrator can decide to set a complete Limit. When
maxed out, you gain a story tag or a theme, as
decided by the Narrator.
Consider Might when working on an item that
would be larger than a person or affect more than
one person, or on a magical artifact, or to craft or
improve many items.
This action is often taken while camping or
sojourning. See also the Crafting Journey, Corebook
Vol. II, page 194.
See also Crafting Magical Items (page 65). To
sell your crafted items for coin, see Selling Goods
(page 74).
POWER
appropriate crafting skills (e.g., weapon smithing,
whittling, golem building) • quality tools • workshop •
special ingredients • quality materials and resources •
innovative thinking • recipes, manuals, diagrams, and
schematics • mentorship or direction from a master of
the craft • an apprentice or other assistant • inspiration
distractions and stress • scarcity or insufficient
materials • damage to the improved item • poor
quality tools • inadequate workspace • complexity of
the recipe, floorplan, or diagram
SUCCESS
C RE AT E a story tag for the item, or a theme
representing the item and its abilities, such
as engraved elm bow, makeshift lockpicks, hidden
compartment, or bronze cuirass. If you create a theme,
the Narrator can add a negative story tag.
BE S T OW existing equipment with tags representing
new features, like adding honed edge or intimidating
runes to your family sword, or wax sealing your boots
to make them waterproof. If this creates a theme, the
Narrator can add a negative story tag.
A DVA NC E an ongoing project with making-progress.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Adjust the item's size or shape.
• Do it quickly or in secret.
• Conceal your alterations (the item does not appear
to be changed).
• Use fewer materials.
• Craft an item of superior quality (the Narrator
cannot add a negative story tag).
• Make it in the style of a particular crafting guild or
culture, or add your signature.
CONSEQUENCES
» You waste time, break tools, or expend resources
(scratch tags or short-on-coin).
» The item is faulty or flawed (add negative story tag).
» You have a work accident (scorched, wounded,
bruised, cramps, painful hand, etc.).
» Your work attracts unwanted attention (Exposure).
» You activate a dangerous functionality in the
artifact (Ill Tidings).
» You overwork yourself or your apprentices
(exhausted, resentful, or scratch a tag).

Farming and Mining
Grow a vegetable garden • Raise livestock •
Harvest an orchard • Build a pen • Milk the
cows • Grow a shallow-water barnacle farm
• Sow and reap • Dig a mine • Prospect a
river rich in ore • Excavate precious fossils
You build or operate an endeavor with the intention
to harvest some commodity such as cotton, silver,
or produce. This could be a specific day-to-day action,
one of many needed for the upkeep of the operation,
or an entire season of production captured in a single
roll, especially if you are sojourning.
To process your bounty into useful items, see
Crafting and Tinkering (page 11). To trade it for
coin, see Selling Goods (page 74). For cooking
hearty meals with your bounty, see Invigoration
(page 51). If your farm involves livestock, see also
Animal Kinship and Handling (page 43).
Consider Might if you are farming or mining on a
large scale or in extreme conditions.
POWER
appropriate farming or mining skills • good tools
• favorable location, soil, and weather • guidance
from a manual or a mentor • additional laborers •
knowledge of the land • farmer's almanac
scarcity of needed resources such as water and
nutrients • inclement weather conditions • infertile
land • local trouble (e.g. wild animals) • poor tools •
insufficient or troublesome laborers
SUCCESS
QU IC K You've completed the task at hand so
production can continue.
CRE AT E a story tag for the produce or commodity
you have generated such as a pail of milk, gold ore,
or bushel of silk bulbs.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Finish the work with some time to spare (keep the
spotlight).
• Avoid exhausting yourself or your laborers.
• Avoid breaking tools or wasting supplies.
• Complete your work in peace, without anyone
bothering you.
• Produce something neat as a by-product.
• Gain the appreciation of your community or
neighbors.
CONSEQUENCES
» You waste time, break tools, or expend resources
(scratch tags or short-on-coin).
» The commodity is of poor quality or less than
expected (add negative story tag).
» You have a work accident (wounded, bruised, cramps,
painful hand, etc.).
» Someone covets your farm or mine (Exposure).
» A new problem crops up and threatens your work
(Complication).
» Your farm or mine create problems for nearby
dwellers (New Challenge).
» You overwork yourself or your laborers (exhausted,
resentful, or scratch a tag).

Harvesting Ingredients
Find a specific herb, mushroom, moss, etc. •
Dissect a monster to obtain a specific organ,
gland, or humor • Collect a specimen • Gather
faerie dust on Midsummer's Eve • Milk a Strix
• Pick a mind for a specific memory • Extract
a soul • Loot a boobytrapped chest, or body
You obtain a rare ingredient or component through
a skillful process of location, identification, and
collection.
Consider Might if the process requires extraordinary
knowledge or ability.
POWER
appropriate skill such as foraging, chirurgy,
or animal husbandry • appropriate lore such as
botany or monster lore • steady hand • keen senses •
specialized tools • suitable workspace • the target of
harvesting (glade, carcass, etc.) • assistive magic
insufficient time or room • distractions and
nervousness • incomplete training or knowledge •
poor tools or workspace • poor condition of the target
• obstructed senses • natural or unnatural defenses of
the target
SUCCESS
QUIC K You successfully obtain the ingredient.
C RE AT E a story tag for the ingredient you collected
such as a Rime Thistle extract, cockatrice venom, or
a beating heart.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Leave the target undisturbed and without a trace.
• Harvest discreetly (no one knows you harvested).
• Extract an ingredient of very fine quality.
• Avoid harm to yourself or your tools while harvesting.
• If possible, allow further harvesting from the same
source.
CONSEQUENCES
» You waste time or break tools (time-passes or
scratch tags).
» You despoil or lose the source of the ingredient
(Blocked and scratch tags).
» The ingredient is of poor quality or little quantity
(add negative story tag).
» You have a work accident (wounded, bruised, cramps,
painful hand, etc.).
» Someone covets your ingredient or its source
(Exposure).
» You disturb a local in the process of extraction
(New Challenge).

Maintaining and
Repairing Equipment
Patch holes • Strip and clean • Grease
the wheels • Sharpen and remove rust
• Reinforce seams • Lovingly polish •
Straighten a bend • Organize and count •
Oil armor • Hammer out dents • Replace
buckles • Resole boots • Restring a bow
You use your crafting skills to keep your equipment
functioning by repairing, upkeeping, or replacing
broken parts.
This action covers serious repairs, of the sort that
demand taking special care, and therefore a roll.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
crafting skills • repair and maintenance tools •
extra supplies • workshop • having a relationship
with the item • shops with the necessary parts • calm
atmosphere
distractions or inclement conditions • defect that
is subtle or complex • unfamiliar equipment • poor
tools or workspace • heavy damage or wear and tear •
dirt, muck, or sand in the parts
The removed status or tag does not count as a negative
for this action, unless it is especially egregious.
SUCCESS
RE S T ORE by removing negative statuses or tags
and recover scratched tags of a weapon, piece of gear,
transport, or artifact.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Do it quietly.
• The repaired damage leaves no mark or trace.
• Keep the spotlight to take immediate action with
the repaired item.
CONSEQUENCES
» You make things worse (inflict a different status or
tag, or scratch a tag).
» Your tools break or you use up all your extra parts
(short-on-supplies or scratch a tag).
» You misplace the item in question (Complication).
» You become too engrossed in the work (distracted).

Sabotaging
Loosen rivets • Pull out parts • Dull blades
• Disassemble trap • Clog gears • Damage
wheels • Cut ropes • Deshoe horse • Despoil
water source • Stop a machine's operation •
Break out of entanglement
You disrupt the operation of a machine, trap,
transport, or riding animal using your crafting
skills, careful method, or brute strength. You might
be trying to stop a specific function, or just get the
thing to stop working.
Consider Might if the device is bigger than a person,
if it relies on magic or design you do not understand,
or if you're targeting a specific part in it.
If you're trying to get through a door or other
passage, see also Burglary (page 38).
POWER
crafting or sabotage skills • careful examination •
brute strength • proper tools • destructive concoctions
• destructive mindset • heavy implements • weak spots
item is fortified against tampering • item is of
high quality craftsmanship • wards or other magical
protections • guards watching the item
SUCCESS
QUIC K The item ceases to operate, or malfunctions
in the way you intended.
DI S RUPT by giving negative statuses such as
damaged or stuttering. If the item is big, the Narrator
might decide to give it a destroy Limit.
W E A KE N by removing tags from the item
representing its functions, or protective statuses such
as fortified.
RE S T ORE by removing devices that afflict you such
as restrained, or restricted magic.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Do it quietly.
• Remove any traces of tampering.
• Delay the effect so that it is triggered later.
• Keep the spotlight for a follow-up action with the
item.
• The damage lasts longer or is hard to repair.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your tools break (scratch a tag).
» You have a work accident (scorched, wounded,
bruised, cramps, painful hand, etc.).
» There are unintended victims (Ill Tidings).
» You are discovered, or your activity is noticed
(suspicious, alarm, or Exposure).
» You damage a related or nearby functionality you
did not intend to (Complication).
» You become too engrossed in the work (distracted).
Battle
A
rmed resistance and violent conflict is an
everyday part of many a fantasy adventure,
whether the Heroes valiantly approach a
despoiling monster, engage in a courtly duel,
lead their troops on the field of battle, or desperately fight
to save their village from bandits.

Asking Around
Ask around the village • Chew the fat • Visit
a pub • Chat up the street vendors • Bribe a
city guard • Tap spy network • Gossip with
courtiers • Threateningly question
You get out to where people are talking and invest
the time, sweat, and resources to locate up-to-date
tidings on your current subject of interest.
The quality of your findings depends on the choice of
where to go and who to talk with – a tavern frequented
by jousting enthusiasts will have a lot of scuttlebutt
about whose horse is injured, and less about the current
political play for the regency of the realm. Strictly secret
information is unlikely to be available.
POWER
personal charm • intimidation • know your way
around • public credibility • coin to slip into a pocket or
buy a round • favors owed by others • membership in a
relevant order, religion, trade guild, or social class
poor reputation • grating personality • fear and
mistrust • cultural or linguistic barriers • obscure or
hidden information • dangerous district of town
SUCCESS
QUIC K You gather the most pertinent information.
DI S C OV E R to get answers to specific questions.
C RE AT E tags based on the information you collect,
such as vicious rumor, local map, or leverage on the duke.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Do it quietly.
• Circulate your own rumor, message, or warning.
• Take action based on the intel to avert a Threat.
CONSEQUENCES
» The information is vague or part-true, part-false
(Yes, but...).
» You antagonize your contact (Blocked).
» Someone learns about your questioning (Exposure).
» You run into an old enemy (New Challenge).
» You become inebriated or get to owe a favor.
» You misstep and cause trouble (unwelcomed or
ill-repute).

Researching a Topic
Consult with a mentor or expert • Spend the
day in a library or temple archives • Riffle
through old missives • Explore forbidden
tomes from the black market • Converse
with a demon • Scry clairvoyantly • Receive
intel from a spymaster
You search for information about a topic of interest.
By default, you're scouring a place of learning to get
some lore on something, but this action can also cover
reading through books you carry, recalling knowledge,
and divination magic. It can also require an involved
examination of many sources of information.
This is a Simple outcome if the answer is easily
accessible for your character at their level of
understanding and current locality. It is a Quick or
Detailed outcome if the search is difficult, involved,
or dangerous due to pressing time or resistance, or if
the answers are hidden, obscure, banned, difficult to
understand, etc.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
expertise in relevant areas of lore • relevant
background • research or literacy skills • knowledge
of related tales • extensive library • privileged archive
access • scrying magics • fluency in relevant languages
the subject is mysterious • target has protective
or obstructive magics • information is considered
dangerous or taboo • small library to search • books
are huge, deteriorated, or incomplete • outdated or
obscure language
SUCCESS
S IM PL E or QU ICK You gather the most pertinent
information. The Narrator may provide story tags.
DIS C OVE R answers to specific questions.
CRE AT E tags based on the information you collect,
such as cure for the blight, map of the sewers, weather
ritual, demon's true name, or knowledge of dragons' banes.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Information is complete, including eye witness
accounts or writings by renowned authors.
• Discover who last researched the topic here.
• Information hints at a useful counter to a Threat.
• Leave a hidden message or hint.
CONSEQUENCES
» The information is riddled with inaccuracies,
falsities, and part-truths (Yes, but...).
» You alert the target of your search or an interested
party (Exposure).
» You get sidetracked or lost down a rabbit hole of
lore (time-passes or distracted).
» You get tired or burned out (scratch knowledge tags).
» You get a threatening missive or find a hidden
footnote telling you to back off (Complication).
» You are exposed to menacing knowledge (scared,
cursed).

Searching Around
Quickly glance around the room • Search
thoroughly for treasure and hints • Look
for hidden passages • Read a place's aura •
Listen to the forest • Dig through refuse
• Look around for evidence • Deduce what
happened here
You look around your immediate surroundings and
use your skills, knowledge, and tools in order to
extract useful information.
This is a Simple outcome if you're merely perceiving
the obvious, or if you can take your time (Common
Simple Actions, Corebook Vol. I, page 152). It is a
Quick or Detailed outcome if you attempt to notice
details that are obscured or hidden, or are in danger
or under time pressure.
See also Improvising Weapons (page 26).
POWER
alertness • sharp senses • supernatural senses
• deduction skills • familiarity with the location •
divination • helpful companion animal • support
from scouts or other allies • source of light
bad lighting • messy area • deliberately hidden
objects • camouflage • illusions • intrusive smells •
features that are dangerous or disgusting to touch •
constant interruptions • long time since a significant
event occurred here
SUCCESS
S IM PL E or QU ICK You notice relevant details.
The Narrator may provide story tags.
DIS C OVE R answers to specific questions.
CRE AT E tags based on features and items you find
such as healing potion, traces of poison, or bronze key.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Do it quickly.
• Remain unnoticed.
• Avoid triggering traps.
• Leave no evidence of being there.
• Leave a hidden message or hint.
CONSEQUENCES
» The search takes a long time (time-passes).
» You spring a trap (wounded, poisoned, cursed, or
similar).
» You're spotted by a party of interest (Exposure).
» An item you find has some downsides (add story tag).
» The item you were after is in the hands of someone
else (Complication).
» The evidence you find or the deductions you make
are vague or part-true, part-false (Yes, but...).

