- Game Play Example -

City of Secrets

[Narrator] You’ve reached the busy town square, packed with city dwellers roaming about. There are vendors and shops, entertainers performing for gold. The buildings around the square tower three to four stories high, with various alleyways squeezed in between them. Underbane, do you notice anything particular in the square? What can you see?

[Underbane] Not much in this crowd, I’m too short! But I can clearly hear mugs clanging at the Tavern nearby. 

Remember, I’m a dwarf.

[Narrator] I like that! Yeah, there is a popular tavern in the town square. We’ll have to come back there, but not right now. As you were surveying the square, you see behind you the bandits from the woods making their way through the crowd. And one of them spots you! What do you do?

Discern Realities

[Furrowbrow] Well we know the wizard has a shop near the square, but can we see the sign?

[Narrator] Well you can’t see it if you don’t try to look for it. Is that what you are trying to do?

[Furrowbow] Yeah, I am trying to look for the wizards shop sign!

[Narrator] Perfect, that sounds like a Discern Realities. But like Underbane mentioned, the place is packed and you guys are short. I’d say roll for Discern Realities with disadvantage. 

[Furrowbrow] Nope, I am going to stand on my Boar to give me a boost. That has to be an advantage right?

[Narrator] Actually, good call. It is! You’re working in tandem with your animal companion. 

[Narrator] Roll Discern Realities with Advantage,

[Furrobrow] Three… one… five, plus my Focus, plus one. Advantage so drop the lowest die, so… that’s nine!

[Narrator]  Great, you can ask one question from the list, and everyone gets to roll with advantage when acting on the answer. So what are you asking?

[Furrowbrow] What should I be on the lookout for?

[Narrator] Off in the distance, on the other side of the square, a sign hangs from the side of a building. And it just so happens to have the same symbol as on the amulet you are carrying.

[Furrowbrow] Then there! That’s where we need to go.

Defy the Odds - Situational

[Narrator] Then you better hurry because the bandits have made their way through the crowd. What do yo-

[Squeaky] Give me the amulet, I’m a Lightfoot,  I can get through this crowd with ease. I’ll run to the shop!

[Furrowbrow] Okay! Take the amulet, I’ll see if I can get through the crowd on my boar.

[Narrator] Squeaky, you shouldn’t have a problem making your way through thanks to your attribute, but Furrowbrow is going to have to Defy the Odds. Since you’re working with your boar again, you still have Advantage, so roll Defy the Odds plus Agility.

In the meantime, Underbane, what do you do?

[Underbane] I am going to turn towards the bandits and roar as I charge them, hopefully tackling a few.

[Narrator] Okay, so are you trying to stop them or intimidate them? Either way that would also be a Defy the Odds but it would either be +Might or + Spirit.

[Underbane] Definitely stopping them. Do I still get Advantage because of Furrowbrow?

[Narrator] I’m going to say no, only because the bandits were coming either way. I wouldn’t say you were acting on the answer to Furrowbrow’s question. Does that seem fair?

[Underbane] Yeah, that’s fair. Okay, so Defy the Odds plus my Might is…. Four and five, plus two, eleven!

[Narrator] And what did you get Furrowbrow?

[Furrowbrow] I got an eight this time.

[Narrator] Well, then with all that, the bandits charge into the square as Underbane charges back at them. Underbane lowers his shoulders and lays out two bandits, knocking them out cold. Their leader, Barron, and another bandit manage to get past Underbane with Furrombrow still in sight.  Barron motions towards his follower to go after Furrowbrow. 

Furrowbrow, you have some distance on the bandit  but the crowd has held you back a bit, you’re not at the wizards shop just yet. Squeaky, what are you doing?

Strike Them Down

[Squeaky] I’m waving Furrowbrow down a nearby alley, The bandit doesn’t know it yet but I’m going to be hiding, waiting for them to run past.

[Furrowbrow] And I follow Squeaky’s lead, and head for the alley.

[Narrator] The Bandit chases down Furrowbrow and heads down the alley, unknowingly running past Squeaky. Squeaky, what do you do?

[Squeaky] I strike them down! 

[Narrator] Well obviously, but how? Remember it’s the fiction that triggers the move.

[Squeaky] Well obviously… I jumped down from a stack of crates I was hiding on. So I roll plus Agility which is, two fours, plus one. Nine!

[Furrowbrow] Hey wait, if I’m helping Squeaky lure this bandit down this alley, would that count as Working in Tandem? Wouldn’t Squeaky get Advantage?

[Narrator] Sure, that makes sense. Squeaky, roll another d6 and drop the lowest die.

[Squeaky] Six! That gets me an eleven. So I want to ‘take what I can get, and stay out of danger’ while creating an advantageous opportunity. What do I roll for damage?

[Narrator] You roll 1d6 plus the trait of the move you used, so Agility. But since you are ‘taking what you can get’ roll with Disadvantage.

[Squeaky] Okay, so 1d6 plus one. I rolled a three. And for disadvantage I rolled…. A one. So I drop the highest. One plus one is two and… I’m at least away from danger.

[Narrator] True, so the bandit takes a nice hit as you knock them to the ground and you roll safely away. The bandit starts to get up, but Furrowbrow, you have the advantage. What do you do?

Defy the Odds - Attribute

[Furrobrow] I am going to finish this and use my shapeshifting to turn into a bear and scare the bandit away. 

[Narrator] Awesome! So that is like a Defy the Odds but with your Shapeshifting trait, Focus right? Plus Squeaky’s advantage.

[Furrowbrow] Sweet, yeah Shapeshifitng says to use Focus when rolling. So plus two, plus a six and a three and a five. Drop the three, that’s thirteen!

