Dangers

Dangers are likely to hurt the PCs or the things they care about. There are two basic types of danger:

Hazards are environmental dangers, like traps, treacherous terrain, or weather.

Monsters are active dangers, usually things with intent; adversaries that the PCs can fight (or fight off).

PCs usually encounter dangers when they're on an expedition, or when things get bad and a danger shows up in town.

Ultimately, they're just elements of the fiction: you frame a scene that includes a danger (or introduce one into a scene), you describe the situation, you make a move using the danger, and you ask "what do you do?" Go from there.

Like any element of the fiction, dangers can be improvised. Much of this chapter, though, focuses on preparing dangers in advance. The last chunk of the chapter deals with running fights.

Dangers vs. threats

Dangers may or may not also be threats. Threats are ongoing problems, things that will come back to haunt the PCs later; they might not be dangerous, but they're always troublesome. Dangers are immediate problems: things that can hurt or hinder the PCs during a scene, here and now.

Ultimately, the difference is what you prep. Your prep for a threat tells you what they're up to, what sort of trouble they might cause, how that trouble will escalate and where it's ultimately going. Your prep for a danger tells you how to use a hazard or monster here and now, in a scene.

Lots of threats are also things that the PCs might fight. If they are, write up a monster description for them or find an appropriate entry in the almanacs. Lots of monsters that the PCs encounter might become threats later. If they do, write them up as a threat between sessions.

Hazards

Hazards are environmental dangers. They can impede or harm the PCs but lack initiative and intent. Hazards can't really be fought and slain with spear and shield; they must be avoided, endured, thwarted, or overcome.

Improvising a hazard

Hazards don't always need game mechanics or stats. You'll often just improvise them.

To improvise a hazard: imagine a physical obstacle or danger that would make sense in the environment. Then, frame a scene (if you haven't already) and make a GM move to introduce the hazard. Ask the PCs what they do. If they ask clarifying questions, make up answers that make sense but then act as if they were true all along. If the PCs do something with an obvious outcome, say what happens. If they trigger a player move, resolve it. Use your knowledge of the situation and your sense of the fiction to describe what happens next.

When the players try to bypass or overcome a hazard, you should regularly tell them the consequences/requirements and ask if they still want to do that. Players should understand the risks before they commit to any course of action—even if the risks are "you aren't sure what will happen."

Clever players will often come up with ways to bypass a hazard that don't trigger a move. Resist the urge to call for a move (like Defy Danger or Struggle as One) just because you think "there should be a roll." Always confirm that the trigger is, in fact, being met. Otherwise, you'll end up invalidating the players' creativity and you might find yourself struggling to come up with meaningful results on a 7-9 or 6-.

You can also introduce hazards in response to a player move. A new hazard is a great consequence on a 7-9 roll to Defy Danger ("You get past the thug, but the lamp tips onto the mattress—it's on fire!"). When someone Seeks Insight and asks, "What should I be on the lookout for?" make up a hazard and tell them about it. If they're traveling cross-country and someone gets a 6- on pretty much anything, you could introduce a danger and have the sky open up in a torrent of rain.

Remember that on a 6-, when you make a hard GM move and establish badness, you decide just how bad it is. That means you can introduce a hazard and immediately have it cause harm or badness, as long as it makes sense in the fiction. But you don't have to. So when the Fox rolls a 6- to Burgle a chest, you might jump straight to hurting them with a poison needle trap.

But you could also introduce a danger and say that they notice these arcane runes around the lip, and clearly some sort of harmful magic will be unleashed if the chest is opened, what do you do?

When a hazard is present during a fight or any other sort of action scene, keep including it in the fiction and keep making moves with it. A hazard is part of the environment and the fictional positioning of the characters; its presence limits what the PCs can do and informs the results of their actions.

Vahid, Caradoc, Blodwen, Rhianna, and Andras are exploring the ruins around Three Coven Lake. They're climbing a set of wide, ancient stairs going up the side of a bluff. It'd be a nasty fall into rocky water, but the stairs so far have been well-built and stable.

I decide to change that, and introduce a danger. "The stairs and bluff curve inward, away from the lake, then the stairs level off to a short landing. Vahid, you're in front, so you see this first. The landing has partially collapsed, and while there's enough left to scamper across, it doesn't look entirely stable. The stairs on the other end look fine, though. What do you do?"

They ask some questions about the drop (like 50 or 60 feet, onto rocks) and the size of the landing (originally about 12 feet square, but there's only like 2 or 3 feet left for most of it, up against the cliff wall, and a gap of almost 9 feet).

"Only 9 feet? So we can just jump it, right?" says Caradoc.

I tell them the consequences and ask. "It's certainly jumpable, but it's not a sure thing. You'll each have to Defy Danger, and anyone with a normal or heavy load will be at disadvantage. Oh, and I don't think Andras can make it—he's still nursing that arrow wound in his leg, right? But the rest of you can try if you want. What do you do?"

They decide against jumping it. Vahid pokes the landing with his spear and otherwise takes in the situation, Seeking Insight. He gets a 7-9. "What here is useful or valuable to me?" he asks.

I think about the situation and make a decision (remember, I'm making this up as I go). "Well, the ledge that remains should bear your weight if you go one at a time, but it's impossible to tell. But when you look closely, you realize that the cliff face has some ridges that could be used as handholds. Oh, and if you've got any rope in your gear, that could be useful, too."

I then offer riches at a price and say that he can see the rest of the stairs from here. "They appear to be intact all the way up to the next opening carved into the cliff, an ornate arch carved with Maker runes. What do you do?"

"I really want to check that out," says Vahid. After some discussion, they produce some rope and tie each other together, then scamper over the ledge one at a time, using the handholds to brace themselves. The rope means that they're Defying Danger as a group, so we resolve this using Struggle as One (and decide that everyone gets advantage on their rolls for acting on the answers from Seeking Insight).

Damage from hazards

If a hazard (improvised or prepared) deals damage, ask yourself what it could likely do to a normal person.

worst outcome die

d4 Bruises & Scrapes, Pain, Light Burns

d6 Nasty Flesh Wounds, Bruises, Burns

Broken bones, bad burns, d8 debilitating pain

Death or dismemberment d10 Then, assign effects to the hazard according to its capabilities (choose all that apply):

if... effect

• armor can't protect ignores armor against it

• it slices through 1 piercing, leather/hide messy

• it can tear metal apart 3 piercing, messy

• it knocks them down forceful or around

• it's big/vicious/scary +2 damage

• the PCs have taken disadvantage precautions

• it catches them off-guard advantage Apply disadvantage to the damage roll if the PCs knew (or suspected) about the hazard and proactively did something to protect themselves. For example, if the hazard is a poisonous gas and they cover their faces and mouths with damp cloth before entering it, impose disadvantage on the damage roll. By contrast, if the hazard catches them flat-footed, hurting them even before they realize it's there, then apply advantage to the damage roll.

Certain death

If a hazard (or other source of harm) would definitely, absolutely kill a normal person, then it shouldn't deal damage to the PCs—it should immediately reduce them to 0 HP and trigger the Death's Door move.

If they survive, then that means they caught a break. You can and should still hurt them, badly.

Telegraph this sort of hazard very clearly. "If you fall, I'll probably give you one chance to catch yourself. But if that fails, it's a 60-foot drop onto jagged rocks and shallow water. You won't be taking HP damage, you'll be rolling Death's Door. You sure you want to do this?"

Preparing hazards

If you're preparing an expedition or a point of interest in advance, you might want to prepare some hazards. Prep hazards for all the reasons you prep anything: to give yourself interesting stuff to say, to speed up play, to shore up your weaknesses, to hone your craft, and to give yourself permission to play hard and visit badness on the PCs.

Prep your hazards as much as or as little as you find valuable. Remember that prep is for your benefit; unless you're making notes for someone else to use, there's little point in writing down stuff that's obvious to you.

There are a few approaches to preparing hazards. You might prepare one as...

• a detailed description;
• a series of GM moves, possibly with an instinct;
• an impending doom (with grim portents);
• one or more player-facing moves; or...
• some combination of the above.

There's no hard and fast rule for when to use each approach. Use whichever one seems most appropriate for the hazard you have in mind.

Book II presents many hazards prepared with these approaches. Use them as-is or refer to them as examples.

