3. The Basics

Basics.

The Apocalypse World Engine (rules set) is flexible, narratively triggered and simplicity to use, which makes it challenging.

The Games Master (GM) rarely, if ever, rolls any dice. All the work of dice rolling and randomness is a problem for the players. When the GM says something happens, it does, simple. If a player says they do something, and it sounds like a Move (a defined action), then the player rolls 2d6 (two six sided dice) to determine what happens (by adding them together to yield a result, the higher the better, mostly).  

Generally 10+ will indicate success, 7-9 will indicate success at a cost or partial success, and 6 or less (6-) will indicate a failure or miss, with a GM option. As a player, you do not want GM options.

Modifiers can be applied to this result, -1 or +1 etc. The modifier will be added to the combined dice roll to yield a new result. Positive modifiers are good, mostly, and will give better results for the players. See 4. Playing the Game for details.

Failure or miss can indicate a whole bunch of options, decided by the player or the GM. Essentially 7+ is a result wanted by the players, and 6- indicates they have lost control of the narrative and given it over to the GM for a time. The GM will select a result that suits not just the failed Move, but also other things going on in the story and the situation at the time, in accordance with their Principles (a set of guidelines by which they run the game, for your benefit).

The result of an ‘Exchange Violence’ Move fail might be that you take Damage, Harm or Stress, or it might not. The GM may decide that your failure results in some other form of harm, such as Out of Ammo, gun jams, falling down a nearby hole etc.  The Harm and the effect don’t have to be linked directly to the action the player attempted, they failed in their attempt and now the GM decides what happens as a result, what caused the result, or what happened as a consequence of the result, or what things were happening nearby that might have caused it.

More details can be found in the 5.Basic Moves chapter, the Playbooks and the 4.Playing the Game chapter.

Character Types.

Characters are what players use as personas within the story. Like an actor adopts a character in a movie and acts the role of that character.

The full creation rules for each character can be found in their relevant playbooks, following is an exposition of the common and basic values involved.

In Fallen Cities players have a choice of 8 character types to choose from, but only one of each type can be in the game at anytime, unless you have 9 players (which is too many by the way). Your GM may alter this for their game. Each character is a member of a team, called Cleaners by their City, and has a specific role within that team, as follows:

1. Grenadiers - heavy weapons, augmented armour.

2. Fusiliers - gunmen, conventional and carbon.

3. Hospitaliers - medic.

4. Carboniers* - carbon weapons, normally swords, glaives or other close combat types. Melee expert.

5. Voltigeurs* - electric weaponry and devices.

6. Techniciens - technical support, repairs, comms and scientific equipment.

7. Scouts - reconnaissance, perception and stealth. 

8. Sappers - explosives, mines, construction.

*The use of French role names is purely for colour, and the two wonderful puns they allow.

If you have less than 8 players drop the higher numbered characters, so 4 players would use characters 1-4, etc.  Your GM may allow you to use any they are happy to go with. With 4 or less players think about giving everyone two characters.

Optionally you may use the 15. Team Play rules.

Traits.

Characters are defined by a set of traits, as follows:

Alert

Your active senses, immediate physical sensory sensitivity, being in the moment, alert.

Calm

Your ability to remain in control, to act rationally and cooly.

Mind

Your intelligence, knowledge, training and education.

Body

Your physical body, both strength, dexterity and constitution.

Resolve

Your mental strength, stubbornness, determination and mental resilience.

Presence

Looks, attractiveness, savoir-faire, charm, composure and poise.

Other Traits.

Harm

Physical damage suffered to your character, generally caused by melee or guns. You have a Wound Track with 6 shared boxes, plus a possible 2 extra bonus Harm boxes based on your Body trait (if positive).

Stress

Mental, shock or systemic damage suffered to your character, either to your body or your gear. You have a Wound Track with 6 shared boxes, plus a possible 2 extra Stress boxes based on your Resolve trait (if positive).

Rift

Your current Rift radiation exposure level and connection with the Rift.

