Moves, moves, moves!

I have been hard at work with my Dark Heresy port this week, and I think I’m actually getting somewhere. I’ve edited the basic moves so that they amount to something comprehensive (which forced me to add even more of the damn things, but screw it, at this point I am making a complete mockery of the whole “rules-light” nature of PbtA anyway, so I might as well go crazy), moved more of the combat rules out to the weapons section, and begun editing the Careers and their lists of Advances again. This time I’ll turn it into something that’s easy to play! Yeah, I know I’ve said that before…

Anyway, here are the basic moves as they stand now. Aside from editing them a bit, I also arranged them by type so they’re easier to keep track of.

COMBAT MOVES

MELEE

When you bring down the hammer, roll +Weapon Skill. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15-19, you achieve a Major Success. 20+, you achieve an Absolute Success.

• Basic Success: choose 1 option below. You may spend Righteous Fury to choose additional options, 1 for each Righteous Fury spent. Each option can only be chosen once. If you have training in the weapon you are wielding, you also hold Righteous Fury, which can be spent now on additional options or saved for later.
  • You inflict a hit on an enemy within range of your weapon and do damage according to your weapon and the enemy’s type.
  • An enemy who has you within range of their weapon does not inflict a hit on you.
  • You occupy the enemies within range of your weapon and keep them from engaging your friends. Hold 1 that can be spent on nullifying a hit from one of those enemies on another player or NPC. You may not deflect hits against yourself this way.
  • You push an enemy back to the range of your weapon or keep them from getting closer than that.
  • You knock down an enemy within range of your weapon or keep them from getting back on their feet.
  • You gain or maintain a grappling hold on an enemy within hand range.
• Major Success: the same, but also hold Righteous Fury, which you can spend on an additional option now or save for other purposes.
• Absolute Success: 20+, the same, but select 2 options.

Examples: Exchanging blows, tackling an enemy, giving ground while looking for an opening.

RANGED

When you unleash the fire and fury, roll +Ballistic Skill. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15-19, you achieve a Major Success. 20+, you achieve an Absolute Success.

• Basic Success: choose 1 option below. You may spend Righteous Fury to choose additional options, 1 for each Righteous Fury spent. Each option can only be chosen once. If you have training in the weapon you are wielding, you also hold Righteous Fury, which can be spent now on additional options or saved for later.
  • You inflict a hit on an enemy within range of your weapon and do damage according to your weapon and the enemy’s type.
  • You cause all enemies within range of your weapon to fall back, get in cover, or stay in cover.
  • You establish a kill-zone within the range of your weapon. Hold 1 that can be used to inflict an automatic hit on an enemy moving into or through that zone while you continue to cover it. The hit does damage according to your weapon and the enemy’s type. You immediately lose the hold if you take your eyes off of the kill zone.
  • An enemy who has you within range of their weapon does not inflict a hit on you.
  • You are not driven back, pinned down, locked into melee, or otherwise have your freedom of movement confined. You may also, if you so choose, alter your distance to the enemy closest to you by one category, e.g. from reach to close or from short ranged to long ranged.
  • You do not need to reduce your Ammo by 1. This cannot be chosen for an Ammo-S weapon.
• Major Success: the same, but also hold Righteous Fury, which you can spend on an additional option now or save for other purposes.
• Absolute Success: the same, but select 2 options.

Examples: Charging in guns blazing, laying down fire to cover your escape, taking aim from a sniper nest.

TRAVERSAL MOVES

DODGE

When you make a tactical withdrawal, roll +Agility. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you escape whatever you were fleeing, but terror leaves its mark on you. Gain 1 Insanity Point.
• Basic Success: you escape whatever you were fleeing with enough margin that you feel merely a passing fear.
• Major Success: you either escape with a comfortable margin, or you manage to snatch something useful or valuable up along the way at the cost of gaining 1 Insanity Point from the heedless risk.
• Absolute Success: you escape with a comfortable margin and also manage to snatch something useful or valuable up along the way.

