[Information] The Superhero Code (Game Rules)

[summerdruid]

In this thread I’m going to go over the mechanics of the system in more detail, section by section. Most of the basics are included in the Playbooks and Basic Moves pdfs, but I'll going over pretty much everything here. Don't hesitate to ask if your still confused after this.

Now, some terminology and general rules:

• A move refers to anything with quantifiable, mechanical results. For you this mostly just means the basic moves and playbook moves but I will be referring to many other moves in this thread, some of which only the GM uses.
• Hit/Miss: Whenever you need to roll as part of a move you roll 2d6 and add the relevant label and any extra modifiers. Any result that is greater than or equal to 7 counts as a hit and anything less is a miss.
  Hold: Some moves mention giving you “hold”. This means that you have some “points” that can be spent as described in the move. Normally, these must be spent in the same scene but sometimes can be kept until later. The move will say and if there is any ambiguity just ask me.
• +1 Forward: If a move says you get to “take +1 forwards” it means you add +1 to the next applicable roll, so long as that comes before the effect wears off (normally the end of the scene).
• +1 Ongoing: If a move says you get to “take +1 ongoing” it means you add +1 to all applicable rolls until the effect ends (normally at the end of the scene).
• The greatest a bonus you add to a die roll can ever be is +4. Similarly, the lowest it can ever be is -3. If you would have a higher/lower modifier it instead sets to the limit.

This game does not use an initiative system or any sort of turn order. Instead the game works in a free form way, focussing the spotlight on wherever the drama is. This may just make things that much easier in PbP. In general, you just post when you want to, so long as you leave enough room for others to get meaningful actions in. Feel free to use short posts if your character would interrupt anything going on (for example, I may say that someone is about to take damage from an incoming attack unless anyone defends them). Since this method means that no one needs to take a turn at regular intervals we will just continue if people start lagging in posting, assuming their characters got distracted or something.

[summerdruid]

The five stats used in this game are your Labels - Danger, Freak, Saviour, Superior and Mundane. These do not represent any physical attribute, instead they all reflect how you view yourself. As such they will change very frequently throughout the game.

Descriptions Danger: seeing yourself as threatening, strong and risky. Other people view you as dangerous when you make them think you might bring them harm. You see yourself as a danger when you think you are a threat to other people, or to other dangerous threats. Freak: seeing yourself as strange, unique and powerful. Other people see you as a freak when they think you’re odd, different or there is something unnatural about you. You see yourself as a freak when you accept the strange things you can do and when you feel like you don’t belong with the people around you. Saviour: seeing yourself as stalwart, defending and protective. Others see you as a saviour when they view you as noble and selfless, or maybe a bit overbearing and moralizing. You see yourself as a saviour when you view yourself as a martyr and gladly sacrifice to protect others. Superior: seeing yourself as smart, capable and crafty. Other people see you as superior when they think you’re the smartest person in the room or you act arrogant or egotistical. You view yourself as superior when you think that you are cleverer than everyone else and when you know just what to do to get people to do what you want. Mundane: seeing yourself as normal, empathetic and human. Others see you as mundane when they think of you as perfectly normal or uninteresting, but also understanding. You see yourself as mundane when you think that you’re are regular – just another person focussed on normal human things like feelings and emotions.

Changing Labels There are many ways to change labels and these will be covered in the relevant sections. For example, some advancements change your labels around, the end of session moves can shift them, and there are many moves regarding Influence that can affect your labels. Almost all of these use the same basic rules so I’ll go over them here. In almost all cases, when your labels get changed you shift one up and one shift one down. There are a few exceptions (advancements - see later) but if there is no further description assume you have to shift one up and one down. No label can go above +3 or below -2. If a shift would send any label over either limit then no shift happens at all – your labels remain unchanged. However, you take a condition instead as you see yourself as too much of an extreme.

[summerdruid]

The five conditions are negative emotional states that you will inevitably enter as you suffer emotional stress or just get beat up during your superhero career. Each condition gives you a -2 penalty to a basic move while you have it but also has something you can do to clear it without someone else using the comfort or support move. When you mark a condition you normally choose which one to mark, but occasionally I will say which one you take if the situation calls for it.

If you need to mark a condition but you already have all five marked you are taken out of the scene. You either flee or pass out – death isn’t really on the table for this game.