As a detailed description

Think about the hazard and its specific fictional details: Where is it? What does it look like? How does it work? What triggers it? What does it do? You might just visualize it in your mind, or jot some notes down, or even draw a picture or diagram.

In play, introduce this kind of hazard much like you would if you were improvising it.

Frame a scene where the hazard is relevant, introduce it with a GM move, ask "what do you do?" Answer the players' questions and resolve their actions based on your understanding of the hazard.

This approach tends to be good for traps, because it means taking time in advance to think through how the trap works. When you improvise a trap, it's easy to make up details that don't make sense under scrutiny.

This approach is also good for physical obstacles, especially ones that aren't particularly dynamic (like a chasm they might want to cross, or a tree they might want to climb). Having thought through the physical space allows you to easily answer the players' questions and resolve their actions.

For our first adventure, there's a ruined crinwin nest that the PCs might encounter en route to Sajra the swyn's lair.

I suspect that the PCs might want to investigate the nest, or set fire to it, but I know that it's high up in a huge tree. The climb would definitely be a hazard.

I make some notes: the nest is about 70 feet up, and the lowest boughs are maybe 40 feet. The trunk is maybe 10 feet wide. I look up sequoia redwood trees and make a little sketch for reference.

A fall while climbing a tree this tall could definitely kill a person, but it's not certain death. It's definitely big and scary, would knock someone around, and armor wouldn't help against it, so I set the damage as

1d10+2 (ignores armor, forceful).

There's also an old Maker greenhouse near Sajra's lair, which enslaved crinwin have been excavating for the swyn. I decided earlier that it would include some old magical seeds, locked away and still unpilfered by the crinwin. Why? Because they're protected by a trap!

I think that the seeds are stored in an impossibly well-preserved wooden chest. If anyone disturbs the clasp without first pressing two particular knots in the wood, a thorn will shoot out of the clasp and prick whoever is handling it. The thorn carries a lethal poison (d10 damage, ignores armor, will quickly necrotize flesh and stop a heart if not treated). There's a dead crinwin in the room with a withered black hand; it tried to open the chest earlier.

As GM moves

Think about how the hazard works and—more importantly—how you intend to use it in play. Write out a series of fairly specific GM moves that reflect as many of the following as make sense:

• How the hazard's presence is foreshadowed or revealed
• How the hazard harms or hinders
• How the hazard escalates or gets worse
• How the hazard might thwart attempts to overcome it.

Consider adding conditional triggers to each of these moves, as a reminder of when to use them.

If the hazard is dynamic and changing (like a storm, an avalanche, a wildfire, etc.), give it an instinct, written in the format "to [do something]." During play, use the hazard's instinct as a guide to how it behaves.

If you're not sure what a hazard is going to do next, do whatever its instinct suggests.

Why use this approach? Mostly, because it helps you hone your craft. You can think through pacing and escalation in advance, rather than under pressure during play.

This sort of prep can also make it easier to let things burn; if you write a move like "slice off a limb" when you prep the hazard in advance, you'll be more likely to actually do that during play.

That old ruined greenhouse that the crinwin are excavating has a number of animate, aggressive, vines that could cause all sorts of trouble for the PCs. I first consider writing them up as monsters, but I realize that they can't really be fought… no matter how many vines they chop through, there will be more! Instead, I write the vines up as a hazard with the following GM moves:

* Make quiet noises as they slowly grow and creep (how it's fore-

shadowed)

* Seem to be moving, but stop when looked at directly (how it's fore-

shadowed)

* Reveal a mass of vines entwining a desiccated crinwin corpse (how it's foreshadowed)

* Slip a tendril around a limb, slowly and quietly (how it hinders)

* Sprout thorns and inject a numbing, euphoric poison (how it harms)

* Lash out with more tendrils to subdue struggling prey (how it

escalates)

I also give it an instinct: "to ensnare."

I'm not seeing this hazard as doing damage—it just restrains prey, makes it bliss out and stop struggling, and then slowly suffocates it. I figure that anyone who gets injected with the euphoric poison will need to Defy Danger to do anything other than relax and enjoy themselves.

As an impending doom

Write a series of increasingly bad events, ending with some final doom.

Start by imagining the final, ultimate bad thing that can happen and write a short description, like "The throne room collapses." Then, write 1-4 grim portents, events that represent how the hazard starts and how it escalates. Pair each portent with damage and tags, if appropriate.

Put one or more check boxes next to each grim portent (multiple check boxes means that portent happens multiple times). End with the impending doom. In play, when you make a GM move, you can advance towards impending doom and have the next event happen.

Optionally, you can write triggers that cause the doom to get closer. The trigger might be fictional ("each time there's a loud noise or powerful blow") or mechanical ("each time someone rolls doubles").

During play, consider making the number of check boxes in the impending doom public. This can ratchet up the tension and it lets the players make decisions based on how much time they have (or don't have).

Sajra the swyn's lair is an old Green Lord tomb, buried by ages of forest growth. One of the chambers features a cracked, sagging roof held aloft by three ancient wooden pillars (and a fourth that collapsed many years ago). Some of Sajra's crinwin have started building nests around the remaining pillars, further weakening them.

The PCs are likely to get into a fight with the crinwin in this chamber, and the pillars could easily be harmed and start collapsing. I write up the hazard like this:

UNSTABLE PILLARS: Advance this each time a pillar is struck, or as a GM move.

O Pillar cracks/buckles, dirt pours down

O Stones fall (1d6+1 damage, forceful)

OO Pillar breaks, stone slabs fall (1d8+3 damage, area, forceful)

O IMPENDING DOOM: Ceiling collapses, burying anyone still inside (Death's Door); connecting tunnels blocked off

As player moves

Write a custom player-facing move to reflect the hazard (or part of it), like "When you breathe in the horrible stench of the Maw, roll

+CON…." When the PCs encounter the hazard and the move becomes relevant, share it with the players. Resolve it like you would any other player-facing move.

A player-facing move is a great way to establish and communicate stakes. You can tell a player that they'll have to Defy Danger to leap across the chasm, but unless you also tell them what will happen on a 10+, a 7-9, and 6-, they don't really know the risks. With a custom move, you can bake the stakes right in.

Player moves are also a good way to handle "weird" hazards, like magic that messes with their minds or that follows strange rules of cause-and-effect. A player move can abstract these situations and give them a vague, dreamlike quality.

Remember: everything begins and ends with the fiction. If the PCs come up with a clever way to bypass a hazard or its trigger, then your move might no longer apply.

That's great. Don't negate their choices, their creativity, or their abilities just because you've got a cool custom move you want to use.

See Writing moves for guidance.

As a combination

Many hazards will work best as a combination of these approaches. You might start with a detailed description of a trapped chamber, then add a player-facing move for what happens when they try to bypass the trap in a particular way. Or you might write up a series of GM moves and an instinct for a wildfire, plus a countdown describing how the fire spreads. Get creative.

I previously wrote up the ruined crinwin nest—and the climb to reach it—as just a detailed description. I noted that it might do 1d10+3 damage on a fall, but thinking about it more, the fall could easily kill someone or seriously injure them. I want the PCs to know just how dangerous the climb could be, so I write up this custom move:

When you fall from the boughs of the tree, take 1d10+3 damage (ignores armor, forceful) and roll

+CON: on a 10+, you're bruised and bleeding and in a lot of pain, but miraculously nothing's busted; on a 7-9, something's broken—ask the GM what; on a 6-, you landed bad and you're at Death's Door.

Sajra's lair is an old Green Lord tomb, and the mummified Maker is still ensconced in its central vault. To reach the vault, one must pass through the Hall of Humility and the Hall of Gratitude. They are warded with Fae magic to ensure that those who approach the vault do so with proper respect. I decide to write these hazards as custom moves.

When you enter the Hall of Humility, choose 1:

* Tell us of a moment that left you feeling humbled and small before the natural world; you may then proceed to the Hall of Gratitude.

* Tell us of a personal triumph, a moment that fills you with pride and self-satisfaction; you then exit the Hall of Humility and find yourself back in the antechamber.

