When the dice aren't enough, you have three maneuvers that trade future advantage for present power. Each has a cost. Choose wisely.
🎭 The Party
Full character sheets →Scene 1: Sacrifice — The Tithe
Sacrifice Rules
- When: Before rolling
- Action: Discard any number of dice from your pool
- Benefit: Each discarded die lowers the TN by 4
- Limit: Cannot reduce TN below Essence × 2
- Narrative: You take extra care, use precise technique, spend resources
Slow and Steady
TRICKSTER(Alex):
Beyond the Frozen Gate lies a narrow ice bridge, barely a foot wide, spanning a bottomless void. One wrong step and you fall. Grim, you want to cross first?
GRIM(Dev):
How far across? And how stable is it?
TRICKSTER:
About thirty metres. The ice looks solid but the wind is howling. This is a Forma + Athletics check at Difficult ×5 — your Forma is +4, so TN is 20. That's steep.
GRIM:
My pool is 6 dice (Forma 4 + Athletics 2). Average on 6d6 is 21 — it's tight. I want to go slowly and carefully. I'll Sacrifice 2 dice to lower the TN.
Modifiers: Sacrificed 2 dice: TN 20 → 12
Maneuver: sacrifice
TRICKSTER:
Grim crouches low and edges across with glacial patience. Every step is deliberate, tested before committing weight. It takes three times as long as sprinting, but he makes it across without a single slip.
Scene 2: Reach — The Debt
Reach Rules
- When: Before rolling
- Action: Add +1d6 per Reach (can Reach multiple times)
- Cost: Lose −1d6 from your NEXT roll using the same Essence
- Critical risk: Any 1 rolled on a Reached die inflicts a Wound (Forma), Fracture (Anima), or Scar (Umbra)
- Debt accumulates: If you Reach again while in debt, the penalty stacks
Desperate Decryption
TRICKSTER:
As Grim crosses, the bridge starts cracking. Strange runes glow on the ice — they're a locking mechanism. Nora, you realize the bridge is about to collapse unless someone decodes the runes and speaks the stabilizing phrase. You have one round.
NORA(Sam):
One round?! Okay — Anima + Lore to decode. My pool is 7 dice. What's the TN?
TRICKSTER:
These are ancient runes, partly frozen over. Hard ×5. Anima 4 × 5 = TN 20.
NORA:
Average on 7d6 is about 24 — I could make it, but I can't afford to fail. I'm going to Reach for 2 extra dice. That gives me 9d6 and I'll deal with the debt next roll.
Modifiers: Reached +2 dice: pool 7 → 9, 1 on a Reached die → Fracture (mental strain), Debt: next Anima check loses 2 dice
Maneuver: reach
Pairs: 2×5, 2×6 → +1 bonus die!
TRICKSTER:
Nora's eyes go wide as the runes snap into focus — she sees the pattern, speaks the phrase in a language she's never learned, and the bridge solidifies. But the effort sends a spike of pain through her temple. Mark 1 Fracture.
And remember — your next Anima check has 2 fewer dice from the debt.
Scene 3: Push — The Echo
Push Rules
- When: After rolling
- Action: Reroll any non-1 dice (up to your original Essence score)
- Cannot reroll 1s — they're locked failures
- Cannot Push after Reaching on the same roll
- Debt: After Pushing, you cannot Reach on your next Essence check
Determination Under Pressure
TRICKSTER:
As you enter the frozen wasteland, something moves in the blizzard. A shape — massive, skeletal, wreathed in ice. It charges. Lyra, it's coming straight at you. You try to shout a warning to turn it aside — Umbra + Persuasion to project authority and redirect the creature.
LYRA(Jordan):
I stand my ground and command it to stop. Umbra +4, Persuasion +3 = 7 dice. What's the TN?
TRICKSTER:
This creature is feral, barely sapient. Commanding it with presence alone isDifficult ×5. Umbra 4 × 5 = TN 20.
LYRA:
Rolling 7 dice...
Pairs: 2×2 → +1 bonus die!
LYRA:
That's... 1and 2 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and a 6 that explodes to 1. Total: 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 1 = 18. That's 2 short!
Pairs: 2×1, 2×2 → +1 bonus die!
LYRA:
I Push! I can reroll up to 4 dice (my Umbra score). The two 1s are locked, so I'll reroll the 2, 2, and 3. That's 3 dice.
Modifiers: Pushed 3 dice: rerolled 2, 2, 3 → 5, 4, 6 (explodes to 2), Locked 1s: kept both 1s, Debt: cannot Reach on next Umbra check
Maneuver: push
Pairs: 2×1, 2×5, 2×4, 2×6 → +1 bonus die!
TRICKSTER:
Lyra plants her feet, throws her arms wide, and roars — not words, but pure commanding presence, the force of someone who has stared down worse than an ice skeleton. The creature skids to a halt, lowers its horns, and backs away into the storm.
GRIM:
(impressed) Remind me never to argue with Lyra.
When to Use Each Maneuver
Sacrifice
Best for: TNs slightly above your average, when failure is catastrophic
Feels like: Taking your time, being methodical
Risk: None (you just roll fewer dice)
Cost: Reduced potential — can't hit big numbers
Reach
Best for: Desperate situations, do-or-die moments
Feels like: Pushing beyond your limits
Risk: High — 1s cause Wounds/Fractures/Scars
Cost: Debt on your next Essence check
Push
Best for: Near-misses, when you rolled poorly but not terribly
Feels like: Refusing to give up, trying harder
Risk: Low — 1s are locked but no new injuries
Cost: Can't Reach on next check with that Essence
📊 Trickster Debrief
✅ What Worked
- •Each maneuver demonstrated in a distinct, memorable situation
- •Sacrifice: showed how reducing dice can make hard checks reliable
- •Reach: showed both the power (9d6!) and the cost (Fracture + debt)
- •Push: showed the safety net for near-misses with locked 1s
⚙️ Mechanics Demonstrated
💡 Lessons for Tricksters
- •Teach one maneuver at a time — don't dump all three at once
- •Let players discover maneuvers organically when they face a check they can't easily pass
- •Track debts visibly — write them on index cards or tokens so players feel the weight
- •Reach + 1s = injuries is the drama engine. Let it breathe narratively.