Narrative Play

Narrative play is the default mode of play of

ICON. Whenever you’re talking, exploring, Rolling with 0
investigating, or on the move, you’re probably in If you roll with 0 total dice, roll 2d6 and pick the
narrative play. It covers pretty much everything lowest as your final result. You can never get a
outside of tactical combat. In narrative play, the critical hit with 0 dice.
primary goal of the players and the GM is to tell a
story together, and the story itself is the Bonus dice
medium of play.
You might get bonus dice or dice penalties on a
Players typically say what their characters do and
roll from allies helping you, in the form of Boons
say, and the game master tells them how the
(+1d6) and Curses (-1d6). These cancel each other
world or other characters respond to them. It’s a
out 1 to 1.
bit like a conversation back and forth between the
GM and the players.
These are sometimes written as +1D or -1D for
simplicity.
Narrative play can be very loose and unstructured,
and you can play a long time without touching any
The most important rule to remember is that you
dice. The general rule is to do it - do it! You
can’t get more than +2 or -2 additional dice
don't need to roll dice to take every action.
on any roll, no matter how many dice you get
otherwise.
However, when the outcome of an action is
unclear, difficult, dangerous, or contested,
a player makes an action roll. Action Ratings
The Action Roll When an action roll is required, players decide
which action rating best fits their action.
To make an action roll, players state their
• Sneak - Move with stealth and silence. Perform
intent, then pick an action on their character
actions without notice. Spring an ambush.
sheet that they think best describes their action.
• Traverse - Climb, swim, leap, fly. Run swiftly.
Based on the action chosen, the GM judges the
Chase or flee. Pilot a vehicle or ride an animal.
risk and effect of that action. Then the player
• Sense - Scan and assess a broad area or
makes an action roll, rolling 1d6 per dot of the
situation. Spot at a distance. Find tracks, clues,
chosen action and picking the highest result.
paths. Sense the presence of magic or hidden
Actions are rated from 0 to 4. For actions with a
things.
rating of 0, players roll 2d6 and pick the lowest.
• Study - Analyze something or someone in
detail. Discern someone’s intentions or notice
Check the final result:
deception. Perform research. Decipher an
inscription.
• 1-3: The character fails to accomplish their goal
• Charm - Sway with direct charisma, deception,
and suffers the consequences
or diplomacy. Call in favors. Cause distraction
• 4-5: The character is successful, but at a cost
or misdirection
• 6: The character is successful
• Command - Use force of will and presence to
• 6,6: - Critical Hit! The character is successful
lead or intimidate. Give orders.
and has increased effect

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• Tinker - Interact with, understand, or use approach and the action they want to use. The
alchemy, etheric constructs, or technology. Fix, GM is free to suggest actions, and also to decide
pick, or break locks or mechanisms. Construct, whether an action is more or less risky or
deconstruct, or alter technology. effective. This is where the meat of narrative
• Excel - Act with concentrated precision or skill. play in ICON lies. Players can use their creativity
Fire a ranged weapon. Hit a tiny target at range. to form approaches to problems, and the GM acts
Catch a falling coin. Balance on a narrow wire. as the judge to set the stakes.
Squeeze through a tight space.
• Smash - Overwhelm with physical or magical
force. Swing a melee weapon. Throw a punch or
Risk and Effect
blast down a door with a magic spell. Wreck an
When a player suggests a course of action and
object or obstacle.
names their goal, the GM decides how risky the
• Endure - Push yourself to your limits. Power
action is and how effective it’s going to be, based
through pain, cold, heat, or harsh environments.
on the narrative.
Lift or drag something enormously heavy.
Risk can be controlled, risky, or desperate.
Examples:
Effect is usually weak, normal, or powerful.
• Sneak past the sleeping Wyrm without it
waking
By default, all actions are risky and have normal
• Traverse down a corridor and outrun a wall of
effect.
flame
• Sense the tracks of a beast in the snow
• Study a goblet of wine very carefully to see if Risk
it’s poisoned
• Charm the bandits into untying you Risk is how dangerous an action is, and what
• Command a caravan of scared people to stay the consequences could be for failure or partial
together while under attack success. If an action is risky, it means there is
• Tinker with an ancient magic rune circle to some degree of harmful or unwanted
prevent it from summoning a demon consequences to the action, usually what we’d
• Excel and cut the drawstrings of the guard’s expect.
trousers with a swipe of a dagger.
• Smash the lock on the ancient chest with a Controlled risk means there are few or weaker
single blow consequences for failure. When a situation or
• Endure the pain from holding back a heavy action is controlled, the character usually has a
boulder from squashing your friends good position, plenty of time, or relative safety.
Desperate risk means great or dire
You’ll notice that some of these actions have a consequences for failure. When a character finds
little overlap, but are flavored differently. For themselves in a bad situation or throws
example, taking someone’s purse from them could themselves into one for a faint hope, that’s
be cutting it from their belt (with Excel) - quick desperate.
but not necessarily quietly. Alternately, it could be
taking it quietly with Sneak. You could even Effect
perhaps Charm them to divert their attention
while you take it off them. A heavy dungeon door Effect is what we expect to happen when the
could be tinkered (if it has a lock). Alternately, it character is successful. Normal effect is just this -
could be smashed with a fireball, or perhaps what a character expects to happen.
someone could endure lifting and holding it
open for the group to pass through. When effect is weak, it’s less effective than the
player expects. For example, a character tries to
All of these different situations have different tinker a gemstone loose that’s powering a
narrative outcomes and might be more risky or magical trap, but only succeeds in prying it out
more or less effective depending on the situation. half way, making them have to take additional
The key thing is that players always choose the action. When an effect is powerful, it’s more

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effective than expected. For example, a character The power of all actions generally is guided by
trying to study or sense a way out of a maze with Chapter (pg XX), but you can change this
powerful effect may figure the whole thing out depending on the tone of your game.
and gets the party out in one roll.
How much can a powerful or super powered
No effect and Superpowered action do in your game? Can a superpowered
smash destroy a boulder or a whole tower? Does
Sometimes the GM can judge an action can have changing the mind of the enchantress take a
no effect at all. For example, the GM might decide powerful charm or a normal charm? Can a
trying to charm monsters to persuade them that character command a whole army by themselves
your actions are just may not have any effect. with normal effect or is that effect weak without
Trying to traverse by leaping up a 50 foot wall aid?
probably doesn’t have any effect unless it’s already
been established your character can jump that Which actions end up being more or less risky and
high (see the section on chapter shortly). the consequences of character action also sets the
tone. If a character attempts to leap across a wide
Sometimes an action has extraordinary effect, is chasm, is that a desperate action, or merely
heroic or outsized in scale, or pushes beyond risky? Can a character even jump across a chasm
mortal limits. This level of effect is called that wide unaided, or will they have no effect
superpowered. Characters can get a without a superpowered action?
superpowered effect by pushing their effect
beyond powerful through their abilities or getting Changing Dice Pools
a critical hit on a powerful action. A superpowered
effect can accomplish feats that are far beyond the The GM never changes the number of dice a
character’s current abilities - like traversing that character can roll in ICON, but a character can
50 foot wall in a single leap, smashing a tower to themselves affect how many dice they get by
rubble with a blow of your sword, or sneaking aiding their allies or pushing themselves past their
through a whole army. limits.

