Follow RPG

a game about working together or falling apart, by Ben Robbins
Copyright © 2017 by Ben Robbins
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be copied in any form without the
express written permission of the author.
Written by Ben Robbins
Edited by Carole Robbins
Cover Art by Al Lukehart
Published by Lame Mage Productions
www.lamemage.com
First Edition 2017
ISBN 978-0-9832779-3-4
Dedicated to my sister, Jooke,
my original partner in crime
BEFORE YOU PLAY QUESTS
the Bomb ........................................................... 41
the Booty ........................................................... 43
START
the Breakthrough ............................................ 45
Pick Our Quest ................................................... 8
the Candidate .................................................. 47
What Makes Our Quest Difficult? ............... 10
the Championship .......................................... 49
Our Fellowship ................................................. 11
the Colony ......................................................... 51
Who Are You? ................................................... 13
the Cure ............................................................. 53
Want: From the Quest .................................... 14
the Dragon ........................................................ 55
Want: From You................................................ 15
the Gods ............................................................ 57
Minor Character .............................................. 16
the Heist ............................................................ 59
the Movement ................................................. 61
PLAY the Posse ........................................................... 63
Start a Challenge ............................................. 20 the Raid .............................................................. 65
Say Why It’s Difficult ............................................. 21 the Rebellion .................................................... 67
Pick First Player ...................................................... 21
the Show............................................................ 69
Set Pace .................................................................... 21
the Siege ............................................................ 71
Scenes ................................................................ 22
the Superheroes .............................................. 73
Make Your Scene: Who, What, Where .............. 23
Framing a Good Scene ........................................ 24 the Turf ............................................................... 75
Play and See What Happens .............................. 26
Consequences ........................................................ 27
End the Scene......................................................... 28
DISCUSSION
Your Quest Is to Play Together .................... 80
Finish the Challenge ...................................... 29
First & Second Challenge Draw ......................... 30
Pitfalls of Planning .......................................... 81
Third Challenge Draw .......................................... 31 Two-Player Games .......................................... 82
Describe the Outcome......................................... 32 Longer Three-Player Games......................... 82
Losing Characters & Betrayal ............................. 33 Harder Quests .................................................. 82
Breaking the Fellowship ................................ 34 Epic Quests ....................................................... 83
Rejecting the Challenge ................................ 34
Failure Does Not Stop You ............................ 35
Losing Characters: Kill Your Darlings ......... 35 AFTERWORD
Epilogue............................................................. 36 Inspirations ....................................................... 88
Thanks ................................................................ 88
Playtesters ......................................................... 89
MATERIALS
Lists of Names .................................................. 90
Quest List........................................................... 91
Reference Sheet .............................................. 92
4
Before You Play
Follow requires no preparation and no game master to run it. You can play
a whole quest in a single session and there’s enough variety that you can
play again and again and have a new experience every time. You’ll need:
Three to five players
Two to three hours (longer with more players)
Stones in two different colors, about a dozen of each.
They’re called red and white in the text, but any two
distinct colors work. They can be poker chips, dice, or
playing cards, so long as they are the same size and
shape so you can’t tell them apart by touch.
A cup, bag or envelope to draw stones from. Or just close
your eyes.
About a dozen index cards
Pens or pencils
What if you have nothing to use as stones? The simplest solution is just to
tear up little squares of paper (half an inch or less), mark some with an X for
red, and leave the others blank for white. They won’t be exactly the same,
but the average person won’t be able to tell them apart by touch if they
draw them from a cup.
5
START
Follow is a game about working together to achieve a common goal. Slay
the dragon. Cure a disease. Overthrow a tyrant. Get your candidate elected.
We’ll pick a quest together to decide what kind of game we want to play.
Can we stay united and succeed, or will our differences tear us apart? We’ll
play and find out.
Follow isn’t about us coming up with the best plan or a clever solution.
It’s about seeing what these characters do, for better or worse. We may
even intentionally make bad choices because they seem like decisions our
characters would make.
But even if we do everything perfectly, our quest may fail. As players we can
push for the outcome we want to see, but we cannot guarantee it. Our story
may surprise us, and that’s part of the fun.
(read this page aloud to introduce the game)

start
Pick Our Quest

First, we’ll decide what quest we want to tackle. If you’re new to Follow, start
with one of these four. Read the descriptions aloud, then decide as a group
which one you want to play.
The quest is the framework for your whole game, so don’t settle for one
someone at your table dislikes. If you want more choices, there are
additional quests in the back of the book.
the Colony
Build a colony and make it flourish
the Dragon
Slay the beast that terrorizes the realm
the Heist
Get the loot and don’t get caught
the Rebellion
Overthrow our oppressors
After you’ve picked, flip to the matching page in the QUESTS chapter.
Read the introduction on the “Start” side aloud and then answer the
questions together to customize your quest. You’ll need to refer to the
quest page frequently as you proceed, so use an index card as a bookmark.
(a sample quest is displayed on the next page)
8
the Cure
We must cure this terrible disease. We are the doctors, researchers, lab workers, and
administrators working on a solution.
CUSTOMIZE OUR QUEST TOGETHER

What’s the disease? Is it an illness that has vexed humanity for decades or a
virulent new plague? Is it deadly or just debilitating? Give it a name.
Where do we work? Are we part of a research institute, pharmaceutical
company, government agency, university, or hospital?
WHAT MAKES OUR QUEST DIFFICULT? (PICK TWO)

1 | The disease is very contagious so treating or testing it is dangerous.
2 | It’s spreading fast, so we’re racing against the clock.
3 | Many don’t believe it can be cured or that we can succeed.
4 | Regulations and restrictions hamper us.
5 | We don’t have the best people or facilities.
6 | Few care about the afflicted. They’re poor, discriminated against, or far away.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | renowned doctor 5 | research director 9 | financial backer
2 | by-the-book doctor 6 | administrator 10 | political backer
3 | unorthodox doctor 7 | liaison 11 | media relations
4 | lab assistant 8 | security officer 12 | patient / subject
WHAT I WANT FROM THE QUEST

1 | Wealth. We should profit from our work, not give it away.
2 | Access. Everyone should have access to our cure. It’s for the greater good.
3 | Fame. We should get credit for our work.
4 | Speed. The sooner we deliver a cure, the better.
5 | Safety. We shouldn’t endanger patients.
6 | Protect Family. A loved one has the disease. Who is it?
WHAT I WANT FROM YOU, BUT YOU WON’T GIVE ME

1 | Support. My research, radical ideas, authority, or position here.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives or my ideas.
3 | Forgiveness. For undermining you, overlooking you, or the damage I caused.
4 | Revenge. For sabotaging, upstaging, or overlooking me.
5 | Protection. Shield me from the powers that be, or conceal my mistakes (or
let me protect you).
6 | Love. Return my affections (or forget about me).
A LT E R N AT E S E T T I N G S
Zombie infection. Medieval monks fighting plague. Wizards breaking a curse. Alien
spores. Cold War bacterial weapons. Cyber-virus that afflicts people with implants.
Hackers stopping an internet virus that affects computers, not people.
S TA R T
start
What Makes Our Quest

Difficult?
As a group, brainstorm two things that make our quest difficult. Take
examples from the quest sheet or make up your own.
Difficulties get everyone on the same page about what stands in our way.
They may inspire the challenges we confront later on or just tell us more
about the world and the situation we’re in.
Write your difficulties down on an index card. You can put the title of your
fellowship, quest or community on the top, if appropriate.
SUICIDE RIDGE
1) The warlords are well-armed
2) Morale is low
10
start
Our Fellowship
The group of characters working together to complete the quest is called
the fellowship. We’ll each have two characters: a main character and a
minor character. Both are part of the fellowship, but our story is about our
main characters.
As you make your characters, complete each step together and discuss
your choices so everyone knows what the other members of the fellowship
are like. When you pick details about your character, you’re telling the other
players those are the themes you want to explore in the game.
Follow the steps on the next page to prepare cards for your characters. The
result should look like this:
WANT from the Quest
WANT from You
<
MAIN MINOR
CHARACTER CHARACTER
11
To prepare cards for your main and minor characters:
Each player takes an index card. Fold the long edge in
half, then fold one of those halves into a tent with the
other half of the card lying flat on the table. This will be
your main character.
Turn the card so the tent is nearer to you and the flat
half towards the other players. Draw a horizontal line
dividing the flat part of the card into two sections. Write
WANT from the Quest at the top of the upper section
and WANT from You at the top of the bottom section.
Draw an arrow pointing left on the left side of the “Want
from You” section.
Take more index cards, cut or tear them in half, and give
each player a half card. Fold it into a tent so it matches
your first card. This will be your minor character.
12
start
Who Are You?

What’s your main character’s role in the fellowship? Pick from the list on the
quest sheet or make one up. You must be part of the fellowship, and you
must want to succeed at the quest (though that might change later on).
Pick a name for your character. There are lists of sample names in the back
of the book if you need inspiration. If you can’t think of a name right now,
just continue to the next step and come back to your name later.
Write the name and concept on both sides of the tented section of your
main character card.
13
start
Want: From the Quest

We all want the quest to succeed, but what does your main character
want from the quest? It could be something you would get out of our
success or how you want us to fulfill the quest. Or to put it another way,
why are you on the quest? Pick from the examples on the quest sheet or
make up your own.
Our quest is to cure a disease. One character is in it for
the fame. They want credit for the breakthrough. Another
character wants the cure to be available to everyone.
That’s how they want the fellowship to carry out the quest.
No two characters should want exactly the same thing. If you choose the
same thing, discuss until you find the difference that sets you apart.
Don’t worry about picking the perfect answer. Just grab something
that makes sense to you and run with it. This is a starting point for your
character, but as you play you might get what you want, give up or move
on to entirely new things before the quest is over.
Write your choice in the “Want from the Quest” section of your main
character card. Keep it short and write in big letters so it’s easy to read.
14
start
Want: From You

Your main character starts off with a difficult relationship with the character
to your left. Pick something you want from them that’s important to
you but which they are unwilling to give you. Choose from the examples
on the quest sheet or make up your own. Discuss with the other player
to flesh out the details. Why do they refuse? Is there history between your
characters? What do you think of each other?
Your choice tells the other player what kind of tension you want to have
between your characters. It should be something both players are happy
with and interested in exploring even if the characters hate it.
In our Dragon quest, I decide my young lord wants (and
is not getting) respect from the character to my left. They
are not giving my noble rank the deference it deserves.
The other player is all for it. We discuss why. Do they just
resent the aristocracy? No, the other player suggests
the issue is the legitimacy of my family title specifically.
We agree there are rumors my character’s grandfather
committed nefarious deeds to take the title from his elder
brother. My character is outraged, but as a player, I love it.
Write your choice in the “Want from You” section of your main character
card. Keep it short and write in big letters so it’s easy to read.
The player to your right will also pick something they want from you, giving
you a second relationship which they will write on their card. Just like what
you want from the quest, these are only starting points for your character.
They may change or be abandoned as you play.
15
start
Minor Character
Next, each player makes their minor character who is also part of the
fellowship. Just pick a concept, a name, and give a brief description. Don’t
create wants.
Our minor characters are supporting cast, and some of them will almost
certainly be lost if our quest takes difficult turns. A good choice is to make
a character who is connected to one of the main characters across the
table from you or who would mostly interact with them. Avoid making a
minor character who would primarily interact with your own main character
so you don’t wind up needing to talk to yourself.
Write your name and concept on both sides of the minor character card.
We’re now ready to play.
WANT from the Quest
Full pardon
WANT from You
< Uncover source

of your powers
reformed supervillain government liaison

Doctor Steel Agent Lila Thomson

reformed supervillain government liaison
MAIN MINOR
CHARACTER CHARACTER
16
Table Layout (Four-Player Game)
QUEST TITLE
1) …
2) …
WHAT MAKES OUR

