REFEREE THE GAME
REFEREE’S PERSPECTIVE
BRETT (playing Sneeky Peet): “I sneak up slowly on the camp, taking care to watch out for lookouts or patrols.”
ANDY (the Game Referee) takes a look at her notes. There are six mercenaries here - a gnome silently patrolling in the underbrush, and five others relaxing in the firelight. Sneeky Peet’s a good infiltrator, but will he be good enough? We’ll find out…
“Roll a Stealth Challenge, Brett - you’re being opposed, so just tell me the result.”
BRETT: “Crap, okay… 1d10 for Talent and 2d8 for Training… 15!”
ANDY: “Very nice….
Andy rolls Observation for the silent patroller - 1d8 for Talent and 2d8 for Training result in an 11! Though both Peet and the patroller are equally trained and talented, Peet got the drop on him. Andy takes note of where the patrolling merc actually is right now and moves the scene along.
“Okay, Peet slides up to just outside the campfire’s ring of light; it doesn’t appear as though anyone has noticed him… There are four - no, wait, five people there - mercenaries by the look of them. A tall human is tending to his equipment, and an imposing-looking drakkhozhn is telling a ribald story to her comrades in a deep, resonant voice. The others are sitting and eating with their backs to you - there’s a pot over the campfire they dip into for seconds.”
BRETT: “Could one of them be the goblin we’re looking for?”
ANDY: One of the mercs is definitely the goblin they’re looking for, but there’s no way Peet can be sure from his current position. Andy smirks to herself: Peet will probably move around to get a better look, but the longer Peet observes, the more likely the goblin’s dog will be able to smell him…
What follows are rules for game referees, with instructions on how to make good rules judgements, methods to build adventures and monsters quickly and easily in the Monster and Adventure Labs, and some examples to get you started.
| CHAPTER | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| CAMPAIGN DESIGN | There’s more to a campaign than how many dice you roll to build a Character, whether you’re a deep worldbuilder or just looking for an idea for a one-shot. Worldbuilding methods, including the Map Lab, the Faction Lab, and the Story Lab should give you a few good places to start. |
| SESSION DESIGN | Planning for each session is important, but it doesn’t have to take you hours. Using session design tools like the Adventure Lab, the Item Lab, and the Monster Lab will give you |
| SESSION OPS | You’re running the session and it’s all gone amok! These operational guidelines will help you get things back on track - whether you’re bringing your party back to the rails, or building them entirely new ones to follow. Building Challenges, conducting Combat, Creating Procedural Content and Results vs. Consequences are all covered here. |
| BUILDING CHALLENGES | A primer on specifically how Aspects and Qualities help you when you’re trying to get something done - or when someone’s trying to stop you! |
| CONDUCTING COMBAT | Dig into each of the playable species, learn their strengths and weaknesses, and understand how to choose one based on your Character concept. |
| THE ADVENTURE LAB | Picking a Background informs not just game mechanics, but your Character’s backstory and lived experiences to date. |
| MONSTER LAB | Choosing Abilities is the meat of the game - Abilities determine the things your Character can do and how well they can do them. |
| SESSION PLANNING | Challenges are how you’ll roll dice to determine your Character’s success or failure, whether in a tavern or on a battlefield. |
| SESSION RUNNING | Learn about Experience, how to upgrade Aspects, Qualities, and Abilities, and other ways to progress your Character. |
| GRANTING EXPERIENCE |