Setting risk and effect Gaining Dice

Risk and effect are set before making a roll. This All characters have a pool of Effort, representing
can take a little practice to get used to, but it’s their inner reserves of willpower, strength, and
important - we set these before the roll so the the will to push on.
consequences and effect of a character’s actions
are clear before they make the roll. Think of it like
• Characters can spend 1 effort to to improve their
a negotiation between the GM and the player - if rolls by pushing. Pushing gives +1 boon on
all goes smoothly, then the roll should feel fair, any action.
even if the player fails - after all, we know what • Characters can also spend 1 effort to aid an ally,
the consequences should be. Conversely, if the giving them +1 die. Push and aid can both stack
player succeeds, they can expect what will on the same action
happen, since we know what their effect will be. • Characters can also make an action roll to set
up another character - for example by
Judging risk, effect and setting tone distracting the merchant while your ally sneaks
up behind them, studying a monster for a weak
These two tools together - risk and effect - are point, or charming a mercenary your ally wants
kept slightly loose for a reason. They let you set to hire. Your roll has reduced effect by itself,
the tone of the game you want to play, and also and you can still take consequences, but your
give the GM tools to judge situations based on the ally gets +1 boon or increased effect on the
story. action you set up if your roll is successful. This
counts as aiding a character, so you can’t do
both.

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 obvious consequences, but the action is difficult
Losing Dice or the outcome is unclear, they can make a
fortune roll. This a roll that uses actions as
During the course of a journey, a character might normal, but the outcome is slightly different,
gain Burdens. These represent long term based on what the character is trying to do:
injuries, trauma, or problems that a character is
trying to work through. • 1-3: Poor result or outcome
• 4-5: Expected or average result or outcome
When you take a burden, a character picks an • 6: Good result or outcome
action of their choice. These actions gain -1 die • 6,6: Excellent result or outcome
while the character has that burden. The same
action can be picked twice, but actions that are By themselves, fortune rolls usually don’t change
already at 0d, including as part of a burden, can’t a situation, but can change the risk and effect of
be picked again. future rolls given the circumstance or the quality
of information that characters have about that
When the burden is healed or lifted, those actions situation.
return to normal.
The most common application of these rolls is
Tempt Fate when gathering information about a situation,
or during interludes. For example, a character
There’s one more way to get bonus dice without studies a group of monsters from a distance. The
spending any effort or making any rolls. GM judges that it’s too far for there to be any
danger, so the player makes a fortune roll and gets
At any time when you roll, you can tempt fate by a 4, getting average information.
suggesting a negative consequence of your
actions. If the GM agrees this is a fitting outcome, Researching and working on long term
take +1 die on your roll as if you had pushed the projects are usually all fortune rolls. Pursuing
roll, but the consequence becomes true no matter ambitions during downtime (page XX) is by
the outcome. default a fortune roll.

For example: Tests of ability can be a fortune roll - a

character can roll traverse to see how fast they
“Can I get a bonus die if my fireball accidentally show up at a scene, for example, endure to win a
sets the whole forest on fire?” drinking contest, or excel to perform a coin trick
“Can I get a bonus die if we wake the sleeping to impress someone.
wyrm up?”
“Can I get a bonus die if I accidentally leave my Recall
sword with the caravan and enter the cave
unarmed?” Tests of knowledge are also usually fortune
rolls. When a character wants to dredge up useful
Max dice lore, history, rumor, or memory about a topic,
they can recall that info by making a fortune roll
Just as a reminder: characters can never get using the most appropriate action they can think
more than -2 or +2 dice on any roll. That of. The information the GM gives them will vary
means the maximum a character can roll is 6 dice, depending on the action, and there may be some
and the least they can roll is 0 (two and pick the overlap.
lowest).
A character could, for example, try to recall their
familiarity with arkentech devices by making a
Fortune tinker roll, remember the social etiquette of a
ball with a charm roll, or try to assess the odds of
When a character is trying to accomplish a task survival of jumping over a lava chasm with an
that isn’t particularly dangerous or doesn’t have endure roll.

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 situations, a GM can always turn things back on
GM fortune rolls the players and force them to react, even when
players have a successful roll. Always look to ask
The GM can also make a fortune roll if they want the question “What do you do?”
to leave a situation up to chance. How’s the
weather? Is the town elder busy today? How rocky One Roll
are the river rapids up ahead? Give a situation 0-4
dice depending on how likely you think the Most tasks can be accomplished in one roll, but
parameters are. Most situations should have just you can decide how far one roll goes in your game.
0, 1, or 2 dice.
• Will one roll let you sneak into the castle, or will
This is the only time a GM should roll dice in you need to take a series of actions?
narrative play. • Will one roll let you convince the knight of your
worthiness, or will you need to prove your
Might and Magic mettle to them with further actions?
• Will one roll let you fight your way out of the
You might notice that there are no explicitly monster infested flooded passage, or will you
magical effects in the actions. The outcome of the play out tactical combat to get out instead?
actions and the type of action is what’s important.
Whether in the story your character is using their Stretching the value of a single roll can let you
skill, physical strength, or magical forces to control the tone of the game and how it’s framed -
perform the action makes no difference - all how much time and action is covered - and you
heroes are ICONs, after all, and all equally capable can vary it from scene to scene.
of great feats. However you flavor the action is up
to you - you choose which action rating you think All these concepts above - tone, risk, effect, how
best fits your activity in the story. Sense could be much can be accomplished in one roll - can also
your character using magically enhanced eyesight be adjudicated by Chapter.
to scout a situation, or just your character’s keen
senses. You could sneak on your own two feet or
with a magical cloaking spell, or you can study by Chapter
using a spell to speed read.
Chapter is a rough approximation of power level
The limits of player abilities are based on in ICON, from I-IV. It also applies in tactical
Chapter (pg XX) no matter what. combat, but is equally as important in narrative
play. Characters themselves only advance from
Player initiative chapters I to III.

In ICON narrative play, the Game Master Chapter decides both the scale of the
never rolls (except maybe to make a fortune roll adventures that characters are expected to have,
here and there, as stated above), and players and those characters’ own abilities and
always have the initiative. Non-player characters, capabilities.
traps, hazards, etc are not treated like individual
entities with their own ‘turns’ or action ratings, Chapter can be adjusted for your game, but this
but rather like a part of the scene or story, with game is designed with the following scales in
the story itself being the most important thing! mind:
Characters take action, and the GM responds by
narrating what happens next. • Chapter 1 is for threats, challenges, and stories
at the local scale, things characters could be
The only way players can take consequences is expected to handle as beginning
through their own actions. The extent of those adventurers. They might save a local town or
consequences are up to the GM, however, which village. Things like crossing a river, scaling a
could include them ‘losing’ the initiative by cliff, bargaining for supplies, etc might still be a
forcing them to react to a situation. In tense challenge for them.