QUEST DIFFICULT CHALLENGES
MAIN MINOR
17
PLAY
To complete the quest, our fellowship will face three challenges. We won’t
know what challenges will confront us at the start. We’ll only know as they
arise.
Each challenge is something we need to do to move closer to our goal. If we
succeed at a challenge, we are more likely to succeed at the quest. If we fail
(or ignore or refuse the challenge), it doesn’t mean the quest immediately
fails, but it makes it harder for us to win in the end.
You must pick challenges from the quest sheet, but your choices, and the
order you put them in, define the flavor of your game. Two sessions using
the same quest might follow completely different arcs. Do we start our
Heist assembling a team and figuring out how to get into the vault, or do
we start with the loot already in hand and spend the rest of the game trying
to get away? Do we spend our scenes scheming and planning or running
around, guns blazing? We won’t know until we play.
For each of the three rounds, we follow the same steps:
Pick our challenge and describe why it is difficult.
Play scenes to explore how our characters deal with the
challenge and each other.
Draw stones to see if the fellowship succeeds or fails at
the challenge and whether any of our characters were
lost or betrayed the fellowship.
The third challenge is different. Its outcome determines the success or
failure of the entire quest, but our wins or loses in the first two challenges
will influence our chances of victory.
After the third challenge is resolved and we’ve seen whether the fellowship
succeeded at the quest, we’ll play a short epilogue to look at the characters’
lives after the quest. After all was said and done, was the quest was worth
it to them?
play
Start a Challenge
Choose a player to pick the next challenge. It must be someone who has
not picked one already.
That person selects a challenge from the quest sheet. Picking a challenge
establishes that it is the next important step we need to take in our quest.
You must pick a challenge from the quest sheet, but you can pick any
challenge that you think is appropriate even one that has already been
used. When in doubt, just ask yourself: what would we need to do next?
If this is the third challenge, you’re establishing the final task that, after
everything that has happened, we must complete to finish the quest.
Copy your first challenge from the quest sheet to the top third of an index
card along with the name of the player who picked it. Each additional
challenge will fill another third of this card, creating a record of your quest.
X Get a spy on
the inside
(Cat)
Hide from a
manhunt
(Dennis)
20
Say Why It’s Difficult
The player who picked the challenge describes the problem that confronts
the fellowship and fleshes out the situation. Tell us what makes the
challenge difficult and why we need to do it, but do not say anything
about how the fellowship will solve the problem: leave that for scenes.
Our quest is to get our candidate elected, and our
new challenge is to handle accusations of personal
misconduct. The player picking the challenge says it’s
difficult because there are stacks of pictures showing
our candidate on romantic dinners with the husband
of her campaign manager. And hotel receipts. And text
messages. We’ve got our work cut out for us.
Pick First Player

The player who picked the challenge chooses which main character they
think would be the first to decide how to deal with this problem (you
cannot pick your own character). Just consider who in the fellowship would
take the lead for this problem. Their player will make the first scene.
Set Pace
As a group, decide how long we envision this challenge taking: minutes,
hours, days, weeks, months, or years. This gets everyone on the same page
about how much time your scenes will encompass.
Our challenge is to lay low after our heist. Our scenes
could cover only a few hours, with characters staying out
of sight while police comb the area, or we could spend
weeks hiding out in crummy motels, waiting for the heat
to blow over. Likewise, a getaway could be a single car
chase or an elaborate manhunt spanning months. It’s up
to us.
21
play
Scenes
Each player makes one scene for the challenge. The person chosen by the
player who picked the challenge makes the first scene, followed by the
player on their left, then around the table clockwise. Make, play, and finish
each scene before starting the next.
Scenes are the meat of the game, and your scene is your spotlight time.
It’s your chance to explore your relationship to other characters in the
fellowship, what you think about the quest, and what you are doing to deal
with the challenge.
Use your scenes to lay the groundwork and put our plans in motion. But no
matter what happens, we won’t know if we succeed or fail at the challenge
until after everyone has made a scene. We may think things are going well
or poorly, but we won’t learn the outcome until we get to the climax.
22
Make Your Scene: Who, What, Where
To make your scene, say who is there, where it’s happening, and what is
going on. It is more important to describe a situation that is clear to all the
players than one that is particularly novel or interesting.
Your scene should be about your main character.
Other characters may be present as well, but this is your
time. Do not include your own minor character.
Two to three characters per scene is ideal. Every
player does not have to be in every scene. Normally you
include other characters from the fellowship, but you
can also invent outside characters if you need to and ask
people to play them.
If you need an idea for your scene, just pick someone you think it would
be interesting for your character to talk to about what is going on, frame a
scene with them, and see where it goes. Pick someone whose relationship
with your character you understand so you know how to talk to them even
if it’s someone your character hates. If you still can’t think of anything, ask
for suggestions.
23
Framing a Good Scene
A game scene is like a scene in a movie: we see a situation, interesting things
happen, then we cut to the next bit when the interesting part is over. But
since we’re all simultaneously co-writers and audience, each of us might
have our own idea about what we think should happen in a scene, and we
won’t know what will actually unfold until we play.
When you frame your scene, your job is to paint a clear picture so
everyone can visualize the situation. If we’re all on the same page about
where we are and what’s going on, playing our characters and making
interesting things happen is easy. If the environment is hazy or confusing,
it’s much harder.
Who’s In the Scene?

Your main character must be present, but you can include any other
characters you want even characters who are not part of the fellowship. You
are free to make people up on the spot. Avoid including your own minor
character so you don’t talk to yourself.
Fewer characters leads to better, tighter role-playing. Two or three
characters per scene is usually ideal. With more people, you can lose focus
and get bogged down. Save big group meetings for when you absolutely
need them. Even if characters would logically be present, you can make a
scene that doesn’t include them. They have stepped out for the moment or
are otherwise occupied.
The entire team is marching through the jungle single-file,
but the player describes two characters having a private
conversation just out of earshot of their companions.
24
Where Are We?
Describe a physical location. You don’t need a lot of detail, but everyone
should be able to visualize where the scene is taking place. The clearer the
environment, the easy it is to role-play. Never play a scene in a vacuum.
A scene also doesn’t have to take place right after the action in the last
scene. Depending on the pace you picked for the challenge, you can jump
to much later and somewhere else entirely.
“We’re lost in the jungle and the sun is going down.”
“We’re at the foot of the wizard’s tower. The doors loom
before us, portals of brass graven with arcane sigils.”
“We’re locked in the king’s dungeon.”
What’s Going On?

What are the characters doing here? Why do they think they’re here?
Sometimes it’s obvious. If it isn’t, spell it out. Understanding what the
characters expect to be doing makes it much easier to role-play.
“We’re searching for supplies.”
“You’ve called me in for a status report.”
“I’m drawing a magic circle to bind the jinn.”
Your scene does not have to be a situation your character created. You could
describe being called in for a meeting or your character getting ambushed.
It’s important that the “what is going on” may not be what the scene will be
about at all. It’s just the superficial reason the characters are here. We were
searching the bunker for supplies, but now that we’re alone, it’s a great
chance to confess your true feelings.
25
Play and See What Happens
Once the scene is set up, start role-playing. If you’re in the scene, say what
your character does, says, and thinks. Play and see what happens.
Each player controls the fate of their characters. If you want to do something
to another player’s character, describe your action and your intended effect,
then the player controlling that character decides the outcome.
You want to disobey orders and sneak out of camp to
plant the explosives, but another character is keeping an
eye on you. You describe distracting them momentarily
and then clubbing them on the head with the intent of
knocking them out. The other player could say it works,
or they could say their character twists out of the way and
now you’re wrestling in the dirt. Or they could say that you
hit them a little too hard and they might not wake up…
Don’t be afraid to let bad things happen to your characters if it sounds
interesting to you. Even if your main character dies or abandons the
fellowship, you always get a new character to play (described in the “Losing
Characters & Betrayal” section).
Never describe succeeding or failing at the challenge in a scene. We
won’t know if we win or lose until after all the scenes have been played.
If someone makes it sound like we have already succeeded or failed at the
challenge, we must also show how that is not the final outcome.
The player making the scene has final say over who is present. No one can
enter the scene without their permission.
26
Consequences
If someone thinks you described your character succeeding at something
too easily, they can add a consequence and describe how your action
put another player’s character in danger or difficulty. The consequence
may be something you didn’t want and could not have foreseen, but it’s a
side-effect of your action nonetheless.
Anyone can add a consequence, not just players in the scene. If you’re
making the consequence, you can put your own character in danger
however you want. But if you want to have the consequence fall on
someone else’s character, describe your idea, then adjust or negotiate until
that player approves since they have final control over their character.
You describe cutting through the enemy line and slaying
the Rebel-King. Another person thinks that’s a little too
easy, so they say the consequence is that the squire who
was riding with you, another member of the fellowship, is
left behind, surrounded, and captured. The squire’s player
asks for the character to be badly injured instead. The
consequence-maker agrees.
Consequences are a tool to make sure everyone stays on the same page
about what is possible in your story and to avoid down-playing the difficulty
the fellowship faces. In some games you won’t need consequences at all.
You can even ask for someone to describe a consequence for something
you do to invite their input and add drama.
27
End the Scene
When in doubt, end your scene earlier rather than later. Shorter scenes are
better than longer scenes. The player making the scene has final say over
when to end the scene, but anyone can suggest that it’s time to cut.
How do you know when your scene has done enough? Every scene should
advance the story, but that doesn’t mean you have to wrap up all the
questions you raised to end your scene. If you’ve shown some decision
being made or revealed something about a character or the situation,
that’s a good scene. In fact, it’s often more dramatic to leave new problems
hanging and resolve them later.
If you need to take some action to put what you talked about into effect,
don’t try to expand the scene to encompass that new situation. Either save
it for later or just summarize doing it.
“After we finish the meeting, I go to the bridge, sneak past
the guards, and plant the demolition charges. End scene.”
After every player has finished making and playing a scene, go on to finish
the challenge and determine the outcome.
28
play
Finish the Challenge

After every player has made one scene for the challenge, we see if the
fellowship succeeded or failed. If this is the third challenge, follow the
second set of instructions to determine the outcome of the entire quest.
We’ll draw stones to determine the outcome and then narrate the results.
Sometimes the outcome will surprise us. But even when it’s not what we
wanted or expected, it’s our job to explain it. Interpreting those unexpected
results can push our story in exciting new directions we wouldn’t have
thought of on our own.
29
First & Second Challenge Draw
Failing the first two challenges doesn’t mean the quest fails. It just means
we have to work harder later to succeed.
1 | Start with no stones in the pool. Add 1 white and 1 red.
2 | Each player takes 2 red. Read aloud:
“If your main character is unhappy about the path
the fellowship has taken, hold 1 red stone. If your
main character actually wants the quest to fail, hold
2 red stones. Otherwise, hold no stones.“
Maximum 2 stones even if the answer is yes to both.
Decide secretly, then reveal simultaneously. Add them
to the pool. If you put in any stones, briefly explain why.
3 | Each player takes 1 white and 1 red. Read aloud:
“As a player, do you think the fellowship did what was
necessary to succeed at the challenge? Hold white if
yes, red if no.”
to the pool.
4 | Put the stones in a cup. Without looking, draw one stone
and reveal it, then draw and reveal a second. Don’t put
the first stone back before drawing the second. Look up
your results on the “Describe the Outcome” table.
5 | On the challenge card, put a check next to this challenge
if you succeeded or an X if you failed.
Start a new challenge.
30
Third Challenge Draw
The outcome of the third challenge decides the entire quest. If we fail now,
the quest is lost.
1 | Start with no stones in the pool. Add 1 white and 1 red.
2 | Add 1 white for each successful challenge and 1 red for
each failed challenge (2 stones total).
3 | Each player takes 2 red. Read aloud:
“If your main character is unhappy about the path
the fellowship has taken, hold 1 red stone. If your
main character actually wants the quest to fail, hold
2 red stones. Otherwise, hold no stones.“
Maximum 2 stones even if the answer is yes to both.
to the pool. If you put in any stones, briefly explain why.
4 | Each player takes 1 white and 1 red. Read aloud:
“As a player, do you think the fellowship succeeded
at the challenge? Hold white if yes, red if no. This will
decide the entire quest, not just this challenge.”
to the pool.
5 | Put the stones in a cup. Without looking, draw one stone
and reveal it, then draw and reveal a second. Don’t put
the first stone back before drawing the second. Look up
your results on the “Describe the Outcome” table.
6 | On the challenge card, put a check next to this challenge
if you succeeded or an X if you failed.
The quest is now over. Proceed to the epilogue.
31
Describe the Outcome
Stones are shown in the order they were drawn: the first tells us the impact
on the fellowship and the second determines if we won or lost.
WHITE, WHITE
win the challenge
RED, WHITE
lose one character, but win the challenge
WHITE, RED
lose one character and lose the challenge
RED, RED
a character betrays (or is betrayed by) the
fellowship and is lost, and lose the challenge
As a group, describe the outcome of your challenge to match the results

of your draw. If this was the third challenge, describe the outcome of the
entire quest.
If any characters were lost, agree as a group who it was and what happened.
It can be a main or a minor character, but the player losing the character has
final say over what happened to them. If the group absolutely cannot agree
who is lost, it defaults to one of the characters of the player who picked the
challenge.
The draw only indicates the minimum you must lose. You can choose to
lose more characters than are required or escalate a loss to a betrayal.
32
Losing Characters & Betrayal
When you lose characters because of the draw, they are out of the game.
They may quit, die, or be kicked out of the fellowship. It could be bad luck
or a noble sacrifice. But however you want to describe it, they are gone.
If it’s a betrayal, it must be a conscious decision which the side being
betrayed does not want (whether that’s the fellowship or a character). If we
betray someone and leave them behind in enemy territory, they must curse
us for it, not willingly sacrifice themselves.
Losing a character because of the draw is different than voluntarily having
a character leave or turn against the fellowship during a scene. If the stones
say someone is lost, the character we select is out of the game.
But no matter what happens, players are never eliminated from the game.
You always get a new main character to play:
If you lose your main character, your minor character is
promoted to be your new main character.
If you already lost your minor character, you can
introduce a new character joining the fellowship, or
you can ask another player to let you take over their
minor character, whichever makes the most sense. That
becomes your new main character.
If you lose your minor character or promote them to
main, do not make a new minor character. From now
on, you only have a main character. The fellowship may
shrink as you play.
When you promote a minor character or make a new main character,
don’t go through the process of creating wants. You just need a name and
concept. The story is already in motion, so just work with what you already
know about the other characters.
33
Breaking the Fellowship
At the start of the game, we are required to create characters who are
working together and want to succeed at the quest. But what if, as the story
unfolds, you decide your character wants to quit the quest or turn against
the fellowship? Go right ahead. Role-play whatever make sense to you. The
rules are designed to embrace your decisions, not force you to follow a
certain path.
Likewise, your wants are only starting points. You may fall in love with the
character you wanted revenge on or give up on getting rich in your first
scene. That’s great. Now keep playing and see what happens next.
If you’re still interested in seeing how your main character impacts the
fellowship and the quest (even if they’ve turned against it), keep playing
them. But if you’re more interested in switching, you can write them out
of the story and start playing your minor character instead, as described in
“Losing Characters & Betrayal”.
Rejecting the Challenge

