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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8137866" data-attributes="member: 42582">Some reflections on the first point:"Fail forward" is a label for a technique which (as far as I know) was first elaborated by Luke Crane and Ron Edwards. Here it is from the BW rules, Gold edition pp 24-25, 30-32 (and <a href="https://www.burningwheel.com/burning-wheel-gold-revised-hub-and-spokes/" target="_blank">anyone can download this component of that system for free</a> if they want to read about how it works):Let’s start with the core of the Burning Wheel system. We call it “Intent and Task.” . . .  When declaring an action for a character, you say what you want and how you do it. That’s the intent and the task. . . . By describing how his character will undertake this intent, he defines the task. Clearly stating and linking the task and intent allows player and GM to determine what ability needs to be tested. . . . Descriptions of the task are vital. Through them we know which mechanics to apply; acknowledging the intent allows us to properly interpret the results of the test. . . . A task is a measurable, finite and quantifiable act performed by a character . . . A task describes how you accomplish your intent. What does your character do? . . . Once the description of the intent and task has been stated at the table, the ability needed to complete that action is usually pretty obvious. . . . [W]hat happens after the dice have come to rest and the successes are counted? If the successes equal or exceed the obstacle, the character has succeeded in his goal—he achieved his intent and completed the task. This is important enough to say again: Characters who are successful complete actions in the manner described by the player. A successful roll is sacrosanct in Burning Wheel and neither GM nor other players can change the fact that the act was successful. The GM may only embellish or reinforce a successful ability test. . . . The most important criteria for passing a test is that play moves in the direction of the success, even if only momentarily. . . . When the dice are rolled and don’t produce enough successes to meet the obstacle, the character fails. What does this mean? It means the stated intent does not come to pass. . . . Failure is not the end of the line, but it is complication that pushes the story in another direction. . . . When a test is failed, the GM introduces a complication. . . . Try not to present flat negative results . . . Strive to introduce complications through failure as much as possible. Death should only be the result of failure in the rarest, most dire situations. The GM must present the players with varied, twisted, occult and bizarre ramifications of their decisions. Death is only the last resort. And more often than not, a player will let everyone know when he is prepared to risk his character’s life for success. Lastly, the rules for specific subsystems, like fighting, injury and sorcery, will guide you in adjudicating the severity of a failure result.One thing that is fairly striking about this is the amount of effort devoted to explaining the action declaration and resolution process. It's very careful and deliberate.The second thing is central to "fail forward": that adjudication technique (a) depends upon action having both intent and task; and (b) focuses upon intent. How the GM narrates the task outcome will depend upon the established fiction, the consequence envisaged, perhaps the mood of the table, etc. If my Circles check to come across Rufus had failed (task: I keep my eyes open for Rufus as we enter the borders of Auxol; intent: I want to meet with my brother again after many years away) maybe the GM has me meet no one; maybe I meet a man-at-arms whom Rufus has sent to tell me I'm exiled from Auxol and must leave; maybe the GM decides that I do meet Rufus, but he is charging towards me in full harness with a lance! This last option would have the GM fastening on my implicit intent that the meeting involve friendship or at least communication, rather than hateful conflict.Some instances of "fail forward" can come close to success with complication - maybe that last possibility for a failed Circles check is in that neighbourhood - but al involve failure of intent.In Apocalypse World and Dungeon World (and perhaps other PbtA games? those are the two I know), a 7-9 result still takes the PC towards his her goal in her action eg 7-9 on Go Aggro in AW still intimidates the target of the action, although not to the point of completely folding; 7-9 on Defy Danger in DW you are still able to act despite the imminent threat, but it will cost you in some fashion (perhaps you suffer some harm, or lose a piece of gear, or something more particular that follows from the fiction of the situation).To move to some reflections on the second point: I think that both BW with "fail forward" and AW/DW with the prominence of 7-9 results are concerned to keep the fiction moving at a reasonable clip. There is not meant to be a lot of sitting at the table wondering what's really going on or where can we find the real action here? I think it would be a very atypical BW session, for instance, that involved the players having their PCs wandering through a town or city trying to gather information about <whatever> and moving through a series of largely unproductive interactions with largely ignorant or unhelpful NPCs. Mechanically, an attempt to gather information in this way would probably be resolved via appropriate Circles or Wises checks (maybe other social skills, if the framing made it appropriate) but if those checks failed then "fail forward" narration would mean that something more significant or dramatic happened then simply getting brushed off by a surly bartender.I think one animating idea of these systems is that there's basically no reason why the whole of a RPG session can't be as interesting, engaging and invigorating as its high point. That's not to say that there's not rising action as well as climax; but there doesn't need to be no action at all, in RPGing any more than in other fiction media.</blockquote>

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