Humanity,

Blessed

Tabletop Roleplaying Game

CC BY:NC:ND Version

v0.1.3.2

snotskie.

Words, Art, & Website Mariah A. Knowles

Playtesters Rowan Brown, Alyssa Garvey, Katie Haynes, Hollis Maile, Christina Rae Wilson

Accessibility Consultant Christina Rae Wilson

This text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

© 2026 snotskie

snotskie.com

If you publish your own works that use this system, please clearly label them on the cover with the phrase Humanity, Blessed ⊜ Community Content and include a link to the most recent stable version, at https://snotskie.com/ttrpg/

Emoji artwork provided by Twemoji, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

After A Poet to His Baby Son, James Weldon Johnson.

Contents

Intro

Welcome! Thank you for picking up this game!

Humanity, Blessed ⊜, is a rules-light, semi-crunchy, accessibility-first TTRPG system. It is also a project that is deeply personal to me: Designing this game helped get me out of the longest depressive episode I've ever had, giving me a focus and reconnecting me with my friends and the kind of work I love. I wanted to build something real just for my home table, because I couldn't find a system out there that did everything I needed this one to do.

So, I hope you can take the rules that follow and run with them. I hope playing this game brings you and your friends joy and that you can tell some fun stories.

Anything is possible. Failure is possible. But so too are great things.

Telling Any Story

This game is inspired by my own table's favorite stories about what it means to be human, doing goofy, cool, fantastic little human things. So I wanted this system to be flexible: I wanted you to be able to come back to this game again and again to tell any imaginable story your table wants to tell.

Even when roleplaying as orcs or dogs or robots or magically animated inanimate objects, the most satisfying stories are often those that help us reflect on our own deep questions and feelings as players—and to let us roll some dice and laugh with our friends while we do it.

Different stories call for different genres, and tables can adjust the genre of this game with the Atmosphere, optional Stats, optional Buff/Debuff structure, and Endeavor systems.

Even character creation and advancement focuses on character narrative. Your Motivation represents your outlook and goals, your Aptitudes represent what you're good at, and your Backstory shapes what your History Stat can do.

Accessibility First

This TTRPG system is accessibility-first, designed and tested with blind and low vision players, using narrative and tactile cues instead of complex sheets and sprawling board states.

I sell print and digital copies of this game. But these core rules are also published for free as a webpage (snotskie.com/ttrpg/) that follows your browser and operating system's existing accessibility settings. The online version automatically loads in light or dark mode, while the print and digital versions use a large font.

Sparking Dice Array

For Stats, this game uses a dice array, from d2 to d10. This allows for a managable spread of numbers and lets your Stats look and feel different. Dice "bump"—1s are rerolled—, which feels like wiping the sweat from your brow and cutting the right wire.

This game also uses a d6 pool for resources called "Blessings." Tables can also use a deck of large-print cards to represent Blessings. Blessings can be spent to activate abilities, and two equal Blessings can be spent to "spark" a roll—two equal Stats are combined, and when either bumps, both bump. This feels like trying to keep hold of the lasers when crossing the streams.

Most importantly, big rolls feel earned. Checks range from 2 to 20+, with a fixed success scale. Low success grants "busts," and high success grants "boons." And when you succeed a Check, the Stats used are "locked" at the last value they rolled, preventing over-reliance on only your best Stat and giving a quick way to resolve Continuing a previous action.

Endeavors—Games Within Games

Not every story, campaign, or session needs a game within a game to represent scenes like combat and racing.

But for those that do, this game has a customizable, accessible "Endeavor" system for all manner of scenes with prolonged tension.

Endeavors only place minis or other objects along simple linear tracks, so there are no numbers to calculate or distances to measure. Everything is narrative or tangible, while still providing fun, structured challenges.

There are several types of Endeavors listed in this book. The setup instructions and action options differ for each Endeavor type, yet all build on the same core Endeavor rules.

For simpler needs, the more minimal action track system can be used.

"At Table Discretion"

The rule that matters most is "at table discretion." This phrase captures how every tabletop game is different and has different wants and needs, different players and characters, different setting, tone, genre, different supplies, pacing, time constraints, different ideas on where to take the story next, and different limits.

How "at table discretion" plays out depends on everything that goes into what makes your table unique.

For some, it could be left up to a Game Master (GM) to adjudicate what happens, where to bend the rules as written, how to interpret them, and when to make up new ones. For others, they might prefer a rotating GM, majority vote, leaving things to chance, or a combination of things.

How you run your table certainly can change, especially over long campaigns. But in any arrangement, the GM and the players can and should rely on one another when they forget things, blank on ideas, have had bad days, are feeling short on "spoons," or just need to mix things up a bit.

A lot has been said and written by others in the tabletop community about how to make tabletop gaming fun, accessible, and equitable. All I'll add here is that however "at table discretion" looks at your table, above all else it is yours.

Session Zero

Step One: Genre

The rules in this game adjust to suit the different types of stories your table can tell. The largest levers for adjustment are the Atmosphere, which of the optional eighth Stats to add to the game's core seven Stats, and optional Buff/Debuff structures (described later in this chapter).

Atmospheres capture the tone and broad genre of your game as a whole. They shape events in the story, characters, and places, as well as the consequences imagined at the table for rolling very high or low.

The end of this chapter lists Atmosphere options: Light, Dark, and Gritty. Rules for Blessings adjust based on the Atmosphere chosen, creating a different feel to the game and different dynamics between characters.

So, choose an Atmosphere based on the genre, tone, and type of story your table would like to play in. Discuss with your fellow players what that genre means to you and the tropes within that genre you would and would not like to see in your game. Each Atmosphere also has a number of optional prompts you can discuss with your table to plant the seeds for your story.

Then, choose if your game will include one of the optional Stats. The core seven Stats and the options for an eighth Stat are listed at the end of this chapter. Optional Stats add mechanics to basic actions in the game that further narrow the game's genre. Your table may also choose to play with only the core seven.

What's in a Character?

As a character in this game, you have a character sheet which tracks:

  • Your identifying information, like name, age, and pronouns.
  • Your Stats, their die sizes, and whether any of them are currently locked at a value.
  • A description of your Backstory, including your current Motivation and Aptitudes.
  • Any Specializations on those Aptitudes and any Dedication on your Motivation.
  • Any other descriptive information, like your appearance, items, alliances, and information learned.

You can find a blank Character Sheet in the Printables chapter.

Step Two: Highest Stat

The end of this chapter lists the Stats used in this game: Head, Hand, Heart, Home, Hurt, Hurry, History, and the optional eighth Stats, known collectively as the "H's of Humanity."

To begin creating your character, decide which Stat they are best at.

As you do, begin to think about the story they take on in your mind. Why are they good at this and not at that? Why is one important to them and not the other? What are they trying to improve? What do they like getting help from others on?

Once you've chosen your highest Stat, consider answering that Stat's "high prompts" to further help you flesh out your character.

Note: Some optional Stats cannot be chosen as highest Stats. These list simpler prompts for all players to consider instead.

Once you begin the game, most of your Stats will be equal, using a d4 for their Stat Dice. However, the Stat you chose as your highest Stat begins the game one die size larger. In the next step, your Motivation will increase two other Stats. And all your Stats may be upgraded later in the Session Shop.

Step Three: Motivation

All characters have a Motivation, representating how you stand out among others and your inner belief system. Together, these create the two sides of what drives you and connects you to the story around you.

The end of this chapter lists Motivation options. As you read the options, begin to describe the life your character had growing up, their current outlook on the world, and what drives them Then, pick one Motivation for your character and answer its additional prompts.

Once you've chosen your Motivation, two of your Stats will begin the game an additional die size larger, as explained by your chosen Motivation.

Motivation upgrade options, called "Dedications," are listed in the Session Shop chapter.

Step Four: Backstory

Next, begin to describe your character's story before, coming into, and outside of the game's main story. Answer the following prompts or others chosen at table discretion:

  • Describe who your character looks up to, whose work they strive to emulate, or who taught them everything they know.
  • List three specific skills that your character has proven their ability in, such as through schooling, study, training, specialization within their team, or so on.
  • List three specific people or groups that your character regularly interacts with or have connections to, whether "good" or "bad" connections.
  • Describe where your character could be found on an average afternoon before the action of the story starts.

These background details will help you and your table build the world and set your Backstory, which is used by your History Stat and Aptitudes (described later in this chapter).

What's in a Backstory?

Each character has a Backstory, a list or description of narrative elements from their background that help define the scope of their History Stat, connect them to other characters and events in the story, and set the stage for their Aptitudes.

What makes up a Backstory is determined by the players at the table working together to plant the seeds for a good story. However, in general:

Unique: Your Backstory should define unique skills, connections, events, traits, and other narrative elements that your character brings to the story.

