SUMMARY VERSION

RESOLVING UNCERTAINTY

Core Resolution Mechanic – Compare Proficiency to Difficulty, then Cast Lots to see whether fate modifies the result. The value of the dice is not added to the roll – they only determine the influence of fate.
Proficiency – A numeric character value such as a Discipline or Stat that serves as your Proficiency for a Check.
Difficulty – The target number your Proficiency must meet or exceed to succeed at a Check.
Tier – A numeric rating for Proficiency, Difficulty, or Quality that share the game’s base scale of 0-10.
Cast Lots – Roll the Weal Die and Woe Die to see whether fate modifies the result of an Action or Check.
Check – Compare your most relevant Proficiency to the task’s Difficulty.
Success – If your Proficiency meets or exceeds the Difficulty, you usually succeed.

Dice – Roll two different d4s, one Weal Die and one Woe Die.
Lot – Any special result from Casting Lots, including Crit, Weal, Waste, Woe, or Fumble.
Crit – If both dice land on 4, the result is a spectacular success with heightened Weal benefits – except in the case of The Rule of Fours.
Fumble – If both dice land on 1, the result is a terrible failure with heightened Woe consequences – except in the case of The Rule of Fours.
Weal – If the Weal Die lands on 4, gain a positive benefit regardless of success or failure.
Woe – If the Woe Die lands on 1, suffer a negative consequence regardless of success or failure.
Waste – If the Weal Die lands on 4 and the Woe Die lands on 1, the character stalls and loses any committed effort. The Check produces no success or failure.
No Lot – If no Lot is rolled, the Check simply succeeds or fails.

Limit – If a Check’s Difficulty exceeds your Proficiency by 4 or more, you cannot succeed, even with a Crit.
Mastery – If your Proficiency exceeds the Check’s Difficulty by 4 or more, you cannot fully fail, even with a Fumble.
Roll Anyway – You should still roll because a Lot may grant you information, a bonus to your next attempt that shifts it below a gap of 4, or an opportunity to earn Story Points.

Players – Players usually make all rolls. The GM only rolls for intentional uncertainty, tension, or anticipation.
Attack – When attacking an NPC, you roll; the NPC does not roll defense.
Defense – When defending against an NPC, you roll; the NPC does not roll attack.
Maintenance – When an NPC challenges an effect you caused, you roll to maintain it.
GM – The GM only rolls when they feel that uncertainty should remain hidden, or that doing so generates desired tension or anticipation.

Assess – Judge a target’s quality and difficulty (by a numeric Tier corresponding to player Proficiencies), or special qualities.
Compare – Compare your relevant Proficiency to the target’s Tier.
Success – If your Proficiency meets or exceeds the target’s Tier, you learn its Tier and obvious special qualities.
Gap – If the target’s Tier is higher, the GM describes the gap in narrative terms instead of giving exact information.
Engagement – Whether you will only observe, cautiously touch, or (potentially) dangerously probe the target during your assessment.
- Observation Only – Treat your Tier as 1 lower.
- Inspection – Use your Tier normally for cautious touch or basic inspection.
- Probing – Treat your Tier as 1 higher for aggressive probing or tool use, though risk may be involved.
Assess by Doing – A normal Check can also count as an Assessment after it is resolved.
Time Commitment – Most Assessments take several minutes. You should tell the GM the maximum amount of time you’re willing to spend on your Assessment.
- Baseline – Non-living things take 4 minutes plus 2 minutes per Tier, minus your Proficiency.
- Patience – Spending more time may improve effective Proficiency.
- Pressure – Rushing or acting under pressure may reduce effective Proficiency.

Retry – If your Proficiency is high enough but fate caused Woe, Waste, or Fumble, you may try again – if circumstances allow, e.g. time, pressure, tools, resources.
Modifier – A Lot may modify the next attempt.

Self-Prescribed Results – On Crit, Weal, Waste, Woe, or Fumble, you may suggest the result yourself, or use the examples provided. If the GM accepts your suggested result, that result happens.
Reward – Entertaining or memorable self-prescribed results may earn Story Points.
Shared Failure – You may involve yourself in another PC’s failure – if it makes sense – for a chance to earn Story Points… or just for fun.

Story Points – Rewards for memorable self-prescribed outcomes, player engagement, roleplaying, problem-solving, enduring hardships, and providing snacks for the group.
Development Points – Story Points can become Development Points which are used to improve Disciplines.
Portents – Story Points can become Portents used to alter outcomes when Lots are Cast.

Portent – Spend Portent(s) to Blot-out or Re-tell an Action or Check.
Target – Portents can affect your roll, another player’s roll, or an NPC or GM roll.
Cost –
- 1 Portent for your own roll
- 2 for another player’s roll
- 3 for a GM roll.
Awareness – Only the character using the Portent knows it was used.

Blot-out – Erase an Action or Check completely.
- Any effort spent is lost.
- The original act is treated as if it never happened at all.

Re-tell – Redo an Action or Check.
- The first outcome is erased, and only the new result counts.
- You may Re-tell repeatedly if you have enough Portents.
- Only the outcome is re-rolled. The effort leading to the Check still counts.

Mystery Rolls – The GM may ask you to Cast Lots without explaining why or the relevant Discipline, Stat, or Difficulty they used, if any.
Purpose – Mystery Rolls can represent perception, Thae exposure, environmental conditions, random events, unknown threats, or a myriad of other things – beneficial and detrimental – or nothing.