MC INTRUSIONS (Anytime, even during players’ actions)

PLAYER MOVES
Add a story tag • When someone picks up an important object (pistol, the victim’s wallet)
When the PC’s action’s primary goal is to... • When you want to highlight the environment (crates, stormy night)
• When you want to characterize the situation (hope, endless bureaucracy)
Gain an advantage Heal an ally, shake off a negative effect, CHANGE
When a player • Check if the tags fit the narrative (e.g., line of sight for firing a shotgun).
or remedy a create or obtain something useful, THE GAME
invokes tags for a • Check if power tags directly enhance the action. Rule out tags which
disadvantage weaken a foe, change the environment (PG-182)
move only enhance a related or secondary action, e.g., defensive tags when
(generate Juice) as support (add/burn tag, give/remove
attacking.
status)
• Invoke any appropriate weakness tags.
Get someone to do Intimidate, persuade, command, charm, CONVINCE • Split a complex action into several moves.
something seduce, negotiate (PG-185)
When a player • If they do not protect themselves, give them a status.
Reduce or avoid an Block, dodge, parry, resist effect, FACE DANGER forgoes a move • If they do not control collateral damage, optionally, give a status to
incoming status withstand or ignore an attack or an (PG-187) option someone or something else due to ricochets, debris, side-effects, or
attempt to influence other consequences.

7-9 on Investigate Your investigation exposes you to danger. Choose from Complicate Things.
Overcome the Seize an object, person, or position GO TOE TO TOE
opposition under contention, outrun / outsmart / (PG-188) The clues you get are fuzzy, incomplete, or part-true part-false.
(whether to secure outmaneuver / overpower someone, Mix in false information or give very little actionable information.
a goal or to harm attack a defensive opponent
someone) Whoever or whatever you are asking the question(s) can ask you one question as
well. You answer on the same terms.
Harm someone or Attack at a moment of opportunity or HIT WITH ALL Ask about the following. Later, have the NPCs act on the player’s answers.
something that is vulnerability: punch, blast, shoot, stab, YOU’VE GOT • The PC’s intentions and plans
open to attack put a spell on someone, cause social or (PG-190) • What the PC values (including Mysteries and Identities)
(give a status) financial harm • How she can be manipulated
• What the PC knows that their adversaries don’t yet know
Gather any kind of Observe, search, study, call contacts, INVESTIGATE or • A new insight or detail about the PC, not necessarily related to the case
information ask around, contact or tap into LOOK BEYOND
(generate Clues) otherworldly knowledge THE MIST 7-9 on Sneak Someone unimportant noticed you, but that just made them important, right?
(PG-192) Around • A local person, creature, being, or group (check District locals)
• Someone guarding the scene (police, PI, security, thugs, etc.)
Hide herself, her Lie undetected, sneak, pickpocket, SNEAK • Someone from the PC’s supporting cast
motives, her actions, impersonate, follow someone, avoid AROUND
or her allies electronic or magical detection (PG-195) You are perceived only by a secondary sense.
The NPC senses enough to raise suspicion or to incriminate the PC later,
Perform a dangerous Acrobatics, athletics, break a fall, TAKE THE RISK but not enough to spur immediate action.
task under pressure climbing, high-speed or combat driving (PG-196)
You must leave something important behind – or be discovered.
or piloting, picking a lock or cracking
Describe a situation that forces them to choose between being
a safe, gambling, anything involving
discovered and leaving behind something or someone...
high risk
• … from their tags (burn the tag if appropriate).
When the PC’s action exceeds the agreed scope or use of her powers, the player • … valuable to the case, such as evidence, a key, or a witness.
must STOP. HOLDING. BACK. (PG-256). • … that can lead pursuers back to them or their allies.