Variety: Your Backstory should have enough variety that not all or most of your History would already be covered by a single Stat.

Non-Human Backstories

If your game's setting allows you to play non-human characters, there are generally two approaches for how to represent it. The choice depends on the variety of non-human backgrounds among players:

High Variety: If each player character has a different non-human background, the simplest option is to use each character's History to cover one or two simple actions, within reason, that characters of their background could perform unaided that humans couldn't.

Low Variety: If the player characters come from just a few non-human backgrounds, the scope of two or three Stats may be expanded at table discretion to cover one or two simple actions each that characters of their non-human backgrounds could perform unaided that humans couldn't.

Step Five: Aptitudes

Your Aptitudes are the important and often unique narrative areas you are "apt" in. Actions you perform are easier when you are apt in them, and attacks against you take more work to succeed if you are apt in defending against them.

As your character takes shape in your mind, select two areas from your Backstory as your first two Aptitudes.

For example: Tying Knots (for a scout), Swordfighting (for a knight), Breathing Fire (for a dragonborn), Reading Legal Documents (for the child of a politician), Acting (for a theater kid), Manipulating Technology (for a hacker), Stunt Driving (for a stunt performer), Friendly Interactions with the Empire (for someone raised in the empire), Unfriendly Interactions with the Rebels (for someone raised in the empire).

You may gain more Aptitudes or add Specializations to your Aptitudes in the Session Shop later.

Step Six: Buff/Debuff

Character story arcs aren't flat. They have highs and lows, moments we feel especially comfortable, uninhibited, capable, in our element, or vice versa. That is, we occasionally feel "Buffed" and "Debuffed."

While you are Buffed your Aptitudes are more effective and while you are Debuffed they are less effective, as reflected in the Check Outcomes table in the Actions chapter.

As you think about your Aptitudes, describe one or two situations where your character would feel markedly better (or worse) at anything they are apt in. Especially consider the people and places they feel most comfortable (or not) around.

You may also discuss the type of story structure you want for your game with your fellow players, then choose one of the optional Buff/Debuff structure options listed at the end of this chapter. These provide rules for automatically applying Buffs and Debuffs that follow the story's highs and lows.

Final Step: Appearance and Things

Finally, describe your character's appearance and list three or four things your character gained before the events of the story or always has, within reason, such as specific items, information, or alliances. These will be what you begin the game with.

You'll track the items that you typically carry with you, and other items on you can be determined in the moment: Over the course of the story, you may perform Home Checks to find new items, create new items, purchase and sell items, and even see if you already have items that could be narratively reasonable for you to have. Similarly, you'll track and perform Checks to gain, maintain, create, trade in, and already have all kinds of "things gained" beyond just items, like information and alliances.

Atmosphere Options

⚔️ Light Atmosphere
This Atmosphere is the most familiar and is appropriate for telling good vs. evil stories. In a Light game, characters gain resources through fame, deeds, and greatness, which they may spend to help their friends.
Genres: high fantasy, utopian sci-fi, shonen, optimistic post-apocalypse, mythological, magical realism, allegorical fables, urban fantasy, and children's stories
Recommended Motivations: Carefree, Driven, or Steadfast
Prompt: How does the story end? What about the state of the world is so unacceptable to the player characters they are propelled to change something about it? What trials await them along the way, what are the consequences for failure, and how might the characters grow as a result of those trials? What choices won't be easy?
🌒 Dark Atmosphere
This Atmosphere resists feeling familiar, as it often subverts familiarity in order to invoke unsettling feelings. In a Dark game, characters gain resources through endebtedness and vies for a limited global pool of power, which they may spend to ensure—or complicate—a success.
Genres: dark fantasy, gothic fiction, mystical post-apocalypse, psy-fi, cosmic horror, occult fiction, dystopian fiction, and supernatural horror
Recommended Motivations: Prodigious, Fated, or Warry
Prompt: What feelings and themes should this story evoke? What are the major forces—not necessarily all known to the player characters—in the world, like agencies, spirits, laws of nature, resistance groups, and metaphysical concepts? How do these forces interact, stay in balance, or recreate one another?
⚙️ Gritty Atmosphere
This Atmosphere fits stories that have high stakes without clear good vs. evil. In a Gritty game, characters gain resources by making deals and trading reputation, which they may spend to improvise solutions when the need calls.
Genres: cyberpunk, steam punk, hard sci-fi, spy fiction, heist fiction, josei, surveillance-state fiction, noir, and antihero/villain stories
Recommended Motivations: Crafter, Wired, or Compeller
Prompt: How does the story end? What action are the player characters caught up in when the story begins? What twists happen along the way? What other major characters are caught up in the action and why?

Core Stats

🧠 Head Stat
Scope: Intellectual pursuits, problem solving, puzzles, riddles, scanning for information, recalling facts, insight, reasoning, operating and building complex machines, playing practiced music, picking locks.
High Prompt: What kind of puzzles come easily to you and why? What brings you joy to tinker with? What do you have a need or feel a need to do complex things?
✌️ Hand Stat
Scope: Athletic pursuits, endurance, activities that require physical training, raw non-violent strength, moving quietly, pickpocketing.
High Prompt: What labor or practice has given you strength or grace? Was this something you wanted to do? When you're doing things that bring you joy, what are those things and how does that joy feel in your body?
💕 Heart Stat
Scope: Speaking with passion, understanding hidden meanings, playing music improvisationally, creating expressive art, performing sleights of hand for an audience.
High Prompt: What type of expression are you known for or wish you were known for? What type of art or practice inspires you and why? Who has been your biggest mentor or supporter?
☕ Home Stat
Scope: Protecting yourself and loved ones, tending to illness and wounds, shopping, crafting, scavenging, camping, cooking, remaining calm, staying alert, coming prepared.
High Prompt: What does safety mean to you? How does this shape your relationship with others and the world? What does your alone time look like?
👿 Hurt Stat
Scope: Nerve and willingness to inflict harm on others.
High Prompt: Where does your nerve come from? duty? trauma? chaos? self-protection? evil? conviction? inhumanity? your upbringing? Is your nerve something you keep hidden or do you wear it openly on your appearance?
⚠️ Hurry Stat
Scope: Escaping danger, reacting by instinct, surges of adrenaline.
High Prompt: When you think of danger, what comes to mind? Is that something that scares you or excites you? When you come down from adrenaline, how do you crash, relax, or chase that high again?
⏳ History Stat
Scope: Unique specializations, skills, proficiencies, and hardships covered by your Backstory, as well as other aspects covered by the history of your people and not covered by your other Stats.
High Prompt: What specialized skill, profession, study, training, or self-discovery have you set out to acheive? What work is left for you to continue improving, and why have you set out on this path?