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• Chapter 2 is for adventures at the regional • Fighting a small band of bandits or an average
scale. Characters are established monster
adventurers, and might be capable of heroic, • Scaling a high manor wall
outsize feats. They might smash boulders with a • Swimming across a river
single blow, or lead their own organization, or • Surviving in the wilderness
sneak into a guarded fortress in broad daylight. • Sneaking into a camp undetected
• Chapter 3 is for adventures at the world scale. • Charming a merchant into better prices
Characters are expected to be very powerful, • Commanding a few lackeys
heroic adventurers, capable of legendary or • Deciphering odd runes from a ruin
mythical feats like diverting a river, crossing
into the afterlife, or flying across the continent Chapter 2
in a day. • Fighting a large group of well trained soldier or
a tough, intelligent, or powerful monster
Chapter 4 is a special chapter used to represent • Scaling a huge castle wall
power on the metaphysical scale, a level of • Sneaking into a guarded castle
power that characters can never attain • Riding a monster without a saddle
while being adventurers - demigods, divine • Forging a new set of armor in just a few days
beings, etc. Characters might achieve chapter 4 • Creating a new powerful alchemical formula
some day - but if they do, they’re certainly no • Enduring a fall off a high peak
longer on the scale where they care about • Splitting a boulder in half with a single blow
adventuring, and instead are probably one of the • Riling up an entire crowd into revolution
powers of the world.
Chapter 3
Using Chapter • Fighting or commanding an entire army
• Building a castle in a single night, or destroying
Chapter both decides the scale of the game and it with all your might
also characters’ expected capabilities. • Traveling across the entire continent in a few
hours
Many narrative abilities that characters have scale • Battling an ancient or legendary monster
with chapter automatically. In addition, GMs can • Scaling an epic peak with your bare hands
use Chapter to adjudicate risk, effect, and tone • Swimming across an ocean channel
for their game. Typically, characters are unable • Stealing the crown off the king’s head while he
to tackle challenges or tasks above their holds court
chapter without taking multiple steps, • Surviving being hurled into a hostile dimension
bringing in help, or having greatly reduced for a few weeks
effect (or no effect at all). Conversely, characters • Charming an ancient sorcerer into aiding you
tackling threats and challenges under their • Making ground-breaking discoveries in magic.
chapter probably don’t even have to roll. Forging new spells

Characters can attempt to bypass chapter by Anything in Chapter 4 or beyond is by definition

pushing themselves beyond their limits, usually beyond the capabilities of characters without
by gaining superpowered effect. However, the significant preparation, aid, or extra power -
limits of Superpowered effect can be adjudicated something that characters will never be on level
by the GM depending on the tone of the game, with. These are actions that can be story defining
and typically shouldn’t reach more than one for legendary heroes.
chapter up.
Examples would be:
What constitutes chapter appropriate depends on • Facing down a demigod, titan, or divine being
the tone of your game. Here’s some examples of • Diving into the weave of magic itself
the ‘default’ chapter design, however, based on • Bargaining with Death
ICON’s default ‘mythic fantasy’ tone: • Stealing a thread of life from the underworld

Chapter 1

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You can absolutely adjust this up or down. Decide
with your group and for your table what a chapter Adding extra complications on to a traverse roll
1, 2, or 3 challenge looks like. can change the risk and effect. For example:

I want to move:
Specific Action • Without touching the ground
• …and take someone with me
Examples • Up a vertical surface
• Through thick mud, water, heavy snow, etc
Here’s some examples of risk, effect, and chapter
Might all adjust risk and effect.
using each action for what a characters’ expected
capabilities and limits are in each chapter. This
Here are the rough capabilities of a characters’
can be adjusted by a GM depending on the tone of
actions, depending on chapter:
the game. These are all just examples and by no
means an exhaustive list.
• Chapter I: Climb over a manor wall, swim a
river, or cross a gap. Ride an animal or pilot a
Sneak vehicle. Move a short distance quickly (a few
The risk and effect of Sneak actions is usually dozen paces).
dependent on how alert the target of the action is, • Chapter II: Climb over a castle wall, swim a
and what the scale of the task is. lake, cross a chasm. Ride a monster. Move a
long distance (a field’s length) very quickly (by
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s climbing, sprinting, jumping, teleporting, flying,
actions, depending on chapter: etc).
• Chapter III: Climb a massive cliffside, swim a
• Chapter I: Sneak into a camp or building. Fish channel, cross a canyon. Ride a huge monster.
an item out of someone’s pocket, or plant Arrive in a nearby town almost instantly. Keep
something there. Use sleight of hand to fool up or even outrun a horse or riding animal.
someone. Spring an ambush on a single person.
• Chapter II: Sneak into a large or guarded Overland travel might be a single roll, or might
location like a castle. Pickpocket or ambush a take a project or ritual (see the section below) to
whole group of people. do something like teleport instantly using a ritual,
• Chapter III: Sneak past a guarded location in book safe passage on an airship etc.
broad daylight. Stealth by a monster with
unusual senses. Steal something someone is
Sense
actively holding while they’re looking at you.
When you sense, you broadly survey or take in an
area. You don’t get a lot of detail or specifics, but
A lower chapters, a character needs some cover or
you might notice things like traps, hidden doors,
distraction to effectively do something sneaky,
magical constructs, hidden ambushes, people etc.
such as darkness or misdirection. They can
You might notice smoke from a campfire, or dust
probably only do it slowly. At higher chapters,
kicked up from a caravan over the horizon.
they need less cover and can do it faster.
Usually the risk and effect of sense actions is
Sneaking can represent using your natural skill or
determined by how tense the situation is and also
magical abilities that turn you invisible or unseen
factors such as darkness, obscurity (from weather,
to the eye.
dust, etc), and distance.

Traverse Sense can also be used to detect the presence of

Traverse is usually about how far and how safely a magic or people. Powerful magic might be more
character can move in a given amount of time. It risky or harder to detect. Creatures or people from
not only includes running, jumping, climbing, etc, higher chapters might also be much harder or
but also teleporting and flying, something most even impossible to detect, depending on their skill
characters can do a little of. level.

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 looking at their clothing. Determine whether the
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s master thief is going to let you leave her den
actions, depending on chapter: alive.
• Chapter III: Surmise exactly what happened
• Chapter I: Spot or detect traps, hidden doors, in a room last week from two hairs and a splotch
or hidden objects. Look for entrances into an of blood. Decipher an ancient inscription by
ancient ruin. Sense an ambush. Track or hunt intuition alone. Solve a mystery right away that
over ground. Detect magic or the presence of would have stumped an entire team of local
nearby mundane beings. heroes. Guess the archwyrm’s riddle in one go.
• Chapter II: Sense a master assassin. Track
someone through new snow or in days-old mud. Charm
Detect subtle or hidden magic. Spy a moving Charm can be used when you’re trying to sway
caravan hours before it arrives. Predict the with direct appeals, charisma, diplomacy,
weather days in advance. connections, or deception. Like many other
• Chapter III: Determine the exact location of actions, Charm’s effectiveness and risk is highly
an invisible creature. Track someone in a busy depending on scale and the person or group of
town by the smell of their tobacco. Visualize the people you are trying to Charm.
ambient connections of magic around you.
You probably won’t be able to talk your way out of
Study every situation, but that’s something that is
Study is looking at something with a more focused depending on the tone of your game. Some people
lens, in detail. You might not notice a hidden door just won’t listen to reason.
well with study, but once you find it, you may be
able to determine how to open it. Studying Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s
situations can help you untangle clues about what actions, depending on chapter:
happened, and study can be used for research or
academic pursuits, such as deciphering text, • Chapter I: Sway a person into aiding you. Get
recalling ancient monster lore, or transcribing an the caravan owner to apologize to his daughter.
ancient spell. Lie to a town militia person. Assume a made-up
identity. Talk down a bandit.
Usually it’s the qualities of what you’re studying • Chapter II: Sway a small crowd into aiding you
that determine the risk and effect of studying or taking some action. Convince the king to let
something - as well as what’s going on at the time. you out of the dungeon. Pretend to be someone
Studying a monster for weaknesses while it’s well-known. Talk down an assassin.
chasing you might be a little risky for example. • Chapter III: Sway an entire town of people
into helping you. Convince the king to step
You can also study living creatures to determine down from his throne, then pretend to be the
their emotions and intent - perhaps to see if you king for a week.
are being deceived. If that’s the case, their chapter
usually determines Doing something that takes long term effort with
Charm such as brokering peace, or a courtly
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s romance, might be a project.
actions, depending on chapter:
Command
• Chapter I: Figure out how to open a door. Command is when you use force of will,
Decipher a text in a foreign language. Find a leadership, personality, threats, or intimidation to
path through a maze. Solve a riddle. Untangle a force someone into action. It’s more blunt than
puzzle. Do light detective work. Determine Charm and may work better or worse on different
whether the local barkeep is charging too much kinds of people. As with charm, the scale of the
money. target of your action, the situation, and their
• Chapter II: Decipher an ancient text. Research nature will all affect risk and effect. Scaring off a
forbidden lore. Find the weak heart scale on a few people trying to rob you will probably be a lot
wyrm. Figure out where someone has been by

