GM Guide

The GM's Role

AX.C.16.01

The Game Master's job in AxiomRPG is to run the world, adjudicating the rules when dice are needed, narrating everything the player characters encounter, and facilitating the session so that play moves and everyone at the table has something to do. These responsibilities overlap constantly, at any given moment the GM may be doing all three at once.

None of these roles requires the GM to be an adversary. The dice system generates dramatic variance on its own. An explosion on the wild die produces extraordinary outcomes the GM didn't plan. An implosion on a critical roll creates consequence the GM didn't engineer. The GM's job is to set conditions and interpret results, not to manufacture drama by adjusting outcomes after the fact.

Core Function

Adjudication is the GM's rules responsibility. When a player declares an action and the outcome is uncertain, the GM determines whether a roll is required, selects the appropriate dice pool and threshold, and interprets what the result means in the fiction. This includes knowing when not to call for a roll, trivial actions, impossible actions, and actions where the outcome doesn't change anything in the scene don't need dice. Over-rolling slows play and dilutes the significance of rolls that actually matter.

Narration is the GM's world responsibility. Everything outside the player characters, NPCs, environments, threats, factions, time passing, is voiced and described by the GM. Narration answers the question what do you see, hear, and know. Good narration is specific enough to be useful and brief enough to leave room for play. A room described in two sentences with one distinctive detail serves the table better than a paragraph of atmosphere.

Facilitation is the GM's table responsibility. Pacing, spotlight distribution, and forward momentum are managed by the GM. This means noticing when a scene has given everything it has and cutting to the next one, tracking which players haven't acted or spoken recently, and keeping the session moving toward something. Facilitation is invisible when it's working and obvious when it isn't.

Working with Genre Catalogs

AxiomRPG core rules define the universal mechanics: dice pools, thresholds, attributes, talents, saves, health, and advancement. A Genre Catalog applies those mechanics to a specific setting, naming the lineages, defining the power traditions, establishing the factions, and providing the profession library appropriate to that world.

The pattern is consistent: core rules are the constant, the genre catalog is the variable.

Before running with a Genre Catalog, a GM should have working knowledge of four things:

• Power tradition: How Odd Talents function in this setting, what they cost, and any restrictions on use. The Iron Lattice catalog uses Harmonic Traditions with Resonance Stress as the use cost, the first use per scene is free, subsequent uses roll at disadvantage until the character takes a ten-minute rest.
• Lineage mechanics: Whether lineages carry mechanical differences beyond the core archetypes, Health modifiers, cultural talents, special abilities.
• Faction structure: Who the major powers are, what they want, and where they're in conflict. This shapes NPC motivation throughout the campaign.
• Setting-specific rules: Any mechanics the catalog introduces that have no core analog, vehicle rules, environmental encounter conditions, digital-space encounters, and so on.

Where the Genre Catalog is silent, apply core rules. Where core rules don't cover it, rule by intent. Document rulings that come up repeatedly; they become local precedent for that campaign.

Table Calibration

Before the first session, the GM and players should align on what kind of game they're sitting down to play. It doesn't require a lengthy formal process, just answers to a few direct questions.

Tone: Is this setting grim or hopeful? Is failure likely to be permanent? What's the emotional register of the fiction, tension, action, drama, comedy, or some combination?

Scope: Are these characters beginning their story or stepping into an ongoing world? Is the campaign self-contained or open-ended? How much does the broader setting matter relative to personal character arcs?

Content: What's off the table? Topics, scenarios, or types of content that players don't want in the game should be named before they come up during play, not after. Safety tools, techniques that allow players to signal discomfort or redirect scenes without breaking the fiction, are appropriate at any table regardless of tone or setting. Establish which tool the group will use and how before play begins.

Challenge level: How lethal is this game? Are threats intended to genuinely threaten character death, or is death a rare consequence? This affects how players invest in their characters and how aggressively the GM designs encounters.

These questions take ten minutes at session zero and prevent significantly more disruption later.

Balancing Challenge and Agency

Across all sessions, the GM holds two responsibilities in tension: the game should be genuinely challenging, and player choices should genuinely matter.

Challenge means that outcomes are uncertain and that failure is possible. A game where the players cannot fail is not a game; it is collaborative storytelling with dice as decoration. The dice pool system supports challenge naturally: even a strong pool can produce a bad roll, and the wild die introduces variance that neither side controls. The GM's job is to present obstacles that test character builds and player decisions, not to punish players for choices made in good faith.

Agency means that what the players choose to do changes what happens. Choices that don't matter, where all roads lead to the same result, drain investment over time. Players should be able to see the fingerprints of their decisions on the world. NPCs should remember what happened. Factions should respond to what the players have done. Events in one session should affect conditions in the next.

When challenge and agency are both present, failure becomes generative rather than terminal. A failed roll that closes one door but opens another, or that succeeds at a cost, keeps the fiction moving. A failed roll that simply ends the scene or removes a player from meaningful participation for several rounds does not.

The GM's ongoing calibration question is: does this outcome produce more story, or does it stop the story? Default toward the former.

Adjudication

AX.C.16.02

Where AX.C.02 defines what the dice do, this section covers when to use them and how to interpret what they produce. Adjudication is the moment-to-moment translation between the fiction and the rules, the GM's most constant responsibility at the table.

When to Call for a Roll

The criterion for calling a roll: the outcome is uncertain, and both success and failure produce something worth playing. If either condition isn't met, don't roll.

Three categories that don't need dice:

Trivial actions, A trained character doing something well within their capability against no meaningful resistance. A skilled climber ascending a ladder. A soldier drawing their weapon. A scholar recalling a fact from their own specialty. Calling for a roll here communicates that the task is harder than it looks, which is either wrong, or a lie the GM will have to sustain.

Impossible actions, No pool size will produce the needed outcome. A character cannot pick a lock they have no picks for, or convince an NPC established as incorruptible to accept a bribe. Rolling and failing communicates the same thing as declaring it impossible, but wastes time and sets a misleading precedent that dice could have helped.

Inconsequential actions, The outcome doesn't change anything about the scene. Whether the character succeeds or fails at identifying the paint color on a wall, the scene continues identically. If neither outcome matters, the roll doesn't matter.

The over-rolling problem: Every roll carries an implicit stake, the table is paying attention because something might go wrong. Frequent calls for inconsequential rolls train players to look for risk where none exists, and to feel cheated when rolls produce nothing. Reserve dice for moments that deserve them.

Setting Thresholds

The Standard Threshold is 2, the default for most non-combat challenges. It produces roughly 75% success on a 6D pool and scales naturally as dice pools grow.

Threshold	Difficulty	Typical Conditions
1	Easy	Favorable circumstances, trained character, no meaningful resistance
2	Standard	Normal conditions, outcome uncertain
3	Difficult	Adverse conditions, active resistance, or missing tools
4	Hard	Severe conditions, strong opposition, multiple compounding factors
5+	Epic	Near-impossible; extraordinary capability required

Threshold reflects the obstacle at hand, not a general desire for tension. The most common modifier is active resistance, when an NPC or threat is actively working against the character, add 1. Unfavorable environment (poor visibility, time pressure, difficult terrain) adds 1. Attempting without required tools or preparation adds 1. These stack, but threshold rarely needs to exceed 4 outside genuinely exceptional circumstances.

Example: Picking a lock is Standard (2). Picking an unfamiliar lock under time pressure without proper picks is Hard (4): +1 for the unfamiliar mechanism, +1 for inferior tools, +1 for the approaching patrol.

Set the threshold before the roll with the full picture in mind. Don't adjust it mid-roll because the fiction shifted.

Reading Results

Clean success (met threshold): The action succeeds as declared. Narrate what happened and move the scene forward. The size of the pool doesn't change the quality of the outcome, meeting the threshold is meeting the threshold.

Excess successes (exceeded threshold by 1 or more): The character succeeded with margin. This is the GM's invitation to add something, a piece of additional information, a positional advantage, a detail that carries forward into the next scene. Excess successes aren't a separate mechanical system; they are narrative latitude the GM can use or leave alone.

Narrow failure (1 success short): The character came close. This is where success with cost is most appropriate, the GM may offer the character what they were attempting, but something is spent, damaged, or compromised alongside it. The lock opened, but the pick broke inside. The NPC agreed, but overheard the wrong thing on the way out. Not every narrow failure warrants this treatment, but it is always available as an option.