We know the challenge we face. But what if, as our scenes play out, our
characters decide they don’t want to do it? Or we think of something else
we would rather do instead or that seems to make more sense?
Our characters can follow whatever path they want, but the challenge
and its consequences were set in stone the moment a player picked it.
By selecting that challenge, they established that it is the task we need
to accomplish right now to advance the quest. It’s a fact and we cannot
change it. Even if our characters don’t want that to be true, even if we hate
it, it’s our job as players to explain why this challenge is the necessary step.
We may still choose to take some other course of action even though that
will make us more likely to fail. And even if the whole fellowship wants the
challenge to fail or has turned against the quest, we keep playing. The quest
could still succeed even if we were fighting to stop it: none of us believe in
our candidate anymore, but election day is still coming…
34
Failure Does Not Stop You
After failing the first or second challenge, sometimes it can be hard to
imagine how the fellowship still has a path to succeeding at the quest. We
needed to sneak past the guards to get into the temple, but we didn’t, so
how can we possibly steal the jewel inside?
Even if it sounds like we would have no way to continue, we are never truly
defeated (or victorious) until the third challenge. It’s our job to explain
how we find a way to push forward or work around our setback in the next
challenge.
Where we go next is largely in the hands of the player picking the new
challenge. Do we try the same or a similar challenge again? Do we do
something different to overcome the obstacle, like storming the gates
instead of using stealth? Or do we skip ahead to a later part of the quest,
like jumping straight to already having stolen the jewel and now trying to
escape? They’re all valid choices. Pick up the action wherever you want,
but the consequences of the failed challenge remain: it will be harder to
succeed at the quest because of your setback or the riskier plans you had to
adopt to work around the problem.
Losing Characters: Kill Your Darlings

When you see that red stone and start thinking about who to lose, your first
instinct may be to sacrifice someone no one cares about. We hardly saw
that minor character: toss them on the fire!
But sometimes it’s much more fruitful to go the other direction and look at
characters you would never expect to lose or to betray us even seemingly
essential main characters. You might find that an unexpected but more
poignant choice is a lot more fun.
If it’s your character, a good test is to ask yourself if there is still more you
want to do with their story. Sometimes you realize you’ve already said all
you wanted to say about them even if it’s very early in the game. If so, that’s
a perfect character to lose.
35
play
Epilogue
After three challenges, the quest is over. We succeeded or failed, but our
characters live on (some of them, anyway).
Each player briefly narrates their main character’s life after the quest. Show
us whether your character feels the quest was worth it. You may stick to
just the immediate fallout of the quest, or you could go big and summarize
the rest of your life. It’s up to you.
If your main character was lost just before the epilogue, you can narrate
their legacy or memory instead of switching to a new main character if you
prefer.
After that, your game is done.
36
That’s the end of your quest and the end
of the rules. The rest of the book includes
quests, materials, and advice for play.
37
QUESTS
Each quest has two sections: a Start page and a Play page. You’ll use the
first section to set up your quest and then flip to the second once you’re
ready to play.
The Start section includes an introduction and questions to customize and
clarify your setting along with examples to decide what makes your quest
difficult and create your fellowship. You can use those examples or come up
with your own ideas. Each list is numbered so you can even roll dice if you
need some random inspiration.
Once you’ve finished setting up your quest and you’re ready to flip to the
Play page, all the material on the Start section no longer matters. What’s
important is what you picked for your game, not all the things you could
have picked, so hiding those choices keeps them from being a distraction.
Don’t want to saddle up your Posse in the Wild West? Each quest includes
suggestions for alternate settings you can use instead. Your “posse” could
be fantasy heroes tracking down the necromancer who put a curse on
the kingdom or government agents hunting a rogue AI. So long as the
fellowship has the same basic goal as the original quest, you can play in
almost any setting.
the Bomb the Heist
Build the weapon that ends the war Get the loot and don’t get caught
the Booty the Movement

Get the treasure and get away Change society to embrace our belief
the Breakthrough the Posse

Change the world with our invention Bring the outlaw back for trial
the Candidate the Raid

Get our candidate elected Destroy the target
the Championship the Rebellion

Win the big game Overthrow our oppressors
the Colony the Show

Build a colony and make it flourish Put on a show the audience loves
the Cure the Siege

Cure the disease Hold our city against the attackers
the Dragon the Superheroes

Slay the beast that terrorizes the realm Unite as a superhero team
the Gods the Turf

Make mortals worship us Win control of the territory
40
the Bomb
A theoretical new weapon could end the war—if we can build it and make it work.
If we fail, the war drags on and on. Or our work blows us all up. Or both. We are the
inventors, administrators, and agents on the project.

What’s the weapon and the conflict? The atom bomb to end WWII, satellite
nuclear missiles to win the Cold War, a bio-weapon, a sci-fi planet-destroyer?
Are we part of the government or a private organization?

1 | Nothing like this has ever been built. We’re in unknown territory.
2 | Even working on a prototype is extremely dangerous.
3 | Many think unleashing this kind of weapon would be immoral.
4 | No one is trusted. Fear of infiltrators means we are all under suspicion.
5 | The authorities don’t believe in our project. We don’t have much support.
6 | Time is short. The war could be lost soon.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | renowned scientist 5 | engineer / builder 9 | military officer
2 | unorthodox scientist 6 | project director 10 | security officer
3 | foreign scientist 7 | personnel officer 11 | undercover agent
4 | lab assistant 8 | government liaison 12 | family of staff

1 | Supremacy. Make our nation the dominant world power.
2 | Peace. Make warfare obsolete.
3 | Peace. End the war as soon as possible to save lives.
4 | Vengeance. Destroy those bastards on the other side.
5 | Validation. Prove my theories correct.
6 | Advancement. Leverage our success to impress the brass and move up.

1 | Support. My design, my authority, or a faster (or more cautious) schedule.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives or loyalty.
4 | Truth. About your past, your loyalties, or the flaw in your (or my) design.
Decipher alien artifact. Forge the magic sword. Unlock the rune of power. Awaken a
god or demon. Harness telepathy or other super-powers. Instead of a mega-weapon,
your invention could be mass-produced, like a Gatling gun to win the Civil War, or
even gunpowder.
S TA R T
the Bomb
OUR GOAL
Build the weapon that ends the

war
CHALLENGES
Convince authorities our project can work
Get approval to build the weapon
Get funding
Get new equipment
Build a new facility
Hire more staff
Streamline our organization (fire excess staff, re-organize

departments, etc.)
Blame someone for our failures
Find the mole
Perform a live test of the new prototype
Increase the destructive power
Develop a delivery system (bombers, missiles, etc.)
Fix a problem in the design
Fix the faulty trigger mechanism
Eliminate the collateral destruction the weapon causes
P L AY
the Booty
The treasure galleon Glorioso sails for Spain from the West Indies, swollen with gold
and spices. We are pirates or privateers determined to take her booty for our own!

Are we notorious, forgotten, or just rising in our pirate fame?
What’s the name of our ship? Examples: the Harpy, the Red Swan, the
Constance, the Fox, the Clever Twine. We can also start without a ship and get
one as part of our quest.

1 | The Glorioso is a war galleon or has a military escort.
2 | Other pirates are after the treasure, too.
3 | Some fear the gold and jewels bear an Aztec curse!
4 | Storm season is approaching.
5 | Our ship is in disrepair.
6 | Morale is low. Thar be grumblings of mutiny…
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | captain 5 | scurvy cut-throat 9 | green recruit
2 | first mate 6 | dashing rogue 10 | coward
3 | quartermaster 7 | schemer 11 | deserter soldier
4 | enforcer 8 | wizened old sea dog 12 | dilettante noble

1 | Fame. Folk in every port should see us as heroes.
2 | Infamy. Our names should invoke terror.
3 | Caution. Don’t take unnecessary risks.
4 | Revenge. Kill as many Spanish soldiers as possible.
5 | Principles. Don’t harm innocents.
6 | Wealth. The lion’s share of the loot should be mine.

1 | Respect. Admit I’m the better swordsman, sailor, or leader.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives or loyalty.
3 | Revenge. For this scar you gave me, cheating me, or overshadowing me.
4 | Forgiveness. For betraying you, injuring you, stealing your love.
5 | Responsibility. Make me first mate, helmsman, or navigator (or take the
position I want to give you).
6 | Freedom. Less discipline, more leisure and rum.
Train robbers. Star pirates. High-octane highway hijackers. Any setting where one
vessel is chasing another and stealing what’s inside.
S TA R T
the Booty
OUR GOAL
Get the treasure and get away

CHALLENGES
Get a ship
Get a crew (or get more crew)
Repair our ship
Learn what route the target’s taking (or find her in the open sea)
Thread the reefs
Weather the storm
Deal with being becalmed (without enough food or water)
Put down a mutiny
Choose a captain (or re-elect the old one)
Chase and overtake our prey
Board and capture her!
Split the loot
Bury the treasure
Escape pursuit
P L AY
the Breakthrough
Our invention will change the world—if we can make it work. We’re the scientists,
researchers, builders, and believers working on making our project a success and
delivering it to the world.

What’s our setting? The modern world, the future, or somewhere in history?
What’s our project? We could fix climate change, provide unlimited clean
energy, feed the world, create artificial life, or prove we orbit the sun.
Where do we work? A corporation, a government think tank, the military, a
university, a private institute, or a startup working out of a garage.

1 | Our invention is a huge leap forward. We’re in unknown territory.
2 | Many have tried to do this and failed.
3 | Others are working on the same idea. We can’t let them beat us.
4 | Powerful groups want to stop us. We’re threatening their status quo.
5 | Time is short. We have hurry our invention to avert a crisis.
6 | Our work could cause terrible harm if we aren’t careful.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | renowned scientist 5 | visionary 9 | financial backer
2 | disgraced scientist 6 | project manager 10 | public relations
3 | unorthodox scientist 7 | assistant 11 | security officer
4 | by-the-book scientist 8 | influential supporter 12 | family/loved one

1 | Altruism. Our work should help others.
2 | Change. Smash the status quo. Overthrow the powers that be.
3 | Wealth. We should make a mint from this.
4 | Recognition. I want credit for changing the world.
5 | Vindication. Prove I’m not wrong and my ideas can work.
6 | Redemption. Atone for my sins. I was on the side causing the problem.

1 | Support. My design, my authority, or a faster (or more cautious) schedule.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives or ideas.
3 | Truth. About your past, your motives, or the flaw in your (or my) design.
Speak with the dead. Go beyond the Laws of Magic. Decipher the alien language.
Discover electricity. Invent the first code of law.
S TA R T
the Breakthrough
OUR GOAL
Change the world with our

invention
CHALLENGES
Get funding / investors
Convince our backers our invention will work
Convince the public our invention is needed
Convince the public our design is safe
Get around red tape / regulations
Deal with persecution, investigations, or witch-hunts
Deal with a competitor
Deal with someone stealing our ideas
Overcome a roadblock in the design
Deal with a flaw in our design
Fix the terrible side-effects (what are they?)
Test it in the lab
Test it in the field
Figure out how to mass produce / distribute it
P L AY
the Candidate
Our goal is to get our candidate elected. We are the staff, supporters, and campaign
managers plus friends and family who are taking an active role in the campaign. No
one should pick the candidate as their character even though they are the center of
the story. If you did, you would have unilateral power to stop the quest.