Note: This move is triggered when you attempt to escape a location and its accompanying dangers completely. If you are just manoeuvring for a safer position within your current location, e.g. leaping into cover to avoid enemy fire or ducking under a sweeping blade, use escape a tight spot instead.

Examples: Racing to catch the last life pod, fleeing from a fight, getting out of the blast radius.

CLIMB

When you overcome an obstacle, roll +Strength. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you make it through, but it leaves you exposed or vulnerable for a moment.
• Basic Success: you make it through quickly and cleanly.
• Major Success: you either make it through quickly and cleanly, or you allow yourself to be exposed or vulnerable for a moment in order to clear a path or show a way for the next person to follow you; if you choose the latter, you may allow one other player to share your progress without making a roll of their own.
• Absolute Success: you make it through quickly and cleanly while also managing to clear a path or show a way for the next person to follow you; you may allow one other player to share your progress without making a roll of their own.

Examples: Pushing your way through a crowd, wading through a treacherous swamp, scaling an enemy fortification.

CONTORTIONIST

When you escape a tight spot, roll +Agility. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you make your escape, but it’s a near thing; you lose 1 Wound and suffer the loss of one piece of gear of the GM’s choice.
• Basic Success: you make your escape, but not unscathed; choose whether to lose 1 Wound or abandon one piece of gear.
• Major Success: you make your escape in one piece.
• Absolute Success: you make your escape in one piece, and you feel confident in your ability to slip free of any trouble; lose 1 Insanity Point.

Examples: Slipping out of someone’s grip, scurrying into cover, squeezing through a narrow gap.

SWIM

When you charge boldly onward, roll +Strength. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you close the distance, but in heedlessly barrelling forward you exhaust yourself; take -1 ongoing to Strength and Agility rolls until you’ve had a chance to rest.
• Basic Success: you close the distance with plenty of vigour to spare.
• Major Success: you either close the distance with vigour to spare, or you exhaust yourself (take -1 ongoing to Strength and Agility rolls until you’ve rested) to arrive quickly enough to gain some sort of unexpected advantage or opportunity.
• Absolute Success: you close the distance with vigour to spare and also arrive quickly enough to gain some sort of unexpected advantage or opportunity.

Examples: Swimming through an underground passage, chasing down a fleeing enemy, leaping a gaping chasm.

STEALTH MOVES

CONCEALMENT

When you find a hiding place, roll +Agility. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you manage to find a hiding place that will obscure the subject for a while, but that will soon be searched in the ordinary course of things.
• Basic Success: you find a hiding place that won’t be uncovered by anything but a thorough search.
• Major Success: you either find a hiding place that won’t be uncovered by anything but a thorough search or a hiding place that will remain secure for the foreseeable future; however, the second hiding place also holds the risk of what is hidden there being in some way damaged or endangered before it can be retrieved.
• Absolute Success: you find a hiding place that will remain secure for the foreseeable future, no matter how many people look for it.

Examples: Hiding behind some crates, burying evidence, smuggling contraband past customs.

SILENT MOVE

When you move unseen, roll +Agility. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you make it across a stretch of territory unseen, but you have to take the long way around or remain in hiding for some time, costing you valuable time.
• Basic Success: you make it to where you are going deftly and quietly.
• Major Success: you can make it to where you are going deftly and quietly, but along the way you stumble on a chance to examine or overhear something along the way that others would have preferred to keep secret from you, at the expense of risking detection.
• Absolute Success: you make it to where you are going deftly and quietly, and along the way you manage to examine or overhear something that others would have preferred to keep secret from you, without risking detection.

Examples: Sneaking up on an enemy, circumventing a sentry, making it through a secure area unchallenged.

RESISTANCE MOVES

CONTEMPT

When you armour yourself in contempt, roll +Willpower+your current number of Disorders. 9-, you suffer a Failure. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15-19, you achieve a Major Success. 20+, you achieve an Absolute Success.