7-9 on Take the Pick two or three hard MC moves as potential outcomes and let the
When the PC’s action goes against her Mysteries or Identities, the player can, at his
Risk player choose between them.
option, MAKE A HARD CHOICE (PG-254).
Reveal a Before or when it is triggered (Danger enters scene, Danger attacked, etc.)
custom move
© 2018 Son of Oak Game Studio / Amít Moshe
SOFT MOVES (Before and after players’ actions)
Complicate Things HARD MOVES (When a player rolls a miss or when otherwise stated)
Foreshadow • Warn the PCs of a threat about to arrive if they don’t Complicate • Major threat: The PCs are outnumbered, outgunned, cornered, or otherwise at a
change course. Things, major disadvantage, e.g., the big bad reveals a dangerous weapon or ally.
• Choose any hard move and describe how it is about to Bigtime • High stakes: Someone or something the PCs value or need is in extreme danger.
take place. • Greater implications: The PCs’ actions implicate the entire block, the neighborhood,
a large group of people, or the whole City.
Introduce a • A Danger from the case
• Danger beyond their control: A threat becomes hard or impossible to contain, e.g.,
new threat into • Environmental threats, such as exposed electric cables,
a tidal wave.
the scene ominous ancient runes, or a collapsing wall
• “Reinforcements”: more of what the crew is currently Deny Them • Someone escapes: important witness, suspect, villain
dealing with Something • Something or someone is taken: ally, supporting cast, vehicle
• “Victims”: a related third party that may be targeted They Want • Something is destroyed: evidence burns, a sacred item is defiled
specifically • Someone refuses to help: informant clams up, contact won’t assist
• “Civilians”: an unrelated third party who could get hurt • Access is denied: escape path is blocked, security detail is tightened
• “Trouble comes in threes”: a threat unrelated to the
scene that targets the PCs, such as a Nemesis or a Make • Tragedies: loss of a life, a loved one, livelihood, health, feeling of safety, soul, freedom,
snoopy news reporter Something social standing, powers, or Mythos.
• “The Police”: a third party guarding the location Horrible • Targets: a passerby, a victim in the case, one of the PCs’ allies or supporting cast, the
(police, private security, a local gang, the Gatekeepers) Happen City itself or a large area or group within it, etc.
• “What are you doing here?!”: PCs and crew supporting cast Turn Their • The action affects an unintended target(s).
Advance an • Activate a Danger’s soft move Move Against • The action succeeds “too well” (too far, too strong, too fast) or the PC achieves more
existing threat • An adversary prepares an attack against the PCs or Them than she can handle.
their allies by changing position, drawing or aiming a • The action harms what it meant to secure.
weapon, revving up Mythos powers • The action causes an unexpected reaction or side-effect.
• An adversary prepares to block the PCs moves by Give a Status • Detrimental, to PCs / allies that suffer harm or are in trouble.
putting up barriers (physical, social, magical, etc.) • Beneficial, to Dangers that improve their position or situation.
• Someone or something in the scene that the characters
want is about to elude them Reduce / • Beneficial, for PCs / allies that lose an existing advantage.
• An environmental threat worsens Remove a • Detrimental, for Dangers that shake off existing limitations or harm.
• Alert the players to a Danger’s countdown spectrum Status
(and possibly countdown custom move), e.g., the bomb
is ticking Burn a Tag • An item is temporarily broken, lost, or unusable.
• A resource is temporarily exhausted or inaccessible.
Hit Them After Make a hard move based on a previous Complicate Things • Allies can’t or won’t help her until problems are resolved.
a Fair Warning move, if the PCs did not respond. • The PC can’t or won’t use her skills, traits, or Mythos powers.

Force Them to Choose two or three Hard MC moves and let the player choose between them.
Optional: Make a hard move based on a PC’s weakness tag (they Choose If appropriate, try to tie the choice to the PC’s Mysteries and Identities.
Activate their mark Attention).
Weakness Tags Hard Danger • Make a predefined hard move as listed in a Danger’s moves.
as Flaws and custom • Trigger a custom move that can be activated “as a hard move”.
moves
Custom move Trigger a (Danger) custom move that can be activated
as a soft move “as a soft move”.
STATUSES NARRATION
MILD MINOR MAJOR DRAMATIC INCAPACITATING LETHAL/TRANSFORMATIVE Emphasize the • Narrate as a hard-boiled detective or a dangerous gangster.
atmosphere • When you describe a scene, describe its mood.
• Use film noir and comic book motifs:

Stacking • A greater tier replaces a smaller tier (tier-2 replaces tier-1).