What office is our candidate running for? President, Senator, Mayor, Union
Leader, or Class President.
Are they up for re-election, challenging an incumbent, or are both new?

1 | Our opponent is very popular, politically connected, or well-funded (choose).
2 | Our candidate made some mistakes in their past (what kind of mistakes?).
3 | Our candidate has unpopular or unorthodox positions.
4 | Our candidate does not stand out. They are just like every other politician.
5 | Our candidate is a loser. They’re just not good.
6 | No one thinks we can win.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | campaign manager 5 | speechwriter 9 | elected official
2 | strategist 6 | spokesperson 10 | wealthy backer
3 | policy advisor 7 | assistant 11 | celebrity backer
4 | pollster 8 | personal aide 12 | candidate’s family

1 | Propriety. Clean campaign. No mudslinging.
2 | Aggression. Humiliate our opponent. Ruin them.
3 | Honesty. Don’t make promises we can’t keep.
4 | Independence. Don’t pander to special interest groups.
5 | Special Agenda. Promote the environment, defense, education, etc. (choose)
6 | Recognition. I want credit for the win.

1 | Support. My plan, agenda, position, or authority.
2 | Trust. Rely on me, or trust my motives.
3 | Promotion. Help me move up, or get more responsibility (or let me give you
more responsibility).
4 | Connections. Exploit your friends to get insider info or help the campaign.
5 | Revenge. For upstaging, overlooking, or sabotaging me.
Head of a fan club. Pretender to the throne. Religious leader. Corporate chairman.
Guildmaster. Even if it isn’t a popular vote, so long as the group choosing the winner
can be swayed or influenced, the quest should work.
S TA R T
the Candidate
OUR GOAL
Get our candidate elected

CHALLENGES
Get on the ballot
Raise funds / win over financial backers
Get the support of a celebrity or influential official (who?)
Get the support of a special interest group (which one?)
Prep for a debate
Shape the message. Announce what our candidate stands for.
Make a commercial
Pump up our supporters (rallies, speeches, etc.)
Handle accusations of personal misconduct (an affair, etc.)
Handle accusations of financial misconduct (personal use of funds,

unreported donations, etc.)
Attack our opponent. Make the public aware of their flaws.
Deal with attack ads (what do they say?)
Deal with a special interest that hates our candidate (which one?)
Win over the voters
P L AY
the Championship
If our team is going to win the championship, we’re going to have to work together
and we’re going to have to play hard. We’re the players, coaches, and managers of
the team.

What team sport is it? Are we a major national team, a local team, or even a
high school or little league team?
What’s the name of our team, town, or school?

1 | Our opponents are top-notch.
2 | Our team is new or inexperienced.
3 | We’re our own worst enemies. Our team is not united.
4 | We lost a lot of good players recently.
5 | A cloud of scandal hangs over us. Many think we cheated.
6 | No one believes in us.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | team captain 5 | weak player / slacker 9 | coach
2 | new hotshot 6 | brute 10 | assistant coach
3 | declining veteran 7 | new transfer 11 | mascot
4 | popular player 8 | manager 12 | family / loved one

1 | Glory. Be the star player.
2 | Excellence. For us to go undefeated/beat the record.
3 | Role Models. Be shining examples for others.
4 | Domination. Humiliate our opponents.
5 | Wealth. Make a pile of money.
6 | Fun. Win without sacrificing fun, luxury, or partying.

1 | Support. My place on the team, my unorthodox ideas, or my authority.
2 | Respect. Recognize my abilities, contribution, or authority.
3 | Revenge. For taking my position, humiliating me, or passing over me.
4 | Forgiveness. For messing up in the last game, taking your position, spilling
secrets, messing up your romance.
5 | Teach me. A skill, to be a better player, or to fit in (or let me teach you).
6 | Friendship. Be my friend (or leave me alone).
E-sports. Knights in the tournament circuit. Space gladiators. Boffer LARP. Team
spelling bee. Robot-building olympics. Competitive marching band or cheer squad.
Racing team, street, or pro circuit. Dodgeball.
S TA R T
the Championship
OUR GOAL
Win the big game

CHALLENGES
Win this next game
Beat an old rival team
Train and improve our skills
Develop new strategies / secret plays
Learn to play together as a team
Raise morale
Learn to trust each other
Recruit new players
Deal with bad blood in the team
Get rid of weak players
Look good in media appearances (parades, interviews, etc.)
Get new uniforms, mascot, or a new team name (pick one)
Get another team’s playbook / plans
Deal with accusations of cheating
P L AY
the Colony
We’re on a new world, far from home, and there’s no turning back. We must build a
colony and make sure it survives and thrives.

Are we the first planet settled outside of Earth or just one of many?
We will each have a personal reason, but why did the settlers come here as a
whole? To represent our home world, or to escape danger or oppression?
How many people came with us. Dozens, hundreds, or thousands?
Name our colony. Examples: Haven, Eden, Green, Winter, Crucible, Carson’s
World, New Canaveral, KJ-427.

1 | We don’t have the supplies we need.
2 | The ecosystem is inhospitable (pick: extreme weather, poor resources, etc.).
3 | There are dangerous life forms.
4 | We were forced to land on the wrong planet. Our surveys are useless.
5 | There’s dissent and disagreement.
6 | Other colonists are already here, and they’re not happy about our intrusion.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | leader 5 | doctor / therapist 9 | rebel
2 | visionary / planner 6 | philosopher / thinker 10 | recluse
3 | scientist 7 | family homesteader 11 | “sorry we came”
4 | engineer / technician 8 | true believer 12 | imposter / phony

1 | Change. Start fresh, don’t just imitate the society we came from.
2 | Tradition. We should respect the values of where we came from.
3 | Power. I should be in charge.
4 | Escape. Leave my past behind.
5 | Environmentalism. Be careful not to harm the natural ecosystem.
6 | Glory. Tame the land and build a proud, shining city.

1 | Support. My plans, ideas, authority, or place in the community.
2 | Responsibility. I could be doing more (or you could be doing more).
3 | Teach me. Something you’re good at or something you’re not (or let me
teach you).
4 | Forgiveness. For a bad decision, hurting someone, or damaging supplies.
5 | Truth. About your past, why you’re here, or what the data really said.
Modern commune. Religious mission. Border fort. Undersea dome. Puritan settlers. If
you colonize somewhere other than a distant world, decide if there are native people.
S TA R T
the Colony
OUR GOAL
Build a colony and make it

flourish
CHALLENGES
Survey the region
Pick a good spot to build
Clear the land
Harvest natural resources (what resources?)
Reach remote useful supplies
Build something (what? a wall, solar collector, nearby outpost,

monument, etc.)
Expand the settlement
Head-off starvation
Survive harsh weather
Deal with dangerous wildlife
Treat a disease afflicting colonists (is it Terran or from this world?)
Raise morale
Establish a government
Judge someone who committed a crime (what crime? theft,

murder, etc.)
Prevent a schism in the community
P L AY
the Cure
We must cure this terrible disease. We are the doctors, researchers, lab workers, and
administrators working on a solution.

What’s the disease? Is it an illness that has vexed humanity for decades or a
virulent new plague? Is it deadly or just debilitating? Give it a name.
Where do we work? Are we part of a research institute, pharmaceutical
company, government agency, university, or hospital?

1 | The disease is very contagious so treating or testing it is dangerous.
2 | It’s spreading fast, so we’re racing against the clock.
3 | Many don’t believe it can be cured or that we can succeed.
4 | Regulations and restrictions hamper us.
5 | We don’t have the best people or facilities.
6 | Few care about the afflicted. They’re poor, discriminated against, or far away.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | renowned doctor 5 | research director 9 | financial backer
2 | by-the-book doctor 6 | administrator 10 | political backer
3 | unorthodox doctor 7 | liaison 11 | media relations
4 | lab assistant 8 | security officer 12 | patient / subject

1 | Wealth. We should profit from our work, not give it away.
2 | Access. Everyone should have access to our cure. It’s for the greater good.
3 | Fame. We should get credit for our work.
4 | Speed. The sooner we deliver a cure, the better.
5 | Safety. We shouldn’t endanger patients.
6 | Protect Family. A loved one has the disease. Who is it?

1 | Support. My research, radical ideas, authority, or position here.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives or my ideas.
3 | Forgiveness. For undermining you, overlooking you, or the damage I caused.
Zombie infection. Medieval monks fighting plague. Wizards breaking a curse. Alien
spores. Cold War bacterial weapons. Cyber-virus that afflicts people with implants.
Hackers stopping an internet virus that affects computers, not people.
S TA R T
the Cure
OUR GOAL
Cure the disease

CHALLENGES
Get funding
Get state-of-the-art facilities
Recruit the best talent
Win public support
Get legal approval
Streamline our organization (fire excess staff, re-organize

departments, etc.)
Demonstrate it could work
Test it on human subjects
Deal with criticism from outside researchers (they say it won’t work
or will cause terrible side-effects)
Deal with a safety failure within our facility (what went wrong?)
Fix the terrible side-effect our treatment causes (what is it?)
Find a way to mass produce it
Treat a sudden outbreak (where is it?)
P L AY
the Dragon
The dragon terrorizes the land and it must be slain. We’re warriors, rogues, wise ones,
or even common folk that dare to face the monster.

Is the beast a dragon or some other monster? A hydra, a hell-spawned wolf,
or a kraken?
Is there magic in our world? If yes, is it obvious or subtle?

1 | No mere sword can slay the beast.
2 | Some oppose us. They fear angering the beast.
3 | Some oppose us. They worship or revere the beast.
4 | Its lair is remote, well-hidden, or in dangerous terrain.
5 | The beast is crafty and clever.
6 | The beast is hard to corner. It can travel far and fast.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | knight of the realm 5 | chosen one 9 | servant / retainer
2 | warrior / mercenary 6 | treasure hunter 10 | local guide
3 | would-be hero 7 | wise one / sage 11 | peasant
4 | noble 8 | priest / hermit 12 | survivor of attack

1 | Fame. This deed will make us heroes of legend.
2 | Wealth. We should be richly rewarded or keep the beast’s fabulous treasure.
3 | Honor. I’ve sworn I’d slay it. I will not break my oath. (who did you swear to?)
4 | Revenge. It destroyed my homeland.
5 | Protection. Keep my homeland safe.
6 | Redemption. Slaying it will absolve me of my past cowardice or crimes.

1 | Respect. My lineage, rank, prowess, skill, or virtue.
2 | Power. Give me the enchanted sword, your magic, a blessing, or knight me.
3 | Teach me. Sorcery, swordfighting, riding, or lore (or let me teach you).
4 | Revenge. For defeating me, betraying me, scorning me, taking my beloved.
5 | Forgiveness. Pardon my past crimes, dishonors, foul deeds, or fears.
6 | Protection. Watch my back, or shield me from danger (or let me protect you).
A cat terrorizing mice. A city-stomping kaiju or giant robot. A man-eating shark
terrorizing a sleepy coastal town. The white whale. An unspeakable elder god
awakening. A werewolf or vampire preying on a community.
S TA R T
the Dragon
OUR GOAL
Slay the beast that terrorizes the

realm
CHALLENGES
Learn the beast’s weak spot (where can we find the answer?)
Get the weapon that can slay it (what and where is the weapon?)
Raise an army to fight it
Convince a group to aid us (describe the group: kingdom, city,

tribe, priesthood, etc.)
Travel through dangerous lands
Protect a village from the beast
Track the beast
Corner the beast
Lure it into a trap
Find its lair
Explore the beast’s lair
Escape the beast
Face the beast
P L AY
the Gods
We are immortal gods. We can raise up mountains or cast down cities, but what we
crave is for mortals to worship us. That’s our quest even if we must create and destroy
whole civilizations in the process.

We are the only gods now, but are we the creators of the world or a new
pantheon that has inherited it from the old gods?
Did we have worshippers in the past and lose them, or did we only now
decide we needed mortals to praise us?