The Conditions Afraid: if you are Afraid you take -2 to directly engage a threat. You can clear Afraid by running from something difficult. Angry: if you are Angry you take -2 to comfort or support someone or pierce the mask. You can clear Angry by hurting someone or breaking something important. Guilty: if you are Guilty you take -2 to provoke someone or assess the situation. You can clear Guilty by making a sacrifice to absolve your guilt. Hopeless: if you are Hopeless you take -2 to unleash your powers. You can clear Hopeless by flinging yourself into easy relief. Insecure: if you are Insecure you take -2 to defend or reject other’s Influence. You can clear Insecure by taking foolhardy action without talking to your team.

[summerdruid]

Influence represents if someone’s words, opinions and actions have meaning to you. If someone has influence over you then you care about what they think and say. This applies both for PCs and NPCs. By default, all adults have Influence over you. At the start of the game your young heroes care about what adults tell them, but as the game goes on you will be able take influence away from those you don’t want to listen to.

Using Influence Influence is most commonly used for determining whose words affect you and have a chance of changing your labels. While you have Influence over someone, you take +1 to all moves towards them. Move When someone with Influence over you tells you who you are or how the world works, accept what they say or reject their Influence. If you accept what they say, the GM will adjust your Labels accordingly; if you want to keep your Labels as they are, you must reject their Influence. Accepting what they say means that what was said hits home and you accept it, at least for now and your labels change to reflect that. This move won’t be used for just everything though. There has to be a certain amount of intensity or drama for what is being said to be meaningful. Remember: it’s not just NPCs who’ll use Influence to change labels. You can do it to each other! Move When you take advantage of your Influence over someone, surrender the Influence you hold over them to choose one: give them -2 on a move they just made (after the roll) inflict a condition on them take an additional +1 on a move targeting them (after the roll) Here you can use you influence like a resource by giving it up (i.e. you will no longer have influence over the target) to trigger one of the options. If you use this, remember to describe how you are using your influence and why you will no longer have influence over the target once it is done (e.g. you say hurtful words to them to inflict a condition, but ruining any respect they had for you in the process). Gaining Influence Again It is possible to gain Influence over someone even if you already have it. If this happens with a PC then you get to immediately shift one of their labels up and another one down. If it happens with an NPC you get +1 forward against them. Rejecting Influence If you do not want to accept it when someone with Influence over you tells you who you are or how the world works, you can reject their Influence. That uses this move: Move When you reject someone’s Influence, roll. On a hit, you successfully hold to yourself and tune them out. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one. clear a condition or mark potential by immediately acting to prove them wrong shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice cancel their Influence and take +1 forward against them On a miss, their words hit you hard. Mark a condition, and the GM adjusts your Labels. If you want to clear a condition or mark potential you need to actively disprove what the target is saying now. What you do depends on the situation but if you don’t you lose out on the cleared condition or potential. You may emboldened after rejecting someone else’s view and hence shift more into your own image of yourself. If you cancel their Influence they no longer hold such sway over you. The +1 forward only lasts for the remainder of the scene.

Gaining Influence At the start of the game all adults will have Influence over you and so will the team members you gave Influence to. You will only have influence over the team members who gave you Influence and a few NPCs it makes sense for (e.g. younger siblings and close friends). You can gain influence over someone in a variety of ways (most of which are covered in other sections), but it is just as likely to be given to you. Many [B]team moves[B] and the grow closer to the team end of session move have you giving people Influence. The Defend move also has an option to gain influence over those you protect. Of course, if you do something that would make someone suddenly look on you a lot more positively or with greater respect then you may take Influence over them. This is ultimately going to be done on a case by case basis, and is down to how I think the NPCs would view the situation. In addition, you can always willingly give someone else Influence over you.

[summerdruid]

This section covers two parts: the Team points and how you use them, and the Team Moves in your Playbooks.