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easier than scaring off a hungry monster the size lights. An airship. A power gauntlet. A spell that
of a draft horse. produces toxic gas
• Chapter III: Very complicated or legendary
You can also use command to lead a group of devices or constructs. A suit of arkentech power
people or run an organization. armor. An ancient arkentech golem. A force-
shield. A sealed habitat.
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s
actions, depending on chapter: Many tinker actions take the form of a project or
ritual.
• Chapter I: Effectively lead a few people into
battle. Intimidate someone. Organize a defense. Excel
Force surrender from a fleeing thief. Run a Excel is the counterpart to tinker and allows you
small organization, such as shop or business. to use your manual dexterity and agility to
• Chapter II: Effectively lead a platoon into perform feats of skill and precision.
battle. Intimidate a small group of people.
Organize a group of peasants into a rebellion. Excel is most often affected by the potential risks.
Force an outnumbered army to retreat. Make a Balancing on a wire may be hard, but not risky
hardened killer hesitate. Run a large unless there’s a fifty foot drop underneath.
organization.
• Chapter III: Effectively lead an army into Excel can also be used to perform feats with or
battle. Start a revolution. Force a large number simply shoot ranged weaponry such as gun, bows,
of soldiers to surrender. Run or rule a small city. or bolts of energy from your staff - whatever your
character has on hand.
Actions like doing battle, running a city, etc may
be a project. Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s
actions, depending on chapter:
Tinker
Tinker allows you to create, alter, or disassemble • Chapter I: Make a tough shot. Squeeze into a
devices and constructs, whether magical or tight space. Balance on a wire. Do a backflip.
mundane. Disarm someone. Cut someone’s purse strings.
• Chapter II: Shoot a coin out of someone’s
Usually the risk and effect of a tinker action are hand at fifty paces. Balance on a moving wagon
highly dependent on the size and goal of the while juggling. Throw a knife through an arrow
creation, the availability of tools, devices, slit.
workshop spaces, etc. You can often think about • Chapter III: Make a nearly impossible shot.
what ‘chapter’ a tinkering device would be from Balance on the tip of a sword. Hit the eye of a
and extrapolate from there. wyrm with an arrow while it’s flying at you and
you’re hanging off the side of an airship, upside
Tinker also allows alteration of existing devices, down.
which could involve something like picking a lock.
Smash
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s Smash is when you use violence or direct force to
actions, depending on chapter: accomplish your goals. This could be physical
strength or magical prowess. Shooting a fireball at
Create, alter, or disassemble: a door or kicking it down accomplish pretty much
• Chapter I: Uncomplicated or relatively simple the same thing, after all.
devices and constructs. A simple lock. A spell
that sets off an alarm. A clockwork automata. A The risk and effect of smash are usually
pair of magnification goggles. A clock. A small depending on your target and your own
bomb. capabilities.
• Chapter II: Complicated magical or mundane
devices and constructs. A magically sealed door.
An arkentech automata. Aetherically powered

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You can also use Smash to swing a melee weapon, relevant - especially if you're trying to do
whether that’s a giant hammer or a sword made of something quietly!
fire.
Charm and Command have similar outcomes -
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s however Charming a scared soldier looks very
actions, depending on chapter: different than Commanding one, and also
depends heavily on which side the soldier is on!
• Chapter I: Break a gate. Kick a bandit in the
face. Throw a punch. Blow up a door. Throw a
barrel. Clocks
• Chapter II: Snap a heavy iron chain. Throw
back ten people with one blow. Smash a Let’s think about sneaking into a castle. There
boulder. Blow right through a stone wall. may be several discrete tasks or obstacles that
• Chapter III: Blow a hole through a castle wall. need to be cleared as players try to get through
Use your knuckles as a battering ram to smash a this castle - guards, locks, trapped doors, you
castle gate. Fight a small platoon by yourself. name it. One roll may not feel right for the
Split a cliff face. Burn away a small forest. purposes of this task. If the journey in doesn’t
particularly matter, a character could make a
Endure single roll to sneak in and have to figure out how
Endure is the counterpart of smash, for when you to get out. Or, if this is something we want the
use your ability to withstand or exert tremendous story to brush past or montage through without
forces. It could be not just physical strength, but much further consideration or consequence, we
magical or semi-magical fortitude as well, brought could do the whole thing in a single roll (perhaps
on by training, spells, etc. this is a scene from the character’s history, or the
task is far below their skill based on the chapter).
Here are the rough capabilities of a character’s
actions, depending on chapter: Sometimes a task is too complex or daunting to be
completed in one roll. Sometimes a task might
• Chapter I: Lift up a portcullis. Go for a long take more time, or multiple steps, to complete,
time without food or water. Hold your breath. and doing everything in one roll just doesn’t feel
Push on into extreme heat or cold. Run through right.
the night. Win a drinking contest. Withstand
pain. In all these cases, it’s best to use a clock!
• Chapter II: Lift an ox one handed. Eat
something poisonous. Go without sleep, food, or When you have a clear challenge or goal, you can
rest for a few days. Withstand tremendous pain. set out a clock with an even number of segments
• Chapter III: Wade through fire or ice. Lift a (4, 6, 8, 10, 12). You can draw out an actual clock,
three story Leggio Caravan. Carry an entire split into segments, or use a tracker, or simply tick
ancient tree trunk. Force open a sealed stone off check marks if you like. The longer the clock,
door. Out-drink a Jotunn. the more complicated or challenging it will be to
fulfill. Name the clock after the challenge or goal,
Action Overlap not necessarily the method. For example, you can
have a clock that says ‘Guards’, ‘Traps’, and
‘Alarm’.
As mentioned before, there is a lot of intentional
overlap between actions. Risk and effect can be
When characters take action related to a clock
used to tease out the differences between actions,
that would further it in some way, they will fill in
depending on your GM and the tone of your game.
segments on that clock with their actions on a
successful roll equal to their effect:
For example, Smash and Endure have some
• Fill in 2 segments for normal effect
overlap. Smashing a door down as opposed to
• 1 for weak,
using Endure to merely force it open has a
• 3 for powerful,
different effect in the fiction, however, which is
• and 5 for super powered actions.