Clear failure (2 or more short): The action failed and it was apparent. Narrate the failure directly, don't soften a clear failure into a near-miss. But the scene should still move. What did the character observe in failing? What condition changed? A failed roll that produces nothing, no new information, no shifted circumstance, no consequence, was a wasted roll. Something should be different after the dice land than before.

The forward principle: A scene should be in a different state after a roll than it was before, regardless of result. Success moves the fiction in the direction the character intended. Failure moves it somewhere else. Both are valid; stasis is not.

The Wild Die as Narrative Signal

The Wild Die produces four cases that warrant distinct narration beyond the arithmetic.

Explosion on success: The character met the threshold and the Wild Die rolled 6, counting as 2 successes. Narrate the success as something exceptional — not just competent, but a moment of genuine excellence. The margin the Explosion produced is real; let the fiction reflect it.

Explosion on failure: The Wild Die contributed 2 successes to the total, but the character still didn't meet the threshold. This is a dramatically close attempt. No mechanical effect beyond the failure itself, but the fiction deserves acknowledgment: the character tried harder than anyone expected and still came up short. That is a different story than a routine miss, and the narration should reflect it.

Implosion on success: The Wild Die removed a success, but enough remained to meet the threshold. The action succeeded, and the Implosion tells the GM to narrate a success with a visible hitch. The door opened, but the noise it made was more than expected. The grapple landed, but the footing shifted awkwardly. This is not a mechanical penalty; the success stands. The attached complication is real but separate from the roll's outcome.

Implosion on failure: The character failed and the Wild Die rolled 1, removing a success from the total. The failure was unambiguous and something was spent in the attempt — a wasted resource, an exposed position, an opening the enemy can read. Narrate what specifically went wrong. An imploded failure should feel distinct from a routine miss.

In all four cases, the GM's narration follows the mechanical result without overriding it. An Explosion does not turn a failure into a success. An Implosion does not turn a success into a failure. The Wild Die adds texture to whatever the pool produced.

Critical Triggers (Optional — see AX.C.02.05)

Groups using the Critical Triggers optional rule add structured mechanical effects to two of the four Wild Die cases.

Critical Success (Explosion on success): The character met the threshold and the Wild Die shows 6. In combat, select one effect from the Critical Success options in AX.C.02.05. In non-combat Challenges, the outcome is enhanced beyond the standard success. Narrate the result as exceptional — the character isn't just succeeding, they are building momentum.

Critical Failure (Implosion on failure): The character failed and the Wild Die shows 1. In combat, the GM selects one complication from the Critical Failure options in AX.C.02.05. In non-combat Challenges, a secondary consequence triggers alongside the failure. A Critical Failure should feel distinct from a standard failed roll — the character is not just back where they started, they are in a worse position.

Scene Framing and Rest Economy

Scene framing is the GM's primary pacing tool. A scene should end at or immediately after its peak moment, the revelation, the decision, the resolution of tension. Scenes allowed to wind down past their peak lose energy and make sessions feel slow. When the most interesting thing in a scene has happened, cut to the next one.

Entering scenes works the same way. Begin with the characters already in the situation, at the negotiation, inside the building, facing the obstacle. Travel, preparation, and approach rarely generate meaningful play on their own; stakes do. If nothing interesting can happen during the approach, skip it.

Rest economy is the GM's control over recovery pacing. The rules define what each rest type recovers; the GM determines whether conditions permit one.

A Short Rest (10–15 minutes) requires no active threat. Deny it when threats are ongoing, time is critical, or the characters genuinely cannot stop safely. Granting Short Rests freely reduces attrition between encounters; denying them entirely turns every session into a war of resource exhaustion. Both extremes flatten the texture of play.

A Long Rest (8 hours) requires shelter, food, and water. Use environmental and narrative pressure, not arbitrary refusal, to pace when Long Rests are available. A campaign that provides a Long Rest between every encounter removes the resource management that gives individual encounters weight. A campaign that never allows one turns survival into a grind rather than a challenge.

Rest is a pacing lever. Use it deliberately in both directions.

Resolving Edge Cases and Rule Gaps

Every session produces situations the rules don't explicitly cover. When they arise, work through the following in order:

Intent first: What was this rule trying to accomplish? Apply it in the spirit of that purpose. Most edge cases have a clear answer when the rule's function is considered rather than its literal text.

Precedent second: Has this situation come up before in this campaign? Apply the same ruling. Inconsistent rulings on the same situation erode the table's trust in the adjudication process. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Dramatic logic third: When intent and precedent don't resolve it, ask what outcome makes the most interesting result without undermining the players' investment in their characters or the fiction they've built.

When a ruling is made at the table, note it. Apply it the same way if the situation recurs. If a ruling proves unworkable, revise it between sessions, not mid-session, and tell the players it changed and why.

Genre Catalog mechanics are local rules. When a Genre Catalog defines a mechanic with no core analog, that mechanic governs its domain and does not imply changes to core rules outside it. A digital-space encounter system in a sci-fi catalog doesn't affect how physical combat resolves. Treat catalog mechanics as authoritative within their stated scope and silent outside of it.

NPC Framework

AX.C.16.03

A non-player character is anyone in the world the players interact with who isn't trying to kill them, at least not yet. This section provides a minimal construction framework for creating and running NPCs without full stat blocks, and a tracking approach for making recurring characters feel like part of a living world.

Quick NPC Construction

A playable NPC needs three things: what they want, what stands between them and that want, and how they respond to the players.

That's it. A name, a physical description, and a backstory are useful when they serve the interaction, but they are not what makes an NPC work at the table. The three-element minimum is sufficient to run any NPC through any kind of scene: social, investigative, or transactional.

Build the three elements before the session. Fill in color during it, or between sessions as the character becomes established.

Want, Obstacle, Response

Want is the NPC's motivation, what they are pursuing independently of the player characters. It should be specific enough to drive behavior. "Power" is too abstract to be useful at the table. "Become head of the guild before their rival does" generates behavior the GM can play consistently across multiple scenes.

Want operates independently of the players. An NPC with a want is doing something between sessions. When the players encounter them, they are catching the NPC mid-process, not waiting for the players to give them a purpose.

Obstacle is what stands between the NPC and their want. This is the source of tension that makes the NPC a character rather than a fixture. An NPC who already has what they want has no reason to engage with the players except as set dressing. The obstacle is the opening through which the players can become relevant to the NPC, and through which the NPC becomes interesting to the players.

The obstacle doesn't have to be the players themselves. A merchant wants to expand their operation; the obstacle is a rival who controls the only available routes. The players can help, complicate, ignore, or exploit that situation, but the obstacle exists regardless of their choices.

Response defines how the NPC reacts when the players enter their situation. Five common types:

• Cooperative: The NPC is openly helpful. They share what they know, facilitate what the players need, and ask for little or nothing in return. Useful for established allies and incidental contacts, but too many cooperative NPCs flatten the social texture of a setting.
• Transactional: The NPC helps, but at a cost. They are not hostile; they simply expect something in return. The exchange defines the relationship and creates a web of ongoing obligations.
• Hostile: The NPC is actively opposed to the players' goals, presence, or faction. Hostility doesn't require personal animus; it can be professional, ideological, or circumstantial.
• Indifferent: The NPC doesn't care. They have their own problems and the players are not among them. They can be made to engage, but it requires the players to make themselves relevant to the NPC's want or obstacle first.
• Layered: The NPC presents one response and holds another underneath. The cooperative contact who is feeding information to an opposing faction. The hostile official who privately wants the players to succeed. Layered NPCs require the players to work past the surface response before the real shape of the relationship emerges.

Differentiating NPCs at the Table

The goal is memorability, not performance. A GM running six distinct NPCs across a session cannot rely on extended character work for each one. Three anchors make an NPC recognizable without preparation:

One speech pattern or verbal tic: A character who asks a question at the end of every statement. A character who never refers to themselves in the first person. A character who uses professional jargon from their field even in casual conversation. The pattern doesn't need to be elaborate; it needs to be consistent enough that players recognize the character when the GM slips back into it.

One physical detail the GM returns to: Not a full description, one specific detail that gets mentioned when the NPC appears. The clerk who is always eating something. The official whose uniform is never quite right. The contact who doesn't look at whoever they're talking to. Physical details anchor an NPC in the fiction when the GM brings them back after a long absence.

One piece of information only they hold: Every meaningful NPC knows something the players don't. This creates the information asymmetry that makes social scenes function as actual play rather than exposition delivery. An NPC with exclusive knowledge has leverage, and so do the players, if they realize it. The question of how that information is exchanged, withheld, or extracted is what the scene is actually about.

