TEXT: BASIC RULES
  FREE PLAYTEST (JUNE 2020) BRIAR SOVEREIGN
  
  This arcane text was certified by:
  Certification Date:
  If the above is empty, please leave this text in the care of your local College associate so that
  it may be given proper certification. Additionally, please leave yourself in the care of your
  nearest councillor or judiciary clerk so that you may be properly charged with possession of
  an uncertified text of magical origin or content.
  The Crown thanks you for your diligence and honesty.
  Briar Sovereign
  26th June 2020
  
  Armour Astir: Advent is a high-fantasy roleplaying game about
  striking back against an authority that seeks to control you.
  It is a game of rival pilots clashing in steel-clad Astirs, of soldiers
  holding their own against the odds, and of spies and diplomats twisting
  the world to their ends. It is not a game of careful preparation or
  pleasant truces;
  It's hard to change the world without taking a risk.
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  As a Powered By The Apocalypse game, Armour Astir naturally owes a lot to
  Apocalypse World by D. Vincent Baker and Meguey Baker. Thank you for teaching
  me about failing forwards. It’s great. Additional design influences include The Sprawl
  by Hamish Cameron, Masks by Brendan Conway, Scum & Villainy by Stras Acimovic
  and John LeBoeuf-Little, We Made Them Look Like Us by Takuma Okada, Technoir
  by Jeremy Keller, and countless others. The creativity of the TTRPG community
  knows no bounds.
  TOUCHSTONES INCLUDE;
  •
  Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, SD Gundam Gaiden, Vision
  Of Escaflowne, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Armour Hunter Mellowlink
  •
  The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Titanfall, Valkyria Chronicles
  PLAYTESTING FAQ
  CAN I RUN A PLAYTEST OF THIS GAME?
  Of course! Feel free to run it however much you like. If you do so, though, I urge you
  and your group to provide feedback based on their experience with the game. These
  are in-progress rules, as up-to-date as I can give them, and as a tradeoff for that
  early access I’d really like to stress how important it is to development that you
  provide some feedback after your game.
  WHAT DO I NEED?
  If you're playing in-person, you'll need some 6-sided dice, a copy of this rule book,
  and printouts of the character playbooks. If you're playing online, you just need the
  PDFs. You can find links to all these at https://weregazelle.itch.io/armour-astir.
  CAN I STREAM/RECORD MY PLAYTEST?
  Again, feel free! If you do so, I’d love to hear about it.
  WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY FEEDBACK?
  Feel free to email me at weregazelle@gmail.com with the header ‘Feedback
  (Armour Astir)’. Make sure to note how you and your group would like to be credited
  in the list of playtest groups. If you haven’t playtested but still have errors or
  inconsistencies you’ve spotted, feel free to email those in too!
  Also, feel free to join the Armour Astir discord! (https://discord.gg/5DrDpCr)
  ANY SPECIFIC AREAS OF FEEDBACK YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?
  Yes! I’m always looking for feedback on the feel and clarity of the core risks and
  perils system, and how it feels to trade these back and forth during ‘combat’. I’m also
  looking for feedback on how it feels to have a mixed group of Channeler and Support
  playbooks in a group, and if b-plot and other moves help Supports feel like they have
  things to do during sorties.
  Ran a playtest? Get in touch with your feedback! I'd love to hear about it and credit
  you with the other Playtesting Crews. If you're already listed overleaf under a handle
  and would rather have your actual name, or vice versa, let me know and I can make
  sure it's updated.
  
  DEFINE YOUR AUTHORITY...
  The first step is to define your Authority.
  This should be an oppressive group that
  the players are interested in fighting
  back against, however difficult that
  might be. Also, unless you’re feeling
  particularly unimaginative, they should
  have a better name than 'the Authority'.
  If you're stuck, try thinking about the
  Authority's goals, why they haven't
  achieved them yet, and what sort of
  people are attracted to the Authority.
  ... AND YOUR CAUSE
  The second is to do the same for your
  Cause - the group that backs and hands
  orders down to the player characters.
  As a whole, the Cause should be a
  group with whom the players align for
  the time being, even if the occasional
  representative is an asshole.
  If you're stuck, try thinking about who
  would have the resources to stand up to
  the Authority, and whether they would
  do so for purely virtuous ends.
  In both cases, you should also think about what their broad aesthetic is, as well as
  the design of any common Astirs (your Zakus, your Nemos, etc).
  QUICK CARRIER
  The Carrier is your shared home and the ship that takes you from place to place
  (think the White Base from Mobile Suit Gundam, or the Normandy from Mass Effect).
  Decide together what your Carrier looks like, how it moves and how you got it. It has;
  •
  A CREW trait of +1. This is used for some Downtime moves and by the Captain.
  •
  5 SUPPLY, representing parts, credit, and local currencies.
  •
  A main gun that can shoot down other Carriers but is too slow for Astirs.
  •
  Turrets that can be used to fight off Astirs but will barely scratch a Carrier.
  DETAIL CHARACTERS & CHOOSE PLAYBOOKS
  The last step is for the players to make their characters!
  •
  Start by choosing a playbook—if you've never played a PBTA game before,
  they're like classes, or archetypes. Talk with the group what kind of action they
  are interested in, and what kind of playbooks might support that fiction.
  •
  Next, assign the following values to your Traits as you wish: +2, +1, +1, +0, -1.
  Some playbooks have an extra Trait, CHANNEL, which will come with a pre-set
  value.
  •
  Then, name your character, and pick out some words to describe their look from
  the examples—or think up your own!
  •
  Next, choose from the gear or equipment options your playbook has. Some
  playbooks have more than one choice.
  •
  Next, pick some moves from your playbook list (unless it says you don’t get to).
  •
  Finally, since you won’t be building them in play, fill out a GRAVITY clock with
  each other player character, describing your relationship or dynamic and giving it
  a value of +1.
  START MAKING STUFF UP
  With characters made and the stage set, it’s time to launch! Consult the Basic Moves
  when you’re ready to take action or the Playbooks when you want to pull something
  special off. If you’re the Director, the Running The Game chapter has example
  enemies and advice to help you get things rolling, but don’t be afraid to improvise
  and go off script. It’s a one-shot, and nobodies going to be mad if you get things a
  little wrong. For a little extra help, see the Setting & Mission Hooks.
  QUICK SETUP
  Just playing a one-shot and want to get set up as quickly as possible? Follow these
  steps and you’re good to go!
  1.
  Detail your Authority and Cause
  2.
  Detail your Carrier
  3.
  Detail Characters & Choose Playbooks
  4.
  Start Making Stuff Up
  
  PLAYTESTING CREWS
  THE CREW OF THE MANY HANDS
  Sean DMR (Luca Sharpe, Impostor of the Tempest Zephyr), Evan Nyquist (Impostor
  of the Collosus Azure), LilypadNebula (Cassandra Val Nelithia, Witch of the Wistful
  Glance), Briar Sovereign (Director).
  THE CREW OF THE HELLEBORE
  Austin Walker (Director - Empyrean, Barter, and the forces of the Divine Principality),
  Art Martinez-Tebbel (Briar Brightline, Captain of the Constellation-Class Carrier
  Hellebore, aka The Ivory Prince), Andrew Lee Swan (Cerise Sky, Low Consul of the
  Center & Arcanist of the Perennial Hallow Aster), Janine Hawkins (Teasel Moad,
  Witch of The Day's Eye), Sylvi Clare (Vessel's Gold, Impostor of The High Price).
  THE CREW OF THE SALAMANDER
  Em Marko (Agnes Rota, Witch of the Kubuto), Lizzy (Astrid Ascendant, team Scout),
  Jackson Tyler (Avery Sova, Paradigm of the Caelus), Alison Autumn June (Ilia
  Vanseer, Arcanist of the Aeon), Briar Sovereign (Director).
  THE CREW OF THE FORGE
  Evan Nyquist (Director), Ben Cornell (Ciaran, crew Scout), Katelin Cornell (Stila,
  Paradigm of the Vengeance), and Tasha Zobel (Davée, Imposter of the Stalker).
  THE CREW OF THE GOBLIN WHALE
  Sean DMR (Director - Blaidud, Bridge Marshal Kessler, and the forces of the Cardinal
  Agglomerate), Briar Sovereign (Custodian Cobalt, Arcanist of the Nothic), Ruby Ariel
  Lilith Saint Dennis (Ren Konsche Klauvei Faut-Naushika, Paradigm of The Wight
  Knight), Andrew (Zaiban Rashilik, Impostor of the Zyar), Emily G. (The Duchess of
  Marmalade, crew Artificer).
  For corrections or additions to the playtesting crews, email weregazelle@gmail.com.
  SPECIAL THANKS
  I'd also like to thank the cast of Friends At The Table, who re-ignited my love of
  tabletop roleplaying after one too many long nights of Pathfinder. This game wouldn't
  exist without you.
  Additionally, I'd like to thank Em and Jackson of Abnormal Mapping. Without the
  Great Gundam Project I never would have had the motivation to keep watching, and
  I'm very glad I did. I love those cool robots.
  Finally, a special thanks to all the artists who have collaborated with me on this
  project. Without you, it’d just be words.
  MISC.
  Other things I enjoyed throughout this games development include;
  •
  Podcasts: The Shrieking Shack, Waypoint Radio, Emojidrome, Film Critters, The
  Magnus Archives, Hold This L, Borat Club
  •
  Books/Comics: Delicious In Dungeon, Dead Dead Demon's DeDeDeDe
  Destruction, Ancillary Justice, Consider Phlebas, Player Of Games, Little Teeth,
  Men Women & Chainsaws
  •
  Games: Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, Risk of Rain 2, Path of Exile, Disco
  Elysium, Outer Wilds, Timespinner, Battletech, Umurangi Generation
  •
  TV/Films: Dirty Pair, The Tatami Galaxy, Us, Get Out, Armored Trooper VOTOMS,
  Nichĳou, Midsommar, Hereditary, Ghost In The Shell: SAC, Night Is Short, Walk
  On Girl, Hardware, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Pontypool, Parasite
  
  A NOTE ON WORLDBUILDING
  While this game doesn’t include a pre-written setting you are expected to play, that’s
  not to say these rules are completely free of any details outside the mechanics.
  These are intended to establish a feel for the game that will serve as a starting point
  for your own world—some core elements that you can build around. ‘Armour Astirs’
  rather than mechs, ‘Channelers’ rather than pilots—these things are there to inspire
  and set an identity, and you should feel free to change all of them if the world you and
  your fellow players are exploring demands something different, or if you already have
  a setting you’re bringing these rules to.
  Replacing magic itself is a little trickier, but it’s doable. Astirs and Golems are already
  a pretty natural parallel to mechs and other combat vehicles, and Familiars are
  intended as an equivalent to drones or funnels/bits. For any weapon you can think of
  there’s probably some modern or sci-fi alternative that fulfils the same role, and you
  might try to convert the CHANNEL Trait into something that represents piloting skill,
  grit or luck instead of magic.
  The artwork depicted in this book is the work of a group of artists with different ideas,
  experiences and histories with mecha fiction. It is my hope that it inspires and fills
  you with ideas about what the world in a game of Armour Astir can look like, not what
  it has to look like.
  - Briar
  
  CONTENTS
  MAIN CONCEPTS
  8
  Who You Are
  8
  Who They Are
  8
  What You’re Doing
  8
  Resolving Actions
  9
  Traits
  9
  Ideals
  9
  Spotlight
  10
  GRAVITY
  10
  Dangers
  11
  The Conflict Turn
  11
  SETTING UP
  12
  Setting The Stage
  12
  The Authority
  12
  The Cause
  13
  Creating Player Characters
  14
  Ready To Play!
  15
  BASIC & SPECIAL MOVES
  16
  Basic Moves Summary
  16
  Weather The Storm
  18
  Read The Room
  19
  Dispel Uncertainties
  20
  Help or Hinder
  21
  Weave Magic
  22
  Cool Off
  23
  Exchange Blows
  24
  Strike Decisively
  25
  Bite The Dust
  26
  Group Moves
  27
  Special Moves Summary
  27
  Lead A Sortie
  28
  Subsystems
  29
  B-Plot
  30
  DOWNTIME MOVES
  31
  CONFLICT & TIERS
  33
  Opposing With +CLASH
  33
  Opposing With +TALK
  34
  Tiers
  35
  TAGS & GEAR
  37
  Tags
  37
  Acquiring Equipment
  39
  Tier I Equipment
  40
  Tier II Equipment
  41
  THE CARRIER & ASTIRS
  43
  The Carrier
  43
  Creating Your Carrier
  43
  Astirs
  46
  Creating Your Astir
  47
  Astir Extras
  54
  The Astir Card
  54
  Example Astirs III
  54
  PLAYBOOKS
  59
  ARCANIST
  60
  IMPOSTOR
  62
  PARADIGM
  64
  WITCH
  66
  CAPTAIN
  68
  DIPLOMAT
  70
  ARTIFICER
  72
  SCOUT
  74
  ADVANCEMENT
  76
  Soldier Moves
  76
  THE AUTHORITY & THE CAUSE
  78
  The Authority
  78
  The Cause
  80
  Regions
  81
  The Conflict Turn
  82
  RUNNING THE GAME
  83
  Agenda
  83
  Principles
  83
  Director Moves
  85
  Safety Tools
  88
  Optional: No-Dice Downtime
  89
  Creating Director Characters
  91
  Example Foes
  92
  Astirs & Golems
  93
  People
  94
  Creatures & Monsters
  95
  Outsiders
  96
  Rivals
  97
  Setting & Mission Hooks
  97
  THE GHOST REACHES
  98
  Overview
  98
  The New Hunt
  99
  The Faces Of Progress
  100
  Example Astirs of The Ghost Reaches 101
  Example Gear of The Ghost Reaches 101
  MISSION HOOKS
  102
  The Grand Melee
  102
  Neutral Ground
  103
  Eleventh Hour
  104
  Authority Attack!
  105
  APPENDIX
  106
  Risk & Peril Examples
  106
  Glossary & Shorthands
  107
  Magical Objects
  108
  Magical Weapons
  109
  RELEASE NOTES
  110
  CREDITS
  110
  
  MAIN CONCEPTS
  WHO YOU ARE
  In Armour Astir, you’re rebels, mercenaries, and revolutionaries. You might be a
  Channeler, someone with the ability and training to control an Astir - a humanoid
  construct of magic and metal, some of which stand ten times the height of their pilots.
  You might be a Paradigm who gained that power through devout service, a Witch
  who made a pact in their darkest hour, or an Impostor who seized magic for their own
  - at a cost. You might be the kind better suited to life outside of a suit of magical
  armour, of course - you might be a Scout trained by the Authority who left to fight
  back, an Artificer who grew up keeping things working around their hometown, or a
  Diplomat who made a name for themselves holding factions together.
  Whoever you are, you represent something. This might be a small group, a company,
  or simply an ideology - but whatever it is, it is referred to as the Cause, and it is from
  your Cause that you receive direction and instruction. There are surely other factions
  involved in the struggle against the Authority, and it may be in your interests to align
  with them - but the Cause is what you belong to.
  WHO THEY ARE
  The exact nature of the Authority is up to you and everyone else at your table, but the
  Authority is generally an authoritarian group, usually in a grand position of power, that
  seeks to control and subjugate people who do not fall in line. There is no need for
  things to be entirely black and white in regards to the motivations of individuals, but
  as a general whole the Authority should represent something you as players are
  interested in fighting back against.
  As with any other tabletop game, you should discuss what kind of content and
  themes you want to you want to tackle or avoid during play. There are different
  degrees and scales of evil, after all - and fighting a simpler, less subtle Authority is
  just as valid as fighting back against something more real and personal.
  Also, unless you’re feeling particularly unimaginative, they should have a better name
  than the Authority.
  WHAT YOU’RE DOING
  In Armour Astir, players typically rotate between Downtime (where they spend their
  limited free time to repair, rest, and rendezvous) and Sorties (where they leave the
  Carrier together to try and achieve a goal). Sorties themselves are usually a
  combination of several scenes - individually framed sections of action, like scenes in
  a movie or tv show - after each of which the player’s risks are cleared. A larger goal,
  referred to as a Mission, is typically achieved over the course of a few Sorties.
  A SORTIE MIGHT BE;
  •
  Venturing out to defend the Carrier against attackers.
  •
  Stabilising or destroying a dangerous magical artifact.
  •
  Negotiating a peace treaty between two rebel groups.
  •
  Something that could be done in one or two sessions of play - a short-term goal.
  A MISSION MIGHT BE;
  •
  Disrupting a major military operation.
  •
  Liberating a city from the Authority.
  •
  Dislodging a dragon and their minions from the region.
  •
  Something that can be clearly split into multiple Sorties - a long term goal.
  
  RESOLVING ACTIONS
  In Armour Astir, actions are resolved using ‘moves’, which are rolls consisting of 2
  d6’s and a single modifier, usually a Trait: one of 6 values that represent your
  character's core attributes.
  Generally, actions are resolved as such;
  1. The Player explains to the Director what it is they want to do (and narrates action
  where appropriate)
  2. The Director decides what move is appropriate.
  3. The Player rolls 2d6 and adds the noted Trait.
  4. The Director determines and narrates the outcome. Play continues.
  ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGE
  Sometimes you'll be asked to roll with advantage or disadvantage. This means to
  roll 3d6 and take the highest or lowest 2 respectively. These do stack: if you have
  advantage from 2 sources, for example, you'd roll 4d6 and take the highest 2.
  Similarly, they cancel each-other out. If you have 2 advantage and 2 disadvantage
  on a roll, you have neither. Tags on equipment and moves are common sources of
  advantage & disadvantage, but your Director might also impose either where it
  situationaly makes sense. The most dice you may roll at a time is 4, regardless of
  how much advantage or disadvantage you have.
  CONFIDENCE & DESPERATION
  Sometimes, a rule will say you act with confidence or in desperation. When acting
  with confidence, you are almost assured of your success: roll with 2 advantage, and
  ignore any disadvantage. When acting in desperation, you have a slim chance to
  claim an unexpected victory: roll with 2 disadvantage, and ignore any advantage.
  TRAITS
  Traits are measured from -3 to 3, and are as follows;
  •
  DEFY, the ability to resist pressure and power through adversity.
  •
  SENSE, the ability to read people and situations.
  •
  CLASH, your prowess in combat, at distance or up close.
  •
  TALK, your skill with the spoken and written word.
  •
  KNOW, your ingenuity and cunning.
  Certain playbooks also have the CHANNEL trait, representing your magical abilities.
  Arcanists draw power from within through practice and training, Impostors claim
  power through augmentation and enhancement, and both Witches and Paradigms
  are given power by another - Witches through pacts and deals, and Paradigms
  through faith or miracle.
  IDEALS
  Each player should write up to 3 beliefs or ideals that are important to their character.
  They could be principles or ethics they hold dear, views about specific people that
  heavily shape their interactions, or even oaths they’ve sworn. Whatever they are,
  they should be things that drive and colour your character's actions. They don’t
  necessarily need to be things about your character that are true: just what they
  believe or think is right.
  When you take action that requires you to sacrifice or significantly compromise one
  of your Ideals, cross that Ideal off and act with confidence. You may immediately
  take an advancement.
  