1 | Mortals don’t believe in the gods.
2 | Mortals resent the gods.
3 | Mortals worship false gods. They pray to idols and graven images.
4 | Gods cannot communicate with mortals directly. We walk unseen.
5 | The world is consumed with war and strife.
6 | Monsters destroy what we create. We slay them, but more arise.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | allfather/mother 5 | guardian 9 | destroyer
2 | elder 6 | hunter or warrior 10 | black sheep
3 | crafter or gardener 7 | reveller or idler 11 | half-mortal
4 | watcher or scholar 8 | trickster or tempter 12 | monstrous god

1 | Beauty. Make the world a place of splendor.
2 | Chaos. Revel in upheaval and catastrophe.
3 | Chosen Ones. Raise up my favored people over others.
4 | Adoration. Make mortals love us.
5 | Fear. Make mortals fear us.
6 | Supremacy. Be personally worshipped as the greatest of gods.

1 | Respect. My prowess, cleverness, or authority.
2 | Revenge. For mocking me, stealing from me, slaying my pet monster.
3 | Destruction. Crush a city that offends me or someone’s sacred mountain.
4 | Protection. For my favored people, city, or sacred mountain.
5 | Power. The weapon of the gods, sacred rune, or key to the monster’s chain.
6 | Love. Return my affection (or forget me).
Developers of an online game dealing with players. Celebrities or rock stars coveting
their fickle fans. Starfarers interfering with a primitive alien culture. Unstoppable
superheroes/villains in the modern world.
S TA R T
the Gods
OUR GOAL
Make mortals worship us

CHALLENGES
Create a new people
Forge a new land for our mortals (or shape the land to suit them)
Raise up a line of heroes
Glorify a favored city
Make mortals raise up temples and shrines in our honor
Teach mortals our laws, commandments, and rituals
Crush the worship of false gods
Destroy a line of kings or heroes that offend us
Destroy teachings or practices that offend us (philosophy, sorcery,

science, etc.)
Wipe out a civilization that displeases us or threatens our favored

people
Slay monsters that threaten our favored people
Make mortals fear our wrath
P L AY
the Heist
Get the loot and don’t get caught. We’re criminals (or would-be criminals), thieves,
robbers, hackers, or con artists. The actual robbery could happen anywhere in the
story, but the quest isn’t complete until we get away.

What’s the score? What are we stealing?
Are we an old or new crew? Are we experienced criminals or newbies lured
by an opportunity?

1 | It’s well-guarded.
2 | We’re already suspects.
3 | We’re inexperienced and don’t know what we’re doing.
4 | We’re stealing something big or very hard to move.
5 | It’s hard to fence. It’s easy to identify or difficult to find a buyer.
6 | We’re stealing from vengeful people. They will come after us.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | planner 5 | natural 9 | man on the inside
2 | hardened criminal 6 | amateur 10 | dirty cop
3 | ambitious criminal 7 | “trying to go straight” 11 | ordinary citizen
4 | older & wiser 8 | unlucky criminal 12 | loved one / family

1 | Wealth. Get enough to quit, live the good life, or pay off debts.
2 | Revenge. Stick it to the people we’re stealing from.
3 | Fame. Make a name for ourselves on a big score.
4 | Secrecy. Keep our criminal life hidden. Don’t let our families know the truth.
5 | Principles. No innocent people get hurt.
6 | Caution. Let’s not take stupid risks.

1 | Support. My plan, my authority, or my place in the crew.
2 | Forgiveness. For leaving you behind, cheating you, or ratting you out.
3 | Revenge. For leaving me behind, cheating me, or ratting me out.
4 | Trust. Rely on me. Tell me your plans.
5 | Teach me. Your tricks, to be tough, or to be a criminal (or let me teach you).
6 | Protection. Watch my back (or let me protect you).
Steal the Death Star plans. Pilfer a sacred idol, the king’s jewels, or a wizard’s scrolls.
Rob an ancient tomb. Engage in corporate espionage to learn next year’s fashions.
Invade dreams to steal memories. Spy to uncover national secrets.
S TA R T
the Heist
OUR GOAL
Get the loot and don’t get caught

CHALLENGES
Case the joint
Get the layout or security plan
Get equipment we need (what is it?)
Acquire the keys (who has them and what are they: actual keys, a
security code, a combination)
Defeat security (what security?)
Get someone on the inside
Break in
Get away
Lay low
Cover our tracks
Find and eliminate the rat (may be someone outside the

fellowship)
Get rid of evidence
Fence the goods
P L AY
the Movement
We can change society. We can make a difference. We’re activists, organizers,
believers, and perhaps some dilettantes. We agree about our goal—though we may
disagree about how to achieve it. If we fail, we might be ignored or people might
even turn against our cause.

What’s our cause? Equality for some group, environmentalism, stopping
corporate personhood, embracing space exploration or future-humanism?
Our cause could also be something terrible and unjust.
Are we an old or new group? Are we grassroots or centralized?
What’s our movement called?

1 | Public opinion is against us.
2 | The people we’re helping don’t want our help.
3 | We have a dark past that taints us.
4 | Our allies are of questionable character.
5 | Our movement is against the law.
6 | We have strong enemies. Who are they?
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | visionary 5 | armchair rebel 9 | pragmatist
2 | true believer 6 | violent revolutionary 10 | romantic
3 | old guard 7 | scholar 11 | dilettante
4 | follower 8 | doubter 12 | tourist

1 | Vengeance. Punish the oppressors.
2 | Peace. Don’t resort to violence.
3 | Allies. Work with other interest groups. Don’t alienate them.
4 | Purity. Don’t compromise or let our movement be tainted.
5 | Speed. Make it happen now. Don’t delay.
6 | Redemption. Make up for my past sins.

1 | Support. My authority, vision, tactics, or my belonging here.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives, my loyalty, or my ideas.
3 | Responsibility. I could be doing more (or you should be doing more).
4 | Revenge. For overshadowing me, undermining me, or betraying the cause.
5 | Forgiveness. For overshadowing you, undermining you, or helping “them”.
Ad campaign. Spreading religion. Teach rational thought in the Dark Ages. A fan-base.
S TA R T
the Movement
OUR GOAL
Change society to embrace our

belief
CHALLENGES
Decide on our message
Release our manifesto
Get attention / get the word out (protests, rallies, media, etc.)
Pump up our supporters (rallies, speeches, etc.)
Recruit new members
Establish a branch in a new city / region
Pick a leader (or reconfirm the current one)
Prevent a schism in our ranks (what’s the disagreement?)
Get the support of an important group (who? celebrities,

politicians, the media, another interest group)
Convince another group to join us (who?)
Disavow an allied group (who?)
Purge questionable members
Protest an injustice (what happened?)
Take down a high profile enemy (who? media personality, official,

judge, sheriff, senator)
P L AY
the Posse
Find the outlaw and bring them back to stand trial. We’re the lawmen and ordinary
citizens in the Wild West who have been sworn in to hunt the wrong-doer and bring
them back alive.

What’s the outlaw’s crime? What’s his/her name?
What town are we from? What’s its name?

1 | The outlaw has their gang with them.
2 | They are a clever snake.
3 | They have a big head start.
4 | It’s a lawless territory. There are outlaws everywhere.
5 | The badlands have a thousand places to hide.
6 | We’re not experienced gunmen. We may be outmatched in a fight.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | sheriff 5 | vengeful townsfolk 9 | town drunk
2 | deputy 6 | fearful townsfolk 10 | wizened old coot
3 | federal marshall 7 | teacher / priest 11 | family of victim
4 | gunslinger 8 | young hothead 12 | former outlaw

1 | Revenge. Make the outlaw suffer for what they did.
2 | Fame. Make a name for yourself by bringing down a feared outlaw.
3 | Wealth. We deserve to be well-paid for risking our necks or to keep the loot.
4 | Caution. Don’t take any chances. Let’s get home in one piece.
5 | Rule of Law. We are a civilized territory where you can’t escape justice.
6 | Protection. Catch the outlaw before they can harm anyone else.

1 | Respect. My authority, skill, bravery, or virtue.
2 | Teach me. To shoot, ride, be tough, be brave, or hang up this gun (or let me
teach you).
3 | Forgiveness. For cheating you, humiliating you, or taking your beloved.
4 | Revenge. For humiliating me, backstabbing me, or taking my beloved.
5 | Protection. Watch my back or keep me safe (or let me protect you).
6 | Truth. About my brother’s death, your past, or what happened that night.
Chasing a demon that can possess unsuspecting victims. Tracking a rogue AI. Hunting
a bandit in the Duke’s forest. Bounty hunters in space, cyber-future, or modern day.
S TA R T
the Posse
OUR GOAL
Bring the outlaw back for trial

CHALLENGES
Find the trail
Catch up / gain on the outlaw
Get through bad terrain (badlands, mountains, etc.)
Catch one of the outlaw’s accomplices (who is it?)
Get an accomplice of the outlaw to talk (who is it?)
Escape an ambush
Deal with the gang
Go in and get the outlaw (where are they holed up?)
Capture the outlaw
Deal with a lynch mob
Bring the outlaw back for trial
P L AY
the Raid
Sneak behind enemy lines, locate the target, and destroy it. If your target is a person,
it’s an assassination. We are the commandos, soldiers, and specialists going on the
mission. Our goal is to destroy the target, not necessarily escape again, so getting
out is not part of the quest.

What’s the target? A World War II bridge (or dam or experimental rocket lab),
a Colombian drug kingpin, or foreign weapons of mass destruction.
Who do we work for? Military, secret agency, mercenary group, gangs?

1 | We’re ill-equipped.
2 | Our team has not worked together before.
3 | The target is heavily guarded.
4 | The enemy knows we’re coming. There are spies or leaks.
5 | We have to travel far or cross rough terrain.
6 | There are civilians near the target. The risk of collateral damage is high.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | team leader 5 | traumatized veteran 9 | foreign soldier
2 | sergeant 6 | secret coward 10 | local guide
3 | grunt soldier 7 | specialist 11 | desk jockey
4 | rookie 8 | spy 12 | accidental addition

1 | Discipline. Maintain chain of command. Carry out orders.
2 | Caution. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Get everyone out alive.
3 | Principles. Don’t get civilians hurt.
4 | Destruction. Eliminate a secondary target while we’re there (what is it?)
5 | Revenge. Kill as many of the enemy as possible.
6 | Recognition. Get a commendation and promotion.

1 | Support. My authority, plan, or place on the team.
2 | Trust. Believe in my motives, loyalty, or competence.
3 | Obedience. Follow my orders or do what I tell you (or tell me what to do).
4 | Forgiveness. For trying to keep you off the team, leaving you for dead.
5 | Revenge. For trying to keep me off the team, having me demoted.
6 | Truth. Why you volunteered, or what really happened on that mission.
Destroy the source of the dark lord’s power. Sabotage the Imperial tractor beam.
Stop the arcane ritual. Destroy the alien mothership.
S TA R T
the Raid
OUR GOAL
Destroy the target

CHALLENGES
Get supplies we need (weapons, explosives, ammunition, etc.)
Get transportation (what kind?)
Cover ground quickly to make up for lost time
Get through difficult terrain
Get past enemy patrols
Lay low to avoid the enemy
Neutralize an enemy outpost
Make contact with the resistance and/or convince them to help
Scout the target area
Get past the defenses of the target
Get in position to attack (or plant explosives, etc.)
Attack the target
P L AY
the Rebellion
Overthrow our oppressors and free the people from tyranny. We’re freedom fighters,
dissidents, and just ordinary people who yearn for liberty.

What’s the setting? A modern nation, a planet conquered by aliens, or a
medieval countryside invaded by foreign lords?
What was our society called before it was conquered and what is it called
now? Name the oppressors.

1 | Collaborators and informers are everywhere.
2 | Military patrols are everywhere.
3 | The occupiers are more advanced than us (culturally or technologically).
4 | Many people welcome the new regime.
5 | The people are hopeless and have no will to resist.
6 | Our people were not united even before the oppressors came.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | leader 5 | true believer 9 | insider
2 | would-be leader 6 | ordinary citizen 10 | old regime official
3 | vengeful rebel 7 | military veteran 11 | ex-collaborator
4 | reluctant rebel 8 | academic 12 | escaped prisoner

1 | Tradition. Return to our old ways.
2 | Progress. A new and better society, not a return to the past.
3 | Authority. I want to lead the post-rebellion government.
4 | Protection. Keep safe a loved one, a specific community, or all the citizenry.
5 | Revenge. Punish our oppressors.
6 | Forgiveness. Pardon collaborators. Peace is more important than justice.