Information asymmetry applies even when the players don't know it exists. The GM knowing that an NPC holds a particular piece of knowledge changes how that NPC is played, regardless of whether players think to ask.

Tracking Recurring NPCs

An NPC who appears more than once needs three tracked fields maintained between sessions:

Current want: What are they pursuing right now? This may evolve as events progress. An NPC whose obstacle was removed will shift to a new want. An NPC who suffered a setback may have revised their approach or redirected their efforts.

Player history: What have the players done that this NPC knows about and cares about? Not a complete log, only the events the NPC would have observed, heard about, or been directly affected by. This is the input to disposition.

Current disposition: How does this NPC currently regard the players? Disposition runs from actively helpful to actively hostile, and it should shift in response to player history. An ally the players ignored at a critical moment is a cooler ally next time. A neutral contact who received unexpected help without being asked has reason to reciprocate. A hostile NPC who was treated with respect despite the conflict may carry residual complexity into future encounters.

The world should remember what the players have done even when the players don't. When a recurring NPC reacts to events the players have half-forgotten, it signals that choices have weight, which is the foundation of meaningful play.

Tracking doesn't require a dedicated system. A single line per recurring NPC, want, one relevant event, current disposition, is sufficient. Update it after any session where the NPC appeared or where something happened that would affect them.

When an NPC Becomes a Threat

An NPC crosses into AX.C.16 territory when direct opposition requires mechanical resolution, when the conflict between them and the players becomes a matter of dice rather than conversation. This may happen mid-scene or arrive as the destination of a slow-building antagonism. In either case, have a stat block ready before the scene reaches that point. Building one during a confrontation wastes time and produces unfocused results.

Three things carry over from the NPC framework into the stat block:

Motivation drives tactical behavior. An NPC who wants to capture the players alive fights differently than one who wants to eliminate them. An NPC whose obstacle is a time limit pushes aggressively rather than plays defensively. The stat block defines what the NPC can do mechanically; want and obstacle determine what they will do and when they will stop.

Behavior maps to the intelligence tiers in AX.C.16.02. An NPC who has been established as canny and strategic belongs at high intelligence (Wit 4D+); they will use cover, coordinate with allies, and retreat when losing. An NPC who has been played as reactive and impulsive belongs lower on the scale and should fight accordingly. The stat block shouldn't contradict the character the players have already encountered.

Established personality carries into the encounter as the NPC's voice. An NPC who has spoken with the players, made threats, or revealed something about themselves should continue doing so during the confrontation. An NPC who goes silent the moment combat begins is harder for players to engage with, and easier to forget afterward.

Assign a power package based on the NPC's established role and the party's current level. See AX.C.16.02 for scaling guidance and AX.C.16.03 for the complete stat block template.

Adventure Structure

AX.C.16.04

This section provides the 5-stage adventure framework that underlies single-session AxiomRPG play, the 36 Dramatic Situations that seed adventure content and a detailed guide to designing each stage. This is the reference layer the conceptual and structural foundation GMs return to repeatedly.

• For the step-by-step session prep process and a complete worked example, see AX.C.16.05.
• For encounter composition and power budgets, see AX.C.16.06.
• For timing guidance, pitfalls, advanced techniques, and GM checklists, see AX.C.16.07.

The five-stage structure is based on the 5-Room Dungeon created by John Four.

Why 5 Stages?

The five-stage structure provides:

• Varied Pacing: Alternates between action, thought, and surprise
• Natural Flow: Guides players from introduction to resolution
• Built-in Hooks: Stage 5 seeds the next adventure
• Flexibility: Works for dungeons, wilderness, urban settings, or social scenarios
• Testing Grounds: Challenges different character builds and player preferences

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The Plot Foundation

Each adventure is seeded with two plots drawn from the 36 Dramatic Situations table below.

• Primary Plot: The main theme and driving force of the adventure (Stages 1–4)
• Secondary Plot: A hook discovered in Stage 5 that launches the next adventure

These plots provide archetypal dramatic situations with defined actors and conflicts. The GM's job is to adapt these structures to their specific setting and party.

Rolling Two Plots in One Roll: Roll 2D. Each die result corresponds to a number in the Roll column. Transpose the two numbers to quickly generate two distinct plot results from a single roll.

Review your table's content expectations (established in AX.C.16.01) before using the random roll. If a result doesn't suit your game, roll again or choose manually the table is a tool, not a mandate.

The following table is drawn directly from The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations by Georges Polti (1895).

The 36 Dramatic Situations

Roll	Plot Name	Actors and Elements
1-1	Supplication	Persecutor, Supplicant, Power in Authority
2-1	Deliverance	Unfortunates, Threatener, Rescuer
3-1	Revenge	Righteous Avenger, Criminal
4-1	Vengeance by Family upon Family	Avenging Kinsman, Guilty Kinsman, Relative
5-1	Pursuit	Fugitive, Pursuer
6-1	Victim of Cruelty or Misfortune	Unfortunates, Indifferent or Cruel Master
1-2	Disaster	Vanquished Power, Victorious Power, Messenger
2-2	Revolt	Tyrant, One or more Conspirators
3-2	Daring Enterprise	Goal, Bold Leader, Adversary
4-2	Abduction	Abductor, Abducted, Guardian
5-2	Mystery or Enigma	Interrogator, Seeker, Problem
6-2	Obtaining	Goal, Several Opposed Groups, Judge or Referee
1-3	Familial Hatred	Two or more Family members who hate each other
2-3	Familial Rivalry	Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kinsman, Object
3-3	Murderous Adultery	Adulterer, Cuckold, Adulterer's Lover
4-3	Madness	Madman, Victim
5-3	Fatal Imprudence	Imprudent Person, Lost Object, Victim
6-3	Involuntary Crimes of Love	Lover, Beloved, Revealer
1-4	Kinsman Kills Unrecognized Kinsman	Killer, Unrecognized Victim, Revealer
2-4	Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal	Ideal, Hero, Person or Thing Sacrificed
3-4	Self-Sacrifice for Kindred	Hero, Kinsman, Person or Thing Sacrificed
4-4	All Sacrificed for Passion	Hero, Object of Passion, Person or Thing Sacrificed
5-4	Sacrifice of Loved One	Hero, Beloved Victim, Cause for Sacrifice
6-4	Rivalry Between Superior and Inferior	Superior, Inferior, Object
1-5	Adultery	Deceived Spouse, Adulterer, Adulterer's Lover
2-5	Crimes of Love	Lover, Beloved, Theme of Dissolution
3-5	Discovery of Dishonor of a Loved One	Guilty, Beloved, Discoverer
4-5	Obstacles to Love	Lover 1, Obstacles, Lover 2
5-5	An Enemy Loved	Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hateful Kinsman
6-5	Ambition	Ambitious Person, Coveted Object, Adversary
1-6	Conflict with a God	Mortal, Immortal
2-6	Mistaken Jealousy	Jealous One, Object of Jealousy, Supposed Accomplice, Author of Mistake
3-6	Faulty Judgement	Mistaken One, Victim of Mistake, Author of Mistake, Guilty Person
4-6	Remorse	Culprit, Victim, Interrogator
5-6	Recovery of a Loved One	Seeker, One Found
6-6	Loss of a Loved One	Kinsman Slain, Kinsman Witness, Executioner

Stage-by-Stage Breakdown

Stage 1: The Test

Purpose: Test the players before they enter the main adventure. Establish tone and introduce the initial challenges.

Structure: - Present an immediate obstacle or challenge - Players must overcome the challenge to proceed - Success or failure here can affect later stages

Challenge Types: - Combat: Guards, watchbeasts, territorial creatures - Puzzle: Locked door, riddle, magical ward - Social: Gatekeeper NPC, negotiation, intimidation - Stealth: Avoiding patrols, sneaking past sentries - Skill: Climbing, swimming, disabling a trap

Plot Integration: Introduce one actor or element from the primary plot. This gives players their first hint of what's going on.

Examples by Plot Type: - Pursuit (5-1): The fugitive's trail leads through dangerous territory; encounter previous pursuers who failed - Mystery (5-2): Mysterious symbols at the entrance must be interpreted; a dead investigator's notes provide clues - Abduction (4-2): Fight off secondary kidnappers trying to steal the same target; meet the guardian too late

Design Tips: - Keep it relatively straightforward; this isn't the climax - Use Minion (3–4D) or Standard (5–7D) threats for combat challenges - Set Threshold 2–3 for most skill challenges; reserve Threshold 4 for genuinely hard tasks - Allow multiple solutions when possible - This should take 20–30 minutes of game time

Stage 2: The Contemplation

Purpose: Slow the pace. Give players time to think, plan, and roleplay. Build tension through anticipation rather than action.