  SPOTLIGHT
  Whenever you fail a move (that is, you roll a 6 or below), you may take a point of
  Spotlight. Once you 6 Spotlight, you may spend it at any time to take centre stage
  and immediately gain an Advancement. If you take a move, you may act with
  confidence to use it right now.
  GRAVITY
  GRAVITY clocks represent relationships and attachments you have with people and
  with groups. They’re not measures of how much someone loves or hates you - they
  are countdowns to when a relationship is challenged, confronted or addressed. What
  this looks like is up to you and the other party - it might be an admission that you
  want a different kind of relationship, a commitment to things continuing as they are,
  or you accepting that the relationship should be over entirely - but it should be
  significant. GRAVITY clocks don’t have to be positive - they are for star-crossed
  lovers just as much as fierce rivals meeting on the battlefield time after time. If it
  seems like the forces of the universe are dragging two people together often, it might
  be GRAVITY.
  GRAVITY clocks are 6 segment clocks, and start empty. They are shared between
  two players or a player and the Director (representing a Director character or a
  faction/group), and represent their relationship and how those characters see
  eachother. You don’t need an GRAVITY clock for everyone you meet - you should
  save them for your character’s relationships you want to focus on and explore in play.
  For this reason, you may only be part of 3 GRAVITY clocks at a time, as well as 1 for
  your Rival should you acquire one.
  When you start a new GRAVITY clock, choose a word or short phrase that sums up
  the relationship, and give it a value of +0. Whenever you make a move involving the
  other party of a clock, you may add the clock’s value instead of the normal Trait. If
  you do so, advance the clock. You can start a new clock whenever it feels
  appropriate.
  FILLING GRAVITY CLOCKS
  When a GRAVITY clock is filled, the relevant players have three choices;
  •
  They may redefine the relationship; take an advancement, start a new GRAVITY
  clock, and increase its value by 1 (to a max of +3).
  •
  They may commit to the relationship; increase its value by 1 (to a max of +3),
  and take an advancement. Circle the filled clock - it can’t be advanced anymore.
  When you take action that ends this relationship, like sacrificing yourself for your
  beloved or betraying the person you’re supposed to be loyal to, succeed as if you
  rolled a 10+ and cross out that clock forever.
  •
  They may abandon the relationship; both parties take an advancement and erase
  their GRAVITY clock, freeing up a spot for a new one.
  This change doesn't need to be shown the second the clock fills, but it should be
  represented in play. If it doesn't happen during the Sortie, you gain a free talk it out
  (more on that and other Downtime actions on page 31) during the next Downtime to
  explore the change in more detail instead - this could be played as a flashback scene
  if appropriate.
  Nervous friends
  +0
  +3
  +1
  +1
  +2
  Estranged
  siblings
  Trying to
  impress the
  same boy
  Fated lovers
  Zealous rivals
  
  DANGERS
  When twenty-foot-long swords and magic guns are involved, injuries tend to be the
  severe kind. Thankfully, characters in Armour Astir are plenty capable of defending
  themselves - up to a point. Should enough problems, distractions or dangers arise,
  you may find yourself defenceless.
  For players, being defenceless means your usual methods of avoiding harm aren’t
  available to you. Where you might usually exchange blows or weather the storm to
  avoid a blow or dodge real consequences, that’s no longer the case—your guard is
  down, your armour has a hole, etc. When you are defenceless and someone or
  something tries to harm you, you must roll to bite the dust.
  The dangers that make it harder to defend yourself come in two kinds: risks are
  temporary things that can be resolved during a Sortie (like having the low ground
  during a fight, being on fire, or being distracted), and perils are more permanent
  issues that must be solved during Downtime (like serious injuries to you or your Astir,
  being heartbroken, being exhausted). A danger to you is a danger to your Astir, and
  vice versa. For all intents and purposes, your Astir is an extension of yourself.
  Characters can be affected by a certain amount of both before they are defenceless:
  •
  Player, Rival and Main characters are defenceless at 3 dangers.
  •
  Side characters are defenceless at 2 dangers.
  •
  Extra characters are defenceless at 1 danger.
  When a move or other effect says you take a risk or are put in peril, it means you’re
  being given one of those dangers. Sometimes it will be specific exactly what you’re
  gaining - e.g., ‘take a risk (outnumbered)’ means you add a risk named
  ‘outnumbered’ to your character sheet. If there’s no brackets, it means you choose
  what the risk or peril is. Generally, if you’re asked to take a risk, you decide - if you’re
  put in peril, your attacker decides. Either way, you should feel free to discuss them
  with your Director.
  If you want some examples, there’s some given towards the end of this document.
  When someone is defenceless, it should be obvious—but individual perils and risks
  don’t need to be so explicit.
  If you take a risk but already have 3 dangers, replace one with a peril. If you would
  be put in peril but already have 3 dangers, replace a risk with it if you have one -
  otherwise, bite the dust in desperation until the end of the Sortie.
  THE CONFLICT TURN
  Between sessions, the tide of battle between the Authority and the Cause doesn’t
  freeze in place. During the Conflict Turn, the Director (or the full group, if you want to
  do this together) will select actions for the Authority to take and Factions to oppose
  them. These actions might be influence or be influenced by the events of the Sorties
  that the players are involved in, and could have sweeping effects on the campaign.
  If multiple players are involved in the Conflict Turn, you might individually take up the
  role of certain Faction or Division leaders, with players responsible for the actions of
  those groups.
  If your group finds themselves wanting some structured roleplay outside of usual
  sessions, using a game like Mobile Suit Zero: Firebrands (by D. Vincent Baker and
  Meguey Baker), Follow (by Ben Robbins) or Fiasco (by Jason Morningstar) to frame
  the events of a Conflict Turn could be a fun change of pace.
  
  SETTING UP
  Setting up for a game of Armour Astir: Advent is simple, and consists of defining
  some key elements of the world you’ll be playing in, building up the player
  characters, and figuring out what your first mission together will be.
  SETTING THE STAGE
  The very first part, and arguably one of the most important parts of playing Armour
  Astir, is setting up the world in which your game will take place. Other than the
  existence of a few things, like Astirs and other magical devices (which you and your
  group are free to re-fluff to suit your personal tastes, of course), this game doesn’t
  assume much of your setting - meaning as a group you have a lot of freedom when
  coming up with the setting you’d like to play in. There are a few important things to
  iron out, however.
  Your first job as a group will be to shape your games Authority - the controlling force,
  like a ruling empire or military group that the players are aligned against. The
  Authority will be the central villain of your game (usually), and should be a group that
  the players are all interested in fighting against. It’s probably a group of shitty
  imperialists. For some examples, see: the Earth Federation / the Titans (Mobile Suit
  Gundam et al.), the Zaibach Empire (Vision Of Escaflowne), the Grineer (Warframe),
  the British Empire (real life), etc.
  The second will be to do the same for the Cause—the group of revolutionary factions
  to which the players belong, who supply them with equipment and support to further
  the fight against the Authority.
  Finally, with the above done, players should pick the playbooks they are interested in
  playing, and use the ideas presented within to create their characters. Character
  creation doesn’t happen in a vacuum - players should feel free to discuss their
  character ideas with each other and help flesh out an interesting cast.
  THE AUTHORITY
  As mentioned above, the Authority is the group (or coalition of groups, if that’s your
  thing) that forms the primary antagonist for the players in Armour Astir. ‘Authority’ as
  opposed to ‘villain’ or ‘foe’ has a certain subtext, and that was intentional - the
  Authority should be a powerful, oppressive group, that as a whole cares more about
  stamping out opposition and furthering its own goals than doing what is best for its
  citizens or its neighbours. Individuals within the Authority need not entirely agree with
  it, and it may be more interesting for your story that in the smaller scale they operate
  in shades of grey, rather than being cartoon villains - but either way, it should be clear
  that as a group the Authority is something that the players are ready to tear down.
  As with any other tabletop game, you should discuss what kind of content and
  themes you want to you want to tackle or avoid during play. There are different
  degrees and scales of evil, after all - and fighting a simpler, less subtle Authority is
  just as valid as fighting back against something more real and cruel. When depicting
  fascist and imperialistic powers it is practically impossible not to also depict relatable,
  personal violence, and everyone at the table should be in agreement exactly where
  their boundaries and interests are in regards to what the Authority does.
  CREATING THE AUTHORITY
  While working out the exact depth and nature of the Authority and what they’re up to
  is something your Director will need some time for, start by answering the questions
  below as a group to come up with the basics.
  •
  What do the people of the Authority value?
  •
  What do the people of the Authority hate or disparage?
  
  •
  What is hypocritical about the Authority?
  •
  What is the Authority’s primary goal? Why haven’t they achieved it?
  •
  What does the average person think of the Authority? Do they support/oppose it?
  •
  How does the Authority look? What iconography, colours or materials do they
  use?
  •
  Does the Authority have a standard or mass-produced Astir? What is it like?
  •
  What is the Authority called? Does the Cause call it something different, and if so
  - what?
  Functionally, the Authority is comprised of three Divisions (see Authority in the
  Director’s section for info on how these work). As a group, you should come up with
  what these Divisions are and what they do. Every Division should have:
  •
  A name, official or otherwise
  •
  A type (Military, Subterfuge or Resource) that determines their area of influence
  •
  A few key characters who lead or hold important positions within it
  These don’t need to be all decided immediately, but the sooner the better. You might
  leave deciding the details of the Authority to the Director while the other players focus
  on the Cause, or all work the above out together.
  If you just want to get started, you can work out a name and type but leave the
  characters until later, since they’ll have plenty of time to develop during play.
  If you want to work out the characters now, the Director should check out Creating
  Director Characters later in the book for an idea on what kinds of info is important to
  figure out.
  THE CAUSE
  Opposed to the Authority is the Cause—a revolutionary group to which the players
  belong, comprised of a half-dozen or more smaller Factions. The players work
  directly for, and might even be in control of, one of these Factions.
  The Cause has resources and information, and fights against the Authority on its own
  terms - but it relies on the players as its most trustworthy asset. The Cause’s network
  of Factions provide the players and each other with assets and support, like Carriers
  and Astirs, and can assist them with repairing and acquiring new equipment—but
  there is an expectation that this aid will be repaid in turn by striking out at the
  Authority and furthering the Cause’s aims.
  As with the Authority, Factions and individuals within them might not see eye-to-eye
  on the Cause’s goals and how they should be achieved—but as a whole, the Cause
  should be a group with whom the players align, even if the occasional representative
  is an asshole.
  During the Conflict Turn, when the Authority tries to take action, the smaller Factions
  that make up the Cause help oppose and prevent those actions.
  CREATING THE CAUSE
  Again, as a group you should answer some questions to come up with the basics of
  who the Cause is;
  •
  Does the Cause have aims other than opposing the Authority?
  •
  How much of a secret is the Cause?
  •
  Where do the Cause’s resources come from?
  •
  What do people within the Cause disagree over?
  •
  What does the average citizen think of the Cause? Do support/oppose it?
  •
  How does the Cause look? What iconography, colours or materials do they use?
  •
  Does the Cause have a standard or mass-produced Astir? What is it like?
  •
  What is the Cause called? Does the Authority call it something different, and if so
  - what?
  
  As a group, you should decide on some basic information about the Cause. This
  might include answers to the above questions like a name or visual palette, but might
  also include a few characters who are important to the Cause at large rather than a
  specific Faction.
  While the Director will flesh out most of the Factions (unless the group wants to do
  this together), the details of the one the players will belong to are up to them.
  Between you, you’ll want to come up with a name for your Faction, official or
  otherwise, and choose a Faction type from the list in Running The Game. For other
  Factions, the type mainly determines what kind of consequences you impose on the
  Authority during the Conflict Turn when your attempts to oppose it succeed: for the
  players, it signals to the Director what kind of Sorties you’re interested in playing.
  Once the other Factions are done, or if your Director had prepared them ahead of
  time, you’ll also want to decide on:
  •
  A Faction that has taken the lead, and is shouldering most of the burden: they
  start with 3 Stake, rather than 2.
  •
  Two Factions that are struggling, and unable to contribute right now: they start
  with 0 Stake, rather than 2.
  CREATING PLAYER CHARACTERS
  Finally, each player needs to make their character! Making characters in Armour Astir
  is simple, and ideally something you should all do together as a group. This helps
  everyone get a feel for the kind of characters you’re making, and lets you make
  characters that immediately feel a little more coherent as a group. The main part of
  creating your character is choosing a 'playbook', which could be thought of like a
  'class' or a character archetype within the world of your game. There's a few other
  things you must do too, though - the steps below will lead you through the process.
  During play, you might suddenly find yourself in need of a new character. This might
  be due to the one you were previously playing dying, but for whatever reason you do
  need to make a new one, you follow the below steps as usual.
  CHOOSE PLAYBOOK
  Look over the playbooks (found on Page 66) and decide which one you want to play.
  Playbooks are split widely into two categories: Channelers (playbooks that use Astirs
  to fight) and Support (playbooks that have expertise outside of Astirs). It’s ok if two
  people want to play the same one, but consider mixing up the group so everyone
  gets to feel a little unique.
  CHOOSE NAME
  Every unsung hero has a name, even if nobody learns it. Write a name for your
  character – if you’re having trouble, consider asking your GM what kind of naming
  conventions the people in the area your story will take place use.
  CHOOSE LOOKS
  Each playbook has a few choices for clothing, your overall look, and something else
  playbook-appropriate, like how your magic looks or how you fight. These are just
  suggestions to help you think about your character's appearance, so feel free to
  ignore them! Channeler playbooks also ask what you say when you launch your Astir.
  This can say a lot about how your character feels about Astir piloting and how
  seriously they take it, so put some thought into it!
  CHOOSE GEAR
  Each playbook has a few choices for equipment and items you have at the start of
  the game. Channeler playbooks all start with a tier III Astir (see The Carrier & Astirs).
  CHOOSE TRAITS
  Take the following values and assign them however you wish to your Traits. These
  
  values are added to your roll when you make certain moves. CHANNEL, for the
  playbooks that have it, start at whatever value is listed on the playbook - you don’t
  need to assign a value to it.
  +2, +1, +1, +0, -1
  It’s a good idea to look at the basic moves, as well as the starting moves for your
  playbook, to get an idea of what Traits might be most useful to you.
  CHOOSE MOVES
  Each playbook starts with three moves (except for the Arcanist and the Witch, whose
  starting moves provide multiple benefits), some of which are pre-picked, and some of
  which are your choice. Each playbook will list which ones you already have, if any,
  and will let you know how many to pick, so make sure you check!
  CHOOSE IDEALS
  Finally, you should come up with up to 3 Ideals for your character (Ideals are detailed
  on Page 8). If you're just playing a one-shot (or are playing a character you won't
  return to for other reasons) and won't be bothering with Advancements, you don't
  need them but they might still help you decide how your character acts.
  If you want, some extra things to consider;
  •
  Did you know each other before you started working for the Cause? If so, how?
  •
  How did you first come into contact with the Cause?
  •
  Have you been personally suffered under the Authority? If so, how?
  •
  Where did you acquire the skills of your playbook? Where did the equipment
  come from?
  READY TO PLAY!
  Once the above is all done, you’re ready to play. You might want to have some
  further conversation as a group to flesh out your characters and the setting you’re in
  (starting with the questions above), but if not, it’s time to all turn and look expectantly
  at your Director for the setup to your first Sortie.
  When it’s time to do things, read on for information on the Basic Moves as well as
  some important Special Moves—more specifically, the move lead a Sortie! When it’s
  time for the action to begin, whoever is in charge should roll to lead a Sortie,
  establishing how well things start off. This is similar to the engagement roll in some
  other systems, and is rolled with a different Trait depending on who did the planning.
  You can find more detail under Special Moves.
  
  BASIC & SPECIAL MOVES
  BASIC MOVES SUMMARY
  The Basic Moves are moves everybody has access to, regardless of their chosen
  playbook. You use Basic moves to do most things, unless your playbook provides a
  move that is more specific to the situation you’re in. Below is a quick summary of
  them, followed by some more detailed info with examples of their use.
  WEATHER THE STORM
  When you weather the storm to do something safely under pressure, roll;
  •
  +DEFY to dodge, tough it out or strong-arm your way through.
  •
  +KNOW to make it through with quick thinking or the ace up your sleeve.
  On a 10+, you manage to make it to safety.
  On a 7-9, you succeed but at some cost: your Director will ask you to settle for less,
  take a risk, or make a difficult choice.
  READ THE ROOM
  When you read the room to get insight on your situation, roll +SENSE;
  On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1, and spend it 1-for-1 to ask the following
  questions. Your hold lasts until you leave the current situation or it changes
  significantly.
  •
  Who has the upper hand here?
  •
  What is being overlooked here?
  •
  How does x really feel?
  •
  What are x's real intentions?
  •
  How is x at risk or in peril?
  On a failure, you may ask one of the above questions immediately, but the answer
  creates a problem or puts you in danger.
  Roll with Advantage when you act on the answers to what you've asked.
  DISPEL UNCERTAINTIES
  When you dispel uncertainties by clarifying something unknown or answering a
  question, roll +KNOW;
  On a 10+, the Director will tell you something directly useful you know about the
  situation or subject at hand.
  On a 7-9, the Director will tell you something potentially useful, but it is up to you to
  discern how. The Director might ask you to explain how you know that information, or
  where you learned it.
  HELP OR HINDER
  When you help or hinder someone to influence their attempts to do something, roll
  +GRAVITY with them if you have one;
  On a 10+, they take advantage (help) or disadvantage (hinder) to their roll. On a 7-
  9, as above, but you become entangled in the consequences of their actions, and
  possibly cause them.
  WEAVE MAGIC
  When weave magic to do something taxing with your power, roll +CHANNEL;
  On a 10+, you manage to channel power the way you desired without ill effect.
  On a 7-9, you succeed, but your invocation is twisted in an unexpected and
  dangerous way.
  
  COOL OFF
  When you take a moment in safety to cool off or help someone else do the same,
  declare a risk you want to get rid of and roll whatever Trait seems most appropriate;
  On a 10+, you/they erase a risk or untick ‘overheating’ from an Astir.
  On a 7-9, as above, but your moment of safety is interrupted.
  EXCHANGE BLOWS
  When you exchange blows with foes capable of defending themselves, roll +CLASH
  or +TALK, whichever is more appropriate, and advance a GRAVITY clock if you have
  one;
  On a 10+, either your opponent takes a risk, or you take a risk and put your opponent
  in peril.
  On a 7-9, both you and your target are forced to take a risk.
  STRIKE DECISIVELY
  When strike decisively against someone who is defenceless, roll +CLASH or
  +TALK, whichever is more appropriate;
  On a 10+, you strike true. Director characters are killed, forced to retreat or otherwise
  removed as a threat as per the fiction. Player characters should bite the dust.
  On a 7-9, you succeed as above, but choose 1;
  •
  You overreach or underestimate—take a risk.
  •
  You waste ammo or words, losing use a weapon until you can re-arm, or losing
  the weight of some bargaining chip or piece of leverage.
  •
  You strike carelessly, causing collateral damage beyond your expectations.
  BITE THE DUST
  When you’re defenceless or risk harm so severe you might bite the dust, roll
  +DEFY;
  On a 10+, they miss, hesitate, or you’re saved by sheer luck—you rally, and clear a
  risk if you have one.
  On a 7-9, retreat from the Sortie safely, or be put in peril.
  On a fail, that strike sure was decisive. Decide with your Director the consequences
  of what has happened to you - what was damaged? What have you lost? Who and
  what is changed by your defeat?
  If you survive, you are changed by your defeat. As well as the above, choose one;
  •
  Increase one of your Traits by 1 and reduce another by 1 (no Trait may be higher
  or lower than -/+3.
  •
  Choose a new playbook. Keep what moves you and the Director agree are truly
  part of your character, and discard the others. Replace them with the starting
  moves for your new playbook. You do not gain its starting equipment.
  HEAT UP
  When you push your Astir to it’s limits and start to heat up, tick ‘overheating’ and take
  advantage on the next move you make.
  