When you enter the Hall of Gratitude, you see a shifting tableau of ancient peoples living and learning at the feet of tall, magnificent beings. Roll +WIS: on a 10+, you witness someone learning a skill or trade that is nowadays taken for granted—describe the scene, then move on to the Hall of Offering; on a 7-9, you find yourself living one of these ancient lives—describe the task you are performing for the Makers and how you realize that this life isn't yours, then mark dazed and move on to the Hall of Offering; on a 6-, the tableau shifts and you find yourself living a life of savagery, brutality, sickness, hunger, and want—tell us a hardship you experience most cruelly, and mark all three debilities. Then tell us how you find your true self again, and move on to the Hall of Offering.

Monster format

Almanac entries in The Wider 0

World include many monster 3 write-ups like this—use them 4 when you can, either as-is or 5 slightly modified. 6

• 0 Icon: A quick visual iden- 7 tifier for different monster types. You don't need to include these in monsters you 8 write up.
• 1 Name: What the monster is called (by itself, by the people who deal with it most, or by you, the GM, for your own reference).
• 2 Tags: Terms that help describe the monster. All monsters have an organization tag (solitary, group, or horde) that indicates how they hunt and fight; many have a size tag (tiny, small, large, or huge) that describe how big they are. Other tags describe a monster's basic na-

9

ture (e.g. construct, spirit, undead), its traits (e.g. stealthy, terrifying), or its behaviors (e.g. organized, cautious).

See 3 Tags for context.

• 3 Hit points (HP) and Armor: How much damage the monster can take, and how well protected it is. When a monster is reduced to 0 HP, it's out of the action (unconscious, disabled, dying, or dead—your call). When a monster suffers damage, reduce that damage by its armor. The description after the armor rating describes its source, and any exceptions.

Monsters

Monsters are active dangers—things that the PCs can fight (or at least fight off).

They are usually animate and sentient, or close enough. It's a game term more than anything else, covering beasts and people, constructs and spirits, and actually monstrous foes.

At left is an example monster, fully prepped, with its individual elements called out.

Whenever you prep a threat or an expedition, and you identify something that the PCs are likely to fight, either find its monster entry in the almanac or create the monster yourself.

As I've planned my first adventure, I've identified a number of monsters that the PCs might encounter: crinwin, nailadd, feathered drakes, and of course the swyn itself. All of these monsters have write-ups in Book II, so I'll just use those.

However, I've decided that Sajra the swyn's lair is a mostly-intact Green Lord tomb, and that the final entrance to the burial vault is guarded by some powerful Fae servants. I flip through the Fae entry in Book II, but none of the examples fit the bill. I'll need to create these Fae guardians from scratch!

These icons are used to classify the different creatures appearing in Wider World and Other Wonders.

human individual

human group Fae

natural/beast undead

corrupted/

spirit

Fomoraij

construct

To create a monster:

1) Conceptualize it

2) Name it

3) Give it tags

4) Calculate hit points

5) Calculate armor

6) Calculate damage

7) Write special qualities

8) Write its instinct

9) Write its moves

10) Describe it

11) Write any appropriate optional elements: lore, player-facing moves, etc.

If you're improvising a monster during play, just quickly conceptualize it (step 1)

and then calculate its HP, armor, and damage (steps 4-6). Use your standard GM moves to run it for now. Write it up in full between sessions, if it still matters.

Monster types

Book II: The spirit/construct Maker

emanation

Thing Below

unknown origin

1 Concept

Before you do anything else, imagine the monster. What is it? What does it look like? What does it do? Does it live alone or with others? How does it fight, eat, and live?

You'll usually have some ideas for the monster when you start this process. If not, or if you want something to spur and guide your creativity, then use one of the various sets of monster creation tables in Book II.

Another trick is to pick a monster from more traditional fantasy settings, something that isn't present in Stonetop. Identify what you find most interesting about it (its look, its powers, its symbolic meaning, its behaviors or relationships to others, etc.) and craft a similar monster that "fits" into the mythos of Stonetop. For example, if you're a big fan of ropers (cavern-dwelling monsters that look like giant stalagmites), you might decide to place something like that in the Labyrinth, keeping its powers but changing its lore to align it with the Things Below.

You should have a decent grasp on the monster's concept before you move on.

Your concept might change and evolve as you work, but this process fleshes out a concept that you already have. It doesn't generate the concept for you.

I want two powerful Fae guardians to protect the Green Lord's burial vault. They'll appear in the Hall of Offerings and greet anyone who makes it through the Halls of Humility and Gratitude. I know that they're loyal to their Green Lord master, and that they control access to both its constructed afterlife and its actual, physical burial vault.

I work through the procedure for Creating Fae (Book II, Fae). I've already decided that their preoccupation is "guarding." I roll a 2 for size ("large"), and a 2 and 7 for aspects ("antlered/ hooved" and "treeish"). I roll a 2 on a d6 to see how person-like they are. I'm picturing tall, powerfully built tree-men with woody flesh. blank faces, and elklike antlers.

For talents, I roll a 6 ("messing with time, space"). I think that they can teleport intruders around and can vanish or appear as they please within their little domain. I also pick "cursing/ blessing/giving/taking." I think they extract promises from those who come before them, and curse those who break their vows.

Looking over the remaining tables, I think these Fae were bred from tree spirits to help protect their Green Lord's afterlife. They remained loyal during the Fae rebellion, and maintain a fierce protectiveness--hence the tomb being intact.

2 Name

You'll want a way to refer to the monster, at least in your own notes. Write it down.

If the monster has a proper name that it goes by, call it that, maybe with a short description. For example, "Sajra the Swyn" or "Daedre the Red, bandit leader." Pick proper names from an appropriate name list or almanac entry, or make up something similar.

If the monster is known to the people of Stonetop, and it's something they consider mundane or commonplace, then give it a simple, descriptive name in plain English (like "feathered drake" or "butcherbird").

If the monster is surrounded in mystery, a thing of rumor and legend, then give it a Welsh-sounding name (like "nailadd" or "ceffylwraig"). Come up with a word or description in English associated with the monster, then run it through an online translation service. Combine and tweak the resulting translation (or try other phrases) until you find have something that sounds good and is simple enough to use in play.

(You can use this technique to come up with proper names, too.)

For monsters that are known to another people, like the Manmarchers or Hillfolk, use a similar process as above. But for mysterious, rumored monsters, translate the English description into a language appropriate for the people or region. If it's a mysterious monster known to…

• the Hillfolk, then translate it into Breton and drop some of the vowels, giving it a clipped, truncated sound.
• Marshedge, then translate it into Irish.
• the Manmarchers, then translate it into German.
• the folk of Barrier Pass, then translate it into Nepali or Tibetan.
• Lygos or the South, then translate it into Greek, Hebrew, Persian, or Arabic.
• the folk of Gordin's Delve, then decide which immigrant group originally named it, and translate it as above.
• other peoples (like the Ustrina), then consult the appropriate entry in Book II.

For monsters that are unknown and unnamed, give them spooky, descriptive titles in plain English, like "The Shadowy Presence" or "The Killing Frost" or "The Thing in the White Well."

Because Fae can speak with anyone, their names are more like phrases. I think my guardian Fae share a title, related to gifts or offerings and standing guard. I think a bit and write down:

The Almtakers, guardian Fae.

The Forest Folk would have had their own (Slavic-sounding) name for the Almtakers, which folks from Stonetop might know. I play around with an English-Bulgarian dictionary, and find that "receivers" can translate to "priemnitsi." I like that: "the Priemnitsi."

3 Tags

Assemble a list of tags by answering the following questions.

How does it hunt or fight? (pick 1) tag

In large groups (6 or more) horde In small groups (2-5 per group) group

By itself solitary

If an individual monster is part of a group, but it still fights or hunts mostly on its own, then give it the solitary tag (and appropriate HP and damage ratings; see below).

How big is it? (pick 1) tag

Cat-sized or smaller tiny

Like a human child small

Adult human-sized -Like a horse, cart, etc. large Like an elephant, or bigger huge

What is its nature?

(add all that apply) tag

Lacks physical form spirit

Between physical and spiritual Fae

Made by someone construct

Changed by the Things Below corrupted

From the first age of creation primordial

Dead, but in denial undead

What is it notable for?