Structure: - Significantly different challenge type from Stage 1 - Rewards careful thought over quick action - Reveals information or forces choice

Challenge Types: - Riddle: Traditional puzzle with cryptic clues - Moral Choice: No clearly right answer; consequences either way - NPC Interaction: Bargaining, gathering information, persuasion - Investigation: Searching for clues, piecing together a mystery - Trap Complexity: Multi-step puzzle trap requiring coordination - Resource Decision: Which path? What to bring? Who goes first?

Plot Integration: Reveal deeper motivations or complications in the primary plot. This is where players learn what's really at stake.

Examples by Plot Type: - Revenge (3-1): Meet an NPC who reveals the "criminal" may not be guilty; must choose whether to continue - Disaster (1-2): Find the messenger's final words; learn the vanquished power had good reasons - Ambition (6-5): Discover the ambitious person's tragic backstory; is the coveted object worth the cost?

Design Tips: - No combat in Stage 2 unless the entire stage is a tense negotiation - Multiple NPCs provide richer interaction; see AX.C.16.03 for quick NPC construction - Prepare 2–3 possible solutions - Information gathered here should be useful in Stages 3–4 - Give quiet characters spotlight moments - This should take 30–45 minutes of game time

Sample Moral Choices: - "The artifact can save one village but doom another which one?" - "The prisoner knows the way forward but wants freedom; do you release them?" - "The ritual requires a sacrifice; who gives what up?"

Stage 3: The Twist

Purpose: Surprise the players. Subvert expectations. Complicate the situation dramatically.

Structure: - Something unexpected occurs - Players must adapt to new information or circumstances - Raises stakes or reveals deception

Twist Types: - Betrayal: Ally was actually enemy; helper has ulterior motives - Reversal: The "villain" was protecting something; the "victim" was the real threat - Complication: The artifact is cursed; the rescue target doesn't want rescue - Ambush: Enemy was waiting; the trap was specifically for this party - False Goal: What they sought isn't here; it was never the real objective - Escalation: Bigger threat arrives; situation spirals out of control - Revelation: A PC's backstory connects to current events

Plot Integration: This is where the primary plot takes its most dramatic turn. The actors' true natures or relationships are revealed.

Examples by Plot Type: - Supplication (1-1): The "persecutor" appears and reveals they're the rightful authority; the supplicant is a deceiver - Deliverance (2-1): The threatener was protecting the unfortunates from something worse - Familial Hatred (1-3): The party discovers they're all related; this is a family matter - An Enemy Loved (5-5): One PC realizes the enemy is someone they cared about

Design Tips: - The twist should make sense in retrospect but surprise in the moment - Seed clues in Stages 1–2 so players feel clever piecing it together - Don't make the twist negate everything they've accomplished - Allow for player reactions pause to let them discuss - This revelation should directly impact Stage 4 - This can be a quick scene (10–15 minutes) or longer if combat ensues

Foreshadowing Examples: - Stage 1: Guard mentions "the master's protection" - Stage 2: Find a letter warning against "the false savior" - Stage 3: Reveal that they're guarding villagers from a plague the party might spread

Stage 4: The Climax

Purpose: Resolve the primary plot through the final conflict. Highest stakes, greatest challenge.

Structure: - Culmination of all previous stages - Usually the most mechanically challenging encounter - Success or failure has clear consequences

Conflict Types: - Combat: Boss fight with Elite (8–10D) or Champion (11–13D) threat - Negotiation: Tense diplomacy with real risk of failure - Race Against Time: Complete objective before deadline - Skill Challenge: Complex multi-person coordination test - Chase: Pursuit with obstacles and hazards - Ritual Completion: Protected spellcasting under pressure - Hybrid: Combat while also achieving a separate objective

Plot Integration: The actors in the primary plot reach their moment of truth. Players directly interact with or embody these roles.

Examples by Plot Type: - Daring Enterprise (3-2): Final confrontation with the adversary over the goal; bold leader's plan reaches fruition - Revolt (2-2): Face the tyrant directly; inspire or lead the conspirators - Obtaining (6-2): All opposed groups converge; the judge or referee makes their decision based on the party's actions - Conflict with a God (1-6): The immortal's avatar appears; mortal characters must find a way to prevail

Design Tips: - Use appropriate power level for your party (see AX.C.16.06 for encounter balance) - Make the environment interesting: hazards, cover, multiple levels - Have enemy tactics prepared but be ready to adjust - Multiple objectives create more interest than "defeat all enemies" - Allow for non-combat resolutions if players are creative - This should take 45–60 minutes of game time

Encounter Design Elements: - Primary Threat: Elite or Champion enemy - Secondary Threats: Minions or environmental hazards - Objectives: Beyond "defeat all enemies" rescue, stop a ritual, escape, etc. - Complications: Reinforcements, time limit, difficult terrain - Escape Plan: How does the enemy retreat if losing?

Stage 5: The Resolution

Purpose: Wrap up the current adventure and seed the next one. Provide rewards and introduce the secondary plot hook.

Structure: - Immediate aftermath of Stage 4 - Rewards distributed - Hook for future adventure discovered - Loose ends addressed or deliberately left dangling

Resolution Elements: - Rewards: Wealth, equipment, and items appropriate to party level; see Genre Catalog for setting-specific values - Information: New knowledge, a contact, reputation, a map - Consequences: How did their choices affect the world? See AX.C.16.08 for tracking guidance - Character Moments: Time for PC interactions and reflection - The Hook: Introduction of the secondary plot

Hook Types: - Item: Found letter, map, mysterious artifact - NPC: Survivor who needs help, prisoner with information, messenger arrives - Revelation: True nature of what they faced; bigger picture emerges - Complication: Unintended consequence of their victory - Invitation: Summoned by authority, challenged by rival, recruited by faction

Plot Integration for Secondary Hook: Use the secondary plot here. It doesn't need to connect to the primary plot at all that contrast creates variety. Choose a plot with different themes and actors.

Examples: - Primary Plot: Mystery (5-2) They solved the enigma; Secondary Hook: Pursuit (5-1) Find evidence someone is hunting one of the PCs - Primary Plot: Revenge (3-1) They helped the avenger; Secondary Hook: Disaster (1-2) A messenger arrives saying their home settlement has fallen

Design Tips: - Don't rush this stage give time for players to absorb the outcome - A Short Rest is appropriate here - Rewards should include 1–2 useful items plus wealth - The hook should be intriguing, not demanding players choose when to pursue it - End on a question or unresolved tension - This should take 20–30 minutes of game time

Reward Scale by Party Level:

Party Level	Wealth	Consumables	Permanent Items
6D (New)	Modest (Genre Catalog)	1–2	Possibly 1 minor item
9D (Mid)	Significant (Genre Catalog)	2–3	1 item
12D (High)	Substantial (Genre Catalog)	3–4	1–2 items, possibly 1 major item

Plot Pairing Suggestions

Some combinations produce consistently strong results:

Action Primary + Intrigue Hook

Primary: Pursuit (5-1), Daring Enterprise (3-2), Abduction (4-2) Hook: Mystery (5-2), Mistaken Jealousy (2-6), Faulty Judgement (3-6) Satisfying action adventure, then a shift to thinking and investigation next session.

Intrigue Primary + Action Hook

Primary: Mystery (5-2), Familial Rivalry (2-3), Discovery of Dishonor (3-5) Hook: Deliverance (2-1), Revolt (2-2), Conflict with a God (1-6) Rewards patient players, then promises something kinetic next session.

Tragedy Primary + Hope Hook

Primary: Loss of Loved One (6-6), Disaster (1-2), Fatal Imprudence (5-3) Hook: Recovery of a Loved One (5-6), Deliverance (2-1), Self-Sacrifice for Ideal (2-4) Emotional descent followed by the promise of redemption.

Moral Complexity

Primary: An Enemy Loved (5-5), Mistaken Jealousy (2-6), Faulty Judgement (3-6) Hook: Remorse (4-6), Self-Sacrifice for Kindred (3-4), Obstacles to Love (4-5) No easy answers in either adventure; forces genuine choices.

Epic Scope

Primary: Conflict with a God (1-6), Disaster (1-2), Revolt (2-2) Hook: Ambition (6-5), Vengeance by Family (4-1), Obtaining (6-2) Big threats lead to bigger threats; natural escalation for campaign arcs.