  WEATHER THE STORM
  When you attempt to ignore the 'witty' barbs of ambitious politicians, try and walk
  across a thin wet beam as thunder booms overhead, or otherwise do something
  under significant pressure, you're attempting to weather the storm. When you do so;
  • Roll +DEFY to dodge, tough it out or strong-arm your way through.
  • Roll +KNOW to make it through with quick thinking or the ace up your sleeve.
  On a 10+, you manage to make it to safety.
  On a 7-9, you succeed but at some cost: your Director will ask you to settle for less,
  take a risk, or make a difficult choice.
  If you’re doing something that doesn’t fall under another more specific move and
  there’s a chance something could go wrong for you, your Director will probably ask
  you to weather the storm. As long as there’s a ‘storm’, i.e something that could hurt
  or inconvenience you, this move should cover it if nothing else does. Just make sure
  you pick the correct Trait! It’s easy to look at DEFY and KNOW and think they cover
  physical and mental resistances respectively - but you could DEFY someone's
  provocations just as easily as you could KNOW how to quickly reroute magic from
  your Astir’s weapons into a defensive spell.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  On a result of 7-9, they still manage to pull through - but the storm is a bit fiercer than
  they were ready for. When considering what risk, difficult choice or limited success to
  offer, you should be able to come up with something related to that storm fairly easily
  as if it didn't present some threat or setback it wouldn't be worth rolling over to begin
  with.
  If for some reason nothing springs to mind, consider letting them choose what kind of
  risk they take, narrating how they claw back the success they wanted dangerously.
  Just remember - whatever you impose on them, it shouldn't invalidate the fact that
  they still succeeded at whatever they were trying to do.
  EXAMPLES OF WEATHERING THE STORM:
  Perrin the Witch is trying to cross the field of battle in his Astir, but finds himself
  caught in crossfire. There's dangers both magic and mundane flying through the air
  from all angles, but Perrin hopes he can focus on evading the bigger threats as he
  moves across. He rolls a 4, and I get to declare the outcome. While attempting to
  dodge a huge bolt from a trebuchet, he's caught by a wayward beamrifle shot.
  Because he's in an Astir, I decide to damage it rather than him directly, and the blast
  tears a chunk out of its right leg. Perrin notes that he’s in peril (damaged leg), and
  grits his teeth - it'll be much harder to get anywhere now.
  Prim, an Arcanist, is trying to reload his beamrifle. This normally wouldn't be any
  hassle at all, but he's trying to do it while a nearby squad pelt him with boltrifle fire.
  Not only is it distracting as their bolts fly past his vision and clatter against the Astir’s
  plating, if one hits him in the wrong place it might actually cause some damage. He
  rolls an 8, and I offer him an ugly choice - does he dash into the open to reload,
  taking the risk (exposed), or does he hunker down and make the reload where he is,
  missing something he might’ve spotted otherwise?
  Elias, a Scout, is being charged at by a few men armed with spears. Rather than
  stand there and be horribly stabbed, Elias instead decides they want to side-step the
  spears and vault over one of their foes. On a 7-9, I might consider having a spear
  snag their clothing, tearing some of their equipment onto the floor, or have them land
  badly after vaulting. They roll a 10 and succeeds, so instead they perform the
  manoeuvre without a hitch and land on their feet behind the surprised footmen.
  
  READ THE ROOM
  When you're trying to figure out which side a battle is in favour of, whether or not a
  holding is defend-able, or are otherwise trying to get insight on your situation, you're
  trying to read the room. When you do so, roll +SENSE ;
  On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1, and spend it 1-for-1 to ask the following
  questions. Your hold lasts until you leave the current scene or it changes significantly.
  •
  Who has the upper hand here?
  •
  What is being overlooked here?
  •
  How does x really feel?
  •
  What are x's real intentions?
  •
  How is x at risk or in peril?
  On a failure, you may ask one of the above questions immediately, but the answer
  creates a problem or puts you in danger.
  Roll with Advantage when you act on the answers to what you've asked.
  If you’re trying to learn more about the situation you’re in, chances are you’re trying
  to read the room. There’s a lot of things this could look like - gazing stoically out
  onto a raging battlefield, listening closely to a pair of arguing politicians, going over a
  shipping manifest you’ve found in an Authority camp—and even if you fail, you still
  learn something. It’s just going to get you in trouble. Unless you fail, you keep your
  hold as long as you stay in the current situation or scene. No need to spend it quickly.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  Don’t be too strict with your players on what constitutes their scene changing or
  ending. Respect the risk they’ve taken in trying to learn more about their situation,
  and let them put what they learn into use within reason. When in doubt, lean on
  letting them keep it. Whenever someone asks a question from read the room, you
  get to advance and complicate the situation at hand, and that’s probably always
  going to be interesting. When someone rolls a 6 or below on this move, they basically
  get to pick their poison. If they ask who has the upper hand, it probably isn’t them. If
  there’s anyone defenceless around, it might be someone they’d rather see make it
  through. If something is being overlooked, it’s already too late. Be inventive.
  EXAMPLES OF READING THE ROOM:
  Anya, a Diplomat, is mediating a discussion between ambassadors from two smaller
  factions. She expected things to get heated, but Fran, the usually more demanding of
  the two, is conceding minor points at every turn. I suggest she read the room to
  represent the attention paid to what has been said so far, and she rolls a 7-9. She
  decides to ask ‘What are Fran’s real intentions?’. I explain that, given what she
  knows about Fran, there is no way he’d accept all these concessions - it’s likely he
  has an ulterior motive, and is here solely for appearances.
  Torres, the group’s Paradigm, skids to a halt on a crowded battlefield, and uses vis
  elevated position in an Astir to assess the situation. Ve reads the room and rolls… a
  4. Ve asks ‘What is being overlooked here?’, and the answer strikes ver in the back -
  there’s a squad armed with a beamrifle hiding on the ridge behind ver!
  Kai, a Diplomat, has broken into a small military base, and is snooping around for
  useful intel. Given that he’s looking for information on bigger picture things than this
  one camp, there are some questions that don’t have obvious answers. If I had
  something specific in mind to reveal here, I might have him weather the storm
  instead to find it before he is discovered. But I don’t, so instead I ask him to roll as
  usual and interpret ‘here’ to mean the group’s Sortie, as what he’s doing is likely to
  give him broader information. He rolls an 11, and chooses to save his hold until he
  returns to his friends. While he’s technically leaving this scene, the information he’s
  gained is still pertinent outside of it, so I let him keep his hold.
  
  DISPEL UNCERTAINTIES
  When you offer an answer to a difficult question, rack your brains for what you know
  about a topic, or explain to everyone what mysterious thing you’ve encountered is,
  you are dispelling uncertainties. When you do so, roll +KNOW;
  On a 10+, your Director will tell you something directly useful you know about the
  situation or subject at hand.
  On a 7-9, your Director will tell you something potentially useful, but it is up to you to
  discern how. Your Director might ask you to explain how you know that information,
  or where you learned it.
  Dispel uncertainties is pretty straightforward as far as moves go. Confronted with
  something unknown that you want to clarify? Dispel uncertainties. Need to see if
  you know about an Astir model? Dispel uncertainties. On a 7-9, what you know isn’t
  directly useful, but it’s related - and still useful if you can figure out how to use it.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  As above, this isn’t a move you need to think too hard about. On a 10+, hand them
  what they wanted to know, or at least something they can clearly use. On a 7-9, go a
  little adjacent. Give them something close, or something they can make their own
  conclusions from. On a 6-, make a move as usual.
  EXAMPLES OF DISPELLING UNCERTAINTIES
  The group is meeting a mysterious faction for the first time, and is introduced to their
  leader. Scour, a Witch, asks if he recognises her. He rolls to dispel uncertainties,
  and gets a 10 - he knows exactly who she is! It’s a member of the royal family he
  remembers meeting some years prior.
  Prim, an Arcanist, is fighting a mysterious new Astir that has turned up on the
  battlefield. They explain how they think back to a codex of Astir designs they looked
  through recently which might offer some information, and they roll. They get an 8,
  and I give them some potentially useful information. The new Astir wasn’t in that
  codex - but Prim can tell from some of the design elements that it was designed by
  Rosegold Factoria, a faction in their campaign.
  Merin, the party Artificer, is overseeing some repairs to their Cruiser, The Planted
  Standard. He wants to speed things up, so he asks me if they know a safe way to
  make those repairs faster than usual. He rolls a 6, and I explain to him how it would
  be very safe if they re-purposed the mana channels from the Standard’s main gun
  and used them to make the repairs. Or, that’s what they think, at least.
  
  HELP OR HINDER
  When you attempt to lend aid to someone or interfere with their ability to make a roll,
  you are trying to help or hinder. When you do so, roll +GRAVITY with them if you
  have one;
  On a 10+, they take advantage (help) or disadvantage (hinder) on their roll. On a 7-
  9, as above, but you become entangled in the consequences of their actions, and
  possibly cause them.
  If someone else is making a move, and you’re trying to do something to either help
  them or to get in their way, your Director will probably ask you to help or hinder.
  Succeeding lets you pass them a bonus to their roll, but on a 7-9 you get caught up
  in the results of the move. If someone gets hurt, it’s probably you, etc.
  Help or hinder asks you to roll the value of your GRAVITY clock with the target
  rather than a regular Trait. If you don't have a clock with them, you don't add a Trait.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  This isn’t a particularly complex move, so it shouldn’t often cause you any trouble. If
  someone is clearly trying to prevent or facilitate someone else doing something, this
  is what they should roll. On a 7-9, involve them in what happens afterwards, and feel
  free to make it their fault if you want to.
  EXAMPLES OF HELP OR HINDER:
  Fau, a Witch, is striding into battle alongside zir allies. Ahead of zir, Brennan is
  tangling with a pair of enemy Astirs. Brennan is going to exchange blows with them,
  and Fau decides to help out by giving covering fire to zir friend. Ze rolls an 8, allowing
  zir to give advantage to Brennan for his roll. He succeeds, and all is well.
  Seven is not so lucky, however. Having rolled a 7 to help Matrice avoid an serious
  blow from their would-be-rival and passed them Advantage, Seven is in harm’s way -
  and when Matrice rolls a 5 on their bite the dust, I decide that their intervention puts
  them in the path of the blade, rather than Matrice.
  Serrah, a Captain, is watching over a battle from the helm of their Carrier. Down
  below, Merin is making use of their Artificer abilities to quickly construct a foothold,
  from which he can assess the state of the fight. Serrah offers her assistance - from
  this high up, and with the capabilities of the Carrier, she could definitely help pick out
  things on the battlefield. I ask her to help or hinder, and she rolls a 10, allowing her
  to offer Merin advantage without putting herself on the line. Merin then, unfortunately
  for her, rolls a 6. There will be repercussions - but Serrah won’t be part of them.
  
  WEAVE MAGIC
  When you invoke your magic to crumble a bridge, attune to mystical orbs at the
  centre of the galaxy, or otherwise do something taxing with your power, you're
  attempting to weave magic. When you do so, roll +CHANNEL;
  On a 10+, you manage to channel power the way you desired without ill effect.
  On a 7-9, you succeed, but your invocation is twisted in an unexpected and
  dangerous way.
  In Armour Astir, magic is typically channelled through an Astir, imbued into potions
  through alchemy, or forged into objects by enchanters and artificers. More direct
  uses, in the form of spells and such, have fallen out of use somewhat. When you try
  to twist your magic ability into desired results, then, you’re not picking a spell from a
  list - you’re weaving magic. It’s tiring to use your magic directly in this way - expect
  to take a risk or even be put in peril if you test yourself in this way more than once
  during a Sortie.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  Like some of the others, this is a pretty straightforward move. If they’re trying to do
  something with their magic outside the usual purview of controlling their Astir, and
  you think it’s something within their ability, they’re trying to weave magic. Overuse of
  weave magic should visibly exhaust characters, and make it tough for them to
  operate. This is the trade-off for how wide and varied the uses of this move could be.
  EXAMPLES OF WEAVE MAGIC:
  Lamina, an Arcanist, is on foot, trying to get back to their Astir that they have been
  separated from. They encounter some soldiers on the way back, and not being
  trained in using her magic for direct combat, Lamina decides she wants to try
  teleporting herself the short remaining distance to her Astir. I ask her to weave
  magic, and she rolls an 8. I narrate how her sudden burst of unfiltered magic is
  easily picked up by a sensory ritual over the area, which magically ‘tags’ her Astir as
  a target - as a result, I ask her to take a risk, suggesting ‘targeted’. She’s at her
  mech, but it’s going to be tougher to escape now there’s an ethereal bullseye painted
  on her.
  Strata, the party Paradigm, wants to try and produce a magical shield to protect his
  allies while they make some quick repairs. This feels like something he could do, so I
  ask him to weave magic. He rolls a 10+, so it happens just the way he wanted. It’s a
  little exhausting, but sure enough a white-gold sheet of magical force spreads out
  from his fingertips, lasting as long as he concentrates on it.
  Plana is trying to collapse a bridge their group has just travelled over, to prevent
  anyone from following them. As an Artificer, Plana doesn’t usually have a CHANNEL
  Trait, but they have the arcane generator move which gives them one. Plana
  describes how they try to send waves of magical force through the bridge to shake it
  apart, and I ask them to roll weave magic. On a 7-9, I might describe how their
  magic spills dangerously out, causing a localised earthquake that shakes more than
  just the bridge to pieces.
  
  COOL OFF
  When you attempt to vent heat from an Astir, to calm yourself from spiralling
  emotions, or to otherwise take a few minutes to fix something about your situation,
  you’re trying to cool off. When you do so, declare a risk you want to get rid of and
  roll whatever Trait seems most appropriate;
  On a 10+, you/they erase a risk or untick ‘overheating’ from an Astir.
  On a 7-9, as above, but your moment of safety is interrupted.
  Doing things can be pretty stressful, especially when those things include fighting,
  getting hurt, or talking to people. Many actions in Armour Astir can require you to take
  risks, and while it’s easy to imagine getting rid of these with many other moves
  (getting rid of 'outnumbered' with exchange blows, using read the room to clear
  'surprised', etc) sometimes it won’t always be that clear, or might be something you
  can’t fix without a minute to breathe.
  For those things, cool off acts as a catch-all risk removal move. What using it looks
  like can differ a lot: it might be taking a quiet moment to center yourself, talking an
  ally down from an emotional peak, or venting heat buildup from your Astir—heat
  represented by the ‘overheating’ tick gained from certain Channeler moves—which
  also might look different depending on how your Astir is designed. Maybe your Astir
  collects heat in canisters that it can eject, or maybe you have a maintenance ritual
  you cast that disperses excess mana from it.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  The important thing about cool off is that it takes a little time. While you make this
  move, you’re not fighting, you’re not running, and you’re not paying close attention to
  what’s going on. Maybe it’s only a minute or two, but that can be a big opportunity for
  foes - so characters should try to make themselves some breathing room before they
  take a breath. You can choose what Trait you use when cooling off, but it should
  match what you’re doing. If you’re trying to flush a hex out of your Astir’s systems, it’d
  be +CHANNEL. If ice has frozen over the finger joints of your Astir, you can’t chip it
  off with +TALK - it’d be +DEFY, or maybe +CLASH.
  EXAMPLES OF COOL OFF:
  Ray, a Scout, has just seen vis ally Luxx narrowly dodge a bolt of lightning. The close
  call disrupted a sensory ritual, giving them the risk (blinded). Ray has the Scout move
  patch job, and ve decides to move in and try to clear up the disruption for Luxx. Ve
  describe how ve scales up the Astir's side and sets to work replacing some shattered
  reagents. I ask ver to roll to cool off with +DEFY since this is a pretty routine fix done
  quickly, and ve rolls a 9, attracting unwanted attention as a result. A second bolt of
  lighting sears overhead: they've both been spotted!
  Fau has just dispatched a pair of enemy Astirs but caused zirs to overheat in the
  process. With zir sensory chimes picking up new contacts incoming, ze decides to do
  something about that heat problem. Ze describe how zir Astir has a series of pods full
  of frosty, alchemical liquid attached to it, and ze activate one to cool off. Ze rolls an
  11 after adding zir +CHANNEL, which is a total success. The liquid frost washes
  through zir system, and ze removes the 'overheating' tick.
  Merin, an Artificer, currently has the risk (entangled) after being caught up in some
  magical plants. If they were in a hurry they might have tried to weather the storm to
  escape, but they're alone and otherwise safe - so they decide to take their time
  cutting themselves free. They roll to cool off with +CLASH, and unfortunately only
  get a 5. The more they cut, the more these vines seem to trap them, and they end up
  taking too long. A flying enemy golem sweeps overhead and spots them - if they
  weren't in a hurry before, they sure are now.
  
  EXCHANGE BLOWS
  When you charge at a foe with your blade, engage someone in debate or try to
  provoke them, or otherwise act against someone able to defend themselves, you are
  attempting to exchange blows. When you do so, advance a GRAVITY clock if you
  have one, and roll +CLASH or +TALK - whichever is more appropriate;
  On a 10+, either your opponent takes a risk, or you take a risk and put your opponent
  in peril.
  On a 7-9, both you and your target are forced to take a risk.
  When you go toe-to-toe against someone capable of defending themselves, you’re
  exchanging blows. This move is used to wear foes down before striking decisively
  to deal with them for good - whether you’re doing it with +CLASH and physical harm,
  or +TALK and your words. When you’re actually fighting, it’s important to consider
  what weapon you’re using. You can’t hit someone far away with a melee weapon, for
  example, or shoot someone close up with a sniper weapon. When it comes to using
  +TALK, it’s worth keeping in mind that most conversations are probably just that -
  conversations. But when there is conflict or you’re trying to get something, it might
  instead be exchanging blows.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  When players are trying to exchange blows, make sure to keep in mind the methods
  and weapons they are using, as well as who they’re using them on. There’s lots of
  variables that could come into play, so don’t be afraid to offer adjustments to the roll
  based on the situation. If players are exchanging blows with +TALK, it should go
  without saying that their choice of weaponry probably doesn’t factor in, unless they’re
  using it to intimidate someone.
  If a player is trying to harm someone who isn’t trying to harm the player back but is
  otherwise still capable of evading or defending themselves, they still need to
  exchange blows. While they're not in direct danger there's still plenty of other
  reasons they might need to take a risk—over-committing to chase an agile foe,
  getting mad they they can't land a solid hit, and so on.
  If a player wants to continue exchanging blows with someone who is defenceless,
  let them, but it should be clear they are toying with someone who is basically done. It
  should seem cruel.
  EXAMPLES OF EXCHANGE BLOWS:
  Caryx, an Arcanist, wants to engage an enemy Astir that has rushed up to block their
  path. They describe pulling out the greatsword their Astir is armed with, and
  launching into melee. This sounds like exchange blows to me, which they roll. They
  get a 10+, and take the option ‘your opponent takes a risk’. I narrate how their foe
  boosts backwards suddenly to evade the blow, leaving them unsteady on their feet,
  and I add the risk ‘unstable’ to their sheet.
  Juniper is blade-to-blade with aer Rival, Sequoia. They have already traded risks a
  few times, and Junipers player continues the fight, rolling to exchange blows. Ae
  rolls a 7, meaning both aer and Sequoia have to take another risk. Juniper elects to
  take the risk ‘distracted’, describing how ae’s so focused on Sequoia that ae could
  miss something else. I give Sequoia the ‘disarmed’ risk as the blade is knocked from
  her hands.
  Frankly Darling is trying to convince an engineer they’ve bumped into in an enemy
  base that they’re supposed to be there. They might weather the storm to avoid
  suspicion this once, but they want to not have to worry about this engineer for the
  rest of the scene, so we exchange blows. They roll a 5 - as it turns out, they’re not
  that good a talker.
  
