Basic Moves
The following are the basic moves
DIRECTLY ENGAGE A THREAT
When you directly engage a threat, roll + Danger.
On a hit, trade blows. On a 10+, pick two. On a 7-9,
pick one.
resist or avoid their blows
take something from them
create an opportunity for your allies
impress, surprise, or frighten the opposition
Directly engaging a threat is the move for straightforwardly duking it out with
something—a monster, a villain, whatever. If you’re playing a bit of the ropea-dope, hoping to tire an enemy out, you’re not directly engaging, so the move
isn’t triggered. If you’re up against someone or something that isn’t actually all
that dangerous to you, then they’re not a threat, and the move isn’t triggered.
UNLEASH YOUR POWERS
When you unleash your powers to overcome an
obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend your
senses, roll + Freak. On a hit, you do it. On a 7-9,
mark a condition or the GM will tell you how the
effect is unstable or temporary.
Unleashing your powers is the move for doing something complicated,
dangerous, and difficult with your powers. It is definitely not the “use your
powers” move—you’re probably using your abilities on nearly all of the basic
moves. This move is for those situations when you do something intense with
your powers, and we’re not sure how it’ll go, or if you can even pull it off.
COMFORT OR SUPPORT
When you comfort or support someone, roll
+ Mundane. On a hit, they hear you: they mark
potential, clear a condition, or shift Labels if they
open up to you. On a 10+, you can also add a Team
to the pool or clear a condition yourself.
Comforting or supporting someone is the move for helping others get over
their conditions and take control of their own destinies. It might appear to be
a nonessential move at first glance—which is more important, comforting or
supporting someone, or being able to punch superhuman monsters in the face?
DEFEND
When you defend someone or something from an
immediate threat, roll + Savior. For NPC threats: on
a hit, you keep them safe and choose one. On a 7-9,
it costs you: expose yourself to danger or escalate
the situation.
add a Team to the pool
take Influence over someone you protect
clear a condition
For PC threats: on a hit, give them -2 to their roll.
On a 7-9, you expose yourself to cost, retribution, or
judgment
Defending someone is the move you use to stop something bad from
happening. It’s not about preemptively preparing a defense, or setting up a
shield—it’s about preventing the worst in the moment. The threat must be
immediate for this move to trigger.
ASSESS THE SITUATION
When you assess the situation, roll + Superior. On a 10+, ask two. On a 7-9, ask one.
Take +1 while acting on the answers.
what here can I use to ________?
what here is the biggest threat?
what here is in the greatest danger?
who here is most vulnerable to me?
how could we best end this quickly?
Assess the situation is the move for when you want to get specific and
useful information about your situation and surroundings. In the fiction, this
is you taking a moment to survey what’s going on around you, looking for
important details. You can always ask the GM clarifying questions about your
environment and what your character would know—assessing the situation is
for highly specific and pointed information.
PROVOKE SOMEONE
When you provoke someone susceptible to your words, say what you’re trying to get
them to do and roll + Superior. For NPCs: on a 10+, they rise to the bait and do what you
want. On a 7-9, they can instead choose one:
they stumble: you take +1 forward against them
they err: you gain a critical opportunity
they overreact: you gain influence over them
For PCs: on a 10+, both. On a 7-9, choose one.
if they do it, add a Team to the pool
if they don’t do it, they mark a condition
Provoking someone is one of the main ways to make other characters do what
you want. This isn’t just straight up manipulation, though—provoking someone
isn’t about trying to convince them to do it, or offering them something they
want. It’s about pushing the right buttons to get them to do what you want.
Your words don’t have to match your intent, so long as you’re pressing the
right buttons.
PIERCE THE MASK
When you pierce someone’s mask to see the person
beneath, roll + Mundane. On a 10+, ask three. On a
7-9, ask one.
what are you really planning?
what do you want me to do?
what do you intend to do?
how could I get your character to ___?
how could I gain Influence over you?
Pierce the mask is for seeing who someone really is, beneath whatever facade
they present. It’s not just about literally seeing beneath someone’s mask; it’s
about understanding another person. It requires you to watch someone,
observe them, pick up on their body language and their emotions, to get a
read on who they really are. You don’t have to be talking with them to trigger
this move, but it’s easy to say you’re trying to pierce someone’s mask when
you’re talking to them.
TAKE A POWERFUL BLOW
When you take a powerful blow, roll + conditions marked. On a 10+, choose one:
you must remove yourself from the situation: flee, pass out, etc.
you lose control of yourself or your powers in a terrible way
two options from the 7-9 list
On a 7-9, choose one:
you lash out verbally: provoke a teammate to foolhardy action or take advantage of
your Influence to inflict a condition
you give ground; your opposition gets an opportunity
you struggle past the pain; mark two conditions
On a miss, you stand strong. Mark potential as normal, and say how you weather the
blow.
Taking a powerful blow is a move for when you get hit—hard. You’ll never
trigger this one intentionally. The GM always tells you when you need to
roll it. Most likely, you’ll get smacked during a fight—often as a result of a
directly engage—and the GM will tell you to take a powerful blow to see what
happens. You can take a powerful blow on an emotional level, too—getting
punched with a deep and terrible truth, maybe, or hearing someone you care
about utterly rip your heart to shreds.