Loyalty

A measure (between 1 and 14) of your standing with regard to the City(high) or the Revolution(low). This will affect the EndGame and what the future will be like. Loyalty begins at 9 for all characters, and shifts one way of the other. High loyalty means you support the City and its values, lower loyalty means you are turning away from The City and beginning to awaken to the larger picture.  When someone’s Loyalty reaches 1 or 13 the GM will look at the Endgame to check what happens.

Loyalty can be shifted downward one point as a Downtime function after any mission in which the Team generated Hope.  It can also be shifted upward one point if you (not the GM) generated Despair. This is a choice the player makes individually. Although the intent of the game is to encourage you toward Hope, there will always be players who embrace the darkness, for various reasons. I have no easy answer for you in that regard. I leave the option within the game because Despair is as powerful as Hope, and this act of darkness is part of what the game tries to show you about the human beast.

The GM will NOT know your Loyalty score. You can keep your Loyalty score to yourself if you wish (although you will need to keep a record of changes; when, where, why), or you can share it with someone you Trust. Generally there will be one character you Trust (see below), another player.  The character you have trusted your Loyalty to is free to do whatever they like with it. See Trust for details of this effect.

You may talk about your Loyalty score freely, truthfully or falsely. There are no rules to bind what you say about it. You must be truthful at the EndGame.

The person you Trust may also talk freely about it, but if they say the Truth it will be grounds for a ‘Breach of Trust’.

The GM, acting as your Commander may discover your Loyalty via Moves they may use, which can result in repercussions for your character, or your team.

History (Hx)

Your attitude to, and knowledge of, another teammate, what you have been through together, how close or how hostile you may be to them. This is not a reciprocated score, it’s your score of them, how you feel about them.  When your Hx reaches level +4, or -3, you gain an experience point and reset your value to +1 or 0 (respectively). This sudden change in value is partly just a way to pay for your advancement, but it also represents a moment of awakening, both on your understanding of them and your understanding of yourself in relation to them. It represents a change in your view of the world and of that character. Friends come and go, the really good ones you invest in, and evolve, and have ups and downs with.

Rank

Characters will begin as Soldats, and with success may be awarded promotions as per the following chart, by their Commander.

• Capitaine

• Captain

• Lieutenant

• Lieutenant

• Sous Lieutenant

• 2nd Lieutenant

• Adjutant-Chef,

• Adjutant Sous Officier

• Regimental Sergeant-Major, Warrant Officer

• Sergent

• Sergeant

• Caporal

• Corporal

• Soldat

• Private

Trust (Optional)

This is an optional setting. During character creation you may nominate one other player’s character as the target of your Trust, as long as both characters Hx is 1 or better. This implies you have an unreasoning, irrational and unfathomable degree of trust in that person. You will confide in them all your secrets, and you will follow their advice if and when you seek it. It also means you place a high degree of importance to things they say, and believe them almost unquestioningly.  This may have an effect on certain moves, specifically the Trust Me Move.

A Trust is expected to be a good thing, but it can be betrayed. If the character you Trust reveals a secret about you, like your Loyalty, you may call for a Breach and break the Trust relation.

Emotions (EX) (Optional)

This is an optional trait that is explained in a later chapter (14).

Health Track (Harm/Stress). 

Is used to track both Harm and Stress that you suffer.  Every character has 6 basic boxes that will be filled with Stress or Harm wounds. They will also gain bonus boxes for high traits (Body and Resolve) and one more from a specific Downtime Move.  Two rows are displayed to allow you to track individual blows (damage events).

The first blocks are for extra boxes gained from Body (Harm) and Resolve (Stress) Traits when they have a positive value. The last box (on the right) is gained via Downtime Moves. The six blocks in the middle are your main track. Two rows are given to allow you to track individual wounds inflicted by swapping up and down between the two rows.

The six basic boxes are grouped into three groups of 2 and a modifier is displayed under each group. When a group with a modifier has a box filled then that modifier is applied to dice rolls, -1 and -2 respectively.

Eg: in the below box the character has no bonus boxes (0 Res/Stress and 0 Bod/Harm), they would be marked off first. This character has suffered 2 Harm (the two X’s), and then 2 Stress (the /’s), and then 1 Harm.  The first 2 Harm are one wound (inflicted as a single attack). The next 2 Stress are another wound and marked off on the second line to show they are a different wound (but because one was Harm and the next Stress it is visually distinct anyway). A third wound of 1 Harm is then marked off on the top line just to show it is a different wound event.

