Start the game by reading this text aloud:
"I'd like your help. Your help to make this game fun for everyone. If anything makes anyone uncomfortable in any way, just lift this card up, or simply tap it. You don't have to explain why. It doesn't matter why. When we lift or tap this card, we simply edit out anything X-Carded."
Continue reading:
"And if there is ever an issue, anyone can call for a break and we can talk privately. I know it sounds funny but it will help us play amazing games together and usually I'm the one who uses the X card to protect myself from all of you! Please help make this game fun for everyone. Thank you!"
When another player narrates a PC's action, such as "I attack the ogre", you can ask "what if...?" You must propose an interesting alternative outcome, such as "what if the ogre smashes you across the room?"
If anyone else in the group accepts the What If, and no player vetoes it, the original player must get a Hit for their narration to prevail. They can also opt to accept the What If.
What Ifs can pre-empt the action ("your attack doesn't land, the ogre smashes you") or add to it ("your attack lands, and the ogre counters").
Other players can suggest ways to build on the What If, or propose their own alternatives. Only one What If can prevail.
Use What Ifs to make characters work overcome threats, or introduce complications to their actions. What Ifs can pre-empt the original action, or add an outcome after it finishes.
What If...
To create a new PC, pick three cards: Focus, Role, and Origin. You can choose cards at random, or select them yourself.
These cards describe the traits that you want to spotlight during the game. Just because someone else has the Courage card doesn't mean your character isn't courageous, only that it's not going to be the quality you're focusing on.
To create a new PC, pick three cards: Focus, Role, and Origin. You can choose cards at random, or select them yourself.
These cards describe the traits that you want to spotlight during the game. Just because someone else has the Courage card doesn't mean your character isn't courageous, only that it's not going to be the quality you're focusing on.
You can take a condition to get a Hit. Describe how. You can flip a front-side condition to worsen it and get a Hit. Describe how. Players who pose a What If can suggest a Condition that would meet it.
The condition is fictionally true and limits your actions. Other players can should ask What If when a condition would interfere with something you do. Discard any conditions that no longer apply in the fiction.
Individual condition cards describe how to clear them.
Conditions are a way to achieve success at a cost.
You create and play a Principal Character (PC).
You narrate your PC's actions, reactions, and motivations. You are the final authority on what your character says or does.
During play, you can speak from one of several agendas.
These agendas can be assigned individually to several people, or all given to a single player.
The agendas can change hands during the game. You cannot take an agenda away from someone else, but you can ask someone else to give up an agenda.
If you've been assigned an agenda, you are bound to speak from it.
You push the scene forward by directing the spotlight of attention from player to player in fun and fair ways.
Move the spotlight:
During play, you can speak from one of several agendas.
These agendas can be assigned individually to several people, or all given to a single player.
The agendas can change hands during the game. You cannot take an agenda away from someone else, but you can ask someone else to give up an agenda.
If you've been assigned an agenda, you are bound to speak from it.
You oversee the background details of the game world. Defer to players whose PC's heritage, origin, or interests would supply answers to background questions.
During play, you can speak from one of several agendas.
These agendas can be assigned individually to several people, or all given to a single player.
The agendas can change hands during the game. You cannot take an agenda away from someone else, but you can ask someone else to give up an agenda.
If you've been assigned an agenda, you are bound to speak from it.
You adjudicate questions about the rules of the game, and make changes to the rules with the group's consent. Any player can suggest how to handle a rule, but you have the final say.
Example rulings:
During play, you can speak from one of several agendas.
These agendas can be assigned individually to several people, or all given to a single player.
The agendas can change hands during the game. You cannot take an agenda away from someone else, but you can ask someone else to give up an agenda.
If you've been assigned an agenda, you are bound to speak from it.
The game also has Ensemble Characters (ECs), sometimes called Non-Player Characters (NPCs). You narrate their actions and reactions as antagonists, allies, bystanders, and so on.
During play, you can speak from one of several agendas.
These agendas can be assigned individually to several people, or all given to a single player.