Personal Stakes

Primary: Familial Hatred (1-3), Crimes of Love (2-5), Rivalry (6-4) Hook: Draw from the secondary plot using a situation that connects to PC backstory. Makes the consequences land directly on specific characters.

Adapting Stages for Different Formats

The 5-stage structure is format-agnostic. Here is how each stage translates across common adventure contexts:

Dungeon Format

Stage 1: Entrance guardians or trapped entry Stage 2: Puzzle room or NPC prisoner with information Stage 3: False treasure room with twist, or a secret door reveals a different path Stage 4: Boss chamber, throne room, or ritual chamber Stage 5: Treasure vault or escape with new information

Wilderness Format

Stage 1: Encounter on the trail threats, beasts, environmental hazard Stage 2: Camp scene with NPC travelers or discovery of clues at a waypoint Stage 3: The destination isn't what it seemed false location, wrong target Stage 4: Final confrontation at the true destination Stage 5: Return journey with hook discovered en route

Urban Format

Stage 1: Entry test bribed official, social challenge, stealth past surveillance Stage 2: Information gathering tavern, archive, interrogation Stage 3: Double-cross or misdirection by a contact Stage 4: Confrontation, chase through streets, standoff at a location Stage 5: Aftermath in a safe location with a new offer or complication

Social Format

Stage 1: Entry to a high-stakes environment credentials checked, invitation required Stage 2: Mingling and intelligence gathering conversations, overheard exchanges Stage 3: Scandal erupts or an accusation is made Stage 4: Tense negotiation, formal challenge, or public confrontation Stage 5: Social consequences and a new alliance or enemy established

Planar Format

Stage 1: Surviving transit and entry to an unfamiliar environment Stage 2: Learning this plane's rules NPC guide, experimentation, observation Stage 3: Rules change unexpectedly, or the guide's loyalty is revealed Stage 4: Confrontation with the plane's dominant entity or force Stage 5: Extraction with an artifact, knowledge, or consequence that carries back

Adventure Prep

AX.C.16.05

This section covers the session prep workflow for building a single-session adventure using the 5-stage structure from AX.C.16.04.

For encounter composition, power budgets, and encounter balance, see AX.C.16.06.

Adventure Creation Workflow

A complete adventure can be prepared in roughly two hours following these eight steps. Experienced GMs will compress this significantly; the time estimates are calibrated for first-time use.

Step 1: Select Your Plots

(10 minutes)

Roll or choose two plots from the 36 Dramatic Situations table (AX.C.16.04):

1. Primary Plot: The main adventure theme
2. Secondary Plot: The Stage 5 hook

Write down the actors and elements for each. These are the dramatic framework everything else hangs on.

Step 2: Set the Premise

(15 minutes)

Answer these questions:

• Where does this take place? (Dungeon, wilderness, city, other plane)
• Why are the PCs involved? (Hired, personal stake, stumbled into it)
• What do the PCs know at the start? (Complete briefing, partial info, nothing)
• What's the time pressure? (Urgent, moderate, leisurely)

Adapt the primary plot's actors to the setting: - Who are they specifically in this world? - What are their motivations? - How do they connect to the PCs or their interests?

Step 3: Design Stage 1

(20 minutes)

Choose a test type: combat, puzzle, social, stealth, or skill.

For Combat: - Select or create an appropriate threat; see AX.C.15 for building guidelines - Use Minion (3–4D) or Standard (5–7D) threats for Stage 1 - Design a simple battlemap or theater-of-mind description - Prepare enemy stats and tactics

For Puzzle or Skill: - Define the challenge clearly - Set Threshold 2–3 for most challenges - Determine which Talents apply - Prepare 2–3 possible solutions

For Social: - Create an NPC with a want and an obstacle; see AX.C.16.03 - Decide what they want from the PCs - Determine how they can be persuaded - Prepare 2–3 dialogue entry points

Plot Integration: - Which actor or element from the primary plot appears? - How does this foreshadow the main conflict?

Step 4: Design Stage 2

(20 minutes)

Choose a contemplation type: riddle, moral choice, NPC interaction, or investigation.

Create the Challenge: - Write out the riddle or puzzle with its answer - OR define a moral choice with consequences for each path - OR create NPC(s) with information to share; see AX.C.16.03 - OR hide clues for investigation

Plot Integration: - What deeper truth about the primary plot is revealed? - How does this complicate simple assumptions? - What stakes are raised?

Information to Convey: - List 3–5 facts players might learn - Decide which are obvious, which require work - Prepare how each NPC or clue presents information differently

Step 5: Design Stage 3

(15 minutes)

Choose a twist type: betrayal, reversal, complication, ambush, false goal, escalation, or revelation.

Craft the Twist: - What specific surprise occurs? - How does it relate to Stages 1–2? - What new challenge does it present?

Plot Integration: - How do the actors' true natures emerge? - What relationship or motivation was hidden? - How does this recontextualize earlier stages?

Foreshadowing Check: - Add 2–3 subtle clues to Stages 1–2 that hint at the twist - They should be noticeable in retrospect but not obvious initially

Prepare Player Reactions: - How might players respond? - What information is revealed if they ask questions? - Does the twist lead to immediate conflict or more roleplay?

Step 6: Design Stage 4

(30 minutes)

This is the climax — spend the most time here.

Choose Conflict Type: Combat (most common), negotiation, race against time, skill challenge, or hybrid.

For Combat Climax:

1. Select or Create Boss: Elite (8–10D) or Champion (11–13D) appropriate to party; see AX.C.15.02
2. Add Support: 2–4 Minions (3–4D) or 1–2 Standard threats (5–7D)
3. Design Environment:
4. Terrain features (difficult terrain, cover, height variations)
5. Hazards (fire, traps, collapsing structure)
6. Interactive elements (doors, barriers, mechanical triggers)
7. Set Objectives: Beyond "defeat all enemies" — protect someone, complete a time-sensitive action, prevent the enemy from achieving their goal
8. Prepare Tactics: How does the enemy fight given their Wit tier? See AX.C.15.04
9. Plan Retreat: How does the enemy disengage if losing?

For Non-Combat Climax: - Define stakes clearly - Set Thresholds for success - Prepare for failure — rarely the end; see AX.C.16.02 on reading results - Make time pressure concrete - Allow for creative solutions

For encounter composition and power budgets, see AX.C.16.06.

Plot Integration: - All actors in the primary plot appear or are referenced - The conflict directly embodies the plot's core tension - Resolution of the conflict resolves the plot

Step 7: Design Stage 5

(15 minutes)

Immediate Aftermath: - What's the scene immediately after Stage 4? - Who survived? What's damaged or changed? - What can be found, looted, or learned?

Rewards: - Wealth: Appropriate to party level and Genre Catalog - Items: 1–2 permanent items, 2–3 consumables - Information: New knowledge, contacts, reputation - Advancement: Have characters accumulated XP toward a Stage unlock? See AX.C.16.08

The Hook: - Adapt the secondary plot to the current situation - Make it intriguing but not demanding — players choose when to pursue it - Connect it to something in the current adventure OR introduce a completely new thread - This thread should be tracked as a world thread; see AX.C.16.08

Examples of Secondary Plot Hooks: - Supplication (1-1): An NPC begs for help against a powerful persecutor - Abduction (4-2): Learn someone important has been taken - Mystery (5-2): Find a cryptic message or unsolvable puzzle - Revolt (2-2): Hear rumors of conspiracy against a local authority

Step 8: Review and Refine

(20 minutes)

Check Pacing: - Does Stage 1 hook players quickly? - Does Stage 2 provide contrast in challenge type? - Will Stage 3 genuinely surprise the players? - Is Stage 4 challenging but achievable? - Does Stage 5 provide satisfaction AND anticipation?

Check Balance: - Run numbers on Stage 4 combat; see AX.C.16.06 - Verify skill Thresholds are appropriate: Threshold 2 for standard tasks, Threshold 3–4 for hard ones - Ensure the party has tools to succeed, but not guaranteed success

Check Plot Integration: - Does each stage advance or reveal the primary plot? - Are the actors present or referenced? - Will players understand the plot's shape by Stage 4? - Does the Stage 5 hook feel distinct from the primary plot?

Prepare Materials: - Write stat blocks for all enemies; see AX.C.15.03 - Note key NPC dialogue and information - List rewards specifically - Create or find a battlemap for Stage 4 - Write stage transitions: what do players see and hear as each stage begins?

