Kick Some Ass | Act Under Pressure | Manipulate Someone | Investigate a Mystery | Protect Someone | Help Out | Read a Bad Situation | Use Magic | Big Magic

When you act under pressure, roll +Cool.

• On a 10+ you do what you set out to.
• On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse
outcome, hard choice, or price to pay.
• On a miss, things go to hell.

This is a general purpose move, for any time a hunter tries something that is dangerous or liable to fail, and isn’t covered by any other moves (either a basic move, or one from a playbook). The pressure can be anything from being detected when they’re hiding to resisting death as they try and escape a blazing building. Make sure you establish what the pressure is at the start, so the hunters know what they’re in for if they mess up. You need to know what they’re trying to do, and to let them know what’s making it hard.

A result of 7-9 tells you to give them a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay—they can do what they wanted, if they accept what you pick. It is still a success, so they should be able to do what they wanted, although the cost might be high enough that they decide not to. Use your agenda and principles to help decide. For our hiding example, maybe they can stay hidden, but only if they let the monster trap them in a dead end. Or they have to go so far back that they can no longer see what’s happening. In both of these cases, the hard choice is about where they’re positioned in the story. They could stay hidden, but have to pay the price. For the burning building, maybe they can escape if they jump out a second floor window. Or they can run through flames to escape or stay somewhere that is safe for now. In these cases, the price is some harm from the fall or the fire.

On a miss, then whatever the pressure has overwhelmed the hunter.

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Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move.

When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp.

On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1.
One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions:

• What happened here?
• What sort of creature is it?
• What can it do?
• What can hurt it?
• Where did it go?
• What was it going to do?
• What is being concealed here?

On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer.

It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins.

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When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough.
On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you.

If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect:

• You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1
forward to another hunter.
• You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm).
• You suffer less harm (-1 harm).
• You force them where you want them.

On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. This is the basic fighting move, covering the back and forth of a short burst of fighting, rather than a single attack. By default when a hunter kicks ass both sides inflict harm as established—the hunter with their weapon and the enemy theirs. The precise amount of harm that’s traded will depend on what’s happening at that moment in the fight. For example, Hoss the hunter is going to shoot a zombie with his shotgun (harm-3 close load messy reload), while the zombie is trying to bite Hoss (the zombie’s bite attack is rated “2-harm hand”). If the zombie is still out of reach (i.e. out of hand range), Hoss will inflict 3-harm on it but be safe from the zombie’s bite. Once the zombie is right up in Hoss’s face, then Hoss can still blast it for 3-harm and this time the zombie can bite him back for 2-harm. Don’t automatically call for this move any time a hunter attacks something. If a hunter attacks a foe that cannot (or will not) fight back, then it is appropriate to just use the Keeper move inflict harm as established instead. What the hunter’s doing could also be a move like protect someone or act under pressure (or another move altogether): use what the player has stated the hunter’s intentions are and the actions they’ve described the hunter taking to determine what makes sense.

On a success of 10+, the hunter gets to pick an extra effect. Always ask them what happened. If the hunter takes +1 forward, or gives another hunter +1 forward, then make sure to ask them what they did to set up an advantage. This might include things like tactical maneuvering, grappling with the enemy, pushing the enemy back, or knocking the enemy off balance. If the hunter inflicts terrible harm, then they inflict one more point of harm. That means they did something extra-nasty with their attack, so be sure to ask them what that was. If the hunter suffers less harm, then reduce the harm the enemy inflicts by one. Ask them what they did to reduce the harm. If the hunter forces the enemy where they want them, this will allow them to push the bad guys wherever they want. Be generous with this, as long as it’s consistent with what is happening in the game: you can’t drive the monsters out if they’re in a dead end, for instance. When a hunter misses on kick some ass, they’re usually going to be in a lot of trouble. Your move doesn’t always have to be inflict harm as established. Sometimes your other moves can apply too: maybe the hunter gets captured, or the monster gets a chance to flee the fight.

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This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions.

Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm.