Spying
Follow from a distance • Shadow •
Eavesdrop • Watch through a spyglass •
Scry via a looking glass • Keep an eye out
• Read someone's fortune • Stalk like a
prowler • Loiter and hark • Bind an invisible
spirit to keep watch
You tail someone with the intention of learning
what they're up to, possibly over an extended period
of time. The Narrator decides the level of detail you
gather based on your methods.
Unlike a chase (Chases, page 47), you're not trying
to intercept or stop them, but rather to watch over
them at a distance and discover their activities. Also
unlike a chase, a tail has no Limit or built in endgame.
POWER
good observation or hearing • stealth abilities •
dark clothes • tracking skills • hiding place • tracking
animal • silence spell • vantage point • knowledge of
the target's plans or habits • patience • nondescript
appearance • distractions around the target
noticeable physical features • poor vision or
hearing • target's alertness • target's personal guards •
target's disguise • target's familiarity with you • being
marked • distractions around you • too slow to keep up
SUCCESS
QUIC K You gain current information on their
whereabouts and/or activities.
DI S C OV E R specific details. You can also ask to be
notified when something changes in their routine
or when a specific event or behavior takes place. If
you are eavesdropping, you could learn what they've
been talking about, with each Power spent revealing
a major topic or secret revealed.
DI S RUPT the target with a tailed, watched, or
marked status, which supports your future spying
actions against them.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The target won't become suspicious for a while.
• Remain unnoticed (by others).
• Have a fast exit strategy, in case you are made.
• Lurk close enough to make a follow-up attack, if
necessary.
CONSEQUENCES
» You lose your target (Blocked; only if there was no
Success).
» The target gets suspicious (alert) or notices you
(Exposure).
» You lose track of the target for a time, during
which anything could have happened.
» The information you get on the target is muffled,
incomplete, or spotty (Yes, but...).
» The target is more protected or informed than you
realized (Complication).
» Maintaining the tail becomes taxing (bored, cramps,
short-on-coin).
THIEVERY &
SKULDUGGERY

Burglary
Pick a lock • Bust down a door • Blast
through a wall • Employ siege engine • Break
a window • Apply acid to hinges • Crowbar
open a hatch • Dispel wards • Magically walk
through a wall
You use tools and physical or magical aptitude to
bypass, destroy, or disable the obstruction barring
passage or access to what's beyond.
Typically, this should be a Detailed outcome only if
there's some importance to the time it takes for the
obstacle to be removed.
POWER
lockpicking skills • brute strength • proper break-
in tools • explosives • battering ram • acid or fire
source • destructive spells • intangibility powers
heavy door • complicated lock • multiple locks •
protective enchantments • traps • thick walls
SUCCESS
QUIC K The obstruction is bypassed and you gain
entry.
DI S RUPT the obstruction with a negative status
such as lockpicked, busted, crumbling, etc, against an
appropriate Limit such as unlock, destroy, or breach.
W E A KE N by removing tags representing functions,
such as reinforced, or protective statuses such as warded.
E X T RA FE ATS
• You do it quietly.
• The obstacle remains after you pass, e.g., you lock
the door again.
• There is no trace of your passing.
• You keep the spotlight for a follow-up action.
• You grab an item that's inside.
• The damage lasts longer or is hard to bypass.
CONSEQUENCES
» This obstacle is beyond your capabilities (Blocked;
only if there was no Success).
» Your activity raises suspicion (alarm) or guards
close in on your location (Exposure).
» Your gear is damaged (add story tag) or supplies get
used up (scratch a tag).
» Your harm yourself or trigger a trap (sprained-wrist,
wounded, poisoned).
» You embarrass yourself.
» You leave an obvious mark (Complication).
» Your tools break (scratch a tag).
» You become engrossed in the work and lose track of
time or of the environment (distracted or time-passes).

Disguises and Forgeries
Create a disguise • Put on heavy makeup •
Forge credentials or documents • Doctor
the ledgers • Set a whole new identity •
Create a copy of a masterpiece • Alter a
formal decree • Put on the guard's armor
You use your crafting or dress skills and attention
to detail to create a physical deception of some
kind, either disguising yourself, creating forged
credentials to fool officials, or creating recreations
of objects that give a false impression. You might
even forge great works of art, in order to fool the
masses or make off with coin.
See Deception (page 81) for when your disguise or
forgery is put to the test.
POWER
forgery skills • makeup kit • big wardrobe •
artist's tools • existing document to modify or copy
• knowledge of the impersonated target or forged
content • artistic talent
target's alertness or knowledge of subject •
prevalence of fraud in this culture or region •
subject's unique features or complexity • looking
nothing like them • inadequate tools or materials •
distractions to your concentration
SUCCESS
CRE AT E tags such as convincing disguise, perfect
replica, forged lineage papers, or false evidence.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Complete the work quickly.
• Make the deception last longer.
CONSEQUENCES
» You have some inaccuracies that could be
recognised by an expert (Complication).
» You accidentally destroy the item you're doctoring
or copying (Blocked).
» The forgery process takes a long time (time-passes).

Sending Secret Messages
Thieves' cant • Mimicked animal call • Smoke
signal • Ring temple bells in a specific order
• Encode a missive • Send a trusted courier
• Message in a bottle • Wind-whisper spell
You use your communication, mimicry, or cypher
skills to get a message to someone without others
intercepting it.
If encrypting a message for delivery, you can Enhance
the message with hidden. Should the message be
intercepted, make a reaction and roll with this status
to avoid having the message deciphered.
POWER
cyphers and secret languages • animal call skills •
smuggler experience • knowledge of enemy methods
• familiarity with guards • message spell
alert • detailed or long-winded message • long
distance to the recipient • an inattentive recipient •
distractions or interference • skill of rival decipherer
SUCCESS
QUIC K You deliver the message undetected, or at
least not intercepted.
ENHA NC E the message with the hidden status.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Avoid being discovered, for now.
• Hide an additional note alongside the message.
• Deliver it to a second recipient.
• Throw off would-be snoopers with a false lead.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your activity raises suspicion (alarm), or you are
discovered (Exposure).
» Your signal or sound is recognizably yours
(Exposure).
» The message receiver is marked.
» The drafting of the message takes time or the
message has to be re-sent (time-passes).
» You make the wrong sound or signal (receiver
becomes confused).
» You do not receive the expected counter-signal
(Ill Tidings).

Sneaking and Hiding
Hide • Observe unseen • Camouflage • Skulk
underground • Rooftop hopping • Sneak
up on someone • Move silently or while
invisible • Sneak between shadows
You avoid being spotted or found. You might be
moving silently, staying still, using cover, finding
hidden paths, or using magic that provides
invisibility or creates darkness.
To follow a target unnoticed, see Tracking (page
45) or Spying (page 37). To sneak up on a
target, see also Surprise Attacks (page 19).
POWER
small silhouette • camouflaged outfit • invisibility
magic • dense foliage • lots of nooks and crannies •
crowded street • lots of distractions • piled trash and
debris • darkness
sentry's sharp senses and alertness • scouts and
patrols • open terrain • loud terrain such as knee-deep
water or creaking wood • torches or other light sources
• noonday sun • many people who might spot you
SUCCESS
QUIC K You remain unnoticed, or arrive at your
destination without being noticed.
ENHA NC E yourself with hidden.
DI S RUPT your target with surprised, when you
attempt to catch them unawares.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Bring someone with you.
• Keep the spotlight to act immediately again.
CONSEQUENCES
» You are spotted at the least convenient time (only if
there was no Success).
» You end up not exactly where you wanted.
» You leave something behind (scratch a tag).
» You are spotted and remembered (marked) (only if
there was no Success).
» You are not spotted, but something you did makes
a sentry suspicious or raises the alarm.
» You get nervous.
Exploration & Survival
T
he road goes ever on, across lands tamed and
wild, toward horizons yet unclear. Travelers
should learn the ways of nature if they hope to
survive it, how to forage and fish, which paths to
avoid, how to tell you are being hunted. Too many dangers
are hidden or unexpected, requiring one to remain keen
and alert - and prepare healing salves just in case.
Exploration & Survival

Stealing
Cutting the purse • Highway robbery •
Pickpocket • Smash and grab • Sleight of
Hand • Beggar's trick • Grave robbing • Coin
clipping • Horse rustling
You use quick fingers, strength of arms, promise of
violence, or cleverness to rob, steal, or make some
ill-begotten coin.
As a Quick action, you could grab something such
as an item or a story tag controlled by someone else.
Otherwise, use Detailed action to Create tags or
statuses for wealth or specific items.
POWER
skill at pickpocketing • agility • intimidating face,
physique, or posture • experience on the streets • many
wealthy targets • the victim is physically close by •
distracted or beguiled victim • poorly guarded treasures
victim's suspicion and alertness • guards or other
security precautions • witnesses • no clear escape
route • lack of wealthy or foolish victims to prey on
SUCCESS
QU IC K You acquire an item in the scene.
CRE AT E a story tag for an item you are making off
with, or a more general wealth tag.
EN H ANC E yourself with hefty-purse representing
being flush with coin.
EX TRAFE ATS
• The theft isn't immediately noticed.
• You place a different item instead of what you stole.
• The victim won't remember your features.
• You escape quickly.
• The theft goes down quietly (no one else notices you).
CONSEQUENCES
» The victim or someone around becomes suspicious
(alarm) or hostile.
» The victim is suspicious and may follow you.
» The item you stole is not what you thought it was
(rephrase or add a story tag).
» You get nervous or lose confidence (scratch a tag).
» You can't fence the stolen goods, so now you have
them as a tag rather than as coin.
» You can't resist leaving a calling card or other clues
to your identity (infamous).

Chases
After them! • Keep them in sight • Follow
their path • Cut them off • Take a shortcut
• Spur the horses • Run across rooftops
• Weave through the crowd • Knock over
obstacles • Drop caltrops
A chase scene is usually Detailed, revolving around
the catch/outrun polar Limit. When outrun maxes out,
the fleeing party manages to escape its pursuer(s),
ending the chase for the time being. When catch
maxes out, the pursuer catches the fleeing party and
ends the chase by blocking their escape or otherwise
preventing them from running away. The Narrator
determines the Limit's maximum as a measure of
how lengthy they want the scene to be and the stakes
at hand.
Outrun hinders actions affected by distance, such as
most ranged attacks, intimidation, communication,
or noticing small details. The Narrator may rule
that as long as this outrun exists it is impossible to
perform close combat actions, such as hand-to-hand
attacks or grabbing items.
Not all chase actions are about running, riding,
piloting ships, etc.; you may also take action to
impede your opponent or empower yourself.
POWER
burst of speed • survival instincts • powerful leap
• mount or transport • your opponent's discord or
slowness • elevated position • obstacles blocking
your opponent • familiarity with the area • cover and
hiding places (when fleeing)
exhaustion of self or mount • opponent is
hidden or disguised • limited visibility • dense
crowds • movement challenges like a winding path,
narrow alleyway, or muddy ground • bad weather •
opponent's knowledge of the area
SUCCESS
A DVA NC E to add catch or outrun statuses to max out
catch/outrun.
DI S RUPT your opponent with a hindering tag or
status such as tight path, icy terrain, fallen boulder,
unbalanced, or hobbling.
ENHA NC E yourself with fast, invigorated, or hastened.
to prevent your opponent from gaining
LESSEN
on you.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Block a specific path for them.
• Avoid an upcoming obstacle.
• Change your position relative to them.
• Direct the chase to a specific area.
• Keep the spotlight for a quick attack.
• Have them lose track of you for a moment.
CONSEQUENCES
» There's an obstacle in your path (e.g., bales of hay).
» They circumvent an obstacle in their path (remove
tags).
» You lose precious time (opponent is catching-up or
fleeing).
» You run into a barrier or obstacle (bruised,
unbalanced, or add a story tag).
» You lose speed (reduce fast) or they speed up (gain
fast).
» You maneuver through an open area (exposed).
Exploration & Survival

Creating and Removing
Hazards and Obstacles
Ignite the barrel • Dig a hole in the floor
• Release a swarm of bees • Break animal
cages • Clear the caltrops • Cut the
undergrowth • Calm the spirits • Disperse
the fog with magic
You alter your environment or introduce something
new to create a hazard or an obstacle (to make life
difficult for someone else, presumably), or in an
attempt to remove one. Once created, anyone might
be affected by the hazard, be they friend or foe,
unless it is very short-lived (see also Area Attack, page
17). Removing hazards typically requires special
preparation or ability in the form of tools or magic.
Consider Might when creating or removing something
bigger than one person or over a large area.
POWER
resourcefulness and inventiveness • wilderness
skills • engineering skills • lantern oil • a tool such
as a spade or siege engine • alchemical explosives
• environmental features such as a tar barrel or
hornet's nest • destructive glee • elemental magic
the hazard or obstacle itself • structural durability
preventing the obstacle from being created or
dismantled • obstructions or distance between you
and the target area
SUCCESS
C RE AT E obstacle or hazard tags such as slippery
pool, stinking cloud, distracting noise, or open pit,
potentially with hidden, spreading quickly, or the like.
DI S RUPT foes with harmful environmental
statuses such as burning, muddy, or cursed.
W E A KE N to remove obstacle or hazard tags such
as big boulder, buzzing swarm, or caltrops, or statuses
such as heavy-shadows or windy. Once you remove
all relevant tags or status tiers, the hazard is either
completely gone or incapable of harming anyone.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Shape precisely the area affected by the hazard.
• Set up a safe area inside the hazard.
• Move around or across the hazard before or after
it's created.
• Time precisely the creation of the hazard.
• Draw attention.
• Avoid getting yourself or someone else harmed by
the hazard's creation.
CONSEQUENCES
» You or your gear get hurt in the process (corroded,
electrocuted, bruised, bleeding, entangled, poisoned,
weakened, impeded, etc.).
» You end up caught in the hazard or behind the
obstacle (Complication).
» Equipment gets damaged (add story tags) or
supplies used up (scratch a tag).
» The hazard expands or changes shape
(Complication).
» A different obstacle appears.

