Basic Moves

Defy Danger When you defy danger, or dig in to endure danger, roll+focus. On a 10+, you do it. On a 7 9, you flinch, hesitate, or stall: the MC can offer you a worse outcome, a hard bargain, or an ugly choice. Hold Steady When you hold steady, in a scary or tense situation, roll+focus. On a 10+, you keep your cool, and choose one: ask the MC a question about the situation; remove a Condition; carry 1 forward during this scene. On a 7-9, choose one: you keep your cool; pick an option from the 10+ list but also gain the Condition terrified. Take by Force When you try to take something by force, or to secure your hold on something, roll+edge. On a hit, trade harm for harm and choose options. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 79, choose 2 and your enemy chooses 1:

Manipulate an NPC When you manipulate an NPC, roll+grace. On a 10+, theyll do what you want if you give them a bribe, a threat, or a motive. On a 7-9, the MC will tell you what itll take to get the NPC to do what you want. Do it and they will. Study a Situation When you study a charged situation, roll+sense. On a hit, you can ask the MC questions. Whenever you act on one of the MCs answers, take +1. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7-9, ask 1:

A World of Ice and Fire

Player Reference Sheet

Strings
Strings are the emotional and physical hold that you have over people. They are earned through a number of moves: curry favour, shut someone down, and various playbook moves. When someone gains a String on you, it means that in some way theyve gained emotional, political, or physical power over you. You dont need to define what that power looks like right away; Strings can remain abstract until theyre actually spent. You also dont need to respond to someone gaining a String with any specific response. For example, if someone gains a String on you by turning you on, you dont have to suddenly throw yourself at them. Just play out how your character would naturally respond, having just realized that this other person has some sort of emotional hold over them. This could be as simple as narrating that your character blushes and turns to leave, or that they seem suddenly nervous and apprehensive. You can spend a String on another PC to: Whenever you spend a String, there needs to be something in the fiction to explain the mechanical effect. Remember: to do it, do it. If youre subtracting 1 from their next move against you, whats causing that effect? Do you utter some snide remark that throws them off balance? Or if youre offering experience for them to do your bidding, what thing in the fiction accounts for that experience point? Do you promise to tell them a juicy secret in return for their obedience?

wheres my best escape route / way in / way past? which enemy is most vulnerable to me? what is the biggest threat to me? what should I be on the lookout for? whats my enemys true position? whos in control here? what's happened here recently? what is about to happen here?
Observe a Person When you observe a person in a charged interaction, roll+sense. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 79, hold 1. While youre interacting with them, spend your hold to ask their player questions, 1 for 1:

Conditions
Characters can gain Conditions over the course of play. If you take advantage of a Condition that someone has, while making a move against them, add 1 to your roll. In order to take advantage of a Condition mechanically, though, you need to take advantage of the Condition fictionally as well. A Condition goes away when the character suffering it takes appropriate action to alleviate it.

you you you you

take definite hold of it suffer little harm inflict terrible harm impress, dismay, or scatter your enemy

Threaten or Ambush When you go threaten or ambush someone, roll+edge. On a 10+, they have to choose: force your hand and suck it up, or cave and do what you want. On a 79, they can instead choose 1:

is your character telling the truth? whats your character really feeling? what does your character intend to do? what does your character wish Id do? how could I get your character to __?
Consult Lore When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+will. On a 10+ the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. On a 7-9 the GM will only tell you something interestingits on you to make it useful. The GM might ask you How do you know this? Tell them the truth, now. Shut Shut Someone Down When you shut someone down, roll+will. On a 10+, choose one: give them a Condition; they lose a String against you; if they held no Strings on you, gain a String on them. On a 7-9, choose one: you each give a Condition to one another; you each lose a String on one another.

get the hell out of your way barricade themselves securely in give you something they think you want back off calmly, hands where you can see tell you what you want to know (or what you want to hear)
Curry Favour When you attempt to curry favour from someone by turning them on or ingratiating yourself towards them, roll+grace. On a 10+, take a String against them. On a 7-9, they choose one: give themselves to you (if being turned on), promise something they think you want, give you a String against them.

Add 1 to your roll against them (choose after rolling). Subtract 1 from their roll against you (choose after rolling). Offer them an experience point to do what you want. Force them to hold steady in order to carry out a certain action. Add an extra harm to whatever harm youre dealing them. Place a Condition on them.
You can spend a String on an NPC to:

Add 1 to your roll against them (choose after rolling). Add 2 to your manipulate an NPC roll against them (choose after rolling). Cause them to falter, hesitate, or freeze up momentarily. Add an extra harm to whatever harm youre dealing them. Place a Condition on them.