Optional Stats

🪶 Hex Stat
Scope: Use of wands, spells, potions, and other magical instruments, traps, lore, and knowledge.
Genre: Fantasy
Effect: When performing a Hex Check, increase the complexity of the action if you are pushing the area, duration, or nature of the effect further than normal; if the effect requires a material cost you cannot pay; if the effect requires forbidden knowledge; or if the environment is not conducive to such effects. The complexity may be increased multiple ranks this way. And if the effect is outside your school of training, you are Debuffed.
High Prompt: Where does your belief, knowledge, and practice in magic come from? What does simple, hard, and complex magic look like for you?
🥕 Ham Stat
Scope: Use of outlandish solutions, cartoonish items, and pun-based bends of reality.
Genre: Cartoon
Effect: When performing a Ham Check, all characters in the scene equally benefit from its boons and suffer from its busts. You may only use Ham if your action is being contested by a rival character.
High Prompt: Where do you get your sense of humor? What has the power to solve any problem, but what weird rules does it have to follow?
🔎 Hunch Stat
Scope: Locating clues, guessing the right solution to a puzzle, being in the right place at the right time.
Genre: Film noir
Effect: When you perform a Hunch Check, before rolling, you may choose to up the stakes. If you do, double the number of boons and busts that result from it.
High Prompt: What was the first mystery you solved and how did you solve it? What fatal flaw keeps you from solving the greatest mystery that still haunts you?
🦾 Hardware Stat
Scope: Use of machines, robotics, and cybernetic implants.
Genre: Cyberpunk
Effect: You may have up to X Hardware Tokens at a time, where X is half this Stat's die size. You start the game with X, and you may buy, trade, find, or otherwise gain more throughout the story. When performing a non-Hardware Check, if this Stat is not locked, you may lock this stat and spend any number of Hardware Tokens to increase the Check's result by the number of spent Hardware Tokens.
High Prompt: Where does your knowledge and practice with machines come from, and how does it show up in your physical appearance? What do simple, hard, and complex interactions with machines look like for you?
👾 Hologram Stat
Scope: Directly investigating, interacting with, noticing inconsistencies in, and reshaping the simulation the characters exist within.
Genre: Futuristic
Effect: When you perform a Hologram Check, before rolling, you may choose a number other than 1. If you do, until the end of the Check this Stat bumps when that value is rolled instead of bumping on 1.
High Prompt: What have you noticed that others haven't or don't believe you about? What happens when you peek behind this secret?
💰 Hireling Stat
Scope: Acquiring employees, minions, or quest companions, and effectively delegating tasks and operating a business.
Genre: Absurd capitalist
Effect: When performing a Hireling Check, each boon adds an ally to the scene but each bust adds a rival.
High Prompt: Where does your wealth—or appearance of wealth—come from? Who does the day-to-day management of your business, and what kind of business is it?
🛞 Handling Stat
Scope: Operating vehicles and machines for long periods at a time.
Genre: Racing, roadtrip, or transport adventure
Effect: When you Continue this Stat, on a success increase the value on the die by 1, up to its largest possible value. When that action is interrupted, decrease the value by 1 instead. If it is decreased to 4 or lower this way, unlock this Stat. You may keep this Stat locked between scenes and sessions.
High Prompt: Why do you need to drive? What's in it for you? What matters most, the rig, the road, or the finish line?
🎁 Holly Jolly Stat
Scope: Drawing from the magic of the season to bring people joy, operating devices from the North Pole, and interacting with reindeer, snowmen, yetis, and other such fantastical beasts.
Genre: Winter wonderland
Effect: When performing a Holly Jolly Check, increase the complexity of the action if you have been naughty; if you do not have sight of snow or festive decorations; or if you are not doing the action to bring joy to others. The complexity may be increased multiple ranks this way.
High Prompt: What is your connection to the magic of the season? What is your favorite part of this magic and why?
🎧 Headline Stat
Scope: Performing music on stage, in a garage with your band, moving in sync with the beat.
Genre: Battle of the bands
Effect: Once per session when performing an action, before rolling, you may choose to perform the action "to the beat." If you do, for all that action's Checks, your Stats bump when they match the value on any ally's locked Headline Stat (including your own), but they do not bump when they roll a 1.
High Prompt: What is your connection to or role in the band? Why is music so important to you?
🦠 Host Stat
Scope: Drawing on the power of your symbiote to push beyond your normal capabilities.
Genre: Alien paranormal suspense
Effect: When you perform a Check while using this Stat, you may perform the action as though you are apt in it. There may be consequences.
High Prompt: What does your symbiote sound like in your mind, and do you believe what it says? Does your symbiote have an outward appearance others can see, or is it hidden just for you?
🔥 Heat Stat
Scope: Your inner fire, will, spirit, or energy that can be called upon for simple magic or channeled for more powerful effects.
Genre: Shonen
Effect: This Stat begins the game paired with another of your Stats. It uses the same size Stat Die as its paired Stat, and it cannot spark with a Stat other than its paired Stat.
Prompt: What unique form does your inner fire take? What's its outward appearance? What simple effects might anyone be able to do with their inner fire with only minimal training or practice?
💀 Hardship Stat
Scope: Shared narrative elements representing the story setting's obstacles, troubles, and adversities.
Genre: Suspense horror
Effect: This Stat can only be a d4 and it does not lock.
Prompt: What is the town going through that it might not recover from? Is everyone affected evenly‐does everyone think they are affected evenly?
👻 Haunted Stat
Scope: Dark narrative elements representing a character's fears, a curse they can't escape, or a malevolent force that haunts them.
Genre: Poe
Effect: This Stat does not lock and it begins the game as a d2. When it is rolled, the opposite die size is used instead: d2 vs. d10, d4 vs. d8. Characters do not choose to use this Stat. Instead, whenever the thing that haunts them is present (whether they are aware of its presence or not), after the character has performed a roll, they then roll their Haunted Stat and subtract its value from the original roll's result.
High Prompt: You might not know what it is that haunts you, but do you know what it feels like? How do you know it, whatever it is, is there? What does it not want you to accomplish?
🌳 Hardy Stat
Scope: Shared narrative elements emerging from each session's obstacles and players' combined efforts against the challenges they've faced.
Genre: Coming of age
Effect: This Stat is shared by all characters within a friend group, and it cannot be upgraded by the normal means. Instead, it begins each session as a d2. When a character fails a Check, this Stat upgrades to the next die size, to a maximum of a d10. Any character in that friend group may choose to use the Hardy Stat instead of one of their other Stats for any roll. When they do, this Stat returns to a d2.
Prompt: What lessons does your character still have to learn about the world? Why is it okay that they still haven't learned them yet?
⚫ Haze Stat
Scope: Dark narrative elements representing a character's descent into madness or confusion.
Genre: Psychological horror
Effect: This Stat begins the game as a d2 and only changes die size when you fail certain Checks against the ever-present darkness, at which point it increases by one die size. When another character makes an action against you, that other character may choose to use your Haze Stat instead of their own usual Stat for the roll.
Prompt: What do you fear most, and why do you have to risk facing it? How would someone know you've started to lose it—what's the first sign they would notice?

Motivation Options

🌼 Carefree Motivation Heart/Hurry
Even in a world of good and evil, you live a relatively carefree life, perhaps because of your naivete, wealth, or the protection of those around you.
Effect: Upgrade your Heart and Hurry Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What do you take for granted that would have a profound impact on your life if you lost it? What impact would it have? Why have you taken it for granted?
⚜️ Driven Motivation Hand/Hurt
You are eager for more out of life, perhaps because of a rebellious phase, a yearning, a dream, or a person you want to impress.
Effect: Upgrade your Hand and Hurt Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What do you most want to accomplish? What stands in your way? How confident are you that you'll overcome those obstacles?
🪬 Steadfast Motivation Head/Home
Your studies, cared ones, or events in your life have left you wiser or tougher than others around you, and deep down you believe that good people doing good work will win in the end.
Effect: Upgrade your Head and Home Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What lessons have you learned that others around you haven't? Who were you before you learned these lessons? How do these lessons serve you now?
🔮 Prodigious Motivation Head/Hurt
Your focus on raw aptitude leaves you unbothered by "good" and "bad" and "consequences," perhaps due to a strict upbringing or life events leading you to this worldview.
Effect: Upgrade your Head and Hurt Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What fate were you led to believe you are destined for? What's comforting about going along with that destiny? What are the social consequences for fighting against it?
✨ Fated Motivation Heart/Home
You have strong feelings about the story sold to you about how the world works, whether you believe it wholeheartedly or you aren't satisfied with its lies.
Effect: Upgrade your Heart and Home Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What lessons have you learned about how the world works? What do you stand to gain or lose if those stories end up being true? What if they end up being false?
👁️ Warry Motivation Hand/Hurry
You have an understanding of the world itself, almost like it were a character of its own, which leads you to insights that others around you miss or don't believe in.
Effect: Upgrade your Hand and Hurry Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What belief or practice do you have that makes you an outsider to most of society? Are you the only one with this belief or practice, or are there others like you? Are you wholly self-sufficient, or are their people in mainstream society you can interact with to get by?
🧶 Crafty Motivation Hand/Home
Even though you live in a world where the only person you can really trust is yourself, you still live comfortably, perhaps because of a unique skill, place, or creation others can rely on.
Effect: Upgrade your Hand and Home Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What do others know you for? Have you always had this reputation, or did you inherit, find, grow into, or build it over time? How does it help you get by or live comfortably enough?
⚡ Wired Motivation Head/Hurry
You have a drive, wit, quickness, or wellspring of energy that others around you don't, which you're happy to make use of because it (usually) gets what you want.
Effect: Upgrade your Head and Hurry Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What five things are you planning or doing all at the same time right now? When is the last time a plan of yours went wrong? How did you get yourself out of the situation anyway?
👄 Compelling Motivation Heart/Hurt
You understand something that others around you don't about how people or the world itself really works, which you are happy to take advantage of.
Effect: Upgrade your Heart and Hurt Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What station in life have you reached? What did you have to do to get there? What do you stand to gain by keeping it and lose by losing it?
💎 Lost Motivation
You feel a disconnect from your own past or former sense of self, perhaps because of an exile from your home, an erased memory, or a period of transition or deep self-reflection.
Effect: You do not upgrade any Stats as a result of choosing this Motivation. Instead, at the end of a later session, you may change your Motivation to any of the other options above.
Prompt: Who were you before this period of transition? What were the "parts" of that old self, and what lead to your disconnect with them? Are their any parts of your old self that still serve you or serve you in new ways? What is it you're still trying to figure out?