1 | Support. My authority, my plan, my religion, pacifism, or violent tactics.
2 | Connections. Exploit your friends or family to help the cause.
3 | Trust. Believe in my motives, loyalty, or competence.
4 | Forgiveness. For an act of violence, cowardice, or collaboration.
5 | Revenge. For overshadowing me, trying to keep me out, your act of
cowardice, getting someone killed, or collaborating.
Alien invasion. Tyrant sorcerer-king. Kids fighting bullies. Cult awakening elder god
(rebelling against humanity).
S TA R T
the Rebellion
OUR GOAL
Overthrow our oppressors

CHALLENGES
Establish a cell in a new region (describe the area)
Rally the people to our cause
Purge traitors in our ranks (from the rebellion as a whole, not the
fellowship)
Prevent a schism in the rebellion (what’s the disagreement?)
Intercept enemy communications
Get a spy on the inside
Deal with enemy sympathizers
Assassinate an enemy official (describe the target)
Get the weapons we need (from where?)
Cut their supply lines (what supplies?)
Sabotage infrastructure (describe the target: bridge, railways, etc)
Capture a critical enemy base
Hide from a manhunt
Rise up and fight / open war
P L AY
the Show
We’re putting on a show! The lights! The applause! Our goal is to put on a great
performance that the audience loves.

What kind of show? Play or musical? Professional mainstage, community
theatre, or high school production?
Are we an existing company or is this our first time together?

1 | We have (almost) no idea what we’re doing.
2 | The last show we did (or last show in this space) was a complete disaster.
3 | The script is a mess—what there is of it.
4 | We have a shoe-string budget and/or no place to perform.
5 | Our subject matter is somewhere between obscure and totally opaque.
6 | We are being heavily censored by the powers-that-be.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | glory hound 5 | director or author 9 | costumer
2 | amateur 6 | visionary or plagiarist 10 | “den mother”
3 | victim of stage fright 7 | stage manager 11 | money-bags
4 | washed-up star 8 | stage hand 12 | family / loved ones

1 | Fame. Be the star!
2 | Meaning. Challenge the audience. Make them wake up and think!
3 | Revenge. Upstage a competing production (what is it?).
4 | Caution. Don’t make fools of ourselves. Take the lowest risk approach.
5 | Family. We’re more than a team. We’re family.
6 | Validation. Impress my love interest, my friends, or my family.

1 | Respect. My art, commitment, or contribution to the show.
2 | Glory. Make me look good, don’t upstage me, or give me your part.
3 | Teach me. To act, sing, write, or pick up dates (or let me teach you).
4 | Revenge. For getting the part I wanted, humiliating me, or stealing my love.
5 | Forgiveness. For humiliating you, stealing your love, or being so talented.
6 | Love or Friendship. Return my affection (or leave me alone).
Special live performance of a normally recorded TV show. Traveling circus. Renaissance
fair performers. Fringe vaudeville / fire / acrobat warehouse performance. Civil War
re-enactors. Ancient Greek theatre.
S TA R T
the Show
OUR GOAL
Put on a show the audience loves

CHALLENGES
Fix the script
Add a catchy musical number
Cut twenty minutes from the run time
Get a place to perform
Build the set
Get costumes
Rehearse / memorize lines
Get the critics on our side with a sneak preview
Get the word out
Sell lots of tickets
Perform
P L AY
the Siege
Our city is under siege. Hold off the attackers long enough, and they’ll have to quit
and go home. We are soldiers, citizens, and unlucky refugees in a medieval city.

What’s our city called? Is it large or small, prosperous or humble?
Why are they attacking us? Are they religious crusaders, conquerors seeking
loot and glory, or are we caught in the middle of a larger war?

1 | Many citizens share the race or religion of the attackers. We can’t trust them.
2 | Factions in the city are divided. Wealthy landowners, nobles, trade guilds,
and theocrats each look after their own interests.
3 | Morale is low. Many within the city would rather surrender.
4 | The city is too sprawling to defend. We can’t guard everywhere.
5 | There is disease in the city.
6 | Supplies are low.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | city guard 5 | craftsman / shopkeep 9 | noble
2 | soldier 6 | merchant 10 | priest
3 | captain or knight 7 | laborer 11 | foreigner
4 | ne’er-do-well 8 | farmer from outside 12 | deserter

1 | Unity. Keep the city unified. Protect everyone equally.
2 | Purge. Get rid of the disloyal. You’re with us or against us.
3 | Purge. Get rid of the wealthy, nobles, priests, foreigners, or rabble.
4 | Protection. Guard the wealthy, nobles, priests, foreigners, poor, or my family.
5 | Authority. I should lead the city, or command the defense.
6 | Victory. Crush the besiegers. Don’t just outlast them.

1 | Support. My authority, plan, or belonging in the city.
2 | Special Treatment. More wealth, food, protection, or status for my people.
3 | Revenge. For injuring me, harming my people, or taking my beloved.
4 | Forgiveness. For past crimes, ruining you, or taking your beloved.
5 | Protection. Watch my back, keep me out of the fighting, or give me shelter
(or let me protect you).
Samurai (or cowboys) defending a humble town against bandits. Zombies. Dwarf
fortress. Minas Tirith. Rioting prisoners. Defend the embassy, or be the terrorists/
rebels who captured it. Protect the wilderness from developers.
S TA R T
the Siege
OUR GOAL
Hold our city against the

attackers
CHALLENGES
Feed the starving populace
Deal with spreading disease
Deal with looting
Deal with low morale
Deal with witch hunts (for traitors, foreigners, or actual witches?)
Root out traitors in our midst
Unify rival city factions (which ones?)
Stop citizens from accepting terms of surrender
Prevent people from leaving / abandoning the city
Draft civilians to fight
Get reinforcements from outside the city (who?)
Deal with a weak point in our defenses (we may reinforce it or

sacrifice part of the city)
Repel invaders storming the walls
Take the fight to the invaders
P L AY
the Superheroes
Our goal is to form a team of superheroes to protect society. We’re the heroes,
sidekicks, allies, and organizers who are trying to bring it together. We may team-up
and think we’ve succeeded in the middle of the quest, but we’ll only know if we truly
hold together at the end.

Are superhumans a new thing or have they been around?
Is our team global or focused on a home city? If a city, name it.

1 | The last superhero team caused a disaster.
2 | The public (or the government) doesn’t trust superhumans.
3 | “Vigilantes” (i.e. superheroes) are against the law.
4 | People expect miracles from us. We may disappoint them.
5 | Society is peaceful. No one thinks we need heroes.
6 | Crime or other threats are rampant. We’ve got hard fights ahead of us.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | grim avenger 5 | uncontrolled power 9 | trusted aide/valet
2 | celebrity hero 6 | fake hero 10 | government agent
3 | legacy hero 7 | reformed villain 11 | wealthy patron
4 | inventor 8 | sidekick 12 | friend/family/love

1 | Progress. Change society, don’t just put out fires and protect the status quo.
2 | Role Models. Be shining examples for others.
3 | Punishment. Make criminals regret what they’ve done.
4 | Legal Authority. We must have the government’s blessing.
5 | Independence. Don’t answer to the government. We’re not their enforcers.
6 | No Masks. No secret identities. If we hide, how can people trust us?

1 | Trust. To not mess up, to watch your back, or to know your secret identity.
2 | Teach me. To control my powers, fight, or be a leader (or let me teach you).
3 | Independence. Stop telling me what to do or thinking you know best.
4 | Forgiveness. For overshadowing you, abandoning you, endangering
civilians, or letting a criminal get away.
5 | Revenge. For overshadowing me, abandoning me, stealing my legacy or
powers, or letting someone get hurt.
6 | Love or Friendship. Or be my partner or sidekick (or leave me alone).
Powerful wizards and warriors defending the realm. Secret agent strike team. Hidden
magicians in the modern world. Neighborhood watch.
S TA R T
the Superheroes
OUR GOAL
Unite as a superhero team

CHALLENGES
Establish a base
Pick a leader
Get another established superhero team to support us
Get the authorities on our side
Win over the public
Deal with a disaster (earthquake, flood, nuclear meltdown, meteor)
Take down a crime ring (mob, street gangs, advanced tech-cartel)
Take down an evil mastermind (can we see their plan?)
Defeat a massive menace (giant monster or robot)
Defeat an invading horde (aliens, underdwellers, zombies)
Deal with a war (major nations, minor nations, or gangs)
Bring a rogue hero to justice (who is it? It cannot be a character

currently in the fellowship)
P L AY
the Turf
This turf belongs to whoever is strong enough to take and hold it, and that’s going to
be us. We’re a gang or syndicate fighting for territory.

What’s the turf? A neighborhood or a whole city? Are we moving in or is this
territory we controlled in the past?
Do we make money through crime (stealing, protection, drugs, etc.), or is
our only crime fighting to hold our territory.
Who’s our rival? Name us and them.

1 | The people don’t want us here.
2 | The Law is gunning for us.
3 | Our ranks are thin.
4 | Our reputation is weak.
5 | Our rival is much stronger.
6 | We’re outsiders and don’t know this turf well.
MAKE CHARACTERS
CHARACTER CONCEPT
1 | leader 5 | charmer 9 | new recruit
2 | enforcer 6 | peacemaker 10 | coward
3 | old guard 7 | sidekick / mascot 11 | loved one / family
4 | hothead 8 | “trying to get out” 12 | defector (now on
our side)

1 | Destruction. Crush our rivals.
2 | Peace. Stop the violence (or prevent it from starting).
3 | Wealth. Make a lot of money.
4 | Go Legit. Get us out of crime (or keep us out).
5 | Respect. Everyone should know and respect us. Our names should ring out.
6 | Infamy. Everyone should know and fear us. Our names should ring out.

1 | Support. My authority, my place in the gang, or the changes I want to make.
2 | Trust. To have your back, do what must be done, or not screw up.
3 | Independence. Stop telling me what to do, or thinking you know best.
4 | Forgiveness. For running out on you, beating you up, or overshadowing you.
5 | Revenge. For overshadowing me, running out on me, beating me up.
6 | Friendship. Be my friend (or leave me alone).
Delivery drivers fighting over territory. Religion converting flocks. Corporate market
share. Feuding kingdoms. Rival guilds in a city of thieves. The playground.
S TA R T
the Turf
OUR GOAL
Win control of the territory