The third group of boxes now has a filled box so the character will be at -2 to all Move rolls.  

The advantage of using the two rows is to allow you to see individual acts of damage, wounds,  that can each be healed. See Playing the Game Chapter for details of combat and damage.

Eg: this character has +2 Body and thus two bonus Harm boxes. They have suffered 2 Harm, 1 Harm, 1 Harm, 2 Harm, 1 Harm and 1 Harm. A total of 6 wound events, displayed by alternating them between the lines. Each individual event could be healed.  They would also be at -2 to all rolls.

Note that to remove a -1 penalty you would need to heal all wounds in that section, in the following example you could heal the single wound in the first -1 section and remove that penalty, leaving the higher wound present. Its not a sequential track from left to right, there are just advantages to using it that way.

Basic Character Generation.

Choose your Playbook

Each player selects one (or more) of the available playbooks. The GM should consider which playbooks to use in their game based on the number of players and the style of the game they wish to play.  Only one of each playbook should be active. If you have 4 or less players you should consider giving 2 characters to each player. Optionally you may use the Team Play rules (Chapt 15).

Each playbook will have a standard format that will be used to construct your character.

1. Description of the character’s function.

A set piece paragraph describing the character and its functions, role and areas of strength.

2. Choose your appearance.

Select a 1 to 3 word description to fit each of the following categories.

• Dress - individual attachments, variations or personalisations to your uniform.

• Face - can show the lies, shape, feelings, lines, growth, mood.

• Eyes - can show the lies or truth, colour, shape, intensity.

• First impressions - what you think people think when they first meet you.

• Demeanour - mannerisms, attitude, stance, reactions, expressions.

Eg First Impressions:  you seem like a trustworthy person, you look worn out, you sound educated.

Eg Demeanour: Aggressive, Charming, Paranoid, Serene, Calculating, Detached, Friendly, Volatile, Crass, Professional, Reserved, Antiquated, Confused, Meek, Feral, Seductive, Excitable, Violent, Distant, Soothing, Dishevelled, Ominous, Alien, Eccentric, Corporate, Subservient, Bossy, Arrogant, Docile, Rude, Brusque, Angry, Timid, Abrupt.

3. Choose your name

Select a character name, this should be meaningful, expressive and memorable, but not hard to say.  Try to avoid long names with difficult to pronounce letter combinations, they may be cool to you but if no one can pronounce them they will not be used. If you have a player who insists on having a 7 syllable, three word name with hyphenation, then during the History phase allow the player with the best History toward this character to select a nickname that everyone will use instead.

You should only have a first name, the City is your family so there is no need for any other. You know no other name.

4. Choose your trait scores.

Each character will have trait scores between -2 and +2.  Players will all start with 0 in every trait. Everyone will start with 2 extra points to allocate (but only 1pt to any one trait), having completed their academy training and graduated to a unit.  Each character may also reduce a trait by -1 and allocate that point to another trait, but not so as to create a +2 (max starting trait is +1).

Some traits are set, eg Loyalty begins at 9, Rift at 0. Your wound track will generally be 6 boxes.

Players should examine their Moves and work out trait values that suit the Move options they have.

5. Choose your equipment.

You will be provided with a selection of starting equipment that you can choose from. The City will provide more equipment if it is needed, but exotic equipment may require you to save up some credits, or perform well.

What can I carry.

A character will be limited to carrying 6 items of salvage, ammo or resources, plus 1 more per +1 of Body. Ammo counts as half its weight, so 2 Ammo is one of your carry points.  

You may attempt to carry more but will need to make a ‘Make an Effort’ Move for each extra scene you try to carry the extra load through, and each time the GM asks, if it seems appropriate.  Alternatively the GM can just apply a -1 Onward penalty.

Gear has no effect on your carry capacity. We assume you have what you need and can carry it, just be reasonable.  Some Heavy gear may be restricted to only being used with augmented armour, and will indicate this. Most humans cannot carry more than one heavy item, and it will take both their hands.