Optional Buff/Debuffs

👤 Walks of Life Buff/Debuff
Some stories bring together characters from different walks of life. It can feel jarring to get pulled out of your comfort zone, and relying on others to cover your weaknesses can mean swallowing your pride or straining your patience.
Recommended Story Structure: Odyssey, journey together
Effect: Choose Academic, Corporate, or Humble.
If you are Academic, in academia you are Buffed, but in office life you are Debuffed.
If you are Corporate, in office life you are Buffed, but in mundane life you are Debuffed.
If you are Humble, in mundane life you are Buffed, but in academia you are Debuffed.
🗓️ Seasonal Buff/Debuff
Stories where the action spans longer periods of time are pockmarked by seasons, holidays, and other yearly cycles. Such events can bring up old memories, offer rest, and impose deadlines and expectations.
Recommended Story Structure: a year in the life, time skips
Effect: Choose 8 to 10 weeks throughout the year that are "good" weeks for you and the same number of "bad" weeks.
During a good week you are Buffed, but during a bad week you are Debuffed.
🏙️ Places and People Buff/Debuff
Some stories revolve around being members of a community. In these, you can always pop by your regular haunts to melt the stress away, while the town's big personalities can really grind your gears—especially when you see a little of yourself in them.
Recommended Story Structure: coming of age, monster of the week
Effect: Choose your favorite location on the map, and make note of the Dedication upgrade options available to your Motivation (see Dedication Upgrade in the Session Shop).
While in your favorite location, you are Buffed. However, while another character in the scene has a Dedication that your Motivation could be upgraded to and they are acting toward it, you are Debuffed.
🥀 Melodrama Buff/Debuff
In dramatic stories that have no clear end, we follow characters through all the twists, turns, and surprises of their lives. One moment you're riding high on the campaign trail, then your evil twin comes back to life to throw a wrench in it all—just another day!
Recommended Story Structure: serial drama, twists and turns
Effect: At the start of each story milestone, roll a d6.
On a 5 or 6 you are Buffed until the next milestone, but on a 1 or 2 you are Debuffed until then. Discuss with your table what events or shifting goals led to those changes.
Mark the number rolled. For future milestones, repeat the above roll until you roll an unmarked number. Once there's only one unmarked number, unmark the whole die.
🌑 Oppressive Buff/Debuff
Stories about surviving under oppressive forces are stories about balancing approval and subterfuge. As long as you perform the role they've assigned you, nothing bad will happen to you—or so they promise.
Recommended Story Structure: dystopian, escape, redemption
Effect: Choose one of your Aptitudes as your "approved" Aptitude, representing the role assigned to you by your oppressors.
While you are under the panoptic eye of your oppressors, you are Debuffed. However, this does not affect your approved Aptitude.
🌀 Medias Res Buff/Debuff
Some stories unpack the current moment by taking detours through time, such as via flashbacks and flashforwards. Everyone around you is at different moments on their emotional journeys, and no two journeys are the same.
Recommended Story Structure: non-linear
Effect: The story is divided into 3+ moments in time, such as Past/Present/Future. Choose one of these as your "high" and another as your "low."
During your high you are Buffed, but during your low you are Debuffed.

Dice

Stat Dice

Your Stats are represented by Stat Dice, which you use to perform Checks. Larger Stats succeed more often and have bigger effect sizes. You may upgrade your Stats later in the Session Shop.

Die Sizes: A Stat Die can be one of five sizes, from d2 to d10, as described in the Stat Dice Notation table below.

Balanced Stats: Stats are "balanced" if they use the same size Stat Die.

Stats "Bump": Stat Dice "bump," meaning that when you roll a 1 on a Stat Die, roll it again and add the new result to its previous result. As long as you continue to roll a 1 on the die, you continue to roll again and add this way. Success without bumping represents your natural or trained ability, and success with bumping represents your extra determination or focus on the action.

Stats "Lock": When you succeed a Check, all Stats used in the Check become "locked" at the last value rolled on the die. Locked Stats cannot be used in Checks, but they can be used in Continues (described in the next chapter). All your Stats are "unlocked" at the end of the scene, when you take a Rest (described in the next chapter), or at the start of an Endeavor (described in the Endeavors chapter). Locking prevents over-reliance on only your best Stats, similar to a "cooldown" period in other games.

Stats Can "Spark": "Sparks" are what allow you to perform far beyond what is normally possible, limited only by your imagination—and ability to control it! By spending ⊜⊜ (described in the next section), you may spark two unsparked, unlocked, balanced Stats together. A pair of sparked Stats is rolled at the same time and when either bumps, both bump. Then their totals are added together as though they were a single Stat and they become unsparked again.

"Unconventional" Stats: Sometimes, it's appropriate to bend a Stat into a different scope, such as hacking into the mainframe (Head) by hitting the computer just right (Hand). Whenever an effect refers to a Stat, you may replace it with a Stat you have balanced with it, referred to as using an "unconventional" Stat.

History and Optional Stats: The History Stat is a special Stat unique to each character. Whenever an effect refers to a Stat, you may replace it with your History Stat if the action is related enough to your Backstory or Aptitudes, or an optional Stat (if your game has one) if the action is related enough to the optional Stat's scope.

Stat Dice Notation

Notation Stat Die
d10 A ten-sided die. The largest die size in the game.
d8 An eight-sided die.
d6 A six-sided die.
d4 A four-sided die.
d2 Any of the above dice, treating any odd number as 1 and any even number as 2. The smallest die size in the game.

Blessings

You have a pool of "Blessing Dice," or simply "Blessings," representing resources you can draw upon when the moment calls. Some effects cost Blessings to activate.

Gaining Blessings: When you gain a Blessing, roll a d6 and add that die to your pool of Blessings. You will be awarded Blessings for good roleplay, creativity, and other events according to the game's Atmosphere:

Light Gain Blessings when completing important story milestones, on your first Major Success each session, and when you witness or learn about characters who gained Blessings those ways.

Dark Gain Blessings when becoming endebted to certain non-player characters and on your first Major Success each session. When you would gain Blessings either of these ways, you may instead steal that many from other characters in the scene or story.

Gritty Gain reputation (good or bad) with factions in the story when completing important story milestones and on your first Major Success each session. Gain Blessings as your reputation reaches new tiers.

Blessings Bump: Like your Stats, Blessings also bump, but in a different way. When you roll a 1 on a Blessing, instead of rolling again to increase the value of the roll, gain an additional Blessing. As long as you continue to roll a 1 this way, you continue to gain an additional Blessing.

Spending Blessings: When you spend a Blessing, remove it from your pool of Blessings. An effect may require you to spend a Blessing of at least a certain size or multiple Blessings at the same time. The Blessing Notation table below shows how this is notated.

Blessing Uses: There are a number of uses for Blessings that all characters have access to, depending on the game's Atmosphere, as described in the Blessing Uses by Atmosphere table below.

Recharge Costs: Some effects list a recharge Blessing cost. Once activated, these effects cannot be activated again until the cost is paid.

Temporary Blessings: Some effects, most notably Endeavors (described in the Endeavors chapter), provide you temporary Blessings. Such effects will describe when those temporary Blessings automatically disappear from your pool of Blessings.

Modified Blessings: Some effects modify the values of your Blessings. If a Blessing is worth more than 6, it returns to 6, you gain a Blessing worth the difference (no bumping), and the original Blessing cannot be modified while this new Blessing exists. If a Blessing is worth less than 1 it disappears.

Blessing Deck: You may use a large deck of cards numbered 1 through 6 to represent Blessings instead of dice and place tokens on them to represent any modifications. This can help if you want Blessings to be more legible or if you have children, pets, or a table prone to being knocked into.

Blessing Notation

Notation Blessing Dice
⑥ A Blessing worth 6. The largest Blessing in the game.
② A Blessing worth 2 or more.
① A Blessing worth 1 or more. The smallest Blessing in the game.
②② Two Blessings each worth 2 or more.
①① Two Blessings each worth 1 or more.
① × 4 Four Blessings each worth 1 or more.
⊜⊜ Two Blessings of the same worth.

Blessing Uses by Atmosphere

Help Light Once per action, when another willing character fails a Check and it is reasonable for you to help, you may spend ① to add half the value of the spent Blessing (rounded down, minimum of 1) to one of that character's rolls for the action, possibly turning the failure into a success.
Jinx Dark Once per action, when any character performs a Check and it is reasonable for you to help, interfere, push yourself, or call on a higher power, you may spend ① to add +1 to that Check but also an additional bust if it succeeds.
Improvise Gritty Once per action, when you fail a Check, you may spend ① to lower the value shown on the die to 1, reducing its result but causing it to bump and potentially turn the failure into a success. If multiple dice were used in the Check, all are lowered to 1 and bump this way.
Buy Light/Gritty You may spend Blessings as currency in social situations. Use the Progress Scale table (in the next chapter) as a scale. Each spent Blessing contributes half its value (rounded down, minimum of 1).
Donate Light/Dark When you visit a place of religious, spiritual, community, or personal importance, you may spend any number of Blessings as a donation, investment, or act of service to the place. The more spent this way, the greater a possible later outcome may be, determined at table discretion.
Collaborate Dark/Gritty Once per action, when another willing character fails a Check and it is reasonable for you to help, you may transfer any number of your Blessings to the helped character, which they may spend to activate effects to possibly turn the failure into a success.