  STRIKE DECISIVELY
  When you're lining up the perfect shot against an opponent who can't defend
  themselves, delivering a scathing dismissal of their character using irrefutable fact, or
  otherwise engaging someone who is defenceless, you are striking decisively.
  When you do so, roll +CLASH or +TALK - whichever is more appropriate;
  On a 10+, you strike true. Director characters are killed, forced to retreat or otherwise
  removed as a threat as per the fiction. Player characters should bite the dust.
  On a 7-9, you succeed as above, but choose 1;
  •
  You overreach or underestimate - take a risk.
  •
  You waste ammo or words, losing use a weapon until you can re-arm, or losing
  the weight of some bargaining chip or piece of leverage.
  •
  You strike carelessly, causing collateral damage beyond your expectations.
  If you’re trying to kill someone you’re fighting or to otherwise do something serious
  enough to remove them from the situation at hand, and it’s possible to do so, you’re
  trying to strike decisively. This doesn’t necessarily need to be something that
  causes actual harm to the target, and in many cases, like when you’re using +TALK,
  it’s likely physical harm might not be involved. You can’t call someone’s shitty
  ideology out so hard that they die (unless your Director says you can, in which case:
  hell yeah).
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  As with exchange blows, a player cannot strike decisively if they aren't at the right
  range for the weapon they're using. It's also hard to lay into someone if they're too far
  away to hear you (though, it is of course possible to damage someone's reputation or
  assets by talking about them, rather than to them). When battling it out with +TALK, a
  10+ will typically look like getting what you wanted out of the conversation rather than
  them being owned so hard that they burst into flame. This might be convincing them
  of something, intimidating them into a course of action, winning an argument, etc.
  Central to this move is the target being defenceless. If a player is trying to finish off
  someone that isn't defenceless, they aren’t making this move - they’re being
  overconfident, and giving you a good opportunity to make a move of your own.
  EXAMPLES OF STRIKING DECISIVELY;
  Mura, a Scout, spots an enemy bearing down on her friend Ophelia, a large axe
  drawn. Mura thinks the fact that it is distracted by its fight with Ophelia makes them
  defenceless to her, and she takes aim with her marksman bow, intending to kill them.
  I know they aren’t actually that distracted by their fight, and actually have room for
  another danger. I explain this to Mura, and describe how her target sidesteps the
  attack, before returning fire with a hand-crossbow. Things are going to get rough for
  Mura.
  Cirrus the Diplomat has been trying to convince a guard to let them into a restricted
  area. Having already worn them down a little, Cirrus delivers the coup de grace (“You
  know, I could put in a good word with your superiors…”) and rolls to strike
  decisively. They get an 8, and choose to waste ammo or words - I describe how now
  none of the other guards will buy that line until you actually do put in a good word for
  this one, since they’ll talk to the others about it. It’s still a success though, so the
  guard is removed as a threat, which in this case just means they’ll stand aside and let
  Cirrus through. The guard doesn’t suddenly die or anything. But they might’ve.
  Damocles, a Scout, is working in tandem with his friend Erin to take out a service
  golem. Damocles climbed onto its back while Erin distracted it, and wants to try and
  destroy it with a manacharge. The golem’s pilot is defenceless, but Damocles only
  rolls a 6. I decide the charge is faulty, and that it goes off early, sending him flying
  back down to the floor painfully, giving him the peril (burned).
  
  BITE THE DUST
  When something dangerous slips through your defences, you're caught off-guard, or
  someone delivers those perfect words to tear you down, you're at risk of biting the
  dust. When you do so, roll +DEFY;
  On a 10+, they miss, hesitate, or you’re saved by sheer luck - you rally, and clear a
  risk if you have one.
  On a 7-9, retreat from the Sortie safely, or be put in peril.
  On a fail, that strike sure was decisive. Decide with your Director the consequences
  of what has happened to you - what was damaged? What have you lost? Who and
  what is changed by your defeat? If you survive, you are changed by your defeat. As
  well as the above, choose one;
  •
  Increase one of your Traits by 1 and reduce another by 1 (no Trait may be higher
  or lower than -/+3.
  •
  Choose a new playbook. Keep what moves you and your Director agree are truly
  part of your character, and discard the others. Replace them with the starting
  moves for your new playbook. You do not gain its starting equipment.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  When a player is defenceless as a result of having three risks or perils, they’re in real
  danger. When someone threatens them with the intent to finish them off - i.e, when
  they would fictionally be striking decisively rather than exchanging blows - that
  player should bite the dust in response. The time for weathering the storm or
  defending yourself by exchanging blows is over. This is what it means to be
  defenceless.
  Failure on this move should be a conversation between you and the player, but you
  shouldn’t feel the need to have this conversation there and then. Feel free to go with
  something ambiguous in the short term—a pair of Astirs dashing out of sight but only
  one returning, a bloody trail left leading off somewhere unseen, an escape pod
  landing heavily—and determine the outcome once the action of the Sortie dies down.
  EXAMPLES OF BITE THE DUST:
  Min-seo, a Captain, is commanding the crew of her Carrier against a huge elder
  dragon. Things are going badly: covered with burns, streaked by talon-marks and
  gripped by fear, Min-seo and her crew are defenceless. The dragon cuts them off,
  and launches one last burst of flame towards the Carrier's bridge. It's time to bite the
  dust, but lucky for Min-seo (and her crew) she rolls a 10. She describes how the
  crew pulls off a miraculous manoeuvre, dropping the Carrier out of the sky for a
  moment to evade the attack, and she removes the risk (afraid) as everyone cheers.
  Aidah, eir group's Paradigm, was ambushed by a group of Astirs. Between being
  outnumbered and taking a few extra risks while trying to even the odds, e is
  defenceless. It's too late to weather the storm: If Aidah wants to get out, e needs to
  make sure e doesn’t bite the dust. E rolls an 8, and I give em the choice: retreat
  safely from the Sortie, or be put in peril. E decides to take the peril, so while e
  escapes to regroup, e does it under fire and a rayrifle shot shears through eir right
  shoulder joint, replacing one of eir risks with the peril (destroyed arm).
  Scour is in a bad way. His Astir is damaged, disarmed, and he's defenceless. His
  opponent, channelling a mysterious prototype Astir, isn't interested in giving him
  mercy, but Scour’s not backing down. He rushes back in and risks biting the dust.
  He rolls the dice: it’s a 3. It's early in the campaign and Scour's player still has things
  they want to explore with them in play, so we agree that they manage to eject from
  their Astir before their foe gets a decisive slash in, destroying it completely. They're
  alive, but shaken, and will need rescuing from the battlefield. They adjust their DEFY
  by +1, and their CLASH by -1 to represent a blow to their confidence.
  
  GROUP MOVES
  When everyone would be performing the same move (like all weathering the storm
  to get away from a big blast of magic), or if multiple people want to help out with
  something (since usually only one person can help or hinder a move), you should
  instead make it a group move.
  When performing a group move, the person participating with the lowest relevant trait
  makes the roll, but anybody participating counts as doing so - thus, any bonuses to
  rolls that have, like Advantage or hold they can spend, applies to the group move. A
  chain is only as strong as its weakest link, but good teamwork can shore up any
  weaknesses.
  Everyone participating in a group move may advance GRAVITY clocks with other
  participants if they have them.
  SPECIAL MOVES SUMMARY
  There are a few other moves that don’t fit into the above categories. These are lead
  a Sortie, which is rolled once at the beginning of each Sortie to determine how the
  initial engagement goes, subsystems which is a move usable by any Channeler
  playbook, and B-plot which is a move usable by any Support playbook.
  LEAD A SORTIE
  When it's time for action and you lead a Sortie, decide who planned the mission and
  roll;
  •
  +Stake, if a Faction’s help is vital to the Sortie.
  •
  +KNOW, if you’re leading with wits or following a clever plan.
  •
  +CREW, if it was someone else aboard.
  •
  +DEFY, if you're heading into danger blind.
  On a 10+, you make it to the action unscathed. On a 7-9, the crew stumbles, misses
  something important, or is unprepared for what they meet.
  SUBSYSTEMS
  When you activate your Astir's subsystems, spend Mana 1-for-1 to do one of the
  following;
  •
  Power up an expended [Active] Astir part and use it again.
  •
  Divine your situation, asking one question from the read the room list.
  •
  Disperse away excess energy, fully unticking ‘overheating’ on your Astir.
  B-PLOT
  When you take part in the b-plot rather than be involved in a Sortie, name one or two
  Director characters that accompany you and hold 3. During the Sortie, you may
  spend it 1-for-1 to do the following;
  •
  Give another player increased level of success on their next move, but complicate
  things for yourself.
  •
  Deny an NPC from appearing during the Sortie - they’re busy, possibly with the
  same thing as you.
  •
  Spend some time and take a Downtime move.
  •
  Cut away from the Sortie during a moment when time is precious, giving everyone
  room to think.
  
  LEAD A SORTIE
  When you lead the group into battle, get in the robot when you're not supposed to, or
  otherwise take action that would move the game from Downtime to a Sortie, you're
  leading a Sortie. When you lead, roll;
  •
  +Stake, if a Faction’s help is vital to the Sortie.
  •
  +KNOW, if you’re leading with wits or following a clever plan.
  •
  +CREW, if success hinges on someone else aboard.
  •
  +DEFY, if you're heading into danger carelessly.
  On a 10+, you make it to the action unscathed. On a 7-9, the crew stumbles, misses
  something important, or is unprepared for what they meet.
  While most moves have certain triggers or can be used whenever you want, lead a
  Sortie is a little different. At the beginning of every Sortie, when everyone leaps into
  action (whatever that action may be), the players should figure out which Trait is
  appropriate and have someone roll for the move. Lead a Sortie establishes on what
  footing the crew finds itself once they get to their first obstacle.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  You should always have someone roll to lead a Sortie once the action starts, but if
  you forget, it’s OK to do it retroactively and carry the results forward as you continue
  playing. When rolling with +Stake and +CREW, it doesn’t matter who makes the roll,
  since those attributes don’t belong to any one player. When rolling +KNOW or
  +DEFY however, the roll should be made by whoever’s trait is being used. If you’re
  all going along with a plan thought up by the player with a -2 in KNOW, you don’t get
  to have the +3 KNOW player make the roll on their behalf - that doesn’t make any
  sense. There being a plan doesn’t prevent someone from rolling with +DEFY if they
  want to rush off and ignore it.
  EXAMPLES OF LEAD A SORTIE:
  The crew of the Ouroborous has drawn up a plan to assault a prison ran by their
  campaign's Authority, the Zonel Empire. However, Dimir, the crew's Impostor,
  hotheadedly rushes into action so everyone else can benefit from their don't follow
  me move. So, they roll to lead a Sortie with +DEFY. It's a 7-9, and I decide the crew
  missed something important - they missed Dimir leaving! They'll have to catch up,
  and Dimir will be alone until they can.
  The Coarse, Correct is heading into battle alongside a Carrier sent by one of their
  allied Factions, the Atteri Guild. Since a Faction is helping them out, they'll be rolling
  to lead a Sortie with the value of that Faction’s Stake. It's +1, which isn't bad, so one
  of the players makes the roll. She gets lucky - it's a 12! The Coarse, Correct and the
  Atteri ship both make it into battle safely, positioned to carry out the Sortie.
  Serrah, a Captain, is leading the crew of her Carrier, the New Serpent. They're on a
  mission to deactivate an ancient magical relic their foes have unearthed, and having
  made the plan, Serrah rolls to lead a Sortie. She rolls a 5, which leaves the crew on
  an unfortunate footing. All around the ship, sensors light up in worrying shades: they
  won't be making it anywhere without a fight.
  
  SUBSYSTEMS
  When you activate your Astir's subsystems, spend Mana 1-for-1 to do one of the
  following;
  •
  Power up an expended [Active] Astir part and use it again.
  •
  Divine your situation, asking one question from the read the room list.
  •
  Disperse away excess energy, fully unticking ‘overheating’ on your Astir.
  All Channeler playbooks may use the subsystems move. This allows them to spend
  Mana, a resource that is part of their Astir, like hold for the above results. Some Astirs
  have 0 Mana, but most have between 1 and 4 depending on the choices made
  creating it. You start every Sortie with your Astirs full amount of Mana, and do not
  usually regain spent Mana between scenes.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  The subsystems move gives players a quick way of resolving a variety of problems.
  It's risk-free and many Astirs offer the opportunity to do it more than once, so don't be
  afraid to remind your players if they find themselves in a tough spot and have Mana
  to spend. As long as they're piloting their Astir and it's not deactivated or shut down,
  they can activate subsystems.
  EXAMPLES OF SUBSYTEMS:
  Aidah is fighting eir Rival, and has just tried to exchange blows with them. E
  described how they tried to circle around them, laying into them with a rayrifle, but
  then e rolled a pair of 2s. Not happy with this result, e decides to spend a point of
  Mana on subsystems to reuse their ‘Afterburners’ artifact and roll with Advantage. E
  rolls an extra dice for the Advantage, which is a 6! Taking eir two highest results (the
  6 and a 2), combined with eir +CLASH of +1, brings the total from 5 to 8, making the
  move a partial success instead of failure.
  Strata, the party Paradigm is snooping through a strange labyrinth, clearly built to be
  explored by something even larger than their Astir. He's been lost in there for a little
  while without finding anything, but he doesn't want to risk something bad happening if
  he reads the room. Instead, he spends Mana on subsystems to safely ask one
  question from the read the room list. He asks 'what is being overlooked here?'.
  Prim, an Arcanist, is attempting to outrun a rampaging magma worm. He's pulling out
  all the stops, and his Astir is overheating after he used the diverse channelling
  move to weather the storm with +CHANNEL instead of +DEFY. Since his CHANNEL
  is +2, much better than his DEFY of -1, Prim decides to spend Mana on subsystems
  to remove the overheating tick, meaning he can safely use diverse channelling
  again.
  
  B-PLOT
  When you head out for some solitary revenge, leave to take part in negotiations, or
  otherwise take part in a secondary narrative thread to the players involved in the
  Sortie, you're in the b-plot. Name one or two Director characters that accompany you
  and hold 3. During the Sortie, you may spend it 1-for-1 to do the following;
  •
  Give another player confidence on their next move, but complicate things for
  yourself.
  •
  Deny an NPC from appearing during the Sortie - they’re busy, possibly with the
  same thing as you.
  •
  Spend some time and take a Downtime move.
  •
  Cut away from the Sortie during a moment when time is precious, giving everyone
  room to think.
  All Support playbooks may use the b-plot move. If the Sortie looks like it's going to
  involve Astir combat and you want to help out in an indirect way, or you have a plot
  thread you want to follow alone, you can use the b-plot to do that - it lets you be
  elsewhere, effectively in a Sortie of your own, while still having some agency over the
  main one.
  DIRECTOR NOTES
  The b-plot move provides people playing a Support playbook an easy way of always
  being able to apply their skill-set, even if the Sortie calls for something else entirely.
  Artificers can be off fixing things, Diplomats can be taking part in negotiations, and so
  on. This means that players can place themselves in somewhere interesting for their
  character, rather than sitting around on the Cruiser idly, or putting themselves in
  grave danger fighting Astirs on foot if they're the lone Support in a group full of
  Channelers. If there's a b-plot to a Sortie, it should be established when lead a
  Sortie is rolled, or earlier if possible. If the b-plot takes a player far away from the
  Carrier and the rest of their group, they should be prepared to explain how that
  happened. Since Sorties follow a period of Downtime, they might have travelled
  beforehand, or maybe they used some kind of magical method like a teleportation
  circle. B-plot by itself isn't magic, but the game's full of it elsewhere, so don't hold
  them to anything too rigid here.
  EXAMPLES OF B-PLOT:
  Captain Brightline has left to meet with other members of their Cause at a star castle.
  The rest of the crew is busy dealing with an errant god during the Sortie, so
  Brightline's meeting is a b-plot. They have 3 hold to help out though, and later when
  the fighting gets tough they spend 1 to let their ally Teasel act with confidence when
  she tries to commune with a space orb.
  Kai, a Diplomat, is using the b-plot to sneak around a military encampment. Back in
  the Sortie, their allies are handling things ok, and the other players suggest Kai use
  his last hold to make a Downtime move. They do so, choosing to take the overhear
  action, representing them eavesdropping and gathering info. They roll with +SENSE
  and get an 11, letting them choose 2 from the results listed on overhear.
  Mura, a Scout, is aiding one of their allied Factions by helping break the siege on a
  neutral city. Since everyone else is working to broker a peace treaty between two
  other Factions this Sortie, Mura's taking part in the b-plot. The group has been
  worried an Authority agent named Prose will show up to disrupt the treaty meeting,
  so Mura decides to spend hold to deny Prose from appearing during the Sortie. This'll
  certainly stop Prose from interfering with the meeting, but it also opens them up to
  being a problem for Mura.
  
  DOWNTIME MOVES
  Between Sorties, player characters have time to themselves on the Carrier to rest,
  recuperate, and do their own thing. This is referred to as Downtime, and the moves
  they use during it are the Downtime moves. You may use GRAVITY clocks on
  Downtime moves by involving other characters in the ‘scene’, whether handle it in
  abstract or actually play it out.
  Each player may make TWO moves per Downtime, unless something specifies
  otherwise, but before you can do that everyone should take a moment to...
  CHECK IN
  When you finish a Sortie and return to the Carrier to figure out what’s next, it’s time to
  check in with each-other not as your characters, but as players. Is everyone happy
  with how the game has gone since the last downtime? Does anyone want to discuss
  the safety tools you’re using, and maybe amend any lines/veils etc? Does anyone
  have thoughts or comments on how the game is progressing, and what they might
  want to see more or less of?
  After you’ve checked in, everyone can choose and make their two Downtime moves.
  OVERHEAR
  When you wait in the corridor, tap into someone else's sending stone, or otherwise
  become privy to information you’re not supposed to (intentionally or not), you're
  attempting to overhear. When you do so, roll;
  •
  +CREW to consult ship records, books or other recorded information.
  •
  +SENSE to listen out for exchanges, out-loud thinking, or generally eavesdrop.
  On a 10+, you aren’t noticed or detected, and may choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 2, but
  someone takes notice of you.
  •
  What you learn changes how you think about someone—start or advance a
  GRAVITY clock with them.
  •
  Roll with Advantage in the next Sortie while acting on what you learned.
  •
  You make progress on learning something larger—start a clock to represent this
  progress, or advance an existing one as per work on a project. You may work
  on a project to perform research towards this clock as if it were a normal project.
  TALK IT OUT
  When you try to ease tensions, make a connection or spend time with other
  characters during Downtime, you’re trying to talk it out. When you do so, declare
  one or more characters you would like to have a scene with, and roll +TALK;
  On a 10+, everyone in the scene holds 3. On a 7-9, they hold 1, as does the Director.
  This pool is shared between them (except for the Director, who keeps their 1 to
  themselves), and during the scene anyone can spend it 1-for-1 to do the following;
  •
  Remove a peril of social or emotional origin from another character.
  •
  Add to or excuse a character from the scene—or invite a player to enter/leave.
  •
  Roll with advantage next time you plan & prepare.
  MEND SOMETHING
  When you attempt to repair a damaged Astir, suture wounds, or take the rest you
  need to recover from that last Sortie, you’re attempting to mend something. When
  you do so, roll +CREW;
  On a 10+, clear a peril of mechanical or physical origin from a character or construct.
  On a 7-9, as above, but you use up parts—pay 1 SUPPLY, or take disadvantage to
  mend something until you do.
  