6. Choose your starting Moves

You may choose 2 starting Playbook Moves. These Moves are restricted to your character at the start of the game, they are what define you. Later there will be an option for extra and cross training.

Before doing Step 7 you should pause the process and get everyone to read out their character and briefly outline how they see them, what sort of person they are, maybe some important historical event. Allow everyone to absorb a bit of who you are so they can make a slightly informed response to Step 7. Players should also be encouraged to suggest things about each character, adding to what might be known. The player doesn’t have to use them, but it may give them some ideas.

7. Set your History with the other characters.

You will be given a set of History (Hx) scores that you will be asked to allocate toward every other character, plus providing a short explanation of why you consider them this way. History scores are not replicated equally, so you may really like/understand someone (+2) and they may loath/not-grok you (-2). You all know each other, you have all been in training for at least 8 years, often in the same classes.

8. Decide if you will Trust another character. (Optional)

You may declare you will form a Trust with another character. You can only have one Trust at a time. Neither of you can have a negative Hx to the other at anytime or the Trust fails. You must have Hx+1 to that character at this time.

This is a one sided relationship, something you have decided, that may or may not be reciprocated. There are benefits for having a Trust relationship built into some Moves. The danger of a Trust is that the other person knows something about you, something deeply personal. By default this will be your Loyalty score, but it can be other things as well, other secrets you may wish to confide in them. Secrets must be real, and impact the game, if the secret is revealed it should make a difference. 

Trusting someone gives them power over you. They will be able to use the Trust Me Move on you at anytime. It does not have to work the other way.

9. Experience & Advancement.

You begin with no experience, you are fresh out of the Academy, replacing the previous team that has most likely been killed (or executed). See the Advancement Chapter for details.

10. Starting Questions.

Go around the table and get each player to ask all the others the following questions, ie get THEM to answer your question about you, from which you will pick one.  

Get everyone to do Q1 one after the other, then get each player to do Q2, and 3 one at a  time. Players should answer to the other players, this is a way of introducing each other to your characters.

Option: get your players to write the answers down on 3x5 index cards and pass them to the target. They can keep the cards they like and use it to remind them of what they were/are like. The cards can be used as a ‘tag/modifier’ for that character to make use of, but once used become real.  You can collect more cards with distinct comments about you that happen during the game.

Q1: Who am I?  What do I do? 

Get each other player to relate a short, simple comment about your character, pick one of them and add it to your character’s notes. You can pick more than one if you want, or if they are good.  The player you picked first gets +or-1 History with you (only one player). Cards not used can be saved and used later.

Eg: You seemed a bit slippery to me. You are arrogant. You are uncomfortably touchy.  I think you might save my life one day. You have beautiful blue eyes (which means you do).

Q2: Who is my closest friend (pick one of the other characters), what did they do for me? 

Adjust your History to them by + or -1 (your choice).

Eg: They helped you study. They helped you with a bully. They covered for you one time. You played a lot of games together. 

Q3: Hope or Despair

Pick one event or ambition, and outline some short scenario that you see in their future. If something like this happens you can play the card for advantage. This Question (Q3) can wait a few sessions if you wish, to allow you to absorb more about the game and what the possibilities are.

With Hope and Despair try to think of something that they might achieve in the game’s lifetime, their character’s lifetime. It should not be an everyday event, it should be something major and special. For Hope it should be some kind of personal victory or achievement, with Despair it will be something horrid (your manner of death is an easy out) or defeatist.  

No one should have the same Hope or Despair. 

What they chose can be like a short video teaser for a TV series, cut so that it implies something but never actually shows it unless you watch the whole show. The GM can take that scene and bring it into the game at some future point, where we see the actual reality.

This is a personal thing, it cannot be something you see happening to someone else, or that directly has an impact on another. It’s all about you, alone.

If you can manage to roll your History above +3 during this phase it stops at +3, for now (so don’t).

Extra Questions.

You can add extra questions in here if you want, or you can allow your players to suggest extra questions, ones that apply to them or everyone.