Worked Example: The Weeping Shrine

AX.C.16.05.01 — An Example Fantasy Adventure

The following example uses a fantasy genre context throughout. Every genre-specific element; creature types, named conditions, power sources, and terminology is specific to fantasy. The mechanical structure (five stages, plot integration, encounter budgets, stage transitions) applies to any catalog; the content does not.

Plot Selection

Primary Plot: Roll 5-2, Mystery or Enigma (Interrogator, Seeker, Problem) Secondary Plot: Roll 6-5, Ambition (Ambitious Person, Coveted Object, Adversary)

Premise

Setting: Ancient shrine in a forest, now corrupted Hook: A village elder hires the party to investigate why the shrine weeps black tears PC Knowledge: The shrine was a blessed site; something is wrong; the villagers are afraid Time Pressure: Moderate — the corruption is spreading but not immediately catastrophic

Adapting the Primary Plot: - Interrogator: The shrine itself (via puzzles and visions) - Seeker: The PCs and a rival scholar - Problem: What corrupted the shrine and how to cleanse it

Stage 1: Opening Combat

Challenge: Corrupted guardian beasts (2 Dire Wolves, modified with necrotic ability)

Scene: Forest path to the shrine. Mist clings to the ground. Two massive wolves with hollow red eyes block the path. Their fur is patchy, showing signs of unnatural decay.

Plot Integration: The wolves are the first evidence of corruption. Their unnatural appearance signals that something powerful is at work.

Modification — Necrotic Bite (Special Ability): On a hit, the target makes a Body Save (Threshold 2). On failure, the target takes 2 additional damage and gains the Corrupted condition (Body track, Minor, −1D) for 3 Turns.

Tactics: The wolves attempt to knock targets Prone with Pounce, then focus on downed characters. They fight to the death — corrupted, no survival instinct remains.

Stage 2: Investigation

Challenge: Inside the shrine entrance, the party finds three stone tablets with cryptic inscriptions. Solving the puzzle opens the inner sanctum.

Scene: A stone antechamber with three pedestals. Each holds a tablet inscribed in an ancient script. Black liquid seeps from cracks in the walls.

Puzzle: The tablets tell the story of the shrine's creation — a goddess blessed three elements (earth, water, sky). The inner sanctum opens when the tablets are pressed in the correct order of the original blessing ritual.

Plot Integration: The tablets reveal the shrine was dedicated to a nature goddess. They mention "the envious priest" who sought the goddess's favor but was spurned, foreshadowing the twist.

Information Available: - Threshold 1 (Easy): Tablets tell the creation story - Threshold 2 (Standard): Reference to "the spurned priest" and "his bitterness" - Threshold 3 (Difficult): The priest's name, Devotus, and mention of "the forbidden ritual"

Solution: Press tablets in order — Earth, Water, Sky. Wrong order triggers poison gas: all characters in the chamber make a Speed Save (Threshold 2), taking 6 damage on failure, 3 on success.

Stage 3: The Revelation

Scene: The inner sanctum opens. A rival scholar NPC, briefly introduced in the village, kneels before the altar performing a ritual. Black tears stream from the goddess statue.

The Twist: The rival scholar isn't causing the corruption — she's trying to stop it. The "envious priest" is now an undead remnant using the shrine as an anchor to the material world. The corruption began when a construction project nearby disturbed his burial site.

Revelation: The scholar explains the real source is at the priest's burial mound, a mile away. The shrine cannot be cleansed until the remnant is destroyed at his resting place.

Plot Integration: The "interrogator" (the shrine's puzzle) revealed the "problem" (the remnant's corruption from a distant source). The "seeker" (rival scholar) shares what she has learned. The party must now adapt their plan.

Complication: The remnant has detected their presence and sent minions. Four shadow-entities emerge from the walls. Combat is optional — the party can flee with the scholar.

Stage 4: Combat at the Burial Mound

Scene: An ancient burial mound, its entrance torn open by recent construction. Inside: rotting luxury, a sarcophagus. Devotus, a wraith-like remnant, hovers above it, surrounded by dark energy.

Primary Enemy: Devotus (Wraith, Champion)

Attribute	Dice
Body	2D
Speed	4D
Wit	6D
Total	12D — Champion tier

Health: 47 (20 + Body 2 + Champion Modifier 25) Defense: 2 (1 + (Speed 4 + Armor 0) ÷ 3 = 1 + 1 = 2)

Incorporeal: Physical attacks that hit reduce their damage by 3 (minimum 1), unless the attack is magical or channeled through an appropriate power tradition.

Life Drain (Primary Action, At-Will, Near range): Wit 6D + Force 4D = 10D vs. Defense. On a hit, the target takes damage equal to successes and reduces their maximum Health by the same amount until they take a Long Rest.

Horrifying Visage (Primary Action, once per combat, Near range radius): All targets within Near range make a Wit Save (Threshold 3). On failure, the target gains the Panicked condition (see AX.C.12.04, Combat Conditions): all action pools −2D while Devotus remains visible, and the target cannot voluntarily move toward Devotus. The condition ends when Devotus is no longer visible to the target or the encounter ends. On success, the target is unaffected.

Necrotic Burst (Primary Action, once per combat, Near range radius): All targets in Near range make a Body Save (Threshold 3). Targets take 10 damage on failure, 5 on success.

Wraith Step (Minor Action, At-Will): Devotus teleports to any point within Near range, passing through solid surfaces.

Sunlight Weakness (Passive): When attacked by radiant or holy sources, the attacker rolls with Advantage (successes on 4+) and deals +3 additional damage on a successful hit.

Secondary Threats: - 2 Shadow Minions (4D each) emerge at the start of Rounds 2 and 4 until Devotus is destroyed - Collapsing tomb: falling stone, Speed Save Threshold 2, 8 damage on failure

Objectives: - Destroy Devotus - Protect the scholar, who is concentrating on a counter-ritual to prevent Devotus from respawning - Survive the collapsing structure

Environment: - Sarcophagus: Full cover - Stone pillars: Half cover - Difficult terrain: Rubble and scattered remains - Ongoing hazard: Ceiling stones fall in expanding areas each round

Tactics: Devotus opens with Horrifying Visage, then uses Life Drain against the most heavily armored target (the Incorporeal trait reduces the effectiveness of physical armor by bypassing the defense that armor usually provides). Uses Wraith Step to avoid being surrounded. Directs Shadow Minions toward Odd Talent users. Uses Necrotic Burst when the party clusters near the scholar. If reduced below 10 Health, retreats through walls — but the scholar's counter-ritual prevents full escape. The party can track and finish the confrontation.

Victory Condition: Reduce Devotus to 0 Health. The scholar completes her ritual, sealing the corruption permanently.

Stage 5: Hook Discovery

Aftermath: The mound stops collapsing. Devotus's hoard is revealed: ancient coins (significant wealth by setting standard), a blade that glows faintly in the presence of the undead, 3 healing consumables, an unholy symbol of the forgotten order.

Consequences: - The shrine stops weeping; the surrounding area begins to recover - The village is grateful — a reputation gain and potential future allies - The scholar becomes a recurring contact with specialized knowledge

The Hook (Ambition, 6-5): Among Devotus's possessions, the party finds a half-burned letter. It is from someone called "The Acquisitor," offering substantial payment for a specific item: an orb from a noble family's estate. The letter notes that this orb will make the writer "more powerful than any of them."

Scholar's Insight: She recognizes the family name. They have held a priceless heirloom for generations — an orb said to influence weather and natural forces. She has heard someone has been attempting to buy it for months, with increasingly aggressive offers.

Player Choice: Investigate The Acquisitor? Help the noble family protect their heirloom? Attempt to claim the orb? File the information away for later?

Encounter Balance

AX.C.16.06

This section provides the framework for calibrating Stage 4 encounters in adventure design. It is the primary reference for encounter composition and power budgeting, cross-referenced from both AX.C.16.05 (Adventure Prep) and AX.C.15 (Threats).

For threat stat blocks and individual threat construction, see AX.C.15.02 (Threat Building) and AX.C.15.03 (Stat Block Reference).

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Party Power Budget

The foundation of encounter balance is the party's total attribute dice — a single number that captures the collective scale of the characters.

Calculate the party's power budget: - Add Body + Speed + Wit for each PC - Sum across all PCs - This total is the party's power budget

Example: 4 PCs each built on a 9D package = 36D party power budget

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Enemy Power Budget

Build the enemy side by targeting a percentage of the party's power budget. Adjust the target percentage to control encounter intensity.