CHALLENGES
Recruit new members
Raise morale
Get the civilians of the turf on your side
Stake a claim to an important landmark (the park, a store, etc.)
Collect protection money
Set up an illegal racket (drugs, stolen goods, etc.)
Raid a rival racket / power center / source of income
Smash an enemy racket
Thin the ranks of your rivals (scare them, beat them, get them
arrested, etc.)
Beat your rivals in a fight / confrontation
Escape an ambush
Take out the leader of your rivals
Establish a truce with your rivals
Lay low until the heat is off
P L AY
Picking a Quest
When you pick a quest, it’s more important to wind up with a quest that
everyone is willing to play than one that a particular player loves. If even
a single player hates the quest you chose, it doesn’t matter how excited
everyone else is about it: that’s a recipe for a bad game.
There are a lot of quests to choose from, so if you want to get started
quickly or are introducing the game to new players, pick from the core four
recommended in the Start chapter: the Colony, the Dragon, the Heist, and
the Rebellion. Those cover a good variety of options.
If you are picking from the whole list, it is often faster and more productive
to have players remove quests that don’t interest them to narrow the field
rather than say which ones they like. Let players go in any order, as often
as they want, and take out quests they don’t want to play. No debate. Just
have everyone yank quests until you’re down to only two or three choices.
You can cross them off if you have a spare copy of the quest list. But if you
don’t want to start scribbling in your book, just lay the page flat and start
with a stone next to each quest. There’s a large list of quests in the back
of the book to make that easier for you. To eliminate a quest, remove the
stone. By the end, there will be just a few stones remaining so you can
clearly see what choices are left.
When you get down to two or three quests, stop and have each player vote
for the one they want. Tell everyone to secretly decide how much they
prefer each quest on a scale of one to five (one for mild preference, five
for a strong preference). Have everyone simultaneously point at the quest
they prefer, pointing that number of fingers. If you’re neutral, hold up a fist
to vote for all equally. If there are three quests, you can use both hands and
point at two different quests to show how much you prefer each one (but
don’t point both hands at the same quest).
Count the fingers pointed at each quest. The quest with the most votes is
the winner.
77
DISCUSSION
Follow is designed to be flexible and forgiving. Even if you get some of the
rules wrong, the structure of the game will keep you on the same page and
your story moving forward. Each new challenge gives the fellowship a fresh
start, and resolving each challenge let’s us show each other how we feel the
quest is going.
Here are some ways to get the most out of your game along with some
options to customize or expand the rules.
Your Quest Is to Play Together
Just as the characters in the fellowship are trying to complete a quest
together, everyone at the table has a goal too: you’re trying to play together
and have fun. That’s your quest.
The rules provide a structure to guide you and make playing together
easy. But in the heat of the moment and the excitement of adventure, it’s
easy to forget you are also just people sitting together at the table and all
the normal social rules of social interaction apply: respect each, be polite,
and so on. Even when your characters are trying to murder each other,
players should be polite and respectful—maybe even more so when your
characters are not!
For the game to work, it’s also critical that everyone gets to contribute their
fair share. When the rules say a particular player makes a choice (like picking
a challenge or creating a scene), the decision is up to that person. Their turn
is their turn. They can ask for ideas if they want, but if they don’t, no one else
should jump in with suggestions. It’s their chance to steer the story.
Likewise, it is everyone’s responsibility to honor and respect those
contributions. Embrace the facts that other players establish in the story.
Don’t contradict, undermine, or sidestep their ideas. And if you find yourself
wanting to invent big details about the world outside your character when
the rules have not given you special authority to do so, step lightly. Check
to make sure everyone else agrees with what you want.
If it ever feels like you don’t all agree about what kind of game you’re trying
to play or you don’t like how the game is going, there’s one simple and
effective solution: stop and talk about it. You can rescue even the worst
game by just stopping and discussing what’s going on. Never forget that
you and the other people at the table are more important than the game,
the characters, or anything in the story.
80
Pitfalls of Planning
In a game about accomplishing a goal, there’s a danger of getting so caught
up in planning what you should do that you stop being in the moment
and playing the characters facing those challenges. The game devolves into
players sitting around the table, logically plotting the best solution. Boring.
How do you avoid it? First off, if you want to talk about plans or do anything,
you have to do it in-character, in scenes. There’s no step for out-of-scene
discussions about what’s going to happen or what you’re doing. Don’t talk
about what might happen: play the scene and see what does happen.
But even in a scene, players can slip into “cerebral planning mode.” If you’re
in a scene where that’s happening, here are tricks to get everyone back in
the moment. They’re good habits even when a scene is going great:
Bring in the physical location of the scene. If you’re in
the jungle, mention the buzzing insects or how sweat
is dripping into your eyes. A little sensory narration
reminds everyone that you are characters in a fictional
place, not players sitting around a table. Likewise,
describe your character’s physical actions, like pacing or
flipping through files.
When speaking in character, address other characters by
name. It’s a reminder that it’s your characters talking, not
the players. The natural reaction is to respond in kind.
Play your relationships and position. Instead of just
considering whether what someone says makes sense
or is a good idea, think how your character feels about
them. Double-down on your character’s biases. Embrace
status imbalances between the characters. Sure that plan
sounds great, but if the character who came up with it is
just an intern, why would we listen to them?!? Players are
all due equal respect, but characters are absolutely not.
Dropping out of character is contagious, but being in the moment is
contagious, too. If you role-play, others will follow.
81
Two-Player Games
Follow is designed for three to five players, but if you want to play with only
two, use these rules changes:
Each player makes a second minor character for a total
of six characters in the fellowship (two main, four minor).
The first player to make a scene also makes a second
scene at the end of the challenge (three scenes total
per challenge). Because you cannot pick yourself as first
player, the person making the extra scene will always be
the one who did not pick the challenge.
Either player can pick the last challenge of the quest.
Longer Three-Player Games

Since each player makes one scene for each challenge, the length of the
game is directly related to the number of players. In a four-player game, you
play twelve scenes. But in a three-player game you only play nine.
If you want to make your three-player games slightly longer, then have the
player who picked the challenge make a second scene just before you end
the challenge regardless of the order around the table. That puts you back
at twelve scenes total. Since each player is picking one challenge, each
player will frame four scenes total.
Harder Quests
Your quest will be challenging. You may succeed or you may fail. But if your
group wants to play an even harder quest where the deck is stacked against
you, you can agree to play in “hard mode” when you pick your quest. This
must be a group decision since it changes the odds of the whole game.
If you decide to play in hard mode, start your pool with two red and one
white when you resolve the challenge instead of one of each.
82
Epic Quests
If a single quest is not enough to encompass your whole story or if you want
a massive quest that spans multiple sessions, you can chain three quests
together to reflect the different stages of a single epic adventure. Just as
you play challenges to move closer to the goal of a normal quest, you’ll play
entire quests to move closer to the goal of your overarching quest.
You start by picking the quest that describes your ultimate goal. That will
be your last quest and the climax of your story. Then you’ll play two other
quests that build up to that final task. Your successes (or failures) in the first
two quests will influence the outcome of the ultimate quest.
Now that you know the goal, you’ll pick the quest that you start with. You
may have ideas for the second quest as well, but you won’t decide it for
certain until you finish the first quest. That way you can pick something
that fits what happened in your first quest. Just like with challenges, you
can repeat the same quest, such as having to perform two different Raids to
neutralize enemy strongholds and pave the way for the Rebellion.
We decide our overall goal is to slay an immortal monster
terrorizing our realm, so the Dragon quest is a perfect
fit. We decide to start with a Heist: there’s a legendary
weapon that could slay the beast.
After finishing our Heist, it’s time to pick our second quest.
We’ve already seen that there is a powerful cult that
worships the monster as a god. Do we smash the heart of
the cult with a Raid or free the lands they control with a
Rebellion? Or do we decide we need another Heist to steal
the lore that contains the monster’s true name?
Play each quest following the normal rules. At the start of the second and
third quests, rebuild the fellowship so everyone has a main and minor
character even if characters were lost from the previous quest. You can
keep playing characters that survived the last quest, or you can start a new
character. You can also trade and use a character someone else played in
the last quest so long as that player agrees. Generally characters who were
lost in previous quests should not return to the fellowship, but if it makes
sense to the whole group, you can do it.
83
If a main character appeared in a previous quest, they may want the same
thing as before or their desires might have changed. That’s up to you. If you
want, you can switch the seating order to mix things up and give different
players direct character wants.
When you get to your third and final quest, you have a few choices you can
make. First, if it now seems like a different quest would be a better fit for
your original goal, you can pick a new third quest.
From the start we imagined that our final quest would
be to Cure the virus afflicting our colony world. But now
that we know that the living alien ocean is the real cause,
we could decide to use the Bomb quest instead to build a
weapon to destroy the source.
Second, if the fellowship won or lost both previous quests, you can choose
to trade in that advantage or disadvantage and change the definition of
victory.
If you’ve won both quests, you can sacrifice your advantage to potentially
achieve an even greater success if you win this last quest. Discuss what
that would mean. What’s an even greater version of success for your whole
mission? It should still be basically the same concept as the default quest
goal, but magnified.
If you lost both quests, you can retreat and regroup and be satisfied with less.
Decide what a lesser version of victory would be. You won’t get everything
you originally envisioned, but you’ll definitely get some accomplishment if
you win. Discuss what that lesser victory would be.
This is a role-playing decision where the members of the fellowship decide
to push their luck or cut their losses. The whole group has to agree that
their characters would go along with it even if other characters push them
into a decision they aren’t sure about.
When you resolve the outcome of the third challenge of the third quest, it
decides the entire epic quest. Add stones based on the outcome of the first
two challenges as normal, but also add a red stone for each failed quest and
a white stone for each successful quest. If you opted to trade your victories
or defeats to change the definition of victory, add one white and one red
84
instead of two of the same color. Likewise, when players add stones based
on whether they think the fellowship succeeded or failed, make sure the
players know this decides the entire quest cycle.
It may seem like adding only a single stone for the outcome of an entire
previous quest is a small adjustment, but remember that those victories
or defeats probably also colored your opinion of whether you think the
fellowship should succeed or not. That single stone is merely the minimum
impact the outcome of the quest had on the entire adventure.
After you finish the first quest, you can also choose to have the fellowship
split to tackle two problems at the same time. We’re fighting on different
fronts, struggling to achieve the common goal, but we won’t know if our
efforts bear fruit until the end. Defend Minas Tirith against the armies of
Mordor, but know all along that your final victory depends on a single
hobbit creeping into the land of shadow…
If you split the fellowship, play the first quest as normal. After that pick the
second and third quest at the same time, and then decide which members
of the original fellowship go on each mission. No character can go on
both quests, and each fellowship is reinforced by new members to make
a full roster, like normal. Play the second quest, knowing that the third
is happening at nearly the same time. The third quest ends just after the
second and decides the final outcome, as usual. If you want to take it even
farther, you could alternate between the two quests: play and finish the first
challenge, then switch to the other quest and play its first challenge, then
switch back to the other quest and play the second challenge, and so on.
85
AFTERWORD
When I started working on Follow, I had two goals. One was to make a very
simple, accessible story game that anyone could pick up and play without
a big learning curve. The other was to make a game you could whip out
and play over and over again without feeling like you were retreading old
ground—a trusty and reliable tool in your gaming arsenal.
The end result is a distillation of lessons learned from a wide range of
sources, including games I’ve played and people I’ve played with. It has
many mothers and many fathers. Plus piles of aunts, uncles, and second
cousins once-removed.
Inspirations
My first game, Microscope, was what you might call “unusual.” It went in new
directions and broke a lot of norms of existing games. Follow is the opposite. It
is intentionally rooted in the indie mainstream, building on the foundation of a
whole host of other games. These are just a few of the designers whose work I drew
inspiration from: Jason Morningstar, because if you haven’t been paying attention to
Fiasco (2009) you haven’t been paying attention to GMless games. Jonathan Walton,
because Geiger Counter (2008) was the first game I played that made such wonderful
use of secondary characters, doomed to die. Ryan Macklin, for expressing “needing
something from someone and them not giving it to you” with perfect clarity. And Ron
Edwards, for distinguishing between what the players want and what the characters
want all the way back in Elfs (2000), and for doing so much to pave the way for the
entirety of indie games.
Playing at Story Games Seattle every week remains my most singular inspiration.
Sometimes it’s rewarding, sometimes it’s frustrating, but it’s always educational.
Ultimately, the games I make are simultaneously reflections of how we play there
and attempts to solve the problems we uncover.
Thanks
Making a game is fun. Finishing and releasing a game can be grueling, difficult work.
Without good people around you, it can be impossible.
I would be lost without the brain trust of Caroline Hobbs (author of Downfall) and
Marc Hobbs (author of Eden). If Caroline had a nickel for every time we talked about
game ideas, she’d have a giant nickel-plated mech. With laser eyes.
Thursdays are for story games, but Tuesdays are for the hobbit crew, Mike, Jem, and
Haskell, who bravely took Follow for several critical spins early in the design.
And more than anyone else, thanks to my family, my true fellowship through thick
and thin.
If you’re a very lucky designer, then during the long arc of development you may play
sessions that stand out as perfect examples and remind you what you’re trying to do.
Those games are your milestones and guiding stars:
Caroline, Marc, and Pat chasing the Booty in the very first game of Follow. It showed
me I was on the right track but with a bunch of wrong turns.
Ace, ET, Nick, and Seth playing wonderfully conflicted Superheroes at Story Games
Seattle. With great power comes great pathos.
Aaron, Jonathan, Meagan, and Sean slaying the Dragon at PAX, except our dragon
was a cat and our heroes were mice. Doomed, doomed mice.
Plus a slew more I could name: the trio of games at Go Play NW 2016, the magical
Baum Candy heist, and on and on. Because I have been very lucky indeed.
88
Playtesters
Without players, a game is pointless. Without playtesters, designing a game is just
sitting around making (hopefully) educated guesses. You don’t know what the game
really is until you play it.
These are the people who helped make Follow the game it is. My sincere thanks to
every single one of you:
Aaron Biegalski, Ace Hamilton, Adrienne Mueller, Albert Bellefeuille, Alessandro