Don’t get too carried away however, some players don’t care for all this deep thought. Listen to what people are saying and adjust. Extra questions can be done out of game if need be, or after several sessions. You could do it as a start of session thing, or an end of session review.

You may find you get a player who does not wish to partake of this process, in which case they are likely to have a problem. Apocalypse World is strongly driven by narrative, and if you have a mechanistic player they may not contribute fully. 

Moves.

Moves are the actions characters undertake, derived from the stories narrative, triggered by their words. They should relate to what is happening in the story around them. You should try to avoid explicitly saying a move’s name, eg don’t say ‘I Exchange Violence with the enemy’. Say exactly what you did, ‘I shoot the arsehole in the chest’.

It is much better to use a more narrative form like: ‘From my position I can see the alien’s eyes on the far wall, I lean out and take aim with my rifle, firing a short burst at the largest eye’.  Everyone should understand that this means they are going to roll on the ‘Go for the Eyes!’ Move.

There is no ‘sequence of play’ or ‘turn order’ for Moves. It’s a free for all. Generally players simply state what they wish to do the loudest, or by attracting the GM’s attention (“Would you like a refill of that glass? Oh and I shoot the arsehole in the chest...”). The GM should decide who they will accept for the next Move based on the current story and the proposed actions of the player’s characters. It is possible for one player to have several Moves in a row, before swapping to another player. The result of some Moves may restrict this freedom. In normal circumstances it is good to give every player time in the spotlight, so simply moving around the table one after the other is good. Story priorities may dictate the sequence in which players want to act. Players can work out who goes first amongst themselves if they wish.

The GM should infrequently enter the story by making a Move (from their available options) without some sort of prompt to do so. Most of the time GM’s will get options to act due to the failure of a character’s Move (-6 GM option).  At times when the players seem stuck you can enter the story and use a GM Move to prompt them into action. Generally your move should be an action followed by the question “What do you do now?” This will hopefully trigger the players into action.  Eg if the players don’t know which way to go now, you might shoot one of them with a bad guy (who may do Harm, or the shot can ricochet off a nearby rock), then ask what they will do now. Hopefully they will get the hint that standing around is not a good thing.

There are some effects of Moves that may limit if you can act. Eg as a game mechanism, any time you ‘expend Ammo’ (as an effect of a Move), or your weapon has a Reload tag, you are normally expected to require a reload. That character should not act next, they are busy reloading. 

Choices: where a Move result requests you make a choice from a list of options you may not repeat any option (unless it says you can).  Some options may not be appropriate and are therefore not choosable, eg you drop your weapon only applies if you are using a weapon that you can drop.  You can, and should, suggest alternatives that match the sentiment of the choice, ie you drop to the ground taking -1 Forward.

Rolling 13+: players will occasionally roll a result of 13 or more, and this is a good thing. The GM should allow them to take a small bonus related to the Move they are performing. Exchange Violence might allow them to inflict +1 Harm extra.  Let the player make a choice, but keep it simple and quick. The default can be give +1 Forward to the next action (whoever that is, as long as they saw the move).

Alternatives: at all times the GM should allow players to suggest alternative results to Moves. What is listed is the norm, ie guns do Harm, but bullets also cause people to flinch, hide, fall prone, seek cover, duck, dodge, scream… etc.

Basic Moves.

Chapter 5 - Moves, has a listing of the Basic Moves of the game. Basic Moves are available to every character to perform.  

Special Note: [Break a Group] 

This is an optional result that allows you to break a group into two smaller groups (but not below Small).  This is explained in the 8. Encounters Chapter - Groups. It will be listed as an optional result in Moves that allow it.

The Size of a group may vary the cost of enacting this effect. This action, by default, applies to Medium groups, breaking them into Small. Breaking a Big group will be harder, and Larger even harder. This will be detailed with each Move that has the option.

Playbook Moves

Specific moves available to a specific character type, see the Playbooks chapters.

Playbooks represent specific character builds, so the Grenadier Playbook is for a character that specialises in power armour and heavy weapons. Each playbook has a set of Moves that only that character has access to normally. Advanced options may allow you access to Moves in other playbooks.