Actions

Checks

An action is anything you do during a scene. Some actions require a Check, at table discretion, to determine the result. To perform a Check:

  1. Roll: Roll the most appropriate Stat or an unconventional Stat balanced with it. You may not choose a locked Stat. If you have no usable Stats, you must choose another line of action, take a Rest first (described later in this chapter), or automatically fail.
  2. Spark (optional): You may spend ⊜⊜ to spark the roll.
  3. Outcome: Use the Check Outcomes table below to determine success.
  4. Lock Stats: On a success, lock the Stats used in the Check at the last value they rolled on the die.
  5. Boons and Busts: Success may come with benefits ("boons") or complications ("busts"). Boons and busts help determine how much "other" stuff happens alongside your success.

Check Outcomes

Result Outcome
4 or less Failure.
5, 6, or 7 Minor Success: Check succeeds, with a bust.
8, 9, or 10 Medium Success: Check succeeds.
11–19 Major Success: Check succeeds, with a boon. The higher the roll, the greater the boon.
20+ Maximum Success: Check succeeds with an exceptional boon.
If the action relates to your Aptitudes, you may round 3 or 4 up to 5. If you are also Buffed, you may round 3–7 up to 8. However, if you are Debuffed you may never round.

Continues

Locked Stats may not be used to perform Checks, but they may be used in Continues. Whereas Checks represent your success or failure to begin an action, Continues represent your success or failure at continuing or repeating an action over time. To perform a Continue:

  1. Succeed Check: Before you can Continue an action, you must first succeed a Check to begin it.
  2. Continued "Check": Determine success for Continuing an action as though performing its original Check again and as though all Stats used for it rolled the values they are locked at. Any Stats sparked the first time are sparked again.
  3. Continued Outcomes: If the above "Check" succeeds, gain its outcome, boons, and busts as normal.

Also note:

Interruption: You may no longer Continue an action once the above "Check" fails, once you Rest or any involved Stats are otherwise unlocked, or once the action has been narratively interrupted, run its course, or too much time has passed since it first began.

No Modifications: The values of locked Stats may not be modified when determining Continue results. The result may still round up due to Aptitudes and Buffs.

No Shifts: A Continue cannot be used to perform an action unrelated to the original one, even if still in the scope of the original Stats. The purpose of a Continue is to quickly resolve going further into the same course of action, not to get around a Stat's lock.

Group Continues: Continuing an action made as a group requires all members of that group to Continue together.

Rests

A Rest is any action you take to pause, tend to your resources, reevaluate a situation, or so on. To perform a Rest:

  1. Events Progress: Just enough time passes narratively for other characters to act and events to unfold around you.
  2. Unlock Stats: At the end of your Rest, unlock all your Stats.

Taking a Rest is not about sleeping and it is not about how much time passes. It is an intentional pause like a "rest note" in music.

Effect Sizes

Some success effects list three different effect sizes you may choose from. The choices available depend on the size of the Stat locked. If multiple sizes of Stats were locked in the same action, use the size of the Stat most central to the intent of the action.

Small ●: Effect sizes listed after the circle ● symbol may be chosen regardless of the locked die size.

Medium ■: Effect sizes listed after the square ■ symbol require a d6 or larger to have been locked.

Large ⬧: Effect sizes listed after the diamond ⬧ symbol require a d10 to have been locked.

For example: Perform a Check to brew a number of potions. On a success, you gain ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.

Complexity

Some descriptions list a number of example actions one may expect to be available in a setting or situation, ranked by complexity:

Easy ○: Narratively "easy" actions require only a single Check to determine success and are performed as though you were apt in the action, denoted by an open circle ○ symbol.

Simple ●: Most actions require only a single Check to determine success, denoted by a single circle ● symbol.

Hard ●●: Narratively "hard" actions require two successes in a row using different Stats, denoted by a double circle ●● symbol.

Complex ●●●: More narratively "complex" actions require three or more successes in a row using different Stats, denoted by a triple circle ●●● symbol.

For example: In the atelier, you may create ○ rudimentary items like sandwiches, ● simple items like sterile bandages, ●● harder items like healing potions from rare ingredients, or ●●● more complex items like furniture, weapons, and armor.

Group Action: The individual Checks in hard and complex actions may be performed all by one character or distributed between characters acting together.

All or Nothing: Stats are locked after each successful Check in a hard or complex action. If any of its Checks fail, the whole action fails and any Stats locked so far become unlocked.

Attacks

Attacks are Checks performed against another character. There are two types of Attacks: violent and non-violent.

Violent Attack: A violent Attack is any action you perform against another character's will using Hurt or an unconventional Stat as though it were Hurt. All violent Attacks are dangerous, regardless of intent.

Non-violent Attack: A non-violent Attack is any other action you perform against another character's will.

For all Attacks:

Apt Defense When another character Attacks you, if the action is related enough to your Aptitudes, it is one rank more complex.

Tracked Actions

At table discretion, some goals are large enough to require progress to be made over a series of actions spread out over multiple scenes or sessions, such as persuading new allies, crafting items, attending school, or climbing a mountain. These may be represented by action tracks. In such cases:

  1. Begin: In most cases, you begin at 0 along the action track, though you may begin higher at table discretion.
  2. Move: On a success, move up by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 on the action track. On a failure, move down 2 instead. Incremental benefits, challenges, or story may come from reaching different tiers of progress. For reference, see the Progress Scale table below.
  3. Accumulate Nuance: Boons and busts accumulate along the way and shape the final outcome.

For representing sustained tension within a single scene, such as combat or racing, use the Endeavor system instead (described in the next chapter).

Progress Scale

Total Required Expected Duration, Cost, or Complexity
4 or less Simple
5, 6, or 7 Complex
8, 9, or 10 Elaborate
11-19 Intricate
20-99 Strenuous
100+ Inexorbitant

Endeavors

General Endeavor Rules

Sometimes, the player characters will need to race to be the first to reach some destination, be the first to acheive some action, escape without being caught, advance an objective before time runs out, or so on! Many such scenes where the tension is drawn out can be run as Endeavors.

There are several different types of Endeavors depending on the scenario. However, all Endeavors build on the same general rules covered below, which on their own are not enough to run an Endeavor. Specific types of Endeavors build upon these general rules to provide everything you need to run many kinds of high-tension scenes. The Endeavor types provided here are listed from least to most complex.

Unlock Stats: When you enter an Endeavor, unlock your Stats.

Rounds: Endeavors are carried out over rounds in which characters attempt to drive the narrative tension, progress themselves, and slow their opponents. Each type of Endeavor specifies what characters are involved and how they win.

Temporary Blessings: At the start of each round, all characters in the Endeavor gain one temporary Blessing. Temporary Blessings disappear at the end of the Endeavor or when you take the special action, described below.

Turn Order: Each type of Endeavor specifies whose turn is first. Turns then move clockwise. If there is no clear clockwise seating order, such as when playing online, each character chooses whose turn will follow theirs during the first round, and in subsequent rounds this same order is followed.

Actions: During your turn, you may choose and perform one action from the action options for that Endeavor. You may activate your other effects as normal whenever would be most appropriate before, during, or after your turn, which do not use your action for the round.

Requirement Tags: Action options may have tags that specify requirements for taking them. For example, the Head tag requires that you use Head or an unconventional Stat as though it were Head in the action's Check. In contrast, the Not Hurt tag prohibits you from using Hurt in the Check or an unconventional Stat as though it were Hurt. Within reason, History and optional Stats can be used to satisfy these requirements.

Special Actions: Actions with the Special tag can only be performed at the end of the round when all other actions are complete, by whoever has the most temporary Blessings. If allies are tied for most they choose who takes the special action, but if opponents are tied for most no one takes it. After you perform a special action, your unspent temporary Blessings disappear, representing an unleashing of potential stored over the previous rounds. You may choose not to take the special action, but your temporary Blessings still disappear.

Group Action: During your turn, you may call other willing characters who have not acted yet that round into your turn so that you may act together on a hard or complex action.

Tracks: Endeavors use movement tracks (simply called "tracks" in this chapter) to record character positions, scores, progress towards goals, or so on. Tracks begin at 0 and go up by whole numbers as high as needed. Each type of Endeavor describes where characters begin, and its action options describe how characters move.

Group Movement: If a group moves together an amount, they only move a total of that amount. Unless specified otherwise, how the group distributes this movement is up to the group to decide.

