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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eyes of Nine" data-source="post: 8949593" data-attributes="member: 99786">Clocks, as I understand them:Something is going to happen in the future. Some sub-things need to happen for that main thing to take place. As those sub-things happen, that "ticks" the clock. Once the clock is full, the main thing takes place. Whether the clock is player facing or not depends on the game and/or GM inclinationExamples:PCs want to find out who killed the king. Clock created. It's got 4 ticks on it. In my head, I say they need to get a clue from the docks/merchants, from the assassin's guild, from the nobility, and from the military. Each clue will tick on the clock. I may or may not give them hints on where they need to go to get the clues. This would be a clock that might be player facing.PCs are exploring a dungeon. When they entered the dungeon, they tripped a hidden ward that made no noticeable change when they entered, but alerted some sort of guardian. I create a non-player facing clock with 4 ticks on it. I mark that clock forward every time I think it's appropriate. In a D&D-type game, maybe I'm "keeping meticulous time", so it's a literal clock. In a PbtA type game, it would be a soft GM move every time someone fails a roll; and I may foreshadow it too - "you failed your bend bars lift gates roll and it makes a lot of noise... You hear distantly something start to grind, like machinery or stones grinding together..." Once the 4th tick is marked, the guardian shows up and the players will have to react.Does that make sense?</blockquote>

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