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 There are lots of other examples of this in the
When the clock fills up completely, the task or Book of Adventure on page XX.
challenge it represents is complete or
surpassed. No further action is necessary from Progress clocks
the characters.
You can also use clocks to track the status or time
In the previous example, we could set out a single pressure of a larger ongoing situation in the world
clock (maybe a longer one, such as 10 segments) or campaign, such as a war, a spreading Blight, a
for the whole castle, called something like ‘The faction’s political influence, or an assassination
Castle’. Alternately, we could set out a few plot. These progress clocks tend to move by
(shorter) clocks representing each major obstacle themselves. Tick segments on these clocks when
as the characters come across them - like ‘Guard the story or campaign moves forward. A good
in the hallway’, ‘Big complex lock’, ‘Hidden time to do this is after an interlude. When ticking
Trapped Room’, judging the characters successful these clocks, tick one segment if the situation
if these smaller clocks are filled in. progressed a little, two if it progressed as normal,
and three if there was great progress. For
Clocks abstract out a whole task, scene, or series example, if you have a clock tracking the progress
of events. It’s certainly possible to just use a series of a war and it’s drawing to a close, you might tick
of normal rolls for many complex tasks (and a lot three segments on that clock at the end of
of tables will play that way). However, using downtime.
clocks to represent complicated tasks ensures
you’re only rolling when there’s persistent Failure states
narrative tension, constrains the number of rolls
made for any given task, and creates clear You can also create clocks that fill up as a result of
parameters for success. It allows the story to failures, rather than successes, establishing fail
progress and means you don’t have to waste time states for situations. These clocks get filled in as
lingering on tasks that would otherwise require a consequences of failed rolls or complications of
lot of rolling, all of which we find extremely Risky or Heroic rolls. For example, if a group of
effective for speeding up play. You can use them PCs were trying to flee from a band of
to move more quickly and efficiently through mercenaries, you might set out two clocks: one
narrative scenes. If you’d prefer to keep things that represents the PCs’ safe escape and one that
looser, then don’t worry over making clocks for represents the mercenaries catching up to them
every little thing. and forcing a fight. The Escape clock fills up when
PCs successfully put some distance between them
Project clocks and their pursuers, while the Capture clock fills
up when they either fail those actions or have to
You can easily use clocks to track progress on a make trade-offs. You might fill in two segments
long term project, especially the kind that whenever a PC fails a roll and fill in a single
characters might try to work on during an segment as a complication if they roll a 4-5.
interlude.

Slow Clocks Rituals and Projects

If you want a clock that fills slower, instead set a During play, players may want to hold a magic
clock out that only fills up by 1 segment at a time, ritual, improvise some technological device, or
usually when characters are successful at some work on another project that may be more
other task, or advance a journey or activity in involved than a simple action roll.
some way. For example, if your characters are
tracking a monster, you can tick a segment any Many of these projects are better accomplished as
time the characters finish a scene where they close ambitions (page XX) during an interlude.
distance on the monster, and decide they find it However, if the project is something simpler or
after 3 segments. something that can be accomplished during a
normal session, you can use these rules instead.

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 “You can’t open that door by smashing it down
First, the GM should ask the players what they by yourself, it’s too heavy. If you could find
want to accomplish with their ritual, craft, or something strong to use as a battering ram
project - the goal or function of their creation. though…”.
• Let players choose how to move the
Here’s some examples: action forward. Give players choices and let
“We want to seal the door with a magic seal so them choose how to proceed. Players should
that demons can’t pass through it.” nearly always be the ultimate drivers of action in
“I want to create an improvised grappling hook your story, not your NPCs, plots, or events. You
to climb the cliff.” can always force the players to react by throwing
“I want to transform into an animal for an hour something unexpected on at them if you want to
so I can scout out the woods without being seen.” mix it up. “Railroading”, or taking away player
“We want to create a working flamethrower out agency, only typically becomes a problem when
of parts in this workshop.” you deny players the chance to take action or
intervene in a situation.
This is best used for effects that aren’t permanent, • Play to find out what happens. It’s perfectly
or a part of a character that will carry over fine to have a plan or outline for a session or
between sessions. If the player who wanted a expedition. If there’s a scene or event you really
grappling hook wanted it to work for more than want to happen, however, and the players totally
just its initial use, they’d probably have to set it up avoid it, then let it happen! You can find a way
as an ambition first. to introduce it later. Players will often deviate
from the path you lay out for them, and the
The players' goal will always work, but the GM story is often better for it.
can choose one of more of the following, and must • Foreshadow consequences and threats. If
inform the players on the details: you’re going to shoot someone with a crossbow,
show the players a glint of it from a window
• The ritual or craft can’t accomplish exactly what first. If the fall off the mountain is going to
the players want, but a lesser version of it inflict critical strain, you should probably tell
• The characters will need to create time or space players how steep and dangerous the mountain
• The characters will need to gather additional path looks. The game has a very easy way to
reagents, materials, or supplies foreshadow threats built in with risk.
• The craft or ritual will have clear side effects • Make characters look good. Characters are
• The characters will have to sacrifice something heroes. If they fail, they should never fail due to
to accomplish their goal, such as another piece incompetency.
of gear or an infusion of dust
• The characters will need help from an expert
• The characters will take strain from the task Complications and
Then set up a clock or make an action roll to Consequences
accomplish the goal.
Characters take some sort of consequences or
GM Principles complications for their actions on any final action
result except a 6 - something that will happen
fairly often!
Heres some basic principles for the GM to follow
when running ICON: Consequences are typically narrative in nature
• Keep away from ‘no’. ‘Yes, and…’, and ‘Yes, and will depend on the nature of the action that
but…’ keep the story moving and keep things in the character is taking in the fiction. For example,
the player’s hands. You can always tell a a character trying to leap a chasm might fall,
character an action isn’t possible given their stumble, or find themselves clinging to the edge if
approach without denying them completely. they don’t get a full success. The severity of
Offer alternative approaches or suggestions to consequences should depend on the risk of the
problems, and let player creativity be rewarded. action that a character is taking, with more

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severe consequences the worse the risk Foreshadowing consequences
was. For a controlled action, consequences are
minor, for a desperate action major, and for a It’s good practice as a GM to foreshadow or hint at
standard risk action they should be somewhere in the possible consequences behind a character’s
the middle. In the previous example, a character actions. This is especially important for
might fall completely into the chasm if the action consequences with hard outcomes, such as strain.
was desperate (probably getting majorly hurt!), Establish consequences in the story first. This is
find themselves clinging to the edge on a risky pretty easy and intuitive to do:
action, and maybe drop something on the way
over in a controlled action but otherwise make it • “The robber levels their dagger at your chest. It
over safely. looks pretty sharp.”
• “You can take a shortcut to get ahead of the
Here’s some broad suggestions for the GM when fleeing courier, but you’ll lose sight of her -
inflicting consequences. better hope you catch up.”
• “You can definitely sneak past the sleeping
1. Put someone in a bad spot - Increase the giant, but he’s sleeping lightly and the slightest
risk of their next action. Put them in a worse noise will probably wake him up.”
position than before, like teetering on the edge
of a cliff, separated from the group, sliding off Sometimes players will even suggest possible
a rooftop, or in the middle of a crowded guard outcomes or consequences for their own actions -
post. in which case you should run with it. You can also
2. Start a ticking clock - Start a ticking clock communicate this pretty easily by setting risk for
for a much worse consequence. Perhaps a actions. Don’t worry too much about doing it
character knocks a pillar, now the whole room every time, just try to remember when you inflict
is about to collapse. hard or severe outcomes to communicate the
3. Tick an existing clock - Tick 1-2 segments possible outcomes before the character takes the
for a partial success, tick 2-3 for a failure. If action - and allow players to back out of their
the action was desperate or controlled tick ideas if they want. This helps the game feel fair.
more or less.
4. Offer a hard choice - Make characters Avoiding Consequences
choose between two harder outcomes - do you
want to recover the key to the ancient door or Characters can always avoid consequences other
let the treasure chest fall into the abyss? than strain by taking strain instead (see below),
5. Weigh them down - Present characters with appropriate to the risk.
a sudden obstacle or hindrance - pin them
under a heavy boulder, give them an annoying
hanger-on at the party, blow out all the Strain
torches and make the room pitch black
6. Make them lose initiative - The character When a character is physically hurt, mentally
misses a window of opportunity or loses drained, or narrowly avoids injury or consequence
valuable time. They lose sight of the thief from a situation, they take strain.
they’re pursuing, a door slams shut on them,
or they are late to the peace summit. Put them In base ICON, characters are heroic and
on the back foot. larger than life. Only the stresses and
7. Reduce effect - Give characters less effect on stakes of tactical combat can truly hurt
a successful action, perhaps making them characters. Outside of combat, they take
have to roll again. strain. Taking strain represents the mental and
8. Inflict strain, as established - Inflict physical effort a character must put into avoid
strain. There’s more on strain below. For a serious bodily injury, taking injury anyway and
risky action, inflict 2, for a controlled action, 1. pushing through the pain, taking mental stresses,
For a desperate action, inflict 4 strain, or in or suffering through a difficult situation. Strain
rare cases, inflict critical strain. can represent everything from actual bodily strain