Team Points Team is a resource the group shares that you can spend to aid each other. It represents your unity, connection and team spirit. You can spend one point of Team to help someone else by giving them +1 on a move. Multiple team members may use Team to help, spending one Team and adding +1 to the roll each. Of course, your character actually has to be able to help in the given situation. Alternatively, you can spend Team to have a willing, capable NPC offer aid. The same rules apply but I may rule that they are unwilling to help. On PbP For the PbP format we’ll use Team as follows: after you make a move and roll your dice you narrate what happens in your post as if that is what happened and note any mechanical effects that occur. You can leave your language vague and ask for others to spend Team in an OOC Spoilerbutton if you particularly want this move to succeed, if you want though. Then the other players will decide if they’ll help and if so they will make a post describing how they are doing so (make it explicit in an OOC comment that you are spending Team though). Once enough Team has been spent to change the result, the player who originally made the move then makes a new post describing how their teammates changed the outcome, describes the new scenario and changes any of the mechanical features that would be performed differently. There is actually a way to use Team on yourself though. You can use Team selfishly: Move When you act selfishly, say how your actions ignore or insult your teammates, remove one Team from the pool, and shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice. You can use this option after rolling to alter the Label you’re rolling with. Here, you do not add +1 to your roll but if you shift the label relevant to the Move you just rolled up then that effect carries over. Remember, for this option to work you have to make sure your teammates actually feel ignored or insulted. This is a last ditch way of salvaging a failed roll and it has a cost. Adding Team to the pool By default, there is one Team in the pool at the start. When time passes (probably meaning the next day or later) the pool refreshes to 1. Asides from various moves granting team you get a significant bonus when you go into battle. Move When you enter battle against a dangerous foe as a team, add two to the Team pool. If the leader has Influence over every teammate, add another Team. If everyone has the same purpose in the fight, add another Team. If any team member mistrusts the leader or the team, remove a Team. If your team is ill-prepared or off-balance, remove a Team. The leader of the team can mark a condition to avoid removing a Team from the pool. For this move to trigger, your foe has to actually be dangerous and you have to be fighting together (or be in a smaller group if you’ve split up – so long as you’re not alone). The leader does not have to be your official team leader (if you have one) – just whoever is calling the shots at this moment. If two or more people are acting like the leader I’ll make one of you the “leader” for the purposes of getting Team. Determining if you have the same purpose should be simple but if there is confusion then the leader will state their purpose and we see if anyone disagrees. Any Team member can say if they mistrust the current leader and it should be obvious based on your roleplaying. Still, please state explicitly if you do not. Again, if the team is ill-prepared or off-balance should be interpreted from the situation, but I am the final arbiter on this matter. Generally, you will be considered ill-prepared if you are caught by surprise or are woefully underestimating your foe’s strength. It’s up to the team leader if it’s worth sacrificing a condition for some extra Team. Please state if you are doing this during your first post of the fight, and I’ll adjust the team pool accordingly.

Team Moves Each Playbook has two Team Moves, all of which are basedon the same triggers: When you share a triumphant celebration with someone and When you share a weakness or vulnerability with someone. Whenever what you are doing matches one of these triggers (although it is most likely to be with other players these also work with NPCs) you can go through the actions covered in your Playbook’s relevant Team Move and see what happens based on the other person’s response. Remember: as with everything in this game, it all comes down to how you roleplay – it’s not just a case of high-fives when you beat a bad guy – you’re excited and happy and what to share that, so act like it. Similarly, save your sharing of weaknesses for when you are willing to divulge your worst fears and insecurities – whether by talking or flat out showing what you feel vulnerable about. These moves are pretty much entirely performed by you with little to no input from me, so keep an eye out for opportunities where they are relevant.

[summerdruid]

There are many ways in which your character can change mechanically throughout the game. Labels and Influence are the most common ways for things to change, whether from a move or it just making sense. Sometimes you can gain something like a gadget, vehicle or power or lose something similar. For example: an Outsider with the Kirby-craft move might have to ram it into the giant extra-dimensional monster as a last-ditch attempt to stop it. The monster goes down but the ship gets destroyed in the process, so the Outsider removes the Kirby-craft move from their sheet.

Unlike with these prior examples where the fiction influences the mechanics, you’ll have to work out how the mechanical advancements that are gained from potential (as listed in your Playbook) affect the fiction.

Whenever you roll a miss on a move (i.e a 6 or lower) you mark potential. There are other ways to gain potential, but this is the most common. If we were using physical sheets this would mean ticking one of the potential boxes, but we’ll just note how much potential you have at the moment. Once you fill out the potential track (or reach 5 potential) you clear it back to zero and take one of the advancements listed.