(add all that apply) tag

Amassing trinkets and treasure hoarder Avoiding fights, fleeing early cautious

Intelligence cunning or devious

Disturbing/terrible presence terrifying

Sneaking, surprising, ambushing stealthy

Using spells or magic magical Working well in groups organized If the creature possesses some other quality that can be easily described in one word, make up a tag.

If the Almtakers fight, they fight as a pair, so I give them the group tag.

They're maybe 12 feet tall and quite massive, so I give them the large tag.

They're obviously Fae, and notable both for using magic and working well together. I write down their tags as:

group, large, Fae, magical, organized.

4 Hit points

Determine the monster's maximum

HP by answering the following questions:

How does it hunt or fight? (pick 1) hp

In large groups (6 or more, horde) 3 In small groups (2-5, group) 6

By itself (solitary) 12 Just to be clear: each monster in a horde has 3 HP, and each monster in a group has 6 HP. This isn't a shared pool of HP (unless you choose to abstract a group; see Abstracting groups).

How big is it? (pick 1) hp

Cat-sized or smaller (tiny) -2

Like a human child (small) -

Adult human-sized -Like a horse, cart, etc. (large) +4 Like an elephant, or bigger (huge) +8

What else applies? (pick all that do) hp

It's particularly tough/durable +4 It's smiled upon by the fates +2 It's animated by more than biology +4

It lacks vital organs +3

The Almtakers fight as a pair, with the

group tag, so they start with 6 HP each.

They're also large, giving them +4 HP.

The Fae have strange forms, but they are still living things with discernible anatomy: they bleed, have hearts, brains, joints, and so forth. But these Fae—with their woody flesh and massive frames— are particularly tough. I give them +4 HP, for a total of 14 HP each.

5 Armor

Answer the following:

What is it protected by? (pick 1) armor

Naught but cloth and flesh 0

Leathers or thick hide 1

Mail, scale, or similar 2 Steel armor, boney plates, carapace 3

Potent magical wards or 4 supernatural resilience

What else applies?

(pick all that do) armor

It's tiny +1 It bears a shield or similar +1

It's skilled in defense +1

It lacks vital organs +1 In parentheses after the armor rating, note the source(s) of the armor. Then list any variants or exceptions.

The Almtakers have the Fae's typical resilience to anything but iron, so I start by giving them armor 4. Even against iron, they have wood-like flesh; I think that counts as "thick hide." They have organs and anatomy, so no bonus there, but I think that they're skilled in defense—they're guardians, after all. I write down:

Armor 5 (resilience, skill), 2 vs. iron (hide, skill)

Yikes. These things are tough.

6 Damage

What is the monster's typical form of attack? Write it down, along with the monster's damage rating and appropriate tags. To determine them, answer the following:

How does it hunt or fight? (pick 1) damage

In large groups (6 or more, horde) d6 In small groups (2-5, group) d8

By itself (solitary) d10

Attack tags & terms

Range tags (in italics) indicate the range at which an attack is useful.

hand: tight quarters; up close and personal close: melee range, 1-2 steps away reach: 3-4 steps away near: up to 30 or so steps away far: quite the distance; up to 100 steps, maybe more.

Other tags (in italics) indicate extra fictional effects. Reflect tags in how you describe and resolve a monster's attacks.

area: affects everything in an area crude: prone to break, wear out, etc.

forceful: knocks foes around/down grabby: grapples, grabs, and restrains messy: especially destructive, rips foes and things apart Attacks with [n] piercing ignore n points of a foe's armor. Attacks that ignore armor treat armor as 0.

See Playing the Game for more tags & terms.

What is the nature of its attack? (pick all that apply) add

Useful up close and personal hand

Works well at sword's reach close

Can keep foes at bay reach

Useful at range near or far Can hurt many foes at once area

Small and weak -1 die size

Vicious and obvious +2 damage

Relentless or overwhelming advantage

Latches on, pins, grapples grabby

Can slice through thick hide 1 piercing,

messy

Can tear metal apart 3 piercing,

messy

Bypasses armor entirely ignores armor

Prone to breakage crude

How big is it? (pick 1) add

Cat-sized or smaller (tiny) -2 damage, reduce range

Like a human child (small) reduce range

Adult human-sized -

Like a horse, cart, etc. +1 damage, (large) add a range

Like an elephant, or bigger +3 damage, (huge) add a range

What else applies?

(pick all that do) add

It's impressively strong +2 damage,

forceful

It strikes deftly and precisely +1 piercing

Physical injury is not the -1 die size worst danger it poses

It is ancient and noteworthy +1 die size

It abhors violence disadvantage Advantage means you roll damage twice and use the higher result; disadvantage means roll twice and use the lower result.

Reduce range means the attack's range tag(s) are one step lower (e.g. from close to hand), while add a range means the attack gets an additional range tag (e.g. if already close, it's now also hand or reach).

If the monster has multiple, distinct modes of attack, write each down with its own damage rating and tags.

The Almtakers are loathe to fight, but when they do, they smash foes with their trunklike forelimbs, or plant those limbs and kick out with their legs. I write down "Powerful blows" as their primary form of attack.

They fight as a pair (group tag), so they start with d8 damage. Their limbs are particularly long for their size, so I give them the close range (rather than hand). And while their limbs are big and long, I don't think they're "vicious and obvious."

The Almtakers are large, giving them +1 damage and an extra range. I add reach instead of hand. I think they'd be better at keeping foes at bay than at infighting.

I picture them with an implacable strength (like tree roots!), so I give them +2 damage and forceful. Their primary danger, though, comes from their abilities to curse oathbreakers and to mess with time and space. That reduces their die size from a d8 to a d6. They're quite ancient (from the time of the Green Lords) but not particularly noteworthy, so I leave their die size there. And because they loathe violence, they'll roll damage with disadvantage.

I write their damage entry as:

Powerful blows: d6+3 damage w/disadvantage (close, reach, forceful).

7 Special qualities

Consider writing a special quality for each of the following that the monster possesses.

• An exceptional/limited sense (like "sees heat instead of light")
• A useful adaptation/defense (like "immune to fire")
• A strange form or composition (like "amorphous ooze" or "made of dust")
• A weakness or vulnerability (like "powerless in sunlight")
• An effect on its surroundings (like "flames dim and flicker in its presence")
• An important trait, not otherwise obvious (like "can talk" for a bird)

If it's a construct, be sure to write a special quality or two that reflect its construction or purpose. If it's planar, give it at least one special quality about how it is unnatural or doesn't belong.

Only write special qualities that you think will impact play, above and beyond their basic description and other stats. Don't bother with special qualities for things that are obvious or assumed. If you're writing up a giant demonic frog, you don't need to write down "amphibious" (it's a frog) but should probably write down "coated in toxic, caustic slime."

The Almtakers have all the special qualities associated with Fae. I don't want to write all that out, so I just say "Fae nature" and a page reference.

I think they have three glowing, empty eyes. That's weird and creepy, but won't really affect play. They have woody flesh, but I've already accounted for that in their HP and armor. I've already noted their vulnerability to iron.

They have no mouths, but "speak" telepathically. I think they're entirely honest. And I think their presence messes with time and space—things change places without moving, moments take minutes, minutes pass in moments, that sort of thing. Those are all important traits that might influence play, so I write down

Special qualities: Fae nature (Book

II, Playing the Game), telepathic; can't lie or mislead; subtly warp space/time.

8 Instinct

What does the monster do that brings it into conflict with others, or leads it to harm others? Write this in the format "to [do something]."

Good instincts describe a general pattern of behavior rather than a specific action.

"To gorge itself" is a good instinct; "to swallow prey whole" is too specific (that's more like a move). With that said, try to write instincts that are distinctive. "To hunt" is an okay instinct; "to relentlessly pursue its prey" is better.

It's possible that a monster might have multiple instincts, like a cave bear's "to fill its belly; to protect its young." Do this sparingly; it's best for nuanced monsters with conflicting motivations, or for monsters who are strongly ruled by their base natures.

The Almtakers guard the entrance to their Green Lord master's burial vault and constructed afterlife. They'll challenge anyone who approaches, judging them, demanding an offering, and extracting a vow of peace and respect. Ultimately, this behavior all stems from a simple instinct: to protect its master.

9 Moves

Each monster should have a few GM moves. Write these moves so that they finish the sentence "the monster can/ will __." For example: "surround and harry prey" or "smash through obstacles" or "sound the alarm."