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to exhaustion, enervation, tiredness, or exposure already full, or if they take critical strain, they
to the elements. break and are too hurt or overwhelmed to
continue in the current scene, unable to move or
Strain taken is 1, 2, or 4, depending on risk. act on their own. A broken character may only
Characters can also take critical strain. take an action by spending 1 Effort to do so
beforehand (see more on effort on pg XX). A
Average strain is 2, usually taken as a result of nearby character can also spend the effort for
risky actions. This is usually something like them.
getting swiped at by a monster, a short but painful
fall, slashed at by a weapon, eating something When a character breaks, they clear their strain
poisoned, exhausted from a long trek, frozen in boxes and take a burden, and at the end of the
the blinding wind, falling over from a lack of scene they cease to be broken and can act
sleep, etc. normally.

Minor strain is 1, usually taken as a result of A burden is more long-term harm to a character
controlled actions - still enough to be painful. and represents the mental and physical ordeal of
Bad bumps, scrapes, minor wounds, animal bites, the adventuring life. How much a burden
tiredness, sickness, etc. interferes with a character is up to that character’s
player. When you take a burden, write the nature
Major strain is 4, usually taken as a result of of the burden underneath it. It could be a long
desperate actions. Major strain is something term injury of some kind that the character
very painful or hurtful, like a long fall, getting ignores, scars, a change in attitude, tiredness,
smashed by a boulder, smacked around by a large sickness, etc.
monster, burned by a fireball, going days without
sleep or food, getting badly sick or poisoned, shot Example burdens:
in a vital place with an arrow, etc. • Injuries: broken leg, broken arm, gashed ribs,
monster bite, etc
Critical strain is something that a normal • Corruption: Infection, disease, illness, dark
person probably wouldn’t survive, such as falling magic
off a cliff, getting crushed in the jaws of a wyrm, • Negative emotions: Anger, resentment,
falling into lava, riddled with arrows, etc. You’ll jealousy, rage, hatred
survive - you’re an ICON after all, but in order to • Exhaustion: tiredness, ennui, sadness
do so, you’ll have to push through a lot.
Then, tick two actions which have more than 0d.
Those action is at at -1d until the burden is healed.
Resistance Tick actions that are appropriate to the kind of
burden taken. For example:
If the GM would suggest consequences other than
strain for your actions, you can always elect to
• You might tick Smash and Tinker for a broken
take strain instead, appropriate to the risk of the
arm
roll (1 for controlled, 2 for risky, 4 for desperate).
• You might tick Charm and Study for tiredness
This represents the stress of narrowly avoiding
• You might tick Endure and Traverse for
consequences for your character.
poisoned
• You might tick Command and Sense for fear.
You can take more strain than you have remaining
to resist something. For example, if you have only
This can be done up to twice per action.
1 strain left, you could resist something that would
normally cost you 2 or 4 strain.
The GM can always look to burdens for possible
consequences for action rolls. Players can also
Breaks and Burdens play up their burdens to invoke them.

Characters have a limited number of strain boxes. Push Through

If they would tick a box and their boxes are

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If a character would break for any reason, they A character with 3 burdens can still break,
can spend any amount of effort and roll 1d6 per clearing all strain, but doesn’t mark an extra
effort spent to push through, choosing the burden. Instead of recovering and returning to
highest die. On a final result of 5+, they avoid themselves at the end of the scene, however, they
breaking and lose 1 strain, putting them 1 below remain broken until the expedition is over (they
maximum. can still expend effort to act normally).

Invoking Burdens After the expedition is over, any character that

If a character has any burdens, they can invoke broke this way must take their leave from
their burdens in narrative play to get into adventuring for a while and cannot embark on
trouble when they make an action roll. the next expedition.They can still heal burdens
during the interludes and pursue ambitions
Get into trouble means starting trouble or normally, then return the following expedition if
facing consequences, even on a successful roll. For they so choose.
example, a character with the ‘exhausted’ burden
decides to get into trouble. The GM decides this
character wanders off, not aware of their Combat In ICON
surroundings, while the party is traversing a
monster-infested tunnel. A character with the ICON has a tactical combat system, but this
‘anger’ burden decides to get into trouble - the system doesn’t have to get used to represent every
GM decides that the character acts out at an occasion when violence breaks out. You have a
inopportune moment. couple options, including not playing with tactical
combat at all!
When getting into trouble or invoking a burden
means changing a character’s behavior or making
them act out-of-character, the GM can say broadly
Use tactical combat
what happens but it can be up to the player to act
it out. By default, ICON assumes GMs and other players
will be using the tactical combat system in the
Other players are free to suggest consequences for second half of this book. This system is only for
invoking burdens (including the player who when the stakes or the tension are high and must
invoked them), but it’s ultimately up to the GM be resolved through combat. In tactical combat,
what to choose. characters can actually be hurt or killed, and
they are going to use the full extent of their
If you invoked a burden at least once during a might - all their destructive magical and physical
session get 1 xp at the end of that session. power. If the scene doesn’t warrant that, or the
characters don’t have the ability to go all out, it’s
not worth tactical combat. For most situations
Healing Burdens and Strain
involving violence, assess whether it’s important
enough to dip into tactical combat. If you get into
Characters can heal all strain when they camp
other situations, it might be better to play it out as
or when they finish an interlude.
a narrative scene, using clocks. This is a way you
can set the tone and pacing for your game.
Burdens can only be healed during an interlude,
during the special Heal Burdens step. Burdens
• Is a bar brawl a tactical combat, where the
are represented with a filled clock of 4, 6, or 10
stakes are high and characters will use the full
segments, and characters can only heal them
extent of their powers and abilities, or is it a
slowly by unticking segments during downtime.
narrative scene using Excel, Smash, Endure,
Characters can fill in any burden they like when
and Command to overwhelm and outwit your
they take one.
rowdy opponents?
• If the local militia shows up to arrest the
3 burdens players, is that a tactical combat or a
negotiation? Can it degrade into a tactical