For a normal person:

• If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it).
• On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it.
• On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target.

For another hunter:

• On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask.
• On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask.
• On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked.

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When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough.
On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get.
If you got a 10+ choose an extra:

• You suffer little harm (-1 harm).
• All impending danger is now focused on you.
• You inflict harm on the enemy.
• You hold the enemy back.

On a miss, then you end up making things worse. This can be used any time someone is about to suffer harm, including as the result of another move (i.e. a kick some ass move that means a hunter is going to suffer harm). As with help out, always ask the hunter how they are going to protect this person in this situation. By default, any success means that the hunter has successfully protected the target (so the target is not harmed at all) but the hunter will suffer harm instead (usually, but not always, the same harm). On a 10+ the hunter gets to pick an extra effect. Ask the hunter what happened.

They can choose to suffer little harm, taking one less harm. Ask what they do to reduce the harm. If they choose “All impending danger is now focused on the hunter,” they’ve put themselves right in harm’s way. Ask them what they do to get all the danger. Don’t be shy when this is picked: the hunter has chosen to have the entire enemy force have a go at them. If they choose to “inflict harm on the enemy,” they get to harm an enemy as well as protecting the target. Ask how they did that. As usual, the amount of harm done depends on the hunter’s weapon.

If they choose “Hold the enemy back” then the bad guys can’t get past the hunter. Other hunters, or even bystanders, may help fight from this position if it makes sense. This works best when defending a small space like a doorway. If the hunters are in the open, the bad guys will be able to work their way around them eventually.

Missing a protect someone roll is very bad. In general, harm to both the original victim and the hunter is a good choice. Things could be even worse, e.g. the target might be captured as well. As with kick some ass, when things go bad here, they go really bad. Feel free to inflict harm as established and follow up with a hard move.

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When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool.

• On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll.
• On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger.
• On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping.

This is used when a hunter wants to help another hunter make a move. Helping will give the other hunter +1 on a single roll. It’s okay to see what the result is before deciding to help out, as long as it still makes sense that the hunter could do something to help improve the results. Make sure they tell you what concrete action they are taking to help out. If they can’t think of how they help, then they don’t get to do it. You should also make sure their actions actually do help in the game, too. For example, helping with an attack might allow the helper to add their weapon’s harm to the injury the first hunter inflicts on the monster.

A result of 7-9 means that the hunter succeeds in helping, but exposes themselves to trouble. A lot of the time this trouble will be obvious, as when they are helping someone kick some ass. Here you could inflict harm on both of the hunters. In other cases the trouble will be less obvious, such as a when trying to help investigate a mystery by interviewing witnesses: this might lead to hostile rumours circulating about the hunter later on, or make an enemy of a witness. On a miss, the help does no good and the helper exposes themselves to trouble or danger. This could be the same as the danger of the move being helped, or something else entirely.

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When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp.
On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1.
One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions:

• What’s my best way in?
• What’s my best way out?
• Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed?
• What’s the biggest threat?
• What’s most vulnerable to me?
• What’s the best way to protect the victims?

If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more.

On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you). This move is for when a hunter goes into a situation they know is hostile—e.g. when they know the monster’s in this house somewhere. It can also be used in the middle of a dangerous situation, if the hunter needs some more tactical information. Misses on reading a bad situation lend themselves to you turning the move back on the hunter—ask them some of the questions on behalf of whatever enemies are present, and then have the enemies act on those answers.

Misses can also give you a chance to put the hunters into danger— for example, they just failed to notice the ambush they’re walking into.

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When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird.

If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect.
On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has.
On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well.

By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change.

Effects:

• Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious).
• Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic.
• Do one thing that is beyond human limitations.
• Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature.
• Trap a specific person, minion, or monster.
• Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits.
• Summon a monster into the world.
• Communicate with something that you do not share a language with.
• Observe another place or time.
• Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison.

Glitches:

• The effect is weakened.
• The effect is of short duration.
• You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic.
• The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention.
• It has a problematic side effect.