If the monster… (choose all that apply)

• is deceptive and sneaky, write a move about its dirty tricks.
• uses spells or magic, write a move that describes its powers.
• works well in groups, write a move about how it calls on or coordinates with others.
• is a spirit, but it can manifest or possess a physical form, write a move that describes how it does so.
• poses a primary danger other than physical injury, write a move to reflect the true threat it poses.
• actively defends itself, write a move to describe that defense.
• has a special form of attack, write a move to describe it, along with any tags and—if appropriate—an alternative damage value.
• has fewer than 3 moves, or if something seems to be missing, write another move that describes what the monster is notable for doing.

Most monsters have three moves; simple ones might only have two. Particularly important or dangerous foes can have four or maybe even five.

Don't write monster moves that just describe its basic attack. If you gave it "stonetipped spear, d6 damage (close, reach)," then don't write a move "Stab foes with a spear."

You already know it can do that! If you really want a move to describe how it fights, write something more interesting, like "Leap headlong into battle" or "Hem foes in with a thicket of spears."

Likewise, avoid writing moves that are just "do its instinct." Look for specific ways to express the instinct. If its instinct is, "To pursue prey," then how does it pursue its prey? Oh, it can "Scent prey from miles away?" or "Unerringly track a creature whose blood it's tasted?" Excellent.

Write moves that will help you use this monster at the table. A loosely-worded move (like "Bully and manipulate people" or "Cast a spell of fire and flame") gives you a lot of flexibility and permission, but it's only helpful if you can improvise that sort of action at the table. A more specific move (like "Threaten their family or reputation" or "Conjure barely-controlled spells of primordial fire") will give you much more direction at the table, and might be easier to use.

The Almtakers use spells and magic, work well together, and their primary danger isn't from the wounds they inflict. That gives me three moves to write. I go with:

> Lock eyes and teleport them away

> Act in tandem, without hesitation

> Lay a wasting curse on anyone who breaks their promise of respect and peace That last one is a little wordy and unclear, so I split it up like so:

> Require an oath of good intentions

> Lay a wasting curse on oath-breakers

10 Description

Write as much or as little of a description of your monster as you like.

Remember, the audience here is you, using the monster during play. Write your description with that in mind.

Think about how you'll describe the monster to your players during play. How big is it, what does it look like, how does it move, etc. Use similes and comparisons to familiar objects ("it's like a huge elk-centaur, with big old antlers on a skull head, exposed ribs and an extra pair of creepy little T-rex arms"). Maybe sketch something out, or find pictures online to show your players.

Tip: include at least one impression on a sense other than sight, like the skittering sound it makes, the smell of ozone left in its wake, the cold sweat they feel in its presence. Keep it concise and evocative.

Limit yourself to three such impressions at most.

Other things that you might include in the description:

• How many there are
• Where they are found
• What they are likely to be doing when the PCs encounter them
• Social structures and relationships
• Backstory and history

Many monsters are also NPCs; if they'll be talking to the PCs, consider coming up with a memorable, distinctive way to embody them at the table.

I think a bit about how I'll describe the Almtakers and jot down these notes:

* 12 ft tall, humanoid, skin like wood. Tree-trunk forearms, goat legs, antlers. No mouth; three glowing white eyes.

* Move like gorillas, or on crutches…

plant their big forearms and swing legs forward. Creaking wood sound.

* Weird, dreamlike presence.

"Wasn't it just over there?"

* "Voice:" quiet, breathy. Repeat every few words, like an echo.

11 Optional elements

If the monster has nuanced motivations or behaviors, consider writing out tactics for the monster, as a series of "if-then" conditions and behaviors. This can help you portray your characters with integrity, and speed up play.

To write tactics, think about how and where the PCs are most likely to encounter the monster. Write an "if " or "when" statement for that, and what the monster will likely do as a response. What are the PCs likely to do next, and how would that affect the monster's behavior? Write another if/then for that. Keep following the likely forks in the paths, writing ifs/thens until you've covered the likely results: the monster attacking, the monster fleeing, the monster agreeing to let them go, etc.

If you expect the players to Know Things about the monster, then maybe prepare "something interesting" (for a 7-9 result) and "something useful" (for a 10+) in advance. See Know Things for guidance. Remember, though: these notes are for your benefit. Don't bother prepping stuff you can improvise at the table, or things that are obviously implied by the monster's stats. Prep lore to fill in gaps that aren't otherwise apparent, or to pre-plan just how much information you'll give on a 7-9 or a 10+.

Finally, consider writing one or more custom player-facing moves. If there's something the monster might do to the PCs, or an effect it might have on them, and a custom player-facing move would help you resolve it in play, then write it up.

Player-facing moves are particularly good for resolving nasty attacks or touchy, unpleasant effects. Mind control, instant "kill" powers (like petrification), and poison are all good candidates. See Writing moves for guidance.

I imagine the players might Know Things about the Almtakers, and what they'd consider to be a "worthy" offering. I think of something interesting and something useful, and add that to the write-up.

I'm also thinking that their telepathy makes them particularly difficult to deceive. I write a player-facing move to reflect this.

When I'm done, the Almtakers' write-up looks like this:

Something interesting: the Forest Folk spoke of the Priemnitsi, or "Receivers," who took offerings on behalf of a great oracle. Could these Fae be them?

Something useful: this place exists out of time, cut off from the world. Gifts of things that are new since the time of the Green Lords (or vivid memories of such things) would be well-received.

When you attempt to deceive the Almtakers (even if you're technically telling the truth), roll +WIS: on a 10+, you hide your intentions and they're none the wiser; on a 7-9, they're suspicious and they probe a bit—either come clean now or double-down and try to deceive them even more; on a 6-, they've seen right through you.

Running combat

Remember, "monster" is just a term for something that the PCs might end up fighting. It includes hostile (or potentially hostile) people as well as spirits and beasts and honest-to-goodness monsters.

Regardless of their nature, monsters have personalities—or at least patterns of behavior—that are more nuanced than just "kill the PCs." Every monster has an instinct. Most have a sense of self-preservation. Many have wants, needs, fears, or weaknesses that the PCs can leverage—they're characters as well as monsters.

Portray your characters with integrity.

Consider what this monster—with this instinct and these motives, facing these PCs who are acting in this way—would do.

Then have it do that. Hint at the monster's story and its inner life. Present monsters who might not actually want to fight, or who can be reasoned with, or scared away.

But also, portray monsters as monsters.

Try to capture the fear of facing down a hungry predator or a big angry beast. Play up the tension, desperation, and bloody consequences of a fight with another human being. Think about what it'd be like to encounter a hungry ghost, or an otherworldy Fae, or a demon made of boundless hate and jealousy, and try to convey that to your players. Make your monsters scary.

Let things burn. Don't protect your monsters, and don't protect your NPCs, and don't protect the PCs. If the fiction and the dice and your sense of what would happen all point toward injury or death, then go with it.

Don't fudge things in pursuit of some grand story. Play to find out what happens.

Introducing monsters

Whenever it's time to make a GM move, you can introduce a danger and put a monster in the scene.

Don't worry about your monsters being "fair fights" or "balanced encounters" or something that the PCs can even defeat.

Worry about your monsters making sense.

Portray a rich and mysterious world, right? If it makes sense for the PCs to stumble across a pair of (extremely dangerous) thunder drakes, go for it. Then play to find out what happens.

Exactly how you introduce a monster will depend on the situation, the monster's tags and qualities and moves, and the actions of the PCs. "Obvious" monsters encountered in a wide-open space will give the PCs plenty of opportunity to plan and react.

Stealthy monsters in a dark, cluttered space while the PCs stumble around in torchlight? Not so much.

The PCs are up in Gordin's Delve trying to trade off some valuables they found in the Green Lord's tomb. Rhianna's off talking to a contact. Vahid, Caradoc, and Blodwen are at a pub. Caradoc and Blodwen get up to leave and Vahid, he sees a couple of unsavory types get up and follow.

Now, if these guys are just a pair of local miners that Caradoc managed to tick off, then I'll introduce a danger and let the PCs see them coming. "About halfway back to your hostel, you realize that you're being followed. It's those guys from the pub and they look pissed. What do you do?" The PCs have all sorts of options—they might try to lose them, or set an ambush, or talk, or whatever.