Advances Your advances are split into two types: the ones above the line can be taken at any time, while the ones below can only be taken after you have five basic advances. The later advances are mostly uniform across all Playbooks while the basic ones above the line are much more varied. Basic Advances Most of these are fairly self-explanatory but I’ll go over the ones that are common to all Playbooks here. If you have any questions about advancements unique to your Playbook just ask. Take another move from your/another playbook: this lets you take a new move, whether from your own Playbook or another, as specified. If you take a move from another Playbook make sure that you can justify it if it relies on other conditions. For example: the Bull’s Physics? What physics? moves only really works if you have super strength or some other strong and destructive power. Similarly, the Legacy’s The legacy matters move requires you to have a Legacy in the first place, so is not really applicable for anyone outside of that Playbook. Someone permanently loses Influence over you; add +1 to a Label: choose one character (an NPC or another player’s character). If they had Influence over you they lose it, and they can never gain it again. You then get to add +1 to any Label of your choice. This is not a shift, so you do not have to reduce another Label – the total of all your Labels is now one higher. Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add +1 to a Label: once you pick this advancement you can immediately reassign the points that make up your Labels. You can shift them however you want so long as the total of your Labels remain the same. After this you may then add +1 to any Label you want. Unlock your Moment of Truth: this allows you to use your Moment of Truth. There is more information in the next section, but this is the only way you get to use it initially. Once you use it your Moment of Truth becomes “locked” again. There are many other advances that are unique to some Playbooks. Some of these give you other ways for increasing your labels with other conditions, while some give you access to extras from other Playbooks. In the latter case, just follow the rules for that extra in the relevant Playbook. Later Advances With one exception, these are all the same for each Playbook. These advances are all more significant for your characters than the regular ones as they reflect them growing and maturing in greater bounds. Unlock your Moment of Truth after you’ve used it once: if you’ve already used your Moment of truth you can get the chance to use it again. However, once you’ve used it after this unlocking it will be locked forever. Change playbooks: when you choose this advancement you pick a different playbook that no one else is currently using and switch your character to it. This is a massive change for your character as a lot of the issues facing them before are no longer relevant and they have to face a host of new ones. For example: an Outsider settling down permanently on earth, taking a new identity and becoming a Janus. A Protégé separating from their mentor and going solo as a Beacon. A Transformed finding a partial cure for their condition, making them look normal but keeping their super strength. When you change Playbook you gain new moves, extras, and a new (locked) Moment of Truth as if you were building a new character. Your labels, relationships, current potential marked and influences all remain the same. The basic advancements for your new Playbook start blank, but any later advancements you’ve already picked remain marked. As for your powers, moves and extras that really depends on the circumstances. Generally, anything internal to your character (moves reflecting knowledge or training, powers that do not rely on an external source) are kept. For example, a Protégé will definitely lose their Mentor extra and the Mentor’s Resources will probably go with them, but they will likely keep their powers (unless their Mentor also confiscates any gadgets). Some moves would be kept, such as Captain or Be mindful of your surroundings, but others like Fireside chat would no longer be relevant. If you are planning to take this advancement, tell me so I can work with you to come up with a good narrative reason for the change to happen. If you do take this one without a full plan, we can always resolve the effects in the future as we come up with a story to facilitate it. The only unique later advancement is from the Doomed’s Playbook and it replaces this one. Instead of just changing your playbook you Confront your doom on your terms; if you survive, change playbooks. Since your Doom would otherwise kill you (as in you, have literally no hope - it even says Your doom arrives; confront it and perish.) this is the only way for you to have a chance of surviving your Doom. Once you take this advancement, work with me to come up with how you make the battle on your own terms. Your Doom will not arrive immediately but it is very near. Even with a lot of preparation, you may not actually survive. Unlike most other cases, losing to your Doom actually will mean death. If you do survive the battle with your Doom, then you change playbook as normal. You will almost certainly have lost your Doomsigns and Doom Track, and quite possibly your powers. Again, it depends on the situation. Take an adult move: when you take this advancement you immediately gain access to one of the adult moves presented in the moves pdf - more details on those in a later section. Remember, since your later advancements carry over to new playbooks you can only ever have two of these. Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice: pick one Label and lock it – it can no longer be moved up or down, from any source. If a shift involves this Label after this point then nothing happens. You can then add +1 to any Label, including the one you just locked. This is the last time the locked Label can ever change. Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city: When you take this advance your character is no longer a PC. Whichever option you pick their story is now over. If your character retires then they stop being a superhero. They may go to back to civilian life or do something less ordinary – either way they are no longer a costumed hero. Whatever happens, they have effectively left the game and the GM cannot mess with what happened to them. If they become a Paragon of the city then they go on to become one of the leading heroes of Halcyon City - essentially they become one of the adults. Even if they aren’t a public figure they will still be very important. They transition into an NPC, so work with me to determine what they are doing now. They may show up in the story again, but they will no longer be one of the focal points. After you choose this advance you can then make a brand new character. If you do, you make them as you would normally, except we ignore the When our team first came together and Influences sections. We’ll determine a reason for your new character to join the team, and then you give two PCs influence over you. Fill out the Relationships as normal, then ask all the other players if their characters care about what yours thinks. If they say yes, you get influence over them and if they don’t ask them for one time they shot you down.