The agendas can change hands during the game. You cannot take an agenda away from someone else, but you can ask someone else to give up an agenda.
If you've been assigned an agenda, you are bound to speak from it.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
An Activity is whatever the players will typically be doing during the game, at least at first.
Individual characters could be well suited for the activity, but it's also interesting if they aren't, but must do it anyway.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
This is the place & time the game takes place. The game doesn't have to stay here, but it should start here.
Setting can come with cultural assumptions that players don't know (e.g. personal etiquette), or aren't comfortable with (e.g. racism). Make sure everyone is comfortable with playing in a proposed setting, and explain in detail what's important about the setting to you.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
Perspective is whose side of a conflict we're seeing. In a war between two sides, each side is a Perspective, but so are the innocent civilians caught in the middle, or the visitors from uninvolved nations trapped by the fighting.
Not every player needs to play a member of the Perspective group, but that group is who the group will most often interact with.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
Scope is the outer boundary of the game's action and conflicts. If you tell a story about WW2, the scope could be a single unit of soldiers, the entire Pacific conflict, the siege of a single city in the Ardennes, or anything in between.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
Genre is any family of work connected in style or form. Genres come with expectations and tropes. For example, science fiction often comes with gadgets that save the day, while in horror it's common for devices like cars and phones to fail.
Genre is like a lens that colors how we see a story. The same old cabin by the lake could play host to romance, horror, or mystery stories.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
Mood is the kind of emotion we want the game to elicit. Are we being silly? Are we being ultra-serious? Are we examining qualities of the world as observers, or do we want to immerse ourselves in the world as inhabitants?
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
This is a game based on a specific work, such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Gideon the Ninth, etc. If you are basing a game on works that not every player knows, either be prepared to answer questions, or accept that some players may take the game in directions the original work didn't go.
Frame cards let you quickly create a game to play, when nobody in the group has any strong ideas. They are like character cards for the game itself.
Each player draws a random Frame card, or picks a specific one. They then make decisions based on those cards about what to play, and the group discusses what to make of all this. The cards are the start of a conversation, not the end of it - players can draw new cards, change their mind, etc.
A "Pole Star" is an in-game element (e.g. dragons) or a general topic (e.g. war) that you want the game to be about. The most interesting Pole Star games will have characters who all have different attitudes about the thing, but who have motives to work together despite their differences.
Some situations cannot be solved by skill or virtue, but only good fortune.
When you encounter such a crisis, decide what it would take to escape it, such as leaving the area successfully.
You may not flip any Character cards to get Hits.
You may flip other types of cards (e.g. Plot Twist cards) or draw/pick a new card (e.g. Condition or Success Oracle) to get Hits.
Some situations are grueling and exhausting, wearing down your reserves faster than you can recover. Sooner or later, something has to give.
When you encounter such a crisis, decide what it would take to survive it, such as escaping an enemy or saving a friend.
No card in front of you (e.g. Character cards) may be flipped more than once to get a Hit.
You may flip group cards (e.g. Plot Twist cards) or draw/pick a new card (e.g. Condition or Success Oracle cards).
Some situations will wreck a character's plans and assumptions, or be so daunting they have no idea how to handle it at first.
When you encounter such a crisis, decide what it would take to survive it, such as defeating an enemy or finding shelter.
Immediately flip all players' Character cards to their back side.
Cards may be flipped back and used in the usual way from then on.
You may deal this card to another player, or into the center area. It represents some benefit that should appear later on. While the benefit might linger in the fiction, the mechanical effect can only happen once.
You may deal this card to another player, or into the center area. It represents some hindrance that should appear later on. When that hindrance comes due, it poses a What If to the player who triggered it.
"It doesn't matter if I win. It matters if I don't try." -- Emory
Courage is strength in the face of grief, pain, and fear.
Courage lets you fight when afraid, speak when being shouted down, stand up when you're injured, or rebuke someone you respect.
"Emory! Fall back! This isn't our fight!" -- Tana
Courage can twist into cowardice or recklessness. Not everyone knows the right time to run from a battle, or when a battle really needs to be fought. And not everyone is prepared to fight every battle they face.