Scouting and Guarding
Scout ahead • Explore ancient ruins •
Speak with the land using magic • Study
local structures, flora, fauna, or geology
• Guard an encampment or facility • Patrol
a defensive line • Watch over a caravan •
Stay alert
You use your senses, skills, and tools to keep your
bearing or identify new threats. This can be while
exploring or while standing guard. If appropriate,
the Narrator may reveal specific information
from the Challenge Profile such as Might, tags,
Limits, Consequences, and Specials to reflect
knowledge gained.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
acute or supernatural senses • alertness • stealth •
spyglass, sextant, or other surveying tools • guidance
or protection of local spirits • tales, rumors, or maps
about this locale, its hazards, and its inhabitants •
alarm magic • high ground or vantage point
sensory obstructions such as darkness, fog,
high winds, loud noise, or heavy rain • camouflage
• hidden traps or dangers • sneakiness of targets •
deceiving features and illusions
SUCCESS
QU IC K You gather the most pertinent information
or notice a Threat in time to prevent it from catching
you or your allies off guard.
DIS C OVE R specific information, such as the best
path to a destination, imminent threats around,
the main attributes of the most dangerous threat,
entrances and exits, and the main features of the area
(number of floors, hidden chambers, and the like).
EN H ANC E yourself with alert to improve future
scouting and possibly lessen surprise attacks.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Notice a Threat in time to prevent it from catching
you or your allies off guard.
• Keep the spotlight to act on the information you
gathered.
• Remain undetected.
• Leave no tracks.
• Secretly communicate your findings to allies.
CONSEQUENCES
» Some of the information is unclear or requires
further scouting (Yes, but...).
» You fail to notice a nearby danger (surprised or
wounded).
» You wander off too far (lost).
» You exhaust your senses or surveying tools (scratch
a tag).
» Instead of becoming alert, you daydream or doze
off (distracted or time-passes).
» The obstacles ahead are worse than you thought
(add bulwark, sentries, anti-magic circle, etc.).
Sneaking Past a Threat
See Sneaking and Hiding (page 40).
Exploration & Survival

Travel and Wayfinding
Navigating the wilderness • Overland
journeying • Marching an army • Finding
your way back • Following game trails •
Getting your bearings • Follow the map •
Retrace your steps • Avoid or make way
around a hazard
You make your way through a region trying not to get
lost. If you are already lost, you might work to figure
out where you are or how to get back to somewhere
more familiar. This action could be used to make
your way around a Threat in a Journey, finding a
longer, perhaps safer route.
POWER
navigation skills • a map • rumors about local
dangers • experience in this region or on this kind of
terrain • appropriate gear for conditions and terrain
• carrying light gear • mount or transport • sufficient
provisions for journey
featureless landscape • stars and celestial bodies
not visible • illusory or confusing terrain • carrying
heavy gear • insufficient provisions • harsh weather
conditions • large group
SUCCESS
QU IC K You make it to the next major stop on your
journey, perhaps even completing it, avoiding any
Consequences from Journey Threats.
DIS C OVE R the major steps in how to get to where
you want to go, or what's in the way.
yourself with knows-the-way, helpful in
EN H ANC E
lessening Consequences on the journey.
RE S T OR E to remove the lost status.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep good time.
• Avoid a major monster or danger in the region.
• Keep from pushing too much physically.
• Get back to a specific location you remember.
• Note the lay of the land, for next time you travel here.
CONSEQUENCES
» See Travel Consequences, page 6.

Withstanding and Preparing for
Environmental Conditions
Withstand a heat blast • Resist a swarm of biting
insects • Cope with seasickness • Endure freezing
cold • Hold your breath when drowning • Survive
dehydration • Get your sea legs • Get your
second wind while marching
You attempt to withstand the harm inflicted by an
environmental hazard or make preparations to deal with
harsh conditions.
To avoid sudden or immediate danger, such as leaping out
of the way of a trap or grabbing a ledge before falling off a
cliff, see also Blocking or Soaking an Attack (page 32) and
Dodging an Attack (page 33).
Preparing for the conditions of a journey is an action often
taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
resourcefulness and inventiveness • wilderness skills •
quickness, instincts, and reaction speed • survival gear and
supplies • natural or magical resistance to these conditions •
guidance or protection of local spirits • harm-preventing spells
or abilities • experience in this terrain • appropriate shelter
the condition's tag itself • slowness, grogginess, or
apathy • gear that is detrimental for surviving this hazard •
vulnerability to these conditions • wrath or disapproval of
local spirits
SUCCESS
LESSEN harmful statuses or tags as a reaction.
ENHA NC E yourself or a travel companion with a
protective status such as steady, hardened, covered-up,
steeled-against-elements.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Prevent an environmental Threat from manifesting.
• Keep your gear in good order.
CONSEQUENCES
» You lose heart due to the constant strains (despaired).
» Your preparations cost a lot of time, money, or resources
(time-passes, short-on-coin, short-on-supplies)
» The conditions ahead are worse than you thought (add
story tag or status).
RECOVERY
& HEALING

Invigoration
Cooking a delicious meal • Liquid courage
• Potions of power • Sprinkling pixie dust •
Rubbing a lucky charm • Herbal remedies
You use a good meal, a strong drink, helpful herbs,
magical ingredients, elixirs made from parts of
certain monsters, or some folk treatment to improve
someone's capabilities or mood. The treatment could
be just quaffing a tincture or it could be as complex and
involved as a stay at an infirmary or a wizard's sanctum.
Since invigorators are usually consumable, it is
common to burn them for Power (Consumable
Story Tags, Corebook Vol. I, page 165).
For giving an inspirational boost, see Leadership
(page 78). For giving someone a boost during a
battle, see also Assisting an Ally (page 24).
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
cooking or brewing skills • appropriate food and
beverage • appropriate supplies • magical potions
• kitchen equipment • skill at administering the
invigorator
addiction or tolerance for ingredients used • low
quality ingredients • substances or magic effects in
conflict • purifying enchantments
SUCCESS
BES T OW and EN HA NCE yourself or someone
else with pleasantly-full, confident, empowered-strikes,
creative-thoughts, ogre's strength, animal magnetism,
uncanny hearing, etc.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Make it last longer or shorter.
• Avoid side effects or aftermath.
• Invigorate someone without drawing attention.
• Quickly stow the invigorator and draw something
else.
CONSEQUENCES
» You become addicted or get a stomach-ache.
» You are temporarily afflicted by severe side effects
(sickened, can't-breathe, overconfident, cursed, or
twitchy).
» You have lasting side effects (e.g., weakened vitality,
hallucinations, frequent muttering, or scratch tags).
» Someone sees you imbibing (Exposure).
» You become tolerant to the substance and cannot
use it again soon (Blocked).
Exploration & Survival

Mental and Physical
Resilience and Recovery
Trust in your fortitude • Show force of will
• Endure a poison • Steel against disease •
Balance the humors • Solemn meditation •
Resist mind control • Walk under moonlight •
Regenerate • Set the bone
You overcome a condition with which you are afflicted,
whether by resisting it or recovering from it over time.
It may be physical, like a broken bone, a poison, or a
disease; mental, such as guilt, pain, psychic control,
resurfaced emotions, or a recurrence of madness; or a
combination of both, such as torture.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
hardiness • nerves of steel • fortitude and
resilience • strong resistance to the malady • calm
mind • psychic defenses or emotional armor •
meditation training • regenerative powers • resting in
a haven • blessings and guardian entities • help from
friends or healers
the condition itself • physical or mental issues
that keep you from functioning, such as physical
weakness or despair • the source of the condition
or issue • sensitivities and vulnerabilities • dark or
demonic forces eroding your psyche
SUCCESS
LESSEN incoming statuses or story tags of a
condition when you are first afflicted by it.
RE S T ORE to remove a debilitating tag or status
when you take action to recover from a condition.
BE S T OW or ENHA NC E to give yourself tags
and statuses that represent temporarily-elevated
constitution or newly-gained strength, such as poison
resistance, steadfast heart, tamed emotions, stalwart frame,
or merry-disposition, full-of-vigor, or hale-of-health.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Recover faster than normal.
• Ignore the next Threat to afflict you with the same
source (venom, spell, etc.)
CONSEQUENCES
» You suffer from further injuries (get a different
status or negative tag; only if there was no Success).
» You are weary from the healing process (exhausted
or scratch tags).
» You get a foul-mood due to the long healing period,
embarrassed by the malady, angry at the gods, or
argumentative with the healers.

Treating Injuries
and Other Conditions
Provide healing treatment • Perform
chirurgy with a hot knife • Apply balm or
ointment • Stitch up wounds • Wisewoman
visit • Have a heart to heart • Support
someone through crisis
You use your abilities to treat a harmful condition
such as an injury or a personal issue. While some
issues can be treated in the field or on the job, other,
more stubborn problems may require someone with
healing powers, extended rest and care, or a period of
training to adapt to one's new condition; see Mental
and Physical Resilience and Recovery (page 52).
See also Healing with Magic (page 68).
A harmful status or tag being removed does not count
as negative for this action, unless you are treating
yourself or it is particularly aggressive or stubborn.
When using this action to discover the source of
an ailment, bear in mind that some causes might
seem merely superstitious, such as a demon or
witch's curse. The magical rules of your setting
determine what's reasonable, but the successful use
of this action should reveal actual causes, not just
convenient scapegoats.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
healing training • alchemy equipment • herbs
and poultices • aid of a trained physician • a
sterile environment • healing magic • the target's
regenerative attributes • good blessings • care by a
loved one • wisdom and sociability
battlefield conditions • unhygienic conditions •
mental or social pressure • other health conditions
SUCCESS
RE S T OR E to remove the harmful tag or status.
DIS C OVE R to understand the ailment better or
pinpoint its source.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Complete the treatment faster or allow for a speedy
recovery.
• Leave no scars or treatment side-effects.
• Prevent wounds from reopening, for now.
• Prevent infections, nightmares, etc.
• Move the patient while treatment is ongoing.
• Prevent the condition from spreading to others.
• Prevent the condition from doing more harm (e.g.,
ongoing poison).
CONSEQUENCES
» The patient's state deteriorates or they suffer from
further injuries (increase status or add tags; only if
there was no Success).
» Your method of treatment proves ineffective
(Blocked; only if there was no Success).
» The treatment takes a lot of supplies, such as
wrappings or medicinal herbs to treat (scratch a
tag or short-on-supplies).
» You are overworked (frustrated, tired, or distracted).
» The illness spreads to you (gain the status afflicting
them).
Exploration & Survival
Magic
M
agic can take many forms,
from born innate abilities, to
wielding occult forces passed
down from ancient masters, to
formulaic spells developed methodically.
Using, understanding, and countering
magic usually requires having such
power or knowledge, although sometimes
having a clear purpose and a force of will
can prove enough.
Magic is often used to perform mundane actions
more easily and so many of the entries in this
category point at actions elsewhere in the Grimoire.
Firing a magical ice blast is not inherently different
from shooting a bow – unless it has a unique twist
due to the rules of magic in your setting.
For further guidance on handling magic in your setting,
see The Secrets of Magic chapter in the Corebook.

Animal Kinship And Handling
Soothe a distressed animal • Build trust
with a beast • Show you mean no harm
• Teach new tricks • Practice falconry •
Release the hounds
You make an emotional connection with an animal,
affecting its emotional state, building a shared
understanding and trust, or teaching it to follow
your commands.
When hurt or pressed, any animal can be frightened,
which could hinder its ability to respond, move, or
act with confidence. This action could also be used to
Restore (remove) that status.
Forming a long-term connection with an animal
could require you to Advance on a bond Limit. A wild
nature makes it harder to ease the animal's instincts.
See also Teaching and Training (page 80).
POWER
animal training skills • relationship with the
animal • patience • calming presence • respect toward
living things • harness, bridle, or saddle • treats •
similar animal features • telepathic or empathetic
magic • enchantment spells
emotional state of the animal • threatening or
chaotic environment • danger to animal's offspring
• wild instincts • mythological or otherwise magical
creature • injury to creature
SUCCESS
INF L U E NC E with emotional statuses guiding the
animal's course of action, such as protective, vigilant,
or courageous.
RE S T OR E to remove frightened or other negative
emotional statuses from an animal.
ADVA NC E by adding bonded statuses to max out bond.
CRE AT E a story tag for the creature or B EST OW
the abilities it gained during training.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The animal is loyal to your companions as well and
protective of them.
• The beast chooses to follow you even if not yet
fully accustomed to your presence.
• The creature recognizes and remembers several
different signals you use to direct it.
• The animal dislikes someone you taught it to hate.
• The creature brings you items it finds, whether
through foraging, hunting, or curiosity.
CONSEQUENCES
» In a moment of fear or instinct, the animal lashes
out with its natural defenses (wounded).
» You are thrown from the beast's back (prone).
» The animal flees out of fear or uncertainty
(Blocked).
» The animal eats some of your provisions (scratch a
tag).
» The animal becomes more frightened.
» The beast reverts to its instincts (wild).
Exploration & Survival

Escaping a Trap,
Ambush, or Hazard
Leaping out of the way • Pulling your limb
back • Dodging • Catching the mechanism
in the nick of time • Stopping just before
you step in it • Sheer luck or miracle • Being
protected by an invisible force • Receiving a
forewarning
When a trap, ambush, or unexpected hazard is
sprung on you, you rely on reflexes, vigilance, prior
warning, or forces unseen to save you from harm
and to regain your bearings.
Consider Might if the trap, ambush, or hazard is truly
formidable and requires extraordinary ability to escape.
If the trap or hazard is harmful, you may add to your
reaction any applicable forms of defense, such as
armor or protective wards; see Blocking or Soaking
an Attack (page 32). If you wish to get out of a trap
that ensnared you, see Sabotaging (page 14).
If your rolled total is 10 or higher, you can use some
of your Power to notice something important about
the trap, ambush, or hazard (Discover).
POWER
being alert • vigilance • reflexes and agility • keen
senses • prior warning • knowledge of traps and
mechanisms • luck • protective wards • guardian
spirits or divine blessing • premonitions and visions
hidden traps or ambushers • stealthy ambushers
• poor visibility • superior trap mechanism •
camouflage • invisibility • magical trap
SUCCESS
LESSEN the Effects of the trap or being surprised by
an ambush.
DI S C OV E R a valuable detail about the trap, the
ambush, your opponent, or the environment.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Regain your initiative and act immediately (keep
the spotlight).
• Spot additional traps or ambushes nearby.
• Draw your weapon or a useful tool.
• Warn or signal an ally of the trap or ambush.
NAVIGATING
DANGER

Living off the Land
Foraging • Fishing • Hunting • Collecting
useful herbs • Scavenging from ruins •
Finding or building shelter • Igniting a fire •
Locating or dowsing for water
You use your skills at searching or survival in
the wild to gather useful things and set up better
conditions for yourself.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
survival skills • acute or supernatural senses •
proper tools • nature magic • outdoorsmanship •
experience in these conditions • knowledge of the
terrain • useful environment features
bad weather • dangerous flora or fauna •
detrimental terrain features • purposely-hidden
items • deceiving features or illusions
SUCCESS
.CR E AT E tags for the items or things you find or put
together.
EN H ANC E with positive statuses for your current
stocks and supplies, such as stocked-up-on-supplies,
food-on-hand, or plenty-of-healing-herbs.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Avoid dangers or violent confrontations.
• Leave no trace of having been there.
• Keep your fire or encampment hidden.
CONSEQUENCES
» You stumble, set off a trap, or are ambushed
(wounded).
» You expose yourself to a hazard (poisoned,
weakened, etc.).
» The items you acquire are flawed (add negative tags).
» The items you acquire are of poor quality and may
not last long (Yes, but...).
» Someone notices you while you scavenge (Exposure).
» You break something or are forced to leave it
behind (scratch a tag).