Peripheral Moves
When you suffer harm, roll+harm suffered (after armour, if youre wearing any). On a 10+, the MC can choose 1:

Youre out of action: unconscious, trapped, incoherent or panicked. Its worse than it seemed. Take an additional 1harm. Choose 2 from the 79 list below.
On a 79, the MC can choose 1:

When you go into a citys bustling market, looking for some particular thing to buy, and its not obvious whether you should be able to just go buy one like that, roll+sense. On a 10+, yes, you can just go buy it like that. On a 79, the MC chooses one of the following:

Debilities
When the characters harm track crosses the third segment, the player can choose to mark a debility. If she does, she gets the debility, but the harm stops at the third segment. Once shes past the third segment, she can choose to take a debility instead of any new wound. Debilities are permanent. The debilities are: Shattered: -1cool Crippled: -1hard Disfigured: -1hot Broken: -1sharp Timid: -1will Mark the debility, adjust the stat, and get used to it. Its always the players choice whether to take a debility, no one elses.

Playbook Specials
Each character has a sex move, called a special. They are triggered by having sex with someone and the act must be consensual or it does not trigger. When your special is triggered, read it aloud and follow its instructions. Each character also has a dying move. They are triggered by death. When your dying move is triggered, read it aloud and follow its instructions.

You lose your footing. You lose your grip on whatever youre holding. You lose track of someone or something youre attending to. You miss noticing something important.
On a miss, the MC can nevertheless choose something from the 79 list above. If she does, though, its instead of some of the harm youre suffering, so you take -1harm. When you kill or otherwise permanently

it costs 1-wealth more than youd expect. its available, but only if you meet with a guy who knows a guy. damn, I had one, I just sold it to this guy named _______, maybe you can go get it off him? sorry, I dont have that, but maybe this will do instead?
Insight When you use your followers for insight, ask your followers what they think your best course is, and the MC will tell you. If you pursue that course, take +1 to any rolls you make in the pursuit. If you pursue that course but dont accomplish your ends, you mark experience.

Forward
Forward is a +1 bonus that you add to your next applicable roll. Sometimes this bonus can be used on any roll, but sometimes its specific to a certain situation. Sometimes, Forward has a time limit attached to it. Forward bonuses can only apply to a single roll, which uses up the advantage they represent.

Stunned
When you are stunned, you are disabled without taking any significant harm. Doing anything at all besides lying in a stupor means defying danger; the danger is youre stunned.

neutralize someone who had Strings on you, gain

1 experience point per string they had on you. When you give 1-wealth to an NPC, but with 1strings attached, it counts as manipulating them and hitting the roll with a 10+, no roll required. When you give 1-wealth to a PC, but with strings 1attached, it counts as currying favour and hitting the roll with a 10+, no roll required. When you make known that you want a thing and drop gold to speed it on its way, roll+wealth spent (max roll+3). It has to be a thing you could legitimately get this way. On a 10+ it comes to you, no strings attached. On a 79 it comes to you, or something pretty close. On a miss, it comes to you, but with strings very much attached.

Harm and Healing

When a character gets hurt, the player marks segments in her harm track. Mark one full segment for each 1-harm, starting with the first segment. The first two segments heal automatically with time. Harm after the third segment gets worse with time, unless stabilized. If the player marks the sixth segment, it means that the characters dead but can still be revived. Any harm past that and the characters dead for reals. Typically, when a character takes harm, its equal to the harm rating of the weapon, attack, or mishap, minus the armor rating of the characters armor. This is called harm as established. Instead of taking harm, sometimes the player can choose to mark a debility. Debilities are permanent.

The Singleton Rule

You may only earn experience from each highlighted stat and each move once per scene. Similarly, you may only earn a String from any one move once per scene.

Rolling Dice
When asked to roll+something, roll two (sixsided) dice and add their sum to the stat in question. A result of 10 or higher (10 up) will present you with favorable options. A result of 7-9 will often present you with hard choices or partially-favorable options. A 6 or lower will give the MC a golden opportunity to take some action of her own. The highest bonus you can have on any given roll is 5.

Agendas
Make the PCs lives not boring. Never let the players feel safe. Fill the characters lives with intrigue. Play to find out what happens.

NPCs

Descriptions

Strings on

Conditions

Always Say
What the principles demand. What the rules demand. What honesty demands.

Principles
Fill the world with betrayal. Address yourself to the characters, not the players. Make your move, but misdirect. Make your move, but never speak its name. Name everyone, make everyone feel real. Make happiness a zero-sum equation. Ask provocative questions and build on the answers. Be a fan of the PCs. Treat your NPCs like stolen horses. Give your NPCs simple motivations that divide the PCs. Sometimes, disclaim decision making. Think off-screen too.

Hard Moves
Separate them. Put them together. Reveal an unwelcome truth. Capture someone. Put someone in a spot. Trade harm for harm (as established). Announce off-screen badness. Announce future badness. Expose a dangerous secret to the wrong person. Inflict harm (as established). Take away their stuff. Make them buy. Activate their stuffs downside. Tell them the possible consequences and ask. Offer an opportunity with or without a cost. Turn their move back on them. Make a threat move (from one of your fronts). After every move: What do you do?

NPC Strings
The MC can spend NPC Strings on someone to: Add an extra harm to whatever harm the NPC is dealing to them. Place a Condition on them. Offer them experience to do what you want. Come out of nowhere with a hard move. Subtract 1 from their roll against you (choose after rolling).