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 combat or can players make other rolls to avoid In narrative combat, don’t treat monsters or foes
fighting? like you would in a traditional rpg, but instead use
• If the characters find a hungry giant guarding clocks, risk, and effect to represent the entire
the entrance to a dungeon, can they talk to it, or combat scene. The GM can adjudicate or adjust
will they have to fight it in tactical combat if these based on the challenges characters are
they fail to sneak past? facing, deciding which actions in the moment
would be more or less effective.
Transitioning into tactical combat is usually done
smoothly out of narrative scenes or as a tension Don’t think about the setup as just the foes the
break when things go sour: when the characters characters are facing, but the entire scene as a set
fail to sneak past the Relict, when they burst into piece. Defeating foes might be ancillary to running
the baron’s hall hell bent on confronting them, or away, or opening a door, or scaring foes off, or
when they stand in defense of the town as the holding out until reinforcements arrive. You can
wave of monsters approaches. see a big list of suggested combat scenarios on
page XX of the book of foes.
Narrative Combat You can set up multiple clocks to represent
different challenges in a scene, including the foes
As an alternative or companion to tactical combat,
themselves.
you can play combat scenes out exactly like you’d
play out any other narrative scene - using action
Don’t use clocks like you’d use HP. If a clock fills
rolls, clocks to track challenges, etc.
up and the scene would naturally be over, then
end the scene and let characters figure out how
Using actions in combat they drive off, escape from, avoid, or defeat any
If using narrative combat, characters can take any remaining foes.
actions they can think of to progress the scene,
using the actions they already have. The skills
Qualities
Excel and Smash are obvious contenders (shoot
a ranged weapon, swing a melee weapon), but
If characters are fighting opponents, then it can
other actions can also be used, to either set up
be helpful to write down 2-3 strengths and 1-2
allies or to progress a scene on their own. For
weaknesses to refer to when determining the
example, when fighting a monster:
position and effect of actions.
• Charm to distract a monster from attacking
For example, characters are fighting a Wyrm in
your allies
open combat. The Wyrm itself is a big armored,
• Command to scare the monster and make it
fire breathing lizard. might be represented with a
hesitate
10 or 12 segment clock (a pretty powerful foe!)
• Endure to wrestle the monster to the ground
with segments filled in as characters take actions
• Sense to scan your surroundings for hazards
against it.
you could drive a monster into
• Study a monster to find a weak spot
The GM decides the qualities are Big, Armored,
• Sneak to spring an ambush against the
and Fire Breathing. It’s weaknesses are its
monster or get out of the situation
Weak Scale and it’s Slow.
• Tinker to set a trap for the monster or throw an
A character wielding a bow tries to attack the
explosive
Wyrm. Here’s how that might play out:
The flavoring and theming of a character’s action
• Because the Wyrm is armored, a character
and attacks is up to the player, and any action
shooting arrows at it (probably using Excel)
could potentially be used for physical or magical
might have no effect, or be a weak and desperate
combat.
action.
• However, the wyrm does have a weak scale.
Setting up a narrative combat scene Another character using Sense might try and
spot openings for the bow-wielding player,

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 changing their effect, or a character might use
Smash to topple a pillar onto the Wyrm to
immobilize it, Endure to grapple its jaws and
hold its attention, Charm to distract it, etc. All
these actions can key into each other and all of
them could potentially fill out the Wyrm’s clock
to defeat it.
• The Wyrm is also fire breathing. Getting close
to it sounds pretty risky or desperate, but
because it’s slow, it should be safe to shoot
from a distance. The bow player might decide to
clear some distance by traversing and
sprinting across a rocky cavern, improving their
position (and maybe their effect, because they
can get multiple shots off).

Foes don’t have to be treated like a single clock in

narrative play. You could use one clock to
represent a whole group of foes, or multiple clocks
to represent one foe and the different threats it
represents. You could even make individual
strengths or weaknesses their own clock. In
the previous example, the heart scale could be
armored and have a short clock required to
expose it before it becomes vulnerable. The
wyrm’s fire breath could be overwhelming and
require some action to stymie it (or muster up a
defense) before the wyrm can even be
approached.

To make more interesting combat scenes, treat

combats like any other narrative situation and
make multiple clocks to track evolving situations.
You can get some examples and advice on this on
page XX.

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 All Bonds have a certain number of Effort boxes.
Player characters in By default, Effort can be used in the following
ways:
Narrative Play
• Push: Tick 1 effort to add +1 Boon (+1d6) to
any action roll
In ICON, every character has a unique drive -
• Aid: Tick 1 effort to help another character.
something that represents how they move through
They get +1 Boon on their action, but you also
and interact with the world. This is called their
share in any consequences of their action
Bond. You can think about it like a character
(strain, bad situations, etc). A character can only
‘class’ or archetype, except your character’s Bond
benefit from aid once on an action roll. Aid does
is purely for narrative play. Think about how
not stack with setup.
your character acts around other people, what
• Team Action: You make an action as a group.
motivates them, and what ideals they hold near -
Choose a leader, who spends 2 effort. The leader
that’s your Bond.
makes an action and the outcome or
consequences apply to the whole group. For
Each Bond gives you bonuses to certain actions
example, a Team Sneak can get a whole group of
and powers that help you play to that archetype or
characters through a difficult situation. A team
give your own unique spin on it. When you make a
narrative combat action lets a whole group fight
character, you’ll choose the Bond you’ll have for
at once.
the rest of the game, with some exceptions.
• Push through: If you would break for any
reason, you can spend any amount of effort,
Characters all have action ratings, and bonds all
rolling 1d6 per effort spent. On any result of 5+,
have some variation of the following features:
you avoid breaking and return to your max
• Ideals
strain minus one.
• Effort
• Bond Powers
If a character is maxed out on effort, they’re
exhausted. An exhausted character can’t spend
Action Ratings any more effort and some Bonds may get bonuses
All characters have ratings in each of the ten when they’re exhausted.
actions, from 0 to 4. At level 0, characters start
with 8 dots in these ratings, with no rating higher Regaining Effort
than 3, and can improve them over time.
Characters regain all effort when they finish an
It can help to choose action ratings that match the Interlude or when they camp.
concept of your character, even if you’re going to
be using a tactical combat job. For example, if you 1/session, a character may also get a second
want your very strong Demon Slayer character to wind and regain all effort outside of camps or
be good at busting down walls, you should take interludes when they fulfill their second wind
dots in the Smash action. trigger. These are different for each Bond. A
character doesn’t have to activate this when it
Ideals occurs, and can wait for a better opportunity.

These short sentences or activities can be ticked if Using effort while broken
you performed them during a session at least
once. At the end of a session, if you ticked at least If you’re broken in a scene (you maxed out on
one, get 1 xp. If you ticked two or more of them, strain and took a burden), you or a nearby
get 2 xp. character can spend 1 effort to allow you to act
normally for an action.

