Actions

If the principles are what keep you focused on your agenda, the moves are the concrete, moment-to-moment ways you move the game forward. This is the list to consult when the players are looking at you to see what happens.

Ask Questions

Asking questions (and using the answers) is the very heart of the system. The easiest question to use is “What do you do?” You don’t even have to ask the person who you originally moved against. You can easily use this to move the focus somewhere else, ensuring that the whole team has an opportunity to contribute to the mission.

Elizabeth, the gun jams and the soldiers pin you down. Sniper, you can hear bursts of machine gun fire inside the compound - what do you do?

Establishing questions to help flesh out the scene and action.

Evocative questions to draw out character beliefs, drives, and backgrounds.

Leading questions to highlight your own thinking.

Trivial questions to provide detail, to satisfy your curiosity, or to give give yourself something to improvise with. What do you order for dinner? What’s so unusual about the meeting place? What hairstyle does your character have on this mission?

Asking for help. If you’re uncertain or stuck, you can ask the players for ideas. What’s a good Devil’s Bargain here? Does this seem desperate or just risky? You succeeded at that roll, so she’ll help you - but it feels out of character; what motivation would she have?

Follow the Fiction

Tick a Clock

Clocks are a great way to establish a danger or follow through on a threat without forcing an immediate end to the action.

Tell the Consequences

Offer a Devil’s Bargain

Think of a fun consequence or reckless decision. Then offer them a bonus die. If you can’t think of a good one, ask the other players.

In any circumstances, you can always offer them the die in exchange for heat – after all, the conspiracy has informants everywhere.

Have an NPC Initiate Action?

Cut to the Action

The whole system is geared to help short-circuit the speculation and detailed planning that can derail an adventure. Tools like flashbacks, gadgets, and resistance rolls mean that you can safely skip straight to a “cold open”.