[summerdruid]

Your Moment of Truth effectively allows you to take control of the narrative. Take a look at what you Moment of Truth says – this gives you a rough indication of what you can do with it. As mentioned in the advancements section, you need to unlock your Moment. When you do you can then use it at any time it’s appropriate. This should be a moment of significant drama where the themes and conflicts of your character have some relevance. For example: if the situation at hand would not show a Legacy accomplishing something that even their predecessors have never done, the it’s probably not the right time.

When you do use your Moment, you gain almost complete control over the story at this point, so long as what you say does not conflict with the established fiction. You also can’t declare other character’s actions (unless you’re a psychic), but can describe pretty much anything else. For example: a Beacon can’t suddenly gain the strength to topple buildings or break apart giant robots, but they can find the skill, determination and perhaps luck to perform other almost impossible feats. Maybe they shoot an arrow while falling through the air, sending it streaming into the one open gap of the alien mothership, striking a vital component causing a chain reaction that blows up the whole thing!

Of course, any action of such magnitude that you perform will have consequences. Every Moment of Truth also includes a line mentioning what repercussions may happen so be prepared for things to change drastically.

In addition, once you have used your Moment of Truth you permanently lock one Label of your choice. This works in the same way as in the advancements - your Label can no longer move up or down for any reason. Any shifts that would involve that Label have no effect at all.

[summerdruid]

These are the basic moves as presented in the pdf that everyone can use from the beginning. Here, I’ll go over the rules of each move, including those of the specific options you get to choose.

Unlike most games, you do not deliberately declare “I want to use this move.” Instead you should just describe what you want to do and then we see if that fits a move. Instead of saying “I directly engage the giant robot,” you should say “I run forwards and jump up to the giant robot’s face to punch it.” Normally, the GM would then say if you should use a move, but in a PbP setting we need to make things more efficient. So if you think what you are doing fits a move then just roll it and carry out your chosen options, fitting into the fiction. I’ll narrate anything the GM needs to decide afterwards.

 

Move When you directly engage a threat, roll + Danger. On a hit, trade blows. On a 10+ pick two. On a 7-9 pick one. resist or avoid their blows take something from them create an opportunity for your allies impress, surprise, or frighten the opposition

Directly engaging a threat is for when you are duking it out with someone/something where you could both get hurt. This is not for when you are keeping a foe busy with some rope-a-dope or trying to tire them out. Neither should it be rolled if your foe is not actually a threat.

Trading blows means that both you and the threat give out some good hits. This always happens on a hit unless your or their powers leave you more or less invulnerable. On a miss only you get hurt. You can narrate how you damage your foe and how you got hurt, but wait for me before making any mechanical changes. Normally this invloves you marking a condition (see next section) or taking a powerful blow (see the end of this section).

Options:

• When you resist or avoid their blows you do not get hurt in the exchange. If you choose this option just narrate how you damage your foe without being hurt yourself.
• When you take something from them you either physically take something, or remove something conceptually. E.g. you could knock the detonator out of the villain’s hands or take their footing, knocking them to the floor and preventing them from running away. Narrate what you do and if you want to clarify the intended effect put it in an OOC spoilerbutton.
• When youcreate an opportunity for your allies you give your allies an opening or advantage. This could either be to let someone do something they normally couldn’t (e.g. pushing the bad guy aside to let a weaker teammate reach the doomsday device controls) or making it easier for someone else to help (e.g. holding the bad guy in place for an ally to punch them). If you choose the latter, add one Team to the pool.
• When you impress, surprise, or frighten the opposition you affect how your opponent views you, such as by demonstrating more power than they thought you had. Describe what you are doing and I’ll pick which option (impress, surprise or frighten) is most suitable, and describe how your opponent responds. If you have any specific ideas leave them in an OOC spoilerbutton.