Losing a Tail
When someone is tracking or following you, you
can shake them off with speed, stealth, guile, or
maneuverability. You use your skills or surroundings
in order to keep the observer back while you move
to a hidden or far away spot, preventing them from
following you.
See also Spying (page 37). If you are trying to hide,
see Sneaking and Hiding (page 40).
This action uses the reverse of the positive and
negative tags for Tracking. As with Tracking, this
could be a Chase (page 47).
SUCCESS
RE S T ORE by removing a status such as tracked.
S ET BAC K by giving the status losing-them if this is
a chase.
E X T RA FE ATS
• You end up somewhere safe, for now.
• You make the trackers go in a circle or to a location
you decide.
• You avoid attracting attention or expose yourself to
danger.
CONSEQUENCES
» You get turned around (lost).
» You get restrained or slowed due to the terrain and
can't move as fast.
» Your suspicious movements attract attention (wary
or New Challenge).
» You end up somewhere you never intended to go
(introduce a Vignette or Journey).
» You lose something important in the scuffle
(scratch a tag).

Setting a Trap
Fasten snare • Lay tripwire • Plant an
alchemical bomb • Rig a steel bear trap •
Place a detonating rune on a door
You carefully place a trap that will hopefully surprise
your intended target. Consider Might when laying
multiple traps or a trap that affects a greater area.
Instead of rolling when you set the trap, you explain
what type of trap you set and what would trigger it.
When your trap would trigger, you get the spotlight
for a moment and roll to see if it works as intended.
Once the trap is set but before it is triggered, it can
count as a Threat; the Narrator can have it triggered
by unintended targets, such as an innocent or an ally
(Ill Tidings).
POWER
trap setting skills • the trap tag itself (if any)
• camouflage materials • rune spell • alchemical
explosives kit • skill at hunting • familiarity with
the location • a location conducive to hiding a trap •
target's confusion, distraction, or sensory limitations
open space • target's alertness • target's trap
detection skills or magic • target's armor, reflexes,
and other protections against the trap's effects
SUCCESS
QU IC K The trap works, such as by ringing a
bell, casting an alarm spell, distracting a foe and
making them fumble their action, or collapsing a
passageway and blocking it.
VAR IE S Attack for traps that give a harmful
status such as wounded, electrocuted, or poisoned, or
Disrupt for traps that give a hindering status such
as ensnared, distracted, or prone. Other Effects may
include Weaken to break armor or inflict a curse,
Create to summon a creature, or Discover to scry the
target and magically reveal its weak points.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Disrupt the target's intended action, potentially
addressing its Threat.
• The result is extra flashy or very quiet.
• The trap is not yet spent and can be triggered again.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your trap goes off prematurely or the target dodges
in time (only if there was no Success).
» The target becomes more alert.
» The target spots other traps you have set or figures
out your intentions or position (Exposure).
» You've put a lot into that trap, and now you're
running out (scratched tags).
Stalking Prey
See Sneaking and Hiding, page 40.

Tracking
Notice scattered leaves • Trace footprints
• Game stalking • Follow the hounds • Scour
the countryside • Spiritually possess a bird
of prey • Scry with a mirror
You search for a target, following clues to their
location left within the environment.
The Narrator can decide to play this as a Chase (page
47), using the lose-tail/catch-up Limit.
POWER
hunting or tracking skills • knowledge of the
land or its wildlife • target left unique marks • scent-
tracking animal • fresh tracks • muddy conditions •
known game trails • target is clumsy or large
the target is hidden • target is native or typical to
the area • target is light of foot • target leaves no scent
or tracks (intangible, incorporeal, etc) • bare terrain
or river in the way • weather washed away tracks
SUCCESS
QUIC K Learn the path the target took, or catch up
to them.
DI S C OV E R clues about the target's location, their
makeup, or recent activities.
W E A KE N to remove hidden or similar status from a
target trying to hide themself from you.
A DVA NC E the status caught-up if this is a chase.
E X T RA FE ATS
• You do it quickly.
• You avoid attracting attention or expose yourself to
danger.
• You end up in a good position.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target becomes more alert or spots you
(Exposure).
» You fall in a trap set by the target (wounded or
losing-them).
» Weather conditions make further tracking harder
(add weather tag).
» You get turned around (lost).
» You end up somewhere you never intended to go
(introduce a Vignette or Journey).
Exploration & Survival

Banishing a Conjured Creature
Make a banishing sign • Exorcism ritual •
Cleanse magical or spiritual corruption •
Unravel an elemental's form • Undo a curse
animating the dead • Force a spirit to leave
the physical world
You use your magic to eliminate the very force
responsible for animating, summoning, or otherwise
maintaining a conjured creature, and disperse its
mystical energies. This could send a physical being
back to where it came from, exorcise a being possessing
another, or dispel the magic animating an object.
Conjurations and supernatural otherworldly beings
have a banish Limit. Once this Limit is maxed, the
target dissipates, leaves, or its enchantment breaks.
See also Dispelling Magic (page 55) and Warding
(page 61).
POWER
force of spirit • magical skills • applicable wards
• incantations and abjurations • medium powers •
experience with this specific type of creature • magic
suited for banishment or destruction of this type
of creature • things abhorrent to the target (salt,
religious symbolism, a cheerful song, and the like)
active resistance from the magic that created or
summoned the target • target's willpower, fortitude, or
size • objects or spiritual fetters that bind the target to
the area • distractions • banishment resistance
SUCCESS
AT TAC K by giving a banished status.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Ward a possessed person or area against this type
of conjuration, for now.
• Keep the conjuration focused on you.
• Momentarily bind the target from using a specific
ability.
• Perform the banishment without being noticed.
• Control the destination of the banished conjuration.
• Don't let up and keep the spotlight to continue the
banishment.
CONSEQUENCES
» The banishing is interrupted (reduce banished that
was previously gained, only when there was no
Success).
» The conjuration retaliates (wounded, terrified, cursed,
or other Consequences from its Challenge Profile).
» The conjuration grows in power (empowered) or
gains additional powers (gain tags).
» Your powers are exhausted or proven ineffective
(scratch a tag or Blocked).
» You lose your concentration (exhausted or drained).
» You attract the attention of the conjuration, the
source of its summoning or animating, or other
creatures like it (Exposure or New Challenge).
» The conjuration vanishes but its presence
remains (gains hidden).

Commanding or Binding a
Conjured Creature
Cast a binding spell • Draw a circle of binding
• Offer tribute • Speak with authority •
Outsmart in conversation • Send mental
commands • Attune to its resonance • Speak
its true name • Appease a furious godling
You use your magical abilities or conversation skills to
force or cajole a conjured creature into following your
commands. Creatures you summon or create yourself
are normally already under your control, unless that
control is weakened or lost due to Consequences.
The Narrator can decide to give the conjuration a
bound Limit. When maxed, the creature comes fully
under your control. The Narrator then gives you a
story theme to represent the creature, if one does not
already exist.
See also Animal Kinship and Handling (page 43),
Deception (page 81), and Persuasion (page 84).
POWER
force of spirit • appropriate magical skills and
items • negotiation skills • aligned goals • experience
with this specific type of creature • magic suitable
for binding this type of creature • qualities you share
with the target or its origin • existing relationship
with the target • offerings or sacrifices • appropriate
authority • knowledge of spirit law
the target's master's force of will or magical
aptitude • your past antagonism with the target or
its type • the target's recalcitrance or force of will •
distractions • your social quirks
SUCCESS
You force or convince the target to do one
QUIC K
thing within the scope of the scene.
with a compelling status such
I N FL UE NC E
as bound, controlled, helpful, grudging-respect, or
sympathetic. This is a helpful status for resisting any
actions the conjuration takes in defiance of your wish.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The target follows you around for a while longer,
or performs one more task for you.
• The target holds you in high esteem or is
proactively helpful.
• Keep the target focused on you.
• Perform the command without being noticed.
• Momentarily bind the target from using a specific
ability.
• Block someone else from attempting to take
control, for now.
• Don't let up and keep the spotlight to continue your
influence.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target flees the scene (Blocked).
» The target retaliates (wounded, terrified, cursed, or
other Consequences from its Challenge Profile).
» The target becomes harder to command (willful or
angered) or you lose your hold on it (reduce bound,
only if there was no Success).
» You attract the attention of the target's summoner,
its current master, or other creatures like it
(Exposure or New Challenge).

Conjuring a Creature
Enchant a carriage to move by itself •
Manifest an illusory animal • Call forth
spirits in seance • Summon hellhounds
• Animate the dead • Call upon the fey
inhabiting the ancient glade
You use magic to summon, materialize, or animate a
creature. The creature might be mindless or intelligent,
and is usually under your control by default, or at the
very least, favorable to you and your intentions.
Consider Might if you summon more than one
conjuration, a large one, or a powerful one.
This action creates an ally which remains in the scene
and can then be called upon in various subsequent
actions. If you summon a conjuration for a single
task, such as attacking a foe or revealing secrets to
you, see Using Magical Abilities (page 67).
POWER
conjuration powers • being present at the location
inhabited by the creature • appropriate items,
implements, and offerings • a relevant place of
power (a ritual chamber, ley line, etc) • a favorable
time of day or date • experience with or knowledge of
this type of creature and their desires
wards against magical summoning • magical
dampening • setting or situation repellent to this type of
creature • creature's reluctance or animosity, if relevant
SUCCESS
You create a creature, and the Narrator
QUIC K
decides on its story tags or theme.
story tags or a story theme representing
C RE AT E
the creature and its abilities; the Narrator can
add a negative story tag, as normal. For example,
you might summon a laughing pixie with tags like
small and elusive, magically contagious laughter, and
cooperative. Successive actions can be taken to
conjure additional creatures or to add attributes to
existing ones.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The creature remains here or remains subservient
for longer.
• Summon the creature in an advantageous position.
• Summon the creature without being noticed.
• Keep the spotlight to act immediately as the creature.
CONSEQUENCES
» You lose some or all control of the creature
(conjuration gains unruly, defiant, hostile, fading etc.).
» The creature shows typical yet unwanted
characteristics or flaws (add negative tags).
» The creature can't quite do what you wanted it to
(slightly alter story tags created).
» Additional effects or creatures are conjured, not
under your control (Complication).
» The creature's presence in the scene is fleeting
(lasts for only a turn or two) (Yes, but...).
MAGICAL

Crafting Magical Items
Brew a sleeping potion • Create a protective
talisman • Bind elemental spirits to a weapon
• Engrave runes onto a wooden staff • Coat
arrows in sacred silver • Paint the wind
god's silhouette on a ship's sails • Distill a
healing draught • Trap a winter storm inside
a glass bead • Inscribe a warding glyph
You use your magical abilities and general crafting
skills to create an item possessing magical power.
You might combine ingredients or raw materials
to create a new item or imbue an existing object,
perhaps one already possessing some magic. Most
magical crafting represents methodical work in
a suitable environment, such as a workshop or a
ceremonial space, and unique materials. However,
some small and simple items can be created in the
field or on the trail, given the right tools and skills.
For items that are single-use by nature, such as
potions that need to be quaffed or a spell imbued into
a talisman that is discharged when used, see also
Consumable Story Tags, Corebook Vol. I, page 165.
For complex or time-consuming projects, the Narrator
can decide to set a complete Limit. When maxed out,
you gain a tag or a theme, as decided by the Narrator.
Consider Might when creating a large or powerful item.
For the mundane aspect of crafting items, see
Crafting and Tinkering (page 11). To obtain
rare ingredients needed for your magical item, see
Harvesting Ingredients (page 12). See also the
Crafting Journey, Corebook Vol. II, page 194.
POWER
appropriate magical abilities (magical scribing,
herbalism, spirit binding) • crafting skills
(e.g., weapon smithing, charm carving, golem
construction) • magical ingredients (alchemical
reagents, animal parts, ore from a fallen star) •
materials resonant with this specific kind of magic
• magically charged tools or location • assistance by
mentors or initiated apprentices
existing item ill-suited for this kind of magic •
existing magic interferes with new magic • materials
or items are of low-quality • poor conditions or
workspace • lack of required time
SUCCESS
a story tag or a theme representing the
C RE AT E
item and its abilities, such as cloak of shadow, banner
of courage, potion of foresight, or bottled lightning. If you
create a story theme, the Narrator can add a negative
story tag.
BE S T OW an existing item with story tags
representing new qualities, like adding fire resistant
or blazing light to your chain shirt. If this creates a
theme, the Narrator can add a negative story tag.
A DVA NC E an ongoing project with making-progress.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Complete the work quickly or in secret.
• Use fewer materials.
• Hide the item's magical properties, or make them
evident.
• Add an aesthetic flourish, perhaps a personal
signature.
• Add conditions to the magical quality, like a
command word or a restriction on the location or
time of day it can be used.
CONSEQUENCES
» You waste time, break tools, or expend resources
(scratch tags, time-passes, or short-on-coin).
» The item has unintended magical qualities (add a
negative story tag).
» You have an accident while crafting (poisoned,
slowed, drained, curse of pain, etc.).
» Your magic attracts unwanted attention (Exposure).