Buttons: Endeavors may add a number of buttons to the track to represent effects that are triggered as characters move along it. Each type of Endeavor describes how its buttons are added, and the end of this chapter lists how each type of button is activated and what effects are triggered as a result.

Tokens: Characters in Endeavors may gain a number of tokens to represent status effects, good or bad. Each type of Endeavor describes how its tokens are gained, and the end of this chapter lists their effects.

Multiple Tracks: Some Endeavors span a large field or pull characters in different directions. Such situations can be represented with multiple tracks.

Changing Tracks: Some Endeavor actions allow you to change tracks. Doing so changes your position to 0 on the new track, unless specified otherwise.

All Tracks are Connected: Regardless of narrative distance, for simplicity all tracks are equally "connected." When permitted, you may change from any track to any other track with a single action.

Nearby Influence Only: Unless otherwise stated, characters, buttons, and effects can only interact with what is on the same track as them.

Printable Track: Two printable tracks, one for seven characters and a longer one for one character, are available in the Printables chapter.

Violence: Most Endeavors can be "won" with incredible violence. However, remember that actions during the Endeavor have consequences for the narrative that follows.

Wounds: Some Endeavor types involve protecting yourself from danger. When you are "wounded," gain a Wound Token.

🧟 Combat Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve the player characters facing off against zombies, robots, or the manifestation of someone's fear! These may be run as Combat Endeavors.

Combatants: You and your fellow "protagonists" are opposed by the "antagonists."

Antagonists: All antagonists have a Starting Position (SP) representing how hard they are to remove from the Endeavor normally. For example, an SP of 3 (5/10) represents that the antagonist begins at position 3 and has two Reset Tokens, one that resets the antagonist to 5 when it would be removed from the Endeavor normally and one that resets it to 10. More complex antagonists may have effects that reference how many Reset Tokens they still have. For simplicity, multiple antagonists can be treated as a single antagonist with multiple actions per round.

Setup: Protagonists begin at position 0. Antagonists are placed according to their SP. A Defeat Button is placed at position 0. Whoever has the largest Hurt or Hurry Stat goes first, resolving ties at table discretion.

Combat Actions: Protagonists use the Generic and Protagonist Actions, listed at the end of this chapter. Antagonists use the Generic and Antagonist Actions.

Goal: Remove all antagonists from the Endeavor before they can do the same to you. You remove antagonists by moving them to 0 or by moving yourself to 30+ and declaring victory. They remove you by giving you 3+ Wound Tokens or by lining up 10+ Scheme Buttons and declaring victory.

🏇 Racing Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve a prolonged scene where the player characters race against one another or their opponents, whether it be by foot, horseback, sled, racecar, or even spaceship! These may be run as Racing Endeavors.

Fatigue: When you willingly spend a Blessing during the race, gain a Fatigue Token, representing your need to regroup after a hard push.

Setup: All racers begin at position 0. At the top of the first round, a description is given of the race course environment, including any terrain details like hills, brush, holes, asteroid fields, or so on, represented by Terrain Buttons. Whoever has the largest Hand or Hurry Stat goes first, resolving ties at table discretion.

Racing Actions: Racers use the Generic and Protagonist Actions, listed at the end of this chapter.

Goal: Be the first to reach the finish line or the last one standing.

⏩ Rush Endeavors

Some scenes call for something between a Combat Endeavor and a Racing Endeavor, where the player characters must charge in and stop the enemy before they complete their plans, such as catching a thief before they can escape with a powerful artifact or infiltrating a star base before it can fire a large laser! These may be run as Rush Endeavors.

Adjusted Combat: Rush Endeavors are run as Combat Endeavors with the following adjustments.

Charge Leader: Before the first round, elect a "charge leader" from among you and your fellow protagonists. Only the charge leader and the antagonists are considered for special actions.

Foiling: When a charge leader is "foiled," another protagonist is elected as the charge leader instead. Once you are foiled, you cannot become the charge leader again. The antagonists do not automatically win if your entire side has been foiled, but your victory will be much more difficult.

Simpler Turn Order: The charge leader acts first. If there is no charge leader, antagonists act first.

Rush Antagonist Actions: Antagonists use the Generic and Rush Antagonist Actions, listed at the end of this chapter.

Goal: Remove all antagonists from the Endeavor before they can do the same to you. You remove antagonists by moving them to 0 or by moving yourself to 30+ and declaring victory. They remove you by giving you 3+ Wound Tokens or by foiling your plans, lining up 10+ Scheme Buttons, and declaring victory.

💣 Stealth Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve prolonged tension where the player characters attempt to sneak past guards, escape a prison, perform a heist, or so on! These may be run as Stealth Endeavors.

Rogues vs. The Eye: The opposing side is represented by the "Eye." When the Endeavor begins, the Eye is in "warry mode" and on the lookout for you and your fellow "rogues." However, once the Eye has been alerted, it will enter the much more dangerous "wake mode." For the sake of rules, the Eye is a character, but it has only a single Watch Stat that unlocks after use, has no track position, and it cannot be Attacked directly.

Setup: You and your fellow rogues begin at position 0. At the top of the first round, a descrition is given of the guarded area, including any rooms, halls, obstacles to climb or hide behind, locking and security mechanisms, and so on.

The Eye's defenses in those areas are represented by Alarm Buttons, actions the rogues need to complete are represented by Objective Buttons, exit points are represented by Escape Buttons, and places safe from danger are represented by Sanctuary Buttons.

Stealth Actions: Rogues use the Generic and Rogue Actions, listed at the end of this chapter. The Eye uses only the Eye Actions.

Goal: Remove all Objective Buttons and escape without alerting the Eye.

💠 Unfolding Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve a growing or sudden tension as the player characters explore a new area, revise their plans in response to what they find, and unfold the story around them together. These may be run as Unfolding Endeavors.

Explorers vs. Pressure: You and your fellow "explorers" have goals you want to achieve, requiring visiting somewhere unfamiliar. Each group of explorers has their own track, and each track has its own "pressure" representing unforeseen obstacles. While pressure is not a character, it does gain temporary Blessings, take actions, and has a single Pressure Stat that unlocks after use.

Setup: You and your fellow explorers decide how you split up (if you do) and state your objectives. Then you begin at position 0 on your group's track. At the top of the first round, a description is given of the unexplored area, including any rooms, mechanisms, objects, smells, sounds, people, or other features you notice right away.

Your goals you want to achieve are represented by Objective Buttons. More ambitious goals have their buttons placed higher up, using the Progress Scale table from the Actions chapter as a guide.

As the Endeavor progresses, additional tracks may be added as explorer split up.

Managing Tracks: When you change tracks, your position is halved (rounded down) instead of being set to 0 as usual.

If you split off on your own, create a new track, move or place Objective Buttons there as necessary, and that track's pressure then gains two temporary Blessings.

If two groups merge, don't remove the abandoned track. Pressure continues on abandoned tracks.

Resting: As usual, when you Rest the story progresses around you. This can complicate or shift your goals, causing relevant Objective Buttons at table discretion to move or the Checks associated with them to change.

Unfolding Actions: Explorers use the Generic and Explorer Actions, listed at the end of this chapter. Pressure only uses the Pressure Actions.

Goal: Explore while chasing your own shifting objectives before other pressing matters interrupt you.

🎖️ Unit Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve prolonged contests between "units" operated by the player characters and their opponents, such as ship-to-ship combat, a battle of the bands, or cheering on your magical creatures! These may be performed as Unit Endeavors.

Units and Operators: You are an "operator" of a "unit," alongside fellow and opposing operators and units.

For the sake of rules, a unit is a character with only a single Unit Stat that unlocks after use, no track position, and they can only Attack and be Attacked by other units. Each unit is represented by a track, which ends at the position equal to the unit's Unit Stat size. Anything placed or moved beyond this is placed at the last track position instead.

Unit Size: Smaller units are harder to hit and move to. When Attacking a unit that has a smaller Unit Stat, or when moving to the track of a unit that has a smaller Unit Stat, the action is one rank more complex.

Hits: When a unit is "hit," choose a random position on its track. Add a Hit Button there if one is not there already.

Setup: You and your fellow operators begin at position 0 on your unit's track. Effects may extend your unit's track during the Endeavor. If a unit is removed from the Endeavor while you're on its track, perform a Check to move to a different track. On a failure, you are removed from the Endeavor too.

Unit Actions: Operators use the Generic and Operator Actions, listed at the end of this chapter.

Units use only the Unit Actions, but they do not have a turn as normal. Instead they act when one of their operators takes the Operate action to operate them. How many times a unit can act this way per round depends on their Unit Stat size: ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.

Units also can't take special actions. They still gain temporary Blessings, but they are ignored when determining who has the most.