  SHORE LEAVE
  When you try to purchase something at a market, look for trouble in neutral turf, or
  otherwise leave the safety of the ship to do something on foot during Downtime,
  you’re taking shore leave. When you do so, roll +TALK, and take;
  •
  Disadvantage if what you want is limited or hard to find
  •
  Disadvantage if you want to skip a queue for something
  •
  Disadvantage if what you want is illegal or restricted here
  •
  Advantage if you’re willing to accept lower quality
  •
  Advantage if what you want is abundant or easy to find
  •
  Advantage if what you want is useless or a burden to the owner
  On a 10+, you find what you were looking for if it’s available, without any problems.
  On a 7-9, you find what you’re after, but there’s a complication, trouble, or even a
  fight involved to get it.
  WORK ON A PROJECT
  When you take part in long negotiations, start building something from scratch, or
  otherwise put effort towards a longer-term endeavour, you’re trying to work on a
  project. If you’re starting a new project, explain it to your Director and they will start a
  clock to represent it. When you work on a project, roll +KNOW;
  On a 10+, fill in two empty segments of the clock. On a 7-9, fill in one empty
  segment. On a 6-, you suffer a setback of some kind—either remove one filled
  segment, or scrap the project for parts and take advantage next time you work on a
  project.
  PLAN & PREPARE
  When you review orders for the next Sortie, go over scouting reports and maps, or
  otherwise attempt to prepare the crew for what comes next, you’re trying to plan &
  prepare. When you do so, roll +KNOW;
  On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a 6 or below, choose 1, but some
  element of your preparation or planning will backfire or fail during the Sortie.
  •
  During the next Sortie, you will have the opportunity to recover 1 dropped Stake
  and give it to a Faction of your choice.
  •
  During the next Sortie, you will have the opportunity to acquire up to 3 SUPPLY.
  •
  The next lead a Sortie roll is made with advantage.
  •
  All players hold 1. You may spend your hold during the next Sortie as if it were
  hold gained through one of your basic or playbook moves.
  Only one player may plan & prepare per Downtime. Players may give up one of their
  Downtime actions to assist: if one does so, take advantage. If two do so, act with
  confidence.
  
  CONFLICT & TIERS
  As a game largely about getting into magical mechs and fighting fascism, much of
  the interaction between players and other characters (during Sorties at least) will
  involve them in various kinds of conflict or negotiation. In Armour Astir, much of this
  will largely fall under the purview of two moves: from friendly duels to fights to the
  death, from lying to avoid suspicion to addressing a nation.
  Narratively, players will exchange blows to set opponents up, wear them down, give
  an argument strength or cast doubt, then strike decisively to land a killing blow,
  dismiss an argument entirely, or otherwise follow through on opportunities opened up
  by their earlier exchanges.
  Mechanically, players will exchange blows to make an opponent defenceless by
  giving them a number of risks or perils, then strike decisively to remove them as a
  threat according to the fiction.
  Of course, there are many factors at play that might affect how the rolls behind these
  moves go down. Physical conflicts are affected most obviously by physical things: by
  the weapons being used as well as what kind of protection those involved have to
  rely on. The terrain, relationships, weather, and so on might also come into play.
  Anything settled with words is likely to be affected on a more circumstantial basis: by
  what is being said, who it is being said to, and countless other little factors.
  What this largely boils down to is having one or more levels of advantage or
  disadvantage, or if you’re particularly lucky (or unlucky) the ability to act with
  confidence (or desperation). See Opposing With +CLASH and Opposing With
  +TALK below for specifics on things that might affect these rolls.
  Affecting both equally are Tiers, the embodiment of what kinds of creature or object
  something can, broadly speaking, be considered in the same league as. Fighting
  something below your tier is far easier (see: an Astir stomping on a man), whilst
  fighting something above your tier is far harder (see: a man trying to stomp on an
  Astir). See Tiers below for more information.
  OPPOSING WITH +CLASH
  When it comes to literal combat, weapon ranges and approaches are the primary
  thing to consider. Many tags also offer benefits when using certain moves or fighting
  in certain situations.
  RANGES
  Weapon ranges, largely, define if you can trigger moves like exchange blows or
  strike decisively. They might also have relevance in attempts to intimidate or
  threaten: a smart foe might know full well that you’re bluffing with a weapon they
  have little to fear from.
  •
  Melee: This weapon is used to physically hit targets at close range.
  •
  Ranged: This weapon is used to hit targets from a medium distance or close up.
  •
  Sniper: This weapon is used to shoot at targets from a long or medium distance.
  Range tags are relative to the tier of the weapon - an Astir-sized sword with melee
  range can strike something a lot further away than a sword wielded by a person, for
  example. Ranged and sniper weapons mounted on something higher tier than them
  are re-tuned so that their range bands are relative to their new housing.
  APPROACHES
  There are, in the broadest of senses, five approaches to combat. Each is particularly
  effective against another, but in turn vulnerable in the same way. You act with
  confidence when facing an approach yours is strong against, and desperation
  
  when facing an approach that is strong against yours. They are:
  •
  Mundane (M), the approach of those with blades, bows and shields, cuts easily
  through arcane defenses meant to protect against magic with simple steel.
  •
  Arcane (A), the approach of those who weave pure unaspected magic, pierces
  the domains of the divine well, having long since been stolen away from them.
  •
  Divine (D), the approach of those with a godly sponsor, scours the profane from
  our world quite readily, holy powers being anathema to those of the dark.
  •
  Profane (P), the approach of those who consort with the unkind and the
  forgotten, is effective against the natural forces of our world, and as such easily
  smothers elemental magic.
  •
  Elemental (E), the approach of those wielding fire and frost, easily subverts
  mundane defenses that rely on materials that warp, conduct and shatter under
  the elements.
  You might work on a project to change the damage type of something, or take
  shore leave to find a quick way do it temporarily.
  On foot, your approach is typically defined by your playbook. Golems, Astirs, Carriers
  and other magical constructs have their own approaches which override yours when
  you’re fighting in them.
  OPPOSING WITH +TALK
  When trying to achieve things with words, the tags on your gear and weapons tend to
  be less important (though if intimidation is your chosen avenue, this might not be the
  case). What matters more is what is being said, who it is being said to, what kind of
  person they are, and so on.
  DEBATE ME
  When you’re using exchange blows or strike decisively to persuade, intimidate,
  deceive, inspire and otherwise use words get your way, it’s very important to keep the
  facts of your fiction in mind. Rugged mercenaries are less likely to cower under
  intimidation that shy scholars, and it’s harder to negotiate with an expert merchant
  than someone with barely a sale to their name: situations like these are where
  advantage and disadvantage might often come from when using +TALK. You
  should feel free to suggest these to your Director when they arise.
  Strike decisively notes that on a success your foe is removed as a threat according
  to the fiction. When rolling with +TALK, the fiction will typically be that they believe
  what you’ve said, are willing to carry out some instruction or bow under threat, etc. As
  such, striking decisively in this manner means the character will do what you
  wanted and them cease being a threat to you. This might mean they stand aside,
  retreat, are so well-convinced of your disguise they no longer suspect you at all, or so
  on. Characters must still be made defenceless for this to happen. In social
  circumstances, the risks and perils you inflict to do so are likely to be very different to
  MUNDANE
  ARCANE
  DIVINE
  ELEMENTAL
  PROFANE
  
  the ones you inflict in actual combat. You might mention a name that makes
  someone uneasy, imply violence that leaves someone scared, or speak with courage
  that inspires confidence in someone you’re trying to instruct.
  That’s not to say dangers of a more physical nature don’t effect social engagements
  and vice-versa. Someone already hurt could be easy to intimidate, just as someone
  who is scared might falter in battle.
  TALKING TO GOD
  While weapon tags like bane and ruin provide an avenue of overcoming tier
  differences (see Tiers on the next page), those differences also apply when you’re
  exchanging blows or striking decisively with +TALK. If you’re just one person, it
  can be hard to sway the entire crew of a Carrier, intimidate someone in an Astir, or lie
  to a deity. There are, of course, plenty of situations where those differences break
  down though. If you are someone in a position of authority over them that crew might
  listen to you immediately. If you know the trigger word for an explosive rune etched
  onto that Astir, you have leverage behind your threat.
  For that reason, when rolling with +TALK, you may treat words as having the bane or
  ruin tags where appropriate, or even ignore the tier rules altogether if the situation
  calls for it.
  TIERS
  In Armour Astir, there are five tiers things usually come in when it comes to conflict,
  reaching from tier I (characters) to tier V (carriers). Weaponry within each of these
  categories is described relatively—that is to say, in general, a Carrier-sized weapon
  with area has a much larger effective radius than a person-sized weapon with area—
  because close range between two people is a lot smaller than close range between
  two Carriers.
  •
  Tier I covers any creature of around vaguely human strength and resilience.
  •
  Tier II covers simple magical constructs and people particularly talented in
  combat. Monsters that might threaten two or three people alone could be tier II.
  •
  Tiers III and IV are Armour Astirs; large, magically-animated suits of armour that
  are piloted by someone with magical ability, referred to here as a Channeler.
  Monsters with tough hides or magical protection might be one of these tiers.
  •
  Tier V is the realm of vessels and vehicles on a grander scale than any single
  construct - ships, trains, or other interesting creations, that often carry and deploy
  constructs or Astirs into battle. Carriers, like the one the players have, are tier V.
  Immense creatures, like krakens or really big dragons could be considered tier V.
  •
  Tier VI covers things beyond Carriers or Astirs. They are things men might call
  unfathomable, or unknowable - but men designed them, men lifted the timbers,
  and men guided them until they could walk. It is not the shape or definition of the
  divine that makes them beyond us.
  You should feel free to include exceptions to the above in your game. Golems of a
  higher tier that can go toe-to-toe with Astirs more readily, smaller Carriers or ships
  that are only tier III/IV, and other things can be interesting to think about: what does a
  tier V person look like?
  LOWER VS HIGHER TIER
  People, monsters, weapons and so on have a tier - typically the same as its intended
  users. These tiers reflect what they are typically effective against: tier III weapons are
  built to fight tier III things, and so on.
  Affecting something of a higher tier than you is difficult due to the difference in scale
  and power, meaning moves like exchange harm and strike decisively can’t be
  triggered normally. In certain situations these restrictions might be sidestepped—an
  Astir’s magic isn’t much protection if you open the cockpit, etc. Another exception to
  
  this rule are weapons with the bane and ruin tags, which make them effective against
  targets of one and two tiers higher respectively.
  Additionally, if you’re a lower tier than something trying to harm you, instead of
  weathering the storm or exchanging blows to avoid that harm, you must bite the
  dust - but you roll with Advantage, since you’re not actually defenceless.
  HIGHER VS LOWER TIER
  Working in the other direction is a little different. When moving against something one
  or more tiers above you, players can strike decisively against foes of a lower tier
  without making them defenceless. When doing so, you roll with disadvantage to
  represent the difficulty and distraction of hitting a small target—unless you’re using a
  weapon with the area tag. Beware the dangers of painting details with a such broad
  brush, however.
  If all this is a bit much at first, the important thing to remember is that if you want to
  hurt something one step tougher than you, you need bane on your weapon. If you
  want to hurt something two steps tougher than you, you need ruin. If you want to hurt
  something three or more steps tougher than you, you need a plan.
  
  TAGS & GEAR
  Equipment in Armour Astir is distinguished by a few things. While weaponry has
  specific ranges and types of damage, all equipment also has tags. These tags help
  define an object in terms of narrative effects as well as more specific mechanical
  ones. Below, you’ll find a list of mechanical and narrative tags followed by a list of
  equipment across tiers I and II (see The Carrier & Astirs for tiers III through V). Also
  provided is a recap of weapon ranges and damage types.
  Feel free to expand all these lists with options of your own to better suit your
  campaign and setting, as well as the tastes of you and your players. Neither list is by
  any means exhaustive.
  If you encounter a tag that isn’t on these lists, assume it’s a Narrative tag: what it
  does should be self-descriptive.
  TAGS
  MECHANICAL
  The following tags have specific mechanical affects ascribed to them, as well as any
  narrative implications.
  •
  Bane: Can damage or harm targets of a tier above it.
  •
  Ruin: As per bane, but can damage or harm targets up to two tiers higher.
  •
  Blitz: You may expend or break a weapon with this tag to make a move with
  confidence. If your weapon also has a tag like infinite or sturdy that would make
  it more long-lasting, remove that instead.
  •
  Decisive: Grants advantage when you strike decisively, but usually relies on
  precision or catching your opponent off-guard, meaning you have disadvantage
  when you exchange blows with it.
  •
  Defensive: Provides good defence or ease of use at the cost of lethality, granting
  advantage when you exchange blows but disadvantage when you strike
  decisively.
  •
  Versatile: A versatile weapon grants Advantage to both exchange blows and
  strike decisively.
  •
  Guided: This weapon has guided strikes or projectiles, allowing you to take a 7-9
  result when you exchange blows and strike decisively rather than rolling if you
  wish. Guided projectiles are reliable, but leave little room for finesse.
  •
  Refresh: Readily available or replenish-able in some way, objects with refresh can
  be replenished before the next scene if lost or expended.
  •
  Area: This weapon affects a large area and can hit multiple targets. While any
  melee weapon might hit multiple people stood right next to each-other, an area
  weapon might slice through an entire crowd or catch spread-out foes in blasts or
  hails of fire.
  •
  Set-Up: Make moves using this item at disadvantage unless you prepare or arm
  it in some way.
  •
  Ward: You may discharge this tag once per Sortie to reduce an incoming source
  of harm from a peril to a risk, or from a risk to nothing.
  
  NARRATIVE
  The following tags do not have specific mechanical effects, but their descriptive
  nature could have mechanical effects.
  •
  Aquatic: Can manoeuvre in water easily, and might have an extended oxygen
  supply if an Astir or Golem.
  •
  Aerial: Can fly easily in gravity rather than being limited to short jumps and glides.
  If your campaign involves space, an aerial Astir might be able to survive
  atmospheric re-entry.
  •
  Custom: This weapon would be easier than normal to modify for or load with
  custom ammunition.
  •
  Dangerous: Volatile or difficult to use safely, dangerous objects invite dire
  consequences if not used carefully.
  •
  Fragile: Easily broken, either by shoddy design or frail materials.
  •
  Distinct: Impressive, loud, or just particularly memorable, distinct equipment is
  hard to be subtle with.
  •
  Rare: Difficult to find, and sure to be prized by anyone who owns one.
  •
  Infinite: This thing either doesn’t use ammo or power to function, or uses such
  small amounts relative to your supply that it is practically endless.
  •
  Insulated: Provides a degree of protection against the elements, allowing you to
  better weather intense cold or heat.
  •
  Small: Small, light, and easy to hide or be quick with. You might throw small
  things with enough accuracy to hit foes.
  •
  Slow: There is a delay involved in this objects use, like the travel time of a
  projectile, or the low speed of a construct.
  •
  Limited: You have a particularly limited supply or use of this thing, and it will run
  out typically at an inconvenient moment.
  •
  Messy: This weapon is imprecise, and can have excessive, unwanted results.
  •
  2H: Takes both hands to use properly, though not necessarily just to carry.
  •
  Mounted: Rather than taking up the hands of the wielder, this weapon is mounted
  or worn in some way.
  •
  Restraining: Can restrict or slow targets in some way.
  •
  Reloading: After firing, this weapon requires you to manually reload it or perform
  some other action to ready it for use. If it is listed as bane/reloading or ruin/
  reloading, it means those tags specifically require a reload, but the weapon can
  continue to be used without them otherwise.
  
  ACQUIRING EQUIPMENT
  Typically, there isn’t anything for sale on board your Carrier. Okay, there’s probably a
  quartermaster you could requisition things from, if you’re willing to wait for it to be
  shipped out, and maybe you could persuade a private merchant to tag along - but in
  general, when you want to buy something you need to go and find it.
  Doing so means making the shore leave move during Downtime. Provided you don’t
  roll a 6 or below, you find what you’re after if it’s available - but on a 7-9, it’s not going
  to be as simple as handing over the cash. Keep in mind that you can’t find something
  if it isn’t there - if you stop by a small farming town looking for Astir parts, you
  probably won’t find them.
  Generally speaking, the equipment provided below is not a comprehensive list of
  what exists in any given world, and some might have a completely different set of
  things people use. You should feel free to, as a group, tweak existing things and add
  anew to fit your game and its requirements.
  SUPPLY AND SHORE LEAVE
  ARMOUR ASTIR uses SUPPLY to represent currency, trade goods, and whatever
  else you have aboard your Carrier to exchange for the things you need. Feel free to
  rename it for your game, but either way it’s assumed you often actually deal in local
  currencies and trade goods where appropriate - it’s just easier to keep track of a
  single value. When you roll shore leave, you can expect your SUPPLY to go a lot
  further depending on what you’re trying to get. 1 SUPPLY might be enough to restock
  parts or equipment used up when mending something, but it’s also probably enough
  to feed the entire crew for a week or patch up serious damage to the Carrier.
  Depending on what you’re looking for and where, your Director might modify the roll
  further - especially if you’re looking for something rare or expensive. Generally, you
  can expect to take;
  •
  Disadvantage if what you want is in limited supply
  •
  Disadvantage if you want to skip a queue for something
  •
  Disadvantage if what you want is illegal or restricted here
  •
  Advantage if you’re willing to accept lower quality
  •
  Advantage if what you want is abundant or easy to find
  •
  Advantage if what you want is useless or a burden to the owner
  GAINING SUPPLY
  Getting SUPPLY to pay for things can happen in a variety of ways. If the goal of a
  Sortie was given to you directly by one of the Factions that makes up the Cause, they
  might offer SUPPLY in exchange for it—though this might come with obligations or
  restrictions in how it could be spent. A Faction of Assassins might not be able to give
  you materials to repair an Astir, but might have medical knowledge that are willing to
  give you some points of SUPPLY worth of access to.
  Additionally, during the Conflict Turn, Factions might provide you with SUPPLY
  depending on how certain moves shake out. Factions are often busy opposing the
  Authority, but might occasionally be able to spare SUPPLY for you. You might also
  take shore leave after a Sortie and try to salvage or gather SUPPLY from the
  wreckage of battle.
  It’s also important to remember that you can only carry a certain amount of SUPPLY.
  By default, your Carrier is equipped with a Cargo Bay that can hold up to 10. If you’re
  finding yourselves carrying lots of surplus, you might want to look into getting a
  second one.
  
  TIER I EQUIPMENT
  Tier I equipment is intended for use by people, like humans, goblins or other similarly
  scaled characters. It is generally easier to find than higher tier equipment, and often
  cheaper too. Since the focus of this game is largely on combat between Astirs, tier I
  equipment is largely abstracted.
  A tier I weapon will typically have a range and possibly one or two tags from above.
  All playbooks receive a weapon, but some additional examples can be found below.
  To some degree, feel free to just wholesale make up what melee weapons exist in
  your world, because unless you’re doing it to try and gain a large advantage on a roll
  or to try and deus-ex-machina your way out of a bad situation, you probably can’t
  break anything badly enough that it matters. Take that fire sword. It’s cool.
  TIER I MELEE WEAPONS
  TIER I RANGED WEAPONS
  Infantry Weapon I (melee)
  Simple, sturdy weapons like blades and clubs.
  Dagger I (melee / small)
  A concealable dagger, easily worn beneath clothing and thrown if needed.
  Greatsword I (melee / area, 2H)
  A large weapon, with good reach and weight, perfect for taking heads. Praxis.
  Armourbane I (melee / decisive)
  A thin, pretty blade, good for slipping between armour plates.
  Enchanted Blade I (melee / bane)
  What was once simple steel now carries the unmistakable sheen of ritual.
  Partisan I (melee / defensive, 2H)
  A long spear, perfect for keeping your friends safe and your enemies at a very
  specific distance, as the saying goes.
  Crossbow I (ranged / 2H)
  For when you don’t need anything fancy, a crossbow is perfectly capable of doing
  the job for as long as you have bolts.
  Sidearm I (ranged / defensive)
  The typical protections afforded to Astir pilots: a reliable tool capable of firing bursts
  of light arcane energy.
  Raypistol I (ranged / bane)
  A powerful but short-lived firebolt wand, fitted with a comfortable grip.
  Boltrifle I (ranged / blitz, 2H)
  Effectively repeating crossbows fed by lightweight ‘barrels’ of ammunition, bolt rifles
  are a common sight among troops of any real armed force.
  Rayrifle I (sniper / reloading, ruin, 2H)
  A heavy rifle, often using magical crystals or wands as charge for a single shot.
  Their bulk, heavy recoil and cost makes them highly uncommon, but not overly so -
  after all, little else hand-held will put a hole through an Astir.
  Ashstaff I (ranged / area, bane, 2H)
  A large, shoulder-carried staff charged with incendiary magic. A little lighter and
  easier to use than a rayrifle, but still fairly bulky and lacking in the ability to pierce
  the protective wards of Astirs.
  