Mission Playbooks and Moves

Mission Playbooks are an option you can use. They outline a typical mission that the Cleaners might be assigned, what they are expected to do, what resources they might be provided with, what sort of things they might confront.

The Mission Playbook will also outline resources available to the GM or Characters in the form of Mission Moves and Gear. Some of these will be random table type moves, providing a selection of ‘things’ that might be encountered whilst on this mission. They may also provide the GM with effects and options, and Characters with equipment or resources.

Mission Playbooks are good for defining the mission better, and also providing the extra specific things that the game may not provide by default.

Terminology & Tags

Fallen Cities comes with a bunch of words that have specific meanings and implications relevant to the game. 

Tags are word descriptors:

• for items to show they have some property, benefit, weakness, fault or potential.

• for player characters it can be a status, mood or situation

• for NPCs it can also be a classification or nature. 

NPCs don’t worry about roll modifiers, as the GM runs NPCs and the GM never rolls dice.  Likewise NPCs are unlikely to run out of ammo or be out of communications, that is a player problem.

Combat Tags

OOC: Out of communications. Your connection to the rest of the Team is broken. You cannot give or receive any Hold (result of some Moves) or Help of any kind while OOC.  You cannot use any Move that involves another character directly (such as several of the Hospitalier Moves). Moves affected by this will have OOC flagged against them as a reminder. OOC is not just a failure of the communications technology, it represents a broader condition reflecting attention, visibility, communications and physical location and a failure of your advanced technology

Winded: (Body) you are physically hindered and cannot take the next Move (Busy), you take +1 Harm (extra) if you suffer any Harm until you complete a Move. You are at -1 Forward until you make a successful Move (7+). If you become Winded while already Winded you must make a Complications Move.

Stunned: (Calm) Stun is caused by the unexpected, the horrible and the terrifying. You are mentally hindered and cannot take the next Move (Busy), they suffer +1 Stress (extra) if they suffer any Stress until they complete a Move. They are at -1 Forward until they make a successful Move (7+).  If they suffer a Stunned result while Stunned they must make an immediate Freak Out! Move.

Shocked: (Resolve) Shock is caused by damage from electrical weapons or attacks (eg EMP). They are electrically hindered and cannot take the next Move (Busy). You are at -1 Forward until you make a successful Move (7+).  If they suffer a Shock result while Shocked they must make an immediate Complications Move.

Unstable: (Alert) you are on unsteady footing, having suffered some sudden force or travelled over rough or difficult ground, or you have used a powerful weapon (unless you have Cover).  You cannot take the next Move (Busy). You are at -1 Forward until you make a successful Move (7+).

Busy:  you are busy doing something and cannot take the next Move, or any extra moves till the start of the next round if the optional rounds system is being used. The ‘next move’ must involve a dice roll to count (at the GM’s discretion). The next Move can be a GM option if need be.

Attract Attention (AA): this is a tag that is a result option to several moves. It implies that you have in some way turned the enemy's sights onto yourself, such that the next move they (the GM) get to make will be directed at you.  If an AA tag is currently in play and another is created the enemy will gain an immediate GM Option to move against the character who currently has the AA. After that action the new character will gain the AA tag and the old one is removed. There can only be one AA tag at a time.

Reload: you have emptied your weapon of ammunition and require time to reload it. You count as Busy. You must expend a point of Ammo to remove the tag (can be done as part of any Move).

Cover: by using the Take Cover Move you can attain various degrees of unseen. Cover removes any Attract Attention tags you have. Having the Cover tag means the GM will look for others to target who do not have it (the opposite of AA). Cover also implies you are braced and able to use weapons that cause the Unstable tag.

Disability Tags (optional).

Disability are permanent effects that last longer than the current encounter. They represent a lasting physical or mental effect that needs time or treatment to remove. You elect to gain a Disability as an optional effect of certain Moves. You may remove 1 Disability by visiting the Hospital during Downtime.  

Each Trait can only have one active disability at a time and this inflicts a -1 Ongoing to any move that uses the affected Trait.