Goal: Remove opposing units from the Endeavor before they do the same to your units. You remove units from the Endeavor by giving them 3+ contiguous Hit Buttons or by moving yourself to 30+ on your own unit's track and declaring victory.

Endeavor Actions

Generic Actions
Operate If applicable, you operate a machine, give an order to a non-player character, or otherwise interact with a unique detail of the Endeavor. At table discretion, this may require a successful Check.
Continue Continue a previous action, if possible, gaining its outcome again on a success.
Rest Take a Rest to unlock your Stats.
Change If applicable, you change tracks. At table discretion, this may require a successful Check.
Protagonist Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, they move down ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against relevant Attacks for ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 turns.
Combo Special Move up by your number of temporary Blessings. Then you and your allies may move down any total amount. If you do, choose opponents to move down this same total amount.
Victory Special If you are at position 30+, choose an opponent to remove from the Endeavor.
Antagonist Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, wound ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 of them each once.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Plot Not Hurt Perform a Check to progress your ulterior motives. On a success, add ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above your current position without one already.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against relevant Attacks for ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 turns.
Combo Special Wound up to X opponents each once, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings.
Victory Special If there are 10+ contiguous Scheme Buttons, choose an opponent to remove from the Endeavor.
Racer Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, they move down ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against relevant Attacks for ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 turns.
Overcome Special Move up by your number of temporary Blessings, ignoring the first Terrain Button you would activate this way.
Rush Antagonist Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, wound ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 of them each once.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Plot Not Hurt Perform a Check to progress your ulterior motives. On a success, add ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above your current position without one already.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against relevant Attacks for ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 turns.
Scheme Special Foil the charge leader. Then add X Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above your current position without one already, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings.
Execute Special If there are 10+ contiguous Scheme Buttons, remove all opponents from the Endeavor.
Rogue Actions
Disarm Heart/Hurt Perform a Check or Attack to find or create weakness in the Eye's defenses. On a success, choose an Alarm Button within ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 spaces of your position and remove it. On a Maximum Success, also remove all Alarm Buttons contiguous with it.
Misdirect Head/Home Perform a Check or Attack to stall or evade the Eye's plans. On a success, increase the values of your team's temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Move Hand/Hurry Perform a Check or Attack to move yourself toward your objective or away from danger. On a success, move up or down by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3. You may not move as a group this way.
Work Varies Choose an Objective Button at your position and perform its Check. On a success, add ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above the Objective Button's position without one already. Then remove the Objective Button if every position from it to the next Objective or Escape Button has a Scheme Button.
Quicken Special You and your allies may each take an additional action during your next turns.
Eye Actions
Search Warry Perform a Check. On a success, randomly choose ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 positions in 1–20 and add Alarm Buttons at those positions.
Scan Warry Perform a Check. On a success, randomly choose up or down and move all Alarm Buttons in that direction by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Sweep Special Warry Choose two Alarm Buttons that have no Alarm Buttons between them. Add temporary Alarm Buttons to all positions between them, removed at the end of next round.
Awaken Wake All Alarm Buttons become Hit Buttons. Gain a temporary Blessing.
Wound Wake Wound an opponent. Gain a temporary Blessing.
Clean Special Wake Wound each opponent.
Explorer Actions
Rethink Head/Hurt Perform a Check or Attack to simplify or complicate an objective. On a success, move an Objective Button up or down by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Explore Hand/Heart/Home Perform a Check or Attack to make progress toward your objectives. On a success, move up or down by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Watch Hurry Perform a Check to remain vigilant against complications. On a success, increase the values of your team's temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Try Varies Choose an Objective Button at your position and perform its Check. On a success, remove the button. On a failure, your track's pressure gains a temporary Blessing.
Spice Special Add a detail into another track's unfolding narrative, such as an item, character, or event. Explorers on that track "yes, and" it into being, at table discretion.
Pressure Actions
Loom Perform a Check. On a success, increase the values of your temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Complicate Special Gain an Interrupt Token. Then if your track is abandoned, choose a different track to affect. Explorers on the affected track Rest but only unlock a single Stat of their choice. During this Rest, the narrative progresses, and Objective Buttons move up, down, or the Checks associated with them change accordingly.
Unit Actions
Hit Attack the opposing units. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, hit ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 of them each once. Remove units from the Endeavor that have 3+ contiguous Hit Buttons.
Shake Attack the opposing units. On a success, decrease the values of the temporary Blessings of those units and characters on their tracks by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Channel Release your stored energy. Give your temporary Blessings to allies on your track, distributed however you choose.
Operator Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, they move down ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Undo Home/Hurry Perform a complex Check to undo damage done to your unit. On a success, choose a Hit Button within ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 spaces of your position and remove it.
Rally Special If you are on an allied unit's track, extend the track by X, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings. If you are on an opposing unit's track, choose opposing operators on it to move down X total.
Push Special If you are on an allied unit's track, it may immediately take the Hit or Shake action, even if it already took its maximum number of actions this turn. It gains a +X bonus to the first Check or Attack performed this way, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings.
Victory Special If you are at position 30+ on an allied unit's track, choose an opposing unit to remove from the Endeavor.

Endeavor Buttons and Tokens

Wound Token
Effect: Reduce your effect sizes by 1 for each Wound Token you have, to a minimum of 1.
When you have 3+ Wound Tokens, you are removed from the Endeavor.
Reset Token
Effect: When you would move onto a Defeat Button, instead end your movement, remove this token, and move to your next starting position.
Defeat Button
Effect: When an antagonist moves onto it, remove them from the Endeavor.
Scheme Button
This button tracks progress toward various objectives.
Fatigue Token
Effect: If you have a Fatigue Token, at the end of the round, before determining who takes the special action, perform an easy Check to remain in the Endeavor. On a success, remove one of your Fatigue Tokens. On a failure, you are removed from the Endeavor.
Terrain Button
Effect: When you first move onto this button, end your movement.
If this button is the nearest Terrain Button at or below your current position, it may restrict which Stats you may use for your actions.
Alarm Button
Effect: When you end your turn on this button, the Eye enters wake mode.
When a rogue fails a Check or Sparks a roll, add an Alarm Button above this one if there is not one there already.
Alarm Buttons that would move to or be placed at a position outside 1–20 instead move up or down by 20 until in that range. If multiple would move to or be placed at the same position, all but the oldest there are removed.
Objective Button
This button represents a Check toward a larger objective.
Escape Button
Effect: When you end your turn on this button, you may safely remove yourself from the Endeavor.
Sanctuary Button
Effect: You do not activate Alarm Buttons while on or by this button. You do not activate Hit Buttons while on this button. When you perform an Attack while on or by this button, remove it.
Interrupt Token
Effect: When there are 3+ Interrupt Tokens among all characters in the Endeavor, the Endeavor ends as more pressing matters arise.
Hit Button
Effect: When you end your turn on this button, gain a Wound Token.
If multiple Hit Buttons would move to or be placed at the same position, all but the oldest there are removed.

Session Shop

Ending Sessions

At the end of each session, you receive one free Stat Upgrade for your character. Depending on what size you increase a Stat to, this may then grant you an additional upgrade from options described in this chapter.

You may receive an additional Stat Upgrade by spending ①①① or by downgrading one of your Stats from a d4 to a d2. You may purchase additional Stat Upgrades as many times as you want and can pay for.

What you do with any remaining Blessings at the end of the session depends on the game's Atmosphere:

Light Any unspent Blessings disappear at the end of the session. Gain two new Blessings near the start of the next session.

Dark Any unspent Blessings disappear at the end of the session, but first track the number of Blessings you have worth exactly 1. Gain that many new Blessings at the start of the next session.

Gritty Track your exact Blessings so you can begin the next session with them.

Upgrade Options

Stat Upgrade One Free
Effect: Upgrade a single Stat's die one size.
Limits: At any given time you may have at most two Stats of size d10 and at most three of size d8.
Other Upgrades: When you upgrade a Stat to a d6, d8, or d10, you may receive one upgrade with the d6, d8, or d10 tag, respectively.
Backstory Upgrade d6
Effect: Make up to two changes or additions to your Backstory, within reason. For example, you might add or change your hobbies, beliefs, interests, items, information studied, chance encounters, connections to others, and answers to prompts from during character creation.
Rumor Upgrade d6
Effect: Begin, end, or modify one rumor, based on the events of the story so far, how you would like to see events play out, or how you would like to interfere with events as they stand. At table discretion, it may or may not spread quickly, be believed by others, or even be true.
Aptitude Upgrade d8
Effect: Gain a new Aptitude, based on the events of the story so far or how you would like to see your character grow.
Specialization Upgrade d8
Effect: Specialize one of your Aptitudes, based on the events of the story so far or how you would like to see your character grow. Select a Specialization option and explain how it relates to that Aptitude. Then gain that Specialization's effect or an adjusted version of it, at table discretion. You can't specialize the same Aptitude twice, choose the same Specialization twice, or specialize more than half your Aptitudes.
Gains Upgrade d10
Effect: One thing you have gained improves to an exceptional quality, such as an item, information, or alliance. While performing Checks related enough to it, you are Buffed.
Dedication Upgrade d10
Effect: Choose a Dedication as a focus for your Motivation and answer your Dedication's prompts. Which Dedications are available to you depend on your Motivation, but all have the same effect: You cannot be Debuffed while acting toward your Dedication, yet busts prevented this way may resurface later. You can't have more than one Dedication.
Carefree Driven Steadfast: Pride & Prudence, Greed & Vanity, Rite & Divinity, or Precision & Accuracy.
Prodigious Fated Warry: Greed & Vanity, Power & Influence, Rite & Divinity, or Fairness & Value.
Crafty Wired Compelling: Pride & Prudence, Power & Influence, Precision & Accuracy, or Fairness & Value.

