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Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

A ROOM 209 GAMING PUBLICATION

www.room209gaming.com [email protected] @Room209Gaming on Twitter Facebook.com/Room209Gaming

FORTHRIGHT OPEN ROLEPLAY

Copyright @ 2017 Room 209 Gaming, LLC All rights reserved. All text in this book is © 2017 Room 209 Gaming, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license: https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ All art in this book is © 2017 Room 209 Gaming, under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/4.0/

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN PEOPLE-SPEAK?

You are free to use and photocopy this book and all art and text within for personal use. You are free to make a derivative of the text of this game commercially or otherwise, and can use the text of this game for commercial purposes. We encourage all of this. But you can’t use the art in this book, or derivatives of it, for your own commercial purposes.

Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

For our nautical fathers Thank you, for everything

Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

C  REDITS GAME DESIGN

Bryan R. Shipp Jackie Ray Watters, Jr. Sarah Perry-Shipp

WRITING

Bryan R. Shipp

EDITING

COVER

Arthur Asa

INTERIOR ART

Arthur Asa Daniel Wood Juan Ochoa Nathan Nelson

John Adamus S. R. Dreamholde

FORTHRIGHT LOGO

LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Nathan D. Paoletta Sarah Perry-Shipp

INDEXING

Sarah Perry-Shipp

ART DIRECTION

Bryan R. Shipp

Keith Slawson

Raleigh Tabletop Roleplayers Double Exposure Bully Pulpit Games Ben Keller Brandon West David Lehmann Jonn H. Perry Justin Jarus All our magnificent playtesters!

PLAYTESTERS AND EARLY ACCESS CONTRIBUTORS Robert McMillan, Charles Bowden, John Knight, Joe Donovan, Harry Davis, Ben Blanks, Alok Baikadi, David Lehmann, Shane Wilds, Robert Menteer, Jonn H. Perry, Justin Jarus, Meredith Meyer, Charles Harris, Eric Townsend, Adam Stribling, Josh Becka, Allan McCoy, Christian Eberle, John Nelson, Scott Lambdin, Jennifer Stewart, Carleton Stewart, Paula Lorenzo, Bryan Dickson, Kenyon Perry, Kat Miller, Kenneth Hite, Will Hindmarch, Russell Collins, Rich Flynn, Jonathan Bagelman, Lindsey McCullough, Seth Lipton, Emily Burton, Jeff Wikstrom, Fred Hicks, Jason Morningstar, Brennan Taylor, Morgan Ellis, Isa McLaren, Randy Pinion, John Webster, Chris Spivey, Jill Spivey, Duffy Austin, Tracy, Shawn Roske, Shane Harsch, Jonathan Siregar, Brad Berenstein, Tony Riviera, Ninotchka Mantrom, ET Smith, Laiel Shepherd, Seth Alcorn, Lisa Reinke, Timothy Grant, Josh “Level 10 Nerd” Vega, Dr. Brian Quinones, Peter Petrusha, Diego Madiedo, Maleke Xavier Perry, Kyrinn S. Eis, Quadratic, Rick Hull, Juan Ochoa, Colin Pittman, Seth Alexander, Rebecca O’Connell, Richard Wuest, Zack

Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

TABLE OF CONTENTS I NTRODUCTION

7

What You Need to Play Playing the Game Rolling Dice

7 11 13

SETUP AND CHARACTER CREATION G  AME SETUP

20

Out of Bounds The Gamescape House Rules Game Charter

20 21 23 24

T  HE PROTAGONISTS

26

Description Principles Starting Stats Fighting Stances Personas Skillsets Basic Attributes Boosts Character Templates Relationships Sanctuary Protagonist Sheet Advancement Retraining The End of a Protagonist Changing Team Members

27 27 29 30 33 35 36 37 47 47 48 56 58 59 59 60

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DISCOVERY AND DANGER C  IVILIZATION

63

Law and Lawlessness Wealth Social Strata Reputation

63 64 65 68

C  ONVERSATION

73

Talk Checks Mood Sacrifice, Risk, and Benefit Influencing Groups Cross-Talk

73 77 78 80 80

C  OMBAT

81

Initiative 82 Actions 85 Fight Checks 85 Talk Checks 90 The Battlefield 92 Retreat 95 Restoration 95 Structure and Vehicle Combat 95

C  HASES

101

M   ASS COMBAT

103

Unit Structure Initiative Fight Checks The Protagonists

103 104 104 105

A   DVENTURING

106

T  HE GAMESCAPE

146

Athletic Feats Crafting Hazards Investigating and Tracking Language Perception Performing Piloting and Riding Security

106 106 114 117 118 118 119 120 120

Build Out, Not In Major Considerations Collaborative Creation

146 147 149

A  DVENTURE HUBS

150

Plot vs. Story Challenges Complications Opposition

151 153 154 155

P  RESENTATION

162

Story Structure Non-Protagonist Characters Show, Don’t Tell Narrative Tension Pacing

162 166 167 168 169

GUIDANCE

C  AMPAIGNS

171

B  UILDING TRUST

134

Be Prepared Be Fair Be Helpful Be Respectful Pitfalls

134 136 136 138 139

P  REPARATION

141

No Preparation Basic Preparation Extended Preparation Guidance Sheet

141 142 143 144

Foreshadowing Moral Quandaries Enemies Beyond Enemies Multiple Threats Signature Antagonists Societal Shifts Deeper Consequences Campaign Structure

171 171 171 172 172 172 172 173

Q  UICK REFERENCE

176

I NDEX

178

F  ACTIONS AND DOMAINS

125

Factions Domains Dominion

125 128 129

Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

Forthright Open Roleplay is an adventure roleplaying game about shaping and being shaped by civilization in a fictional world. The game rules inject uncertainty, variety, and tension into a story that your gaming group discovers together. As you play, your decisions and actions will change the world. These changes have consequences that will determine whether you will be remembered as a hero or a villain.

What You Need to Play

Playing Forthright requires the following:

• This rulebook (each player may want their own copy) • A group of 2 – 6 players (1 to 5 players to play Protagonists, 1 player to act as the Guide) • A Protagonist Sheet for each Protagonist • A Game Charter for the group • A Guidance Sheet for the Guide • A set of roleplaying dice for each player. Roleplaying dice include at least: 1 four-sided die (1d4), 1 six-sided die (1d6), 1 eight-sided die (1d8), 2 ten-sided dice (2d10), 1 twelve-sided die (1d12), and 1 twenty-sided die (1d20) • Tokens (coins, stones, candy, etc.) to represent Boons • Pencils/pens and paper to take notes

Forthright Open Roleplay • 7

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 Introduction

I NTRODUCTION

The Guide and Gamescape One player is the Guide. The Guide controls the fictional world of the Gamescape and plays all the Non-Protagonist Characters (NPCs) to immerse the Protagonists in an action-oriented and dramatic story. How You Play: You develop, with the input of the other players, a Gamescape that has an internally consistent logic. You will present this fictional world in a manner to pique the interest of the other players. Because you are their only window into understanding the Gamescape, you must strive for clarity in your presentation. You provide the Protagonists with situations that confront and challenge their Principles (PAGE 27) in a way that will make the story more engaging for the gaming group as a whole. You cannot tell the Protagonists to act in any specific way. Instead, you control the Plots of the NPCs: the actions NPCs will take and their intended consequences. You ensure Plots and Protagonists are exposed to and interact with each other, changing the world and shaping the story. The information you reveal and the consequences of their actions in the Gamescape may challenge the Protagonists’ understanding of themselves, the Gamescape, and their role in the world. This generates drama and helps create personal and unique stories. Finally, you understand the rules of Forthright Open Roleplay well enough to provide a consistent experience. This role requires a lot of creativity, energy, and a level head. How You Win: You win when everyone in the gaming group has a good time, when you present opportunities for all the Protagonists to contribute meaningfully to the story, when your presentation excites the imaginations of the other players, and when you keep the focus of the game on how the Protagonists shape the story. How You Lose: You lose when you present the Protagonists with situations they can’t affect, give NPCs more spotlight than the Protagonists, present the Gamescape in a bland or boring fashion, and when you try to force the Protagonists to follow the story you want them to follow. Throughout the examples in this book, BRAND will be the Guide.

8 • What You Need to Play

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Players and Protagonists

How You Play: You create and control one Protagonist, whose information is recorded on your Protagonist Sheet. When presented with a situation, you imagine yourself in the place of your Protagonist and react as your Protagonist would, as if the Gamescape were a real place. Figuring out how to accomplish what you want is the central element of play; your Protagonist Sheet will not have all the answers. Pay attention to what occurs in the Gamescape and ask questions to help you find solutions, but remember: not everything is solvable, and sometimes you’ll need to retreat instead of moving forward. Don’t worry about telling the best story: your role is to discover the plans of NPCs that don’t align with your own and thwart those plans. You shape the story you experience by how you choose to act – by fighting, making allies, turning enemies against each other, and so on. Finally, share the spotlight with the other Protagonists. No single player is the star of the game, and everyone works together as a Team. How You Win: You win when everyone in the gaming group has a good time, when your Protagonist has contributed meaningfully to the story, and when you have achieved or made progress toward your Team’s goals. How You Lose: You lose when you don’t share the spotlight, don’t engage with the Gamescape, don’t contribute to the story, and when you sabotage the other members of your Team. Throughout the examples in this book, CJ, JAMIE, JULES, and VIC will be playing the Protagonists.

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 Introduction

The other players in the group are playing Protagonists, the main characters of the game. Like stones thrown into a calm lake, their actions ripple through the Gamescape. They will be heroes to some and villains to others.

Roleplaying Many players have different ways to roleplay. Some affect accents, some get deep into character, some just want to roll dice and have a good time. There is no wrong way to roleplay as long as you enjoy the experience with the people you’re playing with.

Core Rules

There are three core rules to Forthright Open Roleplay that everyone in the gaming group should understand before playing.

THE FORTHRIGHT RULE

Expectations are set up front. This begins with the Game Charter (PAGE 24) and continues with every die roll that you make. This helps everyone reach a shared understanding of events and intentions, and is an ongoing process throughout the game.

THE COLLABORATION RULE

You are invested in everyone else having fun, and they are invested in you having fun. The game is about everyone in the gaming group, and you are all both players and audience for the story you will create together. No single person’s ideas, desires, or goals should take precedence over anyone (or everyone) else’s. When collaborating, open and clear communication is the best way to avoid misunderstandings. This is a game of imagination, and everyone’s internal vision of what’s happening is going to differ in some ways. Those differences often don’t matter enough to affect the situation – but sometimes they do. Always try to identify what is confusing, and don’t be frustrated when someone is confused: this happens, and it’s no one’s fault. Clear up any misunderstandings before proceeding. You may even want to take a break or, if you are on the same page with a different player, have that player try to get around the communication block for you. Finally, provide alternatives when someone suggests something you disagree with. Keep criticisms of an idea to factual statements (“that puts our allies at risk”). Avoid value judgments (“that is stupid”) and especially avoid personal judgments (“you are stupid”).

10 • What You Need to Play

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THE COSMETIC RULE

ETHNICITY, SEX, AND GENDER These rules assume no distinction of capability or personality between ethnicities, genders, or sexualities. Differing social expectations for these traits should only be included in your game if an examination of these expectations is a major theme of the game.

Playing the Game

Forthright Open Roleplay is played in one or more sessions of one to four hours each. A One-Shot is a short game that can be played in a single session. A Campaign is a longer game played over multiple sessions that has a more complex and in-depth story.

Setup Play begins by setting the stage for the game. The group will identify their interests and expectations by filling out the Game Charter (PAGE 24), collaboratively identifying the game’s setting and dangers. The Protagonist players will next create their characters (PAGES 26–61). Everyone should be thinking about the kind of story they want to tell during Setup. This will inform Principles, relationships, and the challenges the Guide will need to prepare. Setup can segue into roleplay immediately (this is typical for OneShots), or the first roleplay session can be delayed if the Guide needs more time to prepare.

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 Introduction

What you do matters, not how you do it. Characters can accomplish the same action through different means without using different combinations of rules. For example, MacGyvering a lock is the same whether done through brute force, delicate locksport, or magical ritual. This abstraction is built into the rules in this book and allows for an easy blending of genres.

Session After Setup, sessions primarily consist of roleplaying. To refresh memories and help get everyone in the zone, sessions typically begin with a description of how the Protagonists have arrived at the situation they find themselves in at the beginning of the Session. Play continues with the Guide describing the situation in the Gamescape and roleplaying any NPCs involved in the action. The other players ask for any explanations or clarifications along the way to help them better understand what is happening and what they can do. In moments of dramatic tension, both the Guide and the Protagonists may need to roll dice (PAGE 13) to determine the results of their actions on the story. The Guide describes what is happening around the Protagonists, and their players describe how the Protagonists respond. Events escalate as the Protagonists act for or against NPCs. Play continues through this back-and-forth between Guide and Protagonists until reaching a satisfying conclusion for the session. Most of the drama in the story will come from the Protagonists’ interactions with the NPCs and Gamescape. No one individual is in control of the story: the gaming group discovers the story together.

Retrospective At the end of every session, the group discusses how the session went and what they liked and didn’t like. This is an opportunity for both sides of the table to reinforce what interests them about the game and explain their and their characters’ thought processes during the session. Everyone wants to do well, so this is an opportunity to highlight successes. Positive reinforcement gives everyone an idea of what to strive for. Likewise, if something was disappointing about the session, discuss it without recrimination or retaliation. No one needs to lay blame during this discussion, because no one in the group is in competition.

12 • Playing the Game

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Rolling Dice

When things could go well or terribly wrong for a character, dice are rolled to determine the narrative momentum that results from an action. These are Checks, and there are three types Protagonists and NPCs will make: Fight Checks can be made when a character is attempting to hurt someone or something. Fight is a measure of tactical prowess, combat ability, strength, and dexterity when life is on the line. Talk Checks can be made when a character is attempting to sway the mind of another character or creature. Talk is a measure of charisma, presence, and ability to communicate precisely what’s intended. Skill Checks can be made when a character is attempting to interact with the environment in a way that is neither combat nor communication. Skill is flexibility and cleverness when solving mysteries and overcoming obstacles that can’t be fought or talked around.

Calling for a Check Players and Guide alike can call for a Check to accomplish an action. The Guide identifies the challenge and what could potentially result from failure. These consequences must be specific: not “something bad will happen,” but what the character believes will result from failure. The Guide must also specifically identify what will happen upon a success.

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 Introduction

The Retrospective ends with the group discussing Protagonist Advancement (PAGE 58) and determining how many Boost Points were generated by the session’s adventure.

DON’T SUMMON TROUBLE Checks are made due to risks already in the Gamescape, not to create new risks or dangers. A Skill Check to sneak is only made when enemies are present that can be alerted; it is not made to see if a Setback is rolled so enemies can spontaneously appear.

The Guide can provide specificity without removing surprise entirely from the results of Protagonist actions. The key is in the description’s implications, like so: Brand: You don’t know what will happen if you slip and fall, but looking down in the shadows, you feel like something is moving down there. Something large. Something hungry.

Actions that might be impossible in some games are not impossible in others. For example, running across a cloud would fit a superhero game but would feel out-of-place in a noir detective game. The Guide determines if an action would be impossible based on whether it fits within the Gamescape and themes of the game. If the Guide cannot think of how an action can succeed, no roll is necessary. The action cannot be attempted or outright fails with predictable results stated before the action is taken. If the Guide cannot think of an interesting consequence for failure, or if the effect of a failure would be that the Team cannot continue with the story or solve the mystery, then no roll is necessary. The action succeeds to keep the story moving forward. Characters may always opt out of performing an action after hearing the stakes.

14 • Rolling Dice

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Rolling the Check 1. The Protagonist describes what they want to do or hope to accomplish. This should be a specific action such as “climb the wall” and not a larger, more nebulous action like “take over the empire.” The Guide, if an NPC is acting, needs only describe what it looks like the NPC is doing. 2. The Guide identifies any risks in performing the action, such as “making noise and drawing the guard” or “falling off the wall and hurting your leg.” The Guide also identifies the type of Check (Fight, Talk, or Skill) required and if any Raises or Drops will be automatically applied to the result. If an NPC is acting, the Guide does not need to verbalize this step. 3. If the character decides to attempt the action after learning the stakes, the character rolls 1d20 and adds the appropriate Check Bonus to determine the Check result. 4. Apply any Raises, Drops, or Boons (PAGE 16) to the Check result to get the Outcome. 5. There are four possible Outcomes: Boon (21+): In addition to a Win, the character also earns a Boon. ▲▲ Win (14-20): The action succeeds without trouble. ●● Exchange (8-13): The action succeeds, but the character encounters some trouble. This identifies a complicated benefit, such as finding a rare item at a high price. This is both a positive and negative result. ▼▼ Setback (1-7): The action fails, and the character encounters additional difficulty as a result. 6. The story proceeds with the Outcome guiding the action.

••

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 Introduction

Rolls are made the moment the action matters to the story, such as when a disguise is examined. Rolling a Check follows these steps:

Vic: I want to jump across the chasm to try and get at the car before it pulls away. Brand: Okay, that’ll be a Skill Check. On a Setback, you’ll fall into the chasm and Injure yourself. On an Exchange, the car will start pulling away before you can get to it. Vic: I’m willing to take that risk. I’ll roll a d20 … and I rolled a 6. But my Skill Bonus is 4, so that’s a total of 10. I rolled an Exchange. Brand: The car peels out, spattering gravel over you as you pick yourself up from where you landed. What now?

This is a general overview of the core die mechanic in Forthright. More specific Outcomes are found throughout this book.

Raises and Drops A Raise increases the Check result by one step. For example, from a Setback to an Exchange. Only one Raise may be applied to any given Check. Boons cannot be Raised further. A Drop reduces the Check result by one step. For example, from a Win to an Exchange. Only one Drop may be applied to any given Check. Setbacks cannot be Dropped further.

Setback Protection Some abilities provide Setback Protection in certain situations. If a character has Setback Protection on a Check, they can choose to consider a Setback Outcome an Exchange instead. Setback Protection can only be invoked after any Raises, Drops, and Boons are applied to the Check. Jamie: I’m going to leap over the chasm to give Val some help. Brand: Skill Check, same risks Val had. Jamie: I rolled a … Setback. That’s fine, I’m an Athlete. Brand: That was an athletic action, so you’re right – that’s an Exchange. You have avoided Injury! The car’s pulled far enough away that there’s no way you can leap onto it like Val’s done even now that you’re on this side.

16 • Rolling Dice

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Boons • • • • • •

Raise a Check result Drop a Check result Restore 5 Luck (PAGE 29) Deal 5 additional Harm (PAGE 87) Remove a Hindrance from yourself or an ally (PAGE 89) Shift from current Fighting Stance to another known Fighting Stance (PAGE 30) A spender can only spend a single Boon at a time. Only one Protagonist and one NPC can spend a Boon on a single action. The Boon can be spent before or after any Check rolls, but must be spent before the result of the action is described. Vic: I’m going to try and jump onto the back of the car. Brand: Bold move. That’s another Skill Check, but the driver’s going to spend a Boon to Drop your Check. Vic: Fine. I’ll spend a Boon to Raise it back to a normal Check. I’m determined. CJ: I want to spend a Boon to Raise Val’s Check again. Brand: You can’t. Only one Protagonist and one NPC can spend a Boon on a single action, and both of those are spent. Vic: Can I spend a second Boon to Raise my Check? Brand: Nope. One Boon only.

The Team begins each session with 1 Boon. The Guide begins each session with no Boons. A Boon token is earned when a Boon is rolled and is held until the Boon is spent. There is no cap on the number of Boons available, but all unspent Boons are lost at the end of the session.

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 Introduction

Boons can be spent to gain one of the following results:

Representing Difficulty A Check’s difficulty can be expressed by the severity of consequences for Setbacks and Exchanges. For example, MacGyvering a lock could break the lock, but MacGyvering a bomb could cause it to explode prematurely. Increased or decreased difficulty can also be represented by a Drop or Raise, respectively, applied to the Check. The Guide must announce prior to the roll whether a Drop or Raise will be applied to the result.

Retries and Teaming Up Multiple Checks for the same action (like picking a specific lock), by the same or different characters, are not allowed. If multiple characters want to work together to accomplish a single Skill Check, they announce this prior to rolling. If the Guide decides teaming up would in this case make sense, the character with the highest Skill Bonus may make a Raised Check to determine the Outcome.

18 • Rolling Dice

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SETUP AND   CHARACTER CREATION The following pages contain instructions to follow when starting a new game of Forthright and when advancing Protagonists through play.

Spencer Reed (Order #16031853)

G  AME SETUP Starting a game of Forthright involves first identifying the social and fictional expectations of everyone in the gaming group. These expectations are recorded on the Game Charter and are referenced frequently by the Guide to ensure the game remains on track. The Game Charter is the record of the social and fictional expectations of everyone in the gaming group. This sheet will be referenced frequently by the Guide to ensure the game remains on track.

Out of Bounds

The group identifies what they do not want to experience during the game. Out of Bounds is particularly useful for convention play and new groups. The items recorded here should be concrete and specific enough that everyone in the gaming group understands their meaning. This can also allow players to add creative restrictions and protection from clichés to the game. Some example Out of Bounds items are: • No mobile device use during the game • No racial or gendered slurs • No sexual danger • No zombies or giant spiders Any player can add any item to this list at any time. This section is not majority rule, and players do not need to explain why they’ve declared an item Out of Bounds.

Enforcing Social Rules All players are responsible for maintaining civility and respect. When Bounds are violated, the group discusses the infraction and how best to handle it. Particularly bad or frequent violations may require removing a player from the game. Punishment for real-life infractions should never be meted out in-game: behaviors inside and outside the game must be handled separately.

20 • Out of Bounds

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The Gamescape

The Guide identifies the Gamescape that will be used. This can include details such as geography, playable species populating the region, world history, and important NPCs and factions.

Everos has a pre-industrial society constantly torn apart by war as portals to other worlds open and invaders rush in to try and capture Everos’s lush magical resources. It’s currently ruled by the Emperor-Queen and her HaremKings, and is protected by the Wardens of the Star-Roads: powerful defenders who are often the first responders when portals open. There are dozens of different species in Everos, many left behind from previous invasions. The Automata are ruled by the Machine-Princes, the Draconid were some of the earliest rulers of the world, and the Dwarves are scholars from the frozen wastes – just to name a few.

Highlights Players highlight whatever most engages them in the Gamescape, providing the Guide with additional plot and story ideas. The players ask about any details that interest them and expand the world with their own Highlights. In this way, the Guide provides the framework and the players provide additional ornamentation. CJ: Tell me about the Automata, they sound interesting.

Brand: The Automata are robots, both humanoid and less so, who live in the Clockwork Kingdom. Machine-Prince is just their title for their leaders; they have no gender. CJ: I want there to be some shenanigans between the noble houses of the Automata that we deal with as we play. Brand: Like what?

CJ: Like, maybe they’re jockeying for the position of being the chief defense contractor for the Empire or something. Brand: Okay, I can see that.

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 Game Setup

Brand: The Gamescape is the World of Everos, a swordtechand-sorcery world with ancient magic, cutting-edge technology, and monsters.

When a player makes a suggestion, the Guide shapes it to fit within the Gamescape in a believable (or believable enough) fashion. The Guide must always consider how a suggestion could work in the Gamescape instead of rejecting it outright. The Guide must provide an alternative should they reject a suggestion. Jules: I really like the idea of the invasions. I want to be an advisor to the Emperor-Queen on how to handle them. Brand: I think that’s a little high up in the food chain. How about, instead, you’re a Sage Imperiex? That’s somebody who works for the Emperor-Queen instead of the Wardens and who serves as a liaison between them. Jules: I like it. And I’d like there to be some tension in that relationship. Maybe the Wardens aren’t entirely under her control and that’s a bit frustrating for her? Brand: I like that.

Challenges The Guide describes the major conflicts that the Protagonists may encounter. The other players give the Guide direction on the challenges that they are most excited to experience. There are three broad categories of challenges that the players will discuss and rank from most to least interesting: • Combat: The Protagonists will face more dangerous opposition when this is their focus. They will need to be ready to identify appropriate targets, manipulate battlefield terrain, and understand when to fight and when to retreat. • Intrigue: Focusing on intrigue means that the Protagonists will need to work harder to change NPCs’ minds. They will need to be ready to identify NPC desires, steer discussions, and both catch and use innuendo. • Mystery: The Protagonists will need to plan and investigate more if they focus on mystery. They will need to be ready to examine clues from multiple angles, work out puzzles, and find paths to victory that will not be immediately obvious.

22 • The Gamescape

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Most challenges are not solved by the abilities of the Protagonists alone; the players must understand when and how to best use the tactics outlined above. Jamie: I want to do a lot of fighting. Jules: I want there to be some Mystery, I’d like to delve into the secrets of the world. And Intrigue.

CJ: Intrigue and fighting, for me. Leave the puzzles to Jules. Brand: Okay, it sounds like you guys rank Combat highest. There’s a split on Intrigue and Mystery, though. Jamie: I’d rather talk than solve puzzles, does that help? Brand: It does. It looks like Intrigue is in the middle, and Mystery last. Jules: Eh. Brand: Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any, just that they’ll be more along the lines of reveals rather than head-scratchers. Jules: I can live with that.

The Guide can use this ranking of Challenges to help build events, NPCs and adventures (PAGE 153).

House Rules

Some groups will want to introduce House Rules: modifications of the Forthright system that change the way the game is played. Using House Rules to tweak the game to your liking is encouraged. Discuss House Rules first with all the members of the group. Write out any the group agrees to use on the Game Charter. This prevents anyone from being surprised by a rule working differently than they expect.

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 Game Setup

Vic: I don’t want to do a lot of talking, so Intrigue is the one I’m least interested in. Combat is my favorite.

Game Charter

The Game Charter is the record of setup and group expectations.

Game Name

OUT OF BOUNDS

HOUSE RULES

Out of Bounds (20)

House Rules (23)

GAMESCAPE

Gamescape (21) Highlights

Highlights (21) Challenges

COMBAT INTRIGUE MYSTERY

Challenges (22)

MORE HOUSE RULES

House Rules (23)

24 • Game Charter

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Game Charter End

The Powers of Everos Game Name

HOUSE RULES Superhuman Boosts are OK if described like a toy’s “action feature”

 Game Setup

OUT OF BOUNDS No sexual danger No racial/gendered slurs No zombies (other undead OK)

GAMESCAPE Everos; Ambersol City Swordtech-and-Sorcery Invaded frequently Highlights

Automata Politics Wardens vs. Emperor-Queen Challenges

Mysteries are OK if they don’t have to solve them

COMBAT INTRIGUE MYSTERY

MORE HOUSE RULES

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T  HE PROTAGONISTS The Protagonists are tough, competent members of a team with a common goal. Protagonists can be good, evil, or just muddling their way through a complex world – what matters is that the Protagonists are the heart of the story and will change the Gamescape for better or worse. Protagonists are created through the following steps: • Description: Determine what your Protagonist looks like and name your Protagonist (PAGE 27). • Principles: Determine what motivations and goals drive your Protagonist (PAGE 27). • Stats: Assign your Protagonist’s starting Check Bonuses between Fight, Talk, and Skill Checks (PAGE 29). • Fighting Stance: Select a Fighting Stance for your Protagonist (PAGES 30–32). • Persona: Select a Persona for your Protagonist (PAGES 33–34). • Skillset: Select a Skillset for your Protagonist (PAGES 35–36). • Boosts: Customize your Protagonist with 3 Boosts (PAGES 37–46). • Relationships: Identify a person or group in the Gamescape your Protagonist has a positive relationship with (PAGE 47). • Sanctuary: Identify a place within the Gamescape where your Protagonist feels safe (PAGES 48–51). Protagonists grow and adapt as they adventure, and you may discover new things about them as you play. You are not locked into the choices you make when you create a Protagonist.

