Quests

Quests are structured objectives within the game world that provide characters with goals, challenges, and rewards. Each quest is tracked using tallies, which represent knowledge, preparation, and world consequences.

A quest begins when failure or success would meaningfully change the character or situation.

Quest Structure

Each quest has the following components:

• Goal - The intended outcome the player must achieve to complete the quest.
• Reward - The benefit or consequence gained when the quest is resolved successfully. Rewards should return at minimum 1 new tag. Other rewards should be award based on the quest.
• Tallies - Markers that track progress, preparation, and urgency. There are usually three tallies: Plan, Location, and Countdown.
• Steps - Optional intermediate objectives within a quest. Completing a step can affect tallies and countdowns.
• Consequence - If the quest fails, this happens. Consequences should also add a new negative affecting tag.

Tallies

1. Plan Tally

• Represents preparation, strategy, or knowledge required to execute the quest.
• Default length: 5 marks
• Must be completed before attempting the resolution roll.
• Effect: Missing plan marks hinders all resolution rolls for the quest by -1 per missing mark. Completing the plan tally reduces the countdown by 1 mark.

2. Location Tally

• Represents discovery of the quest’s endpoint or key sites.
• Default length: 5 marks
• Must be completed to attempt the quest resolution.
• Effect: Completing the location tally reduces the countdown by 1 mark.

3. Countdown (Consequence) Tally

• Not all quests need a countdown -- ie: Becoming a Blade Master does not need a countdown (there is no time limit). Finding a lost person should. (They could die or be lost forever.)
• Tracks consequences that can lead to automatic quest failure.
• Default length: 10 marks (2 tallies)
• Triggers: Only advances when specific in-game events or consequences occur (e.g., enemy progress, faction actions, failed objectives).
• Effect of Completion: Completing plan, location, or quest steps reduces the countdown by 1 mark per completed element.
• Failure Condition: When all marks are filled, the quest fails automatically and the consequence happens.

Multi-Step Quests

• Quests may have multiple intermediate steps.
• Each step completed:
  • Counts toward the Plan tally if preparation was required.
  • Reduces the Countdown tally by 1 mark.
• Allows for branching or staged objectives, giving players opportunities to actively mitigate consequences.

Resolution

• The resolution roll represents the character’s attempt to complete the quest.
• Prerequisites:
  • Plan tally fully completed (or risk penalties).
  • Location tally fully completed.
• Modifiers:
  • Each missing Plan mark: -1 penalty to resolution roll.
  • Fully completed Plan tally: ease all resolution rolls by +1.
  • Countdown remaining does not affect rolls directly but represents the ongoing world pressure.

Interaction with Clues

• Quests are advanced by clues found in the world:
  • Goal clues contribute to Plan tallies.
  • Location clues contribute to Location tallies.
  • Countdown clues contribute to the Countdown tallies.
• Players decide which clues apply to which tallies when discovered.
• Faction-driven quests may advance independent of player knowledge, triggering consequences that fill Countdown marks without player intervention.