• Failure: the shock is too much for you, and part of your mind irrevocably shatters. Choose a Disorder.
• Basic Success: while you hold on to your reason, you are deeply shaken. Choose a Trauma.
• Major Success: you maintain a white-knuckle grip on your rational faculties.
• Absolute Success: in a flash of clarity, you realise that death in the service of the Emperor is an honour, not something to fear. Hold Righteous Fury.

Examples: Encountering a grisly murder scene, facing a monstrous xenos, experiencing something unnatural.

CAROUSE

When you fight the effects of poison, drugs, fatigue, or extreme conditions, roll +Toughness. 9-, you suffer a Failure. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15-19, you achieve a Major Success. 20+, you achieve an Absolute Success.

• Failure: you take -1 ongoing to rolls with one particular Characteristic until you’ve had a chance to rest and recover. The GM decides which Characteristics, depending on what the exact causes are.
• Basic Success: your hardy constitution makes it possible for you to push on, but perhaps at a price. Choose one alternative below.
  • You take -1 ongoing to rolls with one particular Characteristic, as from a failure.
  • You suffer serious medical harm. Take 1d5l damage that is not affected by Armour. Toughness modifies normally.
  • Your refusal to slow down runs the risk of making you pass out. Roll to refuse to fall.
• Major Success: you shrug off the effects.
• Absolute Success: you not only resist, you start to build up a tolerance. Reduce the current penalties gained through failures to fight the effects by 1. If more than one Characteristic is affected, you choose which one gets a reduced penalty.
• Absolute Success: in a surge of willpower you banish all mortal weakness. Lose all current penalties gained through failures to fight the effects.

Examples: Resting the effects of drugs or poisons, pushing on without water or rest, enduring extremes of temperature.

DISGUST

When you shield yourself with disgust, roll +Willpower. 9-, you suffer a Failure. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15-19, you achieve a Major Success. 20+, you achieve an Absolute Success.

• Failure: Chaos infuses your very bones. Advance your Damnation Track by two boxes.
• Basic Success: you manage to hold back the worst of the dark transformation, but some of it still takes hold. Advance your Damnation Track by one box.
• Major Success: your flesh refuses to bend to Chaos, but instead breaks out in stigmatic bleeds. Take 1d5 damage, not reduced by Toughness or Armour.
• Absolute Success: by near psychotic determination, you deny the Ruinous Powers a grip on you… this time.

Examples: Reading a forbidden text, facing a daemon, witnessing a dark rite.

ENDURANCE

When you refuse to fall, roll +Toughness. 9-, you suffer a Failure. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15-19, you achieve a Major Success. 20+, you achieve an Absolute Success.

• Failure: the tribulation is too great for you, and you pass out.
• Basic Success: you stagger on, but your inner reserves are dwindling. Take -1 ongoing to further rolls to refuse to fall until you’ve had a chance to rest.
• Major Success: whether through unyielding faith or simply a burst of adrenaline, you bring your treacherous body back under your control.
• Absolute Success: your suffering brings you a vision of the Emperor. Lose 1 Corruption Point.

Examples: Suffering a Crippling Injury, being put through torturous pain, being sedated by powerful drugs.

INVESTIGATION MOVES

AWARENESS

When you keep an eye out, roll +Perception. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: the GM tells you one detail of your current surroundings that is odd, notable, or out of place. She doesn’t tell you why, only that the detail for some reason sticks out to you.
• Basic Success: the same, and the GM also tells you why the detail is noteworthy.
• Major Success: the same, and the GM also tells you what the wider implications of the detail is and what it might portend.
• Absolute Success: the same, and take +1 forward to any roll that makes use of or makes reference to your observation.

Examples: Stopping to smell the air, taking a look around, listening to your instincts.