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Description

Protagonists have unique personalities, appearances, and backstories that make them remarkable in some way. They are dynamic, active, and know what they want. Your Protagonist’s description is an opportunity to define what makes them cool, unique, and special. You don’t have to know everything about your Protagonist before play begins; as you encounter events in the story, you will discover new aspects of who they are.

Principles

The Protagonists work and fight together because they hope to accomplish something together. The Team’s purpose lets everyone know what the main goal of the game will be and tells the Guide what types of situations to present. This should be the first Principle recorded on every player’s Protagonist Sheet. CJ: So, why are we working together? Jules: Because we want to play the game. Brand: Seriously, though. This is a cue to me to let me know what you guys want to do, so I know what kinds of adventures to prepare for you instead of just “hole in the ground, kill monsters, get loot.” Jamie: You said there were portals and stuff that opened to other worlds, and sometimes Everos is invaded? Why not be something like first-responders? Vic: Oh, like we try to watch for portals and investigate them to see if they’re dangerous, and we’re the vanguard if they are? CJ: Oooh, I like that. Jules: Let’s call ourselves that. The Vanguard.

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 The Protagonists

Every Protagonist has Principles: motivations for adventuring and lines they will not cross. These are goals, beliefs, and reasons why the Protagonists work together. These Principles are the heart of characterization and the key to making a Protagonist feel less like a collection of stats and more like a living being.

THE SECRETS THAT YOU KEEP Even if the Protagonists have secrets from each other, those secrets should be shared between players to enhance the drama for everyone. Remember, you are all collaborating.

Protagonists should have at least 2 to 3 Principles at the beginning of play. These should be direct and not obvious “every adventurer would do this” material. A good Principle can be challenged; the Guide is responsible for bringing these Principles into conflict to discover which are more important to the Protagonists. Jamie: Okay, I’m thinking my character would be something like an adrenaline junkie: you know, a thrill-seeker, that sort of thing. Brand: Well, you’re an adventurer, so that’s kind of a given. That doesn’t really offer me anything to challenge, because you’re of course going to be doing amazing things. Jamie: I want to be the very best at what I do? Brand: Doesn’t everybody? Jamie: Okay, how about this: I will defend the weak from the strong. Brand: That has dramatic potential. Vic: I want to get rich or die trying. Brand: Skip the “or” there – that tells me what’s more valuable to you. You want to get rich. Vic: But isn’t the “die trying” what gives it tension? Brand: No, because it means we already know what’s more important. “I’ll give you a million dollars to cut off your arm.” Well, a million dollars is rich and cutting off your arm is less than dying, so grab that knife. Without “die trying,” we don’t know yet what’s more important; we discover how important wealth is to you, and finding out becomes part of the story.

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Keep in mind the Challenges the group wants to focus on when you develop your Principles. If the group wants to focus on combat, for instance, creating pacifistic Principles may cause conflict between the Team and your Protagonist. Talk with your group to ensure your Principles do not detract from the enjoyment of other players. Principles can change over time as Protagonists find new goals and set aside old motivations. This is an expected part of play and is essential to both character development and advancement (PAGE 58).

Starting Stats

• Mere Mortal: Protagonists at this level of play begin with a +0 in all Check Bonuses and 20 Luck. These characters are only slightly more capable than the average person, and are appropriate for horror, noir, or similar genres where the Protagonists are in over their heads. • Heroic: Protagonists at this level of play begin with a +2, a +1 and a +0 to distribute between Check Bonuses, and 30 Luck. These characters are significantly more skilled than the average person, and are appropriate for most genres where the Protagonists can face long odds and still come out victorious. • Superheroic: Protagonists at this level of play begin with a +6, a +3 and a +0 to distribute between Check Bonuses, and 50 Luck. These characters have great power compared to the average person, and are appropriate for epic games with Protagonists standing against godlike threats. Luck represents resilience in the face of combat and resistance to lingering Injury or Damage. Luck is eroded by near misses and fearful sights just as much as through cuts and bruises.

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 The Protagonists

The Check Bonuses and Luck the Protagonists begin play with depend on the level of power intended for the game. The group decides the power level from the following options. All Protagonists begin play at the same level.

Fighting Stances

Fighting Stances define the techniques characters can use to hurt their enemies in combat. Protagonists begin play with one Fighting Stance and may learn extra Fighting Stances by spending Boost Points (PAGE 58). Characters can only adopt one Fighting Stance at a time. They can shift from one Fighting Stance to another that they know as an Action (PAGE 85) or Exploit (PAGE 86), or by spending a Boon. The available Fighting Stances are:

Deadeye Deadeye Stance excels at heavy punishment from a distance. While in this stance, characters will want to remain far from the line of skirmish, as they cannot retaliate against enemies that close in on them. Harm Die: 1d10, Long Range attacks only Technique: When in Deadeye Stance, the character’s Fight Check Exchanges do not trigger Exploits. Jules: I’m aiming at the sniper and hurling a fireball. I rolled an Exchange and ... 7 Harm. Brand: The orange-red flame explodes against the wall next to the sniper’s head, raining pebbles across his vision. He tries to target you for a counterattack, but he can’t get a clear shot.

Guardian Guardian Stance protects allies by absorbing attacks. While in this stance, characters will want to remain near their teammates so they can jump in and take hits when needed. Harm Die: 1d8, Close Range attacks only Technique: When in Guardian Stance, the character can intercept harmful attacks targeting their allies. The Guardian must be Close to either the attacker or the target. Harm from intercepted attacks is halved (minimum 1), but the Guardian takes the damage and any Hindrances delivered by the attack.

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Brand: The ogre roars toward you, Val, and brings his chainsaw-axe down in a huge arc for ... Ouch. 12 Harm. Jamie: Intercept. I’m spending a Boon to switch immediately to Guardian Stance and jump in the way of that attack. Vic: Thanks, that would have Injured me. Jamie: “Nooooooo,” I yell in slow motion as I jump between the axe and Val. Brand: You hold your long-hammer up to catch the blow, taking 6 Harm. Val, you take nothing.

Juggernaut

Harm Die: 1d12, Close Range attacks only Technique: When in Juggernaut Stance, Harm the character deals beyond what is needed to Defeat a target can be applied to a different opponent up to Long Range on the battlefield. Jamie: Burning-Sky hits him with the long-hammer like he’s a polo ball. Clock. 11 Harm. Brand: Since you’re now in Juggernaut stance, you’ve done 2 more Harm than you needed to Defeat him – he only had 9 Luck left. Who do you want the rest to go to? Jamie: I look up at that sniper who’s been pestering us and roar at the top of my lungs like he’s next. Brand: He seems terrified, and takes 2 Harm.

Tactician Tactician Stance concentrates on optimizing the capabilities of the Team. While in this stance, characters deal light damage personally but can ensure their allies are in the best position on the battlefield. Harm Die: 1d4, Close and Long Range attacks

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 The Protagonists

Juggernaut Stance focuses on defeating nearby enemies as quickly as possible. While in this stance, characters will want to rush to the line of skirmish to maximize their offensive potential.

Technique: When in Tactician Stance, the character can Command allies to take Actions. The Tactician rolls any Checks required for the Command. The ally rolls their Harm Die if necessary. Setbacks rolled for Commands do not trigger Exploits. The Tactician suffers the results of Exploits from Exchanges. Vic: “Thelan. Target that sniper and fire.” Jules: Sounds good. Vic: My Fight Check is an Exchange. Jules: I roll 7 Harm. Brand: The fireball hits the sniper square in the chest. He flies backward, Defeated, but he gets off one last shot – hitting you, Val, for 3 Harm on the counterattack.

Whirlwind Whirlwind Stance applies its damage across the battlefield to overcome multiple opponents at once. While in this stance, characters can either take down weakened enemies or wear down strong ones. Harm Die: 1d6, Close and Long Range attacks Technique: When in Whirlwind Stance, the character can apply their Harm to two targets on the battlefield. The player may decide to roll one Harm die and apply it to both targets or roll two Harm dice, applying one die to each target. Whirlwind Stance only applies Harm to multiple targets; choosing to Hinder instead of Harm (PAGE 89) in this Stance applies the Hindrance to a single target only. The Hindering Strike Boost (PAGE 38) enhances this. Brand: There are three enemies left: two goons are covering their running leader. One of the goons is in bad shape. CJ: I can’t let him get away. I run past them, punching the hurt goon while firing my pulse cannon at the guy running away. Win. And ... 4 Harm to both. Brand: As you run by him, you clock the goon and drop him to the ground, Defeated. The purple-white pulse blast skirts the leader’s shoulder. He stumbles, but keeps going.

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Personas

Personas are how characters present themselves to different people and in different situations, improving their social capital in those circumstances. Protagonists begin play with one Persona and may learn extra Personas by spending Boost Points (PAGE 58). Players will work with the Guide to identify appropriate choices for their Personas. For example, “space truckers” may not be an option for Networkers in a purely fantasy setting.

Agent Agents are members of a Faction within the Gamescape. They can be commanded by higher-ranking members of the Faction. In turn, they can call upon the Faction’s resources when necessary. Technique: Choose a Faction within the Gamescape such as “Antares Star Navy” or “Wardens of the Star-Roads.” The character is an Operative of that Faction (PAGE 127), and has Setback Protection on Talk Checks with other members of that Faction.

Mingler Minglers are adept at communicating in certain situations. They often seek out these settings to make the most of their conversations. Technique: Choose a setting such as “at a party,” “during a formal dinner,” “in court,” “before an audience,” or “among a crowd.” While in that setting, the character has Setback Protection on all Talk Checks.

Networker Networkers associate themselves with a swath of people or creatures that share some general characteristics. They lean on these associates for aid and support.

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 The Protagonists

Unlike Fighting Stances, a character has access to all their Personas simultaneously and is not limited to communicating using only techniques that provide them Setback Protection (PAGE 16). The available Personas are:

Technique: Choose a loosely defined group in the Gamescape such as “space truckers,” “animals,” “survivors of the Xeros Incident,” or a Faction such as “Antares Star Navy.” The character and that group are Associates (PAGE 70). Additionally, the character has Setback Protection on Talk Checks with members of that group.

Orator Orators excel at a particular style of communication. They will often speak or gesture this way to get their point across. Technique: Choose a type of communicating such as “boasting,” “making a speech,” or even “raising one eyebrow sardonically.” When communicating in this manner, the character has Setback Protection on their Talk Checks.

TRUTH AND LIES Forthright social interaction doesn’t distinguish between fact and fiction. As a result, “telling the truth” and “lying” are not appropriate choices for the Orator’s Setback Protection.

Socializer Socializers are most comfortable speaking with people of certain social and economic station. They understand the concerns of that stratum and how to manipulate those concerns. Technique: Choose a Social Stratum (PAGE 65) from the following: High, Middle or Low (whichever is smaller within the Gamescape), or Outcast. When communicating with people of that Social Stratum, the character has Setback Protection on their Talk Checks.

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Skillsets

Skillsets identify how characters best interact with the environment. Protagonists begin play with one Skillset and may learn extra Skillsets by spending Boost Points (PAGE 58). Unlike Fighting Stances, a character has access to all their Skillsets simultaneously and is not limited to interacting with the environment only in ways that provide them Setback Protection (PAGE 16). The available Skillsets are:

Athlete Athletes excel at pushing their bodies to their limits. They leap, climb, hide in unusual spaces, swim, swing on vines, and ride other creatures without being concerned about hurting themselves.

Crafter Crafters are the most reliable developers of Boosts at low cost, whether they are making a healing potion, assembling a gun from spare parts, or creating a faster engine. Technique: Crafters have Setback Protection on Skill Checks to invent, MacGyver, and manufacture.

Infiltrator Infiltrators focus on getting into places they shouldn’t be. From stealth, to disguise, to making themselves not seem all that important, they will not be stopped from going where they’re not wanted. Technique: Infiltrators have Setback Protection on Skill Checks for maintaining a disguise and sneaking.

Investigator Investigators are adept at extracting and extrapolating information. They have a keen eye for detail, spotting trails and making deductions that help them better understand what’s happening around them.

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 The Protagonists

Technique: Athletes have Setback Protection on Skill Checks to perform athletic feats and Stunts (PAGE 93).

Technique: Investigators have Setback Protection on Skill Checks to gather information through knowledge, research, and tracking.

Transporter Transporters are highly skilled mount and Vehicle operators. Be it a gryphon, horse-drawn cart, or the most advanced spacecraft in the system, transporters can make it work and make it dance. Technique: Transporters have Setback Protection on Skill Checks to operate a Vehicle or mount, or to MacGyver a Vehicle or mount.

Basic Attributes

Forthright characters have the following attributes before buying Boosts. • Fuel: They need to consume fuel from the environment to survive. Examples are food and water for living creatures, energy cubes for machines, etc. • Locomotion: They move along the ground at approximately 4 miles (6.5 km) per hour and obey gravity. They might be able to levitate or flutter (if they are fairies, for example), but still follow the rise and fall of the land. • Respiration: They breathe the dominant atmosphere of the Gamescape whether it is air, water, or something more exotic. This might keep them alive or keep them cool (if they are robots, for example). • Rest: They must rest periodically, whether to sleep, meditate, or recharge their batteries. • Senses: They have the equivalent of a human being’s senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. • Social Position: They are free and contributing members of society, making them part of the Middle Social Stratum (PAGE 66). • Strength: They are capable of lifting, carrying, and dragging significant weight. The specific amount is left deliberately vague because this only matters when dramatically appropriate. These basic attributes enable any character to operate within the Gamescape without spending Boosts.

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A NOTE ABOUT MEASUREMENTS Throughout this book, both USC and Metric values are indicated. The Metric values are rounded for ease of use. These measurements are provided to help players visualize distances, and more accuracy is not needed.

Boosts

Players and Guides must incorporate their Boosts into the fiction of the game. This is done at the time the Boost is purchased or can be discovered through play. CJ: I think Everlasting works for Prince Solenoid. I’m a robot, so I don’t need to eat or drink. Jamie: I want Burning-Sky to have Beast Tongue. I don’t know why I can talk to animals, though. Brand: Maybe you have a secret heritage, or a magical gift. Jamie: Maybe. Let’s say it’s a secret magical gift, but I don’t know how I got it. That should give you something to work with, Brand.

All Boosts cost one Boost Point. Some Boosts can be purchased multiple times, with each purchase providing a different option. The Guide may choose to restrict some Boosts in the following lists as inappropriate to the Gamescape. The lists on the following pages do not contain all the possible Boosts that can exist in Forthright; use them as a model for creating your own Boosts to record in your House Rules.

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 The Protagonists

Boosts provide characters with additional abilities that set them apart from everyone else in the Gamescape. Boosts can be innate powers, special equipment, or secret techniques and may be magical, psionic, or scientific in nature. All Protagonists begin play with 3 Boosts and can purchase additional Boosts for themselves, their Minions, or their Sanctuaries with Boost Points (PAGE 58).

Abilities

These Boosts provide Protagonists with new and unusual powers. BOOST

MECHANIC

Acuity

You can recognize targets at Extreme Range and your Hearing and Listening ranges are increased by one step (PAGE 118).

Beast Tongue

You can speak with animals.

Danger Sense

You can feel the presence of and target any opponents in Close Range even if Blinded.

Darkvision

You can see in the dark without issue.

Extra Limb

You have an extra grasping limb.

Hindering Strike

Choose a Hindrance (PAGE 89). You can both Harm and Hinder a single target with that Hindrance. Applying more than 1 Hindrance, or applying the Hindrance to an additional target (in Whirlwind Stance), costs 1 Boon per additional Hindrance or target.

Now You Don’t

You can hide in combat as a Stunt.

Persist Harm

The target of your Harmful attack continues to take 1d6 Harm at the end of every Turn until an Action is taken to end the effect.

Rally

Choose a Hindrance (PAGE 89). You can recover from this Hindrance for free when you take another Action.

Secret Pocket

You can hide objects no larger than your palm on yourself in an undetectable way.

Strong Like Bull

Your Skill Checks to perform feats of strength are Raised.

Trample

You can deal 1d6 Harm to a single target in Close Range without a Fight Check as you move.

Twist Like Cat

You can fit into extremely tight spaces and falls do not Injure you.

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Advancement Only The Boosts in this list are not available at character creation, but may be purchased once Boost Points are earned through play. All Boosts in this list may be purchased multiple times. MECHANIC

Eureka Moment

Do not choose a Boost. Instead, you may choose a Boost mid-session to replace this. You may only purchase one Eureka Moment at a time.

Fighting Stance

Choose an additional Fighting Stance you do not already have.

Increase Bonus

Choose a Check (Fight, Talk, or Skill) that has suffered a Setback. Increase that Check Bonus by 1. Check Bonuses can be increased to a maximum of +7.

Persona

Choose an additional Persona you do not already have.

Recovery

Remove an Injury you are currently suffering.

Skillset

Choose an additional Skillset you do not already have.

Wealth

Gain 6 Wealth.

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 The Protagonists

BOOST

Allies and Contacts

These Boosts provide new options for interacting with NPCs. BOOST

MECHANIC

Boost Friend

Choose an Abilities, Environmental, or Superhuman Boost you have. Anyone else with that Boost who recognizes you have it will treat you as a Friend.

Confidant

Your Comrades and Friends (PAGE 70) come to you for advice before consulting anyone else.

High and Mighty

Increase your Social Status to High.

Boons These Boosts provide new options for earning and spending Boons. BOOST

MECHANIC

Assembly Line

Spend a Boon to resolve +1d6 Complexity in a workweek for a Project (PAGE 112).

Forgettable

Spend a Boon on a target of your Talk Check to prevent them from identifying you, the Team, or what you wanted after you’ve left.

Inspire

Spend a Boon to add a motivation to a target of your Talk Check that does not contradict one of their existing motivations.

Moment of Triumph

Earn a Boon when you Injure or Defeat (PAGE 87) an opponent.

Your Lying Eyes

Spend a Boon to ensure that your disguise is remembered perfectly in minute detail by witnesses.

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Environmental These Boosts provide environmental adaptation and locomotive abilities. MECHANIC

Fast

You can travel twice as fast when not in combat and Raise any speed-based Chase Checks (PAGE 101).

Environmental Adaptation

Choose an unusual environment for the Gamescape (arctic, underwater, volcanic, etc.). You can operate in that environment without ill effects.

Unusual Locomotion

Choose an unusual form of travel for the Gamescape (burrowing, climbing, flying, swimming, etc.). You can travel at your normal speed in and out of combat when using this form of locomotion.

Exploits These Boosts provide new options for Exploiting and being Exploited (PAGE 86). BOOST

MECHANIC

Marshal the Field

When you can Exploit an opponent, you can allow an ally in Close Range to Exploit your target on your behalf instead.

Parry

When you are Exploited with a Counterattack, you regain 1d6 Luck.

Retaliate

When you Counterattack on Exploit, you deal an additional 1d6 Harm.

Run for Cover

When you Reposition on Exploit, you can move up to 60 feet (20 meters).

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 The Protagonists

BOOST

Superhuman Players must get permission from the Guide to purchase Boosts in the following list, as these Boosts provide extraordinarily powerful abilities. BOOST

MECHANIC

Elemental Control

Choose an element: Earth, Fire, Ice, Water, Wind, or Wood. You can create, disintegrate, or manipulate a 5-foot (1.5 meter) cube of this material within Long Range as an Action. You can take this Boost multiple times to increase the area of effect or to choose a new element.

Everlasting

You do not need to eat or rest.

Ghost

You can become immaterial as an Action. While immaterial, you can pass through solid objects. You can become material again as an Action.

Illusion

You can create an illusion in a 5-foot (1.5 meter) cube within Long Range. Concentrating on an illusion is an Action. Your illusion appears real to all senses while you concentrate and for up to a minute after. You can take this Boost multiple times to increase the area of effect.

Increase Luck

Increase your Luck by 5, to a maximum of 50 Luck.

Increase Stance Harm

Choose a Fighting Stance. You deal one step greater Harm to a single target when in this Stance, in this order: 1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 (Max). You can take this Boost multiple times to increase the Harm, apply the Harm to a second target (for Whirlwind Stance), or choose a new Fighting Stance.

Sense

Choose something you would not normally be able to sense (such as magic or psychic energy). You can now sense this at vision distances.

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MECHANIC

Strong Attack

Your attacks can Harm targets with Strong Defense.

Strong Defense

You can only be Harmed by attackers with Strong Attack or Ultra Attack.

Telekinetic

You can move characters and objects at up to Long Range as if physically touching them.

Telepathic

You can mentally communicate with other creatures up to Long Range.

Teleport

You can move from one location to another without crossing the intervening space. You can move up to 330 feet (100 meters) as an Action.

Ultra Attack

Requires Strong Attack. Your attacks can Harm targets with Strong Defense or Ultra Defense.

Ultra Defense

Requires Strong Defense. You can only be Harmed by attackers with Ultra Attack.

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 The Protagonists

BOOST

Minions Minions are creatures, machines, or people dedicated to serving a single character. If serving a Protagonist, these NPCs are controlled by a player but may be roleplayed by the Guide. Minions begin with a +0 in all Check Bonuses and 10 Luck. Protagonists can earn Minions through play by befriending NPCs willing to become their Minions, summoning or constructing a Minion (PAGE 111), or by spending Boost Points to purchase a specific type of Minion. Minions can be improved by purchasing Boosts for them from the Abilities, Environmental and Minion lists. Minions are limited because they should not overshadow their master. They do not get their own Actions in combat, but their master can Command them from the Tactician Fighting Stance. As a result, Minions use their master’s Fight Bonus. Some Minions are not trained to fight and cannot be Commanded to do so. Minions of Protagonists, if Defeated, suffer no Injury and regenerate after combat (PAGE 95).

DEATH AND MINIONS

If a Protagonist’s Minion is knowingly directed to certain death (“Shield us from that bomb with your body”), the Minion and any Boost Points spent on that Minion are lost until the next Retrospective (PAGE 46). Knowingly sacrificing a sentient Minion is a Deed of Legend (PAGE 68). Minions react to forced sacrifice based on their fictional nature. Living Minions are loath to sacrifice themselves and unwilling to work for a master who is willing to sacrifice them. Summoned Minions may not have a choice and be resentful, while constructs may not care. Protagonists may find themselves unable to acquire new Minions if they are known for sacrificing them.

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MECHANIC

Increase Minion Bonus

Increase a single Minion’s Talk or Skill Bonus by 1, to a maximum of +4.

Increase Minion Luck

Increase a single Minion’s Luck by 5, to a maximum of 20 Luck.

Minion: Bodyguard

This Minion deals 1d6 Harm in Close Range and can take Harm from Exploits on your behalf.

Minion: Emissary

Choose a Persona. This Minion has that Persona and will perform tasks for you, but will Retreat immediately from combat.

Minion: Fighter

This Minion deals 1d10 Harm in Close Range.

Minion: Mount

This Minion can be ridden and travels twice as fast as the Protagonist when not in combat.

Minion: Professional

Choose a Skillset. This Minion has that Skillset and will perform tasks for you, but will Retreat immediately from combat.

Minion: Ranger

This Minion deals 1d8 Harm in Long Range.

Minion: Scout

This Minion can fly and moves at 2x default speed. You can see through its senses, but it will Retreat immediately from combat.

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 The Protagonists

BOOST

Vic is playing Val Darrin, a Tactician. Vic wants to ensure Val always has someone to command, so Vic purchases the Minion: Fighter Boost. Val names this Minion “Whip Hartley,” and commands Whip in battle when it is more advantageous to command Whip than another Protagonist. Over time, Vic purchases the “Improve Minion Luck” Boost twice, giving Whip a total of 20 Luck, to ensure Whip lasts longer in a fight.

Boost Combos Characters may want powers and abilities that are combinations of Boosts. When this happens, they can buy each Boost individually and “build up” their power, or they can wait and buy all the Boosts at once. Jules: I want to be able to shoot a ball of acid. I’m thinking it would be a Strong Attack that does Persist Harm. Brand: Okay, that would deal the same damage as your normal attack and cost 2 Boost Points.

Losing Boosts If, through play, a character loses a Boost or Boost Combo (perhaps because it was fictionally tied to a tool that has been destroyed), any Boost Points spent on it are refunded. Crafted Boosts (PAGE 111) are not refunded. Refunded Points can be spent during the next Retrospective. Through the course of an adventure, Val Darrin’s Minion Whip Hartley died to protect Val from an explosion. The explosion also destroyed Prince Solenoid’s jetpack, removing his Unusual Locomotion (Flight) Boost. For the rest of the session, those two Protagonists do not have the use of those Boosts. Vic had spent 3 total Boost Points on Whip, and CJ spent 1 Boost Point on Unusual Locomotion (Flight). At the end of the session, Vic is refunded 3 Boost Points to spend on new Boosts, and CJ is refunded 1 Boost Point.

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Character Templates

The Guide can help players build their characters quickly by presenting pre-selected options to represent different species and careers. Some examples of this include: Imperial Guard (Career): Guardian Fighting Stance, Agent (Imperial Guard) Persona, Athlete Skillset Sailor (Career): Whirlwind Fighting Stance, Networker (Sailors) Persona, Athlete Skillset Stormbringer (Career): Deadeye Fighting Stance, Agent (Stormbringers) Persona, Transporter Skillset Aven (Species): Fast, Unusual Locomotion (Flight – Wings) Dwarf (Species): Darkvision, Twist Like Cat

Character templates are a quick character-creation tool and are not intended to lock Protagonists into specific options: not every member of a species or every person in a career has the same skills and talents.

Relationships

All Protagonists have Friends and Associates (PAGE 70) within the Gamescape. These NPCs can be contacts, family, favored merchants, and the like. Each Protagonist can create one or more allies with help from the Guide to ensure they fit within the Gamescape. The Guide determines the game stats for these characters (PAGE 155) and is responsible for ensuring they have a role to play in the Team’s story. Jules: I want to be a familiar face around the court of Thyre. Brand: Okay, that means you probably know, say, the Thunderhead and the High Thunders, his nobles. Jules: I want to be friends with one of the High Thunders. But because neither of us like the Thunderhead, we’re like secretly working against him. Gronthar Kabe is his name. Brand: I can work with that.