Effort
Bond Powers

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Bond Powers are special abilities that either give Increasing Effect
you the ability to do something without rolling, or
boost your existing actions or abilities. They are Some character abilities can increase effect. Effect
very powerful and help distinguish your character. can be increased as long as base effect is at least
You can further define what your characters’ weak (no effect is still no effect), and can normally
specific powers look like and where they come never be increased past Powerful, even if a
from. character would get increased effect multiple
times.
• Scene: Some powers or Bond features apply
until the end of the current scene, or can only The only way to increase effect further is to use a
trigger once a scene. A scene is a contiguous power that grants you superpowered effect, or get
series of events where we don’t ‘cut away’ from a critical hit on a roll with powerful effect
the action. When we enter a new sequence of (turning the effect into superpowered).
action or dialogue (like a new room in a
dungeon, a new challenge, a different
conversation happening in a different place) the Play Example
previous scene is over. This is pretty easy to
judge naturalistically.
Here’s a quick play example.
• Limited Powers: Certain Bond Powers can
only be used by spending Effort, and many can
Play example: The hall of death
only be used a certain number of times per
game session. You get these powers back at the
start of a new session. The GM is playing with two players, Alice and
• Range: A few powers have a loose effect range, Marco. Alice’s character has the Bond of the
such as close or far. Mighty, James’ character has the bond of the
• Chapter scaling: A few powers gain more Pathfinder.
explicit power per chapter (I, II, III).
The character are exploring a ruin and reach a
hallway. The GM knows this hallway is trapped
Gambits
with pressure plates (on the floor) which will
cause poison darts to fly out from the far wall. A
Normally you can only take powers from your
tough scenario!
own Bond. However, once you have four powers
from your own bond (including your starting
The GM can do a couple things here. If characters
power), you can take a Gambit when you would
take action without checking the hallway out, the
pick a new power, which is a power from any
traps end up being an obvious consequence for
bond.
their actions, and their actions are probably risky,
if not desperate! If characters take a moment to
Knacks
survey the hallway and get good information, the
GM can make their actions more effective or more
Some powers give you a knack. A knack is a skill
controlled moving forward, since they know about
or area of expertise or knowledge, usually specific.
the traps.
When you can apply your knack to a roll, get +1
Boon (+1d6) on the roll.
The GM can also decide to let the whole thing get
covered in one roll. Or, if the trap is more
Set up dangerous or complicated, they can set up a clock
for it.
Some bond powers give more powerful set ups or
key off setups. A setup is an action roll (with The GM can use good practices and foreshadow
normal consequences, etc) that has reduced or no threats here by showing the players that the hall
effect on its own but grants the action that’s being might be trapped.
set up +1D.

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Let’s see some permutations of each of these The GM decides this trap is a bigger threat,
scenarios. something they want to spend a short scene on.
They set out a 6 segment clock to represent the
The introduction: hall.
GM: You come to a long stone hallway, chocked
with dust, and probably only wide enough for one Marco: I have a bad feeling about this hall. I’m
person at a time to move down. It’s pretty long going to get closer to study the stonework
and the far end is too dark to see. Propped against GM: Ok, give me a roll. It’s a little riskier to study
the wall on your side is an old rusty breastplate, a since you have to get close, but I’ll say its more
piece of armor long abandoned, as though effective. I’ll say its still controlled.
someone took it off in a hurry. It’s pock-marked Marco (rolls study, gets a 1 ): Ok, I’ll take it. I
with small holes. have 0 in sense so I’d rather use study. Ah, a 1.
GM (Inflicting strain): Oh yeah, it’s definitely
One roll, players don’t gather information: trapped. A flurry of darts shoot out through the
Alice: I forge ahead, carefully. darkness right at you. Since your action was more
GM (taking the initiative): Ok! There’s a click as powerful, I’m giving you some progress on this
you step on a pressure plate. You hear the soft clock (The GM ticks 2 segments on the clock.
hiss of air at the other end of the room, and you Normally they’d tick 1 or none on a ‘1’ roll).
see a flurry of darts heading your way! What do However, you’re still getting shot, for only 1
you do? Your action is probably going to be pretty strain, and you’re sure there’s more plates in the
risky. hall.
Alice: Damn. Ok… I’m going to bring my shield up Marco: I’ll take it.
and try and endure the darts. Alice: Can I boost Marco’s character on my shield
GM: Great, I’d say that’s pretty effective but to get them across the hall and give them a bonus
desperate. die?
GM: Sure. You can make a roll to set up Marco if
Alice rolls 3 dice for her character’s Endure action you like, or just tick effort to aid him.
and rolls a 1,2, and 5, a mixed success. Darts shoot Alice: Ok. I’m going to roll for it. Is… excel a good
into her character, inflicting 3 strain on her. action for this?
Alice’s player chooses to spend 1 effort for her GM: Probably, or smash, I think, since you’re
Might’s special ability to reduce the strain by 1. using force.
The darts having activated, the hall is clear and Alice: My smash is better, so I’ll use that.
the characters can move on. GM: Ok, it’s going to be controlled risk for you I
think
One roll, gathering information: Alice (rolling a 4): A 4.
Alice: I’m going to check this hall out. GM (putting her in a worse spot): Great, you
GM: Ok, give me a fortune roll for that, since you boost Marco in the air. However, you have to take
seem safe where you are. a couple steps forward, and now you’re in the
Alice (rolls sense, gets a 4): I’m going to survey middle of the hallway. Anything you do from here
the hall for threats. A 4. is going to be way more risky.
GM: Squinting your eyes, you can just make out Marco: Let’s do this. I’m going to traverse by
strange cracks in the floor ahead of you. It’s hard kicking off the walls. I’m also going use my
to tell, but you’re pretty sure this hall is trapped, pathfinder power Windrider to push myself for
with pressure plates. another die and choose to not touch the floor.
GM: Great, that’s two bonus dice, one from Alice’s
The scenario plays out as above, but the risk for character and one from your push, and you have
Alice’s character’s action is now controlled, since better effect from your cool power. I’ll say since
she knows about the trap. Now she only takes 1 you don’t have to touch the floor, your action is
strain when she’s hit by the darts, which she going to be less risky, so instead of being risky it’s
spends resistance to ignore. going to be controlled.
Marco (Rolling 1,2,2,3): Great. Oh shit, a 3.
Using a Clock, gathering information

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GM: No problem. You still get two ticks on the did use an ability there to justify it, so keep that in
clock from your better effect (The GM ticks two mind).
more segments, bringing the clock to 4/6).
Marco: Ok, but I’m a dead man, right? If the characters are in a higher chapter than the
GM (offering a choice): Your action was treat, a hall like this, in the fiction, may not pose
controlled thanks to your power, so you don’t get much of a threat. The GM can ignore it, make it a
riddled with darts, but you’ve got a tough choice. single roll, or make it a shorter clock. If the
You don’t make it quite down the hall, and you’re characters are in a lower chapter than the hallway,
close enough to see the mechanism. Do you try maybe it poses a huge threat and is super risky,
and leap forward disable it now, and maybe get and the character’s actions are less effective.
poisoned for your trouble, or do you try and make
another roll? I’ll let you finish the clock right now
if you want.
Marco: I’m going for it.
GM: Ok! You dive forward and jam your blade
into the mechanism. A vaporous cloud of poison
pours out from the dart holes as the trap
deactivates. You’re going to take 2 strain from the
poison.
Marco: Ouch. That would give me a burden.
Alice: Can I use my special ability to take the
strain instead by pushing Marco aside?
GM: Yeah… but you’re not close enough - you
were put in a bad position, right?
Alice: Ah, ok. Can I just throw my shield and
smash the mechanism before it manages to poison
Marco?
GM (Avoiding saying ‘no’ to this creative
solution): Sure, I think that would reduce the
strain, but give me a roll. Risky, since you’re
trying to do it quickly from far away!
Alice: Ok, I’m going to use 1 effort to push this.
(Rolls 2, 3, 6). A 6!
GM: Cool. You hurl your shield and crumble the
wall, sealing off the vapor. Marco only takes 1
strain.
Marco: Nice.

Flexibility and tone

You can see each of these scenarios changes both

the narrative weight of the scene, and the number
of actions players need to overtake it. For
example, a player with powerful or superpowered
effect could take care of the clock in the third
example with just one or two rolls!
Think about how this scenario might change
depending on the tone of game you want to run.
In a more grounded game, maybe getting riddled
with darts is more strain, or even critical strain on
a desperate action. Maybe diving down the
hallway, bouncing off the walls, isn’t possible
without powerful or superpowered effect (Marco

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