Creating a Permanent
Enchantment
Curse the land • Sanctify holy ground •
Bless a bloodline • Deny magic in the region
• Imbue a permanent light source • Make a
tree sentient • Permanently change your
eye color
You use your magic to permanently change a place
or a thing, imbuing it with new aspects. “Permanent”
typically means “for a long while” but not necessarily
forever. Enchantments can usually be broken or
dispelled (Dispelling Magic, page 55), returning
the target to its previous state.
The Narrator can decide the enchantment requires
an involved ritual; see Magical Rituals (page 57).
Making an enchantment permanent by itself is a
Mighty action, often at one level of Might higher than
creating the same enchantment without permanence
(greatness enchantments may require a more involved
ritual, more time, or more resources to be made
permanent). This may be circumvented with very rare
ingredients or a special site. Consider Might also if the
enchantment grants powerful abilities, affects a large
area or target, or will be difficult to break. Tags created
with such a long-term enchantment should last at
least until the next Sojourn.
To enchant an item so that it gains magical powers,
see Crafting Magical Items (page 65).
POWER
powers of enchanting or cursing • familiarity with
the target • magical assistants • ritual implements • the
item or place being enchanted • appropriate sacrifice
existing contradictory permanent magic • magic
effects that are in conflict • the target is resistant to
change or magic
SUCCESS
C RE AT E magical effect tags, such as waterfall illusion.
ENHA NC E or DI S RUPT to add statuses to the
area, like diminished-magics or sacred.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Make the magic hard to see, sense, or detect.
• Cast the enchantment without anyone noticing.
• Add impressive or threatening visual or auditory
effects.
• Add a secondary effect to the enchantment.
• Avoid backlash.
CONSEQUENCES
» The enchantment affects only some of the target or
area (Yes, but...).
» Your enchantment's effect is reversed (only if there
was no Success).
» The spell depletes other magical effects (scratch a
tag, reduce magical status, or drained).
» Unexpected entities or forces manifest (New
Challenge).
Investigating a Magical Item
To understand the capabilities of a magical item, see
Researching a Topic (page 36) and Sensing and
Scrutinizing Magic (page 60).
USING MAGICAL
ABILITIES

Dispelling Magic
Counter a spell • Break an enchantment •
Dampen a magic power • Release someone
from magical bonds • Fight fire with fire •
Fight fire with ice • Disperse malign forces
You use your magical powers or arcane knowledge
to stop a magic power from activating, nullify an
existing one, or dampen magical ability.
In some cases the Narrator can reintroduce a
magical power that was canceled as Consequences.
Challenges, in particular, are likely to be able to
restore lost abilities.
Consider Might when attempting to nullify the
magic of much greater or weaker magic workers, or
one affecting a large area.
When dispelling as a reaction, if your rolled total
is 10 or higher, you can use some of your Power to
learn this spell (Create), absorb its magical energy
(Enhance), or reflect it back to the attacker or to
another target (Attack), depending on the rules of
magic in your setting.
POWER
magical skills • skill at countering or
disenchantment • knowledge of, or power over,
some supernatural forces • abilities or attitude that
perfectly counter the target ability • the opposite
element to what's being countered (earth vs. air, fire
vs. water, etc.) • implements
persistent magic • the target's magical skills or
force of spirit • the raw power of the effect • place
of power • magical nexuses or ley lines reinforcing
existing magic
SUCCESS
.W E A KE N or RE S T ORE
to remove tags and
statuses representing magic or originating from
them, such as door-binding spell, giant's strength,
warded, or cursed.
.DI S RUPT the target with statuses that hinder the
use of magic powers such as dampened-magic, cut-off-
from-the-divine, or muted. These are treated as helpful
when lessening the Consequences they're affecting.
LES S E N to reduce Effects of a power just as it is
being activated.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Entirely block the target from using a specific
ability, for now.
• Keep the spotlight to act immediately.
• Avoid magical backlash.
• Counter or dispel magic discreetly.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your own magic is sapped (scratch a tag or drained).
» The target effect grows stronger (only if there was
no Success).
» You are unable to dispel this power again, for now
(Blocked).
» There are undesired side-effects, such as magical
backlash (drained, wounds, cursed).
» You disrupt helpful magic effects on yourself, your
target, or nearby (reduce a status or scratch a tag).
» You leave a magical scar on the area (corrupted).

Finding and Focusing
on a Specific Ability
Find the right spell in the grimoire • Pick
the right vial from the bandolier • Grab the
right magic item from the bag • Prepare
a spell or a prayer • Attune your aura •
Discover a novel use or a hidden feature or
your magical abilities
You take a moment to tap into a specific magical
ability or resource. This is a common prep action
used with a broad magic tag to generate a more
specific magical story tag (Indirect Tags and Prep
Actions, Corebook Vol. I, page 153).
See also Granting Abilities to People or Items
(page 68).
POWER
your broad or indirectly relevant tag • attributes
that can speed the process such as focused,
meticulously organized, adaptable • features that can
assist the search such as self-flipping grimoire, assistant
distractions and confusion • slowness and
inefficiency
SUCCESS
C RE AT E a story tag representing the specific ability
or item you want, such as fireball spell, levitation bead,
or protective incantation, possibly making it into a
theme with additional features such as wide area,
channel divine magic, or silent casting. If you create a
theme, the Narrator can add a negative story tag.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Hide your prepared ability.
• Keep the spotlight to use the new ability immediately.
CONSEQUENCES
» The ability you gain is flawed or comes with strings
attached (add negative tag).
» You panic or lose your head (panicked, distracted).
» This is the last ability you'll gain for a while
(scratch the broad tag).
» This ability comes at the expense of another
(scratch a specific tag).
» There are dangerous side effects to the creation (a
negative status).

Magical Rituals
Mystical or religious rite • Casting a
complicated spell • Drawing more power •
Meditative trance • Working with a coven
• Ceremonial sacrifice • Calming the inner
storm • Connecting to the Source
You perform involved or complicated magic in order
to achieve a specific narrative effect, such as opening
a portal to another plane or restoring the soul of a
possessed child.
The Narrator can decide between a Quick outcome
and setting a complete-ritual progress Limit.
Alternatively, you can perform a ritual with the sole
purpose of Enhancing yourself in preparation of a
future magical action. See also the Ritual Journey,
Corebook Vol. II, page 198.
POWER
ritual skills • tomes of knowledge • mentors or
assistants • patience, endurance, or willpower • raw
magical talent • a place infused with appropriate
magical power • solitude or other focus-aiding
conditions • offerings or sacrifices • properly prepared
ritual site
distractions and interruptions • flawed
understanding of the ritual or the magic involved
• dangerous or uncontrollable forces • interfering
environmental magics • inauspicious timing
SUCCESS
You complete the ritual with the desired
QU IC K
narrative outcome.
ADVA NC E with a status such as chanting or making-
progress. Upon maxing out the Limit, the expected
narrative outcome of the ritual occurs.
EN H ANC E yourself with an empowered status that
will boost a designated magical action; the status
typically expires after a while, or after taking that
action. Successive actions can be taken to increase
empowered, but empowered does not help these
actions, only the final action.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep the spotlight to continue the ritual or perform
the magic it is intended to empower.
• The target or victim remains unaware of your ritual.
• Avoid backlash.
• Keep the ritual site hidden from outsiders or
onlookers.
• Avoid wasting resources.
• Keep being empowered for longer.
CONSEQUENCES
» The ritual is interrupted (reduce making-progress or
empowered that was previously gained, only if there
was no Success).
» The ritual backfires or blows up in your face
(cursed, drained, or wounded).
» The ritual costs you your magic (scratch tags).
» There are undesired side-effects, such as a partial
transformation ( skin of gold, blind in one eye).
» A hostile spirit appears (New Challenge).

Making a Magical Discovery
Experiment with new magic • Study a
supernatural creature • Commune with the
divine • Observe the flow of magic • Devise
a magical theory • Plumb the depths of the
universe • Develop a new spell
By experimenting with magical objects, alchemical
substances, spellcraft, or harvested materials with
magical properties, you work towards discovering
an all-new application of magic. You endeavor to
invent a new kind of magic or magical application,
deepen your mystical understanding, or discover the
underlying principles of the magical world.
This could involve Discovering the existing rules
of magic in your world (see The Secrets of Magic,
Corebook Vol. II, page 80) or the detailed ways in
which the rules of magic work. Experimentation
could lead you to learning the Vulnerability of a
monster or a means of warding off faeries.
Consider Might depending on how deep you go with
your mystical explorations. The closer you come to
the secrets at the heart of creation or magic itself, the
Mightier the action.
The Narrator can set a breakthrough Limit. Upon
maxing out the Limit, you discover or invent what
you've been working towards.
POWER
meditations and rituals • a retreat, sanctum, or
laboratory • ancient mystical writings • inventiveness
and nonconformity • intuition • mentorship by sages
or otherworldly beings • rare ingredients to test
with • magical creature being studied • past mystical
experiences
distractions and interruptions • flawed
understanding of the magical underpinnings • poor
guidance • interfering magics • fear of the unknown •
inhibitions
SUCCESS
properties, magical rules,
DI S C OV E R
Vulnerabilities, or other underlying truths of magic.
new story tags of magical abilities
C RE AT E
you previously had no access to, such as soul
transmigration powers.
A DVA NC E a status such as experimentation or
making-progress.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Conduct experiments without drawing too much
attention (strange smells, weird effects, etc.).
• Develop a minor application of your new
knowledge.
• Prevent any unintended side-effects or explosions.
• Avoid angering the spirits.
• Refrain from having your mind break from the
profundity of knowledge.
CONSEQUENCES
» The creatures or people you're testing on are
harmed (guilt or scratch a tag).
» The entities you examine or commune with
become enraged or demand a favor.
» You cause an explosion or other disastrous event
(scratch a tag, burned, etc.).
» You come upon a setback in your work (lose tiers of
experimentation or making-progress, only if there was
no Success).
» Some of the things you learn are vague or only half
true (Yes, but...).
» Your new spell, power, or substance is faulty (add a
negative story tag).
» Someone learns about your discovery (Exposure).
» Your discovery attracts individuals or beings
who enforce the secrecy of this knowledge (New
Challenge).

Resisting Magic
Disbelieve illusion or beguilement • Resist
corruption, dark despair, or a hex • Resist
transfiguration • Break out of paralysis or
hypnosis • Endure malevolent forces or
magically-induced pain • Push out a spirit or
spiritual force • Escape mental bonds
You resist a magical influence with simple willpower,
clarity of mind, or specialized magic of your own.
The exact qualities that are required to resist this
magic are determined by the Narrator.
Consider Might if this magic is far beyond your
capacity to resist.
If your rolled total is 10 or higher, you can use some
of your Power to notice something important about
the magic that accosted you (Discover).
When blocking or dodging destructive magic, see
Battle Defense (page 32), and when avoiding a
magical trap see Escaping a Trap Ambush, or Hazard
(page 46). To get rid of a magical entity, see
Banishing a Conjured Creature (page 62).
POWER
force of spirit • defiance • conviction • devotion
• clarity of thought • purity of heart • physical
constitution and stamina • counterspells and
protective wards or charms • insight into the magical
force you are resisting
the qualities of the magical force such as
deceptive, overwhelming, or insidious magic •
physical, emotional, and mental fragility
SUCCESS
LESSEN the incoming Effects of magic.
DI S C OV E R a valuable detail about this magic, its
user, its source, Vulnerabilities, or particularities.
RE S T ORE the negative Effects of magic as you push
back its influence, such as paralyzed or charmed.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Regain your initiative and act immediately (keep
the spotlight).
• Prevent this specific magic from affecting you
again, for now.
• Push back against the source of this magic,
preventing them from using a specific ability.
• Escape compulsion momentarily to communicate
to others that you are under magical attack.

Sensing and Scrutinizing Magic
Read an invisible aura • Sense unseen forces
• Listen to an item's whispers • Examine
magical workings • Recall your arcane
instruction • Cite old lore • Divine the
presence of spirits or fateful machinations
You examine a person, place, item, phenomenon,
or force and attempt to use your knowledge of
magic, powers of perception, or magical senses to
discern what magical powers are at play. If you
use mundane research instead, see Information
Gathering (page 35).
You may discover new details about the magical
effect at hand, including a sense of what triggers
it, what its source is, what is its area or sphere of
influence, and what might negate it. If it is an item,
you may learn its capabilities, source of power,
command words, who last possessed it, etc.
The Narrator may decide to set an unlocked Limit,
requiring the Hero to spend time studying the
magical effect. When unlocked is maxed out, you
unlock all the secrets of the magic studied.
Consider Might when dealing with rare or
powerful magic.
POWER
intuition and uncanny senses • arcane or mystical
knowledge • magic detection tricks, cantrips, or
items • awareness-enhancing substances • relevant
historical knowledge • magical crafting skills (for
items) • qualities that resonate with the target's
magic • sage advisors
the item or effect is mysterious or hidden • distractions
• illusions or other deceptions • the real power is
suppressed • the effect or item is missing a piece
SUCCESS
QUIC K You understand the magical effect and its
powers.
DI S C OV E R specific details about the magical effect
or item.
A DVA NC E with making-progress.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Keep from touching or activating the item or effect.
• Immediately act on the insights you gained (keep
the spotlight)
• Prevent or counter the activation of a specific
magical effect you have revealed.
• Immediately announce to others or signal about
this magic.
CONSEQUENCES
» You get the wrong impression or false visions,
leading to partly incorrect conclusions.
» Other magic items around you are disrupted
(scratch a tag).
» You unleash defensive magics within the item
(cursed).
» You are set back in your research (reduce making-
progress) or your current approach is exhausted
(Blocked).