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 The Protagonists

Draconid (Species): Extra Limb (Tail), Strong Like Bull

The Team, over the course of their story, will develop additional relationships with NPCs. Some of these will be positive and mutually beneficial, while others will be negative and mutually antagonistic. The strength of relationships is defined by how much characters are willing to risk or sacrifice for each other (PAGE 78). Relationships between NPCs and the Team are always reciprocal. If a character is willing to take risks for the Team, for example, that character will generally also expect the Team to be willing to take risks in return.

Sanctuary

All Protagonists have somewhere in the Gamescape where they are safe, a home when they are not adventuring. These Sanctuaries can be Vehicles or Structures. Each Protagonist can begin with a personal Sanctuary, or the Protagonists can combine their efforts and have a Team Sanctuary. The Team may also develop a Sanctuary during play (for example, if they capture a castle and decide to outfit it as their new base of operations). Vic: I want a spaceship that I can pilot. Jules: How about we all have one really awesome Sanctuary? CJ: It can be a spaceship, a big one. I’m cool with that. Vic: But I wanted one of my own, that I can race around in. Jamie: Why don’t we have like a big flying fortress kind of thing, with a shuttle or something for Vic? Can we do that? Brand: You can. Vic: Let’s do that.

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A Sanctuary begins with a single Boost chosen by the Protagonist from the list of Vehicle or Structure Boosts as appropriate. If the Team has selected a joint Sanctuary, each Protagonist adds a Boost to the Team Sanctuary. Sanctuaries can be improved by spending Boost Points (PAGE 58). Brand: So, you all have a single Sanctuary, a large spaceship. Vic, your Boost is your Launch, okay? Vic: That works. Jamie: It should have weapons. Like, gun turrets that we can use to defend the ship. Brand: Okay, that’s Weapon Turrets and that deals 1d6 Harm.

Jules: And it should be our home, so let’s make sure to have living quarters. Brand: That’s a given, so go ahead and pick something else. Jules: Let’s improve those Weapon Turrets to 1d8, then. Brand: And that’s a Boost from each of you. You should give it a name. Vic: Thunderwing.

The Guide may add up to 3 Boosts to a Sanctuary for no cost to better fit the Sanctuary into the Gamescape or to give it usefulness in situations the Guide expects the Team to face.

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 The Protagonists

CJ: We’ll need Sensors so we can target enemies that aren’t right on top of us.

Structures Structures are buildings that can act as frames for Boosts. Structures can be as small as one-room houses and as large as skyscrapers. Size directly relates to a Structure’s Luck in resisting Damage. Determine the Luck and Defense of a Structure before Boosts as follows: • 5 or fewer Chambers: 10 Luck per Chamber • 6 or more Chambers and 5 or fewer Floors/Decks: Strong Defense, 10 Luck per Floor/Deck • More than 5 Floors/Decks: Ultra Defense, 50 Luck Larger buildings are more difficult to Damage because they must be stable and well-built to stand. Some example buildings include: Medieval Wooden House: 10 Luck Modern Single-Story House: 10 Luck, Strong Defense Modern Skyscraper: 50 Luck, Ultra Defense

Structures can be improved through Boosts in the form of equipment mounted on the Structure such as security cameras or through chambers that provide specialized functionality. Available Structure Boosts include: BOOST

MECHANIC

Hangar

The Structure has support facilities for Vehicles, and one Vehicle. The Vehicle defaults to a single-pilot unarmed Vehicle, but can be upgraded with Boosts.

Homing Weapon

The Structure has homing weapons that deal 1d4 Harm. Firing requires an Action but no Check; the weapon will hit the target on the target’s next Action unless Countermeasures are used. They are effective in Short and Long Range.

Increase Structure Luck

Increase the Structure’s Luck by 5, to a maximum of 50 Luck.

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MECHANIC

Increase Weapon Harm

Choose a weapon mounted on the Structure. The weapon does one step greater Harm, in this order: 1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 (Max). You can take this Boost multiple times to increase the Harm or choose a new weapon.

Laboratory

Personnel can get a Raise on invention Skill Checks.

Luxury

Personnel can get a Raise on Talk Checks with guests impressed by luxurious surroundings.

Panic Room

There is a chamber in the Structure that prevents Injury to its occupants in case the Structure is destroyed.

Secret Lair

Structure Only. The Structure has been hidden so well it can only be found by those who already know where it is.

Security Sensors

Characters suffer a Drop on Skill Checks when sneaking in or around the Structure.

Strong Attack

Choose a weapon mounted on the Structure. The weapon can Harm targets with Strong Defense.

Strong Defense

The Structure can only be damaged by Strong Attacks or Ultra Attacks.

Ultra Attack

Choose a weapon mounted on the Structure with Strong Attack. The weapons can Harm targets with Strong Defense or Ultra Defense.

Ultra Defense

Requires Strong Defense. The Structure can only be damaged by Ultra Attacks.

Weapon Turrets

These weapons require a Fight Check from the gunner to fire and deal 1d6 Harm in any firing arc. Each purchase of this Boost provides an additional turret for an additional gunner. Each turret is effective in either Short or Long Range, chosen when this Boost is purchased.

Workshop

Personnel can get a Raise on manufacturing Skill Checks.

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BOOST

Vehicles Vehicles are mobile frames for Boosts that can transport characters through the Gamescape. Vehicles can be as small as motorcycles and as large as interstellar starships. Size directly relates to a Vehicle’s Luck in resisting Damage. Determine the Luck and Defense of a Vehicle before Boosts as follows: • 10 or fewer Occupants: 5 Luck per Occupant • 11 – 200 Occupants: Strong Defense, 5 Luck per 20 Occupants (or part thereof) • More than 200 Occupants: Ultra Defense, 50 Luck Larger Vehicles are more difficult to Damage because their Subsystems (such as propulsion and communication) are distributed over a wider area. Some example Vehicles include: Wooden Cart: 30 Luck Modern Passenger Bus: 15 Luck, Strong Defense Modern Jumbo Jet: 50 Luck, Ultra Defense

Vehicles can be improved through Boosts in the form of equipment mounted on the Vehicle. Larger Vehicles, like airplanes or spacecraft, can have Structure Boosts as well as Vehicle Boosts. Available Vehicle Boosts include: BOOST

MECHANIC

Comm Array*

The Vehicle has two-way external communications.

Countermeasures*

The pilot can use an Action to make a Skill Check to maneuver and avoid all incoming Homing Weapons with the following Outcomes: ▲▲ Win: Dodge, Vehicle takes no Harm ●● Exchange: Early detonation, Vehicle takes half Harm (minimum 1) ▼▼ Setback: Hit, Vehicle takes full Harm

*Targetable Subsystem

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MECHANIC

Escape Pods

Escape Pods for all passengers and crew, preventing Injury in case the Vehicle is destroyed.

Fixed Weapons*

These weapons require a maneuver Skill Check from the pilot instead of a Fight Check to fire and deal 1d6 Harm. They are effective in Short and Long Range.

Homing Weapon*

The Vehicle has homing weapons that deal 1d4 Harm. Firing requires an Action but no Check; the weapon will hit the target on the target’s next Action unless Countermeasures are used. They are effective in Short and Long Range.

Increase Vehicle Luck

Increase the Vehicle’s Luck by 5, to a maximum of 50 Luck.

Increase Weapon Harm

Choose a weapon mounted on the Vehicle. The weapon does one step greater Harm, in this order: 1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 (Max). You can take this Boost multiple times to increase the Harm or choose a new weapon.

Launch*

A separate Vehicle is attached to the Vehicle and can be operated independently. The Launch defaults to a single-pilot unarmed Vehicle, but can be upgraded with Boosts.

Maneuverability

The pilot can get a Raise on Skill Checks when maneuvering or performing Vehicle Stunts.

MultiEnvironmental

Choose an additional environment (space, underwater, etc.). The Vehicle can be operated safely in this environment.

*Targetable Subsystem

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 The Protagonists

BOOST

BOOST

MECHANIC

Repair Damage

Choose a Disabled Subsystem on the Vehicle. The Subsystem is restored to full functionality. This Boost can be taken multiple times.

Sensors*

Detect other Vehicles at Extreme range. Target other Vehicles at Close and Long Range. Only needed when occupants’ senses are insufficient.

Shields*

Shields prevent other Subsystems from being targeted. The first time the Vehicle reaches 0 Luck in a combat, Shields are Crippled and other Subsystems become targetable. Shields cannot be repaired during combat.

Smuggling Compartment

There is a secret compartment in the Vehicle that cannot be detected when it is sealed.

Stealth

Vehicle Only. The pilot can get a Raise on Skill Checks to sneak the Vehicle past observation.

Strong Attack

Choose a weapon mounted on the Vehicle. The weapon can Harm targets with Strong Defense.

Strong Defense

The Vehicle can only be damaged by Strong Attacks or Ultra Attacks.

Ultra Attack

Choose a weapon mounted on the Vehicle with Strong Attack. The weapon can Harm targets with Strong Defense or Ultra Defense.

Ultra Defense

Requires Strong Defense. The Vehicle can only be damaged by Ultra Attacks.

Weapon Turrets*

These weapons require a Fight Check from the gunner to fire and deal 1d6 Harm in any firing arc. Each purchase of this Boost provides an additional turret for an additional gunner. Each turret is effective in either Short or Long Range, chosen when this Boost is purchased.

*Targetable Subsystem

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VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS

Vehicles have Subsystems that can be used by their occupants and targeted by attackers. Not every Vehicle has every Subsystem. New Subsystems may be added to a Vehicle by spending Boost Points. Common Subsystems in Vehicles are:

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 The Protagonists

• Boosts: Vehicle Boosts marked with an asterisk count as targetable Subsystems. If such a Boost has been purchased multiple times, each separate purchase is targetable. • Life Support: The Vehicle operates in an environment incompatible with the occupants. This is provided for free on Vehicles that need it, such as spacecraft and submarines. • Powerplant: The Vehicle has enough power to keep all its subsystems operational. This is provided for free on all Vehicles and cannot be targeted. • Propulsion: The Vehicle can move through the environment for which it is designed. This is provided for free on all Vehicles.

Protagonist Sheet

The Protagonist Sheet records information about a single Protagonist. PROTAGONIST: Description Principles

21 - 27 14 - 20 8 - 13 1-7

BOOSTS AND INJURIES

STATS +

Boon Win Exchange Setback

Setback Marker (16)

Fight Luck

Check Bonus (29)

Long

Deadeye

d10

Guardian

d8

Close

Juggernaut

d12

Close

Tactician

d4

All

Whirlwind

d6

All

Unused Boost Points (58) Weath (64)

Luck (29)

! +

Talk

+

Skill

Boosts (37) and Injuries (87)

Fighting Stance, Harm Die, and Range (30)

SANCTUARY

MINIONS Name:

Sanctuary Boosts (48) Minion Type (45) Minion Check Bonuses (44)

Role:

+ !

+

d

+

d

+

d

+

d

Range

Name: Role:

+ !

Range

Name: Role:

Minion Luck (45)

+ !

Range

Name: Role:

Minion Harm Die (45) NOTES

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+ !

Range

Protag 2 PROTAGONIST: Val Darrin

Human, with dark hair and light blue eyes. Wears a maroon coat and sci-fi goggles Investigate new portals and deal with their dangers Get rich

Description Principles

21 - 27 14 - 20 8 - 13 1-7

Boon Win Exchange Setback

BOOSTS AND INJURIES

STATS + 2 Fight

30 Luck

8

Agent (Wardens of the Star Roads) Transporter

Bum Leg: Push vs me is raised

Acuity

Long

d10

Guardian

d8

Close

Juggernaut

d12

Close

Tactician

d4

All

Whirlwind

d6

All

Eureka Moment

 The Protagonists

Deadeye

! +1

Talk

+ 4 Skill

SANCTUARY Thunderwing Launch

1 1d8 weapon turret Sensors

20 Luck

MINIONS Name: Whip Hartley Role: Fighter + 0!

+0

d10

+

d

+

d

+

d

Close Range

20

Name: Role:

+ !

Range

Name: Role:

+ !

Range

Name: Role:

+ !

Range

NOTES

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Advancement

Protagonists grow and change through the course of their story, earning new Boosts to improve their flexibility and power. At the end of every Session, during the Retrospective, the gaming group collectively determines the answers to the following questions: • Did a Protagonist have character development? This includes gaining or abandoning Principles, choosing one Principle over another, or discovering something new about a Protagonist. • Did the Team discover or accomplish something significant? This includes learning about important Plot developments or performing any Deeds of Renown (PAGE 68). • Did the Team collaborate with a Faction or Major NPC? This requires discovering or accomplishing something significant in conjunction with or on behalf of a Faction or Major NPC. If the group can answer YES to any one of those questions, then all Protagonists gain a Boost Point that can be spent on a Boost immediately or saved for later. If the group can answer YES to all three of those questions, then all Protagonists gain an additional Boost Point. Boost Points can only be spent during a Retrospective. The Guide keeps track of how many Boost Points the Team earns through Advancement, as this is important when new Protagonists join the Team (PAGE 60).

Learning from Mistakes A Check Bonus can only be increased if a Protagonist has suffered a Setback Outcome from that Check. This Setback cannot have been mitigated by Setback Protection or by spending a Boon. During the Retrospective, the Protagonist can buy the Increase Bonus Boost for that Check. The Increase Bonus Boost for that Check cannot be purchased again until the Protagonist suffers another Setback Outcome from that Check.

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CJ: I’m going to spend a point on Increase Bonus for my Fight Check. I got that nasty Setback that cost me a jetpack. Brand: Okay. Vic: I’m going to spend a point on Increase Bonus for my Skill Check. I rolled that Setback when we were chasing that space fighter. Brand: Yeah, but you used your Setback Protection to negate it, remember? You only learn by suffering the effects of a Setback, not just by rolling it.

Retraining

The End of a Protagonist

A Protagonist might begin to follow a different path than the rest of the Team, die, or suffer such grievous wounds that their adventuring must end. The end of a Protagonist does not mean their player’s participation in the story must also end.

Becoming an Adversary Should a conflict between the Protagonists escalate to a point where a Protagonist begins sabotaging the Team’s purpose or attempting to hurt the other Protagonists, that Protagonist is removed from play and becomes an NPC under the control of the Guide. The group should then assess whether the player will continue to participate in the game.

Death A Protagonist can die if their player feels it is dramatically appropriate. If the player does not want their Protagonist to die, Player and Guide work together to determine how the Protagonist survives.

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If a Protagonist determines that a Boost they possess isn’t satisfactory, they can trade it for another Boost during the Retrospective. Only one Boost may be traded per Protagonist per Retrospective. Boosts may not be traded for Boost Points or to remove an Injury.

Retirement A Protagonist may choose to retire from the story. The character becomes an NPC and a Comrade of the Team recorded on the Team’s Relationship list.

Changing Team Members

Whenever the group gains or loses a player, step through Setup again to determine how the change in membership affects the Team’s purpose and the other Protagonists.

Creating a New Character A player can create a new Protagonist to join the Team. The gaming group works together to ensure the new Protagonist joins the Team without entirely changing the feel and scope of the game. This is an opportunity to re-assess and re-emphasize the Game Charter. New Protagonists follow the normal Protagonist creation rules, and begin with extra Boost Points equal to what the existing Protagonists have earned through Advancement. They may purchase the Increase Bonus Boost, but only with their extra Boost Points. They may not have a higher Bonus in any Check than the existing Protagonists’ highest Check Bonus in any Check.

REPLACING PROTAGONISTS

Death and retirement should not be mechanically preferable to suffering Injury (PAGE 87). If a player replaces their Protagonist that has died or retired, the new character should begin play with one of the following: • Fewer Boost Points: The new Protagonist has a Boost Point deduction equal to the old Protagonist’s number of Injuries. • Starting Injuries: The new Protagonist has the old Protagonist’s number of Injuries. • Fewer Boosts, Some Injuries: A combination of the above.

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Replacing a Protagonist should be an unusual event. If the Guide feels the Protagonist’s departure was dramatically appropriate and neatly resolved the Protagonist’s story, the above penalties may be waived. CJ decides to retire Prince Solenoid after many sessions. At the time of Solenoid’s retirement, the Team had earned 23 Boost Points through Advancement and Solenoid had 1 Injury. CJ’s new Protagonist will enter the game with 25 Boosts: 3 starting Boosts + 23 Advancement Boost Points – 1 Injury. Jamie’s Protagonist Burning-Sky has the highest Check Bonus at +4 Fight, so CJ’s new Protagonist can have a maximum of +4 in any Check Bonus.

An NPC that the Team has a Relationship with can become a Protagonist if the gaming group approves. When an NPC becomes a Protagonist, they are adjusted to have the same number of Boosts as the other Protagonists. The Guide should ensure that the Boosts the character has reflect the character’s depiction so far in the game. Because the NPC already had existing backstory and motivations, the Guide must share those with the player to preserve consistency. Once the character is made a Protagonist, they are removed from the Team’s Relationship list and the Guide no longer decides how to play the character.

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 The Protagonists

Taking over an Existing Character

DISCOVERY AND   DANGER With Setup complete, the Protagonists are ready to adventure in the Gamescape. They will change and be changed by what they encounter in the fictional world. This section describes the mechanics behind how the Protagonists’ activities can impact the story.

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C  IVILIZATION The people of the Gamescape are more than just quest-givers to be heeded or opponents to be slain. They have their own complex goals and motivations, their own histories, and their own interactions when the Protagonists are away. Everyone within the Gamescape lives in a society, and those societies behave in ways that reflect their members. They all have different social mores, and part of play is identifying what behaviors are appropriate in these civilizations by picking up on clues provided by the Guide. The Gamescape will not accept what the Protagonists do simply because they are the Protagonists. The more they flout the general social morality and legal authority, the more damage they will do to their reputations. The Protagonists are the center of the story, but they are not the center of the world.

Law and Lawlessness

Orderly societies tend to have structures in place through which the people have ways of helping themselves. Protagonists may need to be deputized in order to act with impunity toward their enemies there, and killing tends to be considered an option of last resort. Chaotic societies must often hire mercenaries to handle difficulties, with a generally weak populace and authority centered around a few individuals powerful enough to claim it. Protagonists (and their enemies) are often free to act as they feel appropriate there.

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 Civilization

Societies tend to be organized by rule of law or rule of arms. The rule of law creates societies where individuals look out for each other and try to work out their problems through conversation. The rule of arms creates societies where individuals are out for themselves and work out their problems through violence. Some societies may even be stratified, with different rules governing different social strata.

Wealth

Assets are not tracked on a coin-for-coin basis. Characters have financial resources appropriate to their Social Stratum and can afford to pay for the upkeep of their lifestyle in that Stratum. Wealth in Forthright represents abstracted currency spent on goods and services that are unusual, story-impacting, or more expensive than the Protagonists’ Social Strata allow. Wealth is accumulated through play by providing goods and services to NPCs. Protagonists can exchange 6 Wealth for 1 Boost or Boost Point. Characters can pool their Wealth to directly purchase goods, services, and Boosts for a Team Sanctuary, but not for purchasing Boost Points.

RESOURCE TRACKING To keep the action moving, supplies like ammo, food, and fuel are not tracked.

Barter Purchasers who want to try and barter wealth for goods and services may do so if the provider is willing. If so, the purchaser can make a Talk Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The price is decreased by 1d4 Wealth to a minimum

of 1. ●● Exchange: The price is unchanged. ▼▼ Setback: The price is increased by 1d4 Wealth.

Bribery Characters can bribe characters of lower Social Strata without spending Wealth, but must spend Wealth to bribe characters of equal or higher Social Strata.

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Prices Prices in the Gamescape are set by the Guide, though purchasers might barter those prices up or down. In general, services that require some time and effort or a Check are worth 1d4 Wealth. A service that puts the provider at some risk is worth 1d6 Wealth, while grave danger raises the price to 1d8 Wealth. When being paid for their services, each Protagonist on the Team earns the Wealth listed above. The price of goods is determined by the amount of effort required to make them. NPCs sell crafted goods for a base price of 1 Wealth per Complexity (PAGE 111).

Social Strata

Social Strata in Forthright are abstracted so the same strata can reflect vastly different societies. Each Stratum has an associated lifestyle it can afford and operates within different social circles than the other Strata. There are five Social Strata, listed here from highest to lowest. These are people whose extraordinary wealth or political power allow them to stand above the law. They might be heads of state, CEOs of major corporations, or leaders of influential churches. There are very few Sovereigns in any society, and they typically act to keep it that way. The Emperor-Queen of the Free Empire has made it clear she will tolerate no other sovereigns – even the Money-Barons bow to her will. Only the Wardens of the Star-Roads operate without risking her interference.

Sovereigns have one or more palaces or mansions, travel freely without regard to expense, can purchase virtually anything they choose, and operate with a staff of potentially hundreds including bodyguards.

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 Civilization

The Sovereign

The High People who hold great wealth and social privilege, the High control most of the resources of any stratified society. They might hold elected office, operate successful businesses, or be celebrities or nobles. There are fewer High than there are Middle or Low. The High are the nobles of the Free Empire, families of the Harem-Kings and the Money-Barons of Leer. Some of the greatest warriors to defend against otherworld invasions are also counted as High.

The High likely have at least one mansion or estate, travel freely with little regard to expense, and purchase luxury items without concern. They frequently operate with a staff of potentially dozens of personnel.

The Middle These are free people who hold some wealth and social privilege. They might work for themselves and be moderately successful, but they usually work for the High. They or the Low are the largest Stratum in a society. The Middle is the largest Stratum in the Free Empire, and includes most of the workers both in and outside the great cities. They are the typical people Protagonists will encounter.

The Middle likely own a home and probably a Vehicle, can travel locally and occasionally abroad, and are unlikely to have more than one employee (such as a maid or nanny).

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The Low Free people who hold neither wealth nor social privilege, the Low are mostly comprised of the working poor. They are essential to the operation of society, as they typically hold undesirable but necessary jobs. They or the Middle are the largest Stratum in a society. The Low in the Free Empire are often simple peasants working the fields or people who have menial jobs keeping the machinery of civilization running.

The Low might have a home or Vehicle they can call their own, though they are likely in debt if so. They are often too busy or poor to travel for leisure, and may need to scrimp and sacrifice for basic needs.

The Outcast

In the Free Empire of Everos, the descendants of offworld invaders are Outcast. They have difficulty getting work and are often isolated in their own communities away from natives of Everos.

The Outcast often own nothing that is not an allowance from their masters. Any assets the Outcast have can be taken away at almost any time, for practically any reason, by people in higher Social Strata.

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 Civilization

People who may or may not be free, the Outcast are considered at best second-class citizens in their own nations and at worst may be slaves or bonded servants. These are people whom society won’t give a fair shake for reasons ranging from institutionalized discrimination to an Outcast’s criminal past. The number of Outcast in any society varies wildly.

Reputation

Performing extraordinary, infamous, or incredible acts earns the Team a reputation. NPCs talk about the Protagonists when they are not present and spread word of their actions.

Deeds of Renown Deeds of Renown increase the Team’s fame and influence NPC reactions to them. There are three types of Deeds of Renown, listed here from most to least renowned. Deeds of Legend: These world-shaking actions are so momentous that the Protagonists will not be able to escape tales of them. Examples include defeating a fearsome monster such as a dragon, becoming a Sovereign, or reaching a +7 Check Bonus. Deeds of Great Repute: These actions are meaningful to an entire region of NPCs, and word of them is likely to spread quickly because they are so important. Examples include defeating a major drug cartel, preventing a war through wise diplomacy, or acquiring a uniquely valuable object. Deeds of Significance: These actions are meaningful or impressive to one or more NPCs within a region, and are interesting enough to tell stories about around a bar or campfire. Examples include saving the life of a Major NPC, bringing a criminal to justice, or crafting an item worth 6 or more Wealth. During the Retrospective, the gaming group determines if the Team accomplished any Deeds of Renown during the session. If the Team accomplished multiple Deeds as part of reaching a different goal (for example, saving the life of a kidnapped general to prevent a war), then only the highest Deed is recorded, but at a step higher.

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Brand: So, this session you guys broke into the Cult of Flame’s headquarters, beat a bunch of them up, and captured their Firestone. CJ: So that’s, what, two Deeds of Great Repute? Vic: But we kind of did the one on the way to the other. Brand: I agree. So that’s going to count as one Deed of Legend: The Capture of the Firestone.

Fame Check The Fame Check is a tool for the Guide to help identify how the Team’s Renown spreads through the Gamescape. Whenever the Protagonists enter a new region (such as a village, city, or space station), the Guide can make a Fame Check to determine what the local NPCs have heard about the Team. Fame Checks are made by rolling 1d20 and adding the number of Deeds of Legend the Team has performed.

••

The Guide decides how the NPCs react to the Protagonists based on the Team’s Renown. Some NPCs may like what they’ve heard about the Protagonists and welcome them with open arms, while others may dislike what they’ve heard and be cold to the Protagonists or even try to run them out of the area.

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 Civilization

Boon: The locals have heard of all the Team’s Deeds. The Team receives a Boon token. ▲▲ Win: The locals have heard of all the Team’s Deeds. ●● Exchange: The locals have heard of the Team’s Deeds of Legend and Great Repute, if any. ▼▼ Setback: The locals have only heard of the Team’s Deeds of Legend, if any. Unless the Team has unusually fast travel for the Gamescape or are trying to rush ahead of word-of-mouth, tales of their Deeds are already present wherever they may go.

Rapport Rapport identifies what characters in relationships are willing to do for each other. Starting allies of the Team are Friends (if they are individual NPCs) or Associates (if they are groups or Factions). All other NPCs begin with Neutral Rapport with the Team. • Comrades are willing to make sacrifices to help each other. Tremendous effort is required to make an NPC a Comrade. • Friends are willing to take risks to help each other. Significantly helping an NPC is enough to make that NPC a Friend. Individual NPC allies are Friends with the Team. • Associates are willing to help if helping involves neither risk nor sacrifice. NPC group allies, such as a Faction, are Associates of the Team. • Neutral characters are essentially strangers; they are unwilling to help or harm others unless there is an immediate incentive or danger. • Rivals are willing to harm if harming involves neither risk nor sacrifice. NPC group enemies, such as a Faction, are Rivals of the Team. • Foes are willing to take risks to harm each other. Significantly harming an NPC is enough to make that NPC a Foe. Individual NPC opponents are Foes of the Team. • Nemeses are willing to make sacrifices to harm each other. Tremendous effort is required to make an NPC a Nemesis. Factions (PAGE 125) will never be more than Associates or Rivals of the Team, as they have greater concerns and bigger Agendas (PAGE 125).

ACCORD AND DISCORD

Accord improves the Team’s relationship with an NPC. Accord is generated by treating characters kindly and helping them by performing Deeds of Renown on their behalf.