Encounter Intensity	Enemy Dice Total
Balanced	80–100% of party power
Challenging	100–120% of party power
Deadly	120–150% of party power

Example: 36D party budget. Balanced encounter = 29–36D in enemy Attribute dice.

Distribute the enemy dice budget across however many Threats make narrative sense. A single Champion uses more of the budget per entity; a group of Minions divides it across many.

Using the budget: This is a calibration tool, not a formula. Two different distributions of the same total dice will feel different at the table depending on how threats are composed, their special abilities, and the environment. Build first, then check the total against the budget as a sanity test.

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Action Economy

The dice budget measures raw power, but action count shapes how a combat actually plays. Assess both when designing an encounter.

For encounter design purposes, treat each participant as contributing roughly one meaningful Primary Action per round. This is a planning heuristic — not a replacement for the full action economy (1 Primary + 1 Minor + Free Actions + 1 Reaction) that operates during play. Do not apply both the dice budget and action count as separate adjustments for the same threats; they are two different framings of the same question.

Count actions available to each side: - Each PC = 1 meaningful action per round - Each enemy = 1 meaningful action per round

Guideline: Enemy actions at 60–100% of PC actions keeps combat competitive without overwhelming the party.

Example: 4 PCs = 4 actions. A strong enemy mix: 1 Elite (weighted as approximately 1.5 actions due to higher dice and special abilities) + 2 Minions (1 action each) = approximately 3.5 actions.

An Elite or Champion's "extra weight" in the action count approximation reflects the fact that their actions are more impactful than a Minion's — more dice, more special ability options, more HP to burn through. This is a rough accounting, not a precise formula.

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Boss Fights

For a dramatic Stage 4 centerpiece encounter:

• 1 Champion (11–13D) as the primary threat
• 2–4 Minions (3–4D) for action economy pressure and target saturation
• OR 1–2 Standard (5–7D) threats as more dangerous support in place of Minions

Environmental Factors: If the environment heavily favors the enemies — high ground they control, difficult terrain that only impedes the party, a timed hazard they're immune to — add approximately 20% to the effective enemy power when assessing balance. A Champion in its ideal environment is meaningfully more dangerous than the same Champion in neutral terrain.

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Common Encounter Compositions

These compositions are starting points, not prescriptions. Adjust based on party composition, environment, and story context.

Party Size	Balanced (Standard Encounter)	Challenging
3 PCs	1 Elite + 2 Minions	1 Elite + 3–4 Minions
4 PCs	1 Elite + 3 Standard	1 Champion + 3–4 Minions
5 PCs	1 Champion + 3 Minions	1 Champion + 2 Standard + 2 Minions
6 PCs	1 Champion + 2 Standard	1 Champion + 3 Standard + Minions

Stage 4 (Climax) should typically be a Challenging encounter. Stage 1 should be Balanced or lighter. Stages 3 and 5 rarely involve meaningful combat at all.

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Adjusting on the Fly

Prepared balance is a starting position. Use these adjustments during play without stopping the encounter or telegraphing the change.

If the encounter is too easy: - Reinforcements arrive — a second wave that was delayed - The primary threat reveals a previously unused ability - Environmental complications increase (terrain shifts, hazard spreads, a barrier falls)

If the encounter is too hard: - The enemy leader overextends and leaves an opening - Environmental cover becomes available to the party unexpectedly - A Minion breaks early at a dramatically appropriate moment - An allied NPC (already established in the fiction) steps in

Avoid changing Health totals mid-encounter. Players track damage and feel the weight of each hit; removing that feedback undercuts their sense of consequence. Change behavior, tactics, and circumstances instead of statistics.

GM Reference Tools

AX.C.16.07

This section contains the operational reference material GMs use during and after sessions: timing guidance, advanced structural techniques, common pitfalls with concrete solutions, and the full session checklists. These tools assume familiarity with the 5-stage framework (AX.C.16.04) and the prep workflow (AX.C.16.05).

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Stage Timing Guide

Session Length: 3–4 Hours

Stage	Duration	Session %
Stage 1: The Test	20–30 min	~15%
Stage 2: The Contemplation	30–45 min	~25%
Stage 3: The Twist	10–20 min	~10%
Stage 4: The Climax	45–60 min	~35%
Stage 5: The Resolution	20–30 min	~15%

Adjusting for Table Preference

Combat-focused group: Reduce Stage 2 to 20 minutes. Expand Stages 1 and 4 with additional combat beats. Keep Stage 3 brief — deliver the revelation during an action scene.

Roleplay-heavy group: Expand Stage 2 to 45 minutes or more. Add NPC depth to Stage 1 before or instead of combat. Make Stage 3 a moral confrontation rather than a reveal. Stage 4 may resolve through negotiation rather than combat.

Puzzle-focused group: Build a complex puzzle into Stage 1 or 2. Include an environmental puzzle element in Stage 4 alongside or instead of combat. Layer investigative elements throughout.

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Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall: Stage 2 Drags

Problem: Players are stuck on a puzzle or not engaging with a social encounter.

Solutions: - Have an NPC provide a hint after a failed roll; the success-with-cost principle from AX.C.16.02 applies here - Allow multiple approaches: brute force, circumvention, negotiation - Introduce time pressure: sound of approaching footsteps, a visible countdown - Accept success with cost: "You solve it, but it takes an hour — the enemy is now alerted"

Pitfall: Twist Doesn't Land

Problem: Players guess the twist early or don't find it consequential.

Solutions: - If guessed early: Confirm it and move forward. The players feel appropriately clever. - If they don't care: Ensure the twist impacts something they are already invested in — an NPC they know, a resource they hold - Prevention: Make the twist affect Stage 4's conditions, not just its fiction

Pitfall: Stage 4 Too Easy or Too Hard

Problem: Encounter balance is off.

Solutions: - Too easy: Reinforcements arrive, the enemy reveals a capability, add an environmental complication - Too hard: Enemy starts wounded or loses a Minion early, an ally arrives, the environment provides unexpected cover - Prevention: Prepare one easier and one harder version of the encounter before the session (see AX.C.16.06)

Pitfall: Stage 5 Feels Flat

Problem: Players disengage after the climax.

Solutions: - Make the hook personal — connect the secondary plot to a PC's history or relationships - Introduce an immediate minor complication that requires a decision before the scene closes - Include a reward element that raises a question players want answered - Give a recurring NPC a moment of genuine reaction to the outcome

Pitfall: Stages Feel Disconnected

Problem: Each stage seems like a separate encounter with no through-line.

Solutions: - Thread at least one recurring actor through all five stages - Use a consistent visual or sensory motif to signal continuity - Ensure the information gathered in Stage 2 directly changes something about Stage 4 - Make Stage 3's twist recontextualize what happened in Stage 1

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Advanced Techniques

Parallel Plots

Run two 5-stage adventures simultaneously when the group splits: - Each subgroup advances through their own stages - The GM switches between groups at natural break points - Both groups converge for a combined Stage 4 climax

Nested Adventures

A complete 5-stage adventure serves as a single stage in a larger arc: - Each session is a self-contained adventure - Stage 5 hooks connect sessions into the arc's overarching plot - The arc's climax resolves all accumulated threads; see AX.C.16.08

Player-Driven Stages

Let player choices determine the path through the middle stages: - Stage 1 is fixed — entry and the first obstacle - Players choose between 2–3 distinct paths, each serving as a different Stage 2 or 3 - All paths converge on Stage 4 - Stage 5 surfaces the consequence of whichever path was not taken

Flashback Stages

Stage 2 or 3 takes the form of a flashback to past events: - Players briefly portray NPCs or younger versions of their characters - Decisions made in the flashback affect the current situation - The twist is revealed through direct experience rather than exposition

Competitive Stages

A rival group is pursuing the same objective through the same structure: - The PCs encounter evidence of the rivals' progress at each stage - Stage 4 includes both the primary threat and the rival group - Negotiation or temporary alliance is a genuine option

Extended Skill Challenge

Convert an entire stage into a structured skill challenge: - Define a clear goal and a success/failure track (3 successes before 3 failures) - Each player describes their character's action and rolls the appropriate pool against Threshold 2 - Successes build toward resolution; failures add complications - The result — full success, partial success, or failure — determines starting conditions for the next stage