But if these bad guys are stealthy cutthroats who regularly murder unwary travelers in alleys and loot their corpses, then I'll be much more aggressive about it. I'll start by hinting at more than meets the eye. "You find yourselves in a dark, empty little trash-strewn square, and everything's quiet.

Too quiet. You feel like you're being watched. What do you do?"

Let's say they Seek Insight, roll a 7-9, and ask, "What should I be on the lookout for?" I'd say, "You're pretty sure someone's following you, or maybe circling ahead. And these alleys are filled with good spots for an ambush. What do you do?" Whatever it is, they'll be on guard. My next move will probably be to introduce a danger, but softly and with a chance to react. "As you pass a dark side-alley, two thugs rush out towards you, what do you do?"

But suppose they Seek Insight and get a 6-, or just ignore my veiled threat and blunder on. In that case, I'll introduce a danger hard and painfully. "Caradoc, this guy comes out of a dark side-alley and snags your right arm, twists, and shoves you face-first into a wall. Take 1d8 damage. Blodwen, you see a second guy step forward, sneering, a glint of metal in his hand. What do you do?"

The flow of battle

Fighting foes is a big part of the game, but combat isn't a distinct mode of play. There's no moment where you say "roll for initiative" and different rules kick in. There's no orderly round-robin where everyone takes one action on their turn.

When a fight starts, you run the game: describe the situation, make a GM move, ask "what do you do?" Resolve their actions.

Repeat. Fights in Stonetop are—like everything else in the game—a conversation.

Monsters don't Clash or Let Fly; you don't roll to see if their attacks succeed. Instead, you make a GM move. Usually, you describe the attack but stop short of it connecting.

Ask the player(s) in the spotlight, "What do you do?" Whatever their response, it's likely to trigger a move. Resolve the move, and let the situation snowball from there.

Caradoc just got slammed face-first into a building and a second cutthroat is advancing on Blodwen, knife in hand (I'm announcing trouble). "What do you do?" I ask.

Blodwen left her staff back at the hostel; she's basically unarmed. "I'll give ground and back away," she says, "looking for a stick or a rock or something to defend myself with." That's Seeking Insight, and on a 6- the guy's probably gonna shank her. But she gets an 8.

"Yeah, sure, there's a broken broom up against the alley wall, you could use it as a club. And a few loose bricks." I then put her in a spot. "But as you see them, the guy comes at you, knife stabbing low like this. What do you do?"

Fights usually involve a lot of things happening at once. You need to manage the spotlight and keep everyone involved.

When there's a pause in the action, address a different character (ideally one who hasn't talked in a bit). Describe the situation from their point of view, make a GM move, ask "What do you do?" Sometimes you'll move the spotlight after resolving a single PC action or move. Other times, you'll resolve a few moves that flow naturally together, and move the spotlight when they're done.

Blodwen Sought Insight and spotted some junk she could use as a weapon, but I kept the spotlight on her and had the cutthroat attack. She says, "I'll twist out of the way, then dive for that broom!" We agree she's Defying Danger with DEX (with advantage, for acting on Seek Insight).

She gets a 9, and I offer her a cost or a lesser success. "You can get the broom but you'll be cut for 1d8 damage, or you can dodge clear and not make it to the broom." She decides to get the broom, taking 5 damage in the process. "Okay, you've got it," I say, "but your shoulder is bleeding from that cut."

It's been a while, so I move the spotlight to Caradoc. First, I recap his situation: "So this guy has your right arm twisted behind you and he's pushing your face into the cold, rough brick wall." Then I make a soft GM move (one of my monster moves, fight dirty): "He grabs your hair and pulls back, and you just know he's about to smash your face back into that wall, what do you do?"

A character actually suffers a monster's attack when...

• you set up an attack with a soft move, and the PC ignores it;
• the results of a PC's move (like Clash) says that they do; or
• the PC rolls a 6- on pretty much any move, and you decide that they do.

Suffering a monster's attack doesn't (just) mean that they take damage. It means you use the monster to make an aggressive, hard move. You can, of course, hurt them. Or you can make any other hard GM move that makes sense. If your move involves the PC getting hurt, roughed up, or worn down, then deal damage as part of that move.

"So this guy's got my right arm twisted? But my left arm's free? When he pulls me back by my hair, I'll quick draw my new dagger like this and stab behind me." I wasn't expecting that, but it makes sense based on how we've described things. Clash it is!

He rolls a 4, and I start thinking about hurting him and breaking his nose on the wall. But Caradoc invokes Impetuous Youth, bumping his result up to a 7-9 (at the cost of losing his knife). He stabs the thug and deals damage (3 of the thug's 6 HP) but also suffers the thug's attack. I decide to turn his move back on him. "He yells and lets go of your right arm. But then he grabs your left arm, the one with the knife, and like twists it up and over like this, kicking your legs out and smashing you down. Take 1d8 damage, and oh yeah, your knife goes flying from your hand."

A PC's actions are informed by fictional positioning: where they are, what they're doing, where their enemies are and what they're doing, momentum, terrain, lighting, weapons, reach, room to maneuver, and everything else that we've established about this situation.

Fictional positioning affects whether a PC's actions trigger a move, and which move is triggered, and whether an action is even feasible. It also affects the range of possible results, both good and bad. A strong fictional position can mitigate the bad results of a roll, and a desperate fictional position can mean that a 6- is really, really bad.

Skillful players will look for ways to shape their fictional positioning, allowing them to trigger more advantageous moves, set themselves up for better results, or even skip needing to roll entirely.

I jump back to Blodwen, who just dove past her assailant and grabbed a broken broom to use as a weapon. She got cut, but now has some distance between her and her attacker. I describe the situation: "You grip the broom and he turns to face you, a little more respect in his eyes." Then I offer an opportunity for Blodwen to seize the initiative. "He crouches down like this, knife at the ready— you can tell he's waiting for his moment. What do you do?"

"Just like old Seren taught me. I'll pretend to be scared and present an opening. When he attacks, I'll sidestep and smack his wrist, then swing up and smack his face."

I could say "no, he doesn't buy your act" or maybe even tell her the requirements and say she'll have to Persuade to lure him in. But I think this guy is a big bully, not expecting much of a fight, and he gets suckered in. "Cool, roll to Clash!"

She gets a 7-9, so her maneuver mostly works but she suffers his attack. She rolls only a 1 for damage (vs. this guy's 6 HP), so I say that she smacks the knife out of his hand but doesn't get the follow-up swing at his face. Because he no longer has his knife, I make his attack softer than I would have and put her in a spot. "Before you can swing up, his left hand grabs the shaft. Then he grabs on with his right hand, and you find yourself struggling over this broken broom handle."

I jump back to Caradoc, who's in a spot of his own—on the ground, no knife, angry bad guy above him. "He's still got your left arm twisted out behind you, and he's like kneeling on your back." I announce trouble. "He keeps adding pressure. It feels like your arm is going break or something. What do you do?"

"I'll, like, reach back with my right hand and grab his face, try to gouge an eye or tear his cheek or something."

That's just not reasonable given the position this guy has him in. I clarify the situation, then tell him the requirements and ask. "You're gonna need to get free of his hold before you attack him. And if you want to force yourself free, that's going to be Defy Danger with STR. You do it?"

"Wait, wait. I think this counts as a threat to my loved ones, right? These guys are trying to kill Blodwen, not just me. Anger is a Gift?" It's a bit of a stretch, but sure. "Cool, I spend 1 Resolve to act suddenly and catch him off-guard. Do I still need to roll?"

"You're still in a really bad position here. But I tell you what--I think catching him off guard means you can twist free and attack him at the same time. So a Clash instead of Defy Danger. Cool?" He agrees, rolls a 10+, and manages to wrench free with a yell and punch the thug out.

You'll generally focus the spotlight on one or two specific characters at a time. Other players can interrupt and interject, within the bounds of what the fiction, the rules, and politeness allow. Don't be afraid to shut down (politely yet firmly) a player who keeps stealing the spotlight, or whose character is preoccupied, or who wants to do something implausible.