 

Move When you unleash your powers to overcome an obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend your senses, roll + Freak. On a hit, you do it. On a 7-9, mark a condition or the GM will tell you how the effect is unstable or temporary.

This is the move for when you are using your powers for something complicated, difficult or dangerous. If what you are planning is something that you could normally do then you aren’t performing this move. It’s mostly up to you to decide what counts for this or not (although I may have some input) – use what you know about your character and what has already been established in the fiction.

Remember: not every large scale use of your powers will be to unleash them. If they is a more specific move (such as directly engage a threat for using your super strength against an enemy, or defend for using telekinesis to stop the boulder hurled at a some innocent bystanders) use that instead.

Options:

• On a hit, you do it means that on a roll of 7+ whatever you set out to achieve happens. However, on a 7-9 you either take a condition of your choice (see next section) or let me decide how the effect is unstable or temporary.
• Temporary means that whatever you did will not last long. E.g. lifting up some debris to rescue someone, but there’s only so long you can hold it for.
• Unstable means there is an unintended, often dangerous consequence. Whatever you tried still happens but this additional element will complicate things, such as collateral damage. Depending on the situation those nearby may have to take a condition or roll to take a powerful blow.

 

Move When you comfort or support someone, roll + Mundane. On a hit, they hear you: they mark potential, clear a condition, or shift Labels if they open up to you. On a 10+, you can also add a Team to the pool or clear a condition yourself.

This move is basically for making others feel better. While that may seem significantly less useful than punching your enemies it is none the less crucial. When you comfort or support someone you have to pass some threshold. This isn’t just for patting someone on the back or saying “Good job!” – you have to display some genuine emotional openness. This is for heart-to-hearts and meaningful actions.

Of course, what exactly you do depends on the situation. You can comfort or support someone whether in the middle of a fight as you deliver some rousing speech, or back at your base as you offer support.

This move can be used on both PCs and NPCs. For PCs, it’s up to the target if they open up, which depends on what was said or did as part of the move. For NPCs it depends on the state their in, most prominently on their conditions.

Options:
On a hit the person you are talking to has to decide if they open up to you or not. What this means depends on the specifics, but it could vary from confessing a secret to returning a kiss, so long as it supports the exchange meaningful, dramatic and emotional. If the response is not sufficient then the character has not opened up.

If they do open up they can mark potential, clear a condition or shift one label up and another down. This is all their choice and it’s up to them how this emotional connection strengthens them. In addition, on a 10+ you can also choose to either add a Team to the pool or clear one of your own conditions immediately.

Remember: this move often overlaps with a Team Move – sharing a vulnerability or weakness. If this is the case, resolve the Team Move after finishing the comfort or support.

 

Move When you pierce someone’s mask to see the person beneath, roll + Mundane. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one. what are you really planning? what do you want me to do? what do you intend to do? how could I get your character to ___? how could I get influence over you?

This is not for literally seeing under someone’s mask, but metaphorically – you use it to understand another person. It requires you to watch someone and pick up on their emotions and body language to get a clear read on them. While it’s easiest to try and pierce someone’s mask while talking to them it can be done in other ways, such as if you are secretly watching them. They just need to be doing something that would feasibly give away their thoughts and intents.

When you pierce someone’s mask the questions you ask will be answered honestly, whetehr by me for an NPC or by a player for their character.

Options:

• What are you really planning is for learning about long term plans and overarching goals. While the answer may be “nothing” most characters do have some kind of plan you can learn about.
• What do you want me to do is about the other person’s visions and intent for you. Normally, you can act the way they want to get something from them.
• What do you intend to do is about immediate plans. It’s very focused on the moment as you get information about what will happen soon.
• How could I get your character to ___ is the easiest way to get other characters to do what you want without provoking them. You fill in the blank with what you want them to do and they will answer honestly. Of course, the answer may be “you can’t”.
• How could I gain Influence over you is one of the simplest ways to get Influence over someone. If you successfully perform the actions given then you will immediate gain Influence over the target as your words begin to matter more to them. If you already have Influence over them then you won’t get any answers at all.

