Obstacles

Obstacles are impediments that characters must overcome or otherwise deal with during a Scene. Obstacles are challenges which have a set OVERCOME difficulty.

How to build an Obstacle:

Describe the Obstacle:

• Crossing a raging river
• Lifting a heavy object
• Balancing on a narrow beam or ledge
• Negotiating a maze
• Crossing icy terrain
• Holding one’s breath
• Pushing through an Arcane Field

Determine the difficulty.

• Obstacles with a difficulty of less than 0 are not worth rolling for.
• Mediocre-0
• Average-1
• Fair-2
• Good-3
• Heroic-4
• Superb-5
• Epic-6
• Amazing- 7
• Legendary-8
• Fantastic-9
• Immortal-10
• Wonderous-11
• Elder-12

Determine the consequences of Failure.

• Simply losing an Action because of the failing roll in the middle of a combat may be dramatic enough.
• # Stress.
• A Flourish Effect which lasts until the end of their next Action.
• An Effect that only lasts if they are in the same zone with the Obstacle.
• An Effect.
• An Injury.
• A Wound.
• A Scar.
• Death.
NOTE: Obstacles do not use the Delivery to add to their difficulty or roll but may require a specific Style.

Determine if the Obstacle limits the Approaches that can be used.

• If you do not use the named limited Approach add 1 to the Difficulty.
• If an Obstacle cannot be OVERCOME with a specific Approach, then the Obstacle is WARDED TO and all attempts to use that Approach automatically fail.

Determine if the Obstacle has an appropriate Skill that can be used.

• Characters with the Skill add 1 to their roll to OVERCOME the Obstacle.

Is there a skill needed to OVERCOME the Obstacle?

• If so, then only characters with that skill can make attempts.
• If not, then characters lacking the skill may attempt to OVERCOME the Obstacle.

Determine if the Obstacle is a Simple or Complex Obstacle.

Simple Obstacles are OVERCOME with a single successful roll. Complex ObstacleS require several successes to OVERCOME. Each successful roll accumulates 1 success unless the player has an appropriate skill or approach and uses Energy Effects to generate multiple successes.

• Skilled- 2 Successes
• Expert- 3 Successes
• Master- 4 Successes
• Mana- 10 Successes