Piroddi, Alex Guerrero-Randall, Anders Hällzon, Andrew Chason, Andrew Dacey,
Andrew Hamilton, Andrew Pickard, Andrew Stevens, Andy, Anne Vaughan, Annia
Champsaur, Anthony Hamilton, Antoine Pempie, Arjuna Khan, Aryeh, Ashley Cook,
Aurélien Lemay, Barbara Fini, Bastien Wauthoz, Bay, Ben, Berzerk, Björn Thalén,
Brandon Amancio, Brennan Martin, Brett Gillard, Brianne Chason, Caroline Hobbs,
Caspian Priebe, Claudia, Côme Martin, Craig Apfelbeck, Dale Horstman, Damien
Rahyll C, Dana, Dani Laney, Daniel Blair, Dave Fooden, David Hertz, David Martini,
David Sharer, David Sparkes, Davis Morgan, Dedal, Derek Tseng, Dmitry, Doug Bartlett,
Doug Bolden, Drew Besse, Dustin Neighly, Ed, Emily Corbit, Emily Lissone, Enrico
Mola, Eric Borzello, Eric Levanduski, Eric M, ET, Eunice Hung, Evan M, Fabian, Fabulo,
Felisberto Lagartinha, Finlay Mackenzie, François T, Fred Lott, Fredrik Sergler, Garth
Rose, Gavin Speight, Gavin White, Gene Fasano, Geoff Rycroft, Geoff Vogel, Gherhartd
Sildoenfein, Guy Srinivasan, Guylène le Mignot, Gwydion JMF Weber, Hannah Percell,
Heather Currey, Heather Silsbee, Ian Humphreys, Ingvill Riise, Jake Pack, James Dingo,
James Joyce, James Lawton, James T Harding, James Torrance, James Wilson, Jared
Oard, Jason, Jasper de Lange, Javier Soto, Jeff Miller, Jeff Olson, Jeff Slater, Jem Lewis,
Jen Liddle, Joanne Piancastelli, Joe Wandyez, John Weber, Jon Cole, Jonathan Bolden,
Jonathan Miley, Jonathan Siegel, Jordan Mingus, Joshua Kaushansky, Josiah, Joy,
Julian Plaga, Julie Southworth, Justin Ford, Justin Nelson, Kai, Karen Twelves, Kate
Hymes, Kathleen Blair, Katie Tanner, Keenan Kibrick, Kim Nolemo, Lavinia Barni, Lex,
Louis Langdeau, Lucien Smith, Luis Matos III, Lukas Sernlind, Marc Hobbs, Mariana
Talone, Marie Balboa, Mark Phair, Marshall Vaughan, Matt Bickett, Matthew Fisher,
Matthew Klein, Matthew Lambert, Maxwell Hallock, Meagan Maricle, Melissa, Micah,
Michael Beyer, Mike Frost, Natasha Lewandrowsky, Nathan Bové, Neil Smith, Nicholas
VanSchaick, Nick Music, Nick Ramseth, Nick Stewart, Niko Bates, Noah Cohen, Noel
Warford, Oliver Bok, Oliver Okun, Olivier S, Paige Corbit, Pan Greenwood, Pat Kemp,
Patrick McCabe, Paul Hamblin, Paul Spragét, Pedro Lisboa, Peter Raisen, Philip
Kronenberg, Philip LaRose, Priscila Santos, Raffaele Manzo, Reagan, Reid Connors,
Richard, Richard Lutz, Rj Williams, Robert Carnel, Robert Haskell, Robert Wallas, Ross
Daly, Russell, Ryan Blazecka, Ryan Reekris, Sam Ashwell, Sam Fraser, Sam Trickey,
Sandie Robertson, Sarah Bolden, Sean Wells, Seth, Seth Slaughter, Shimon Alkon,
Shuo Meng, Simon Pettersson, Spencer Gilbride, Spencer McTavish, Steve Maltby,
Steve Travers, Stewart Wyatt, Taylor, Tim, Tim Mauldin, Tony Dowler, Tyrone Cawston,
Veles Svitlychny, Viviane Molnar, Vivien Popken, Wes Hilton, Whitney Mims, Zachary
Bolden
89
Lists of Names
MODERN FUTURE-ABSTRACT FANTASY
1| Alvarado 1| Aurin LIST ONE
2| Anders 2| Borsley
1 | Amleth
3| Berkowitz 3| Carelle
2 | Anwell
4| Burns 4| Cray
3 | Baden
5| Carlson 5| Cross
4 | Gareth
6| Carter 6| Forrest
5 | Hodge
7| Caruthers 7| Geti
6 | Mallus
8| Cooper 8| Hauser
7 | Newt
9| Cruz 9| Hayden
8 | Ostreck
10 | Degrassi 10 | Isley
9 | Percival
11 | Dieter 11 | Kane
10 | Prynn
12 | Ellis 12 | Karse
11 | Torman
13 | Fiske 13 | Kollard
12 | Whelan
14 | Foster 14 | Locke
15 | Gates 15 | Lukas LIST TWO
16 | Green 16 | Marks 1 | Gnor
17 | Hagel 17 | Marris 2 | Gildun
18 | Hatcher 18 | Nemura 3 | Kagin
19 | Hawkins 19 | Neev 4 | Laud
20 | Hayes 20 | Phellin 5 | Mauglin
21 | Hobbs 21 | Pike 6 | Morduk
22 | Honeycutt 22 | Rogin 7 | Nord
23 | Hooper 23 | Rorke 8 | Odon
24 | Lang 24 | Sallace 9 | Revik
25 | Lowry 25 | Soren 10 | Sigun
26 | Lynch 26 | Teese 11 | Urik
27 | Madison 27 | Vail 12 | Wuld
28 | May 28 | Warner LIST THREE
29 | Moore 29 | Wells 1 | Ava
30 | Myers 30 | Xu 2 | Bahar
31 | Nichols 3 | Danush
32 | Otterson ALIEN WORLDS 4 | Ekanna
33 | Peters 1| Alletis 5 | Kavek
34 | Rivera 2| Cassil 6 | Malak
35 | Russo 3| Corsono 7 | Mara
36 | Sanders 4| Debari 8 | Mehrab
37 | Simms 5| Foltus 9 | Quezra
38 | Singh 6| Glade 10 | Sada
39 | Smalls 7| Gram 11 | Vellis
40 | Soto 8| Hanat 12 | Zaybar
41 | Sutherland 9| Mossul
LIST FOUR
42 | Tanner 10 | Tokumar
1 | Anthus
43 | Thorpe 11 | Waver
2 | Black
44 | Tvechy 12 | Vix
3 | Cogwharton
45 | Vasquez
4 | Greygazen
46 | Vega
5 | Hookling
47 | Walker
6 | Lilymane
48 | Williams
7 | Isleyladen
8 | Malzebrooke
9 | Olinosprey
10 | Rook
11 | Telmarin
12 | Wirin
Coming up with names can be hard, so this is just a small sample to get you started. For a wide range
of names from cultures all around the world, I recommend the Story Games Names Project.
90
To narrow down your choices quickly, put a stone next to each quest, and then have everyone remove any they aren’t interested in as fast as they want.
Don’t worry about whether other players might like those quests. Just remove any that don’t interest you. When you get down to only two or three
quests, discuss and vote.
You can also roll to pick a quest at random. Roll one six-sided die for the row, one for the column (1-2 for the first, 3-4 for the second, 5-6 for the third).
the Bomb the Cure the Raid

Build the weapon that ends the war Cure the disease Destroy the target
the Booty the Dragon the Rebellion

Get the treasure and get away Slay the beast that terrorizes the realm Overthrow our oppressors
the Breakthrough the Gods the Show

Change the world with our invention Make mortals worship us Put on a show the audience loves
the Candidate the Heist the Siege

Get our candidate elected Get the loot and don’t get caught Hold our city against the attackers
the Championship the Movement the Superheroes

Win the big game Change society to embrace our belief Unite as a superhero team
the Colony the Posse the Turf

Build a colony and make it flourish Bring the outlaw back for trial Win control of the territory
Pick Your Quest

START PLAY CHALLENGE RESOLUTION
1 | Pick your quest You’ll play three challenges. For each Draw two stones, one at a time. Results
2 | What makes our quest difficult challenge: are shown by the order drawn:
3 | Prepare character cards Start a Challenge WHITE, WHITE
4 | Main character concept Pick challenge from the sheet win the challenge
5 | Want: From the quest What makes it difficult
RED, WHITE
6 | Want: From you Pick first player
lose one character but
7 | Minor character Set pace together win the challenge
Play Scenes WHITE, RED
Previously selected player goes first lose one character and
FOLLOW WANT from the Quest

Make your scene: who, what, where lose the challenge
Play to see what happens RED, RED
WANT from You
< End the scene a character betrays (or is

Next clockwise player makes a betrayed by) the fellowship and
REFERENCE SHEET scene. Repeat until everyone has is lost, and lose the challenge
made a scene
This is an overview of the rules for quick reference, but
always use the complete instructions in the book. For
more information about Follow, visit lamemage.com.
MAIN
CHARACTER
MINOR
CHARACTER
Finish the Challenge
Build pool of stones (follow the
Copyright © 2017 Ben Robbins instructions in book)
WANT from the Quest
Full pardon Draw to determine outcome

Describe results & characters lost
QUEST TITLE
WANT from You
<
1) …
Uncover source 2) …
of your powers
WHAT MAKES OUR
reformed supervillain government liaison After you finish the challenge, start a QUEST DIFFICULT CHALLENGES
new one. The third challenge decides

Doctor Steel
reformed supervillain
Agent Lila Thomson
government liaison if you win or lose the quest. After the
third challenge, go to the Epilogue.
MAIN MINOR
CHARACTER CHARACTER
MAIN MINOR
Slay the dragon. Cure a disease. Colonize an
alien world.…
Pick your quest, assemble your fellowship, and then face the
challenges that stand in your way. Can our characters stay united and
succeed, or will our differences tear us apart? Do you follow the plan…
or follow your heart?
An easy and accessible role-playing game by Ben Robbins, creator of

Microscope and Kingdom. For three to five players.
ISBN 978-0-9832779-3-4
92499 >
Lame Mage Productions

www.lamemage.com
9 780983 277934

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What is the purpose of the game?

What is the purpose of the game?

How is the game played?

How is the game played?

a game about working together or falling apart, by Ben Robbins

Copyright © 2017 by Ben Robbins

Written by Ben Robbins

Edited by Carole Robbins

Cover Art by Al Lukehart

Published by Lame Mage Productions

First Edition 2017

(read this page aloud to introduce the game)

Pick Our Quest

(a sample quest is displayed on the next page)

CUSTOMIZE OUR QUEST TOGETHER

WHAT MAKES OUR QUEST DIFFICULT? (PICK TWO)

WHAT I WANT FROM THE QUEST

WHAT I WANT FROM YOU, BUT YOU WON’T GIVE ME

What Makes Our Quest

1) The warlords are well-armed

WANT from the Quest

WANT from You

Who Are You?

Want: From the Quest

Want: From You

WANT from the Quest

WANT from You

< Uncover source

reformed supervillain government liaison

Doctor Steel Agent Lila Thomson

WHAT MAKES OUR

Pick First Player

Who’s In the Scene?

What’s Going On?

Finish the Challenge

As a group, describe the outcome of your challenge to match the results

Rejecting the Challenge

Losing Characters: Kill Your Darlings

the Booty the Movement

the Breakthrough the Posse

the Candidate the Raid

the Championship the Rebellion

the Colony the Show

the Cure the Siege

the Dragon the Superheroes

the Gods the Turf

CUSTOMIZE OUR QUEST TOGETHER

WHAT MAKES OUR QUEST DIFFICULT? (PICK TWO)

WHAT I WANT FROM THE QUEST

WHAT I WANT FROM YOU, BUT YOU WON’T GIVE ME

Build the weapon that ends the

 Convince authorities our project can work

 Get approval to build the weapon

 Get new equipment

 Build a new facility

 Hire more staff

 Streamline our organization (fire excess staff, re-organize

 Blame someone for our failures

 Find the mole

Convince authorities our project can work

Get approval to build the weapon

Get new equipment

Build a new facility

Hire more staff

Streamline our organization (fire excess staff, re-organize

Blame someone for our failures

Find the mole

Perform a live test of the new prototype

Increase the destructive power

Develop a delivery system (bombers, missiles, etc.)

Fix a problem in the design

Fix the faulty trigger mechanism

Eliminate the collateral destruction the weapon causes

Get a crew (or get more crew)

Repair our ship

Thread the reefs

Weather the storm

Deal with being becalmed (without enough food or water)

Put down a mutiny

Choose a captain (or re-elect the old one)

Chase and overtake our prey

Board and capture her!

Split the loot

Bury the treasure

Get funding / investors

Convince our backers our invention will work

Convince the public our invention is needed

Convince the public our design is safe

Get around red tape / regulations

Deal with persecution, investigations, or witch-hunts

Blame someone for our failures

Deal with a competitor

Deal with someone stealing our ideas

Overcome a roadblock in the design

Deal with a flaw in our design

Fix the terrible side-effects (what are they?)

Test it in the lab

Test it in the field

Figure out how to mass produce / distribute it

Get on the ballot

Raise funds / win over financial backers

Get the support of a celebrity or influential official (who?)

Get the support of a special interest group (which one?)

Prep for a debate

Shape the message. Announce what our candidate stands for.

Pump up our supporters (rallies, speeches, etc.)

Handle accusations of personal misconduct (an affair, etc.)

Handle accusations of financial misconduct (personal use of funds,

Attack our opponent. Make the public aware of their flaws.

Deal with attack ads (what do they say?)

Win over the voters

Win this next game

Beat an old rival team

Train and improve our skills

Develop new strategies / secret plays

Learn to play together as a team

Learn to trust each other