"I only came here to see you!" -- Basler
Charm is about creating a bond with someone at will. You can get through situations with style, panache, or force of personality.
"Listen, city boy. Stop talking or I'll cut your tongue out." -- Woody
Some people can become enraptured by their own ability to impress and influence. They buy into the story they're selling, until reality intrudes.
Others see charm as deceit, and will trust you less.
"My eye watches the target. My hand lets go the bowstring. I do nothing." -- Woody
Your heart, your conscience, a divine command, or something else outweighs reason when you act.
Instinct lets you act when everything says to hesitate, when uncertainty overwhelms you, or when speed counts more than reason.
"So, he was a king's guard in disguise. He looked like a bad guy!" -- Woody
Only fools rush in, and this time, you were the fool.
"I don't know, I just felt ... something ... flow through me!" -- Tana
The mystical, the eldritch, the arcane. The Power has many names. What do you call it?
You can achieve a variety of supernatural outcomes with magic, such as healing, curses, enchantments, and more.
"The Power is much like the ocean. You can sail in it, or drown in it." -- Tana
When called, the Power always comes. That doesn't mean you can always command it. Even familiar workings can have surprising consequences.
"Basler, where did you get that knife from?" -- Tana
You deal in concealment, stealth, and subterfuge. Your tools are things people don't want known, or weren't expecting. You could use hidden weapons, court gossip, cloak-and-dagger skulduggery, or the secrets of the heart.
"You don't wanna know" -- Basler
The problem with secrets is keeping track of who knows what. The value of a secret is lost once it's revealed. And some secrets weigh on the conscience.
"This gizmo can pick any lock in the kingdom!" -- Basler
You focus on science, technology, or artifice to get things done. This includes science like handguns or balloons, magitek such as crystal fire-rods, or alchemy such as healing potions.
"The gizmo broke and I gotta fix it. Well, at least I have my tools." -- Basler
Nothing works perfectly, especially new inventions that have seen more use than testing.
"The mind directs the body's power. I get it now." -- Basler
Through exercise, mindfulness, and practice, you've learned to use your own mind and body as a tool.
Training lets you act with grace, power, and precision, or overcome mundane limits.
"Well, I can't pick locks with my fingernails, can I?" -- Basler
Your discipline is demanding, and while your body is versatile and powerful, it can't compete with everything.
"The world is full of opportunities!" -- Basler
Wits lets you make the most of everything around you. You turn difficulty into opportunity, find solutions within the problem you face, and look at situations in new ways.
"When I said people were gullible, I didn't mean me too!" -- Basler
No battle plan survives contact with the enemy, but not all planners are humble enough to realize that. Getting by on the world can sometimes mean exploiting people, or seeming like you're doing so.
Tomorrow beckons, if you can fix today. You can't change the world alone. But you aren't, are you?
When the gulf between is and ought becomes too much, which will you choose?
You feel responsible for something or someone else. Their need propels you.
You control that which depends on you, and sometimes the weight grows too much.
Life is unpredictable. When an opening comes, seize it. When a chance comes, take it.
There's only so much good luck to go around. Will you run out of yours, or take someone else's away?
Through actions and words, you entertain, persuade, or transform people around you.
When anything you say matters, will you say the wrong thing, or for the wrong reasons?
A vow, an ideal, a promise, a vision, a mission. Something drives you unstoppably onward.
That which is greater than you can also crush you beneath it.
Your power, presentation, reputation, or history cause common folk to fear or reject you.
To be the worst of what they say you are. How easy to do it accidentally. How tempting to choose it.
Life is struggle. Everyone has to fight, all the time. What do you fight for?
Life is pain. There's no reward for this, only the next battle. When will you fall?
You create, fix, and remix.
What or who will you unmake, in your goal of making something new?
"The clear skies, the lure of the open road, it's perfect!" -- Tana
You've lived among people from all over. Maybe you lived in a bustling city, or traveled the world.