  GEAR NAMES / TAGS
  TIER II EQUIPMENT
  The most common way players and other characters might make themselves tier II is
  by piloting a golem: a sort of magical vehicle or construct. There are some examples
  of golems on the following page, but here’s some examples of tier II weapons that
  might be used by a player with the Scout playbook, or might be found as emplaced
  weapons mounted in a fortress or some other defensive position.
  Extra Protection I +ward
  Helps keep you intact, usually.
  Farspeech Stone I (small, fragile)
  Stones of Farspeech allow you to communicate over great distances with the holder
  of a linked stone. Most are enchanted to be linked only to one other stone, but more
  expensive versions can be linked to as many as the owner requires.
  Construct Sensor I (bulky)
  Circular tables with a surface constructed of an array of enchanted steel pins. The
  pins independently slide up and down when unregistered Constructs are detected in
  a certain radius, creating a rough three-dimensional relief of oncoming forces. The
  height of raised pins correspond to the size of a detected constructs, and larger
  tables with denser arrays allow for more precise reliefs.
  Latch I (small)
  Basically handles enchanted to lock into place when pushed against something
  magical, Latches are typically used by ground forces to hitch a ride on constructs
  that don’t have room for them to ride inside of. Also available as a pair of weaker
  Latches, built into a glove and boot, so that the wearer may simply hold a hand and
  foot against a construct to attach to it.
  Grappling Hook I (Allows you to climb or grapple)
  A small sturdy grip attached to a barrel loaded with an steel hook, which is propelled
  by forceful magic. An attached cord can then be reeled in, allowing the holder to
  quickly relocate.
  Invisibility Cloak I (limited, fragile, makes you invisible)
  Generally speaking, doing just about anything is cooler if you’re invisible when you
  do it.
  Manacharge I (area, ruin, fragile)
  A destructive spell delayed by a wax timer. Stick it on an Astir, light the wick, and run
  for your life.
  Baneblade II (melee / bane, area, 2H)
  Most Astir pilots do not concern themselves with the scrambling of foot-soldiers.
  Some of these pilots meet very unexpected ends.
  Might also be: Blowtorch, Enchanted Broadsword, Bolt Gauntlets
  Warp-Slinger II (ranged / blitz, infinite, mounted)
  An emplaced device incorporating multiple wands linked to a simple firing ritual that
  can be triggered by even those not gifted with magic.
  Might also be: MG Turret, Point Laser, Multi-Crossbow
  Golem Rifle II (ranged / reload, bane, 2H)
  A large two-handed tool that fires searing bolts of light, capable of burning through
  even an Astir’s defences. Typically used by golems, due to its weight.
  Might also be: Arbalest, Flame Staff, Greatbow
  Seeker Cluster II (ranged / guided, defensive)
  Guided by a faint magical intelligence, this device lets loose a swarm of small
  magical crystals to hound a particular target. Though they struggle to pierce armour,
  these crystals shatter on impact, resulting in sharp shrapnel.
  Might also be: Orbiting Motes, Shock Rod, Command Bracelets & Drone
  
  GOLEM NAMES / TAGS
  Steed Golem II M
  •
  Iron Hooves II (melee)
  A large, horse-shaped mechanism driven by simple magic. Steed Golems are no
  faster than a normal horse, but never tire or want for food, making them much easier
  to maintain.
  Might also be: Armoured Horse, Motorbike, Personal Shuttle
  Transport Golem II (ward, bulky) M
  •
  Cargo Hold II (Secure and spacious)
  For moving things from point A to point B - just make sure you have an escort.
  Might also be: Van, Trader Caravan, Cargo Shuttle
  Service Golem II A
  •
  Golem Fists II (melee / small, blitz)
  •
  Condenser Stave II (ranged / infinite, 2H)
  Service Golems are large, roughly humanoid constructs, designed to perform heavy
  lifting and assist infantry forces without impacting their resupply costs much.
  Might also be: Loader Frame, Exo-suit, Industrial Drone
  Tank Golem II (ward) A
  •
  Salvo Stave II (sniper / area, bane, mounted)
  •
  Bolt Rifle I (ranged / infinite, mounted)
  Protected by heavy metal plating and carried by large, flexible legs, Tank Golems
  are capable of launching explosive magical spells over a long distance.
  Might also be: Tank, Fighter Jet, Artillery Platform
  
  THE CARRIER & ASTIRS
  THE CARRIER
  Your Carrier is the place you call home - it's the base of operations you return to
  between the fighting to rest, recuperate, and hopefully not fight with your friends
  instead. Your Carrier might be a large ship, flying fortress or other huge vehicle, and
  is probably powered by a complex blend of magic, alchemy and simple human
  ingenuity - most importantly, meaning it doesn't require a Channeler to helm it,
  freeing them up for active service. It is in many ways your most valuable asset.
  Your Carrier typically has enough room to store an Astir (or another ‘vehicle’, like a
  golem, a magical carriage, or a horse I guess) per player, and room for any Director
  characters who journey with them to store their own. It's also assumed to have
  enough room for each player character who lives there to have their own space -
  though how large or comfortable this is might vary. The ship’s regular crew might not
  be so lucky. Your Carrier is your home, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a safe
  place. Players should be prepared to defend it, and should think about how best to
  do so. At the very least, it contains a small armoury so that all crew members have
  access to a simple blade or crossbow.
  MECHANICALLY SPEAKING...
  Your Carrier is made up of a few things:
  •
  A CREW Trait, starting at +0. Like other traits, it has a maximum of +3.You can
  also work on a project to increase CREW by 1. It's an 8-step clock, and could
  represent training, developing new equipment, or something else. CREW might
  also be lowered should staff be killed or hurt, or if the Carrier is damaged heavily.
  •
  Weapons (for knocking Authority ships out of the sky).
  •
  Modules, which provide various benefits. You’ll start with some of these if some of
  your players are playing Support playbooks, and fit them into the Carrier layout.
  CREATING YOUR CARRIER
  Creating the Carrier, in at least these first few steps, is a group task. Players will
  decide what kind of craft their Carrier is, what kind of movement it is capable of, what
  it looks like, etc (and the Director should take this into account when thinking about
  what kinds of Carriers and similar crafts the Authority uses—there won’t be much
  fighting if the players live on a burrowing ship that goes beneath the earth while the
  Authority mostly just have submarines). Once that’s out of the way, you have a few
  initial choices to make between you.
  CARRIER TYPE
  Firstly, you’ll want to decide broadly what kind of craft or vehicle your Carrier is. This
  is mostly a fiction decision, and will inform where it can go and what kind of places it
  might take you to—things that, naturally, should tell your Director what types of
  places you’re interested in going to.
  •
  Flying: Lifted through the sky by magic, levitating crystals, lighter-than-air gases
  or something else entirely, a craft that soars through the air is capable of taking
  you practically anywhere above ground. You might dramatically take it down
  between narrow canyon walls, make emergency landings in an arid desert, or
  explore islands floating above the clouds.
  •
  Ground: Either a single vehicle or a convoy of them, ground Carriers are bound to
  the earth but might be equipped to explore very particular environments: train
  wheels that restrict your movements to tracks, big thick wheels for splashing
  through muddy marshland, mechanical drills for exploring hidden caverns, etc.
  
  •
  Aquatic: Whether floating on the surface or plumbing the deepest depths, an
  aquatic Carrier is built for the sea. It, naturally, probably doesn’t perform to its
  fullest once it hits the shore.
  •
  Combination: Your Carrier does some or all of the above! It’s just flexible like that.
  What magic or artifice lets it do this? Is it better in some environments than
  others? Is this functionality part of its design or something it’s been altered for?
  WEAPONRY
  Your Carrier probably has weapons built into it: tier V weaponry to be precise, perfect
  for taking on Carriers, krakens, elder dragons and fascists. The really big ones.
  Together, choose a main weapon for your Carrier, and decide on its approach. It may
  use any of the approaches, and that might colour how its weaponry works.
  •
  A powerful long-range weapon V (sniper / decisive, bane, limited, mounted) - This
  might be a powerful magical blast capable of reaching far into the distance, a
  steam-powered weapon that propels a steel bolt at distant foes, a scorching ray
  fuelled by bottled motes of elemental flame, etc.
  •
  A seeking mid-range weapon V (ranged / guided, mounted) - This might be
  magically-guided wands carrying explosive spells, bolts of arcane force that never
  miss their target, sealed explosives etched with guidance rituals, etc.
  •
  A relatively close-range weapon V (melee / defensive, infinite, mounted) - This
  might be defensive sceens of blasting magical force, volleys of alchemically-
  treated arrows, a shocking aura or shield, etc.
  MODULES
  Finally, modules are the facilities, features and upgrades that make your Carrier more
  than just a box you all sit in to move from one place to the next. Your Carrier starts
  with a Cargo Bay module stocked with 3 SUPPLY (used to barter, make repairs, etc).
  If all players are playing Channeler playbooks, at this point your Carrier is finished:
  it’s time to pick out your Astirs!
  Any player who has chosen a Support playbook, however, gets to add a module to
  the Carrier. This might be something you’ve added to the Carrier yourself, something
  from a past life before you joined the Cause, or something that has always been part
  of it. The modules you pick will need to be fitted into the layout on your Carrier Card,
  so each one is listed with how many boxes it takes up in the layout: ■, ■■, or ■■■.
  Acquiring new Modules might be done through a Sortie or through the Downtime
  move shore leave. You might then also need to work on a project to install/set it up.
  Spellcraft Lab (+1 segment when you work on a project to build an Extra)
  ■
  Crew Quarters (+1 CREW)
  ■
  Infirmary (mend something with Advantage when treating physical injuries
  or illnesses once per Downtime)
  ■
  Cargo Bay (Can store up to 10 SUPPLY)
  ■
  Simulation Rituals (+1 CREW)
  ■
  Mana Fonts (+1 Mana to all Astirs)
  ■■■
  Advanced Tools (work on a project with Advantage once per Downtime)
  ■
  Mess Hall (overhear with Advantage once per Downtime)
  ■
  Officer Quarters (talk it out with Advantage once per Downtime)
  ■
  Historical Records (plan & prepare with Advantage once per Downtime)
  ■
  Artifice Workshop (mend something with Advantage when repairing
  damage to an Astir once per Downtime)
  ■
  Advanced Shielding (+ward)
  ■■
  Full Pantry (+1 CREW)
  ■
  
  LAYOUT & THE CARRIER CARD
  You’ll record your Carrier’s information on a card like the one below - it has space for
  your CREW Trait, any weapons your Carrier has, and also your Carrier’s layout
  where you will slot in any Modules you have.
  The layout on your Carrier Card has two levels to it. The first level is open to use by
  default - any Modules you being play with will slot in here. If you need the extra
  space of the second level, you’ll need to modify your Carrier.
  Accessing your Carrier’s second level can be done in two ways. You can:
  •
  Spend 5 SUPPLY to refit the Carrier during Downtime
  •
  Work on a project during Downtime to do the refits yourself (8-step clock).
  DIRECTING THE CARRIER
  During play, it’s likely you’ll want the Carrier and its crew to do things. This is,
  arguably, what they’re for. If nobody is playing the Captain playbook, your Carrier and
  it’s crew are effectively Director characters. They’re on your side, but you’re not in
  charge - you’re part of a larger effort represented by the Cause, and if you want the
  Carrier to be used in a certain way you might need to do some convincing. You can
  expect things like fire support and transport during Sorties, obviously—after all,
  you’re the best Astir team they have—but convincing them to break orders from
  above or take more drastic courses of action might be difficult.
  If you’re playing the Captain, forget all of the above. You’re in charge! Fly it into the
  ground if you want to. Okay, maybe don’t do that: that’s probably not the kind of
  damage easily repaired even with magic. But as the Captain, you have authority over
  the Carrier’s crew and can give them orders which they will, broadly speaking, follow
  to the best of their ability. This is why the Captain has moves like in command and
  information network that use the Carrier’s CREW Trait, as well as an extra box for
  dangers: you’re not just responsible for your character, you’re also playing the
  Carrier. Just like a Channeler playbook might take a risk or be put in peril to
  represent damage to their Astir, the Captain is responsible for anything that happens
  to the Carrier.
  THE TWICE REMOVED V
  CREW
  +2
  FLYING / ARCANE
  LV1
  CARGO BAY
  MANA
  FONTS
  MANA
  FONTS
  MANA
  FONTS
  FULL
  PANTRY
  LV2
  CREW
  QUARTERS
  WEAPON
  Magic Missiles V (ranged / guided, mounted)
  WEAPON
  
  ASTIRS
  Astirs are, in simple terms, magical mechs. They are piloted (and powered) by a
  Channeler (someone with magical ability that is trained to control one), and given
  their magical nature are not bound in their designs to how we might think of mechs in
  a typical setting. Materials are much more flexible—sturdy materials can be
  enchanted to be lightweight, and vice versa—so don’t feel tied to heavy metals and
  so on.
  Depending on your setting and who built them, an Astir’s design might include wood,
  stone, ceramics, glass, or even organic matter like bone, natural fabrics or still-living
  plants. Your Astir with armour made of glass and structure made of monster bones
  can match one made of twice-forged steel blow for blow if you want it to, because
  magic.
  The same goes for its design. Things don’t need to look mechanical, or even make
  logical sense outside of what limits you establish at the table for your game. Your
  Astir could be a typical humanoid design, or it could be giant cursed monolith with
  arms that glides everywhere, humming.
  Talk between yourselves about what is appropriate for your setting, and how far from
  the norm you want to get with designs. Go with whatever feels right for what you
  want an Astir’s look to say about it and its pilot, but be prepared to have a discussion
  with the other players in your game about what, broadly speaking, Astirs in your
  setting look like, as well as where they come from. Are they constructed, or grown, or
  summoned from elsewhere? Do different factions and groups have their own
  aesthetics and designs, or even methods they use to get them?
  You might also want to discuss control mechanisms. Does your magic allow you to
  control an Astir with 1:1 body movements, your mech being a true extension of self,
  or do you still need to guide it through more conventional means? Again, is this
  different depending on where the Astir came from, or what faction developed it?
  SETTING EXPECTATIONS
  Regardless of the design or model you choose, we assume by default all Astirs are
  capable of the below;
  •
  Flight when not weighed down by gravity (the natural phenomenon, not the game
  mechanic) - short, limited flight otherwise.
  •
  Providing a magical source of oxygen, at least for a limited time (some Astirs
  might be designed to provide something more reliable)
  •
  Facilitating communication between friendly, willing pilots within line of sight
  (external factors might make this ineffective at long distances, like areas where
  the ambient magic in the air isn’t dense enough)
  •
  Facilitating communication between any pilots when in physical contact with each
  other
  If the above doesn’t work for your game, feel free to change them. It won’t break
  anything!
  MECHANICALLY SPEAKING...
  When it comes to the actual mechanics of using or creating one, Astirs are are made
  up of the following;
  •
  A core, which determines the approach of your Astir.
  •
  Two parts, which offer a variety of bonuses and abilities.
  •
  Weapons, which are used to destroy fascists, imperialists, god, etc.
  •
  A move, which is inherent and unique to that model of Astir.
  All Astirs also have a pool of Mana. This begins at 4, and is spent on choosing Parts
  and Weapons. The remainder becomes the amount you have to spend on the
  subsystems move in play, and you return to this amount every Downtime.
  
  CREATING YOUR ASTIR
  When creating a custom Astir, there are a few simple steps to follow. First, you pick
  your Astir's core, determining its approach. Then, you'll spend some of your Mana
  (starting with 4) on Parts and Weapons, before creating a unique move that defines
  your Astir. As above, your leftover Mana then becomes the pool available to you for
  the subsystems move, so you don’t need to spend all of it.
  1) CORES
  An Astir's core determines what it’s approach to combat is. Consider this a broad
  summary of the kinds of spells and rituals used by your Astir to protect itself and
  attack your foes.
  Alchemical
  An alchemical core, that uses magical substances and mechanisms to amplify the
  power of a Channeler and allow them to move an Astir.
  •
  Mundane or Arcane: work on a project to swap
  Crystalline
  A simple core that uses a large mana-rich crystal or gemstone as a focus for a
  Channeler’s own magic.
  •
  Arcane or Profane: work on a project to swap
  Natural
  A gift of the wilds: a living core, of bark, briar or bramble, imbued with all the life and
  force of nature. Installed into a war machine.
  •
  Divine or Elemental: work on a project to swap
  Ancient
  An ancient magical artifact, handed down by the gods to mankind long ago. While
  once a hero might have borne this into battle, it now fuels an Astir.
  •
  Mundane or Divine: work on a project to swap
  Occult
  A core made from false life and stolen power. Blood, sacrifice, demons, you know.
  •
  Profane or Elemental: work on a project to swap
  
  As a reminder, you act with confidence when facing an approach yours is strong
  against, and desperation when facing an approach that is strong against yours.
  Don’t worry too much that you’re giving your Astir a huge weak spot here: all your
  foes will have one too, and there are ways of permanently or temporarily changing
  your Astir’s approach.
  You might work on a project to change what it, or take shore leave to find
  temporary protection or weaponry of a different kind.
  An Astir’s approach also typically leads the fiction of how they fight and protect
  themselves. For example:
  •
  A mundane Astir might rely on thick armour or speed for protection. At range, it
  might use weapons that magically propel physical projectiles like metal bolts or
  pellets. Up close, its melee weapons likely rely on sharp blades or weighted
  heads to pierce the protections of other Astirs.
  •
  An arcane Astir might rely on charms and rituals that cast magical shields or
  provide limited bursts of invincibility for protection. At range, it might cast
  destructive bolts of eldritch energy or barrage foes with magical force. Up close,
  its melee weapons might be enchanted to cut clean through armour or wrapped in
  arcane energy that lets it pass through shields or barriers.
  •
  A divine Astir might rely on blessings or small miracles for protection. At range, it
  might sear away foes with divine light or undo them with the power of the gods.
  Up close, its melee weapons might channel the power of a deity through symbols
  and blessings to smite the Channeler’s enemies.
  •
  A profane Astir might rely on cloaking itself in shadow or impeding foes with
  hexes and curses for protection. At range, it might shower other Astirs in acid or
  poison, or use ignoble magic that harms an Astirs pilot directly. Up close, its
  melee weapons might use dangerous or forbidden materials for cruel results, or
  project blades of psychic or shadowy energy that passes through armour easily.
  •
  An elemental Astir might rely on bolts of lightning that strike down projectiles or
  weapon-melting mantles of flame for protection. At range, it might use artifacts
  that bring about localised storms or flash-freeze enemy Astirs. Up close, its melee
  weapons could carve apart armour with super-heated blades or discharge a
  powerful shock on impact.
  When adding weapons to your Astir, you should feel free to tweak their names and
  fiction to better fit the approach of your Astir.
  MUNDANE
  ARCANE
  DIVINE
  ELEMENTAL
  PROFANE
  
