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Standard Action Card Set

A1. Standard Action Card Set (12) — “Baseline Deck”

Use these as the default 12 Action Cards every character starts with unless a pregen/loadout replaces some.

Card format: • Name • Intent (what it is for) • Effect (dice or rule changes) • Cost/Restriction (if any) • Notes (how it interacts with Tags/gear)

  • name: "Press On" intent: "Keep moving under pressure; push through obstacles." effect:
  • "Add 1d8 EFFECT to the roll."
  • "If Fate is Failure (4–7), treat as Failure but gain 1 Situational Opportunity (Section 3) in the fiction." restriction:
  • "If used in Dusk, the roll also gains mandatory 1d10 DANGER." notes:

  • "Pairs well with Wayfinder/Fixer tags."

  • name: "Hold Fast" intent: "Hold a position; resist being displaced or overwhelmed." effect:

  • "Add 1d6 CONTROL to the roll."
  • "On Clean/Strong Success, reduce the next incoming Location consequence by one step (e.g., lose a Service instead of a Tag) if in a Defense Scene." restriction:
  • "If Fate is Catastrophe (1–3), you must take the worst reasonable COST band consequence." notes:

  • "Excellent for Wardens and defense-heavy tables."

  • name: "Take Cover" intent: "Minimize harm; survive the moment." effect:

  • "Downgrade one COST band by one step (4→3, 3→2, 2→1) after rolling." restriction:
  • "Cannot be used to downgrade COST below 1." notes:

  • "This is not healing; it is containment."

  • name: "Find the Angle" intent: "Look for an opening; exploit positioning." effect:

  • "Add 1d12 OPPORTUNITY to the roll."
  • "If OPPORTUNITY is 9–12, create a new temporary Tag on the scene (e.g., 'Exposed Flank', 'Unlocked Door') usable once by any player." restriction:
  • "If used while Attention is 6+ (Section 18), also add +1 Attention after the Scene." notes:

  • "Strong with Shadow/Speaker play."

  • name: "Read the Room" intent: "Assess motives, hidden dangers, or leverage in social scenes." effect:

  • "Add 1d6 CONTROL to the roll."
  • "If CONTROL is 5–6, you may ask one yes/no question about the situation; answer is binding via World Arbitration if disputed." restriction:
  • "If the Scene is Loud, also add 1d10 DANGER." notes:

  • "Often used to reduce bad surprises."

  • name: "Bargain Hard" intent: "Trade, negotiate, extract a concession." effect:

  • "Add 1d8 EFFECT."
  • "On Costly/Clean/Strong Success, gain 1 Wealth-equivalent benefit in the fiction (goods, favors, service) OR reduce Attention spend by 1 (if the world is about to spend Attention)." restriction:
  • "On Failure, gain a Condition: 'Indebted' (see Conditions list)." notes:

  • "Speaker/Broker-adjacent; still useful to anyone."

  • name: "Jury-Rig" intent: "Make broken things work right now." effect:

  • "If you have relevant Tool/Gear Tags, add 1d6 CONTROL."
  • "On Success, remove 'Broken' from one carried item until end of Cycle (it becomes 'Unstable' instead)." restriction:
  • "Immediately add 1d10 DANGER to the roll." notes:

  • "This is a field fix; real repair still requires Section 9.9 in a Safe Location."

  • name: "Slip Away" intent: "Avoid notice; exit without turning it into a fight." effect:

  • "Add 1d6 CONTROL."
  • "If Fate is Success-tier (8+), reduce Attention gain from this Scene by 1 (minimum 0)." restriction:
  • "If Fate is Failure (4–7), trigger an immediate local complication (patrol, locked route, pursuit) via World Arbitration." notes:

  • "Shadow-friendly, but universally valuable."

  • name: "Set the Trap" intent: "Prepare a delayed consequence; control approach vectors." effect:

  • "Create a Scene Tag: 'Trapped' (one use)."
  • "The first enemy/threat to act in the affected space suffers mandatory 1d10 DANGER and 1d4 COST on their next relevant resolution." restriction:
  • "Costs time: immediately advance the phase-counter by +1 action toward the next phase step (Section 14.2)." notes:

  • "This is how you buy safety without a GM."

  • name: "Protect Them" intent: "Interpose; take consequences for an ally." effect:

  • "After dice are read, you may take one COST consequence that would apply to another player."
  • "If you do, reduce the ally’s COST by one band." restriction:
  • "Gain Fatigue equal to current phase Support cost (Section 10.3) immediately." notes:

  • "This is the ‘grimdark heal’—you become the cost."

  • name: "Do What Must Be Done" intent: "Force success at a price." effect:

  • "After rolling, upgrade Fate Tier by one step (Failure→Costly Success, Costly→Clean, Clean→Strong)." restriction:
  • "Immediately take a Trauma Trigger (Section 12.2) and resolve a Trauma Check (Section 12.3)." notes:

  • "This card is the engine of scars and legacies."

  • name: "Make Camp (Improvised)" intent: "Create temporary shelter; avoid Exposure for one Scene window." effect:

  • "If not in a Location, you may declare a Temporary Camp with 1 Shelter-capable Tag ('Hidden' OR 'Weatherproof', choose one)."
  • "This prevents Exposure from triggering at the end of the current Scene only." restriction:
  • "If used in Dusk or Night, also draw 1 Exposure card for the table (not per player) immediately." notes:
  • "It buys moments, not safety. Real safety is Locations."