EVALUATE

When you evaluate your surroundings, roll +Intelligence. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: the GM tells you of one nearby inanimate object or feature of terrain around you that could be valuable or otherwise useful to you.
• Basic Success: the same, and the GM also tells you which such object or feature (which can be the same one or a different one) that some relevant NPC or group would most desire to own or control.
• Major Success: the same, and you may declare which particular NPC’s or group’s needs you’re able to anticipate. Alternatively, you may describe a particular sort of person to cater to.
• Absolute Success: the same, and the object or feature you found for your own use was especially well-chosen; take +1 forward to make use of it.

Examples: Surveying the contents of an armoury or market, looking around for an improvised weapon, finding the best spot to land a ship.

GAMBLE

When you count the odds of some potentially risky course of action, roll +Intelligence. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you get a hunch. You may ask the GM whether doing something would, in her opinion, be a good idea. She tells you either “yes” or “no.”
• Basic Success: the same, but you’re able to pinpoint what the hunch is based on. The GM tells you “yes” or “no,” and also tells you what she’s basing her assessment on.
• Major Success: the same, and you develop a lucky streak; if you follow your hunch, hold 1 that can be spent on making a roll of exactly 9 be treated as a roll of 10-14.
• Absolute Success: the same, but your luck is truly unbeatable; by spending the hold, you can turn any result of 9- into a result of 10-14.

Examples: Sizing up an enemy, checking the security, estimating someone’s reaction.

INQUIRY

When you conduct a thorough investigation, roll +Fellowship. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you learn some broad rumours that have been flying around, but either any other interested parties learn that you have been asking questions, or the people who tipped you off had their own sinister reasons for doing so.
• Basic Success: you either learn an actually juicy tidbit at the cost of attracting attention or being lured into a trap, or you learn the broad rumours without any adverse consequences.
• Major Success: you learn the broad rumours, and you also have a lead to learning something highly useful, but it will likely involve going somewhere dangerous or drawing attention to yourself.
• Absolute Success: you learn both the general rumours and something highly useful without any adverse consequences.

Examples: Eavesdropping in a bar, casually asking questions, offering a reward for information.

LOGIC

When you apply logic to a complex problem or vexing mystery, roll +Intelligence. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: the GM gives you a hint towards the mystery’s solution or lets you unravel part of the problem, but your unfettered thoughts flirt with sedition; you gain 1 Corruption Point.
• Basic Success: you get a hint or make progress without ill effects.
• Major Success: you either get a hint or make progress, or you completely unravel the mystery or solve the problem at the cost of gaining 1 Corruption Point.
• Absolute Success: you completely unravel the mystery or solve the problem in a way that is safely in line with the Imperial Creed.

Examples: Finding your way through a maze, solving a riddle or puzzle, piecing together bits of evidence.

SCRUTINY

When you see corruption everywhere, roll +Perception. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: the GM tells you if someone around you is lying to you.
• Basic Success: the same, and the GM also tells you what part of what they said was a lie.
• Major Success: the same, and the GM also provides you with the most likely thing that they are hoping to achieve with their lie.
• Absolute Success: the same, and you may ask one question of your choice. If the liar knows the answer, you manage to deduce what it is.

Examples: Study body language, ask leading questions, analyse past behaviour.

SEARCH

When you search an area, roll +Perception. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you find or notice something that hints at what has previously happened in this place.
• Basic Success: the same, and the GM also tells you what the most likely backstory is for your find.
• Major Success: the same, and the GM also tells you where you should go next if you want to find out more.
• Absolute Success: the same, and the GM also tells you what probable dangers will face you if you proceed with your investigation.

Examples: Examining a murder scene, ransacking an office, excavating a xenos ruin.

INTERACTION MOVES

BARTER

When you strike a hard bargain for something that is at least potentially for sale, roll +Fellowship. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you manage to strike a deal, but it’s a bad one; you will need to pay much to get little, or there is some additional hidden cost like attracting legal trouble.
• Basic Success: you manage to acquire what you need at a fair price.
• Major Success: you get what you need at a significant discount.
• Absolute Success: you get what you need in return for nothing but a promise of repayment at some hazy future date.