  2) PARTS
  The charms, rituals and other magical enhancements built into an Astir are what
  make it truly special. While most of these are free, some are particularly demanding
  of an Astir’s core. Choosing these requires you to spend Mana, but remember: the
  more you spend on Astir parts, the less you have during play for subsystems.
  Some parts are marked as [Passive], indicating their benefit is effective all the time.
  [Active] parts have an effect that can be used once per Sortie (unless specified
  otherwise) and is then expended. [Active] parts may be re-used once expended with
  the subsystems move.
  Extra Arms [Passive] (-1 Mana)
  While adding extra arms to an Astir is child’s play, properly
  coordinating them is much more complex.
  Two extra arms
  & hands
  Weapon Conduit [Passive]
  A magical conduit that compensates for the heavy magical load of
  certain weaponry, trading utility for output.
  +2 Mana
  towards
  weapons only
  Divination Codex [Passive]
  A cross-referenced record of countless common omens, signs and
  prophecies, easily perused by an attuned Channeler in a flash.
  When you read
  the room, also
  ask “What is
  about to
  happen?”
  Mana-Forge [Passive]
  A magically-powered forge, capable of casting common Astir
  supplies and munitions from mana and a local stock of raw
  materials.
  You may cool
  off to resupply
  an expended
  weapon
  Flourish Component [Passive] (-1 Mana)
  Like traditional spellcasting relies on strange gestures, chanting
  and complex foci to provide power, an Astir’s design can be
  complicated in similar ways to achieve much the same.
  +1 point of
  Mana at the
  start of a scene.
  Spell Routines [Passive] (-1 Mana)
  The battlefield is a busy place, full of countless distractions. It can
  be helpful to let the magic take over sometimes.
  Choose to take
  a result of 7-9
  on a move of
  your choice
  Familiar Matrix [Passive] (-2 Mana)
  Matrices store and coordinate Familiars, making it possible for
  one Channeler to guide many at a time.
  Holds and
  comes with one
  set of Familiars
  of your choice
  Chromatic Focus [Active]
  A device capable of twisting and re-aspecting magic. For
  Channelers that don’t like to ever be at a disadvantage.
  Change your
  approach for a
  single Scene
  Alchemical Suite [Passive] (-1 Mana)
  A selection of alchemical equipment, capable of storing and
  mixing useful potions before venting them into the cockpit as a
  vapour to save time.
  Potions;
  •
  Red: Remove a peril related to physical injury or wounds.
  Metallic.
  •
  Blue: Gain +1 Mana. Tangy and sharp.
  •
  Purple: Take Advantage when you next weave magic. Fruity.
  •
  Yellow: Take a risk. Act with confidence when you next
  exchange blows or strike decisively.
  Choose 3
  Potions from the
  list when
  someone leads
  a Sortie
  
  Chameleon Cloak [Active]
  They can’t hit what they can’t see.
  Become
  invisible for a
  Scene. The next
  risk you take is
  ‘revealed’.
  Standardised Parts [Passive]
  This Astir uses a large amount of common, easy-to-find parts
  shared with similar models. This makes it easy to repair.
  mend
  something with
  Advantage when
  repairing this
  Astir
  Warding [Active]
  Anything that helps an Astir not explode is a worthwhile
  investment.
  +ward
  Transmutation Link [Passive]
  A frame endowed with the ability to shift between two forms
  quickly, making for a versatile Astir.
  +aerial OR
  +aquatic
  Resistance Charms [Passive]
  While it is difficult to offer a broad blanket of protection against
  damage and difficulty, more specific avenues of harm are
  relatively simple to protect an Astir against.
  Examples:
  • Replication Rituals (Lowers dangers from limb loss)
  Crawl. Climb. Rip. Tear. Many hands make light work.
  • Failsafe Channels (Lowers dangers from comms disruption)
  Hear you loud and clear, 9th. Everyone else went quiet.
  • Lightningrod Spines (Lowers dangers from electricity)
  Don’t be the fool caught out in a storm. Plan ahead.
  Lowers dangers
  from one
  source.
  Peril > Risk
  Risk > Nothing
  Artifact [Active]
  High-quality artifice provides an edge when it is needed most.
  Example:
  • Familiar Sync Rituals
  Co-ordination rituals allow a Channeler to better direct their
  familiars, cutting down on the ‘attunement drift’ common in most
  matrices.
  • Dragonscales
  For decades before Astirs became a possibility, craftsmen put
  bartered dragon scales to work as a protective material, never
  understanding why it seemed less durable wrapped around a man
  than it did around a dragon. Those profitable wyrms never let slip
  quite how much magic ran in their blood.
  • Afterburners
  An injection of volatile alchemical substances paired with a burst
  of magic can provide a substantial, if short lived, increase in
  speed. Not for those on a shoestring alchemicals budget.
  Grants
  advantage
  towards a task
  of your choice
  Heat Condensers [Active]
  Stopping to vent heat during a fight can make you a sitting duck -
  it makes sense then, that many Channelers who could care less
  about managing it carefully opt to invest in heat condensers.
  Untick
  ‘overheating’
  from your Astir
  twice per Sortie
  
  3) WEAPONS & ARMS
  Astirs can use as many weapons as they can carry. Unless you took extra arms from
  the previous step, an Astir is assumed to be able to carry and use two weapons, or
  one with the 2H (two-handed) tag. When you add weapons to your Astir past this
  initial capacity, you should decide whether they are mounted to your Astir for hands-
  free use (add +mounted and pay an additional 1 Mana) or carried in a holster or
  sheathe (which costs nothing, but naturally the weapons aren't usable whilst stored).
  There are both ranged and melee weapons available for Astirs, some of which cost
  Mana to take. These are categorised as ‘basic’, ‘bane’ and ‘ruin’ weapons. There are
  also familiars, which can only be chosen if your Astir has a Familiar Matrix (chosen
  from Astir parts). If you're making a tier IV Astir instead of a tier III one, just replace
  the tier number and rename the weapon if you want.
  The weapon names and descriptions below are merely suggestions. You should feel
  free to re-imagine them to suit you and your Astir however you please.
  Basic Weapons
  Astir Fists III (melee / small, blitz)
  Every Astir can fall back on its fists, but they don’t make for graceful brawlers.
  Might also be: Concealed Blades, Close-Range Vulcans, Mining Drill
  Sword/Mace/Axe & Shield III (melee / defensive, ward, 2H)
  An Astir-sized melee weapon paired with a shield makes for a reliable combination.
  Bones and forelimbs of monstrous creatures are often used as sturdy, cheap parts.
  Might also be: Flame Jets, Shielded Gauntlets, Energy Field
  Forceknife III (melee / small, decisive)
  Short (for an Astir) blades jacketed in a layer of magical energy, forceblades are
  good for when you find yourself up close and personal.
  Might also be: Throwing Glaive, Charged Hatchet, Enchanted Kunai
  Greatarm III (melee / area, 2H)
  Often almost as tall as the Astirs wielding them, ’greatarms‘ are the Astir equivalent
  of greatswords, battleaxes, and any other kind of large, simple, 2-handed weapon.
  Might also be: Godbuster, Laser Flail, Industrial Saw
  Force Repeater III (ranged / defensive)
  A simple mechanism that rapidly fires short blasts of magical energy, serving as an
  effective reserve weapon.
  Might also be: Manapistol, Mining Laser, Point-Defense Turret
  Autoballista III (ranged / area, blitz, bulky, 2H)
  One of the few non-magical weapons in active use among Channelers. Autoballistae
  are popular for their fire rate, which allows for fending off groups with a spray of
  bolts as well as overwhelming a single Astir with a flurry of shots.
  Might also be: Heavy Bowgun, Assault Cannon, Flechette Launcher
  Rayrifle III (ranged / infinite, 2H)
  Rayrifles are the workhorse of most armies when it comes to arming Astirs. A highly
  efficient charging cycle means every cast uses an almost meaningless amount of
  mana.
  Might also be: Machine Gun, Arc Staff, Recycler Rifle
  Magic-Missile Array III (sniper / guided)
  Often mounted on an Astir’s shoulder to leave their hands free, magic-missile arrays
  fire a dizzying cluster of magical darts that can be guided by an Astir rather than its
  Channeler.
  Might also be: Chaser Missiles, Lock-On Beam, Automortar
  
  Bane Weapons (-1 Mana)
  Ruin Weapons (-2 Mana)
  Golempiercer III (melee / bane, decisive, set-up)
  Immense lances designed to punch through armour plating, golempiercers are
  heavy enough that they must be held in place and used as a charging weapon - just
  swinging one around is unlikely to deliver results.
  Might also be: Ceremonial Pike, Heavy Estoc, Pile Bunker
  Forceblade III (melee / bane)
  Your typical, garden-variety sword made out of projected magical force. It cuts well
  and won’t explode - what else do you want?
  Might also be: Beam Saber, Thermal Cutter, Pneumatic Hammer
  Basilisk Lance III (ranged / bane, 2H)
  An uncommon weapon, basilisk lances house a lens composed of dozens of
  magically preserved basilisk eyes. When mana is passed through this lens, a
  petrifying beam is produced.
  Might also be: Chemical Jet, Beam Rifle, Plasma Repeater
  Blazewands III (ranged / bane, reloading)
  Arranged in paired racks and crafted using subdued motes of elemental fire, short-
  range wands are a common and potent weapon when it comes to arming Astirs.
  Might also be: Grenade Launchers, Acid Pods, Plasma Mortar
  Burstcaster III (ranged / area, bane, 2H)
  Burstcasters launch a projectile that discharge a spell on impact - typically some
  kind of dramatic fireball. The wand projectile only arms past a certain distance, to
  prevent a Channeler from being caught in their own fireball.
  Might also be: Rocket Launcher, Fireball Cannon, Reactor Rifle
  Novawhip III (melee / area, reloading/bane, dangerous)
  Concentrated motes of fire slumber at equal lengths along this whip, and violently
  detonate on impact. A devastating weapon in skilled hands that know how to
  recharge the motes mid-battle.
  Might also be: Chain Mines, Plasma Cable, Storm Gauntlet
  Ruinblade III (melee / ruin, 2H)
  Long, slender, and fragile - ruinblades are long swords edged with arcane-charged
  crystal, allowing them to cut through even Carrier hulls. Just try not to break it.
  Might also be: Decay Lance, Null-space Projector, Hi-Beam Saber
  Titan Bow III (sniper / ruin, reloading, 2H)
  Immense, heavily-reinforced longbows, taller than even some Astirs. While some
  balk at taking a bulky single-shot weapon into the field, others point to the ability to
  sink an arrow through Carrier hulls as a valuable upside.
  Might also be: Single-Cast Rifle, Beam Sniper, Abyss Gun
  Spellcannon III (ranged / ruin, limited, 2H)
  A heavy, devastating weapon. Though it demands magic such that few Channelers
  can muster more than a handful of shots, the results are easily worth the expense.
  Might also be: Assault Cannon, Heavy Beam Rifle, Anti-Materiel Rifle
  
  Familiars
  Familiars are small autonomous constructs, typically launched from an Astir, that
  assist a Channeler in battle. They are small, expendable and easily replaced—any
  perils you take as a result of your Familiars being lost or destroyed are automatically
  removed during Downtime. When you exchange blows or strike decisively with
  Familiars, you roll with +CHANNEL instead. All Familiars have the area tag, to reflect
  their numbers, and are ranged or sniper to reflect either ranged attacks or the fact
  they can move independently of you.
  4) ASTIR MOVE
  Finally, every Astir has a move attached to it, which is unique to that model of Astir's
  design and doesn’t cost any Mana. It should feel equivalent to a playbook move, or
  around 1-2 Mana worth of things from the earlier steps. It could be something you roll
  for, or something passive - it’s up to you. If in doubt, consult your Director for help
  making something suitable for your concept, or try taking an existing playbook move
  and modifying it to your needs. There are some examples below, and you can also
  always look to the example Astirs for further ideas or moves to rename to fit your
  Overdrive Ritual - +blitz to all weapons.
  Sanguine Sensors - You can detect living creatures up to sniper range.
  Munitions Forge - Whenever you use your subsystems, you may also re-arm a
  weapon that has ran out of ammunition or has been damaged.
  Auto-Divination - Whenever you use your subsystems, you may ask two
  questions from the read the room list rather than one.
  Conjure-Core - Add the following option to subsystems;
  •
  Create an object of up to tier III that has the limited and fragile tags.
  Ironfeather Wings - +aerial
  Aura of Health - Anyone who rests beneath your Astir is slowly cured of illnesses
  and injuries.
  Wisp Familiar III (ranged / area)
  Wisps are by far the most common familiar, and for most people are synonymous
  with the word. Small free-floating constructs that pack a surprising punch for their
  size, wisps are limited by the short lifespan on their magic.
  Might also be: Assault Funnel, Fire Spirits, Attack Drones
  Mote Familiar III (sniper / area, bane, limited)
  Motes are primed with conflagration magic, and detonate in a fiery blaze when
  impacted against a target. Channelers usually deploy them only when needed, since
  if shot the explosions tend to set off other nearby motes.
  Might also be: Remote Bombs, Volatile Elements, Lev-Grenades
  Needle Familiar III (ranged / area, restraining, defensive, fragile)
  Needle Familiars pin their targets in place with thin, iron spikes. While lacking when
  it comes to decisive blows, they excel at restraining and harassing foes.
  Might also be: Glue Turret, Labour Drones, Medusa Heads
  Claw Familiar III (ranged / area, defensive)
  Sharp-clawed contraptions of magic and stone, in the familiar shape of a crow.
  Might also be: Trained Wolves, Raven Ghosts, Saw Drones
  
  ASTIR EXTRAS
  Sometimes, you know a Sortie is going to involve certain kinds of danger or
  problems. To combat them, you can add an Extra to your Astir: a temporary Part or
  Weapon that is useful for one Sortie. Extras might be things like heavy armour
  (Warding), special lenses for seeing in the dark (Resistance Charm), or a mantle
  mounted with a weapon (Weapon Conduit). To make an Extra, you can either;
  •
  Pay 1 SUPPLY (+1 per Mana cost) to get one quickly from another Faction.
  •
  Work on a project during downtime (2 steps, +2 per Mana cost) to build it.
  Extras only ever last for the Sortie they are made or bought for. Extra weapons are
  expended or blown up, equipment is tossed aside to make your Astir lighter, armour
  is dramatically destroyed to reveal your Astir spotless beneath it, etc.
  THE ASTIR CARD
  You'll record your choices and the stats of your Astir on small sheets like these, which
  have space to record all of its component Parts as well as its Mana capacity (used to
  make the subsystems move) and a tickbox for overheating. As a Channeler, certain
  moves might ask you to tick or mark 'overheating'—that's this box. If you're asked to
  tick this box but it's already ticked, the building heat destroys one of your Parts,
  putting you in peril.
  EXAMPLEIII
  APPROACH
  CORE
  MANA
  OVERHEATING
  PART A
  PART B
  Description of Astir part
  Description of Astir part
  Description of Astir.
  MV: ASTIR MOVE
  A unique move that
  de�nes your model of
  Astir.
  CARRIED
  Weapon Name III (range / tags)
  SHEATHED, ETC
  Weapon Name III (range / tags)
  EXAMPLE ASTIRS III
  A selection of example tier III Astirs, made using the above custom Astir rules.
  GOLIATHIII
  MUNDANE
  CORE
  MANA
  2
  ANCIENT
  OVERHEATING
  RESISTANCE CHARM
  WARDING
  STALWART GREAVES
  (Lowers dangers from knockback or pushing)
  TITANIC ARMOUR (+ward)
  The Goliath is constructed with a simple design intent - to
  shield allies from long-range fire without putting the
  Channeler at risk. Thick armour and a fair Mana capacity
  provide a reliable bulwark, with a paired axe and shield
  serving as a simple, but effective, armament.
  MV: GOLIATH SHIELD
  Advantage when you
  help or hinder to
  protect others.
  CARRIED
  Battleaxe & Shield III (melee / defensive, ward, 2H)
  +MOUNTED
  Blazewands III (ranged / bane, reloading)
  
  ADVENTIII
  DIVINE
  CORE
  MANA
  3
  ANCIENT
  OVERHEATING
  ARTIFACT
  WARDING
  REACTION ENHANCER
  ADVENTIUM PLATE (+ward)
  The Advent is a storied design, said by some to be based on
  an Astir that won a great war a century ago, and said by
  others to be that very same Astir. Stories of the white Astir
  vary, but it never seems to be on the losing side, whether that
  side is right or wrong.
  MV: ADVENT LEGACY
  lead a Sortie with
  Advantage when
  piloting an Advent
  CARRIED
  Rayri�e III (ranged / in�nite, 2H
  SHEATHED
  Forceblade III (melee / bane)
  SUMMONERIII
  ARCANE
  CORE
  MANA
  2
  CRYSTALLINE
  OVERHEATING
  ARTIFACT
  FAMILIAR MATRIX
  FAMILIAR SYNC RITUALS
  Wisp Familiars III
  The Summoner is designed to overwhelm foes by directing
  fire from multiple angles. It does this with a small network of
  familiars, which coordinate fire as directed by their
  Channeler. A special matrix augmented to increase its
  magical output allows for a veritable swarm of familiars.
  MV: REFRESH MATRIX
  +blitz, +many to
  Familiars
  CARRIED
  Arcane Focus III (ranged / in�nite, 2H)
  MATRIX
  Shard Familiars III (ranged / area, blitz, many)
  ARIESIII
  ARCANE
  CORE
  MANA
  1
  ALCHEMICAL
  OVERHEATING
  HEAT CONDENSERS
  FAMILIAR MATRIX
  Untick ‘overheating’ from your Astir twice per
  Sortie
  Wisp Familiars III
  The Aries is an imposing design, with devilish horns and
  familiars that have a habit of congregating in aura-like
  formations. The scariest thing about it, of course, is it’s
  speed. Propelled on wheels of magical flame that scorch the
  ground beneath it, the Aries is not an easy thing to run from.
  MV: MANAWHEELS
  While Overheating, take
  Advantage when
  making a move that
  relies on your speed.
  CARRIED
  Blazewands III (ranged / bane, reloading)
  CARRIED
  Forceknife III (melee / small, decisive)
  MATRIX
  Wisp Familiar III (ranged / area)
  