The Keeper may require one or more of the following:

• The spell requires weird materials.
• The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast.
• The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures.
• The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols.
• You need one or two people to help cast the spell.
• You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. 195

Magic, by its nature, breaks the rules. The use magic move lists the possible effects for magic spells. Magic that goes beyond these effects counts as big magic (see below).

When a hunter uses magic, it’s important to ask them what they’re trying to do (and work out which of the effects they are trying for). Ask the hunter how they cast the spell, and what it looks like too. Then consider the scope of what they’re doing, how they said the spell is cast, and decide if you will require anything extra from the list. Pick extra requirements based on the size of magical effect. Magic that has a big effect should need a bigger effort. Usually pick one or two things including anything the hunter included in their description of casting the spell. You can offer alternatives, too, so that the hunter either takes one minute or needs arcane symbols, say.

Partial successes when using magic mean that the hunter has to pick a glitch. Glitches are bad news, but it’s up to the hunter to decide which one happens. Magic should always be dangerous and unpredictable, so hammer that home when you decide how the glitches take effect. On a miss using magic, make as hard a move as you like: anything can happen when magic goes wrong. Reversing the intended effect of the spell is an option, so that the exact opposite of what the hunter wanted happens. You can also go for off-the-wall weirdness: portals to other dimensions; angry spirits converging on the hunter; or changes to the laws of physics around the hunter—that sort of thing.

One Thing Beyond Human Limitations

This particular effect is an important one because what you allow here will define how powerful magic is in your game. For a gritty game, going ‘beyond human limitations’ might include:

• lifting a car just enough to free someone trapped underneath
• carrying on despite a nasty injury
• resisting a mental attack from a monster.

For a more super-heroic game, going ‘beyond human limitations’ might include:

• flying up to a rooftop.
• surviving a deadly injury.
• reading the thoughts of everyone around you.

So, when a hunter wants to exceed human limitations, think carefully about what allowing their desired effect in this case implies for your entire game. You can think of your decisions about this as a dial that determines how much power the hunters can get from everyday magic spells.

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The rules for the use magic move are constrained, but big magic is not. Big magic is for everything else, from curing someone of vampirism to opening a gate to another dimension. The only limits on big magic are those that have been established in your game. For example, it may be that you decided magic never allows anyone to travel into the past.

Even these established rules might be broken if there is a strong enough reason in the story. For example, the hunters might realise that the only way to defeat a monster is to go back in time to when it was weaker. If you reveal that a limit can be broken in certain circumstances, think about what this reveals about the world. This sort of event should always be a big deal, with big repercussions in your story. In our time travel example, maybe travel into the past changes the timeline irrevocably; or maybe the rule being broken unleashes an angry time god on the hunters.

When the hunters want to do big magic, you decide what it requires, the same as when someone uses magic normally. Once the hunters meet the requirements, the spell happens successfully, without a roll. Here are the options for requirements that you can choose from:

• Spend a lot of time (days or weeks) researching the magic ritual.
• Experiment with the spell—there will be lots of failures before you get it right.
• The hunter needs some rare and weird ingredients and supplies.
• It will take a long time (hours or days) to cast.
• The hunter needs a lot of people (2, 3, 7, 13, or more) to help.
• It needs to be done at a particular place and/or time.
• You need to use magic as part of the ritual, perhaps to summon a monster, communicate with something, or bar the portal you opened.
• It will have a specific side effect or danger.

You can pick multiple requirements, that all need to be satisfied: For example, you can tell the hunters “You need to spend a few days doing research and then get a lava snake fang to cast this spell. And then you’ll need three people to help you cast it.” You can also give the hunters alternatives: For example, you can tell the hunters “You need to spend a few days doing research for a simple version, or if you get a lava snake fang then you can cast it right now. Either way you need three people to help out.”

Make the requirements consistent with how big a deal this spell is going to be. Also, because the big magic does not require a roll for any move (except, incidentally, as part of meeting the requirements), you need to consider the perils and side effects of the spell and bring them into play as Keeper moves.

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