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GM Checklist

Before Session

• [ ] Select two plots (primary and secondary) from AX.C.16.04
• [ ] Set premise: location, hook, what PCs know at start
• [ ] Design Stage 1: challenge type, stats or Thresholds, plot integration
• [ ] Design Stage 2: contemplation type, puzzle or choice, information to convey
• [ ] Design Stage 3: twist type, surprise element, foreshadowing planted in Stages 1–2
• [ ] Design Stage 4: conflict type, stats and environment, objectives
• [ ] Design Stage 5: rewards, hook introduction, player choice preserved
• [ ] Prepare materials: stat blocks (AX.C.15.03), key NPC notes (AX.C.16.03), reward list
• [ ] Review encounter balance: power budget, action economy (AX.C.16.06)
• [ ] Prepare adjustment options: easier and harder versions of Stage 4 ready

During Session

• [ ] Set the scene clearly at the start of each stage
• [ ] Track time; adjust if pacing is off against the timing guide above
• [ ] Default to yes when players attempt creative solutions
• [ ] Drop foreshadowing of Stage 3 during Stages 1–2
• [ ] Pause after Stage 3 to let players discuss and react
• [ ] Adjust Stage 4 difficulty if needed using prepared options
• [ ] Give Stage 5 its full time — don't rush the resolution
• [ ] Note what worked and what didn't

After Session

• [ ] Record which plots were used; avoid repeating too soon
• [ ] Update world state based on consequences; see AX.C.16.08
• [ ] Track the Stage 5 hook as an active world thread
• [ ] Adjust encounter difficulty calibration for next session based on how Stage 4 ran
• [ ] Update recurring NPC states; see AX.C.16.03
• [ ] Award XP: baseline 3 per session, plus milestone awards for arc completion; see AX.C.16.08

Campaign Structure

AX.C.16.08

This section covers the macro level of GM planning, how individual sessions nest into arcs, how arcs build into campaigns, and how the GM tracks and evolves the world across that full span. It is the complement to AX.C.15.04's session-level adventure design.

Sessions, Arcs, and Campaigns

Three planning scales, each nested inside the next:

A session is a single play period, typically one complete 5-stage adventure, or a substantial portion of a longer one. It has its own shape: an entry challenge, a contemplation beat, a twist, a climax, and a resolution that plants the next hook. Sessions are the unit of play. Everything else is built from them.

An arc is a sequence of sessions unified by a shared dramatic question. A faction is trying to seize control of something. An antagonist is pursuing a plan. A mystery is unfolding. The players are working toward or against a specific outcome. Arcs typically run 3–6 sessions, though neither bound is fixed. An arc ends when its dramatic question is resolved, answered, failed, or overtaken by events.

A campaign is a series of arcs with persistent characters, accumulating consequences, and a trajectory that spans the full run of play. Where a session has a structure and an arc has a shape, a campaign has a direction: the world the characters are moving through is changing, and they are part of what changes it.

The connection between scales is the Stage 5 hook mechanism from AX.C.15.04. Each session ends with a thread dropped into the next one. When those threads are consistently drawn from the same source, the same antagonist, the same faction tension, the same unresolved question, they become an arc. When arcs are linked by shared consequences and recurring forces, they become a campaign.

An arc should have a clear dramatic question established at its outset, even if the players don't know what it is yet. Will the faction consolidate control before the party can stop them? Will the characters uncover what actually happened to the expedition? The question gives the arc a destination. The sessions are the route.

XP Pacing and Advancement as a Campaign Rhythm Tool

Advancement is not just a reward; it is a pacing signal. The rate at which characters grow shapes how the campaign feels: fast advancement produces a game of expanding capability; slow advancement produces a game of working within limits. Neither is wrong. Both should be chosen deliberately.

The baseline rate is 3 XP per session. At this rate, the Profession Progression Track stages, which unlock at 10, 25, and 50 XP, fall at predictable intervals:

Stage	XP Threshold	Sessions at Baseline	Campaign Phase
Stage 1	10 XP	~3–4 sessions	Early arc
Stage 2	25 XP	~8–9 sessions	Mid-campaign
Stage 3	50 XP	~17 sessions	Late campaign

These thresholds are natural arc break points. Characters who unlock a new Stage ability are measurably different from who they were when the arc started. Planning an arc to end near a Stage unlock, or to begin just after one, gives the character's growth a structural shape that mirrors the story's shape.

Adjusting the rate changes the campaign's timeline without changing its structure. Awarding 4–5 XP per session compresses full progression to 10–13 sessions, suitable for shorter campaigns or groups who prefer faster character growth. Awarding 2 XP per session extends it to 25 sessions or more, appropriate for long campaigns where each advancement should feel significant.

Major milestones, completing an arc, defeating a primary antagonist, resolving a long-running consequence, warrant an additional 2–5 XP beyond the session baseline. Use these sparingly. Milestone awards that are too frequent or too large disrupt the pacing signal; the Stage unlock should feel like the culmination of sustained effort, not an accidental byproduct of a big session.

Party synchronization keeps the group advancing together without mandating identical totals. The cleanest approach is flat per-session XP for all players, with individual accomplishment awards (1–2 XP) for specific moments of strong play. This naturally keeps the party within a session or two of each other. For players who miss a session, a partial award of 1–2 XP prevents widening drift without rewarding absence.

When the Deliberate Advancement option from AX.C.15.03 is in use, arc breaks are natural training windows. The downtime between arcs is when characters seek mentors, practice new Talents, and spend accumulated XP, giving advancement a narrative context rather than a mechanical abstraction.

Tracking Long-Term Consequences

The world accumulates the effects of player actions. Tracking those effects is the GM's tool for making the world feel inhabited and for delivering consequences that players can actually feel.

A minimal consequence tracking framework uses three fields per tracked event:

What changed: The concrete thing that is different as a result of player action. Not "the players helped the faction", "the faction now controls the southern checkpoint and has begun turning away unaffiliated travelers."

Who knows: Which forces in the world are aware of the change and have the capacity to respond. Information propagates at realistic rates. A consequence that happens in an isolated location may not reach relevant parties for sessions. A consequence that happens in front of witnesses spreads faster.

What response it is generating: What the aware parties are doing about it. A faction that lost ground is regrouping. An NPC the players antagonized is looking for leverage. An opportunity the players ignored is being pursued by someone else. The response is not a punishment; it is what a living world does.

Surfacing consequences is the GM's craft challenge. Delivering consequences as exposition ("you hear that the faction has taken the checkpoint") is less effective than showing them in play ("the guard at the bridge is wearing a faction insignia you recognize, and she's waving through faction-marked wagons while turning away everyone else"). Players should notice something has changed before they're told why. The consequence surfaces in the fiction first; explanation follows only when players seek it.

NPC tracking from AX.C.15.03 feeds directly into consequence tracking. The per-session update to a recurring NPC's record, what relevant event occurred, and how their disposition shifted as a result, is the granular level of what consequence tracking manages at scale. Faction-level tracking is the aggregate: if a genre catalog defines factions with competing interests, track their current positions, recent gains and losses, and what they're pursuing, in the same three-field format.

World Evolution

The setting is not static scenery. Antagonists are pursuing their goals. Factions are competing for resources and influence. Environmental and political processes are developing. Whether or not the players engage with any of these, they continue.

Maintain a small number of active world threads at any time, two to three is the practical maximum. More than that becomes difficult to track consistently; threads that aren't tracked consistently stop evolving and become dead ends that erode the world's credibility.

Each thread has four components:

Force: What is acting, a faction, an antagonist, an environmental process, an unresolved consequence from a prior arc.

Current action: What the force is doing right now, specifically. Not "the faction is expanding", "the faction is negotiating to acquire the eastern district's water access, which will complete by session's end if the players don't intervene."

Trajectory: Where the thread is heading if unchecked. This gives the GM something concrete to advance at the table when players engage with the thread, and something concrete to resolve in the background when they don't.

Intersection: When and how the thread surfaces into the players' awareness. Some threads surface through direct encounter. Others surface through NPC behavior shifts, environmental changes, or rumors. The intersection is the scene or moment where the thread becomes visible, not necessarily where it becomes urgent.

When the players resolve a thread, or when it resolves itself by running its trajectory to completion, introduce a new one. The count stays low, but the world's complexity accumulates. Players who were in the same city three arcs ago are in a meaningfully different version of it now.

Opportunities close. A contact who offered to help won't wait indefinitely. A faction advantage that could have been taken is eventually taken by someone else. A piece of information that was available for two sessions becomes buried or acted upon. This is not a punitive design; it is a consequence of the world having processes that don't pause. Players who learn that the world moves without them engage more actively with threads that are currently open.

Arc breaks are the natural moment to advance background threads visibly. When the campaign moves from one arc to the next, particularly if downtime is involved, the threads that have been developing in the background should surface in some observable form. The world the players return to should show the time that passed.