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Discord damages the Team’s relationship with an NPC. Discord is generated by refusing to help characters, mistreating them, or hurting them by performing Deeds of Renown that interfere with them. Accord and Discord are tracked by the Guide to identify the strength of the Team’s relationships with NPCs. • • • •

Deeds of Legend generate 4 Accord or Discord. Deeds of Great Repute generate 2 Accord or Discord. Deeds of Significance generate 1 Accord or Discord. Refusing to Help an NPC when asked generates 1 Discord.

FRIENDS FROM FOES, FOES FROM FRIENDS

The Team’s actions shift NPCs from neutrality toward friendship (through Accord) or antipathy (through Discord). Accord and Discord negate each other.

The Team cannot be certain an enemy has become an ally until the Team gives the NPC an opportunity to betray them, trusting it

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 Civilization

• An NPC will be a Comrade when the Team reaches 4 Accord with them. • An NPC will be a Friend when the Team reaches 2 Accord with them. • An NPC will be an Associate when the Team reaches 1 Accord with them. • The Team is Neutral with all NPCs they have generated no Accord or Discord with. • An NPC will be a Rival when the Team reaches 1 Discord with them. • An NPC will be a Foe when the Team reaches 2 Discord with them. • An NPC will be a Nemesis when the Team reaches 4 Discord with them. If the Team begins generating Discord with allies and Accord with enemies, those allies will turn into enemies and vice versa. Relationships should be cultivated wisely, as the Protagonists may have revealed things to their Friends that they would not want used against them.

won’t happen. The Guide must keep in mind that the Protagonists will have no reason to try and befriend their enemies if the NPCs always betray the Protagonists, never negotiate, and always fight to the death.

FACTION AND GROUP RAPPORT

Members of Factions or groups initially treat characters with the same Rapport the character has with the Faction or group. After their first encounter, a direct relationship between the characters is established. As a result, members can have different Rapport with a character than the character has with the rest of the Faction or group.

FRIEND OF A FRIEND, ENEMY OF MY ENEMY

Friends of a character’s Friends and Comrades initially treat the character as if they are Associates. Friends of a character’s Foes and Nemeses initially treat the character as if they are Rivals. Enemies of a character’s Friends and Comrades initially treat the character as a Rival. Enemies of a character’s Foes and Nemeses initially treat the character as an Associate. Once characters are introduced to each other, a direct relationship between them is established.

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C  ONVERSATION Conflict can often be resolved through conversation before it escalates into violence. Because combat can lead to Injury or even death, NPCs will typically attempt to intimidate or negotiate before taking up arms. Conversation can never force compliance, though, so some degree of trust is required between conversational partners. Conversations always have a goal, which may or may not be obvious when the conversation begins. These are sometimes competing, sometimes open to compromise, and sometimes change midway through the conversation. Conversations end when the goal is met or determined to be unreachable. Conversations are structured to provide roleplaying direction for Protagonists and Guide alike. This gives both sides of a conversation the opportunity to change each other’s minds before a situation escalates.

Talk Checks

When a character communicates something to an audience that the audience disagrees with, the speaking character rolls 1d20 and adds their Talk Bonus. The Outcome of a Talk Check does not force the audience to agree or disagree, but is instead a suggestion for how the audience should roleplay their reaction to what they have heard. the audience. ●● Exchange: The statement seems reasonable, but the audience will need additional convincing or the speaker revealed more than intended. ▼▼ Setback: The statement seems like a terrible idea to the audience, or the speaker reveals more than intended. Talk Checks do not override character control and the final decision about how characters behave remains firmly in their players’ hands (the player for a Protagonist, the Guide for an NPC). There is no specific number of Talk Check Wins that will

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 Conversation

▲▲ Win: The statement seems like a great idea to

convince an NPC in every situation: this amount is determined by the Guide and the circumstances of the conversation (PAGES 77–78). That said, if NPCs never seem to react as Talk Checks indicate, then Protagonists will have no reason to respect Talk Checks either. Talk Checks only work if players put a good faith effort into using them as a springboard for roleplaying their characters. Talk Checks are not made when conversations do not involve conflict. Exchanges of information and humorous interchanges do not require Talk Checks unless the audience has reason to disbelieve or take offense.

Talking Without Words Talk Checks represent communication in general: a wryly arched eyebrow, a well-timed cough, and a knowing glance can be just as effective persuasive tools as words. If you make clear what you’re trying to say, a character who communicates in a nonstandard way (such as Groot or Chewbacca) could be played like this: Jamie: I want to say “Greeble FARB,” in a very intimidating way. Brand: Okay, roll your Talk Check. Jamie: I got a Win. Brand: The guy is intimidated and doesn’t even realize you’re human and should be able to talk normally. “Okay, okay,” he says, “you win. Here, take it.” Jamie: I grin and say “Greeble Farb” by way of thanks.

FACT AND FICTION How can you tell if someone’s lying? Short answer: you can’t. Forthright makes no distinction between telling the truth and telling a lie – the Talk Check is all about whether what is said is believable. The choice of whether or not to believe is yours.

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Corroboration and Contradiction The Gamescape is filled with facts, beliefs, tempers, and other evidence which can modify the result of a Talk Check. Hewing closely to this evidence makes characters seem believable, while straying far from it may appear insulting or unbelievable. Corroborating a Talk Check involves some evidence that backs up a statement. Corroboration Raises a Talk Check. Jules: “We don’t want to fight,” I say, holstering my gun and raising my hands. Brand: Make a Talk Check. Corroborated, so you get a Raise.

Contradicting a Talk Check involves some evidence that belies a statement. Contradiction Drops a Talk Check. Vic: “Look, we’ve got no particular love for Thyre, either. Let’s work together to bring them down.” Brand: He narrows his eyes. “You’re a Warden, you don’t get involved. And that one’s from Thyre.” He nods at you, Thelan. “Do you take me for a fool?” Make a Talk Check. Contradicted, so you suffer a Drop. Jules: But I’m working against the Thunderhead. Brand: Doesn’t matter. He doesn’t know that, so he thinks he’s got evidence Val’s lying.

 Conversation

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Read Audience Protagonists can make statements or ask their audience questions to prompt the revelation of motivations or other information that can help the Protagonists. This must be declared ahead of the Talk Check, as it will change the results to the following:

▲▲ Win: The speaker gleans helpful information from the audience.

●● Exchange: The speaker gleans reliable information that

may or may not be relevant. ▼▼ Setback: The speaker gleans information that they believe is correct, but which may or may not be reliable or relevant. Jules: I’m going to try and provoke him to reveal what he’s hiding. “I take you for a fool if you’d think for a second a Warden would stand with Thyre.” I roll a … Win! Brand: He spits in the dust. “The Wardens never did nothin’ when my village was destroyed. My family, all my friends …” He’s either about to start crying or shooting, and you can’t tell which. Jules: “We made a mistake. We should have intervened. That’s why we’ve come – to try and make things right for your village and all the others like it. Let us help.” Brand: Corroborate that Talk Check – you’ve agreed that a mistake was made and you’re directly appealing to his motivation.

Before or After? Whether a Talk Check is rolled before or after a player speaks as their character depends on how the group wants to experience the roll. Rolling first allows the player to modify what they say to illustrate the result of the roll. If they roll poorly, for instance, they may speak haltingly or awkwardly instead of confidently and succinctly. This may help players stay immersed in the fiction of the game.

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Rolling after, on the other hand, demonstrates that it doesn’t matter what the player says or how they said it, the character says it in a way that reflects the result of the roll. This is particularly helpful for players who may not be as socially savvy as their characters. The group can use either style without problems, and may even use a combination of styles for different players or situations, as long as it is understood by the players when they will roll.

Mood

Mood is a roleplaying tool the Guide uses to identify how frequently the Protagonists will need to roll Talk Checks with their audience. The Guide demonstrates to the Protagonists, through cues such as manner of speech and body language, the general Mood of an NPC. Moods are described below:

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• Disagreeable listeners will pick apart everything the speaker has to say, and will need Talk Checks to convince them of nearly every statement the speaker makes. This is the default Mood for Rivals, Foes, and Nemeses. • Neutral listeners will accept or reject the speaker’s statements based on their personal instincts, knowledge, beliefs, and the merits of the speaker’s statements. This is the default Mood for Neutral NPCs. • Agreeable listeners will give the speaker the benefit of the doubt, and will only need Talk Checks when the speaker says something particularly incredible. This is the default Mood for Associates, Friends, and Comrades. Entire communities may have Moods which change based on surrounding events. While NPCs in a town might normally be Neutral, if the town is under enemy occupation they might be Disagreeable.

Sacrifice, Risk, and Benefit

NPCs will generally serve their own interests over those of others, and will prioritize what they already have over what they can get. As a result, social conflict revolves around trying to convince others of the benefit of taking risks, making sacrifices, or serving someone else’s interests. • Sacrifice: The character will lose something they value. This will always require a Talk Check, even between Comrades. The more highly valued the sacrifice, the more Talk Checks may be required. • Risk: The character has a chance to lose something that they value. A small chance of losing something highly valued and a large chance of losing something hardly valued are both very likely to provoke a Talk Check. • Benefit: The character has something to gain that they value. Characters do not all value the same things with the same weight; while a Low character might find a warm meal to be a tremendous benefit, a Sovereign might expect the same as the most basic of hospitality. The more highly prized the benefit, the fewer Talk Checks may be required. Sacrifice, Risk, and Benefit modify the number of Talk Checks required based on an NPC’s Mood and are a way for the Guide to offer information about NPCs to the Protagonists.

Know Who You’re Dealing With When approaching NPCs to ask them to take risks or make sacrifices, the Team should investigate them ahead of time to learn what they can about the NPCs’ motivations. Aligning your request with an NPC’s motives can Corroborate your request, while acting against their motives can Contradict your request.

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Asking for Too Much Speakers who ask for too much from their audience may find that they shut down conversation altogether as their audience turns away from them. This may also negatively impact Mood in future conversations. The audience always decides how much is too much in Forthright.

Compromise When speaker and audience compromise, they find a way to benefit each other while minimizing their own risk or sacrifice. In these cases, the audience may accept a risk that benefits the speaker because the speaker is taking a risk or making a sacrifice on behalf of the audience. The opposite may also hold true. Keep in mind that characters will always prefer to avoid feeling like they’ve been taken advantage of.

JUST BECAUSE WE AGREE…

Even when an audience agrees with the speaker, they might still try to extend negotiations to get some form of concession from the speaker. Characters will always continue to look out for their own interests. Brand: The Emperor-Queen agreed that the Star Navy needs to be mobilized, but you note she has yet to give the order. Jules: “Your Highness, what gives you pause?” Brand: “The Thunderhead’s supply lines remain intact. This will give Thyre an edge I do not wish them to have.”

Brand: The Emperor-Queen smiles slightly, and you know you have given her exactly what she wants. “I await word of your success.”

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 Conversation

Vic: “We’ve got a ship. We could probably sneak behind enemy lines and cut those supply lines before they realize what’s going on.”

Influencing Groups

When conversing with a crowd, there may be groups or individuals within the crowd with different viewpoints. Each different viewpoint represents a different audience and requires a separate Talk Check. Jamie: “Good people, please – there is no need for this violence. Why are you rioting?” Brand: You hear several different voices shout from the crowd. Some of them have had their property stolen, others want revenge for slain loved ones. All of them are united in their anger at the Cult of Flame. Vic: You know, if we weren’t the good guys, I’d say let them have at it. Brand: There are two audiences in the crowd: the ones who want their stuff back, and the ones who want their revenge. If you want to stop them from storming the temple, you’ll need to convince both to back off.

Cross-Talk

If the Protagonists have had time to prepare for the conversation, the players may talk out-of-character and make suggestions about how to approach the conversation. This allows the action to keep moving quickly by allowing preparation and action to occur simultaneously, encouraging teamwork and cooperation. Everyone must identify when they are talking in-character and outof-character. Holding up a hand when talking out-of-character is common. The Guide should go easy on mistakes: if a Protagonist makes a statement, an NPC responds, and the player says they were speaking out-of-character, then the exchange of words should be forgotten. In particularly tense situations or in circumstances where the Team hasn’t had a chance to prepare for the conversation, the Guide should restrict cross-talk. This will simulate the disorganized and tense nature of the situation, and can allow for interesting results as the players find themselves as off-balance as their Protagonists.

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C  OMBAT Sometimes, conflict erupts into violence. Combat is a very real and dangerous possibility in a game of Forthright. There are no trivial enemies, and even the weakest opponents can deliver a brutal set of Injuries to a seasoned Protagonist. Fights involve goals that one side or the other thinks they can only achieve through battle. Perhaps they have been discovered while sneaking into a fortress; maybe they have been insulted beyond the ability of words to repair. Characters should stay focused on their goals and remember that fights need not end in death. Combat is structured to provide a tactical experience that allows the Protagonists to determine if the tide of battle has turned against them and retreat without Injury if necessary.

 Combat

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Initiative

Combat begins when a character takes a violent action requiring a Fight Check. Initiative is then passed to the Guide (if the first attacker was a Protagonist) or the Team (if the first attacker was an NPC). Play steps through combat with the Team and the Guide taking turns as follows: • On the Team’s Turn, they may choose any Protagonist to act. Protagonists may only act once per Round, and do not need to act in the same order in every Round. Once every Protagonist has acted, a new Round begins. • On the Guide’s Turn, the Guide may choose any NPC to act. The Guide gets one Turn for each active Protagonist in a Round regardless of how many NPCs are involved in a fight. An NPC cannot act again until all NPCs involved in the fight have had a chance to act. Rounds consume a variable amount of time depending on the Actions taken during combat. If you need to know how long a fight takes (for instance, if there is a countdown), consider each Round to last one minute. Combat ends when no more combatants on the field of battle stand in opposition to each other.

MULTIPLE FIGHTING STANCES When a character knows multiple Fighting Stances, they declare their initial Fighting Stance in a combat when they first take an Action, Exploit a target, or Intercept an attack.

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Five NPCs (Cultists 1-3, a Wizard, and their Leader) attack two Protagonists (Burning-Sky and Sage Imperiex Thelan) who are sneaking separately from the rest of the Team. Turn 1: Guide. Available Actors: Cultists 1-3, Wizard, Leader

NPC acting: Wizard

Turn 2: Team. Available Actors: Burning-Sky, Thelan

Protagonist Acting: Burning-Sky

Turn 3: Guide. Available Actors: Cultists 1-3, Leader

NPC Acting: Leader

Turn 4: Team. Available Actors: Thelan

Protagonist Acting: Thelan

Turn 5: Guide. Available Actors: Cultists 1-3

NPC acting: Cultist 1

Turn 6: Team. NEW ROUND BEGINS. Available Actors: Burning-Sky, Thelan

Protagonist Acting: Thelan

Turn 7: Guide. Available Actors: Cultists 2-3

NPC acting: Cultist 2

Turn 8: Team. Available Actors: Burning-Sky

Protagonist Acting: Burning-Sky

Turn 9: Guide. Available Actors: Cultist 3

NPC acting: Cultist 3

Turn 10: Team. NEW ROUND BEGINS. Available Actors: Burning-Sky, Thelan

Protagonist Acting: Thelan

Turn 11: Guide. Available Actors: Cultists 1-3, Wizard, Leader NPC acting: Leader …and so on.

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 Combat



Surprise and Ambush A group of characters can surprise their enemies with an ambush if their enemies are unaware of them. The ambushers must know their enemies are approaching and have time to prepare the ambush site by hiding, setting traps, or the like. The ambushing group initiates combat together, getting all their Actions simultaneously. Once the ambush is resolved, Initiative proceeds as normal, with a member of the ambushed group getting the next Turn. Brand: The orc storms into the alley, its enormous snout chuffing and snorting as its beady eyes try to find you hidden among the dumpsters and trash cans. Jamie: I’m going to trigger the ambush by jumping down from the roof and hitting him. Win. 8 Harm. CJ: As soon as I see Burning-Sky go, I’m going to fire my pulse cannons at the orc. I Win. Only ... aw, 1 Harm. Jules: I line up the shot and fire. Exchange, no biggie since Thelan’s a Deadeye ... 6 Harm. Vic: I yell down at Burning-Sky to Hit him again. I got a ... Setback, dang. No extra attack for you, Jamie. Brand: All right, all of you went, dropping his luck by 15. He looks surprised, and angry. It’s my turn, now, and he’s going for you, Burning-Sky. A Win, for ... 5 Harm. New Round, any of you may go.

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Actions

Characters in combat may, with an Action, do one of the following: • Move up to 30 feet (10 meters) and make a Fight Check, Skill Check, or Talk Check. • Move up to 30 feet (10 meters) and remove a single Hindrance from themselves or another character in Close Range. • Move up to 30 feet (10 meters) and shift from their current Fighting Stance to another known Fighting Stance. • Move up to 120 feet (40 meters). • Perform a Stunt and make a Fight Check, Skill Check, or Talk Check. • Retreat. Other characters on the same side can join the retreat.

Fight Checks

When attempting to attack a character or object, the attacking character rolls 1d20 and adds their Fight Bonus. To keep battles moving quickly in Forthright, Fight Checks always have the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The attacker succeeds and is not Exploited. ●● Exchange: The attacker succeeds, but the target of the

attack Exploits the attacker. ▼▼ Setback: The attacker fails, and the target of the attack Exploits the attacker.

 Combat

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Exploits Characters Exploit opponents that have targeted them and rolled a Setback or Exchange on a Fight Check. When a character can Exploit another, the exploiting character can choose one of the following options: • Counterattack: The exploiter Harms or Hinders the attacker without making a Fight Check. This can only be used if the attacker is in the exploiter’s Fighting Stance attack range. • Reposition: The exploiter moves to another position within Close Range on the battlefield. • Shift Fighting Stance: The exploiter shifts from their current Fighting Stance to another known Fighting Stance. • Take Advantage: The exploiter gains a Boon. • Un-Hinder: The exploiter removes a Hindrance from themselves or an ally in Close Range. Exploits happen at the same time as the attack that provoked them, so both the attack and the Exploit occur even if the NPC is Defeated by the trade of blows. Jules: Argh, I rolled a Setback. Brand: The cultist grins as he drives his dagger forward, just barely skirting past your ribs for 4 Harm. Jules: I could’ve dropped him if I’d hit. Brand: Initiative passes to me, so the cultist is going to press his attack and ... oof. Exchange. Jules: Ha. I’m going to shoot him for ... 6 Harm. And he should be down. Brand: Except ... he got one last stab out before he fell, almost catching you in the face for 3 more Harm.

Characters can only be Exploited once per Fight Check; if they are attacking multiple opponents (as with Whirlwind Stance), only one of their targets may Exploit them.

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Harm Characters can Harm an opponent by rolling their Harm die after rolling a successful Fight Check or when counterattacking. The result is subtracted from the opponent’s Luck. Harm isn’t physical damage; it is an erosion of a character’s ability to avoid grievous wounds or Defeat.

DEFEAT

When NPCs are reduced to 0 Luck, they are Defeated. The Guide should ask the Protagonist if they want to subdue or slay when they defeat an NPC.

INJURY

When Protagonists are reduced to 0 Luck, they suffer an Injury determined by the Guide and their Luck is immediately restored to maximum. Protagonists can keep fighting no matter the odds, though they will get increasingly wounded the longer a fight goes on. Injuries are significant traumas to a Protagonist’s mind or body so aggravated that they are unable to heal on their own. Injuries are obvious and can be targeted by NPCs. Injuries come in two forms, Vulnerabilities and Weaknesses. A single Injury can only apply a single Vulnerability or Weakness, and a Protagonist cannot have multiple Injuries that apply the same Vulnerability or Weakness. The Guide keeps a record of all Injuries suffered by the Team to ensure NPCs can target them easily.

Vulnerabilities A Vulnerability allows opponents to Raise their Fight Check whenever they try to use a specific Hindrance on the vulnerable Protagonist. The Guide determines the Hindrance the Protagonist is vulnerable to. Brand: His shot catches you in the leg, dealing 3 Harm. CJ: That’s it, I’m down to 0 Luck.

CJ: I’m Prince Solenoid the Limping now. Ouch.

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 Combat

Brand: Your leg servos begin to spark and smoke, and you can feel something twisted out of alignment in your gyros. You’re now vulnerable to Knockdown. And you’re back up to full Luck.

Weaknesses A Weakness Drops a Protagonist’s Check in a specific situation or when they attempt to perform a specific action. The Guide determines the Weakness, which should not be broad enough to impact the Protagonist more than once or twice a session. Brand: The explosion catches you both in the blast for 12 Harm. Jamie: I’m out of Luck. Jules: Same here; I hit 0. Brand: Jamie, Burning-Sky is now weak on all Checks when in the presence of an uncontrolled fire; you’re nervous around burning buildings and brushfires, but not torches or the like. Jamie: Oh, that sucks. Ironic, though. Brand: Jules, Thelan’s burns make you less impressive to the High, because they’re superficial and you’re hard to look at. Talk Checks on the High are Dropped. Jules: Well, at least I’m a Socializer with them. Brand: You’re both back up to full Luck. It’s you guys’ turn.

Vulnerabilities and Weaknesses should be equally detrimental to a Protagonist. Guides should rely on Vulnerabilities until they are confident they can present an appropriate number of situations that will involve a Weakness.

Healing Injuries Injuries can be healed by purchasing one Recovery Boost for each Injury, either with Boost Points or from a Crafter.

Injuries Outside Combat When Protagonists are not in combat, they suffer Injuries without first suffering Harm. For example, being hit by a bus midconversation would result in an out-of-combat Injury.

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Hinder Characters can choose to Hinder instead of Harming an opponent on a Fight Check. This does not need to be declared prior to rolling the Fight Check, but must be declared before rolling Harm. A character can only be Hindered with a Hindrance they are not currently suffering. The Hindrances available are: • Blind: You cannot target opponents. • Deafen: You cannot be Commanded or Talked Down, and you cannot hear conversations. • Expose: Fight Checks made against you are Raised. • Grapple: You can only target the opponent that you are grappling with. Both the grappler and the target are Grappled. • Knockdown: Opponents may roll two Harm dice and take the higher when Harming you. • Knockout: You are Defeated without Injury by an attacker catching you unawares. This only affects Minor NPCs (PAGE 155). • Mute: You cannot issue Commands or Talk Down opponents. • Neutralize: Your Fight Checks are Dropped. • Pin: You cannot move. • Push: You are moved to any location within Close Range of your position. • Snatch: You have had something that was plainly visible on your person or held by you knocked or taken away.

DURATION AND REMOVAL

Most Hindrances continue to affect a character until removed by an Action. No Check is required to remove a Hindrance. Push and Snatch do not have a continuous effect that can be removed by an Action. Any character in Close Range can spend an Action to remove a Hindrance.  Combat

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Talk Checks

Conversation in combat carries its own special risks, since it is done at sword- or gunpoint. Talk Checks can only be used against Protagonists in combat if their players agree to it.

Talk Down Opponents can be Talked Down, causing them to lose interest in fighting through reason or intimidation. When a Protagonist attempts to Talk Down an opponent, they roll a Talk Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The opponent sees the sense in no longer fighting,

and stops attacking the Team. ●● Exchange: The opponent Exploits the Protagonist before deciding to no longer attack the Team. ▼▼ Setback: The opponent is not convinced, Exploits the Protagonist, and continues fighting. If the Guide feels an NPC would be unwilling to be Talked Down, Exchanges and Wins provide Boon Tokens instead of forcing the NPC to stop fighting. Multiple opponents can be Talked Down with a single Talk Check. The Check may be Dropped if the NPCs outnumber the Protagonists, have already caused Injury to one or more Protagonists, or if the Protagonist is attempting to Talk Down more than one opponent. The Check may be Raised if the Protagonists are clearly more powerful than the NPCs or have already Defeated one or more of them. Vic: I want to try and convince these guys that they should stop fighting. Brand: Okay, that’ll be a Talk Check. Since you’re trying to convince all of them, that’s a Drop ... but Thelan there already shot two of them down, so that’s a Raise. They cancel each other out, so it’s just a straight Talk. Vic: That’s a ... Win. I tell them, “You cannot defeat us, do you really want to take the beating to prove it?” Brand: The gang members look at each other, grimace, and sheepishly shake their heads. They lower their weapons and step back, letting you pass.

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Opponents that have been Talked Down will fight back if attacked, and will not accept being Talked Down again.

Provoke Opponents can be Provoked, causing them to attack prematurely or inefficiently, or even confusing them and making them attack one of their allies. Once the enemy acts on the provocation, they may return to deciding their own targets. When a Protagonist attempts to Provoke an opponent, they roll a Talk Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The opponent is Provoked to attack the Protagonist’s intended target with their next Action.

●● Exchange: The opponent Exploits the Protagonist, and

will attack the Protagonist’s intended target with their next Action. ▼▼ Setback: The opponent is not Provoked and Exploits the Protagonist. Only one opponent can be Provoked with a single Talk Check. The Check is Dropped if the Protagonist is attempting to Provoke the NPC into attacking another NPC. The Check is Raised if the Protagonist is attempting to Provoke the NPC into attacking the Protagonist instead of another member of the Team. CJ: Prince Solenoid’s on the verge of getting an Injury. Jamie: Burning-Sky will not allow it. I point to the guy attacking Solenoid and say, “WEAKLING. WOULD YOU RATHER FIGHT A BROKEN MACHINE THAN A WARRIOR OF METTLE?” CJ: Uh, thanks? I guess? Jamie: Sure thing. Brand: I’ll take that to mean you want him to fight you instead of CJ. That’s going to Raise your Talk Check. Jamie: I ... eh ... an Exchange.

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 Combat

Brand: Krog turns to you, sneers, spits on the ground and says, “Fine by me. I can carve you up just as easily.” He swings his laser-axe at you, almost catching your leather tunic for 4 Harm. On his next turn, he’ll attack you instead of Solenoid.

The Battlefield

When fighting, characters should pay attention to the arena of battle, as there might be something in the field that can be used to gain a tactical advantage or change the victory conditions. Guides should avoid presenting simple battlefields with little detail in fights. There should in general be trees, barriers, furniture, pitfalls, multiple levels, or the like to create more appealing battles. Players should ask questions about what is around them when a fight breaks out to help detail the arena.

Cover and Concealment Cover makes a character more difficult to target at Long Range. Cover is provided by physical obstructions that block attacks from afar. There are two types of Cover: • Partial Cover Drops Fight Checks made at Long Range against the covered character. Partial Cover obscures one-third to two-thirds of a character. • Full Cover prevents a character from being targeted at Long Range. Total Cover obscures more than two-thirds of the character. Concealment acts as Partial Cover and is provided by poor visibility, such as a very dark night or fog. Concealment Drops Long Range Fight Checks both against and by concealed characters.

Range and Movement Range is divided into bands of approximate distance measured from the actor to the target location. The range bands in Forthright are: • Close: The shortest range, covering everything from where a character is standing to approximately 30 feet (10 meters) away in personal combat. Characters can move to any location in Close range and take an Action. • Long: The range indicating a target is distant but attackable, covering 30 or more feet (10 or more meters) away in personal combat. The maximum distance is dependent upon the situation and the attack used, but is typically around 300 feet (90 meters). • Extreme: This range indicates targets that are too distant to be effectively targetable, but which might still be seen.