Examples: Negotiating a fraught alliance, buying illegal goods, bribing an official.

CHARM

When you turn on the charm, roll +Fellowship. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you manage to appease suspicions or calm an argument, making the other party willing to at least talk things over.
• Basic Success: the same, and you also talk the other party into doing you a small favour that won’t cause them more than a momentary inconvenience, like letting you have the next dance or pointing out a useful person to talk to.
• Major Success: the same, and the other party also relaxes around you, potentially letting down their guard.
• Absolute Success: the same, and the other party considers you a cherished friend from this point forward… which of course doesn’t mean he definitely won’t stab you in the back, only that he’d be sorry to do it.

Examples: Offering a respectful greeting, buying a round of drinks, declaring your honest intentions.

COMMAND

When you bark an order, roll +Fellowship. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: your orders are carried out in a haphazard sort of way, but some people never manage to get anywhere with their appointed tasks and others end up doing things only vaguely related to what you said.
• Basic Success: your orders are carried out with what passes for competence in the Imperium, but without much enthusiasm and with everyone doing the least amount of work they can get away with without actual dereliction of duty.
• Major Success: your orders are carried out to the largest reasonable extent to which the ordered people are capable of them.
• Absolute Success: your faithful minions are so determined to make you proud that they exceed themselves, performing far beyond their regular capacity.

Note: Like all moves, bark an order must be plausibly triggered. In its case, this means that the people being ordered around must in some way be susceptive to command; either because they are officially on the player’s payroll or because they are uncertain and eager for someone to tell them what to do. Conversely, disciplined underlings being told to perform routine duties will follow such orders without the need to trigger this move.

Examples: Rallying frightened and confused people, getting mutinous underlings to snap into action, making poorly trained troops execute a complex strategy.

DECEIVE

When you tell a cold-blooded lie, roll +Fellowship. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: your lie is believed for now, but the truth will soon come out.
• Basic Success: the lie will be believed until some pressing evidence against it is revealed.
• Major Success: the lie will either be believed until some pressing evidence against it is revealed, or the mark will believe your lie indefinitely, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. However, the second option requires you to truly commit to the lie to the point where you’re not even sure yourself what is real and what is not; you gain 1 Insanity Point.
• Absolute Success: the mark will believe your lie indefinitely, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

Examples: Professing your innocence, impersonating an Imperial officer, feigning compliance.

INTIMIDATE

When you become a figure of terror, roll +Strength. 10-14, you achieve a Minor Success. 15-19, you achieve a Basic Success. 20+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Minor Success: you manage to bully the victim into submission for now, but they will drag their feet in anything you make them do and betray you at the earliest opportunity.
• Basic Success: the victim will do your bidding as long as you remain in their presence, but as soon as you are out of sight they’ll start plotting revenge.
• Major Success: the victim will continue obeying you even after you have left their presence, too terrified to even think of going against you.
• Absolute Success: the victim not only continue obeying your orders after you have left their presence, but will be so desperate to please you that they will act in whatever they perceive as your best interest whenever they get the chance.

Examples: Cocking a gun, name-dropping powerful friends, slapping someone around.

SPEAK (LOW GOTHIC)

When you make yourself understood, roll +Intelligence. 10-14, you achieve a Basic Success. 15+, you achieve a Major Success.

• Basic Success: you find a way to convey basic concepts and broad ideas (e.g., “I am a friend,” “there is danger in that direction”).
• Major Success: you find a way to communicate effectively albeit stumblingly, but the precision is still lacking; take -1 ongoing to all moves that require you to be understood.
• Absolute Success: you device a way to communicate freely and perfectly.

Examples: Signalling through gestures or other crude codes, overcoming a language barrier, getting through to someone in the grip of terror or berserker rage.