Warding
Protective circle • Fortify thoughts • Salt
across the doorstep • Gesture the mark
of a deity • Whisper a prayer • Present a
warding sign • Create a magical trap • Ward
a doorway against intruders
You use your magic or understanding of the
supernatural to limit a particular kind of magic
power or magical energy in general, and prevent it
from harming you. Magic powers activated against
warded people or things, or within a warded area, are
hindered by this status.
If your ward is not only protective but also active
– reflecting the magical fire back, attempting to
banish an offending ghost, or covering the intruder
with spirit dust – explain what it can do and what
would trigger it. When the ward triggers, you get the
spotlight for a moment and roll to see if it works as
intended, with warded acting as a beneficial status.
See also Setting a Trap (page 44).
Consider Might when warding a large area, large
groups, or against uniquely powerful forces.
To stop an immediate magical effect, see Dispelling
Magic (page 55). To get rid of a magical entity, see
Banishing a Conjured Creature (page 62).
POWER
force of spirit • warding rites • knowledge of local
spirits • useful ley lines or ambient magical energy •
appropriate magical implements • items, symbols, or
chants that are anathema to the affected entities
vulnerability to specific magic • a strong presence
of an opposing spirit or magical effect • distractions
and interruptions • conditions that erode the ward
(rain against markings, presence of many ghosts, etc.)
SUCCESS
EN H ANC E the target with warded. Specify what the
ward repels, see page 55.
VAR IE S Attack with banish against magical
creatures or drain magic users of Power, Disrupt with
ensnared or distracted, Weaken to remove beneficial
abilities, Create to summon a creature, or Discover to
scry the target and magically reveal its weak points.
E X T RA FE ATS
• You cast the ward without being noticed.
• The ward is either flashy or unseen.
• The ward lasts longer.
• Affected magical creatures can't perceive what is
warded.
• Magically mark the target without their knowing so
you sense where they are or what their condition is.
• Disrupt the target's intended action, potentially
addressing its Threat.
• Also force the target to move back, or prevent it
from moving further.
CONSEQUENCES
» The ward will not last as long as it should (Yes, but...).
» The ward harms the warded, as long as it is active
(dazed, sickend, enfeebled, can't speak).
» The ward attracts the attention of other magical
dangers (Exposure or New Challenge).
» The ward works both ways, keeping certain
magical creatures in (if undesired).
» Placing the ward requires more power or resources
(scratch a tag).
» The ward has a weak spot (add a negative story tag).
CONJURED
CREATURES
Magic can be used to summon, enchant, animate, or
materialize creatures, and many magic users do so
often as servants, companions, and minions can be
very useful in carrying out tasks.
“Conjuring” refers here to the act of calling forth
the creature, whether it is out of thin air, through
animating materials or objects, or by attracting the
right being. The result is called a “conjured creature”
or a “conjuration”, that is a creature that is in the scene
through magic, whether it is a spirit made corporeal, a
summoned beast, or an animated flying sword.
Certain monsters, magical beings, and otherworldly
entities in your series – such as ghosts, demons,
godlings, and such – can be considered “conjured
creatures” even if the magic that created them has
taken place long ago and they are now assumed a
permanent part of the setting. Other magical beings
– such as magical races that migrated into your
world – may not be considered “conjured creatures”,
even if they are from another realm, if they are not
actively sustained in your world by magic.
Taking Action with a Conjured
Entity or Companion
A conjured entity you control, or any creature
represented by the Companion theme, are allies
represented by one or more tags.
Depending on its form and capabilities, such a
creature can perform or assist with almost any
action. If it's sentient, it could even engage in Social
Interactions (page 70).
If the creature's assistance is directly helpful to an
action, such as when a brown bear helps break down
a door, simply add its relevant tags to the action as
positive tags. If it has any negative tags, those might
apply in the same action or possibly others; a rowdy
bear is hard to keep calm when a low profile is required.
Intelligent and semi-intelligent creatures can
act on their own, based on their disposition and
your orders. Either way, the player of the Hero
controlling the creature rolls for its actions, and
might need to share the spotlight with it. See Ally
Actions, Corebook Vol. I, page 164.

Aiding Others with Magic
Bless with bear's strength, cat's stealth or
wolf's senses • Imbue weapons with flame,
and armor with hardness • Chant to lift
spirits, quicken reactions, or ward off fear
• Conjure a weapon or useful tool
See Assisting an Ally (page 24), Improvising
Weapons (26), Leadership (page 78), and also
Granting Abilities to People or Items (page 68).

Attacking with Magic
Cast a tongue of flames • Lay a hex of
sickness • Animate a tree to strike with a
limb • Bind in magical chains • Chant a spell
of slumber • Cause a held torch to flare •
Tear with spectral animal claws
See Direct Attacks (page 17) and Tactical Attacks
(page 20).

Casting a Spell
Uttering an invocation • Waving your wand
• Whispering a silent prayer • Tapping into
your inner power • Weaving an enchantment
• Cursing or hexing someone • Chanting a
mystical mantra • Making a charm • Drawing
a rune, glyph, or sign • Casting divinatory
bones, beads, or twigs
Using a magical art can have many different
Effects, as described in the subsequent entries of
this section. In addition to the tags, extra feats, and
Consequences listed in each specific action, consider
also the following.
The particularities of each form of magic are defined
by its tags and additional considerations described
under Fundamentals of Magic (Corebook Vol. I, page
198). While it is ultimately up to the Narrator, casting
a spell often requires a specific tag that describes it,
and it can be further empowered by broader tags
that describe your ability. However, if you have only
broad tags, the Narrator may require you to take a
prep action by Finding and Focusing on a Specific
Ability (page 56).
POWER
specific ability at this particular spell • general
magical aptitude or skill • magical specializations
• appropriate tools • conditions favorable for your
magic • appropriate tactics
distractions and interruptions • conditions that
weaken or hinder your magic • magical resistance or
opposition • wards against magic • lack of sufficient
time, ingredients, mobility, audibility, and such
SUCCESS
EX TRAFE ATS
• Conceal your spell or make a show of it.
• Prevent side effects, or avoid or delay paying the
price, for now.
• Cast it quickly, and take a follow-up action (keep
the spotlight).
• Stop someone from countering your spell.
CONSEQUENCES
» You suffer the side effects of magic (corrupted,
exhausted, drained, cursed).
» Something or someone nearby is unintentionally
affected by your spell or its side effects (give a status).
» You lose the ability to cast the same spell, or it
becomes ineffective (scratch a specific tag).
» You are spent or weakened (scratch a broad tag).
» You pay a price for using magic (scratch a tag,
Blocked, or Ill Tidings).
» You are discovered or recognized as the source of
the spell (Exposure).

Divination or Magical Senses
Detect danger with enhanced senses •
Foretell fortunes • Listen to the winds •
Psychometry • Etch a glyph of forewarning
• Read minds • Scry through a mirror
See Scrutinizing the Battlefield (page 28), Scouting
and Guarding (page 49), and Information
Gathering (page 35).

Granting Abilities to
People or Items
Make or toss a potion • Coat sword with
flames • Giant's strength enchantment •
Blessing of accuracy • Protective charm •
Eyes of the eagle • Adorn with illusionary
disguise
You create a magical effect on the fly, temporarily
enhancing your own abilities or those of an ally, or
conjuring a magical item that lasts for a short while. To
create a being, see Conjuring a Creature (page 64).
Consider Might when granting abilities that are
extraordinary or all-powerful.
POWER
enchantment abilities • familiarity with the
target • suitable or receptive target • appropriate
expertise (medicine, herbalism, weapon-forging) •
well-equipped and suitable workspace • a magical
moment, such as midnight • a place of magic
recipient's contradictory features • poor quality items
or ingredients • conditions detrimental to your magic
SUCCESS
an ability tag such as bat wings, long leap,
BES T OW
giant size, intangible, blessing of the nymph, etc
tags representing a magical object or
CRE AT E
effect, such as arcane shield, or add a tag to an
existing item such as adding beast claws to steel
gauntlets or poison arrows to hunting bow, or features
such as strikes true, dragon-slaying, and the like. If
this creates a theme, the Narrator can add a negative
story tag.
EN H ANC E with a status such as hasted, blessed-aim,
warded, or hidden.
EX TRAFE ATS
• The new abilities or items last longer.
• Grant the target the ability to switch new powers
on and off.
• Keep (or give) the spotlight to act immediately with
the new power.
• Make the new ability impressive or concealed.
CONSEQUENCES
» The new ability comes with inherent flaws (add
negative tags).
» The target is adversely affected by the new ability
(e.g., pained, cursed, addicted, or scratch a tag).
» The target is disfigured or transformed into
something unintended (add a negative story tag).
» You spend your magical power, for now (drained or
scratch its tag).

Healing with Magic
Healing touch • Calming whispers • Blessed
blood • Troll regeneration • Concocting
an antidote • Banishing the evil spirit of a
disease • Undo a curse • Free a mind from
hypnotic grip • Remove a magical parasite •
Cure a legendary disease • Heal a tainted soul
If you're healing a natural condition, see Treating
Injuries and Other Conditions (page 53).
Otherwise, you use magical powers to cure a
supernatural condition. Consider Might if you are
healing extraordinary supernatural maladies or
grave wounds.
POWER
healing powers • connection to the target •
blessings on the target • experience with the condition
or the magic behind it • medicinal items • materials
that defy the malicious magic, such as salt or runes •
environment conducive to the curing and to healing
the condition itself (when healing oneself or if it is
an aggressive condition) • target's continued contact
with the cause of the condition • healing ability that is
not made to heal the cause of the condition
SUCCESS
to remove harmful statuses and tags.
RE S T ORE
to understand the malady better or
DI S C OV E R
pinpoint its cause, magical or otherwise.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Contain the condition temporarily (if it's a Challenge).
CONSEQUENCES
» The patient is left with complications (add negative
tags or statuses).
» The condition spreads to you or those nearby
(Complication).
» You have exhausted what your healing could do in
this case (Blocked).

Manipulating
Others with Magic
Impress with divine majesty • Project an
aura of fear • Beguile with sorcerous charm
• Make someone forget • Uncanny bestial
allure • Influence emotions • Enter dreams
See Deception (page 81), Persuasion (page 84),
and Making an Impression (page 83).

Moving and
Evading with Magic
Flight • Magical transportation • Silent
step • Traveling through or as an element
• Travel between shadows • Underwater
breathing • Spiderwalking
See Moving Around the Battlefield (page 30),
Travel and Wayfinding (page 50), and Sneaking
and Hiding (page 40).

Protecting with Magic
Elemental shield • Leap out of the way •
Wards or blessings • Intangibility • Deflect
with magical force • Monstrous hide
See Battle Defense (page 32), Warding (page
61), and Dispelling Magic (page 55).

Shapeshifting and
Transformations
Become invisible • Assume a were-form
• Grow bark on your skin • Mimic the
appearance or abilities of others • Shrink
down to a tiny size • Become incorporeal
See Granting Abilities to People or Items (page 68).

Shaping the
Environment with Magic
Cover the ground with ice • Shape the earth
• Animate plants • Summon strong winds •
Summon a cloud of insects • Create deep
darkness
You use your magic to alter objects and conditions
around you, or conjure new ones. See also Creating
and Removing Hazards and Obstacles (page 48).
Consider Might when affecting a large area.
POWER
powers of shaping or creation • familiarity with
the location • abundance of the desired material or
element
opposing or contradicting conditions such as
weather • toughness or durability of materials
transformed
SUCCESS
C RE AT E environment tags that represent what
you have conjured or what scene elements you have
transformed, possibly into a story theme, such
as mounting snow banks with unnatural silence and
deeply disturbing, or a wall of trees that is very thick, or
unhallowed ground that drains vitality. If you create
a theme, the Narrator can add a negative story tag.
W E A KE N to remove tags of unwanted elements in
the environment.
.E X T RA FE ATS
• Make a show out of it.
• Shape it precisely.
• Move something from the scene to your hand.
• Move to somewhere else in the scene.
• Block someone's path or clear a path for someone.
• Keep the option to reverse it at will.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your shaping adds or eliminates something you
didn't intend (add negative tags or scratch tags).
» Your shaping unintentionally blocks a path or
course of action (Blocked).
» An ally or an innocent is caught in your shaping
(restrained or wounded).
» The change you created triggered something
unintended like an avalanche or a collapse
(Complication).
Social Interaction
T
he battle of words can have stakes as high as
any battle of swords and soldiers. Spying,
manipulating, and persuading can be critical in
a high level political series. Just as important is
the ability to spin a tale, talk sense into a farmer, or coax
information out of a nightwatch guard.

Making a Purchase
Acquire travel supplies• Rent
accommodations for the Fellowship •
Buy that thoroughbred horse you always
wanted • Buy rare ingredients • Purchase
magic beans • Book transport or passage •
Pay for a feast • Buy stolen goods off the
back of a cart • Procure a rare tome • Have
armor or clothing tailored for you • Peruse
the local market
You use your financial assets to procure an item or
service by paying for it in coin or with credit owed to
the merchant, if they agree to it.
This is a Simple outcome if the purchase is
straightforward, and you attempt to acquire what
is reasonably accessible for your character at their
wealth, means, and current locality. It is a Quick
or Detailed outcome if the purchase is uncertain,
complicated, illegal, involves negotiations, etc.
Consider Might if purchasing for a group or
purchasing something large or far beyond or well
within your means.
If you are funding something together as a
Fellowship, see Helping and Supporting (page
86) to create and combine a single means status
(hefty-purse) to assist with this action. If you want to
have sway over the seller to help offset the price, see
Persuasion (page 84).
See also the Provisioning Journey, Corebook Vol. II,
page 196.
POWER
wealth and means • assets to barter • negotiation
skills • good standing with the seller • leverage
• familiarity with the item or the market • good
reputation in town • buying at the right place and/or
the right time
lack of coin • seller's deception and haggling skills •
bad reputation • bad standing with the seller or supplier
• item at low supply or rare • honesty and naivete • item
is illegal or taboo here • wrong part of town
SUCCESS
S IM PL E or QU ICK
You get what you want. The
Narrator may provide story tags.
story tags describing the purchased item
CRE AT E
or service.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Purchase discreetly.
• Leave no ledger trail.
• Have it delivered to a place of your choice.
• Avoid buying a cat in a bag.
• Prevent any trouble during the transaction.
• Control your spending or limit the price you're
willing to pay.
CONSEQUENCES
» It's a significant expense (short-on-coin, indebted).
» You overextend your wealth or reputation (scratch
a tag).
» Word about the deal gets around (Exposure).
» You become known for purchasing illicit or inferior
quality goods (ill-repute).
» The seller gets antsy, upset, or belligerent and
refuses further trade (Blocked).
» The item you get has some undesired aspect (add
negative story tag).