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Stunts Characters can move acrobatically to try and gain an advantage on their opponents. If a character attempts a Stunt, they roll a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The character succeeded; their next Fight Check

may either be Raised or both Harm and Hinder an opponent. ●● Exchange: The character succeeded, but gains no special advantage or disadvantage. ▼▼ Setback: The character succeeded but lost their balance; their next Fight Check is Dropped. Jamie: Burning-Sky is going to leap from the balcony onto the chandelier, swing across to the other balcony, and drop down on the assassin. Brand: Do you want to get an advantage on the assassin for that? Jamie: You know what? Yeah. But I’ve got a decent Fight Bonus, so I’m going to hurt him and knock him down. Brand: Skill Check, please. Jamie: Win. Now the Fight Check ... oh come on, an Exchange? Can I take the Raise instead of the Harm and Hinder? Brand: Sure. You jump onto the chandelier and come down on the assassin, a move so surprising that he doesn’t get to counter-attack you even though you were open as you leapt onto the balcony with him.

If a character wants to perform a Stunt without trying to gain an advantage on opponents, no Skill Check is needed and the Stunt is considered normal movement.

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Terrain Manipulation Characters can manipulate the terrain on a battlefield to create advantages and disadvantages. If a character attempts this, they roll a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The character succeeded. ●● Exchange: The character succeeded, but left themselves

open to be Exploited by the closest opponent. ▼▼ Setback: The character failed, and they left themselves open to be Exploited by the closest opponent. The advantages characters can create vary based on the situation. The following examples provide some idea of what terrain manipulation can provide: • • • •

Create cover or concealment Create a Hazard (PAGE 114) on the battlefield Hinder an opponent Provide a Raise to a character advantaged by the manipulation • Provide a Drop to a character disadvantaged by the manipulation If something hasn’t been described on the battlefield that you can use, ask if there’s anything that can do what you want. The Guide may realize that they left something out of their description. CJ: Is there a cart or something I can try to move between us and them, to give us some Cover or something? Brand: No, but there is a pipe that you could try to burst. The steam cloud should give you Concealment from their longrange attacks. CJ: I wish I had Strong Like Bull. I got a ... Exchange. Brand: A shot sparks off the pipe, causing you 3 Harm, but you twist it open with a popping of rivets. Steam shoots out between you and your enemies, concealing you from each other.

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Retreat

When a character retreats from battle, they do so as an Action. Allies of the retreating character can declare they also want to retreat on the same Action. All retreating characters are immediately removed from combat and potentially transition to a Chase (PAGE 101).

Restoration

Once a fight is over, all characters restore their Luck to full and lose all Hindrances if they do not take strenuous action for a Restoration period of no more than 10 minutes. The timing of Restoration is left deliberately flexible.

Structure and Vehicle Combat

Structures and Vehicles are often locations around which combat takes place and are usually not the direct focus of attacks. When Structures or Vehicles come under direct attack, they and their inhabitants take the place of individual characters on Turns. Everyone within a Structure or Vehicle may act on that Structure or Vehicle’s Turn. Brand: The fighter swoops in behind you and fires, dealing 5 Harm to the ship. The controls shudder under your hands, Val, but hold steady. Okay, it’s the Thunderwing’s turn. Vic: I’m thinking I swing her around and fire at the cruiser with the fixed guns. Jules: If you do that, I’ll use the turrets to try and shoot down the fighter. CJ: I’d like to try and improve the targeting on the sensors to improve Thelan’s chances at taking down that fighter. Jamie: I’ll do the same thing, but with the maneuvering thrusters to give Val a more stable shot.

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Brand: Okay, here are the rolls I’ll need from each of you…

Subsystem Use All Protagonists on a Vehicle can act on their Vehicle’s Turn. When there are more Protagonists than available pilot or weapons stations, the remaining Protagonists can Empower Subsystems. Empowering Subsystems takes an Action and requires a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The Subsystem is optimized, and the character chooses another Check that Turn to Raise.

●● Exchange: The Subsystem is optimized at the expense of

another system. The character identifies another Check that Turn to Raise and a different Check that Turn to Drop. ▼▼ Setback: The Subsystem glitches, and the opposition chooses another Check that Turn to Drop. Characters can also use Subsystems to call for help, put on a burst of speed, and so on. Additionally, if the Vehicle has a Crippled Subsystem, characters can MacGyver a fix.

Damage Vehicles suffer Harm as characters, but gain Damage instead of Injury when reduced to 0 Luck. Damage affects a Vehicle Subsystem of the attacker’s choice. If an undamaged Subsystem is Damaged, it is Crippled. If a Crippled Subsystem is further Damaged, it is Disabled. The Guide may choose to have NPC Vehicles be Defeated once they reach 0 Luck, or may (for longer-lasting and more dangerous Vehicle combat) require NPC Vehicle Propulsion Subsystems to be Disabled. This should be announced to players prior to the beginning of combat. Once all a Vehicle’s Subsystems are Disabled, the Vehicle is destroyed.

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CRIPPLED SUBSYSTEMS

A Crippled Subsystem Drops a Protagonist’s Check whenever they attempt to use the Subsystem. Once combat ends, Crippled Subsystems are restored to full functionality after a few minutes.

DISABLED SUBSYSTEMS

A Disabled Subsystem cannot be used.

REPAIRING SUBSYSTEMS

Repairs can be MacGyvered on Crippled Subsystems in combat. Once repaired, Crippled Subsystems are restored to full functionality. Disabled Subsystems can be fully repaired by purchasing the Repair Damage Boost. Alternately, characters can attempt to repair Damage outside of combat via Crafting.

DAMAGE OUTSIDE COMBAT

When a Vehicle is not in combat, it suffers Damage without first suffering Harm. Colliding with another Vehicle in a docking mishap is an example resulting in out-of-combat Damage.

Vehicles and Range Vehicles may need broader range bands compared to personal combat for their speed and weapons to be effective. Range should be abstracted in Vehicle combat to the following approximate distances: • Close Range: A distance roughly equal to how far the Vehicle can travel in 10 seconds. • Long Range: From the edge of Close range to no more than 10x farther away. • Extreme Range: This range indicates targets that are too distant to be effectively targetable, but which can still be seen or detected.

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Vehicle Stunts Pilots can maneuver their Vehicles and mounts acrobatically to gain an advantage on their opponents by rolling a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The maneuver succeeds; the pilot chooses an ally’s Check to Raise or an opponent’s Check to Drop.

●● Exchange: The maneuver succeeds, but provides no

special advantage or disadvantage. ▼▼ Setback: The maneuver fails; the opposition chooses an ally’s Check to Drop or an opponent’s Check to Raise. Vic: I want to do a wingover to try and get this guy out from behind us and foul his shots. Brand: Okay, give me a Skill Check. Vic: That’s a Win! I’m going to Drop his next Fight Check. Brand: Lasers spit from the front of the starfighter, and … Exchange, Dropped to a Setback. He misses, and his belly is open to your cannons. Vic: Say goodnight, Gracie! 6 Harm.

If a pilot wants to perform a Stunt without trying to gain an advantage on opponents, no Skill Check is needed and the Stunt is considered normal movement.

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Mixing Vehicle and Personal Combat When Vehicles and characters are in combat with each other, the individual characters in combat with Vehicles trade Initiative with the Vehicles. Characters in a Vehicle all get a chance to act on the Vehicle’s Turn. Jules: I’m going to shoot at the car as it speeds away. Win. For 8 Harm. Brand: Your shot knocks off one of the side-view mirrors. The driver ducks his head down and slews the car to one side, trying to throw off further shots. His passenger leans out the window and tries to get a shot off at you ... Setback. Jules: I’m trying to crash the car, not hurt the guys inside, so I’ll take a Boon. Brand: Vic, Jamie, CJ ... one of you get to go.

Characters inside a Vehicle can attack each other while the Vehicle is also in combat. In this case, Initiative passes between Vehicles as normal in Vehicle combat. On the Turn of a Vehicle under internal assault, the characters inside the Vehicle pass Initiative as normal in personal combat until one Round concludes. At the end of the personal combat Round, Initiative passes to the next Vehicle.

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Brand: The fighter’s lasers shoot right past the cockpit, blistering the Thunderwing’s paint for 6 Harm. It’s the Thunderwing’s turn. Vic: “Guys, hang onto something.” I’m going to loop-de-loop to get behind that fighter and hit it with the nose cannon. Skill Check and ... Win! 3 Harm. Brand: Smoke billows out of one of the fighter’s three engines, and you see it starting to wobble in the air. Behind you, you hear the pirate who snuck on board bellowing some kind of horrid air shanty as he attacks Solenoid for ... Win, 8 Harm. Jamie, Jules, CJ? CJ: I’ll fling a dagger at him and spend one of these Boons for extra damage. Win, 3 plus 5 is 8 Harm. Brand: The pirate growls and rips the dagger out of his shoulder, then swings his monofilament cutlass at you ... Exchange, 4 Harm. CJ: Dagger right back at him for 2 Harm. Jamie: Enough of this, it’s hammer time! Win, 12 Harm. Subdue if I got him. Brand: You did indeed. Your hammer cracks against the back of his skull, knocking him into one of the bulkheads, and he slides down the wall with a bit of drool and blood trailing behind. Jules: Okay, now that that’s done, I’m going to climb into the turret. Do I still have time for that? Brand: Yup. Jules: I target the fighter and fire. That’s another Win, for 5 Damage. Brand: Val, you see from the cockpit the lasers shooting out from the turret into the back of the fighter. There’s a flash of something important going, and you see it’s in trouble. It’s his turn again, and he breaks off the fight, dropping altitude and Retreating. Vic: I won’t give chase, we’ve got to get out of here.

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The game transitions to a Chase when one side or character chooses to break off from a conflict and attempt to escape, and one or more opposing characters give chase. The fleeing characters are the Prey and the hunting characters are the Predator in a Chase. If the conflict continues with other characters who are not attempting to escape, resolve that before entering the Chase. Characters in a Chase do not restore Luck until the Chase ends. Chases in Forthright do not measure which characters are faster than the others. Instead, Chases are a series of single-interaction vignettes that the Protagonists encounter and attempt to turn to their advantage. Protagonists roll the dice in Chases whether they are Predator or Prey. When an event occurs in a Chase that could allow the Prey to escape or be caught (such as an alley to hide in or a door that could be blocked), the Protagonists can interact with it to try and end the Chase. This usually involves a Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The Protagonist works the situation to their Team’s

benefit, catching their Prey or escaping their Predator. ●● Exchange: Both Predator and Prey must deal with the situation, but get no closer to capture or escape. ▼▼ Setback: The Protagonist fouls the situation to their Team’s detriment, getting captured by their Predator or losing their Prey. The Chase continues until the Prey escapes, is captured, or until the Predator breaks off pursuit.

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 Chases

C  HASES

Brand: Okay, the fight’s done. Solenoid, you took off running to try and get away from the cultists. Two of them broke off from the fight to chase you. CJ: I’m going to keep running until I get away. Brand: As you’re running, you see a truck pulling out of an alley. CJ: Okay, I’m going to try and use that to my advantage. I’m going to slide under the truck and keep running. Brand: That sounds like an athletic Skill Check. CJ: That’s a … Exchange. Hmph. Brand: You slide between the wheels of the truck and keep running. Behind you, you hear the cultists start yelling. The truck driver blows his horn, and you hear an explosion. CJ: Uh, I’m going to look for somewhere to hide. Brand: There’s a ton of people coming out now to see what’s going on with the truck, you could probably try and blend in with them. CJ: I’m a seven-foot-tall robot. Unlikely. But can I use them as cover to completely hide? Brand: Sure. That’s another Skill Check. CJ: A stealthy one, so I’ve got Setback Protection as an Infiltrator. I’ll roll a … Win! Brand: You duck into another nearby alley and hide behind a garbage bin. After a few minutes, there’s enough of a crowd out in the street that you would have heard more explosions and screams if the cultists were still around. You’ve lost them.

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Mass combat is invoked when events call for a battle between two or more great armies. When the Protagonists are not involved, the Guide is free to choose the victor based on what will be most interesting for the game or Gamescape.

Unit Structure

Armies on the battlefield should be divided into units of approximately the same size. If one side significantly outnumbers another, divide both forces by a common denominator to determine an appropriate unit size. The Stormbringers of Thyre are bringing an army 10,000 strong to attack Ambersol City. The Imperial Guard have a garrison of 4,000 soldiers in Ambersol City. Brand decides on a common denominator of 2,000, so the units are:

Stormbringers of Thyre: 5 Units



Imperial Guard: 2 Units

Each Unit gets its own Fight Check in battle. The Units have Fight Bonuses determined as follows: • Conscripts (+0): These are the weakest forces, such as farmers armed with whatever hodgepodge of weapons they can find. • Trained Army (+3): This is the typical unit, filled with mercenaries or warriors who are skilled at warfare. • Elite Troops (+6): These are the most dangerous of combatants, such as the legendary Spartan Hoplites or Persian Immortals. When forces with vastly different capabilities meet (for example, hoplites vs. space marines), the inferior Unit has 1 subtracted from its Fight Check Bonus and the superior Unit has 1 added to its Fight Check Bonus. Units that reach -1 will not fight; they are Routed before the battle begins.

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M   ASS COMBAT

Initiative

The defending army (typically, the army that controls this region of the Gamescape) goes first. Initiative is then traded between each army. On its turn, an army may act with one or more of its Units. Units have the following statuses: • Engaged: In combat with at least one other Unit. An Engaged Unit cannot move freely on the battlefield and must make a Fight Check against one of the Units it is engaged with. • Positioning: Not in combat, but can move freely on the battlefield to engage another Unit. • Captured: This unit has been defeated and can no longer participate in combat. • Capturing: This unit is capturing survivors from a defeated Unit and can no longer participate in combat. • Routed: This Unit has been defeated and can no longer participate in combat. Survivors are running for their lives away from the war zone. • Retreating: This Unit has not been defeated, but is no longer participating in combat. It cannot be Captured or Routed, but it will be available to its army for future battles. Mass Combat ends when no more Units on the field of battle can oppose each other.

Fight Checks

When Engaged with an enemy Unit, a Unit rolls 1d20 and adds its Fight Bonus. Mass combat Fight Checks have the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The defending Unit’s Fight Bonus is reduced by 1. ●● Exchange: Both the attacking and defending Unit’s Fight

Bonuses are reduced by 1. ▼▼ Setback: The attacking Unit’s Fight Bonus is reduced by 1. Boons earned by Armies can only be spent to Raise or Drop mass combat Fight Checks in the battle at hand.

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The Protagonists

Protagonists can affect mass combat situations in a meaningful way by completing Missions. Missions are adventures that allow Mass Combat to be integrated into the story while also providing direct benefits to military Units. A successful Mission against an opposing force can reduce all its Units’ Fight Bonuses, while a successful Mission for an allied force can increase all its Units’ Fight Bonuses. The size of the increase or decrease from a Mission should be no more than +/- 2. Missions can include: • Defend against sabotage by finding intruders, guarding vital locations, ensuring supply lines aren’t broken, and protecting allied leaders from danger. • Deliver allied communications, keeping secrets from falling into enemy hands and improving your ally’s military effectiveness. • Intercept enemy communications, reducing their military effectiveness and learning secrets valuable to your allies. • Reconnoiter the enemy or the battlefield, discovering weaknesses in the enemy’s formation or terrain features that your allies can use to their advantage. • Sabotage the enemy by breaking their supply lines, destroying their ammo, or poisoning their food. • Target opposition leaders either to assassinate them, feed them false intel, or convert them away from their cause.

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 Mass Combat

Units are defeated when their Fight Bonus reaches -1. The winning Unit can Capture the defeated Unit or allow the defeated Unit to be Routed. Units can Retreat on their Action.

A  DVENTURING Much of what Protagonists do interacts with the Gamescape in ways beyond conflict.

Athletic Feats

When characters strain the bounds of physical capability, they are performing an athletic feat. These include catching themselves as they fall, lifting or dragging entirely too much weight, climbing, swimming, or running faster than normally possible. Skill Checks made to perform athletic feats have the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The athletic feat is performed. ●● Exchange: The athletic feat is performed, but the

character is Hindered until their next Restoration period (PAGE 95). ▼▼ Setback: The athletic feat is not performed and the character is Hindered until their next Rest (PAGE 114). If the feat was particularly dangerous, the character may be Injured.

Crafting

Crafting allows characters to create Boosts, repair Damage, heal Injuries, and develop new effects in the Gamescape independently of character advancement. Crafting can be described as magical enchantments and rituals, technological improvements, medicine, or even invoking the will of divinities.

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MacGyvering When characters must build something quickly, with only the common materials they have at hand, they can make a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The device works and is available before the

Brand: You’re trapped in the closet in this warehouse. You hear their footsteps as they walk away, talking about how they’re going to use the Firestone to burn the whole thing to the ground. CJ: That’s not going to work for me. I start looking around, what sort of stuff do we have in here? Brand: Oh, all kinds of junk. Cleaning supplies, some old hoses, brooms, and mops ... CJ: Okay, I’m going to try and fashion these into a little bomb or something I can use to blow open the door or break the lock, something like that. Brand: Sure. CJ: Aww crap. Setback.

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 Adventuring

situation escalates. It will only function until the end of the Session. ●● Exchange: The device works, but the Guide chooses one of the following options: • The device will function until the end of the Session, and the situation escalates just as it is finished. • The device may function until the end of the Session, but will fail completely if a Setback is rolled while using it. ▼▼ Setback: The device works, but the Guide chooses one of the following options: • The device will function until the end of the Session, but the situation escalates before it is ready. • The device may function until the end of the Session, but will fail completely if an Exchange or Setback is rolled while using it.

Brand: So, you spend about 20 minutes working on this thing, setting it against the door and getting the angle right, making sure you won’t blow your own hand off, when you start smelling smoke. It’s faint at first, but it’s starting to get warm in here. CJ: I gotta get out. Brand: You trip the tool you’ve made and it goes off, breaking the lock and busting the door wide open. You look out in horror to realize half the warehouse is on fire.

MacGyvering can also repair Crippled Vehicle Subsystems or provide temporary relief to Injuries during combat.

▲▲ Win: The Injury’s effects are not suffered for the duration

of the scene or the Crippled Subsystem is repaired. ●● Exchange: The Injury’s effects are not suffered for the duration of the scene or the Crippled Subsystem is repaired, but the crafter or Vehicle is opened to Exploit. ▼▼ Setback: The Injury is not relieved or the Crippled Subsystem is not repaired; the crafter or Vehicle is opened to Exploit. The Guide may decide some things are impossible to MacGyver (a starship engine from baling wire and rubber bands, for instance, or something advanced that has not yet been invented in the Gamescape).

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Invention When a character wishes to invent something completely new, the likes of which have not yet been seen in the Gamescape, that character must first make a Skill Check to determine what the character will need to begin work on the invention.

▲▲ Win: The invention can be made with common materials costing 1d6 Wealth.

character can quest for these materials or spend 2d6 Wealth to acquire them. ▼▼ Setback: The invention will require unique materials. The character can quest for these materials or spend 3d6 Wealth to acquire them. Questing for materials allows crafting to be fully integrated into the story, and Guides can use material quests to expand upon the Gamescape and introduce new NPCs and Plots. Burning-Sky wants to invent a new type of long-hammer that will allow its wielder to crack the earth itself when they slam it on the ground, knocking down up to 4 enemies in Close Range. Jamie rolls a Setback, so the invention will require unique materials, and decides not to spend Wealth to acquire the materials. Brand decides the hammer will need to be made with the legendary metal uru. Burning-Sky and the rest of the team go on several adventures to find this metal: first looking for information on its whereabouts, then rescuing from villainous hands one of the only smiths who knows how to work it, and finally making their way into the perilous depths from which the ore must be mined. By the end of their adventures, Burning-Sky has the material to craft the new weapon and the Team has encountered several new NPCs and had many new adventures.

Invention is a moment of inspiration and itself takes no time: time is instead spent gathering the necessary materials to craft the invention as a Manufacturing Project. Once the invention has been crafted the first time, future Projects to craft the invention no longer require an invention Skill Check or extra materials.

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 Adventuring

●● Exchange: The invention will require rare materials. The

INNOVATION ERAS

Advancements in ideas, magic, infrastructure, and technology are grouped into different Eras. These Eras build on those that came before and identify what problems the techniques of the age have worked to solve. Different societies at the same point in time can stand in different Innovation Eras. These Eras are: • Primitive: Innovations are focused on basic survival and agricultural techniques, as well as early developments in medicine, architecture, and politics. • Pre-Industrial: Innovations are focused on refinement of survival tools, the development of the scientific method, and investigations into the natural world and its resources. • Industrial: Innovations are in physical mechanics, common interchangeable parts, clockwork engineering, germ theory, industrial assembly, and social class-based political thought. • Atomic: Innovations are largely focused on exploiting quantum phenomena, rocket and nuclear science, microscopic biology and physics, and early development of electronics. • Information: Innovations refine the sciences of the Atomic Era while shifting focus to miniaturization, quantum mechanics, pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering, and widespread dissemination of information. • Integration: Innovations refine Information Era sciences further, introducing clean energy, machine intelligence, bionics, neural networks, robots, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. • Spacefaring: Innovations are focused on interplanetary travel, primitive terraforming, cryogenic sleep, and deep space resource exploration and exploitation. • Starfaring: Innovations like faster-than-light travel, gravity generation, and advances in nanotechnology and genetics push species further from their biological roots. • Singularity: Innovations see free energy and easy conversion between energy and matter. Wishing machines, beings of pure thought, and violations of Newtonian Laws are commonplace.

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Innovation can be driven by technology, magic, biology, or any other source of change. As a result, not every Gamescape will proceed through these eras in the same order. Everos has been invaded by forces with various Innovation levels over the millennia, and has a strange mix of Eras, technology, and magic as a result. Everos’s available Innovation Eras are Primitive, Pre-Industrial, Integration, and Spacefaring.

If the invention is from an Innovation Era outside those available to the inventor, the inventor Drops all Skill Checks to invent and manufacture it. Val Darrin wants to invent an interstellar jump drive for the Thunderwing. The world of Everos is not Starfaring, so Val’s invent Skill Check is Dropped. Should Val decide to build the jump drive, each manufacturing Skill Check will also be Dropped.

Once an invention from a new Innovation Era has been crafted the first time, it ushers that Innovation Era into the Gamescape.

Manufacturing Projects Manufacturing Projects allow characters to create goods or services that would normally cost Boost Points but instead cost time and effort. Examples include magical rituals, salves, pharmaceuticals, weapons, and tools. Projects always take time and cannot be done quickly under pressure. To begin a Project, a character must identify the desired result of the Project and the resources that will be used to complete it. If the character is inventing something new, they must make an invention Skill Check to identify the necessary resources. Once the necessary resources are gathered, the Project may begin. Project duration is determined by identifying the Complexity based on the intended result:

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 Adventuring

Innovation Eras inform the next likely steps of invention. Inventors who leap too far ahead of the Gamescape may find themselves having difficulty realizing those advances for lack of the infrastructure to develop them.

• Area of Effect: Add 3 Complexity for every target or 5-foot (1.5-meter) cube after the first affected by the Project. • Effect: Add 1 Complexity for every Boost, Poison, or Disease granted by the Project. • Harm: Add Complexity for the Harm caused by the Project as follows: • 1d4: 1 • 1d6: 2 • 1d8: 3 • 1d10: 4 • 1d12: 5 • Hindrance: Add 1 Complexity for every Hindrance applied to targets of the Project. • Range: Add 10 Complexity if the Project can affect targets in Extreme Range. • Permanence: The total Complexity is multiplied by 6 if the Project will be usable more than once. Project Complexity approximates the number of workdays needed to complete the Project. Workdays do not need to be consecutive and work on a Project can be paused at any time. Upon completing a workday, a manufacturing Skill Check can be rolled with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The time was highly productive and resolves 2 Complexity.

●● Exchange: The time was productive and resolves

1 Complexity. ▼▼ Setback: The time was not productive and sets the Project back, adding 1 Complexity. Characters can declare any day they do not adventure or travel to be a workday. If characters spend a week or more crafting, they instead make a single manufacturing Skill Check per week with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: Resolve 6 + 1d6 Complexity during the workweek. ●● Exchange: Resolve 6 Complexity during the workweek. ▼▼ Setback: Resolve 6 - 1d6 Complexity during the workweek.

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Up to four Minions can work on a Project at a time, each resolving 1 Complexity per day. Only Professional Minions with the Crafter Skillset can work on a Project.

EXAMPLE PROJECTS

These are examples of Projects that can be created and how their Complexities were calculated. This ritual allows the spellcaster to have one conversation with a divine being. Deities reside on a higher plane of existence, which counts as Extreme Range (10 Complexity). The functionality is similar to the Vehicle Boost Comm Array (1 Complexity). GRENADE LAUNCHER (84 Complexity) This weapon deals 1d12 Harm to 4 targets in Close or Long Range, replacing the Harm of the wielder’s Fighting Stance. The area of effect adds 9 Complexity, the Harm adds 5 Complexity, and its reusability multiplies the Complexity total by 6. WEATHER BOMB (426 Complexity) This device summons a hurricane for an hour, generating extreme inclement weather (PAGE 117) over a radius of 1 mile. This affects targets in Extreme Range (10 Complexity) and provides effectively a Hindrance (1 Complexity). The hour-long duration is similar to 60 Persist Harm Boosts (60 Complexity). The area of effect is large enough that Brand decides to simply count the effects of the storm as permanent (x6 Complexity) due to the storm damage, rather than counting the number of targets affected. MED PACK (6 Complexity) This collection of medicines removes one Injury from a character. This provides the same effect as the Recovery Boost (1 Complexity) permanently (x6 Complexity) to the character who uses it.

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 Adventuring

COMMUNE WITH DEITY (11 Complexity)

Hazards

Hazards are environmental dangers in the Gamescape that can catch the unwary and make adventuring more difficult.

Falling and Sinking Dropping from a great height is always dangerous. Characters may attempt a Skill Check to try and catch themselves if they are within reach of something they can use to arrest their fall, or other characters can try to catch them with a Skill Check if they are within reach. Regardless of how a character’s fall is stopped, they risk lingering consequences. Falls of more than 100 feet (30 meters) always Injure a character on impact, while shorter falls can be mitigated with an athletic Skill Check (PAGE 106). Sinking is not dangerous for a character, and they can always make a Skill Check to start swimming. Unless the character can breathe the substance they are submerged in, though, they risk suffocation.

Fatigue Characters must Rest to maintain peak performance. After 24 hours of constant wakefulness, if a character does not Rest for at least 8 hours, they will suffer Fatigue until they Rest. Fatigue Drops every Check made by a character.