Lighting Weather Ambient Noise Air & Odor Cinematic
• An equal tier increases the tier by 1 (tier-2 increases an existing
stark contrasts melancholic persistent rain street noise smog camera
tier-2 to tier-3).
shadow patterns ominous thunder & lightning vehicles pollution camera angle
• A smaller tier adds pips to the greater tier until the next tier is reached.
(flickering) neon corrupt dirty pouring rain subway perfume pan
Duration • Most statuses are Ongoing, lasting until they narratively expire or are removed. streetlight overcast and bleak machinery sweat zoom
• Temporary statuses expire after they apply to a single action. shutters & blinds mysteriously misty floor/door creaks blood shot
• Permanent statuses do not expire. headlights inner City sweltering heat news on TV alcohol cut
solemn snow weather garbage fade in/out
Recovery • Players reduce or remove statuses with Juice (Change the Game move) or partial cover of
hopeful sunny day ravens sewage dissolve
during downtime with the Montage (Downtime) move (PG-201). shadow, fog, mist,
partly cloudy routine chemicals close-up
• Dangers can reduce or remove statuses as a hard move or offscreen steam, or smoke
rot (comics) panel
(between scenes).

Statuses Choose one: add to the Danger’s spectrums, affect the Danger’s moves, Mystery: Goosebumps, shivers, hairs bristle, cold air, something in the corner of your eye
on Dangers or affect player moves.
Injury: ouch-1 • stinging-pain-2 • broken-arm-3 • multiple-fractures-4 • dying-5 • dead-6 Make Your • Focus on the NPCs’ everyday persona (Logos); only hint at their Mythos.
Characters Real • Give your NPCs emotional layers:
Gunfire: grazed-1 • flesh-wound-2 • gunshot-wound-3 • bleeding-out-4 • dying-5 • dead-6 and Human
Subdual: tangled-1 • restricted-2 • cuffed-2 • tied-up-3 • pinned-down-4 • overpowered-5
Outwardly: Hard-boiled, brusque, coy, seductive, determined, forthcoming, diplomatic, courteous,
Exhaustion: tired-1 • groggy-2 • fatigued-3 • exhausted-4 • passed-out-5
aggressive, indifferent, averse, aloof, flamboyant, miserable, calculated, calm, erratic, resigned
Poison: rash-1 • spreading-venom-2 • paralyzed-leg-3 • spams-4 • system-shock-5 • dead-6
But actually: Vulnerable, afraid, exhausted, cunning, hopeful, consumed by hatred, lost, lonely, just fine,
Disease: cough-1 • infected-2 • sick-3 • bedridden-4 • system-shock-5 • dead-6 tormented, convicted, dead inside, happy, hopeless, suicidal, psychotic, numb, delusional
Vision: obstructed-1 • clouded-2 • disoriented-3 • can-hardly-see-4 • blinded-5 • legally-blind-6
Keep it a mystery • Cultivate suspense, drop tiny clues, pace the revelation of the truth.
Social (+): attention-1 • interesting-2 • admired-3 • life-of-the-party-4 • media-craze-5
• Mention small strange details offhandedly to hint that nothing is as it seems.
Social (-): embarrassed-1 • on-the-spot-2 • humiliated-3 • laughing-stock-4 • ostracized-5 • Candidly describe the player characters’ gut feelings and intuitions.
• Hint at a Mythos, but never speak its name or talk metaphysics in-play.
Fear: hesitant-1 • daunted-2 • fearful-3 • terror-struck-4 • petrified-5 • scared-to-death-6

Mood: melancholic-1 • sad-2 • depressed-3 • shattered-4 • despaired-5 • suicidal-6 Ask Provoking • Actively prompt the players to reveal their characters’ lives by asking questions
Questions that matter, such as: How does your character feel about this? What do she think
Charm: interested-1 • beguiled-2 • charmed-3 • mesmerized-4 • controlled-5 • enslaved-6 will happen now? Who would want her dead?
Combat (+): upper-hand-1 • behind-cover-2 • in-my-sight-3 • tactical-superiority-4 • Adjust the case and your moves based on their answers.

Combat (-): distracted-1 • exposed-2 • surprised-3 • overrun-4 • surrounded-5 / defeated-5 Stay Consistent • Bring back beloved, hated, or curious characters, locations, and themes.
• Take notes, track new names and details in your series.
Legal: warning-1 • watched-2 • warrant-for-arrest-3 • wanted-4 • most-wanted-5
• When positioning matters, sketch out a map of the scene.
Financial: strained-budget-1 • overspending-2 • financial-risk-3 • indebted-4 • bankrupt-5
Make the City feel • It’s a City full of people and creatures. Who else is around right now?
Mental (also intoxication): scattered-1 • dazed-2 • confused-3 • bewildered-4 • psychotic-5
alive • It’s a City, and life goes on. How have things changed here recently?
The Mist: vague-details-1 • memory-lapse-2 • memory-loss-3 • amnesia-4 • oblivious-5 • While this scene is taking place, what are the major NPCs doing?