Players may elect to suffer a Disability affect instead of any single wound (a wound can be multi Harm or Stress). Harm wounds must use Physical Disabilities, Stress wounds must use Mental Disabilities.  Mark a single wound box (both tracks) with a letter representing the Trait affected (ABPCMR), this box is considered filled until treated.

Physical disabilities affect:

Alert - Your active senses, immediate physical sensitivity, being in the moment.

Body - your physical body, both strength, dexterity and constitution.

Presence - Looks, attractiveness, presence, charm and poise.

Mental disabilities affect:

Calm - Your ability to remain in control, to act rationally and cooly.

Mind - your intelligence, knowledge, training and education.

Resolve - your mental strength, stubbornness, mental resilience, focus.

Permanent Wounds (optional)

You may convert a 2 damage event into a permanent wound marker that remains until healed during a hospital downtime, or with Miasma.

Permanent Wound - Harm damage suffered to your character. You mark the next box as a ‘H’ box on your Damage track (on both tracks) instead of taking 2Harm. The H box cannot be healed except via MIASMA or Hospital time, treat the box as filled till healed.

Permanent Stress - Stress damage suffered to your character. You mark the next  box as a ‘S’ box on your Damage track (on both tracks) instead of taking all the 2Stress. The S box cannot be healed except via MIASMA or Hospital time, treat the box as filled till healed.

You can only have one permanent H and one S box at a time. H and S boxes cannot be healed except during a Downtime Move, or with Miasma.

In the following example the Wound box shows a Harm, an Alertness Disability hit, a Stress and a Permanent Harm wound.

Misc Tags.

Misc tags are endless. I provide a bunch of suggestions here for you, but feel free to make up your own on the fly, as the situation demands.

+1 or -1 trait: you gain the modifier to your next roll involving that trait, within the encounter. This benefit is not used up till it is used, but it only applies once.

+1, +2 or -1 forward: you gain the modifier to your, or maybe the next player character's, next Move roll.

+1, +2 or -1 ongoing: you, or maybe the next player character,  gains the modifier to all Move rolls until the encounter is over or the benefit is lost.  Some ongoing tags will have limiters to them, stating when they may lapse or if they only apply to specific events, eg +1 Ongoing till you are wounded.

2H: your weapon requires two hands to use, unless you are augmented.

Advantage: the target is placed off balance, exposed or unready for what is about to happen. This allows a character to gain +1 Forward for each Advantage tag they elect to use (max +2 Forward). Using an Advantage tag expends it. Advantage tags can be placed as an option to some moves, plus a player may elect to place one as a bonus for rolling 13+ on an appropriate move. Advantage tags are always placed on a target, and available for use by anyone able to effect that target.

Ammo: a resource used to reload your weapon. Ammo is ammo for all weapons.

AOE: an area of effect weapon that can affect Zones and Blocks if you are using the Grid.

AP: the attack is armour piercing, the armour value is reduced by 1pt.

Armour: you are wearing armour that reduces incoming Harm by its rating.

ATB: At the Back.

ATF: At the Front.

Augmented: you are wearing a powered support suit which makes you stronger. You can ignore the 2H (2 Handed) tag, and the Unstable tag.

Auto (fire): you expend Ammo and lay down a lot of bullets. If not Braced (?), wearing augmented armour or using gas venting you will become Unstable after using Auto (fire).

Blind: unable to see clearly, -1/3/5 depending on how bad.

Braced: if your gun requires a mount, bipod or tripod, is 2H or Heavy you need to be Braced or you become Unstable. If you currently have a Cover Tag you will be considered Braced for your next Move.

Broken/Break: your weapon or device is broken, a Technician can perform a Repair Move to try to fix it.

Burst (fire): your gun fires 3-4 rounds, +1 Harm. May use up Ammo.

Calm n: an amount of Shock (n) recovered from your Health Track due to medical assistance.

Chem: chemical effect, usually dangerous, varies.

Complex Wound: when a wound consists of Harm and Stress at the same time it is considered ‘complex’. This can happen from specific attack forms, but more likely it will result from partially Healing an existing wound.  See Playing the Game Chapter.

Deaf: can’t hear anything, which implies OoC to some degree as well.