Caradoc finishes off his foe and I jump back to Blodwen, who's struggling with the other cutthroat over the broken broom handle. I show a downside and tell her "He's a lot stronger than you, you can barely hold on. What do you do?"

Before she says anything, Caradoc jumps in. "I spend my last Resolve and act suddenly. I come out of nowhere and bowl this guy over. Clash?"

I'm tempted to say "No, this is happening while you're fighting with your guy." But his move does let him spend Resolve to "act suddenly, catching them off-guard."

"Huh. Yeah, I guess. Roll it!"

As a fight goes on, avoid anything that feels like "trading blows" or just a grinding away at each other's HP. Use your GM moves and the results of player moves to constantly shift the momentum of the fight and the fictional positioning. Even when one side rolls low damage (or no damage), look for a way to make the situation change.

Regularly ask yourself, "Would this monster keep fighting?" Use its instinct as a guide, as well as what you know about its personality and why it's fighting in the first place. Cautious foes in particular will look to escape violence as soon as a fight goes south.

Caradoc gets a 12 on his Clash and does indeed tackle the cutthroat. He rolls only 1 damage, but his maneuver still works. "You shove him up against the far wall and he grunts a little."

I shift the focus back to Blodwen and offer her an opportunity. "Whew, you're free. You notice this guy's dagger at your feet. What do you do?"

"I pick up the dagger and calmly walk up to them. Caradoc has him pinned?"

"Eh, they're still struggling, but mostly, yeah."

"I put his knife to his throat. 'Stop. Piss off right now and you live. Keep struggling and I'll bleed you like a spring lamb."

I'm thinking that's Persuade, but really, he's got no reason to resist. They've clearly won, and this guy's more of a knife-inthe-dark type than a fight-to-the-death type. "He stops struggling," I say, "and his eyes bug out at you, Blodwen. He nods a little. Caradoc, do you let him go?"

Foes they can't hurt

Sometimes, the PCs can't feasibly attack their foe. The monster might have a special quality (like "made of stone") or tag (like huge) that makes them effectively invulnerable to the PCs' weapons. It might have a move (like "swat arrows from the air") that counters attacks. Fictional positioning might make an attack extra dangerous or impossible (it's got a reach weapon and the PC has a hand weapon).

When you first present such a monster, convey how hard it'll be to hurt. "It's got this lashing, whip-like tail, at least 10 feet long."

"It's like literally a moving tree, 30 feet tall and made of wood." "She moves with the calm confidence of a master fighter."

If the players say that they attack in a way that just wouldn't work, then they don't trigger Clash or Let Fly. Instead, tell them the requirements ("you'll have to get past that tail first") or reveal an unwelcome truth ("you chop into it full-strength, and it just, like, takes a chip out of it") or put them in a spot ("she side-steps like it's nothing and her own spear flashes at your throat") and ask, "What do you do?"

Make the PCs work for it. They might have to figure out a way to actually hurt this foe. They might need to Defy Danger to get close enough, or Aid each other to have any chance of overcoming its defenses. They might need to use the environment to their advantage. They might have to retreat or flee because they just can't hurt it. They might need to wait for their moment. They might need to do something drastic.

Reward creativity and effort. If they have an idea or a move that would work—even one you never expected—then run with it.

Be a fan of the player characters. But also, respect your prep and the fiction. If your notes say that this monster is hurt only by bronze, and they don't have any bronze, don't let them steamroll you into agreeing that it's also vulnerable to, oh, silver.

They're exploring the ruins near Three Coven Lake. The room gets suddenly colder and the lanterns flicker, and (after a 6- to Seek Insight) a long, hand-like shadow reaches out and grabs Vahid. He drops his lantern and starts shaking in a fit. I address the others: "What do you do?"

Caradoc doesn't hesitate. "I draw my knife and slash into that shadowy limb, trying to cut Vahid free. Clash?"

"No, don't roll." I reveal an unwelcome truth. "Your knife goes right through the shadow, like there's nothing even there, but your hand goes numb and there's frost on the blade. Rhianna, Blodwen, you see this happen, what do you do?"

Blodwen looks at her possessions and says "Bendis root! I've got some from my herb garden." She drops her staff, sets down her lantern, and Has What She Needs to produce some.

"It'll take a few moments to get it out and light it. You still do that?" (tell the requirements and ask). Yup, she's doing it. "Rhianna, what are you doing?"

"This is like a ghost, right? So what hurts ghosts? Iron? Silver?"

That's Knowing Things, for sure, and she rolls a 10+. "Silver. In fact, you're pretty sure that's why Vahid got that silver dagger last summer."

"Oh. Oh! I'll step in and pull it off of him, then attack this thing."

"Cool, roll to Clash!"

Fighting spirits

Spirits are hard to fight because, by default, they lack a physical form.

Most mundane attacks have no effect and pass right through them. And yet the most dangerous spirits can still attack physical creatures, even without manifesting!

Some spirits (like ghosts) are vulnerable to certain materials. The PCs might also acquire items (like the Twisted Spear) or moves (like the Lightbearer's Purifying Flames) that can directly harm spirits. A spirit reduced to 0 HP this way is destroyed or at least dispersed for the time being.

Many spirits can manifest or possess a physical form. The PCs can hurt such a form, but reducing its HP to 0 simply destroys the form and/or forces the spirit back into its intangible state.

You might find it useful to track a spirit's "manifest" HP separately from its "true" HP. If the PCs attack a manifest spirit with something that could harm its true form, those attacks damage both sets of HP.

Multiple combatants

When the PCs face multiple foes (and they often will), break up the action into multiple smaller engagements—the Ranger fights one crinwin, the Fox fights another, the Marshal and his crew deal with the rest of them. This isn't anything formal. It's just a natural way to manage the scene.

Unengaged foes—those that aren't pinned down in combat—are all sorts of potential trouble. Incorporate them into your moves whenever you have the chance. Announce trouble and have them move to flank the PCs. Demonstrate a downside of being outnumbered and have them block a PC's path. Reveal an unwelcome truth and have one come out of nowhere and smack a PC when they roll a 6-. Bad guys don't just sit around waiting to be attacked.

When a PC or follower engages multiple foes, make more aggressive moves than when they face a single foe. If they ignore the threat posed by multiple foes, tell them the consequences and ask. If they carry on and ignore the threat, or roll a 6-, or otherwise suffer the enemy's attack, then make your move extra hard.

When a PC or follower's attack could feasibly hurt multiple foes—because of the area tag, because a group of followers is making or Aiding the attack, or just because the player describes it in a way that makes sense—then the player rolls to Clash or Let Fly just once, but they roll damage separately against each foe.

When multiple PCs and/or followers attack a foe at once, one of them rolls Clash or Let Fly and the others Aid. If a group of followers attacks a single foe (or a significantly smaller group), they effectively

Aid themselves.

When multiple combatants deal damage to a single foe, roll one combatant's damage (usually the best one) and add +1 extra damage for each capable attacker after the first. Apply tags from all the attackers as they make sense. For example, if a PC fights two Hillfolk warriors (d8 damage, 1 piercing) riding horses (d6+2 damage, forceful) and suffers their attack, you'd probably roll damage from one horse and add +3; that's d6+5 damage (1 piercing, forceful). Ouch.

Clever tactics can make a huge difference when dealing with multiple combatants.

Holding a chokepoint reduces the number of foes they have to fight at once. Focusing fire on a tough opponent can help drop it more quickly. Attacking a group's flank and dropping some of them before they can react? Golden.

Rhianna, Garet, and Eira (two of her crew) find Caradoc barely holding a doorway against six crinwin. Some turn and hiss. Rhianna says "We draw hatchets and wade in!" Her crew are archers but not warriors, so she spends 1 of her crew's Loyalty (see page 464) to get them to follow her lead.

Caradoc's got two crinwin occupied, so I tell Rhianna she'll be dealing with the other four. "How are you doing this?"

"I'll take point, chopping the first one and plowing past him to get at the next. Garet's on my left, Eira's on my right, a step behind, each hacking at one of their own."

"Sounds like Clash with Aid from your crew," I say. "But they're not providing advantage—they're letting you fight multiple foes at once." Rhianna rolls an 8. She and her crew deal their damage but suffer the enemy's attack.