Specialization Options

Analytical Specialization
Effect: Twice per session and once per action, when another willing character fails a Check and it is reasonable for you to provide help, you may roll four d6 and group those dice into two piles of two. If addition or multiplication could make the piles equal, add 5 to one of that character's rolls for the action, possibly turning the failure into a success. For example, 1, 1, 1, and 2 could be grouped this way as 1×2=1+1.
Creative Specialization
Effect: You may use any Stat for a non-violent Check, even if it is not balanced with the usual Stat for that action. Recharge: ④.
Critical Specialization
Effect: When you successfully Attack an opponent, you may have them lock a random unlocked Stat of theirs at 2. Recharge: ②.
Determined Specialization
Effect: Once per action, you may use this Aptitude to temporarily ignore the negative effects of an ongoing injury, condition, or situation. Recharge: ③.
Excessive Specialization
Effect: Once per session, you may destroy a thing you have gained, such as an item, information, or alliance. Until the end of the scene, you adopt its properties, the properties of a concept associated with it, or push it to its breaking point.
Friendly Specialization
Effect: You gain access to a companion of your choice, within reason. If it is lost, stolen, destroyed, or you lose its loyalty, replacing it may require time and effort.
Heavy Specialization
Effect: You may become "Heavy" until the next time you Rest. While Heavy, you cannot gain Blessings, but you may choose effect sizes as though your Stats were two sizes larger. Recharge: ③.
Igneous Specialization
Effect: When you spark, you may spend ⊜⊜⊜ instead. If you do, you spark all your subsequent actions automatically without paying the cost, until you have no more unlocked balanced Stats, you Rest, or you choose to stop.
Imposing Specialization
Effect: When you make your first non-violent Attack against someone you just met, you may intimidate them within reason, making the Attack one rank more complex but ignoring the lowest roll if it would cause you to fail.
Insured Specialization
Effect: A character may succeed a Check to tend to your wounds, even after they've rolled. Recharge: ①. When this effect is recharged, increase the cost to recharge it by ①①.
Mischievous Specialization
Effect: When another character would succeed a Check, you may distract them using a thing you have gained related to this Aptitude, such as an item, information, or alliance. If you do, modify that character's result by -3, possibly turning their success into a failure. Recharge: ⑥.
Prepared Specialization
Effect: Once per session, you may perform a Head or Home Check related to this Aptitude as though you were Buffed and as though you had performed that Check earlier in preparation for this moment.
Protective Specialization
Effect: When another nearby character would be violently Attacked, you may become the Defender instead. Recharge: ③.
Resolved Specialization
Effect: When an Attack succeeds against, the Attacker receives one fewer boon and one additional bust than usual, and you gain a Blessing. Recharge: ④.
Rousing Specialization
Effect: Once per session, while an ally is Debuffed, you may share a speech, story, or information related enough to your Motivation. Each other character who hears this gains a Blessing.
Shameless Specialization
Effect: Once per session, while you are Debuffed, you may perform a joke, dance, or stunt related enough to your Motivation. Each other character who witnesses this becomes "Uncool": While Uncool, Checks they perform that are witnessed by others are modified by -1. Once they Rest they are no longer Uncool.
Skilled Specialization
Effect: When you succeed a Check related enough to this Aptitude, gain an additional boon, within reason.
Spiked Specialization
Effect: When a violent Attack succeeds against you at a close distance, you may have your Attackers receive a less severe version of the same injury you received. Recharge: ③.
Stubborn Specialization
Effect: When an opponent succeeds a Check that would interrupt your ongoing action, you may "exhaust" one of your unlocked Stats until the end of the session. If you do, they fail that Check instead. Exhausted Stats are locked and do not unlock when you Rest.
Well-Traveled Specialization
Effect: When you encounter an item, place, piece of information, or character for the first time, you may establish new details, within reason, for how your Backstory relates or connects. Recharge: ⑥.
Witty Specialization
Effect: When a non-violent Attack related enough to this Aptitude succeeds against you, you may have the Attacker receive a less severe version of the same effect you received.

Dedication Upgrades

⚕️ Pride & Prudence Dedication
You have an unwaivering trust that you can overcome any obstacle, even if it means planning for the longterm. Perhaps this confidence owes to your abilities, accomplishments, lineage, or even hubris. But whatever the job, you know you will succeed.
Prompt: Where does your trust in your eventual success come from? How does this trust give you strength?
👹 Greed & Vanity Dedication
Moderation is for fools. Why hold back when you can be exactly the dream everyone else wishes they could be? They want wealth. They want power. They want utter freedom. But they're still scared to go for it. The least you could do is show them it's possible.
Prompt: What about you—what many things about you—would others be envious of (or what would they be foolish for not being envious of)? What does it feel like to be alone or unnoticed, and how does that feeling drive you?
⚖️ Power & Influence Dedication
Assets run the world. The more, the better. The lines between friend, foe, fame, and fortune ultimately come down to what they can do for you. And what do you do with assets? Put them to use.
Prompt: Do you have an ultimate goal that drives your accumulation of assets, or does it just bring you joy to successfully "trade up" one asset for another? Is there anything you've gained you prize enough to never trade away?
🕯 Rite & Divinity Dedication
Your intention is set and nothing can shake you from it. It doesn't matter if you don't know all the details just yet—it only matters that you can carry the torch high enough and pay the tolls the journey demands. Only then can you be the light for others to follow.
Prompt: Who is it you are leading, and what path are you leading them on? What great sacrifices do you hope they never have to make, and why can they never go back from making those sacrifices?
🔧 Precision & Accuracy Dedication
You know that missteps can lead to disaster and that even the best plans can fall apart. But you also know that, in the here and now, those with the greatest dedication to detail, truth, and technique will always have the upper hand.
Prompt: What does detail, truth, and technique mean to you, and what scares you about getting them wrong? What process do you follow to make sure you get them right, and what are you missing for solving the biggest puzzle you are working on right now?
❇ Fairness & Value Dedication
It's clear to you that wealth, status, law, and justice only work because of human connection. Even nihilists still have interests they care about. So, you don't need a complicated philosophy: Make good deals, don't get screwed over. Tit for tat, eye for an eye.
Prompt: What rules do you follow when meeting someone new for the first time, and how do those rules drive you towards bigger picture things? What strength do you have and use when people try to screw you over?

Printables

The following pages contain printable resources:

  • A character sheet with space to record Stats, Motivation (and its Dedication), Aptitudes (and their Specifications), and gained items, alliances, and information. There is also space to set locked Stats and gained Blessings. The art box is the same size as a tarot card when the sheet is printed on standard letter paper.
  • A quick reference version of the Check Outcomes table. Players are advised to annotate this table with reminders of their Aptitudes and what Buff/Debuffs them.
  • A track spanning 1-10 for tracking up to seven characters at a time. Spaces are the size of standard TTRPG minis (28mm). Buttons and tokens can be tracked with small coins or other small objects.
  • A track spanning 1-50 for tracking more information for a single character. Spaces are wider to allow more room for buttons or multiple minis side-by-side. For both tracks, position 0 can be represented by the "space" off the track just before position 1. This allows for multiple tracks to be chained together easier to represent higher positions. Tracks may also be used outside Endeavors to represent progress towards goals.

Character Sheet

🧠

✌️

💕

☕

👿

⚠️

⏳

 

Art

Motivation | Dedication

Aptitudes | Specializations

Gains

Blessings

Check Outcomes Table

Normal Apt Apt and Buffed Debuffed
2 Failure Failure Failure Failure
3 Round to 5 Round to 8
4
5 Minor Success Minor Success Minor Success
6
7
8 Medium Success Medium Success Medium Success Medium Success
9
10
11+ Major Success Major Success Major Success Major Success
20+ Maximum Success Maximum Success Maximum Success Maximum Success

Seven Short Tracks

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

One Long Track

Options Index