[Narrator] So lets say, the bandit didn’t even see you down the alley before Squeaky knocked them down to the ground. By the time they could get their bearings straight and back to their feet, standing before them on its back legs is a massive, Great Forest Bear, with tusks! The bear roars with such ferocity the bandit cowers and stumbles backwards as it flees the alley way. Furrowbrow, now a bear, and Squeaky, are now safe in the alley. 

Hack and Slash

[Narrator] Back to Underbane, Barron picks you up off the other bandits and turns you around, the two of you now standing toe to toe. Barron grabs you by the collar and shouts in your face “Where. Is. The Amulet!?” 

What do you do?

[Underbane] I slug Barron right in the jaw with my fist.

[Narrator] Well that definitely sounds like you are engaging in open combat, roll for Hack and Slash, plus your might,

[Underbane] That’s a one, and a three, and plus a not even close. Even with all my might, that’s a six. And no one can help me?

[Narrator] Squeaky and Furrowbrow are way on the other side of the square down an alley. They can’t see you let alone they don’t even know what is happening outside the alley. And with that six that is a failure with complications.

Barron is able to dodge your punch and throws you off balance, giving him a clear shot at you, knocking you unconscious. The world fades to black and Barron and his bandits drag Underbane away.

[Underbane] Uh oh…

[Narrator] So back to the alley, what do you two do?

[Squeaky] Well we can’t go anywhere with you looking like a bear, and with what we just heard, I guess maybe we should go back for Underbane.

[Narrator] You could but you technically didn’t see what happened to Underbane. For all you know, he could be at the shop or at the tavern.

[Furrowbrow] Yeah, that makes sense. We were trying to get to the wizards shop anyhow. If we were supposed to meet Underbane there, then off to the shop we go. Oh and I shapeshift back to my normal halfling self.

[Narrator] Perfect, then off to the shop you go. With the bandits gone, you easily work your way back to the shop. Upon opening the heavy wooden door, you are greeted with the smell of old dusty books. Not only that, but an old dusty wizard as well.

“May I ask why you’ve come to my shop?” says the wizard.

Spout Lore

[Furrowbrow] I greet the wizard and mention the amulet.

[Narrator] The wizard responds curiously, asking how and where you found such a thing. More so, he becomes pushy in wanting to see the amulet. Squeaky, what are you doing?

[Squeaky] I’m looking around, like any good thief I’m casing the joint. If I closely study the place, can I ask what here is valuable to me?

[Narrator] That does sound like a Discern Realities, but how bout Spout Lore instead? You are a thief, wouldn’t you have some sort of accumulated knowledge on valuable objects?

[Squeaky] Yeah, I would. That makes sense, so yeah I am going to spout lore about some of the items in the shop. So Roll + Wisdom, and that’s an eight. 

[Narrator]  I get to tell you something interesting about the objects in the room, it just may not be useful alone.

So as you scan the room, you can see that this shop is loaded with all sorts of rare looking trinkets and gadgets, The books on the shelves are all fairly unique as well. But one book in particular catches your eye. Back behind the counter, a large tome sits closed. On the cover is a symbol. You’ve seen it once before, not sure where, but just the thought of it sends a shiver down your spine. 

[Squeaky] I’m not getting good vibes from this wizard. I give Furrowbrow a nudge and grip the amulet tightly in my coat pocket. 

[Narrator] The wizard persists, “So where is it, let me see it, let me see it! Give me my amulet!”

And at that point we go back to Underbane.

[Narrator] Underbane, you awaken bound to a chair, ropes tied tight. Light glistens in from a grate in the ceiling. Judging by the smell and the sounds of rats scurrying across the damp floors, you can safely assume you are somewhere in the sewers beneath the city streets. Out of the dark corner comes Barron.

[Underbane] I ask “What do you want from me?”

[Narrator] Barron responds, “The amulet you and your thieving friends stole from me. You have no idea what you are doing!”

[Underbane] I tell Barron it’s long gone. The wizard has it now. And there is no way you are getting it back,

[Narrator] “You’re fools! Do you realize who that wizard is? Do you even know what that amulet can do? Do you even know who I am?

[Underbane] “You’re just a criminal, a lousy no good bandit.”

[Narrator] “Your friends just handed that necromancer his soul stone. You and your friends just caused a massive headache for my crusaders. You and your friends have just put the entirety of this city at peril and for what? Were you just looking for a reward? Maybe a scroll or bag of holding from a friendly old wizard?

[Underbane] “I, I mean, we had no idea. That’s why we were trying to find the wizard. To help us figure it all out. We meant no harm.” But… wait how do I know what Barron is saying is true? 

[Narrator] Are you studying him? Are you trying to Discern whether or not he is telling the truth?

[Underbane] Oh yeah! I am closely studying Barron. Discern Realities! Seven!

What here is not as it appears to be?

[Narrator] Nothing. It is exactly as it appears to be.

[Underbane] So… Barron is telling the truth?

[Narrator] “You may not believe me but what gives you any faith that you can trust your unknown wizard?

Parley

[Underbane] I want to help Barron. I want to help get the amulet back, at least back in our possession until I can really find out what's going on. “Untie me and I can get that amulet away from the wizard, My friends and I can get that amulet away from the wizard.”

[Narrator] “And how can I trust you? You attack my crusaders, you attacked me! And you called us bandits.”

[Underbane] “My Ruby amulet. As collateral. It’s a family heirloom. Once I get the amulet back from the wizard, I can give you your amulet in exchange for mine.

[Narrator] Roll +Spirit for Parley. 

[Underbane] Nine.

[Narrator] Barron pulls out a knife and looks you in the eyes, “If you want my trust and your amulet, you and your friend will have to take more than just the amulet from that necromancer.” And Barron cuts you free.