the conversation: roleplaying, moves and dice #

fantasypunk is played as a kind of conversation where everyone involved takes part in creating a Tale by adding something to take it into fun and interesting directions.

What makes it different from any casual conversation is the unique boundaries provided by the social layer, the narrative layer, and the abstract layer of this conversation.

Most times, the conversation revolves around a cycle that starts with the GM describing a situation, the Brincante acting or reacting to it on behalf of their Bearers, and the GM describing how the situation changed.

Sometimes the Bearers choose to do something bold, take a risk, raise the stakes, face opposition… or most likely just do something cool to see what happens, which usually results in asking the dice in what direction the Tale should go.

making moves #

Moves represent rules that trigger short procedures with somewhat concise or well-defined outcomes.

Once a Move is triggered, all you have to do is follow its procedure, asking and answering any questions honestly, and interpreting any open ended prompts.

You can also make some moves just because you want to stir the pot, or just because; whatever you feel like in the moment.

Every Brincante has access to the Core Moves, which summarize most relevant ways they and their characters influence the fiction: role playing, trying things, adding elements to the narrative, and luring others to add elements to the narrative.

Additionally, all Players, including the GM, have access to Care Moves, rules that encourage and promote attention to safety for the whole Group.

Follow up Moves come into play as a result of another move, while Intervention Moves allow characters to help or hinder others.

rolling dice #

Whe you need to roll the dice, you will roll one or more six sided dice. We’ll call them d6.

Most times you will pool together a number of d6 provided by your Traits, Burdens, situational modifiers, and so on, roll them all, then keep the highest two results, adding them together.

• Start with 1d6 from a Trait ( ), 2d6 from a Striving Trait (+) and no dice from a Struggling Trait (-);
• You get +1d6 from Relying on your Burdens;
• You get +1d6 from a +1 Forward or a +1 Ongoing. Having both won’t stack;
• You get +1d6 when you Start Uneven (See basic moves);
• Other things may give you more dice.

If you don’t get enough dice to roll at least 2d6 when you make a move, you should just consider it a miss, or maybe reconsider your approach.

hits and misses #

See the results and outcomes from rolling a 2d6 dice roll. When in doubt, use the third column to help you interpret the result of a move.

Not all moves have a specific effect for a Critical Hit. In those cases, interpret it as a Solid Hit.

the burden die #

When you roll a Burden Die, keep track of its result, regardless of whether you add it to the final roll or not.

Compare it with the Weight of the Burden you just relied on. If you rolled under it, that Burden becomes too heavy to bear. Otherwise, heighten that Burden, increasing its Weight by 1.

Tip: always count the die that falls further away from you, or use a die of a different colour or size, or always count the first die you roll in the pool as the Burden Die.

personal pool #

When you start the session, take 1d6 for every Player present, including yourself. That is your Personal Pool.

Use it to have a say, adding or elaboriting aspects of the Tale, or to offer help when another Bearer takes a chance.

party pool #

When any Brincante uses a die from their Personal Pool, those dice go to the Party Pool.

The Party Pool is a collective pool of dice to be used when the Bearers make a group effort.