 

Move When you defend someone or something from an immediate threat, roll + Savior. For NPC threats: on a hit, you keep them safe and choose one. On a 7-9, it costs you: expose yourself to danger or escalate the situation. add a Team to the pool take influence over someone you protect clear a condition For PC threats: on a hit, give them -2 to their roll. On a 7-9, you expose yourself to cost, retribution, or judgment.

You use this move when you are trying to protect someone, whether physically (e.g. by pushing them out of the way of a death ray) or from insult and judgement (e.g. leaping to defend their actions). The move is not for setting up a prepared defence – it’s for acting in the moment. Since that is the case I will make it clear that an opportunity to defend has arisen. I will normally say that if no one defends then the target will take a condition/take a powerful blow (depending on the circumstances).

When you keep them safe you successfully defend those you are protecting against the threat. Whatever else happens, they are safe. Be clear on what the threat in this case is as you describe how you leap to the defence. However, on a 7-9 something happens to you.

Exposing yourself to danger could mean that you take the blow instead or are left in a more vulnerable position. Narrate how you did your defending, but leave it somewhat open for me – I get to decide the nature of the danger.

Escalating the situation means that you make things more tense and dangerous. This could be that you cause extra physical danger as you attempt to save someone (e.g. the truck that was thrown into crowd explodes when it hits your energy shield, making it harder for (the currently safe) civilians to escape) or you turn what was just a conversation into a fight (e.g. breaking out your powers while angrily defending someone). In this case describe how you make things worse as well as saving people.

Options: (for NPCs)

• When you add a team to the pool you simply add a Team to the pool. What you are doing is raising the team’s morale and cohesion.
• Taking influence over someone you protect means that you get influence (see Influence section) over someone you save (whether another character or an NPC). They now have more respect for you and are more inclined to listen to you. If you are protecting a group you can either choose one significant person or the group as a whole. If you want to take influence over a single notable person but I have not specified anyone in the group just say so and I’ll come up with someone (I’ll also be open to suggestions).
• Clear a condition means that you get to immediately remove one of your conditions. You’re feeling good about yourself for saving people after all. Remember, this happens before any additional dangers appear.

Options: (for PCs)
If you are attacked by another PC you can try and defend yourself, you don’t need to wait for someone else. On a hit they take a -2 to their role, which could turn a hit into a miss. However, on a 7-9 you expose yourself to cost, retribution or judgment – the GM’s choice.

• Cost means you pay a price, normally marking a condition, to defend yourself
• Retribution means the other PC gets a chance to act against you without you interfering
• judgment means that others watching may judge you for your actions, leading to Influence changing and Labels shifting (exact details determined by those doing the judging).

 

Move When you assess the situation, roll + Superior. On a 10+, ask two. On a 7-9, ask one. Take +1 while acting on the answers. what here can I use to ________? what here is the biggest threat? what here is in the greatest danger? who here is most vulnerable to me? how could we best end this quickly?

This move is used when you want to get specific and useful information. It is not a general perception check – some powers can be used to extend your senses like that. For as long as your acting on the information gained, and that information is relevant, you get +1 to your rolls. Teammates can also get this bonus if they too can act on the information. Acting on multiple answers simultaneously can stack the bonus.

Options:

• What here can I use to ________? is for finding useful tools to accomplish your goal, whether it be break into a building, pass by unnoticed, or build trap. Of course, the answer may be “nothing”.
• What here is the biggest threat? is used to prioritize dangers. You can add further detail to the question, such as asking what is the biggest threat to civilians, or what is the biggest potential danger if you are not threatened yet.
• What here is in the greatest danger? is the inverse of the prior question. Use this to find out what needs the most protection – the civilians, the priceless jewels, or yourselves. This can give you insight into a villain’s intentions. You may also clarify this question by specifying who/what the danger you are referring to is.
• Who here is most vulnerable to me? is about your own abilities. This will mostly be used for finding out who is most vulnerable to you so you can prioritise in a fight, but it can also be used to see who is most succeptable to your words.
• How could we best end this quickly? outlines a course of action to bring the situation to an end as quickly as possible. This could tell you the best way to take down an enemy, or it may result in advice to flee.