Diseased: the character is afflicted with a pathogen that will start with a -1 Ongoing effect, but if left untreated may escalate, ending with death (-1, -2, incap, KIA).

Explosive: the device may explode if you roll doubles AND miss (GM option).

Forceful: Knockback or down, can provide Advantage.

Fragile: the object is prone to becoming Broken, roll of doubles.

Hairtrigger: the object may use extra Ammo, roll of doubles.

Harm n: an amount of Harm inflicted, use a X to indicate damage inflicted.

+nHarm: a modifier to the normal harm inflicted.

Heal n: an amount of Harm/Stress recovered from your Health Track due to medical assistance, replace the X or / with a '0' to indicate healing has occurred.

Heavy: the object is heavy, requiring great effort to move, and you may normally only carry one such item. You will need to be wearing Augmented Armour to carry it, and it requires both hands. Using it may make you Unstable.

Hold n: your gain a number of Hold points as a result of a Move, which can be held for a time, and expended to trigger some kind of benefit. Usually there will be a table of options that you can use the Hold pts on.

Inaccurate: object may miss or hit the wrong things, particularly allies, suffers a perma -1 Ongoing.

ITM: In the Middle

Jammed: your weapon or device is non-functional at this time, you need to perform a Reboot to get it working again.

Jumpy: the object requires a stabiliser, or you count Unstable after using it.

LAOE: Large area of effect weapon that can effect Areas, Zones and Blocks if you are using the Grid.

Loud: the object makes loud and/or strange noises that attracts attention.

Messy: the effect of the damage inflicted is very messy and gorey, may cause Stress tests to viewers.

Nauseous: feeling sick and prone to vomiting, dizzy or unsettled.

Obvious: the object is large and unconcealable, or the device is visually obvious (laser sight in fog). 

Poisoned: the affects of poison may simply kill you, but if it doesn’t it will likely have an on-going progressive detriment, generally -1 Ongoing, -2 Ongoing, Disability, INCAP, Death. Some poisons may simply inflict 1Harm or 1Stress each round.

Puncture: if you roll a hit and it is a double (on the dice), then you inflict +1Harm extra.

Range: your weapon can be used at range.

Reckless: the opposite of Busy, you must take the next action after another player takes one. If more than one person is Reckless they can decide, or roll a die.

Resource: a generic term for equipment, food, medicines etc. It can be expended to produce whatever is needed, like a magic pudding. Using Resources avoids the need to create extensive lists of equipment.

Rift: Rift radiation is accumulated due to exposure to the Rift environment. When sufficient RR is absorbed you may expend it and accept a mutation.

Rifty: the object is sensitive to the effects of the Rift, you gain +1 Rift if you roll doubles when resolving a Move with this tag.

Risky: you are in a position of risk, unconfident and fearful, or using poor equipment. You roll 3d6 and take the 2 lowest dice as your result.

Safety: you are in a position of safety, confident and assured, you reroll any 1's (unlimited).

Salvage: gear collected from the ruins during missions that may be converted into Resources.

Scatter: the weapon is indirect and prone to scattering away from its target, if you roll doubles spread any damage inflicted over multiple targets.

Semi (fire): your gun fires each time you press the trigger. Default mode.

Stress n: an amount of Stress inflicted, use a / to indicate on your Damage Track.

+nStress: a modifier to the normal amount of Stress inflicted.

Subtle: the object can be concealed, or is small and unnoticeable.

Suppressed: you are suppressed by a potential threat, causing you to hesitate, you cannot take the next Move.

Suppression: you use ranged fire to threaten an area, or a target.

Thrown: the weapon is thrown.

Tricky: the object is prone to becoming Jammed, roll of doubles.

Vented: your weapon has gas venting to improve control of your gun when auto or burst firing. Counts as braced. Generally will mean, or make, that equipment 2H.

Vulnerable: the target is vulnerable to specific types of damage, eg fire. Increase all the damage inflicted by whatever the vulnerability is by 1.

Wound: a box or linked set of boxes on your Health track, expended because of Harm or Stress. Place an X through the box to indicate Harm damage inflicted, and use a / to indicate Stress. Adjacent boxes on one line are one Wound event.