Selling Goods
Sell your produce on market day • Sell loot
• Hawk trinkets or artifacts • Put your gear
up for sale • Fence a stolen item • Auction a
masterpiece • Sell off your mansion • Make
a bailment for your wedding ring
You sell items or goods you possess to improve your
financial situation. If this is a routine transaction, the
Narrator can resolve this Simply (Simple Actions
With Power To Spend, Corebook, Volume I, page 157).
If the item sold is represented by a tag, you should
burn it for Power. You cannot sell a power tag, but if
it represents a current supply of an item (e.g., bushel
of apples, confiscated goods), you may burn it for Power
to indicate selling its recent output. If your Power tag
generates items but isn't an item (the village smithy),
the Narrator may require a prep action to create tags
for specific items to sell. You may sell items in your
possession not represented by a tag, but these will
yield no Power for the action.
The Narrator may limit the Effects you can use
depending on what you are selling and your wealth
level. For example, as a wealthy minister of coin
you may not be able to sell your feather quill to get
hefty-purse-3 because such an item won't normally
generate enough money to grant such a status at
your wealth level.
POWER
the item tag • its desirable feature tags • negotiation
skills • good standing with the buyer • leverage
• familiarity with the item or the market • good
reputation in town • selling at the right place and/or
the right time to the right people
item's flaw or low quality • buyer's deception and
haggling skills • bad reputation as a seller or in town •
bad standing with the buyer • honesty and naivete
SUCCESS
ENHA NC E by gaining hefty-purse.
for yourself an asset tag, if you barter or
C RE AT E
trade items.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Do it discreetly.
• Leave no ledger trail.
• Ensure a smooth and trouble-free transaction.
CONSEQUENCES
» The sale falls through (Blocked only if there was
no Success).
» The negotiations exhaust you (frustrated or exhausted).
» You realise the “buyer” is luring you into a trap
(Complication).
» You get swindled, selling for an amount of coin
that barely justifies your efforts (scratch the item
tag without getting anything back; only if there
was no Success).
» You get ill-repute for selling inferior quality or illicit
goods, being inflexible, or setting your prices too high.
» The buyer conditions the completion of the deal
with additional favors or kickbacks (Yes, but...).

Working and
Conducting Business
Taking on odd jobs • Operating a shop,
tavern, or tea house • Trade goods with the
merchants guild • Gamble to earn money
• Clear a basement of rats or monsters •
Work as a server, assistant, or apprentice •
Collect tax, offerings, or fees for lodging •
Beg for alms • Work a market as a cutpurse
You generate income through work, operating a
business, or otherwise collecting payment. This could
be a specific day-to-day action, one of many needed for
the upkeep of the operation, or an entire period (day,
week, months, etc.) of generating income captured in
a single roll, especially if you are sojourning.
Consider Might if you are trading on a large scale
or working in extreme conditions, such as monster
hunting.
POWER
appropriate skills for the work undertaken • good
tools • favorable timing or location for the job • guidance
from a manual or a master • additional laborers • useful
knowledge or connections • negotiation skills • good
relationship with employer or customer
challenging factors for performing the work
• unfavorable conditions, timing, or location •
poor tools • insufficient or troublesome laborers •
employer or customer's deception and haggling skills
• honesty and naivete
SUCCESS
You've completed the current task in your
QU IC K
line of work or commerce activity.
by gaining hefty-purse.
EN H ANC E
EX TRAFE ATS
• Finish the work with some time to spare (keep the
spotlight).
• Avoid exhaustion or accidents for yourself or your
laborers.
• Avoid breaking tools or wasting supplies.
• Make sure you're paid well and on time.
• Complete your work in peace, without anyone
bothering you.
• Gain something neat as a by-product.
• Gain the appreciation of your community or
neighbors.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your customer or employer promises to pay you
later (replace your hefty-purse with indebted on your
customer or employer).
» You waste time, break tools, or expend resources
(scratch tags or short-on-coin).
» You have a work accident (wounded, bruised, cramps,
painful hand, etc.).
» Your behavior, methods, or work practices earn
you a ill-repute.
» A new problem crops up and threatens your work
(Complication of New Challenge).
» You overwork yourself or your laborers (exhausted,
resentful, or scratch a tag).
COMMUNITY

Competitions
Knife throwing competition • Sparring
tournaments • Debates • Game hunting for
sport • Tavern gambling • Sorcery school
trials • Horse race • Wizarding duel • Battle
of the Bards
You use your skills to win a game or a competition
against other competitors. Competitions can be
represented by a Quick outcome, Battle actions
(e.g., a play-by-play dueling match, or a fight
between two arcane constructs), or the resolution
rules presented here.
Each competitor has their own win Limit, with
the same maximum as the others (assuming the
competition is fair). The first one to max out win
is the winner. The Limit can be rephrased or even
reversed as lose, if it's a game of attrition, in which
case the last one standing is the winner. For zero-
sum competitions, in which both sides are fighting
over the same single resource (rope pulling, popular
vote), use a polar Limit (Polar Statuses, Corebook
Vol. I, page 170). See also Chases (page 47).
POWER
relevant skills in sports, music, riding, falconry,
or gambling • experience with this specific game or
its analog • honed reflexes • personal drive to win •
well-maintained or bespoke gear such as a trusty
horse or customized arms and armor • prowess-
bolstering magics or elixirs • luck • inspiration or other
motivational emotions
stress and weariness • the challenge level, such as
tough terrain or a haughty crowd to impress • cynical,
indifferent, or gloom-ridden attitude • poor quality
gear • distractions and frivolities • woeful curses • star-
crossed luck • interfering magic
SUCCESS
with statuses to max out win, depending
A DVA NC E
on the competition or game, such as winning, loved-
by-the-crowd, points-scored, rounds-completed, or
successful-hits.
to lower your opponent's winning status,
S ET BAC K
if possible.
Depending on the game you might be able to
Enhance to set up your next move, Disrupt your
opponent's next move, Create a shortcut, etc.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Entertain onlookers.
• Stop your opponent from taking a move they
planned.
• Gain an extra turn and keep the spotlight.
• Become known as a local folk hero (if you win) or
villain (if you lose).
CONSEQUENCES
» Your opponent scores gains (winning).
» Useful game resources are wasted or tactics
become useless (scratch a tag).
» Your opponent figures out your next move
(Exposure).
» You become tired, distressed, or confused.

Gathering Support
and Resources
Rally the people with a speech • Source
supplies for a journey • Call on your
followers • Ask the family to share • Garner
political support • Unlock hidden caches •
Pull strings • Cash in favors • Stockpile for a
harsh winter • Build up munitions for a battle
This action represents working within a group to
gain support for an endeavor. If the Hero is building
toward a long term goal, or if handling a major
threat that endangers the entire community, the
Narrator can set a ready Limit or similar to represent
the build-up of preparedness.
POWER
contacts or relationships • charisma or other
social aptitude • a helpful attitude among the people
• abundant resources • somewhere to store resources
• blackmail or other leverage • status or position of
power • patience • coordination skills
pessimism or fear among the people • lack of
available resources • your lackluster or outlaw
reputation • ill will among stakeholders or sources of
supplies • barriers in contacting the group
SUCCESS
useful assets such as food supplies,
CRE AT E
weapons, armor, called-in favors, or local militia.
yourself or someone else with rallied,
EN H ANC E
community-support, well-informed, or well-supplied.
with a status such as prepared to max out
ADVA NC E
ready.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep anyone from feeling slighted or exploited.
• Shift credit or blame to someone else.
• Show someone else how to do this when you're not
around.
• Keep the spotlight to make use of the support.
CONSEQUENCES
» You burn bridges with your allies (scratch a social
tag).
» The supplies or other resources are inferior (add a
negative story tag) or won't last long.
» The community resents you (unwelcomed).
» Someone vying for the same support makes
themselves known (New Challenge).
» You are forced to reveal details you'd rather not
(Exposure).
» It will take a while before the resources are ready
(Yes, but...).
» The resources or supplies need to be acquired
elsewhere (Blocked).

Leadership
Lead by example • Point and yell a lot •
Refer back to the plan • Inspire allies •
Rally troops • Bolster resolve • Command
subordinates • Play battle song
You use your charisma, rank, command skills, musical
talent, rhetorical skills, or useful knowledge to lift your
allies' spirits and improve their tactical performance.
Consider Might when commanding a large group.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
charisma • rank or authority • performance and
oratory • tactical skills • communication spells •
camaraderie • devotion or zeal • inspiring song or
speech • mood-altering magic
self-doubt • fear or confusion • internal strife •
supernaturally fearsome opponents • opponents'
unrelenting attacks • impaired communication, e.g.,
due to loud noises
SUCCESS
EN H ANC E your allies with a positive status such as
coordinated-movement, working-efficiently, unshakable-
resolve, or barrage-ready. If anyone defies your
command, acts against you or your allies, or otherwise
breaks away from the group, they do not benefit from
this status any longer. If they fall back in, they might
benefit from it again, depending on context.
to reduce a negative emotional or tactical
RE S T ORE
status on your allies, such as disheartened, lousy-
mood, battlefield-chaos, panicked, exposed, or surprised.
I N FL UE NC E to give your allies a compelling status
that would make them follow your commands such
as obedient, sticking-to-the-plan, or holding-the-line.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Reposition the entire group (e.g., charge or fall back).
• Prevent the group from dispersing or despairing.
• Keep everyone on their toes and prevent harm to
the group.
• Misdirect your opponents' attention.
• Grant the spotlight to an ally to act immediately.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your Fellowship or group becomes less coordinated
or confident in their abilities (confused-orders).
» Your Fellowship or group blunders into difficulties,
enemies, or monsters (New Challenge).
» Your leadership skills can no longer help the
situation (scratch a tag or Blocked).
» Someone has faltering faith (one or more allies
become disheartened).
» The plan has some holes in it ( vulnerable position).
» Your opponents act or attack while you speak
(wounded).
» Your opponents learn your tactics and weak points
(Exposure).

Social Gatherings
Breaking bread • Tavern carousing • Sharing
war stories • Playing a musical instrument •
Sitting at camp with companions • Attending
a festival • Paying funerary respects •
Joining in a silly game • Snowball fight •
Visiting the harvest faire • Dancing around a
bonfire • Idle gossiping
Attending a formal or informal social event or
leisure activity can be a great way to unite with a
community, learn their ways, or just set yourself at
ease. You Enhance yourself or others by garnering
positive mood or reputation statuses, Bestow
relationship tags, Restore away negative tags and
statuses, and Discover more about your company.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
friendly attendees • equipment for activities •
positive attitude • the support of the community •
auspicious stars • an appropriate location • the right
mood for joviality
ill-tempered crowd • poor weather for event •
insufficient attendance • someone spoiling the fun •
wrong equipment, food, or other necessities • aloofness
SUCCESS
yourself or someone else with at-ease,
EN H ANC E
happy, accepted, or tipsy.
relationship tags on yourself or others
BES T OW
such as close friend, admiration, protege (or conversely,
envious).
to remove negative social or mental
RE S T OR E
statuses, such as outcast, suspected, sad, homesick, ill-
repute, or lonely.
new details about the host, the
DIS C OVE R
attendants, or the community and culture.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Enjoy yourself without getting too carried away.
• Party without disturbing the neighbors.
• Avoid bumping into someone at the event.
• Ensure the attendance of a specific person.
CONSEQUENCES
» The party ends early (Blocked).
» You are too fixated on your problems to enjoy
yourself (distracted, gloomy).
» You run into someone who you'd rather not meet
(New Challenge).
» The event only makes your problems seem worse
(increase the tier of a negative social or mood
status; only if there was no Success).

Stir the Community
Titillating whispers • Anonymous pamphlet •
Rabble rousing • Manipulative public speech
• Crying the news • Start a rumor • Spread
propaganda • Poison the water with magical
swaying salts • Appeal to the local folk •
Make a performance or throw an event
they will talk about for weeks
You stimulate and steer conversations in the
community through public appearances, gossip,
crier reports, or scribed pamphlets. This can have
hard to predict effects, but you whisper or shout
these news or rumors with a specific goal in mind.
How you present the information, the channels
you use to spread it, and the particular facts you
highlight can help in achieving your desired outcome.
Consider Might when taking this action, as it usually
affects large groups.
POWER
effective, explosive, or sensational content • contacts
• paid criers • influence over a large community •
reputation as someone in the know • high-quality
forgery • spirits that can whisper in people's dreams
reputation as a liar or forger • anonymity • disliked
by the court or rumor mill • information is hard to
believe • public proclamations to the contrary
SUCCESS
INF L U E NC E a large number of people with
a compelling status such as angry-at-the-Queen,
suspicious-of-outsiders, excited-for-the-Hooded-
Scoundrel, or just generally paranoid.
EX TRAFE ATS
• The effect is long lasting.
• Stay anonymous or be recognized as a leader.
• Make someone else look like the source.
• Use the masses to block a Threat, e.g., prevent your
assassination – for now.
CONSEQUENCES
» You harm your reputation (ill-repute).
» The group or organization most affected by your
meddling comes after you (marked).
» You make a sworn enemy (Complication).
» You lose control of the narrative and/or how people
react to it (Complication).

