Outcomes

After the die is cast and any modifiers added, the total is compared to the challenge level to determine the outcome. The Facilitator will summarize the outcome by explaining if the challenge level is overcome or not and how the situation has changed. Then the acting player will narrate the details of their action. Players have control over the narration of their successes and their failures. The Facilitator and other players can offer suggestions, but the final decision is up to the acting player. 

Facilitator Summary

• Was the challenge completely or partially overcome? 
• If it was overcome, how has the situation changed?
• If it wasn’t overcome, how has the situation changed and what challenge remains?
• Be sure to consider the player’s story elements and approach in your summary.

Player Narration

• Based on the Facilitator’s summary, what did your action look like?
• If you did not succeed, what caused you to fail to overcome the challenge?
• If you took Strain or Conditions, what caused them?
• If other heroes assisted, let the players narrate their part of the action.
• Be sure to incorporate your Approach and any Story Elements you used in your narration.

Outcomes

Meet the CL

• If the total is within the CL range exactly, the action succeeds at a cost.
• The hero succeeds in their goal, but takes one point of Strain.
• The acting player will narrate their action and how the strain occurred.

Beat the CL

• If the total is greater than the CL range, the action succeeds.
• The more levels you beat the CL by, the better the outcome.
• • Beat the CL by 1, the Action succeeds as planned, with no Strain taken.
  • Beat the CL by 2, the Action succeeds, plus choose +1 Game Changer or -1 Strain
  • Beat the CL by 3, the  Action succeeds, plus choose +1 Game Changer or -2 Strain
  • Beat the CL by 4 and it's an Epic Success! 

Miss the CL

• If the total is less than the CL range, the action fails.
• The hero does not reach their goal and the challenge, or part of it, remains in some way.
• The more levels you miss the CL by, the worse the outcome.
• • Miss the CL by 1, the Action fails and the hero takes 2 Strain
  • Miss the CL by 2, the Action fails and the hero takes 3 Strain
  • Miss the CL by 3, the Action fails and the hero takes 4 Strain
  • Miss the CL by 4 and it's an Epic Failure! 

EPIC OUTCOMES

• Describe your outcome in a more epic way
• Epic Success ✦ -2 Strain + GM removes a complication
• Epic Failure ✦ New Condition + GM adds a complication

Facilitator Tips for Outcomes

• Your job is to quickly summarize the outcome and then give players the spotlight to narrate.
• There is no retrying a roll for the exact same action.
• Every dice roll will change the situation. You will say how it is changed before moving on.
• Be creative when adding complications and remember that they can happen “off-screen”

Complications

The Facilitator will add narrative challenges to a scene to make things more difficult for the heroes. These are typically barriers, obstacles or opponents that stand in the way of the heroes reaching their objectives. Although it is the Facilitator’s job to make the game interesting and not too easy for the heroes, complications are additional things that can come up to cause problems. They may also happen when a hero is taken down (receiving their fourth Condition) or if they get an Epic Failure on their action, a natural 1 on the D20.

Complications can be things that change the situation, making things harder or more complex. They may also be things that happen “off-screen” that the heroes are not aware of. Things like hidden traps, enemy reinforcements, magical wards protecting doors, etc. The Facilitator can choose what makes the most sense and doesn’t have to tell the players about it until it comes up in the narrative, but they may hint at it to cause some suspense.

There are times when the Facilitator will remove conditions, or make things easier for the heroes. This happens when a player rolls an Epic success on an Action Roll or if someone does something in game that would logically remove the complication. When this happens, the Facilitator can choose how the complication is removed and works it into the story and narration.

When a complication is directly addressed by a hero, meaning the player is actively trying to have their hero overcome it, the complication is converted into a challenge and the Facilitator handles it the same as any other challenge, choosing a type of challenge and setting a CL. The hero(s) will make action rolls to try and overcome it. If they succeed, the complication is removed.