Fire and Smoke Fire spreads quickly and causes tremendous damage. Characters caught in a fire during combat take 1d6 Harm at the end of every Turn until an Action is taken to extinguish them. Characters set on fire outside of combat suffer an Injury. Fire spreads at 30 feet (10 meters) per Round across combustible material such as lumber, living beings, cloth, and furniture. It can spread twice as fast per Round across tinder such as dry kindling or straw. Fire does not spread across non-flammable material such as dirt, stone, and metal. Fire is accompanied by smoke, which provides Concealment but is not breathable. Smoke quickly fills indoor spaces and covers an area roughly four times the size of the fire itself outdoors.

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Holding Your Breath Characters can hold their breath for 2 minutes outside of combat (or for 1 Round during combat) before needing to make a Skill Check. Characters make a Skill Check to hold their breath at the beginning of their Turn in addition to their Action, or as appropriate outside of combat. This Skill Check has the following Outcomes: 2 more minutes or 1 Round of combat.

●● Exchange: The character can continue holding their

breath for 2 more minutes or 1 Round of combat, but they are Fatigued until they are able to breathe normally again. ▼▼ Setback: The character begins to breathe, and is both Fatigued and cannot attempt to hold their breath again until after a Restoration period (PAGE 95). A Protagonist that breathes non-breathable liquid or atmosphere (such as water, toxic fumes, or vacuum) suffers 1d6 Harm per Turn in combat. Outside of combat, they suffer an Injury for approximately every 5 minutes spent suffocating. NPCs die after suffocating for about 5 minutes.

Intoxication Characters can become intoxicated from consuming any number of substances: alcohol, drugs, concentrated pixie dust, and so on. The amount required for intoxication varies by substance, and is abstracted into Servings for smooth play. Alcohol (1 Serving = 1 Pint/Shot/Glass) Positive: Improves Mood to Agreeable Negative: Drops Talk Checks Pixie Dust (1 Serving = 1 Line/Puff) Positive: Raises Talk Checks Negative: Acts last in a Round

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▲▲ Win: The character can continue holding their breath for

Characters can consume one Serving of an Intoxicating substance per hour without risk. For each additional serving consumed within an hour, the character must make a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The character gains the positive effect of the substance.

●● Exchange: The character gains both the positive and

negative effects of the substance. ▼▼ Setback: The character suffers the negative effect of the substance. If already suffering a negative effect, the character falls unconscious. Characters remain unconscious from intoxication for 8 hours and cannot be roused. Upon awakening, the character will be Fatigued until their next Rest.

Poison and Disease Poisons and Diseases apply unique Injuries ( PAGE 87) to a character that negate Boosts or otherwise reduce a character’s capability. Black Rose Poison: The victim’s Luck is reduced by 5. Blinding Sickness: The victim has the Blind Hindrance. The Sweate: The victim is filled with fear, and will immediately Retreat from any conflict.

Poisons take effect immediately when consumed, inhaled, or applied to the victim with a poisoned object. Poison can be applied to an object as an Action. The first target Harmed or Hindered by a poisoned weapon also suffers the effect of the Poison. Poison is consumed upon delivery and more must be applied to a weapon before another target can be poisoned.

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Characters exposed to a disease for a day or more must make a Skill Check every day to ensure their precautionary measures prevent them from contracting the disease. This Skill Check has the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The character does not contract the Disease. ●● Exchange: The character’s precautions are insufficient;

Terrain and Weather Adverse terrain and weather can make travel and activities more difficult. Smooth terrain and normal weather do not impact Checks. Rough terrain and inclement weather, however, can have the following effects as selected by the Guide: • Drop Checks: Conditions Drop Skill Checks for precise activity, such as for athletic movement or driving. • Fatigue: Conditions cause characters to suffer Fatigue. • Reduced Awareness: Conditions reduce perception distance by one range band (PAGE 118). • Reduced Speed: Characters must move at half their normal speed or risk Injury.

Investigating and Tracking

While the Protagonists are automatically given clues by the Guide that they can use to advance their story, the players may not immediately recognize their significance. When players want additional hints to interpret clues, they can make a Skill Check to extrapolate information with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The Protagonist knows where to get the information

easily or already knows it, and can use this information before the situation escalates. ●● Exchange: The Protagonist knows where to get the information or can figure it out given time, and will be able to get it just before the situation escalates. ▼▼ Setback: The Protagonist must go through difficulty to get the information – something either unpleasant or time-consuming – and may not get it before the situation escalates.

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further Checks to avoid the disease are Dropped. ▼▼ Setback: The character has contracted the Disease and is now contagious.

Investigation always gives the Protagonists what they need while also being a tool for generating story complications. Perhaps the Protagonists will need to visit a mob boss to get more info on a Setback. Maybe they follow a trail through the woods, only to see their quarry boarding a ship leaving dock.

Protagonist vs. Player Knowledge Protagonists are presumed to be at least as smart, clever, and capable as their players. If a player can solve a mystery or piece together a chain of clues presented in-game, then their Protagonist can do the same. Protagonist knowledge is what Protagonists know about the world they inhabit, such as facts about magic, mythology, and technology. The Guide shares this knowledge freely with the players, and should not try to trick the players into having their Protagonists do something they would not logically do as people living in the Gamescape. Player knowledge is what players know thanks to their education or a quick Internet search, such as facts about science, mathematics, and other topics that aren’t necessarily available to the Protagonists. Players should not try and force their own advanced knowledge into a Gamescape that lacks it.

Language

Characters can generally communicate with each other in the same fluent language. In situations where characters cannot speak the same language, they can still use their Talk Checks to communicate with each other non-verbally.

Perception

In Forthright, characters do not make Checks to determine if they are aware of something. Instead, if something such as a clue is within their range of awareness, they are aware of it.

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Hearing and Listening There are two degrees of auditory awareness: Hearing (being aware of a sound) and Listening (being able to understand the words or meaning of a sound). The maximum distances for hearing and listening are: LISTENING

Whisper

Close

Adjacent

Speech

Long

Close

Shout

Extreme

Long

Battle or Horn

Extreme

Extreme

Seeing and Recognizing There are two degrees of visual awareness: Seeing (being aware of a sight) and Recognizing (being able to discern minor details on a sight). Characters can see targets at Extreme Range and recognize them at Long Range. Darkness and fog reduce these ranges by one step.

Performing

Performance entertains and informs an audience through a combination of talents represented by Fight, Talk, and Skill Checks. Acting out a convincing swordfight, or hitting a mark precisely to drop a prop wall, could require a Fight Check. Communicating a message through art, or convincing the audience of the sincerity of an emotion, would require a Talk Check. Impressing an audience with technical prowess such as stunt riding or acrobatics could require appropriate Skill Checks. The Guide calls for different Checks to build tension during a performance and give the spotlight to the performer.

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HEARING

Piloting and Riding

When characters ride a mount or pilot a Vehicle through a tricky maneuver, such as jumping over a chasm or lining up a shot with nose-mounted cannons, they make a Skill Check with the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The maneuver is successful. ●● Exchange: The maneuver is successful, but the mount or

Vehicle is out of position in some way. ▼▼ Setback: The maneuver fails, and the mount or Vehicle is out of position in some way. This could be a spin out, a stall, an opening to being Exploited, or some other temporary detriment described by the Guide.

Security

There are various locations in the Gamescape that will not be freely accessible to everyone. Characters can use different techniques to infiltrate secure locations. The response to intrusion by security guards will be dependent on the degree of secrecy they must maintain. At some locations, guards will demand out-of-place characters leave the area at once. At others, possible spies may be attacked outright. Guards will summon help when they meet resistance, usually with a horn, whistle, or radio. Responding guards tend to leave other areas unguarded, opening the possibility of resistance as a distraction.

Disguises Characters can mask their identity by changing their appearance, clothing, body language, and voice so they can appear as a different individual. Putting on a disguise takes time whether illusion, costuming, or shapeshifting is involved – from a few seconds for a very simple disguise to several hours for a more complex disguise.

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Characters in disguise make Skill Checks to maintain their disguise only when interacting with or being viewed by observers:

▲▲ Win: The disguise passes muster and no suspicion

Hacking Hacking is a common infiltration technique that requires a combination of talents. Getting past digital security might require a sneaking Skill Check, while identifying as a different user might require a disguise Skill Check. Entering new functionality might be a MacGyvering Skill Check, while simply shutting down a system might require a sabotage Skill Check. The Guide calls for different Skill Checks to build tension in a hacking scene and give the spotlight to the hacker.

Legerdemain Another common technique used to bypass security is sleight of hand: picking pockets to get wallets or security passes, for instance, or planting an eavesdropping tool in an inconspicuous place. These require sneaking Skill Checks to avoid notice. The Guide may also call for a Skill Check for athletic feats if the object being manipulated is particularly large, or an investigation Skill Check if the object needs to be particularly well-positioned.

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is raised. ●● Exchange: The disguise is not seen through, but something about the imposter seems off. The observer may demonstrate concern or suspicion, and will keep an eye on the imposter. ▼▼ Setback: The disguise is seen through, and the imposter is recognized as a fake. Disguise Skill Checks are Dropped if the imposter is impersonating a specific character and interacting with someone who knows that specific character.

Sabotage Characters may encounter locks to pick, or they may attempt to disrupt Vehicles, bombs, or other devices so they work improperly. When a character attempts to sabotage an object, they must make a Skill Check.

▲▲ Win: The character sabotages the object and describes what they do.

●● Exchange: The character sabotages the object and

describes what they do. The sabotage took long enough for the situation to escalate, or is noticeable to anyone who comes within recognition range. ▼▼ Setback: The object is not sabotaged as the saboteur intended. The Guide may choose one of the following options: • The object jams or detonates. • The situation escalates. • The attempted sabotage is noticeable to anyone who comes within recognition range of the object. Vic: I want to cut their brake lines. CJ: I’ll help. Brand: Val, you and Solenoid slide under the car. Who’s got the higher Skill Bonus? CJ: Val does, +4 to my +2. Brand: Val, roll Solenoid’s helping.

a

Skill

Check,

Raised

because

Vic: Win. I cut the brake lines so that if they start chasing after us, the first time they make a sharp turn or brake they’ll crash instead.

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FIGHT OR SKILL?

Some actions may seem like they call for a Fight Check instead of a Skill Check to sabotage. If the action could logically be taken outside of combat, use a Skill Check; if not, use a Fight Check. “Bashing down a door” does not strictly require characters to drop the door’s Luck to 0, though if the characters are in a battle and are trying to get through the door to escape, this could add interesting tension. Characters can attempt to avoid notice or hide from view altogether. This may mean walking stealthily in the open, lurking unseen in shadows, hiding behind curtains, or appearing like an irrelevant part of the background. Hiding when being directly observed requires breaking line of sight with the observer. When a character is within perception range of an observer, they must make a Skill Check to sneak.

▲▲ Win: The sneak is not noticed. ●● Exchange: The sneak is not noticed, but the observer has

become suspicious. The observer may delay the sneak by searching the area more carefully or may instruct others that someone could be lurking around. ▼▼ Setback: The sneak is spotted. There is no Skill Check to counteract sneaking. If a character’s Skill Check is successful, they are not noticed. Characters can voluntarily stop sneaking at any time, and are immediately noticed if they perform any attention-grabbing action such as attacking or speaking. Characters who attack from stealth Raise their Fight Check.

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Sneaking

Traps Traps exist to discourage infiltration. While some may be hidden from view, they are typically obvious to dissuade potential intruders from even attempting entry. There should always be signs that a trap is present in an area before it is triggered.

ALARMS

Alert guards that an intruder is present. Alarms may be broadly audible or audible only to guards.

CAPTURE TRAPS

Attempt to Pin or Knockout intruders so they can be captured by guards. These traps are created like Minor NPCs (PAGE 155) and roll Fight Checks to Hinder intruders.

KILLING TRAPS

Attempt to prevent entry by killing intruders. These traps are created like Minor NPCs and roll Fight Checks to Injure Protagonists or kill NPCs.

MARKING TRAPS

Mark intruders, Dropping their disguise and stealth Skill Checks, and Raising Skill Checks to track them.

SENTRY TRAPS

Force intruders to make Skill Checks to sneak past them. Traps in well-traveled areas will be designed to prevent them from being triggered by the people who are allowed in that area. Examples of such bypasses include code-locked keypads, magical amulets provided to vetted personnel, or secret, nontrapped entrances to secure areas.

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F  ACTIONS AND DOMAINS Factions and Domains provide an extra dimension of play for Protagonists and are a tool for the Guide to determine events in the Gamescape.

Factions

Factions provide specific benefits to their members such as contacts, additional training, and extra resources when characters are on a mission that benefits the Faction. Characters can also rise through the ranks of a Faction if they prove loyal and valuable.

Establishing a Faction To establish a Faction, a character must accumulate 10 Comrades who share the same Agenda and are willing to belong to a Faction led by the character. Once these Faction members are available, they must acquire or build a Faction Headquarters and establish the Faction Agenda, Membership Requirements, Ranks, and Regalia.

Agenda The Agenda defines a Faction’s goals and operational methods. A Faction’s Agenda can shift over time as the Faction changes leaders and achieves its goals.

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Factions are organizations of like-minded individuals larger than the Team that control significant wealth, land, or power in the form of Domains to further a specific Agenda. Factions can be as small as corner gangs competing for respect in an overcrowded borough or as grand as a pan-galactic empire. Factions, unlike the Team, can act to achieve their Agendas without involving the Protagonists.

The Wardens of the Star-Roads have one goal: to close portals that open into Everos as quickly as possible. To that end, they will combat any invasion forces from portals as well as groups that try to open portals. The Wardens provide members with Shutter Bombs that can close any portal they’re thrown into. They have operatives all over Everos, and try to stay politically neutral.

Membership Every Faction has different membership criteria. Some Factions will demand that an applicant perform a task or series of tasks that forward the Faction’s Agenda to prove the applicant’s loyalty to the cause. Other Factions will simply require paperwork. The criteria for membership are established when the Faction is created, and can change over time to reflect different situations the Faction has encountered. Characters can be members of multiple Factions, but a Faction will not allow a character to join if it knows they are currently a member of an opposing Faction. The Wardens of the Star-Roads only accept applicants who have performed at least one Deed of Renown defending the peace on Everos. They are currently in conflict with the Cult of Flame, so any cultists who try to join the Wardens will be declined.

FACTION VS. TEAM

Protagonists can be members of a Faction as well as the Team. Being in a Faction does not override being in the Team. Factions understand that Protagonists have a deep bond with their teammates that cannot easily be shattered, and will in general not ask a Protagonist to act against the interests of the other Protagonists. If the Team has members of multiple Factions in it, those Factions will likely use the Protagonists to try and gain intelligence on the other represented Factions. This will certainly be true if the Protagonists are members of competing Factions.

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Rank Rank indicates the amount of power a Faction member wields within a Faction. Factions are societies writ small, so Ranks are Faction-specific Social Strata. Higher-ranked characters can give orders to lower-ranked characters in the Faction. The three Ranks from greatest to least are:

PROMOTIONS AND DEMOTIONS

Characters who push their Faction’s agenda successfully are likely to increase their Rank, while characters who fail to push their Faction’s agenda are likely to stagnate or even decrease in Rank. Characters advance by completing Faction Missions and earning Dominion for the Faction. Each Faction requires different numbers of successful missions or Dominion for promotion, sometimes for each Rank. Characters that fail 3 Faction Missions in a row lose one Rank. Operatives who are demoted are drummed out of the Faction, culling the Faction of less skillful personnel.

Regalia The specific uniforms, insignia, or colors that Factions use to identify their membership are Regalia, and are provided to every member of the Faction. Regalia can also identify a character’s rank within a Faction.

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• High Command: High Command can spend the Faction’s Dominion freely and can initiate Faction Missions. • Officer: Officers can spend no more than 1 Dominion at a time and can initiate Faction Missions. They cannot spend Dominion again until they or a Faction Mission they initiate generates Dominion for the Faction. • Operative: The most common type of member, Operatives do not control Faction resources themselves but can complete Faction Missions and request aid from the Faction. There may be several grades within these Ranks: for example, several generals and a supreme commander might exist within the High Command. Add more Ranks to a Faction only if jockeying for position within the Faction will be a major part of play.

Regalia does not need to be worn constantly; characters should only wear Regalia when they wish to be identified as a Faction member. Secretive Factions may limit when and where their members wear Regalia.

Domains

The infrastructure controlled by a Faction is its Domain. A Domain can be as small as a single building operated by a cooperative, or it can be as vast as a multiple-planet conglomerate operated by an interstellar empire.

Headquarters A Headquarters is the seat of power and the first infrastructure element for a Faction and its Domain. Every Faction must have a Headquarters from which it can exert its power. Headquarters are Structures or Vehicles that begin with 3 Boosts chosen by the Faction’s High Command. Factions can further improve their Headquarters by trading Dominion for Boosts to spend on the Headquarters. A Faction can move their Headquarters to a new Structure or Vehicle in their Domain at any time. If a Faction’s Headquarters is lost or captured, the Faction loses all unspent Dominion and must immediately establish a Headquarters in a new location or be dissolved. Everwhere Tower is the headquarters of the Wardens of the Star-Roads. This 50-story tower is surrounded by five great domes at its base and rises out of a bowl-like crater. Despite its vast technology and sophistication, it is said that Everwhere Tower has existed since the first dawn of Everos. Because the Tower is so old, it has many Boosts, including multiple Hangers, twenty Weapon Turrets improved to 1d12 Ultra Attack, Ultra Defense, and numerous Laboratories and Workshops.

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Dominion

Dominion is the currency used by the Faction to improve itself and make Dominion Checks. Factions begin with 1 Dominion and grow by facing Faction Challenges and furthering their Agendas.

Faction Challenges A Faction is challenged whenever a situation threatens its power and influence or whenever an opportunity arises to expand that power and influence. Every Faction Challenge provides a potential benefit to the Faction: either 1 Dominion or an Infrastructure improvement. The Guide determines the benefits of overcoming the Faction Challenge.

DOMINION CHECKS

Dominion Checks allow a Faction to roll a single Check to resolve a Faction Challenge. Making a Dominion Check costs a Faction 1 Dominion. Factions can make three different types of Dominion Checks: Force is a Faction’s ability to use military action and violence. Military organizations generally focus on Force more than Influence and Labor. Influence is a Faction’s ability to use diplomacy and politics. Governments, secret societies, and churches generally focus on Influence more than Force and Labor. Labor is a Faction’s ability to provide goods and services to others. Merchant guilds and manufacturers generally focus on Labor more than Force and Influence. Starting Factions have a +0 Bonus in Force, Influence and Labor. Factions can increase their Check Bonuses by earning and spending Dominion. Factions that have been around a while

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 Factions and Domains

When a Faction faces a challenge, it can attempt to overcome the challenge with a Dominion Check. Alternately, it can choose to send Protagonist members out on a Faction Mission, minimizing its own risk and providing story opportunities for the Team.

will have higher Bonuses, such as a +3 for a skillful and capable organization and a +6 for a Faction that is at the peak of its power. Faction Check Bonuses are capped at +6. Dominion Checks may be Raised or Dropped based on how the Faction is attempting to handle the situation. An Influence challenge, for example, may be Dropped if the Faction responds with Force because it demonstrates an inability to maneuver subtly. The Guide determines if the Check is Raised or Dropped. Dominion Checks have the following Outcomes:

▲▲ Win: The Faction meets the Challenge and gains 2

Dominion, 2 Infrastructure improvements, or one of each. ●● Exchange: The Faction meets the challenge and gains 1 Dominion or Infrastructure improvement. ▼▼ Setback: The Faction fails to meet the challenge and does not gain Dominion or an Infrastructure improvement. The Duchy of Thyre is making a political challenge against the Wardens of the Star-Roads, claiming they are overstepping their bounds in investigating Thyrian nobility for Cult of Flame activity. The Wardens are old and powerful, and have a +6 Influence Bonus. Brand decides they continue their investigation and discover a Thyrian noble conspiring with the Cult. The Wardens turn this noble over to the Thunderhead triumphantly, with a Win on their Dominion Check. They gain 2 Dominion as the people of Everos are once again reminded the Wardens are incorruptible.

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FACTION MISSION

Faction Missions are adventures that send the Protagonists into the middle of a plot by or against the Faction. The Wardens of the Star-Roads have a mission for the Team: the Eye of Aarakoa, a magical artifact once wielded by avian invaders, has been stolen from the Wardens’ vault in Ambersol City. The Wardens would like the Team to retrieve it and find out who was responsible for the theft. If the Protagonists are successful, they will earn 1 Dominion for the Wardens and recover an artifact that is said to grant powers of teleportation.

Improving the Faction and Domain Dominion can be spent on building up Faction or Domain Infrastructure improvements. All Faction improvements cost 1 Dominion.

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If the Team resolves the situation in a way that benefits the Faction, the Faction overcomes the challenge and earns its reward. If the resolution does not benefit the Faction, Protagonist Faction members will be at risk of demotion.

IMPROVEMENT

MECHANIC

Boost Points

Gain 3 Boost Points to apply to Faction members, Structures, or Vehicles. Can be taken multiple times.

Decentralized Command

The Faction Headquarters cannot be captured.

Diplomatic Corps

The Faction gains +1 Dominion when making an Influence Check.

Increase Force

Increase the Faction’s Force Bonus by 1 to a maximum of +6. Can be taken multiple times.

Increase Influence

Increase the Faction’s Influence Bonus by 1 to a maximum of +6. Can be taken multiple times.

Increase Labor

Increase the Faction’s Labor Bonus by 1 to a maximum of +6. Can be taken multiple times.

Military Order

The Faction gains +1 Dominion when making a Force Check.

Secret Signs

Faction members have markers, code words, handshakes, and the like to secretly identify themselves to each other.

Secret Society

Regalia can be worn openly and only Faction members will recognize it.

Structure

The Domain has an additional Structure. Choose 2 Structure Boosts to apply to the Structure. Can be taken multiple times.

Union

The Faction gains +1 Dominion when making a Labor Check.

Vehicle

The Domain has an additional Vehicle. Choose 2 Vehicle Boosts to apply to the Vehicle. Can be taken multiple times.

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GUIDANCE The Guide cannot be shy when running the game. Your confidence builds your group’s confidence in you. This section should help give you the confidence you need to be a great Guide.

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B  UILDING TRUST The Guide is essentially the leader of the gaming group. It is from you that players will gather cues as to what is and is not acceptable at the table. You wield the most power but also carry the most responsibility, because your power derives entirely from players willing to experience what you have to offer. You act as the Protagonists’ eyes and ears in the Gamescape. You must play fairly with them and make reasonable judgment calls about the rules and the Gamescape. They must feel you are respectful of them and not simply using them as an audience to tell a story they cannot change. If your players trust you, they will be less likely to become frustrated or disengage when situations are against them. Once trust is broken, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to restore. Players will give you the benefit of the doubt; it is up to you to show them that this trust is not misplaced. Open, honest, and respectful communication among the gaming group is the best way to solve problems and foster both collaboration and trust. As the Guide, you facilitate communication to produce an enjoyable and entertaining experience for the group as a whole.

Be Prepared

If you have your gaming materials organized and are ready for your game on time, you are already taking steps to build your players’ trust. Running a game session without any preparation can be frustrating for the Protagonists, as you might forget to mention vital clues or leave out key steps. If you don’t have time to prepare, try to use a session structure that doesn’t build off intricate details. Combat-intensive sessions with obvious enemies and no mysteries are good for this.

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Collaborate

Forthright is built on cooperation between Protagonists on the Team and between the Team and the Guide. This will often require you to be clever and flexible, able to develop new story elements and ideas on the spot in response to unexpected actions by Protagonists or unexpected results on Checks. But if you find yourself stuck, or just want to give the other players a bit more say, ask for assistance. This works especially well when you are asking about Protagonists’ off-screen activities. Brand: You turn the corner and almost run head-first into a broad-shouldered, angry-looking Draconid. His sneer says very plainly that he hates you and wants to break you in half ... why? Jamie: He likes his personal space, and we’ve invaded it. CJ: Maybe he has babies back there? Jules: We robbed him of his life savings during a card game, and then spent it all on blackjack and booze. Why are you looking at me like that?

Collaborating with your players helps invest them in the Gamescape and in shaping the story. Even though you as the Guide will make the final decision about which of their suggestions is true, this investment helps keep players engaged and in tune with the game.

Know the Rules The common framework of the rules allows players to understand where they might succeed or fail independent of the Guide’s decision-making. As the Guide, you must know and apply the rules consistently. Not doing so, or regularly making up new rules on the fly, will strip your players of their ability to reasonably determine the consequences of their actions. This is a source of frustration that can be easily avoided.

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 Building Trust

Vic: Honestly, I kind of like that one. Maybe we overheard him making some nasty plans, so that’s why we did it.

Be Fair

The Gamescape is by its nature unfair to the Protagonists: it is challenging them, causing them strife, and forcing them to encounter drama. The Guide directs this, not always with input from the players. The Team is on a space station that is struck by an asteroid, killing hundreds before anyone has time to react.

Despite this, the Guide must be fair to the players. Never take resources away from the Protagonists without giving them an opportunity to respond. As sparks fly and smoke chokes the air, the Team learns their Friends on the station weren’t in the destroyed area.

Threatening their resources and forcing the Team to act to preserve them is a prime source of drama. As long as this isn’t your go-to source of drama, the group should consider this fair play. Unfortunately, their Friends are on a part of the station that’s losing life support. Only the Team is close enough to save them.

Be Helpful

The more helpful the Guide is, the more fast-paced the game will run in general and the happier the players will tend to be with the amount of action they’ve gotten. If a player doesn’t have information, look for ways to share that information and not reasons to hide it. Step in and provide information if the players have forgotten it, or if their Protagonists would know it. Freely share information that is relevant or interesting. Avoid inserting clues that will deliberately lead the Protagonists astray. Players will often think up plenty of their own red herrings without your assistance. It’s okay to tell them when they’re chasing a red herring; this can help keep the Protagonists focused and minimize the effect of misunderstandings.

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Ask Questions, Rephrase Answers If you don’t know why your players are asking a question or taking an action, or if they seem to be floundering or unsure of what to do next, ask them what they’re trying to accomplish, what they hope to learn, or what they’re expecting will happen. After they answer, rephrase their answer in your own words to make sure you have a clear understanding of the situation. This will help you frame your responses appropriately and minimize your risk of giving them accidentally misleading information.

Make Revelations To circumvent player frustration, some situations may call for you to reveal more information than you originally intended. Rather than derailing the session by allowing the player to stay frustrated, acknowledge that there is more to the situation than meets the eye, and let them know that this is in fact a clue for progressing the story. Brand: The cloaked figure runs past you and slams the door. Vic: I rip open the door and charge in, ready to tackle him.

Jules: I look for a secret door or something. Brand: You don’t find any. Vic: Of course. That guy had all the clues we needed, but the universe wasn’t ready for us to have the answers yet. So now we’ve got to jump through hoops. Brand: There’s definitely something weird here, guys, but I promise I’m not screwing you over. This is a clue. Jamie: OH SNAP. Doesn’t the Eye of Aarakoa let you teleport? Brand: That’s one of the powers you’ve heard it has, yes. Vic: Oh … sorry, Brand. Brand: No worries.