Teaching and Training
Lead by example • Instruct an underling •
Run drills • Give a lecture • Teach a class •
Mentor an apprentice • Implant a memory •
Bestow wisdom • Tell an instructive tale by
the fire
You pass along knowledge or practice to someone,
granting them understandings and skills they did
not have before.
Consider Might if teaching large groups or
extraordinarily profound or nuanced subject matter.
POWER
teaching skills or experience • place of learning •
receptive or gifted student • teaching tools • books on
the subject • charts and diagrams • illustrations of the
subject • recent experience with the topic
disinterest in teaching • difficult student •
distractions from learning • memory problems •
conditions or magic affecting the mind • obscure or
confusing topic
SUCCESS
a tag representing the abilities or lessons
BE S T OW
passed on, such as marksmanship, army formations,
dragon weaknesses, or fiery finger spell.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The student enjoys the learning process.
• The student is a quick learner.
• The student barely notices you teaching them.
• You avoid getting burned out or burning out your
student.
• It goes smoothly, and no one gets hurt.
CONSEQUENCES
» You ruin your relationship with the student (disliked
or scratch relationship tags).
» Your teaching approach simply doesn't work
(Blocked; only if there was no Success).
» Your student gets hurt or hurts you or someone
else (wounded, burned, rattled, etc.).
» You or your student burn out or lose confidence in
your own abilities (scratch a tag).
» Your student unleashes magical forces beyond
their control (New Challenge or Ill Tidings).
INFLUENCE &
INTRIGUE

Fellowship Preparations
Hatch a plan • Agree on the rules • Discuss
tactics • Look over the maps • Meet in
the war room • Talk it through at a tavern
• Pace around the grounds • Train for a
specific task
You work with your Fellowship to come up with
a plan of action for a job or activity and possibly
prepare and train for it.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
information gathered on the enemy • agreed-upon
goals • relationship tags • analytical and planning
skills • map of the region • inside assistance • tactical
skills • methodical approach
faulty information • inability to coordinate •
impulsive mentality • time pressure • defiance of
authority • drunkenness or other intoxication
SUCCESS
your Fellowship with a number of tags
BES T OW
representing likely approaches, tactics, backup
plans, or escape routes you might employ such as
stay close, spells blazing, no innocents harmed, or smoke
bomb retreat.
EX TRAFE ATS
• The plan is flexible (a tag could be slightly changed
before being applied).
• Prevent a major series or adventure Threat from
manifesting, for now.
CONSEQUENCES
» The plan is full of holes (confused-orders or in-the-way).
» The plan is leaked to your enemies (Exposure).
» Fellowship infighting (scratch Fellowship tags or
rephrase relationship tags).

Helping and Supporting
Lending coin towards an endeavor •
Offer advice • Point out problems • Share
information • Maintain gear • Prepare food
and drink • Sing a jovial song • Teach a cantrip
You take action to assist another Hero in an action
they are about to take, providing guidance, resources,
or just moral support for their efforts. More than one
Hero can help, each with their own action, if there is
time and if it would benefit the final action.
If you are only casually helping while they do the
action, you can invoke one of your tags to provide
them with Power (Helping Each Other, Corebook
Vol. I, page 158).
To prepare yourself, see Preparing an Attack (page
27) and Preparing an Approach (page 85). To
help during a fight, see Assisting an Ally (page 24).
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
relationship tags • background in mentorship •
being a people person • skills relevant to the task at
hand • useful spells or equipment for the job • rapport
with your ally • appropriate resources
difficulty coordinating or getting together • different
goals • language barriers • distractions • hot heads •
know-it-alls
SUCCESS
BE S T OW and ENHA NC E
to give your ally a
status representing your help such as hefty-purse,
highly-informed, dripping-with-confidence, or at-home-
in-highborn-society, or a tag such as treasury funds,
poisoned dagger, I'll be there, or spell of freezing feet.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The benefits of your support last longer.
• Your assistance is promptly ready, allowing you to
give them the spotlight immediately.
CONSEQUENCES
» You also give some bad advice (add a negative tag
or status in a different topic).
» Your own resources are depleted (scratch a tag or
get winded or short-on-coin).
» The items gathered are not quite what was
intended (slightly change the tags).
» One of you isn't happy about this (change a
relationship tag).

Deception
Mislead • Manipulate • Impersonate • Weave
falsehoods • Dishonestly seduce • Sweet
talk • Lure in • Lie convincingly • Employ
disguise, trickery, or illusion
You use cunning lies and deceptions, possibly
including a disguise, to make someone feel or behave
in a specific way: open a locked door, ignore the
mistake, stop paying attention to something, accept
you as a noble lady, or tell you something they don't
realize they shouldn't have.
During a fight, see Feinting and Distracting Attacks
(page 21). To spread false rumors see Stir the
Community (page 80). If you're using Deception to
gather information, see Asking Around (page 35).
POWER
skill at lying • disguises • relationship with target
• knowledge of the person being impersonated •
mumming experience • dim lighting, loud room,
or other distractions • magical glamor, illusion, or
masking • distracted target
target's suspicion and alertness • the target's
knowledge of the situation, you, or the impersonated
person • well-lit area • lie detection magic • your
honesty, code of honor, or naivete
SUCCESS
The target behaves as desired.
QUIC K
your target with a compelling status.
I N FL UE NC E
For example, you can give them trusting or intrigued to
lure them into a trap, or make them friendly to you, or
enraged at someone else. This can be used to counter a
polar status, such as giving them complacent to reduce
their alert (Polar Statuses, Corebook Vol. I, page 170) or
to max out a Limit in order to overcome a Challenge,
such as convince.
E X T RA FE ATS
• The target won't remember you.
• The target will remember you well.
• Convince them to do one more thing.
• Make them follow complicated instructions.
• Others nearby also fall for the act or at least can't
tell if you're lying.
• You have an exit plan in case things go awry.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target sees through the attempt and becomes
hostile, attacks, or raises the alarm (only if there
was no Success).
» The target is suspicious and demands more proof.
» The target falls for your deception, but reacts in an
unexpected way (Complication).
» You become nervous or feel a pang of guilt.
» You are deceived yourself and don't realize it until
it's too late (Complication).
» Your lies reach unwanted ears (Exposure).

Employ a Catspaw
Task a court attendant • Pay someone
to do it • Acquire an acolyte • Bribe the
right official • Scour the local tavern for
hirelings • Entitle one of your lessers •
Post a call to adventurers
You use your coin, contacts, or political leverage to
get something done, usually to acquire something
you want or to hurt someone else. The effects of
your manipulations can be material, social, or even
changes to the law of the land at the highest levels,
depending on your Might. In any case, you're not
directly responsible for them – your underling or
catspaw is.
The Narrator can decide the third party you're
acting through is considered an ally under your
control and have you play them in a scene from
which your Hero is absent (Ally Actions, Corebook
Vol. I, page 164).
POWER
coin to spend • network of contacts or spies •
relationship with specific lords and ladies • political
position • charisma, persuasiveness, or cunning
• experience with courtly intrigue • information
pertaining to the task • resources to aid your underling
• an existing servant to employ in this task
the target's resources, people, and influence •
incompetence or limitations of people working for you •
insolvency • specific challenges in the job
SUCCESS
The job is done.
QU IC K
All Effects can be used through this
VAR IE S
action, with the proper tags.
• Attack with a hired arsonist and burn a warehouse;
have a rival assassinated.
• Disrupt a rival gang by cutting off their suppliers
(lacking-supplies); pile court grievances upon a rival.
• Influence a community so they are excited to
gather for an event; get someone to offer a quest to
a rival adventurer to get them out of the realm.
• Weaken a political rival by killing off their court
patron; cut funding to a rival spymaster.
• Bestow a protective blessing on the grove; get to test
the latest crossbow designs.
• Create smuggled weapons for your gang, build a
bridge over Shimmer River, or get a personal member
access to the thieves guild.
• Enhance the navy with tactical-preparedness; get
the traders talking about you to become popular.
• Restore the old smithy by having workers remove
the demolished status; get a priest to remove the
curse from the temple.
• Advance your campaigning to become the leader of
the monastery.
• Set Back a growing-crime-wave status that's on a
local-chaos Limit.
• Discover dirty secrets the local lord keeps for
themselves.
E X T RA FE ATS
• Secure discretion from parties involved or ensure
your catspaw can't be connected with you.
• Negotiate cleverly so they can't ask for more coin.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your henchman botches the job, or it gets only half
done (Yes, but...).
» A bridge is burned and the contact or ally is lost, at
least for now (scratch a tag).
» The job has an unwanted side effect (add a negative
story tag).
» A rival retaliates (short-on-coin, cursed, ill-repute,
scratch tags, etc.).
» Your target won't forget any time soon (marked).
» Your hireling hikes the price (short-on-coin).

Making an Impression
Charm • Act tough • Make a big entrance •
Impressive handshake • Yes, that is a signed
manuscript • Throw coin around • Show off
• Activate a magnificent fireworks display •
Brandish a weapon
You conduct or express yourself in a way that will
make a desired impression on those present. Consider
Might when impressing a large crowd or audience.
POWER
charisma and charm • looking good • exuding
competence • appropriate emotion • fashion, luxury
items, or other impressive finery • display of powers
or abilities • magical aura or glamor • accompanying
music, cheer, or cries of anguish
social awkwardness • inappropriate appearance
• bad standing with target • unbecoming qualities •
qualities that are a warning sign to the target • obvious
flaws or weaknesses • anything interfering with or
vying for the target's attention
SUCCESS
The target is impressed.
QU IC K
the target with a status, most likely for
INF L U E NC E
use in upcoming social actions against them, such as
attracted, beguiled, awed, admiring, wary, or fascinated.
yourself with drawing
BES T OW or E N HA NCE
attention, talk of the town, intimidating, attractive, or
the like.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Draw attention away from someone else.
• Time well the triggering of the attention-grabbing
moment.
• Make people remember or forget a specific detail.
CONSEQUENCES
» You come out looking like a fool or are mocked
(embarrassed; only if there was no Success).
» You make the opposite impression (threatened
instead of appeased; only if there was no Success).
» Some other individual or group gets a different
impression of you.
» You ruin your fancy gown, carriage, or hairdo, or
find out it's useless here (scratch a tag).

Persuasion
Convince • Haggle over a price • Threaten
or intimidate • Have a heart-to-heart • Rile
up • Bribe • Calm a hothead • Talk sense
into someone • Make a case or present an
argument • Charm, mesmerize, or beguile •
Negotiate
You interact with a target to make them do
something that they currently or normally wouldn't
do: let you through, deliver a package, accept a bitter
truth, let something slide, etc. You may achieve
this by altering their state of mind, making them
feel a certain emotion, or making them accept your
point of view; by being forceful or assertive; or by
being genuine or honest. For dishonest or subversive
manipulation, see Deception (page 81).
Haggling over the price of goods can be a prep action
to Making a Purchase (page 72). In this case, you
Enhance yourself or your companions with sway.
POWER
social skills • leverage • attractiveness • knowledge
of or connection to the target • useful information to
bring up • logical arguments • emotional pressure •
bribe or gifts • appropriate atmosphere • supporting
appearance • mind control or suggestive magics
bad reputation • hostile or strained relationship
with the target • loud noises • undermining appearance
• social awkwardness • belonging to a social circle or
faction opposed by the target
SUCCESS
The target behaves as planned.
QU IC K
yourself or your Fellowship with sway
EN H ANC E
or some other social advantage in an interaction.
your target with a compelling status
INF L U E NC E
such as convinced, relaxed, terrified, or infuriated. This
can be used to counter a polar status, such as giving
them friendly to reduce their hostile (Polar Statuses,
Corebook Vol. I, page 170) or to max out a Limit in order
to overcome a Challenge, such as threaten.
EX TRAFE ATS
• The target will remember you.
• The target won't remember you.
• Convince them to do one more thing.
• Make them follow complicated instructions.
• Get yourself invited someplace.
• Leave a lasting good impression.
• You maintain your sway for a while longer.
CONSEQUENCES
» The target refuses your requests and ends the
discussion, for now (Blocked).
» The target's mental state changes in an unintended
way (emotional status).
» The target is willing, but demands something in
return, or a favor.
» This costs you your leverage.
» The target changes their mind (reduce previously
gained convinced; only if there is no Success).
» The target tries to convince you to the contrary
(convinced).
» You reveal something you shouldn't have (Exposure).

Preparing an Approach
Practice your cover story • Remember
your goals or quest • Steel your resolve
• Obscure intentions • Bolster your
confidence • Measure your words • Reassess
tactics
You take a moment to rearrange your thoughts
before engaging with another person.
This action is often taken while camping or sojourning.
POWER
strong character and discipline • being an
emotional chameleon • honesty • self-deception •
coaching and supportive skills • important memories
or role models • creative instincts • a memento to
evoke emotions • the presence of a friend
confusion or stress • distractions • mental rigidity or
habits • overconfidence • negative emotions
SUCCESS
yourself or an ally with a helpful
EN H ANC E
emotional or social status, such as convincing, hiding-
my-intentions, resolute, entertaining, never-fear, one-for-
all, or secretive.
EX TRAFE ATS
• Keep the spotlight for a follow-up action.
CONSEQUENCES
» Your thoughts and memories also make you
ashamed, angry, afraid, confused, etc.
» You neglect or push aside some irrelevant part of
yourself (scratch a tag).
» You end up frazzled or tired.
» Your face betrays your hidden emotional turmoil
(Exposure; only if there was no Success).
FELLOWSHIP
Your Fellowship is not just a random collection of
individuals, it's a coherent group whose members
can help each other out.
Beyond the actions listed below, remember you can
also be Helping Each Other (Corebook Vol. I, page 158).

Resisting Social or
Emotional Manipulation
Maintain composure • Ignore hostility
• Laugh it off • Reassert dominance •
Resist temptation • Stay steady • Resist
interrogation
You keep from losing control of yourself in the
face of manipulation, social pressure, a terrifying
revelation, an exciting opportunity, tempting
magical power, or any other interaction or surge of
emotion. This is a reaction used to lessen the tier of
negative social, emotional, or mental statuses, or to
avoid related story tags.
See also Mental and Physical Resilience and
Recovery (page 52).
POWER
willful or indignant personality • unshakable
composure or sense of self • support of friends or
allies • a free or enlightened mind • experience, street
smarts, or wisdom • under scrutiny of superiors •
recalling your duty • honor code
other negative emotions • low self-esteem or self-
image • emotional vulnerability • stakes in the social
situation • it's personal • leverage they have on you •
easily tempted or riled up