You've learned to approach situations by understanding many perspectives.
"Do these wagon wheels fall off often?" -- Emory
You can mistake your breadth of experience for depth, and fail to hear wiser voices.
"Take a deep breath of that farm air!" -- Tana
You grew up among farmers, trappers, city laborers, or other folk who made their way by the sweat of their brow. Others expected you to carry your own weight.
You've learned to approach situations with direct, hard work.
"Smells like cow breakfast" -- Basler
Some situations demand inspiration, not perspiration. Other times, the reality of repetitive work can lull you into boredom, distraction, or despair.
"This is all very different from the cloister" -- Emory
You grew up secluded from the rest of the world. Whether you lived on a lonely mountain village, a religious retreat, or a city enclave, the ways of the outside world are a mystery that must now be solved.
"Everything's different out here. That's why it's called a cloister" -- Basler
Your early life didn't prepare you for the variey of people and things the world has to offer. You might make a faux pas or ask an embarrassingly obvious question.
"Welcome to the Labri Market! You can find anything here." -- Basler
You grew up among those who live via bargaining: a city's markets, an ocean trade route, or the corridors of power in an embassy or castle.
You've learned to approach situations through negotiation.
"...For the right price." -- Basler
You know that some people have wants and needs, that others can satisfy them, and that power comes from mediating between the two.
It's easy to get addicted to that power.
"I got this, leave me alone" -- Woody
For much of your life, you've been on your own. You might have been orphaned or abandoned or kidnapped. You might have run away from home, or home might no longer exist.
You've learned to approach situations through isolation.
"You've left yourself alone too long" -- Tana
Without experiencing what other people in your life can do, you may fear what you need most from them: an outlet. When you act distant, others will reciprocate.
"Knights should be glorious champions of honor!" -- Emory
There's a right and wrong way to do things. Right? You might be from a noble family where things are done just so, or grew up cautious thanks to constant danger.
You've learned to approach situations through protocol.
"As opposed to ironclad thugs lording it over the peasants?" -- Basler
Committing to a way of life can help you push forward, but make you inflexible and stubborn.
"Nobody fights for people like us. So we fight for ourselves." -- Basler
You grew up among people who were neglected or rejected by a surrounding society: criminals, migrants, or members of a mistreated minority.
You've learned to approach situations via pride.
"When everyone hates you, it's hard not to hate them back." -- Basler
Sometimes, circumstances push people to a breaking point. Other times, doing the right thing becomes impossible, and you're left with doing the necessary thing.
"As a princess, I had power. As a ranger, I have freedom." -- Woody
Whether a scion of privilege, the free-spirited offspring of tolerant parents, or a feral child in a mystic forest, you've always done what you saw fit.
You've learned to approach situations through force of will.
"Those who go their own way often find the path lonely." -- Emory
Rules aren't always made to be broken. You can offend others, or even hurt them or yourself when you go where you don't belong or do what you ought not do.
"Ow! Watch who you carve up with that thing!" -- Basler
You've been bloodied, bruised, stunned, or suffered some other temporary physical harm. You can't exert yourself too much without making it worse.
"It's...just a scratch..." -- Emory
You've been seriously injured. Every step is painful, and it's hard to concentrate. You can't move very fast or fight effectively.
Who or what holds you together until you can be treated? Will you have scars afterward?
"This forest goes on forever, Woody. Can we just stop a moment?" -- Tana
Your body is trying to keep itself going, but is under attack or is being deprived. You can't push yourself too hard, and it's hard to concentrate.
"The leaf dragon's toxin got me... Sorry..." -- Woody
Your body is out of resources. You need rest, sustenance, or medication.
"We will deal with the brigands, your highness." -- Emory
You have a responsibility and face punishment for failure or delay. Discharging the debt may be expensive, risky, or troublesome.
"I kinda told the thieves' guild I'd take care of something" -- Basler
You have significant debts that demand repayment. Your creditor is watching, and their rivals may offer you a devil's bargain to escape.