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 Building Trust

Brand: When you open the door, you see the room is empty. No other doors, no windows ... no way out.

Be Respectful

While you are responsible for setting challenges in front of the Protagonists for them to overcome, you must never yourself become antagonistic to the other players. Under no circumstances may you bully, mock, or abuse your players. This can happen unintentionally; all words are weighted with connotations that you might not be aware of. Keep in mind that just because you are not offended does not mean that what you have said is not offensive. Don’t let interpersonal conflicts cross over into the game. Solving an issue with another player by attacking their Protagonist is inappropriate. If you don’t think you can keep the two separate, you should discuss your conflict prior to play – and if you can’t resolve the issue, then don’t play together until you can. Be ready and willing to apologize when you make a mistake, and make a genuine effort to not make the same mistake again. An apology cannot be sincere if you don’t try to do better. If you cross the line often enough, your players may find they have something better to do with their time.

Handling Disagreements When there is a disagreement, really listen to what others are saying and try to determine what you can do to resolve it. Interrupting isn’t listening; don’t interrupt. Players who are heavily invested in the game care deeply about the story and characters; it is common for players to have an occasional flare of temper. This only becomes problematic when it happens frequently or becomes disruptive to the game. If it becomes problematic, you can counsel the player or even stop inviting them to the game.

The Nuclear No Saying “No” to your players is the most powerful tool in the Guide’s toolkit, and you must endeavor to use it wisely. Before you turn down another player’s idea, ask why they think it might work and consider the explanation carefully. Think about the implications of allowing the idea. This can be an opportunity for you to fill out more details about the Gamescape.

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By listening to your players’ ideas, giving them a fair shake, and explaining your decision fully, you will build trust. Building that trust will leave your players more willing to accept and defend your logic.

Pitfalls

As the Guide, you won’t always be right and you won’t always have all the answers. Should you stumble into any of the following pitfalls, clearly and honestly communicate with the rest of the group and work to improve. That will mark you as a Guide who is always growing and learning from mistakes.

Aiming for Failure Should the Protagonists find a way to accomplish something you did not anticipate, let them have the victory. The ultimate consequence of removing or reducing the success of your players when they are clever is that they will stop trying to be clever.

Appeasing You should not give the Protagonists everything they want; they must put forth the work to earn it. Players almost universally love a challenge. If you give them too much too soon, they will quickly gain so much power that the game will become boring for everyone.

Destinies Having Protagonists with destinies might sound interesting, but it robs you of narrative flexibility in case your gaming group undergoes changes. Destinies can also sap the story of tension, because the end of the story is already written.

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 Building Trust

Players learn behaviors based on what you teach them. If you appreciate a type of play or behavior and would like to encourage it, you can incentivize it by providing a bonus such as a Boon or Raise.

Jobbing Do not take on the role of the Guide just because someone in the group needs to. You should only Guide if you enjoy creating new worlds and adventures for your friends to enjoy, and if you enjoy reacting to the unexpected quickly and smoothly.

Overdoing It You might become so enthusiastic about building the Gamescape and new adventures for the Protagonists that you do not leave time in your life for anything beyond gaming. This can lead to burnout. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you should be having fun, too.

Playing Favorites You should not single out any player or character for special treatment. While the tale of the single hero and their group of loyal companions is common in fiction, in a collaborative game it means players will not be able to share the spotlight equitably. Likewise, you don’t want NPCs to get too much spotlight, or you risk the Team becoming sidekicks in their own story.

Railroading Railroading is the act of trying to force your players through the story along a very specific path. This can involve presenting them with illusory choices (no matter which path they take, they end up at the same place) or shutting them down when they find a way forward that you did not anticipate. Railroading has a cooling effect on creative gameplay. You are not the author of a novel; you are facilitating a story everyone is writing together.

Tyranny You become a tyrant when you don’t listen to your group’s concerns and generally need to have things your way instead of embracing a spirit of collaboration. This tells your players that you don’t respect them or have their best interests at heart, even if you think you do.

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P  REPARATION Preparation helps the game feel believable and provides the Guide with enough information to continue play even when faced with the entirely unexpected. Preparation is especially important in games where mysteries play a central role. The key to preparation is that you don’t need a lot: you need just enough to provide an immersive experience. You never want your players faced with the question, “Is that part of the mystery, or did the Guide make a mistake again?” There is no set amount of preparation required to run a game of Forthright well. You will eventually find the amount that feels right for you and your group.

No Preparation

When you have no opportunity to prepare before a Session, you will need to improvise more heavily than usual. Ask your group to tell you what their Protagonists are planning and doing. Rely on their input to help define their conflicts with NPCs. Additionally, you can roll on the Challenges (PAGE 153) and Complications (PAGE 154) tables to flesh out the situation they’ll encounter during the Session.

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 Preparation

You may want to avoid elements of mystery or worldbuilding when running an unprepared Session. Unplanned mysteries may not provide consistent enough clues, frustrating players. Likewise, improvised worldbuilding may result in broader than intended consequences. You never want a glib remark to force you to retcon some aspect of the Gamescape.

Basic Preparation

You want a general sense of how the Gamescape will react to different events, so you can improvise during the Session based on the actions of the Protagonists. Focus your preparation on the following: • Important NPCsand their motivations should be known, but you don’t need to define their stats ahead of time. • Plots let you know what the NPCs are up to. • Inciting Events engage the Protagonists with one or more plots. • Clues and where to find them, to give the Protagonists the information they’ll need to keep the story moving. You do not need to prepare specific scenes, transitions, or battles before a Session. These should be improvised during play as the Protagonists and NPCs react to each other. This will also help prevent you from unintentionally railroading the Protagonists.

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Extended Preparation

More preparation allows you to add more details and setting flavor to the Gamescape. Select these details based on your gaming group’s probes to reward them for their interest in the Gamescape. If they ask about local cuisines, for example, you can have descriptions of different foods available. Names of minor NPCs and illustrations of people and places are also common requests from gaming groups. Most of your extra preparation will be spent world-building by detailing Adventure Hubs (PAGE 150). Adventure Hubs are springboards for multiple adventures, allowing the Protagonists to feel at home in familiar locations filled with familiar faces. Avoid inserting so much detail that you cannot be spontaneous. You should avoid pausing play while you look up some minor fact, figure, illustration, or name. Having a richly detailed Gamescape allows you to reduce your Session-specific prep time. This level of planning also helps you weave themes through different adventures and provide foreshadowing of future Plots.

 Preparation

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Guidance Sheet End Guidance Sheet

The Guidance Sheet helps the Guide keep track of story progress.

Game Name

DEEDS OF LEGEND

INJURIES

Deeds of Legend (68)

Boost Points earned as Advancement (58)

DEEDS OF GREAT REPUTE

Deeds of Great Repute (68) DEEDS OF SIGNIFICANCE

Protagonist Injuries (87)

Deeds of Significance (68)

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships and Rapport (70)

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The Powers of Everos

23

Game Name

DEEDS OF LEGEND

INJURIES

The Capture of the Firestone Thunderhead Regime Change

Prince Solenoid Vulnerable: Knockdown

DEEDS OF GREAT REPUTE

Burning-Sky Drop all Checks when near uncontrolled fire

Prevented Gang War in Ambersol

Thelan Drop Talk Checks vs. High DEEDS OF SIGNIFICANCE

Val Darrin Vulnerable: Push

Exposed Jarod Grinning-Laugh

RELATIONSHIPS Thunderhead (former) High Thunders

- Nemesis

High Thunder Gronthar Kabe - Comrade Thunderhead (new) Emperor-Queen Chief Greeble

High Librarian Omeran Jarod Grinning-Laugh Cult of Flame

Wardens of the Star Roads Master of Order

- Rivals

- Associates

- Associate

Comrade

THE GAMESCAPE

Ebon Vol

- Nemesis

Krol Arand

Holland Fyre

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T  HE GAMESCAPE The Gamescape can be as varied or unusual as you would like it to be, provided it has an internally consistent logical structure for the fictional world and the characters within it. The Guide is the chief auditor of the Gamescape’s continuity, a role vital for player buy-in. Players will naturally assume that physics works similarly to real life and that NPCs will behave similarly to real people. If any of these things are different in the Gamescape, make sure to identify the differences ahead of time to the players so they can assimilate it into their suspension of disbelief. If the Gamescape is too different from your group’s lived experience, though, they may feel paralyzed because they do not know how to act in such a strange place. Your goal when crafting the Gamescape is to make it believable, not realistic. A realistic setting would not have magic or elves or faster-than-light drives. You must ensure you have just enough reality so the Gamescape is approachable and understandable by players. Finally, remember that the Gamescape exists in service to the story; the story does not exist in service to the Gamescape. The fictional world is meant to be changed by the actions of the Protagonists. And if something in the Gamescape doesn’t promote interesting and engaging storytelling, remove it.

Build Out, Not In

When creating the Gamescape, keep the setting small at first: a single town or city with the major NPCs and Factions therein, and perhaps one or two outlying areas. This will allow you to get a feel for the world you are creating, as it is more difficult to create an entire Gamescape and then narrow your focus than it is to start small and expand out. As the game continues, begin expanding the Gamescape outward by adding more NPCs, Factions, regions, and Plots. As you grow more confident with the Gamescape, expanding it and adding complexity will become easier.

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Major Considerations

Fill the Gamescape with potential stories. Find the places where there is friction in the Gamescape: between society and individuals, between societies with different cultures, between society and nature, and so on. That is where the Protagonists’ adventures await.

Race and Species Avoid creating races and species where everyone looks the same or has the same beliefs. Focus on a species’ biology to find the resources they need and the behaviors they are likely to exhibit. No race or species should be depicted as intrinsically good or evil; people are individuals and should be treated as such.

Resources and Geography One major reason people band together is to protect the resources available to them. This could be food, farmland, mineral wealth, or even knowledge. Trade can also be a major resource: the only bridge between major towns would likely support a thriving community dependent upon migrant trade. People will generally place their towns near these resources in order to better work and defend them.

Society and Culture Groups of people band together to form tribes and societies where like-thinking is rewarded and unlike-thinking is ostracized. This works at any scale, from high school cliques to worldspanning empires. Think about why people are working together and what they expect from each other. Learning about different cultures in the real world is a great way to get a different perspective on people and society, and provides great source material for world-building.

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 the Gamescape

Because your goal is to create a believable Gamescape, every culture should feel different. Avoid monocultures where everyone behaves the same way, for instance. Build functional societies with strong foundations. You can then remove different elements from these societies to examine how they fracture and collapse under different pressures.

Religion Religions can involve one or more deities or philosophical principles, and usually cross resource-related or politically drawn boundaries. Doctrinal differences between worshippers of the same deity, worshippers of different deities, and nonworshippers do not often comfortably mix, creating subdivisions within societies. There will be true believers, apostates, those who only give lip service, and those who are trying to use religion to increase their own prestige. Religions will often attempt to impose their viewpoint on others through apology, evangelism, forceful conversion, or conquest.

Civics As societies grow, they develop rules to preserve order and a standard of behavior. Such rules also require that someone be charged with enforcing those rules. This is the foundation of government and law enforcement. Any society of more than half a dozen people is likely going to have a governing structure. This structure can either enforce rules the people have mutually agreed upon (such as in a democracy or republic), rules laid out by the rich and powerful (such as in an oligarchy, magocracy, or technocracy), or rules imposed on society by force of will or arms (as in a dictatorship). Life under each of these types of government will feel very different, from egalitarian to dispirited to oppressed.

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History History is the cause behind the effects the Protagonists will encounter. Knowing this history will help highlight how the Gamescape came to be and what the Protagonists may need to do to resolve some issues. History can enrich the Plots of your villains and the plights of your victims, and can make the Gamescape more morally gray than it otherwise would be. For example, the invading army could be led by someone with a legitimate claim to the throne, or the order of the world’s greatest pugilists could have learned their fighting techniques because they are the descendants of slaves who fought off their owners.

Collaborative Creation

The Guide doesn’t have to go it alone in developing the Gamescape. The other players likely also have ideas for and about the Gamescape and will frequently share them during play. Use their ideas whenever you can. They benefit you because you can use them to enrich the Gamescape or modify them as jumping-off points for your own ideas. Seeing their feedback enliven the world will give your players more investment in it and help them feel like they both understand and have a role in shaping the Gamescape.

 the Gamescape

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A  DVENTURE HUBS Adventure Hubs are clusters of NPCs, generally local to a specific region, whose Plots impact each other. Regional attributes (such as resources and culture) combine with NPC motivations to drive Plots. Plots, in turn, intersect with the Protagonists and create the game’s story. Ambersol City is known as the Western Jewel of the Free Empire. A shining metropolis of 300,000 souls, Ambersol is built around a great spaceport and is populated with the spellcasters, merchants, and machinists needed to support the rich trade opportunities here. Ambersol is governed by the Council of Four: The Wardens of the Star-Roads, the Reign Coalition, House Titaniun, and the Duchy of Sandiir. These Factions represent its protectors, its civil government, the Machine Princes who run its industry, and the nobles who first founded it. The Spaceport is powered by the Quantum Pyramid, a resource of nearly limitless power that keeps electricity flowing not just to the spaceport, but through the neon streets of Ambersol. The dark underbelly of Ambersol is home to a tenuous détente between the Scuttlers, Crawlers, and Walkers: three criminal gangs trying to hold onto their turf while keeping the Biters, a gang of Draconid, to a small corner of Northside.

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NPCs in Forthright are actively trying to shape the world to their will. Plots are what the NPCs are attempting to accomplish and how they plan to do it. Plot is completely under the control of the Guide and, without interference, will be what happens in the Gamescape. Plots should always answer the following questions: • Who is driving the Plot? This will be one or more NPCs, either individually or as a Faction. • What are they trying to accomplish? Each NPC always has a goal. Knowing the goal can help open alternate solutions for the situation. • Why are they doing it? Each NPC always has reasons for what they’re doing, and the Guide must understand those reasons fully, again opening alternate resolutions for the situation. • Where is it going to be done? The Plot may involve one or more locations where different parts of the Plot come to fruition. • How is it going to be done? The farther-reaching the goal, the more likely there are multiple steps to the Plot with different activities required to resolve the Plot. • When is it going to be done? There must always be an overarching time pressure to force the Protagonists to act and give the story tension. • Why do the Protagonists care? All Plots should confront the Protagonists’ Principles or involve their Relationships in some way if the Protagonists are expected to interact with them. Story is what happens when the Protagonists interfere with the NPCs’ Plots. This is explicitly their role in the Gamescape: to act as kingmakers and choose what changes to the world they will and will not support and accept.

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 Adventure Hubs

Plot vs. Story

Jarod Grinning-Laugh is a wealthy Thyrian who has taken up residence in Ambersol City. He has been manipulating the gangs in the city to destabilize the Council of Four. Once the Council has proven ineffective, the Stormbringers of Thyre will enter the city and destroy the gangs, bringing peace and capturing the city for the Thunderhead. Jarod is ready to launch his initiative by having Yebben Theef, leader of the Walkers, assassinated by a Draconid and Vral Brak, leader of the Biters, assassinated by a human. Once they’re dead, their lieutenants will call for blood and a gang war will explode in the lower city. The Vanguard are members of the Wardens of the Star-Roads, which will call on them to help quell the violence as soon as it erupts.

NPCs will evolve their Plots as they realize they must deal with the Protagonists to accomplish their goals. Sometimes this will involve attacking the Protagonists, sometimes compromising with them, sometimes attempting to pay them off. Whatever the case, NPCs will remain firmly focused on their Plots until they become impossible to achieve.

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The Guide always presents combat, intrigue, and mystery to the group to fully confront both their strengths and weaknesses. The Guide can use the group’s preferences recorded on the Game Charter to identify the potency of these challenges. The Guide can roll 3 unmodified d20s, one each for Combat, Intrigue, and Mystery. The Team’s preferred challenge is Raised, and the Team’s least preferred challenge is Dropped. The results of these rolls can identify what you should include in the adventure: COMBAT

INTRIGUE

MYSTERY

Win

Harder than Fair Fights

Disagreeable NPCs

Multiple puzzles or mysteries

Exchange

Fair Fights

Neutral NPCs

One puzzle or mystery

Setback

Easier than Fair Fights

Agreeable NPCs

No puzzles or mystery

Brand generates Fair Fights, Neutral NPCs, and No Puzzles and Mysteries for the adventure to stop Grinning-Laugh’s plan. As a result, the Wardens of the Star-Roads will have figured out Grinning-Laugh is behind the assassinations, but not why. The gang NPCs will be neutral to the Protagonists because they really didn’t want this gang war, either, and won’t attack them unless they appear to be teaming up with the other gangs.

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 Adventure Hubs

Challenges

Complications

Complications can be inserted into Plots to make them more interesting or tense. The following list is provided for inspiration, and is not exhaustive of all the possible complications that could be introduced. 1. A friend becomes unfriendly 2. An enemy becomes friendly 3. A known enemy is plotting 4. A hard-to-acquire MacGuffin is needed 5. Violence erupts, but why? 6. It’s all the fault of the Protagonists or their allies 7. An old acquaintance disappears 8. Not everyone is who they appear to be 9. An ultimatum is given 10. Mistaken identity 11. Fake, forgery, or fraud is involved 12. Someone is trying to be impressive 13. Someone needs a favor 14. Someone is keeping a secret 15. An enemy-occupied location must be infiltrated 16. An escort is required 17. Enemies are fighting each other, others are caught between 18. Principles are set against each other 19. A mysterious stranger arrives 20. Dangerous weather Brand wants a complication since there’s no mystery, and he rolls to discover a known enemy is plotting. The lieutenant of the Walkers, Holland Fyre, just has too good a name to not be involved with the Cult of Flame ... which may get involved if the Protagonists attack the Walkers.

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NPCs will oppose the Protagonists because their goals and Plots don’t align with the Protagonists’ goals and Principles. Every conflict is an opportunity to reveal information about NPC Plots and advance the story. Often, this conflict can be resolved through conversation and compromise. When that fails, characters will fall back to combat. Combatants in Forthright are trying to achieve goals beyond fighting. Perhaps they are trying to break into a fortress, or defend their homes, or protect an artifact of unlimited power. Enemies will fight to the death only when doing so achieves their goals. NPCs are built in a streamlined fashion to make them easy to reference for the Guide. The Guide does not need to pre-define Boosts for NPCs; these may be selected during play to best meet the needs of the situation.

Minors Minor NPCs are the most common characters, comprising about 75% of the population of the Gamescape. These are background characters who may not have names or be important to the story, who may be weak and defenseless against more powerful forces around them, or may be standard footsoldiers in an army. They are minions, lackeys, commoners, and goons, and have a +0 in all Check Bonuses, 10 Luck, and deal 1d6 Harm in both Close and Long Range. Minors may have up to 3 Boosts. TOWN GUARD +0 Fight, +0 Talk, +0 Skill, 1d6 Harm, 10 Luck Agent (Guards), Investigator, Parry GOON +2 Fight, +0 Talk, +0 Skill, 1d6 Harm, 10 Luck Agent (Gang), Increase Fight Bonus (x2)

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 Adventure Hubs

Opposition

Mobs Up to four like Minor NPCs can band together into one Mob. Mobs combine the Luck of their Minors, gain a +1 Fight Bonus for every Minor in the Mob, and act as a single fighting unit. Acting in Mobs makes Minor NPCs dangerous even to veteran Protagonists, as the Mob is only Defeated when all the Minors comprising it are Defeated. Mobs can be targeted multiple times (as with Whirlwind Stance), up to the number of Minors in the Mob. The Guide should combine Minor NPCs into Mobs when the number of Minors on the battlefield would otherwise outnumber the Protagonists. MOB of 2 TOWN GUARDS +2 Fight, +0 Talk, +0 Skill, 1d6 Harm, 20 Luck Agent (Guards), Investigator, Parry MOB of 3 GOONS +5 Fight, +0 Talk, +0 Skill, 1d6 Harm, 30 Luck Agent (Gang), Increase Fight Bonus (x2)

Majors Major NPCs are more recognizable than Minor NPCs and drive most of the Plots in the Gamescape. They have names and backstories and are important to the story either as major figures in their own right or as functionaries of more powerful masters. They are politicians, guard captains, renowned crafters, and major names. They have a +3 in all Check Bonuses, 30 Luck, and choose a Fighting Stance, Persona, and Skillset. Majors may have up to 6 Boosts. KROL ARAND (Guard Captain) +3 Fight, +6 Talk, +3 Skill, 1d8 Harm Guardian, 30 Luck Agent (Guards), Increase Talk Bonus (x3), Investigator, Parry, 2 Unspent Motivations: Serve and protect, Uphold the law

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+3 Fight, +3 Talk, +3 Skill, 1d12 Harm Juggernaut, 30 Luck Agent (Gang), Athlete, Infiltrator, Networker (Criminals), Retaliate, Socializer (Low), 2 Unspent Motivations: Increase personal wealth, Increase personal power, Be respected, Keep the Draconid out of Eastside

Masters Masters are the greatest powers in the Gamescape. They are well-known and have names, backstories, and goals. They are characters as fully realized as the Protagonists. They may operate multiple Plots at a time, and generally use Major NPCs to run Plots for them. If a character is a leader of others, has a lair, or is otherwise in charge of one or more groups in the Gamescape, that character is a Master. Masters have a +6 in all Check Bonuses, 50 Luck, and choose a Fighting Stance, Persona, and Skillset. Masters may also have up to 12 Boosts. EBON VOL (Guard Commander) +6 Fight, +6 Talk, +6 Skill, 1d10 Harm Deadeye, 50 Luck Agent (Guards), Investigator, Parry, Socializer (High and Low), Transporter, 8 Unspent Motivations: Serve and protect, Uphold the law, Duty to the Emperor-Queen, Keep Ambersol City great JAROD GRINNING-LAUGH (Criminal Mastermind) +6 Fight, +6 Talk, +6 Skill, 1d4 Harm Tactician, 50 Luck Infiltrator, Networker (Criminals), Socializer (High and Low) Bodyguard: +0 Fight, 1d6 Harm Close, 20 Luck Fighter: +0 Fight, 1d10 Harm Close, 15 Luck Emissary: +4 Talk, Socializer (Outcast) Motivations: Rule Ambersol City from the shadows, Reduce the power of the Emperor-Queen, Personal vendetta against Ebon Vol

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 Adventure Hubs

HOLLAND FYRE (Gang Leader)

Multihazards Multihazards are single enemies or Vehicles with multiple components, all acting on the Multihazard’s Initiative. They are larger and more dangerous than typical opponents. Excavations near the Mountains of the Sun have exposed an ancient Titan standing hundreds of feet tall. It has torn through several towns and is now marching toward Ambersol City.

Multihazard components are Majors. Each individual component of a Multihazard can be Defeated separately. Multihazards can Exploit opponents with any of their components, not just the component that was attacked. Once a component is Defeated, further attacks on that component do no Harm to the Multihazard. The number of components should be related to the number of attack vectors on the Multihazard. The Titan is humanoid, so it has 2 arms and 2 legs that act as components. TITAN ARM (2) +3 Fight, +3 Talk, +3 Skill, 1d8 Harm Guardian, 30 Luck Retaliate, Strong Attack, Strong Defense, Strong Like Bull, Ultra Attack, Ultra Defense Motivations: Protect the Soft Spot, Protect the Core TITAN LEG (2) +3 Fight, +3 Talk, +3 Skill, 1d12 Harm Juggernaut, 30 Luck Retaliate, Strong Attack, Strong Defense, Trample, Ultra Attack, Ultra Defense Motivations: Protect the Soft Spot, Protect the Core

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TITAN CORE (Head and Torso) +7 Fight, +7 Talk, +7 Skill, 1d12 Harm Deadeye, 50 Luck Athlete, Increase Bonus (x3), Increase Stance Harm (x1), Moment of Triumph, Orator (Intimdation), Retaliate, Strong Attack, Strong Defense, Ultra Attack, Ultra Defense, 2 Unspent Motivations: Protect the Soft Spot, Destroy Everos

SOFT SPOTS

Multihazards, if they are armored with Strong or Ultra Defense, may have a Core with a Soft Spot that does not have improved defenses. This soft spot might be able to suffer Injury from a magical artifact, or it may expose the Multihazard to Harm from Dropped Fight Checks. Multihazards are aware of their Soft Spots and try to protect them. POWER SHUNT (Soft Spot, on neck) Attacking the Power Shunt requires a Dropped Fight Check and allows attackers to bypass the Strong and Ultra Defense on the Titan Core. The Power Shunt can only be targeted in Close Range.

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 Adventure Hubs

Multihazards have a tougher core unit that, when Defeated, defeats all the components of the Multihazard. This core unit is a Master.

Fair Fights

There are no fair or “balanced” fights in Forthright – the Protagonists cannot be killed. Fortunately, the NPCs don’t know that and will fight when they think they can win. NPCs will typically attack the Protagonists with the following numbers on their side: • 2-3 Minors per Protagonist; or • 1 Major per Protagonist; or • 1 Master per 2 Protagonists; or • 1 Multihazard Minors, Majors, and Masters can be combined in a single fight by determining the appropriate number for the number of Protagonists in the Team. Vehicle involvement in a fight does not change these numbers. There are 4 Protagonists in the Team for Brand’s game, so Brand determines that the different combinations of NPCs he can battle the Protagonists with are:

1 Multihazard



2 Masters



4 Majors



12 Minors (Divided into 3 or 4 Mobs)



1 Master and 2 Majors



1 Master, 1 Major, and 3 Minors



1 Master and 6 Minors (Divided into 2 or 3 Mobs)



3 Majors and 3 Minors



2 Majors and 6 Minors (Divided into 2 Mobs)



1 Major and 9 Minors (Divided into 3 Mobs)

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If the Protagonists face fewer than these numbers, they will have an easier fight with fewer Injuries and more protection from rolling streaks. Greater than these numbers will lead to a more difficult fight with more Injuries and less protection from rolling streaks. There should be no “filler fights” – fights just to have action – in a game of Forthright.

MISSING PLAYER FORMATION When a player is unable to attend a session, their Protagonist should continue adventuring with the Team to ensure that, when the player is again available, no convoluted story antics are needed to explain the absence. Protagonists of absent players are not included when determining the number of enemies in a fight, but instead act as part of the background (perhaps even narratively fighting their own shadow-enemies). They do not earn Advancement or suffer Injury while the player is absent.

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 Adventure Hubs

Combat should feel dangerous, with the Team’s Luck being almost entirely exhausted by the end of a fight. If the Team’s tactics are weak, they roll lower than the odds, or if the Guide rolls higher than the odds, a fight may even see one or more Protagonists getting Injured.

P  RESENTATION Presentation is how you transform your preparation into an adventure, make the Gamescape a living world, and turn NPCs into people. When presenting the Gamescape, focus on giving players the feeling of living in the fictional world. Describe sights and smells and sounds to give the Gamescape personality. The way you present information defines the story structure and pacing of the adventures the Protagonists face, and is ultimately how you shape the collection of events that occur in the game into a story.