Rhianna rolls her 1d8 damage twice (once per crinwin she engaged), getting a 7 and a 2. Crinwin have 1 armor and 3 HP, so the

first one goes down and the second is up but injured. She also rolls her crew's 1d6 damage against each of the other two crinwin, getting a 4 and a 3. Garet drops his, Eira's is badly wounded but still up.

They also suffered the crinwin's attack. I don't have a particular move in mind, but I know it'll deal damage, so I start with that. "Rhianna, each of you takes 1d6 damage from the crinwin you're fighting. Actually, you take 1d6+1, because you fought two of them."

"Really? Didn't I cut the first one down before it could hurt me?"

I could tell her that it got a lick in before it went down, but whatever. "Good point. 1d6 damage to each of you." She takes 4 damage herself. Garet takes 1 and Eira takes 5. They're all still up, but Eira's in trouble. I let that inform my move and I put her in a spot. "Okay, so Eira got tripped by hers and it's on her chest, smashing her head against the wall. She looks out of it and, Rhianna, you've still got a crinwin in your face. Meanwhile, Caradoc…"

If the PCs have a group of followers, then you'll often want to abstract their actions in combat. Resolve the group's actions with as few individual moves as possible. For example, if the Marshal's crew of six opens fire on a horde of 20 crinwin, have the Marshal make a single Let Fly roll to see how it goes.

If the group deals damage to another

group, or takes damage from another

group, then you can roll damage once per side and abstract the results. A group deals damage and has HP and armor as though it was one individual member of the group. For example, the marshal's crew of six would deal 1d6 damage, have 8 HP, and 1 armor from their hide armor. The horde of crinwin would deal 1d6 damage, have 3 HP, and have 1 armor from their agility and reflexes.

Abstracting groups

If one group outnumbers the other, they get a +1 bonus to damage and armor for every multiplier past 1. For example, the 20 crinwin outnumber the crew of six by about 3:1, so they'd get a +2 bonus to damage and armor.

Damage represents casualties. If one

group loses half its HP, then about half that group's numbers are out the action.

Adjust the bonuses to damage and armor accordingly! So if the crew of six dealt 4 damage to the crinwin when they Let Fly, that'd do 1 damage after armor and reduce the crinwin from 3 HP to

2 HP. One third of the crinwin (let's say seven of them) would be out of the action, reducing their advantage to only about 2:1. Their bonus to damage and armor is now only +1.

Shift the spotlight between the group and individual PCs. Switch the scale and "zoom" of the action accordingly.

Foes that are engaged by individual PCs aren't really part of a group. So if one PC ran in and attacked two crinwin while another PC

Defended and drew the attention of another three, the Marshal's crew of six would be left contending with only eight crinwin (20 to start, less 7 dead from Letting Fly, less 5 occupied by PCs). That's basically even numbers, so the crinwin have lost their bonus to armor and damage.

A group reduced to 0 HP is routed, massacred, or otherwise defeated. The fate of individuals within each group is up to you.

Keeping fights interesting

Fights should be exciting, dynamic, and tense. The players should never feel like they're just "trading blows" or trying to deplete a foe's HP. Players shouldn't get bored waiting for "their turn," and the outcome should never be entirely certain.

Make soft GM moves all the damn time.

After every player move, describe the situation and make a soft move: say something that provokes action or raises the tension.

Then ask someone, "What do you do?"

Sometimes, your soft move will be offering an opportunity for a PC to act freely, or to follow up on a previous move's success.

It's easy to do this accidentally, though, which results in the monsters seeming to just stand there and not do anything. Be intentional!

Make your moves—especially your monster attacks—colorful, descriptive, and specific. Don't just say, "It attacks you," say "It swoops down at you, talons out like this, coming right at your face! What do you do?"

Demand the same of the players. If they say "I stab it with my spear," then reply with "Okay, cool, what's that look like?" If the player seems uncertain, or hesitant to commit, then offer them choices. "Are you, like, running at it? Bracing yourself? Are you going for its gut or its wings or its face, or what?" If you can't visualize the action, ask for more detail.

Consider the momentum of the action and other elements of fictional positioning.

Incorporate them into your descriptions and your GM moves. So if your soft move was "it swoops at your face, talons out" and their response was "I brace myself and drive my long spear into its gut!" and they get a 7-9 to Clash, then the results should take all that into account. "Yeah, you impale it, but its momentum yanks the spear out of your hands and they both tumble over here, next to the edge. Roll your damage!"

Vary your GM moves, especially when a monster's attack lands. Don't always hurt them or put them in a spot. Lean on your monster moves to add variety. Sometimes, look at your list of GM moves and pick something you haven't done in a while, just to keep things fresh. No matter what move you choose: if it involves roughing up the PCs, or it could maybe take them out of the fight, then deal damage along with the move.

When a PC "whiffs" a damage roll, respect the fiction of their attack and the fact that they (probably) got a 7+ on whatever move allowed them to deal damage in the first place. The low damage roll means that it wasn't a telling blow, but it should still change the fiction. "Only 2 damage? Yikes, you don't pierce its hide. But it's still disoriented a bit, and struggling for breath—looks like you knocked the wind out of it."

Keep in mind what other enemies are up to. The PC stabbed the monster that was swooping at him, but what are its friends doing? Make a soft GM move to bring them into the action. "…looks like you knocked the wind out of it. Meanwhile, the next one is swooping down at you while you're unarmed, what do you do?"

Keep the spotlight moving. When one PC isn't actively engaged, make a soft move at the current PC, then move the spotlight to the idle PC and ask what they do about it.

"…the next one is swooping down at you while you're unarmed. Rhianna, you see this happening, what do you do?"

Give less combat-oriented characters opportunities to shine. Encourage the Seeker to Know Things about the foe's vulnerabilities. Include spirits or beasts that the Blessed can interact with. Include victims to rescue, fragile treasures to protect, and puzzles to solve. Not always, and not every fight, but often enough to keep everyone engaged.

Incorporate the environment into your description and your moves: lighting, terrain, visibility, and the fog of war. They're on a massive staircase? Use a monster's attack to put them in a spot and bowl them half-over the edge. It's pitch black except for their sphere of torchlight? Have the monsters retreat and then announce trouble, "You can't see them, but you hear their calls as they circle for another attack, what do you do?"

Populate your battlefields with potential energy—heavy things to knock over, high places to fall off of, kindling to set aflame.

Throw in some active hazards, too: raging fires, crumbling ceilings, sucking mire.

Present these elements as opportunities to the PCs. Use them to answer "What here is useful or valuable to me?" Incorporate them into your GM moves, soft and hard.

Regularly recap the situation, especially as you move the spotlight around. "Okay, so:

Vahid's on the upper part of the stairs. His spear and the creature he wounded are over here, near the edge. Caradoc, you're hanging off that same ledge. Blodwen, Rhianna, and Andras are on the other side of the gap, with Blodwen holding the torch aloft and Rhianna and Andras scanning the skies.

Caradoc, you feel your grip starting slip.

What do you do all do?"

End fights earlier rather than later. If it's clear that the PCs will win, have the bad guys flee or surrender. If things start to drag and someone rolls a 6-, use your hard move to drastically change the situation—a new monster shows up, a PC gets captured and dragged off, a follower sacrifices themselves to save the PC and finishes off the monster. If the PCs want to flee, let them Struggle as One to escape instead of playing out individual actions.

Finally, remember that this isn't easy.

GMing is a practice, not something you master. You'll likely start out forgetting to do all of this stuff, and that's fine. Reflect a little bit after each session on what was fun and exciting about your fights, and what seemed to drag. Ask yourself what you could have done differently, and try to do that next time. Keep pushing yourself to improve!

Maps, tokens, and minis

It's often helpful to visually represent a battle, especially one with lots of combatants and distinct zones.

This could be anything from a crude sketch of the battlefield to a full-fledged diorama with 3D minis and terrain. Visualizations like this are great for establishing the situation and making sure that everyone is on the same page.

Be careful, though, not to let the map dominate the game. Use the map to visualize and communicate, but keep the focus on the conversation. Begin and end with the fiction, not with meeples on the table or squiggles on the whiteboard! If someone says "I circle around to the north and then attack that guy up there," pull them back into the fiction with something like, "As soon as you get to about here he snarls and charges you, ax raised like this—you still attack? Cool, what does that look like?"