During play, things can get intense. Some rolls are all but impossible, death can be all too close, defeat imminent! At times like these, the extremes of the game are your only chance, so know them well.
Negotiation
Characters often get themselves into terrible situations of danger and limited time. When this happens, rolls can become prohibitively difficult. This is a time to negotiate with the GM, seeking environmental or strategic elements that can soften the difficulty. Don’t be shy! “The wall isn’t climbable? Can I lean one of these desks against it for a boost?”
Critical Success and Failure
Extreme successes and failures are called critical or ‘crits.’
A d20 roll of 20 scores a critical success, and a 1 a critical failure.
Each of these rolls will create a maximal version of success or failure. Critical successes overcome impossible odds, grant extra time, or defy belief. Critical failures cost precious equipment, accelerate destructive environments, or lend advantages to foes. “It’s a crit! Not only do you leap the creek, your pursuer falls in!”
However, a critical failure can also be an optimal learning method.
Whenever you roll a Skill Check and critically fail, and have enough points to spend, you can Meditate or Train, in that skill.
- Train (1 pt) — Increase the skill Modifier by +1. Gain 1 Health Card.
- Study (2 pt) — Increase the skill Modifier by +1. Gain 1 Energy Card.
Inspiration
Acts of heroism or astounding play are rewarded by the GM with an Inspiration. You can consume it to: Re-roll any roll entirely.
Also:
- Hero Coins can be freely given between players.
- A player may only have 1 Inspiration at a time.
“We need this attack to be huge… we’re out of options! Use my Inspiration!”
Meta-Gaming
In an effort to overcome or outwit the odds, players may find themselves ‘meta-gaming,’ that is, using their overall knowledge of game mechanics to exploit details or loopholes.
This has two forms, one good, one bad. The good kind of meta-game means players use deep knowledge of items and mechanics to maximize their chances. The bad kind (often called ‘cheesing’) employs hard-to-believe or flimsy methods to make things easy or gimp the game. Leaping from a rock to earn a deadly attack? Great. Padding your hero with ham sandwiches to absorb attrition? Not very cool.