Story Structure

The story structure for adventures is broken into five phases, each with a different function in the story. These phases can be rearranged to provide different types of story arcs, but are here presented in general chronological order. This structure is not built into adventure hubs, but instead is a framework for presenting Gamescape elements and NPC Plots so events in the game form a cohesive story.

Expository Phase During the Expository Phase, the Protagonists discover the situation and Plots they must confront. Combat can occur in this phase, establishing the threat by having the Protagonists come upon a battle, being attacked, or attacking others.

INCITING EVENT

The Inciting Event is the event that introduces the situation and entices the Protagonists to follow up on it. This can be framed as the Protagonists learning about the event from others (least personal), happening upon it, or being directly involved (most personal).

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Always frame the Inciting Event in a way that doesn’t remove player control of Protagonists.

Investigation and Planning Phase In this phase, the Protagonists learn more about the situation they are confronting and determine how they should respond to it. This phase follows the Protagonists as they establish the threat by identifying who and what is at risk, who and what benefits the most, and what kind of danger they or others will be facing depending on the actions they take. The Plots of the NPCs should be revealed through the course of the adventure regardless of whether the Protagonists spend a lot of time investigating and planning or instead rush headlong into the Execution Phase.

CLUES

Clues help structure a story by providing the Team with hints on where to go or what to do next. Protagonists must always have some clue of where to go or what to do in order to keep the action moving. You are obligated when presenting a mystery to provide clues that lead toward its solution. This doesn’t make the mystery too easy, because the Protagonists must still figure out what the clues mean and what to do with them. Aim to provide each clue at least three different times or in three different ways. Once might not be noticed and twice can be dismissed as coincidence. Three times sets a pattern that canny players will pick up on.

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 Presentation

The Vanguard will be landing at the spaceport when an explosion rocks the platform they’re on. They’ll see several people fighting on the landing pad in different gang colors. Around that same time, they’ll get a call from the Wardens of the Star-Roads welcoming them back to the city and asking them to stop the gang violence, with a brief explanation that two gang leaders were killed and the gangs are now all fighting with each other.

If the players appear to have missed a clue, reiterate a clue they can follow by highlighting its importance. Alternately, if they have picked up on so many clues that they’re dizzy with possibilities, rank the priority of the clues to help spur them to action. Brand decides on the following clues: ◆◆ Each of the gang leaders, if spoken to, will know that they had secret dealings with Jarod Grinning-Laugh. ◆◆ The Cultists of Flame will know they are attacking everyone but the Walkers. ◆◆ The Biters will know they did not attack the Walkers first. ◆◆ The Walkers will know they did not attack the Biters first. ◆◆ The assassins have not been found. ◆◆ The only reason anybody’s fighting right now is because the leaders of the Biters and Walkers were killed.

PUZZLES

Create puzzle challenges with the possibility of more than one path to success. This helps you avoid declaring what will and will not work beforehand and inadvertently railroading the Protagonists. Be open to the players’ ideas and solutions. Reward their creativity by allowing them to find their own solution rather than requiring them to discover yours.

Execution Phase The Execution Phase sees the Protagonists enact their plan to deal with the situation, and is where much of the traditional “action” takes place. This is when they defend the fortress, try to sway the nobles, or storm the villain’s lair. Introduce roadblocks to challenge the Protagonists and create a more interesting story; if they succeed without difficulty, they may feel less satisfied with their accomplishments. These roadblocks should never just kill time without adding fun.

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Do not require Protagonists to perform specific actions to continue the story. Progress should never hinge on the result of a single die roll, and every narrative setback must still allow a way to advance the story. Failure is an opportunity to improvise. Improvisation forces Protagonists to think outside the box, increasing tension and intensity. The Twist Phase may not always be present in an adventure. This occurs when the Protagonists learn something after beginning the Execution Phase that may change what they want to do. Perhaps someone they thought was a bad guy is actually a good guy, and so on – the Complications list can provide inspiration for twists, which can then trigger new Investigation and Execution Phases. Twists should be used sparingly. If there is always a twist, then it’s not a twist, it’s a formula, and formulas get old fast.

Resolution Phase An adventure is resolved when the opposition or the Protagonists achieve what they set out to accomplish. Resolving an adventure must have some feeling of progress for players: either their Protagonists overcame an enemy, built something worthwhile, developed their personal stories, or failed against incredible odds. No matter what, they effected change. The consequences of what Protagonists have wrought can be summed up at the end of a Session in the case of a One-Shot or, if the group is playing a Campaign, can play out over the course of several adventures.

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 Presentation

Twist Phase

Non-Protagonist Characters

NPCs are all different types of people, with different interests, motivations, and personalities. The more important an NPC is, the more extensive the description and motivation for that NPC should be. You can use a combination of the following general techniques, applying them in different ways to different characters, to help make the NPCs you present more memorable and lively. Not all of these techniques are going to work every time. Try each, find what works for you, and move on from there.

Accents Not everyone needs an accent, but using accents helps your players hear the variety in the Gamescape and better identifies different characters through just your voice. Avoid using the same accent for everyone; different characters from different regions should have different accents. And if your accent isn’t getting the result you want – if it sounds strange or funny – abandon it before it becomes distracting. Good ways to learn different accents are to watch movies with actors portraying those accents and then talking to yourself while attempting to mimic them. Many professional actors have a key phrase or two that they say when they’re preparing to speak in another accent, to get their mouths used to the different word shapes.

Body Language Most of our communication is nonverbal, and you can use this to help complete the picture of an NPC. Articulate the characteristics of your NPCs with your whole body: in tiny mannerisms with your hands, through facial tics and expressions, via your posture and the way you move. Exaggerate your body language to make it obvious. Practice this outside of sessions in front of a mirror so you can be sure what you’re presenting is what you want to display. Do this often enough and you get muscle memory working on your behalf, allowing you to switch between different NPCs without

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having to tell the players who they’re speaking with. If players can follow who you are just by watching your body, you are pulling them fully into the Gamescape.

Rhythm and Vocabulary

Vocabulary similarly expresses character. His Royal Majesty is probably not going to refer to vassals as his “peeps.” Likewise, the illiterate street urchin probably wouldn’t discuss “the potential political ramifications of the current border crisis.”

Juxtapositions Combining the expected and unexpected can reveal idiosyncrasies and expose Plots, and overall provides a richer and less predictable Gamescape. If His Royal Majesty did refer to his “peeps,” it could indicate he was recently raised from a lower social station. Or that he’s an imposter. That supposedly illiterate street urchin, on the other hand, might have a finger on the pulse of the nation because they’re actually an information broker posing as someone less threatening so they can better overhear secrets.

Show, Don’t Tell

Personality is a combination of behaviors. When describing NPCs and events, provide imagery of these behaviors instead of drawing conclusions on the Protagonists’ behalf. This will create a richer experience and pull your players further into the Gamescape. Compare ”The surly town guard looks at you impatiently” with ”The town guard looks at you and takes a deep breath, releasing it in a huff as he walks toward you briskly, hooking his thumbs in his belt.” The more detail you provide, the more your players are able to visualize and the more likely they will engage with the scene.

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 Presentation

The rhythm and pacing of speech expresses disposition. Characters who are rushed, busy, or curt will talk rapidly and use shorter words, while characters who are more rural or easygoing have a slower pace and take longer pauses when they speak.

Balancing “show” and “tell” also allows you to help steer player behavior. If you don’t want the Team to strike off on a tangent with an unimportant NPC, provide more “tell” statements, subtly discouraging interaction. Conversely, if you want to draw them in, provide more elaborate “show” statements. By giving extra detail early, you can call back to that detail later. This offers a wealth of storytelling possibilities if those details change, as attentive players will notice and attempt to learn more.

Narrative Tension

Tension can be generated by presenting the Protagonists with any situation they don’t want to see escalate. Tension doesn’t require maiming or killing either the Protagonists or the people they know and care about. Not having control of events will increase Protagonist tension. For instance, when the Protagonists don’t know what the NPCs are up to or what they’re capable of, they are more likely to operate cautiously. Tension is also increased when the Protagonists, knowing the stakes in a situation and knowing something will go wrong, don’t know when the situation will go wrong. This can work well in individual scenes, but also for longer stretches such as escort missions or during political manipulations. Protagonists release tension by acting upon the situation they are in and reasserting their control over or understanding of events.

Escalation Enemies will generally take the easy way first, trying to handle the Protagonists while minimizing the risk to themselves. Preemptive strikes are only used by the most dangerous of enemies or enemies who have come to hate the Protagonists. Most NPCs prefer to avoid calling attention to their Plots, and will generally only attack the Protagonists when the Protagonists are a threat to their goals. Even then, their focus will mostly be to get the Protagonists out of their way. Withdrawing or misdirecting pursuers are common delaying tactics used by NPCs so they can continue the work needed to bring their Plots to fruition.

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Capture Should the Team surrender to their enemies or fail to escape during a Chase, they will be captured and detained. Detaining the Team allows NPCs time to advance their agendas without interference, and can escalate tension without directly threatening the Protagonists.

There will also be times, such as capture by a ravenous beast or particularly monstrous enemy, where the Team’s detention comes in the form of being Injured and left for dead. This leaves the Team at a significant disadvantage, as the NPCs continue their Plots in the Team’s absence and the Protagonists have a reduced capacity to stop them. Mix and match villainous techniques to keep the game fresh and interesting.

Pacing

Scenes are the core pacing element for your sessions. Every scene combines a location, a set of characters, and a catalyst that makes action happen within a scene. The catalyst could be gathering information, trying to stay alive in the face of an aggressive enemy, or anything else that gives the scene a goal. In every scene you present, you need to push the scene toward the goal to keep the action moving. Don’t leave your players with nothing to do while they’re waiting for something to happen. When a scene begins to lag, end it or escalate it by introducing a new complication. If your players ask you to wait because they weren’t done, let them finish the tasks they’ve set for themselves. Strategizing is part of gameplay; only try to outpace the players when you want to illustrate crisis events or events that are moving too quickly for them to calmly and fully respond.

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 Presentation

Captured Protagonists will often be incarcerated, interrogated, or trapped in a remote and dangerous location. This gives the Team the opportunity to play out a prison break, interact with their enemies without a combat option, try to use their capture as a chance to gather information about their enemies, or even be rescued themselves.

Be ready to make something happen. Perhaps as the Protagonists are sneaking into the imperial base, they come upon a surprise patrol. Maybe while waiting for the Duke to arrive, someone comes and asks for their help in a not-so-trivial matter. Giving the players exciting events and choices will keep them engaged and entertained.

Cut Scenes Cut Scenes are short scenes that occur when you shift away from the Protagonists to show something happening in the Gamescape outside their awareness. This could be done to show the antagonists’ preparations to deal with the Protagonists (increasing tension), or it could show minor characters in a comedic scene (decreasing tension). Cut scenes are for the players as the audience of the fiction (rather than as participants), and should always be used to build or release tension. If your players have difficulty distinguishing between what they know and what their Protagonists know, you may want to avoid using Cut Scenes altogether.

Player Engagement You should try to keep all the players engaged by moving the spotlight (your narrative focus) between all of them. If a player has not had anything to say or do in five minutes or so, check in with that player to see what their Protagonist is thinking, feeling, or doing. Also watch for when players get excited: this tells you where they want you to take the story, so follow their lead. If they become engaged and you switch tracks to something else, you risk sapping the energy from the game. A session that is going badly is recoverable, and unhappy players can be made happy, if you keep a close eye on how engaged they are.

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C  AMPAIGNS Campaigns are a series of adventures that the same (or mostly the same) Protagonists encounter and overcome. Campaigns can have a single overarching Plot (a Metaplot) or be a series of episodes in the adventuring career of the Team. Campaigns allow Protagonists to grow more fully and experience the benefits of the Boosts they earn through play. Campaigns can require more planning from the Guide to fully engage players. Guides can use several techniques in Campaigns that can’t be fully taken advantage of in One-Shots:

Foreshadowing

Moral Quandaries

Making Protagonists question themselves helps them grow as characters. A central dramatic conflict in any campaign can be whether the Protagonists are truly in the right. The Guide should interrogate the Protagonists’ Principles through the choices they have made and the opposition they may face from otherwise-friendly NPCs (or help they may get from otherwiseunfriendly NPCs).

Enemies Beyond Enemies

Major antagonists often employ subordinates to carry out smaller parts of their overall plan. Over time, the Team can discover that several of the adventures they’ve had are related to a more important, shadowy figure manipulating events behind the scenes.

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 Campaigns

Foreshadowing gives hints about events happening in the Gamescape, but shouldn’t be so obvious as to reveal exactly what’s coming or how to handle it. Foreshadowing can be provided by rumors in the town bar, news reports on television, or tales from interstellar refugees about some of the horrors they’ve seen. The key to foreshadowing is that not every rumor, news report, or tale is important.

Multiple Threats

When the Gamescape is threatened by multiple events at once, the Team can find itself stretched to its limit or forced to make tough decisions about what they can do or who they can save. Their enemies can also take advantage of multiple-threat scenarios by setting up distractions for the Team. Be ready for the Team to call in favors with their Relationships to help them deal with multiple threats.

Signature Antagonists

Some enemies, like the Team’s Foes and Nemeses, are Signature Antagonists. These Major or Master NPCs are recurring opponents and will generally flee from combat when the situation turns against them or, if Defeated, will return later with Injuries. These NPCs can advance and gain 1 Boost Point every time they face off against the Protagonists. They gain an additional Boost Point if they succeeded in what they were attempting to accomplish.

Societal Shifts

The society and culture around the Team can undergo massive shifts over the course of a Campaign. Such shifts could be part of a villainous plot to take over the reins of power or make certain activities more acceptable to the general public. This can even be an effect of the Protagonists themselves: if they are considered great heroes and are known for brutally destroying their enemies, an otherwise-peaceful society might start considering such behavior to be okay.

Deeper Consequences

The Team’s actions during their adventures have effects which ripple out to affect the Gamescape in ways both great and small. These consequences flow from the actions of the Team, through the Guide and the Plots and themes being focused on in the game, into the Gamescape, and back to the Team. If their actions have had consequences they did not intend, this is an opportunity for the Team to face the music and decide if they need to fix what they’ve done.

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Campaign Structure

Campaigns are structured around the Team’s place in the Gamescape, whether an overarching plot drives the smaller in-game events, and how important maintaining the Gamescape’s status quo is to the Protagonists.

Home and Travel The basic structure of a campaign is defined by how much the Protagonists will be traveling through the Gamescape. Less travel leads to tighter campaigns, with fewer NPCs, and plots that revolve around that core group. More travel dramatically expands the story scope and dramatis personae.

HEARTH AND HOME

The Team will mostly operate around Ambersol City, with occasional ventures into Thyre or other nearby locales. The main conflict here is that Thyre is trying to capture the city while the city leadership is busy infighting. The Team will want to organize the city leadership properly while trying to resolve the inequities that might lead the poorer citizenship to rebel against the Free Empire. Thyre, meanwhile, will be secretly trying to push those inequities even further. Things will probably escalate to the point where Thyre invades Ambersol or the Free Empire gets tired of Thyre and attacks.

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 Campaigns

The Team stays mostly in a specific region of the Gamescape, facing escalating threats and defending their home against enemies from within and without. This structure particularly emphasizes the status quo, societal shifts, and deeper consequences.

ROAD TRIP

The Team faces new adventures in new locations, always moving on once they have done their bit. This structure should not become a visit to the zoo – the Team isn’t just encountering new people and their problems and watching the show. They must intervene to make the story theirs. This structure de-emphasizes consequences by having the Protagonists always moving on. The Team has the Thunderwing, so they only start in Ambersol City. Instead of a Metaplot, the Team will face different situations across the world of Everos – a new problem, and a new place, every session. The people with generally look up to the Team as potential saviors (or potential enemies) because they’re obviously traveling adventurers with members from several species and a well-built Vehicle. Sometimes they might even travel through portals or into ancient ruins to fight invaders or capture forgotten artifacts.

HEROIC JOURNEY

The Team starts at home and enters the world to face greater threats and protect the status quo from danger before returning home (or other places they’ve been before) to reap the consequences of their accomplishments. This is the most common campaign structure for epic fantasy. Combine Hearth and Home and Road Trip. The Protagonists start in Ambersol City, but after the war with Thyre they decide to broaden their horizons and fight other battles across Everos. In the end, a new threat appears in Ambersol City: somebody manages to open a portal, and now everything the Team has fought for in trying to stabilize Ambersol is in jeopardy. The civil government is smashed, Ambersol is in ruins, and the Team must go back and fight one last time to save the people and their legacy.

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Metaplot Metaplot Campaigns see the Protagonists encounter a series of Plots that are all somehow related to a single background Metaplot. The Protagonists can be working against a Metaplot long before they realize it exists. While there will be some situations that don’t tie into the Metaplot in these campaigns, once the Protagonists are aware of the Metaplot they should be few and far between as the Protagonists will often see them as distractions.

Status Quo

If the Protagonists are upsetting the status quo, they will be facing threats from within the civilization that established it. Many of the people within the society will feel threatened by the Protagonists, so establishing allies will be very important. Secrecy and intrigue will be more common in these games, as the Protagonists will be outnumbered and have little backing. If maintaining the status quo, the Protagonists will be facing threats from outside the civilization that established it. Not everyone from outside the society will be a threat, but many (even most) will be. Not everyone from inside the society will be safe or an ally, as there may be spies and traitors. This lends itself well to heavy combat and mystery, as the opposition is more clearly established and the Protagonists will have the backing of society at large. A more complex campaign structure could see the Protagonists trying to hold civilization together against outside threats while trying to rearrange the status quo. Their status as protectors of the normal order can lend them the clout they need to make internal changes to society. This structure often requires full engagement by players and is not ideal for a simpler game over beer and pretzels.

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 Campaigns

Protagonists are always present to either upset the normal order or preserve it. This determines the direction threats and Plots will usually come from. The status quo is generally only important in campaigns, as it is only in campaigns that Protagonists will be able to fully experience the changes they have wrought.

Q  UICK REFERENCE

••

Checks (1d20 +   Fight / Talk / Skill Bonus) Boon (21+): As Win, earn a Boon ▲▲ Win (14-20): Success without any trouble ●● Exchange (8-13): Success with trouble ▼▼ Setback (1-7): Failure with trouble

Boons • • • • •

Raise a Check result Drop a Check result Restore 5 Luck Deal 5 additional Harm Remove a Hindrance from yourself or an ally • Shift Fighting Stance to another known Fighting Stance

Combat Actions • Move up to 30 feet (10 meters) and make a Fight Check, Skill Check, or Talk Check. • Move up to 30 feet (10 meters) and remove a single Hindrance from themselves or another character in Close Range. • Move up to 30 feet (10 meters) and shift from their current Fighting Stance to another known Fighting Stance. • Move up to 120 feet (40 meters). • Perform a Stunt and make a Fight Check, Skill Check, or Talk Check. • Retreat. Other characters on the same side can join the retreat.

Exploits

• Counterattack: The exploiter Harms or Hinders the attacker without making a Fight Check (if attacker is in Stance range). • Reposition: The exploiter moves to another position within Close Range on the battlefield. • Shift Fighting Stance: The exploiter shifts from their current Fighting Stance to another known Fighting Stance. • Take Advantage: The exploiter gains a Boon. • Un-Hinder: The exploiter removes a Hindrance from themselves or an ally in Close Range.

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Hindrances

NPCs

• Minor: +0 to all Checks, 10 Luck, 1d6 Harm, up to 3 Boosts • Mob: 2 to 4 Minors combined, +1 to Fight Check for each Minor • Major: +3 to all Checks, 30 Luck, Harm as Fighting Stance, 1 each of Fighting Stance, Persona, Skillset, up to 6 Boosts • Master: +6 to all Checks, 50 Luck, Harm as Fighting Stance, 1 each of Fighting Stance, Persona, Skillset, up to 12 Boosts • Multihazard (2+ Components, 1 Core) • Component: As Major • Core: As Master, may have vulnerable Soft Spot

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 Quick Reference

• Blind: You cannot target opponents. • Deafen: You cannot be Commanded or Talked Down, and you cannot hear conversations. • Expose: Fight Checks made against you are Raised. • Grapple: You can only target the opponent that you are grappling with. Both the grappler and the target are Grappled. • Knockdown: Opponents may roll two Harm dice and take the higher when Harming you. • Knockout: You are Defeated without Injury by an attacker catching you unawares. This only affects Minor NPCs. • Mute: You cannot issue Commands or Talk Down opponents. • Neutralize: Your Fight Checks are Dropped. • Pin: You cannot move. • Push: You are moved to any location within Close Range of your position. • Snatch: You have had something that was plainly visible on your person or held by you knocked or taken away.

I NDEX A

Accord: 70, 71 Action: 30, 84, 85 Advancement: 12, 58-58, 161 Adventure Hub: 143, 150 Aid Another: see Teaming Up Ambush: 84 Athletic Feat: 35, 106, 114, 121 Attribute: 36

Combat: 81-100 Command: 31, 43 Complexity: 65, 111-113 Complication: 154, 165, 169 Concealment: 92, 94, 114 Contradict: 75, 78 Core Rules: 10-11, 135 Corroborate: 75, 78 Counterattack: 86, 87 Cover: 92, 94 Crafting: see MacGyver, Project

B

D-E

Balancing Combat: see Fair Fight Barter: 64 Benefit: 78, 79 Boon: 7, 15, 17, 86 Boost: 26, 37-46, 49-55, 58-61, 132 Bribery: 64

C

Campaign: 11, 171-175 Capture: 101-101, 169 Challenges (see also: Faction Challenge): 22-23, 153 Character Template: 47 Chase: 95, 101-101 Check: 13-16, 58 Bonus: 15, 29 Difficulty: 18 (see also: Dominion Check, Fame Check, Fight Check, Skill Check, Talk Check)

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Damage (see also: Harm): 96-97 Death: 44-44, 59 Deed of Renown: 44, 58, 68-69, 70 Defeat: 87, 89, 96, 104-104, 172 Discord: 70, 72 Disease: 116 Disguise: 36, 120-121, 124 Domain: 128, 131-132 Dominion: 129-131 Dominion Check: 129-130 Drop: 16 Exchange: 15 Exploit: 86

F

Faction: 125-132 Faction Challenge: 129-131 Fair Fight: 160-161 Falling: 114 Fame Check: 69 Fatigue: 114, 115, 115, 116 Fight Check: 13, 85, 104 Fighting Stance: 26, 30-32, 38, 42, 86 Shift Stance: 17, 30, 86 Fire: 114 Force: 129

G

Initiative: 82-83 Influence: 129 Injury: 38, 87-88 Recovery: 38, 88 Innovation Era: 110-111 Intoxication: 115 Invention: 109 Investigation: 117 Knowledge: see Investigation

L

Labor: 129 Legerdemain: 121 Listen: 119 Luck: 29 Minions: 44, 45 Protagonists: 29, 42 Structures: 29, 50 Vehicles: 29, 52, 53

M H

Hacking: 121 Harm (see also: Damage): 87, 111 Hazard: 94, 114-117 Hear: 119 Hinder: 89-89 Hindrance: 17, 30, 32, 86, 87, 89-89, 111 Hit Points: see Luck Hold Breath: 115 House Rules: 23

MacGyver: 35, 36, 96, 97, 107-108, 121 Manufacturing Project: see Project Mass Combat: 103-105 Metaplot: 171, 175 Minion: 44-46, 113 Mission Faction: 131 Mass Combat: 105 Money: see Social Strata, Wealth Mood: 77

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 Index

Game Charter: 7, 20, 24-25 Gamescape: 8, 21-23, 63-67, 146-149 Guidance Sheet: 7, 144-144 Guide: 7, 8

I-K

N-O

NPC: 8, 155-161, 166-169, 172 Mob: 156 Major: 156-157 Master: 157 Minor: 155 Multihazard: 158-159 Out-of-Bounds: 20 Outcome: 15

P

PC: See Protagonist Perception: 118 Persona: 26, 33-34, 38 Pick Pockets: see Legerdemain Piloting: 36, 98, 120 Plot: 8, 143, 149, 151-152, 168-169 Poison: 116 Performance: 119 Preparation: 134, 141-143 Principle: 8, 27-29 Project: 109, 111-113 Protagonist: 7, 8, 9, 26 Protagonist Sheet: 7, 26, 56-57 Provoke: 91

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R

Raise: 16 Range: 92, 97 Rank: 127-127 Rapport: 70-72 Read Audience: 76 Recognize: 119 Regalia: 127 Relationship: 47-48, 70-72 Indirect: 72 Repair: see MacGyvering Reposition: 86 Reputation: 68-69 Retirement: 60 Retraining: 59 Retreat: 85, 95 Retry: 18 Retrospective: 9, 46, 58-58, 68 Riding: see Piloting Risk: 78, 79

S

Sabotage: 105, 121, 122-123 Sacrifice: 78, 79 Sanctuary: 48-49 See: 119 Session: 12, 141 Setback: 15 Setback Protection: 16 Setup: 11, 20, 60 Shift Fighting Stance: See Fighting Stance Signature Antagonist: 172

Skill Check: 13 (see also: Athletic Feat, Disguise, Hacking, Invention, Investigation, Legerdemain, MacGyver, Performance, Piloting, Project, Sabotage, Sneaking, Stunt) Skillset: 26, 35-36, 38 Sleight of Hand: see Legerdemain Smoke: 114 Sneaking: 35, 121, 123-124, 124 Social Strata: 65-67 Soft Spot: 159 Starting Stats: 29 Stealth: see Sneaking Structures: 50-51, 95 Stunt: 35, 85, 93, 119 Vehicle: 98 Subsystem: see Vehicle Subsystem

Take Advantage: 86 Talk Check: 13, 73-80, 90-91, 119

V

Vehicle: 52-55 Vehicle Combat: 95-100 Vehicle Subsystem: 55, 96-97, 108 Crippled: 97, 97, 108 Disabled: 97 Vulnerability: 87, 88

W

Weakness: 88 Wealth: 64-65 Weather: 117 Win: 15

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 Index

T

Talk Down: 90-91 Team: 9, 60, 126 Teaming Up: 18 Terrain: 94 Tracking: see Investigation Traps: 124-124 Turn: 82-83, 84, 95-96, 99-100 Vehicle: 95-96, 99-100

You Are In Control

Blend genres effortlessly with these easy-touse rules, building the world you want to play. Be a barbarian starship pilot in the wild west, a magic-wielding crime buster in the far future, a mastermind with an army of undead followers, and more. Will you be remembered as the hero of your story ... or its villain?

◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆

Fast play and light preparation Know the consequences before you roll Build your own playbook / class Assemble minions to do your bidding Quick, intense combat Accept death on your terms Invent new rituals and devices Create your own sanctuary Control your own faction and domain Make friends of enemies and enemies of friends Manage your fame to become a legend

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2–6 Players 1 + Sessions 1–4 Hours / Session Action & Adventure