"I think they saw us." -- Tana
Someone or something powerful or dangerous is seeking you out, and you'd rather not be found. You risk discovery from guards, spies, or informants.
"They definitely saw us!" -- Basler
You are being actively hunted by someone or something that wishes you ill. You must stay hidden, disguise yourself when in the open, and perhaps make dangerous deals with those who offer shelter.
"If anything in the forest looks edible, it's a faerie trap" -- Woody
A spell or other supernatural power has bound you. It might cause inconvenience, impose new rules on you, or alter your perceptions.
"That berry was delicious. Hey, who are all of you?" -- Emory
A powerful and baneful magic has you in its grip. You might be forced to act in certain ways, or barred from acting in others.
The rules of the curse may be a mystery. You may suffer pain or great misfortune violating them.
"Don't let them peck you, or you'll croak with the voice of the Raven God" -- Woody
Powerful magic has physically changed your appearance or abilities. You'll have trouble doing things you took for granted, but the new form may offer new advantages.
"Hey, that raven looks familiar... Basler?!" -- Tana
You've been physically remade into something new by powerful magic. You can still function, but it's a big adjustment. Other people may react with fear, curiosity, or hostility. You may be unable to speak or explain yourself to them.
"This is the last of our fresh water." -- Woody
Vital gear has been damaged, or resources are running low. You must ration what remains, or improvise a replacement.
"The flood washed away our campsite! Now what?" -- Basler
Your gear or supplies have been broken, lost, or taken. You must scavenge for substitutes or make do with bare-bones replacements.
"This arm is useless for drawing a bow right now." -- Woody
Your body, mind, or senses are in temporary disorder. You might have overtaxed yourself, or suffered from injury or stress. You may be in the grip of a powerful emotion or anxiety.
"I can't feel the grimoire! I can't feel ANY magic!" -- Tana
A sense or faculty you normally depend on has been temporarily lost. You might have pushed yourself past a limit, or been affected by a disease or magical effect. You are unable to use the affected abilities.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Ecstacy, Joy, or Serenity.
With Vigilance: yields Optimism.
With Admiration: yields Love.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Admiration, Trust, or Acceptance.
With Ecstacy: yields Love.
With Terror: yields Submission.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Terror, Fear, or Apprehension.
With Admiration: yields Submission.
With Amazement: yields Awe.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Amazement, Surprise, or Distraction.
With Terror: yields Awe.
With Grief: yields Disapproval.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Grief, Sadness, or Pensiveness.
With Amazement: yields Disapproval.
With Loathing: yields Remorse.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Loathing, Disgust, or Boredom.
With Grief: yields Remorse.
With Rage: yields Contempt.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Rage, Anger, or Annoyance.
With Loathing: yields Contempt.
With Vigilance: yields Aggressiveness.
Oracle cards can answer questions. Draw one card for a simple answer, or two cards for a complex one.
Use these cards to answer what someone is feeling, or what emotion a thing or event would spark.
Each emotion has two neighbors. You can use the emotion itself, or choose to mix it with a neighbor.
Vigilance, Anticipation, or Interest.
With Rage: yields Aggressiveness.
With Ecstacy: yields Optimism.
You can choose to draw a card of this type to see if you pass a What If.
The card will suggest ways in which the What If was satisfied. You can use one of these, or make up your own. If a card indicates that you missed, you may not try to pass the What If in other ways.
You may adjust the ratio of hit or miss cards in this stack to reflect the difficulty of a given action.
You successfully met the challenge! Narrate how it happened.
You can choose to draw a card of this type to see if you pass a What If.
The card will suggest ways in which the What If was satisfied. You can use one of these, or make up your own. If a card indicates that you missed, you may not try to pass the What If in other ways.
You may adjust the ratio of hit or miss cards in this stack to reflect the difficulty of a given action.
You failed to meet the challenge! Narrate how it happened.
The CORE deck contains all the "core rules" of the game: player agendas, character cards, conditions, and random oracles.
This deck alone doesn't have specific flavor, but it can be used to build any game you want to play.