 

Move When you provoke someone susceptible to your words, say what you’re trying to get them to do and roll + Superior. For NPCs: on a 10+, they rise to the bait and do what you want. On a 7-9, they can instead choose one. they stumble: you take +1 forward against them they err: you gain a critical opportunity they overreact: you gain Influence over them For PCs: On a 10+, both. On a 7-9, choose one. if they do it, add a Team to the pool if they don’t do it, they mark a condition

This is one of the main ways to make others do what you want. However, Provoke Someone is not about trying to convince them to do it – it’s about pushing them in the right way to get them to do what you want. Your words don’t have to match your intent, so long as your pressing the right buttons.

This only works on those who are “susceptible to your words”. Everyone you have influence over is automatically susceptible and for others it just comes down to what makes sense. The main factor is what you say – you have to make sure that you know what words will affect someone (you can use Pierce the Mask for this).

When you use this move, explicitly state what you are trying to get your target to do in an OOC comment so I can make them respond more appropriately. Your in-character dialogue may not be enough to discern your intend. For example, if you want to provoke someone to violence your words will probably involve taunts and insults which could also be applied to other intentions.

Options: (for NPCs) – note I get to choose which of these happen

• They stumble: you take +1 forward against them means that they get tripped up by your words or are caught off balance. This mostly manifests as inaction letting you follow up with something more straightforward, whether that’s a punch or an attempt to get a better read on them. Hence, +1 forward.
• They err: you gain a critical opportunity means they take action without thinking and it leaves them vulnerable. This could be them taking a swing at you that leaves them open, or it could be them accidentally letting some information slip. Whatever the case, you can now do something you may not have been able to do before.
• They overreact: you gain influence over them means they take an extreme response to what you say and you gain influence over them in the process as you see how your words really affect them.

On other PCs:
If you use this move on another PC you can’t force them to act as you want. Instead, you provide an incentive for them to do as you provoke them to (add Team to the pool) or a penalty if they don’t (marking a condition). On a 7-9 you have to choose one or the other, but on a 10+ they are both true.

 

Move When you take a powerful blow, roll + conditions marked. On a 10+, choose one. you must remove yourself from the situation: flee, pass out, etc. you lose control of yourself or your powers in a terrible way two options from the 7-9 list On a 7-9, choose one. you lash out verbally: provoke a teammate to foolhardy action or take advantage of your Influence to inflict a condition you give ground; your opposition gets an opportunity you struggle past the pain; mark two conditions On a miss, you stand strong. Mark potential as normal, and say how you weather the blow.

This is a move for when you get hit – you will never choose to roll this move by yourself. I will tell you when you need to roll it, most likely as a result of getting hit in a fight. This often happens when you directly engage a threat and don’t take the resist their blows option or an enemy just attacks you. You can also take a powerful blow on an emotional level if something significant comes up.

Rolling + conditions means that you count up all the conditions you have marked and add that to your 2d6 roll. Remember: you can only ever roll at a maximum of +4. If you have no conditions marked roll at +0.

Options:

• You must remove yourself from the situation means you can no longer act in the scene. The exact details are up to you but you still need to follow the fiction. For example: if you got punched in the face you were probably knocked out. You’ll come back at the start of the next scene with all conditions still marked.
• You lose control of yourself or your powers in a terrible way means I tell you how your powers go haywire and cause collateral damage or make things around you unstable. Alternatively, if I say that you lose control of yourself then I tell you what kind of terrible thing you say or do. Once I tell what happens, you still need to describe some of details.
• Lashing out verbally means that your thrown off balance and release the tension by snapping at a teammate. You have to either provoke them to do something foolhardy (via the move) or take advantage of your Influence to inflict a condition (again, via the move).
• Giving ground means that you retreat, hold back or otherwise leave an opening for your opponent. You decide exactly what how you do this, but I will then have your opponent perform something they may not have been able to otherwise.
• Struggling past the pain means that you mark two conditions, but still manage to keep going (that is unless you only have one condition left).
• When you stand strong by rolling a miss you mark potential like for any other move and you get to describe how you avoided or resisted the blow.