jaydude
Five Thousand Club
General How-To-Play
Assess a Situation
When you assess a situation, roll with Creativity. On a 7–9, ask one question. On a 10+, ask two. Take +1 ongoing when acting on the answers.- What here can I use to _______?
- Who or what is the biggest threat?
- What should I be on the lookout for?
- What’s my best way out/in/through?
- Who or what is in the greatest danger?
Guide and Comfort
When you try to honestly guide and comfort another person, roll with Harmony. On a hit, they choose one:- They embrace your guidance and comfort. They may clear a condition or 2-fatigue, and you may ask one question; they must answer honestly.
- They shut you down. They inflict a condition on you, and you shift their balance in response.
Help
When you take appropriate action to help a companion, mark 1-fatigue to give them a +1 to their roll (after the roll). You cannot help in a combat exchange in this way.Intimidate
When you intimidate an NPC into backing off or giving in, roll with Passion. On a hit, they choose one. On a 10+, first, you pick one they cannot choose.- They run to escape or get backup.
- They back down but keep watch.
- They give in with a few stipulations.
- They attack you, but off-balance; the GM marks a condition on them.
Plead
When you plead with an NPC who cares what you think for help, support, or action, roll with Harmony. On a 7–9, they need something more—evidence that this is the right course, guidance in making the right choices, or resources to aid them—before they act; the GM tells you what they need. On a 10+, they act now and do their best until the situation changes.Push Your Luck
When you push your luck in a risky situation, say what you want to do and roll with Passion. On a hit, you do it, but it costs you to scrape by; the GM tells you what it costs you. On a 10+, your boldness pays off despite the cost; the GM tells you what other lucky opportunity falls in your lap.Rely on Your Skills & Training
When you rely on your skills and training to overcome an obstacle, gain new insight, or perform a familiar custom, roll with Focus. On a hit, you do it. On a 7–9, you do it imperfectly— the GM tells you how your approach might lead to unexpected consequences; accept those consequences or mark 1-fatigue.Trick
When you trick an NPC, roll with Creativity. On a hit, they fall for it and do what you want for the moment. On a 7–9, pick one. On a 10+, pick two.- They stumble; take +1 forward to acting against them.
- They act foolishly; the GM tells you what additional opportunity they give you.
- They overcommit; they are deceived for some time.
Live Up to Your Principle
When you take action in accordance with the values of a principle, mark 1-fatigue to roll with that principle instead of whatever stat you would normally roll.Call Someone Out
When you openly call on someone to live up to their principle, shift your balance away from center, then name and roll with their principle. On a hit, they are called to act as you say; they must either do it or mark a condition. On a 7–9, they challenge your view of the world in turn; mark 1-fatigue or they shift your balance as they choose. On a miss, they can demand you act in accordance with one of your principles instead; mark a condition or act as they request.Deny a Callout
When you deny an NPC calling on you to live up to your principle, roll with that principle. On a hit, act as they say or mark 1-fatigue. On a 10+, their words hit hard; you must also shift your balance towards the called-on principle. On a miss, you stand strong; clear a condition, clear 1-fatigue, or shift your balance, your choice.Resist Shifting Your Balance
When you resist an NPC shifting your balance, roll. On a hit, you maintain your current balance in spite of their words or deeds. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7–9, choose one.- Clear a condition or mark growth by immediately acting to prove them wrong
- Shift your balance towards the opposite principle
- Learn what their principle is (if they have one); if you already know, take +1 forward against them
Lose Your Balance
If your balance shifts past the end of the track, you lose your balance. You obsess over that principle to a degree that’s not healthy for you or anyone around you. Choose one of the following:- Give in or submit to your opposition
- Lose control of yourself in a destructive and harmful way
- Take an extreme action in line with the principle, then flee
- Afraid: Take -2 to intimidate and call someone out. Clear by running from danger or difficulty.
- Angry: Take -2 to guide and comfort and assess a situation. Clear by breaking something important or lashing out at a friend.
- Guilty: Take -2 to push your luck and deny a callout. Clear by making a personal sacrifice to absolve your guilt.
- Insecure: Take -2 to trick and resist shifting your balance. Clear by taking foolhardy action without talking to your companions.
- Troubled: take -2 to plead and rely on your skills or training. Clear by seeking guidance from a mentor or powerful figure.
At the end of each session, each player answers the following questions:
- Did you learn something challenging, exciting, or complicated about the world?
- Did you stop a dangerous threat or solve a community problem?
- Did you guide a companion towards balance or end the session at your center?
Combat
- The GM chooses an approach for each NPC or group of NPCs in the exchange; the GM keeps their choice secret.
- Each player of a PC in the exchange chooses an approach for their character. If multiple players have PCs in the exchange, they can talk and coordinate. Their choices can be public, but if the PCs oppose each other, they keep their choices secret and reveal in the next step.
- The GM reveals what they chose for each NPC, and PCs opposing each other reveal their previously secret approaches.
- All combatants who chose defend and maneuver resolve their approach.
- All combatants who chose advance and attack resolve their approach.
- All combatants who chose evade and observe resolve their approach.
- All characters who lost their balance or were taken out now resolve those results.
FOR PCs
When you resolve your approach, roll with the appropriate stat:- Defend and maneuver rolls with Focus
- Advance and attack rolls with Passion
- Evade and observe rolls with Creativity or Harmony, the PC’s choice
- Mark 1-fatigue to use a learned technique
- Use one practiced technique
- Use two basic or mastered techniques
FOR NPCs
NPCs always use a number of techniques equal to 1+ their balance rating, chosen by the GM.- The full effects of a character being taken out or losing their balance resolve outside of fight exchanges.
- When a PC is taken out, they are unable to act any more. The exact details of how they are taken out can be set up outside of fight exchanges—but almost always, a PC being taken out is a golden opportunity for the GM to make another move.
- After an exchange ends, there is no requirement to go right into another exchange.
- If multiple combatants want to keep fighting, then another exchange ensues. This also covers situations in which one side wants to only defend or evade.
- If only one combatant (or one side of combatants) wants to keep fighting—to the extent that their targets won’t even resist incoming blows—then no exchange is needed; the attackers simply inflict fatigue or conditions on their targets.
- If no combatants are engaging each other, then there’s no need for an exchange at all!
- If all combatants on one side of the conflict are defeated, unable to continue fighting in any way, then no more exchanges are needed!
Some techniques within a combat exchange assign statuses to characters based on the fiction, such as a character getting Trapped by ice or metal. Techniques may assign the following:
Negative Statuses
- Doomed: You’re in grave danger—mark 1-fatigue every few seconds (or each exchange) until you free yourself.
- Impaired: You’re slowed or off-balance—mark 1-fatigue or take a -2 to all physical actions (PCs) / choose one fewer technique (NPCs).
- Trapped: You’re completely helpless— you must mark a combination of 3-fatigue or conditions to escape.
- Stunned: You’re caught off-guard—you can’t act or respond for a few seconds until you steady yourself.
Positive Statuses
- Empowered: Your abilities are naturally stronger in this moment—clear 1-fatigue at the end of each exchange.
- Favored: You’re buoyed by circumstance— choose an additional basic or mastered technique in the next exchange, even on a miss.
- Inspired: You’re ready to stand for something—clear Inspired to shift your balance toward a principle of your choice.
- Prepared: You’re ready for what’s coming— clear Prepared to take +1 to an appropriate roll (after the roll) or avoid marking a condition.