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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 9640049" data-attributes="member: 6696971">The player's job in TB is to manage all of their resources (food, light, gear, tools, supplies, checks, nature, traits, fate, persona, wises, spells, invocations, treasure, resources), endure the relentless Grind, fight for what and for whom they believe (belief, creed, goal, instinct, mentor, friend, parents, hometown), against their enemy and the new ones they accumulate along the way, and fill their bags with loot and treasure so they might prosper and transform into rightful heroes.The GM's job is to generate a map and adventures which are intensely demanding and test all of this stuff via indexing the components above in their obstacle & Twist generation as they execute the (procedurally dense) structured crucible of play (Town phase, Adventure phase, Camp phase).  The players aspire for their PCs to be heroes.  You put relevant stuff in their way.  We'll see if their meek light becomes a burning beacon, is snuffed, or gutters quietly into darkness in one hidey hole or another.When it comes to test failures, about half of them should be Success + Condition and the other half should be Twist (a new obstacle that intercedes between the players and the adventure goal); so roughly (but not necessarily) woven back-and-forth.[ATTACH=full]402705[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]402706[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]402707[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]402704[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]402708[/ATTACH]The PC Magician Yfrette (level 6) has had her Friend Gornia captured by one of her Enemies.  The Witch Gretta is intent upon seducing or compelling the aspiring Magician into her growing coven.  We're in a middle-sized Adventure (10 to 12 obstacles) into Bleakwood where the witch makes home.  They're on obstacle 6 or 7 and the Grind and Success + Conditions and Compromises from Conflicts and Gear Twists have weighed the group down with Conditions that need recovered and armor that needs repaired and spells that need memorized.They've bypassed Typical and Unsafe locations for Camp because they didn't need to at that point.  We're in a Dangerous location (adjacent to a stream and small waterfall, on the edge of a precipice we're about to downclimb, under the boughs of Bleakwood Oaks which are known to harbor infamous Bleakwood Wasp Nests).  Given that they're in Turn 2 (out of 4) of The Grind, they decide that their Ranger will Survey (Survivalist Test w/ Make Camp Factors) rather than just Plop Down Where They Are; the Grind resets after Camp phase so this is typical tactical play.  They already have water as an amenity, so the Ranger is looking for shelter and concealment; Ob4 test (Wilderness + Small Group + Shelter + Concealment).  The Ranger has the Survivalist chops and musters Persona for Nature as well as getting Help (Peasant) from the 3rd PC.[ATTACH=full]402709[/ATTACH]Success.  The Ranger marks 1 success in Survivalist towards an advance and they have a sheltered camp with water and concealment (as well as a Ranger to boot).They could really use a good Camp Events roll, so Yfrette decides to deploy Aetherial Premonition (Ob3).  It is Free so it isn't against the Grind (after the Ranger's Survey putting us to 3/4, an actual test would trigger the Grind).  Yfrette is Cunning.  This works out in her favor all the time, but sometimes her arrogance can get the better of her...exactly like this situation, daring to cast a spell within a magical forest against a powerful magical foe.  Yfrette's player decides to use her 1/session Use Trait Against Yourself to take -1d to her Arcanist test for AP so she can earn 1 check (resource used to fuel Camp phase) to stack with her existing 1 check as she needs to memorize spells as well as hopefully recover from Angry (no Wises or Traits used beneficially).  She has a mega-Arcanist Skill and she doesn't want to spend any Persona and the Ranger has an applicable Wise that can help (I Am Wise grants +1d help and insulates you from Conditions on a failure which leads to Success w/ Condition).Unfortunately, she only gets 2 successes.  She has an applicable Wise, so she spends 1 x Fate (Deeper Understanding) to reroll 1 of her failures.  Doesn't hit the last success.She marks 1 failure for Arcanist.Now, I have to decide Success w/ Condition (SwC) or Twist (T).  If I just used SwC on the last failed test, I'm apt to go with T.  If I haven't deployed a T in 2 x failed tests in a row, I'm pretty much 100 % going with T.  Let us say it is the latter and I'm going with a Twist.  What kind of Twist?  There are plenty of default Magic and Gear Twists in the book for this kind of stuff.  My brain would be thinking:* Your silver bell magical focus breaks, protecting you from terrible arcane backlash due to a magical surge. Loremaster vs magical phenomena (Ob3) against the Grind or spend a check in camp to repair it.* The spell begins to spiral out of control, instead of alerting you to presence, it reverses, giving premonition to a nearby Bleakwood Wasp Swarm.  You can spend 2 of your 3 magical supplies to shut down the spell, preventing an Arcanist vs test with them to drive them off, as well as triggering that last tick for the Grind...or everyone can jump in and engage with a Drive Off conflict vs Bleakwood Wasp Swarm (no turn cost) and possibly gain the spoils of victory (or the sting(!) of defeat)!* The spell amplifies incredibly powerfully.  You get what you want (AP works), but your cunning has cost you both increased danger and an opportunity.  Your premonition opens up beyond the immediate.  You're suddenly remote viewing Gretta's abode where Gornia is captive.  Gretta's ensorcelling seduction is working...Gornia is breaking and will soon be her thrall.  You can Help Gornia from afar (see above level 6 Magician ability) in a Spiritual conflict (we'll all it Enchanting...kind of a magical Trick conflict using Arcanist and Persuasion).  However, if you lose, I'm taking your friend Gornia as a thrall in your final conflict with your enemy Gretta.  If you want her back, you'll have to engage in a side-conflict to Adjure Gretta's enchantment while your allies confront the witch physically.  Minor Compromise is going to be you take Exhausted.  Major...the magical intercession cuts free a part of your soul. Lose one wise, trait or Nature descriptor.  If you win and force a Minor Compromise upon Gretta, you can have Gornia as Help for the final conflict...Major compromise and one of her primary magical Weapons fails dramatically, and cannot be equipped in the final conflict.Or you can just meekly close out the remote connection and leave your Friend to become Gretta's thrall...hopefully breaking the enchantment later without either Gretta killing Gornia or you being forced to (or her slaying you)!</blockquote>

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