  TARRASQUEIII
  PROFANE
  CORE
  MANA
  0
  OCCULT
  OVERHEATING
  ARTIFACT
  RESISTANCE CHARM
  CHAOS ENGINE
  CHAINBREAKER’S BOON
  (Lowers dangers from restraints or slowing)
  The Tarrasque has a reputation for being piloted by the brave
  or those with a death-wish, and it’s not hard to understand
  why. Armed with little more than claws and a tail and powered
  by a voracious chaos-engine, it’s a heavy, inefficient mess.
  But slip up once, and it’ll eat you alive. With a meal in its
  belly, this mess becomes a monster.
  MV: MANA DEVOURER
  +1 Mana when you
  successfully strike
  decisively another Astir
  with physical harm
  CARRIED
  Rending Claws III (melee / ruin, 2H)
  +MOUNTED
  Novatail III (melee / area, reloading/bane, dangerous)
  LANCE-MINORIII
  ELEMENTAL
  CORE
  MANA
  1
  NATURAL
  OVERHEATING
  HEAT CONDENSERS
  FLOURISH COMPONENT
  Untick ‘overheating’ from your Astir twice per
  Sortie
  Generate 1 point of Mana at the start of a scene.
  Armed with a long, armour-piercing lance, this gallant model
  excels at charging down a foe from distance and delivering a
  decisive hit. While its length makes it difficult to strike close
  foes, a small weapons mount allows for defensive fire to keep
  foes occupied.
  MV: INERTIA DRIVE
  Regain 1 Mana when
  you roll a 10+ on
  weather the storm to
  outpace, rush or dodge.
  CARRIED
  Golempiercer III (melee / bane, decisive, set-up)
  +MOUNTED
  Force Repeater III (ranged / defensive)
  PROTEANIII
  ELEMENTAL
  CORE
  MANA
  3
  ALCHEMICAL
  OVERHEATING
  TRANSMUTATION LINK
  ARTIFACT
  +aerial
  QUICKSILVER FORM
  The Protean is intended to be a flexible, middle-of-the-road
  design - a jack of all trades. It’s body is filled with alchemical
  quicksilver, which can be magically reformed at a moments
  notice, making for an Astir that can adapt to virtually any
  situation.
  MV: FICKLE FORM
  You may take the risk
  (unstable) to use your
  Quicksilver Body without
  spending Mana on
  subsystems.
  CARRIED
  Force Repeater III (ranged / defensive)
  SHEATHED
  Forceblade III (melee / bane)
  
  OMENIII
  MUNDANE
  CORE
  MANA
  3
  ALCHEMICAL
  OVERHEATING
  STANDARDISED PARTS
  MANA-FORGE
  mend something with advantage
  when repairing this Astir
  You may cool off to resupply an expended
  weapon
  While somewhat austere a design compared to other Astirs,
  Omens are famously easy to maintain and repair. Combined
  with the fact their design makes use of many common parts,
  Omens (or suits like them) typically make up the bulk of any
  organised force of Astirs.
  MV: GENERIC PARTS
  Act with con�dence
  when you mend
  something to repair an
  Omen.
  CARRIED
  Rayri�e+1 III (ranged / bane, 2H)
  JESTERIII
  ARCANE
  CORE
  MANA
  0
  CRYSTALLINE
  OVERHEATING
  RESISTANCE CHARMS
  SPELL ROUTINES
  PRESSURE REGULATOR
  (Lowers dangers from acceleration)
  weather the storm (+DEFY)
  Embedded with spell-stones that reduce its weight, the Jester
  excels at staying mobile. Capable of hovering short distances
  and moving with agility unheard of for most Astirs, most long-
  time Jester Channelers develop an almost supernatural
  sense of battlefield positioning.
  MV: LEV-SPELLS
  You may use the
  mobility Move from the
  Scout Playbook while
  piloting this Astir.
  CARRIED
  Ruinblade III (melee / ruin, 2H)
  HOLSTERED
  Basilisk Lance III (ranged / bane, 2H)
  TIER IV
  PURSUERIV
  PROFANE
  CORE
  MANA
  3
  OCCULT
  OVERHEATING
  WARDING
  ARTIFACT
  SHADOWVEIL (+ward)
  HASTE RITUALS
  The Pursuer is hunter, designed to track and destroy specific
  enemy Astirs. Though its pursuit-bond requires line-of-sight
  for an initial lock, the tracking it provides is accurate, long-
  lasting, and incredibly difficult to shake. When it comes time
  to end the hunt, a simple blade is often more than good
  enough to finish off a Pursuer’s prey.
  MV: PURSUIT-BOND
  You may designate
  another Astir you can
  see as your target. You
  are supernaturally aware
  of its location at all times
  CARRIED
  Wrist Blades IV (melee / small, blitz)
  +MOUNTED
  Magic-Missile Array IV (sniper / guided)
  
  BIRDCAGEIV
  DIVINE
  CORE
  MANA
  2
  ANCIENT
  OVERHEATING
  ARTIFACT
  FAMILIAR MATRIX
  ANGEL COLLARS
  Bound Angels IV
  There are many that would say the concept of Astirs is a
  dangerous one. Evil, even. There are few that make such a
  judgement so easy as the Birdcage, a hefty, walker-style Astir
  with little in the way of its own armaments. It makes up for
  this with a flock of bound and collared angels, who are cowed
  into service by threat of a true death. They are cruel
  machines, and their Channelers more so.
  MV: BINDING RITUALS
  When you use
  subsystems to take
  Advantage with your
  Angel Collars, you may
  clear a risk related to
  your Bound Angels.
  CARRIED
  Hulking Form IV (melee / defensive, ward, 2H)
  MATRIX
  Bound Angels IV (ranged / area, bane, fragile)
  JACK-OF-BLADESIV
  MUNDANE
  CORE
  MANA
  3
  ANCIENT
  OVERHEATING
  RESISTANCE CHARM
  EXTRA ARMS
  FLASHFORGE
  (Lowers dangers from melee weapon breakage)
  +2 Arms
  Rarely witnessed as anything but a storm of sharp and
  shattering metal, the Jack-Of-Blades is a strange Astir,
  designed to wield fragile weaponry that it breaks and re-
  forges repeatedly during combat. Mana-channels in the
  blades allow for the re-purposing of magic usually lost in the
  heat venting process, and a paired armament forgoing
  defense in favour of offense means very little remains
  standing long in the face of a Jack-Of-Blades.
  MV: BRANDED
  BLADES
  Your next exchange
  blows or strike
  decisively has
  Advantage when you
  untick ‘overheating’.
  CARRIED
  Paired Blades IV (melee / defensive, ward, 2H)
  CARRIED
  Forceknife IV (melee / small, decisive) x 2
  MEDUSAIV
  PROFANE
  CORE
  MANA
  0
  OCCULT
  OVERHEATING
  FAMILIAR MATRIX
  ALCHEMICAL SUITE
  Adder Familiars IV
  Blue x 3
  Protected by magically animated snakes and bearing
  petrification magic, the Medusa is understandably a feared
  Astir. Even the most talented of pilots put themselves at risk
  when coming close to its gaze.
  MV: PETRIFIER CORE
  When you exchange
  blows, on a result of 6-
  you may spend 1 Mana
  to have your opponent
  take the risk (restrained)
  CARRIED
  Gorgon’s Glare IV (ranged / bane, 2H)
  MATRIX
  Adder Familiars IV (ranged / area)
  
  PLAYBOOKS
  All players in Armour Astir create a character using a 'playbook', which is a
  mechanical framework similar to classes or archetypes in other games. Playbooks
  offer choices for starting equipment, moves, and aesthetics like clothing or style.
  They also offer some narrative background for your character to root them into the
  world you're playing in, as well as some questions to help you further develop what it
  means to be that playbook in your setting.
  Playbooks are split into two kinds: Channelers, who are Astir pilots primarily, and
  Supports, who are not. Each kind has a specific extra move attached to it. For
  Channelers, it's subsystems. For Supports, it's b-plot.
  CHANNELERS
  Channelers are magic-users who stride into battle while piloting Astirs, making them
  best equipped to deal with Sorties that involve physical conflict. While they have their
  differences, all Channelers are more than capable in a fight. They’re also all capable
  of diverting magic to their Astir’s subsystems with the move below.
  ARCANIST
  IMPOSTOR
  PARADIGM
  WITCH
  Subsystems
  When you activate your Astir's subsystems, spend Mana 1-for-1 to do one of the
  following;
  •
  Power up an expended [Active] Astir part and use it again.
  •
  Divine your situation, asking one question from the read the room list.
  •
  Disperse away excess energy, fully unticking ‘overheating’ on your Astir.
  SUPPORTS
  Supports are a varied group, but are generally people with less of a direct combat
  focus than Channelers. While they’re all capable of holding a sword, most Support
  playbooks have an area of expertise best put into practice off the battlefield. When a
  Sortie doesn’t call for their skill-set, they can instead take part in the b-plot with the
  move below.
  SCOUT CAPTAIN
  ARTIFICER DIPLOMAT
  B-Plot
  When you take part in the b-plot rather than be involved in a Sortie, name one or two
  Director characters that accompany you and hold 3. During the Sortie, you may
  spend it 1-for-1 to do the following;
  •
  Give another player confidence on their next move, but complicate things for
  yourself.
  •
  Deny an NPC from appearing during the Sortie: they’re busy, possibly with the
  same thing as you.
  •
  Spend some time and take a Downtime action.
  •
  Cut away from the Sortie during a moment when time is precious, giving everyone
  room to think.
  
  ARCANIST
  Disciplined students of arcane magic, who practice their talents for years before
  graduating to the cockpit of an Astir.
  +CHANNEL (+2)
  LOOK
  You look: smart, bookish, wily, anxious or imposing
  You wear: pilot jumpsuit, military uniform, dress uniform, fancy robes
  Your magic is like: roaring elements, bright and neon, abstract and formless,
  formulaic and defined
  When you launch your Astir, you say: ________________
  Arcanists are careful, prepared magic-users. This is most apparent in their use of
  ‘rituals’ - magical tactics and enhancements preemptively cast before they embark
  onto the battlefield. Arcanists typically attain the magical mastery they have through
  formal study, and while good at making plans and full of useful knowledge, they often
  don't deal well with surprises.
  Playing an Arcanist often means calling your shot, either through your choice of
  rituals or through plans you make in the heat of action. Once you have advanced and
  can take new ones, other moves like expend rituals and diverse channelling make
  it easier to respond to situations you haven't prepared for. Consider;
  •
  What does formal magical study look like in your world?
  •
  Is this something open and public, like an academy, or private, like training
  passed down through a family lineage? Was it tied to military service?
  •
  Do you have a familiar or bonded item you use to focus your magic?
  •
  What does performing your rituals entail?
  •
  Where did you get your Astir? Is it stolen from a military force? A family heirloom?
  Does it belong to the Cause?
  •
  Do all Arcanists study where you did, or are there multiple schools of thought?
  •
  Are people like you openly referred to as Arcanists? If not, is there another name
  for what you are?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the plans and prepare rituals moves.
  Prepare Rituals
  You have a practised set of rituals you use to enhance your piloting talents. Discuss
  what they are with your Director and where you perform them. When someone leads
  a Sortie, choose 2 rituals you had time to perform;
  •
  A realigning ritual - Increase one of your Traits by 1 and reduce another by 1 (no Trait may be
  higher or lower than -/+3)
  •
  A contingency ritual - Specify three speci�c situations: if you �nd yourself in one of them, increase
  your level of success on your next roll by one, and this ritual expires.
  •
  An adaptation ritual - When you fail a roll, take advantage on your next one.
  •
  A clarity ritual - When you read the room, you may ask questions of a broader situation than here
  and now.
  All rituals expire after the Sortie, and you lose their effects when that happens.
  GEAR
  •
  1 Astir III
  •
  Touch Spells I (melee / bane)
  •
  2 Arcanist Gear
  •
  Clothes that match your look
  ARCANIST GEAR
  •
  Telescoping Staff I (ranged)
  •
  Reagent Knife I (melee / mundane)
  •
  Sidearm I (ranged / defensive)
  •
  Shield Broach I (ward)
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: arcane or elemental (choose one)
  
  Plans
  Arcanists are educated in the art of war, and fight according to preordained tactics in
  order to perform at their best. Unexpected situations are the bane of a good arcanist.
  Whenever the party enters a dangerous situation, declare your plan to resolve it.
  If your plan is interfered with or prevented at any point, take the risk (perturbed,
  irritated, vexed, confounded).
  If your plan succeeds, even accidentally, advance a GRAVITY clock with someone
  who didn’t think it would.
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Expend Ritual
  When you disperse the magical energy of a ritual to re-use that energy in a pinch,
  choose one of your prepared rituals—you no longer gain its benefit. You may then
  choose an option from the subsystems move without spending Mana.
  Diverse Channelling
  When you make a move while piloting an Astir, you can roll +CHANNEL instead of
  the usual Trait. If you do so, tick 'overheating' on your Astir. If it's already fully ticked,
  it destroys one of your Astir’s parts—you are in peril (burnout).
  Consult Literature
  You have a store of books and scrolls on various subjects that you can consult for
  information when given time. Choose 1 subject you have almost perfect records of,
  and 2 you have extensive information on;
  •
  Construct models and design
  •
  Magical beasts and monsters
  •
  Enchantment and spell-craft
  •
  Mundane craft and building
  •
  Natural flora and fauna
  •
  Military tactics
  •
  A specific nation/faction
  •
  General world history
  Combat Spells
  If you are outside your Astir and fighting on foot, you can exchange blows and
  strike decisively with +CHANNEL when attempting to cause physical harm, using
  the following profile;
  • Hand-casting II (ranged / area, bane)
  Tactical Illusions
  When you distract your foes with magic, roll +CHANNEL. On a 10+, choose 2. On a
  7-9, choose 1, but your illusions also distract an unintended audience.
  •
  The illusions last until you stop sustaining them (otherwise they last up to a
  minute).
  •
  Your illusions affect anyone you intend to perceive them, rather than a single
  person.
  •
  Your can create illusions that affect all the senses, rather than just sight.
  Archivist [Requires: Consult Literature]
  You acquire a new source of knowledge, and choose 2 more subjects you have
  extensive information of to your consult literature move.
  
  IMPOSTOR
  Through magic, medicine, or sheer force of will, you took control of your body and made
  it ideal. This is who you were meant to be, and they'll never take it away from you.
  +CHANNEL (+1)
  LOOK
  You look: wild, cold, sharp, cocky or brash
  You wear: pilot jumpsuit, military uniform, dress uniform, casual attire
  Your magic is like: smoke and industry, neon beams, firey outbursts, arcing bolts
  When you launch your Astir, you say: ________________
  You have no magic of your own, and control an Astir through enchanted
  augmentations or alterations to your body. They say what you do is fake. They call
  you an Impostor - but what you do is real, and you’ve made yourself exactly who you
  needed to be. The Impostor has a diverse skillset with lots of ability to play with risks
  and perils.
  To play an Impostor is to, depending on what your arcane augments are and why
  you got them, invite questions about the body: about disability, transhumanism, being
  transgender, loss of bodily autonomy to the Authority or otherwise and so on. It might
  not be the focus of your campaign or even your character to tackle this in-depth, but
  you should at least think about the place of these things and the people affected by
  them in your world. It's also the playbook most indulged in mecha anime tropes, with
  moves like face to face, resonance, bullheaded and let loose all lending
  themselves to various kinds of hot-blooded action. Consider;
  •
  Where and how did you get your augments?
  •
  How are they made, and of what material? How rare are such things in your
  world? How noticeable are they?
  •
  Do people use a word other than ‘augment’?
  •
  Why did you choose to undergo augmentation? Did you choose?
  •
  How does the existence of Impostors relate to disability in your world?
  •
  Do your augments require maintenance or upkeep in some way?
  •
  What kind of reactions do people have to your augments?
  •
  Are your augments heavy or uncomfortable? Can they be removed?
  •
  How do your augments help your control an Astir? Do you use controls with them
  like usual, or do they interface directly into it somehow?
  •
  How often is the term Impostor used, if at all? Is it formal or informal? Do you
  have another word for yourself? Are there others who control Astirs in a similar
  way?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the arcane augments move as well as two others from your Additional
  Moves.
  Arcane Augments
  Impostors control their Astir using magical augmentations, like artificial limbs or
  organs. These augmentations allow a non-magic user to power and control an Astir,
  but otherwise do not interfere with your life unless you (the player) decide so. Being
  bonded to magic in this way often leads to it affecting the body and vice versa,
  irreversibly tying their magic to their emotional and physical state.
  Your CHANNEL is increased by 1 for each danger you have (up-to a max of +3).
  When someone you have GRAVITY with sees you be put in peril, advance it.
  GEAR
  •
  1 Astir III
  •
  Augments I (melee / bane)
  •
  2 Impostor Gear
  •
  Clothes that match your look
  IMPOSTOR GEAR
  •
  Mana Focus I (ranged)
  •
  Shortsword I (melee / mundane)
  •
  Sidearm I (ranged / defensive)
  •
  Shield Broach I (ward)
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: profane or elemental (choose one)
  
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Vent Wrath
  If you are outside your Astir and fighting on foot, you can exchange blows and
  strike decisively with +CHANNEL when attempting to cause physical harm, using
  the following profile;
  • Hand-casting II (ranged / area, bane)
  Scour Existence
  You can exchange blows and strike decisively with +CHANNEL when attempting
  to cause physical harm with Astir-mounted weapons. If you do so, tick 'overheating'
  on your Astir. If it's already fully ticked, it destroys one of your Astir’s parts—you are
  in peril (burnout).
  Don’t Follow Me
  When you lead a Sortie with +DEFY, give everyone that follows advantage to their
  next roll.
  Resonance
  When you would weave magic to form a clear empathic bond with another, sharing
  your true feelings and ideals, choose 1 instead of rolling;
  •
  Your connection lasts a single, precious moment—time for little more than a short
  exchange.
  •
  They or someone else view it as a breach of trust or some kind of trick, and will
  hold it against you.
  •
  You miss something important while you’re together.
  Let Loose
  Whenever you gain a peril, exchange blows and strike decisively with advantage
  until the end of the Sortie.
  Bullheaded
  You may take a risk to take advantage on your next roll.
  Face To Face
  When you leave your Astir in the hopes another will do the same to meet you face to
  face, roll +TALK.
  On a 10+, NPCs will leave their Astir to face you. PC’s must weather the storm to
  refuse.
  On a 7-9, NPCs will leave their Astir to face you, but choose one;
  •
  Take the risk (entangled).
  •
  You have disadvantage to moves against the other Channeler.
  •
  You are separated from your Astirs temporarily.
  PC’s may choose whether to leave their Astir or not - if they do, they pick one of the
  above for you.
  Realignment
  You undergo deeper alteration and enhancement to your body. Discuss what it is with
  your Director, and either choose a move from another playbook to represent its
  effects, or work with your Director to create a new one.
  
  PARADIGM
  Adherents of the gods who channel sacred power into their Astir to control them. The
  devout know to respect their gods tenets, lest their Astir fail beneath them in the line of duty.
  +CHANNEL (+3)
  LOOK
  You look: serious, haughty, caring, wise or zealous
  You wear: pilot jumpsuit, military uniform, dress uniform, religious garb
  Your magic is like: angelic choirs, blinding lights, warm embraces, blazing icons
  When you launch your Astir, you say: ________________
  Paradigms channel their divine power from a deity, and must adhere to its tenets in
  order to maintain that power. These tenets, as well as what upholding them looks
  like, might vary between members of a faith as well as just between different faiths.
  Paradigms have something to uphold outside of the Cause's goals, and naturally
  bring a religious element to the game that might not be present otherwise - of course,
  there doesn't need to be Paradigms in a world for faith to be important.
  While playing a Paradigm, you have lots of moves that let you aid and protect other
  players, like safeguard and bless. Your high natural CHANNEL of +3 also gives you
  a great chance of success on moves like weave magic and firebrand, but keeping
  this +3 will require you do always keep your tenets in mind. Broadly speaking,
  playing a Paradigm also means you have an important voice in what the role of faith
  and religion is in your setting. Consider;
  •
  Is your deity really divine in the supernatural sense, or just a godlike figure?
  •
  How formal is your religion/connection to your deity?
  •
  How well known is your deity?
  •
  How common are people like yourself? Are they called Paradigms, or something
  else?
  •
  What is the Cause’s relationship to faith?
  •
  What is the Authority’s relationship to faith?
  •
  What is your deity like? What do they demand, and what do they request?
  •
  What does giving service or worship to your deity look like?
  •
  What was your life like before the Cause?
  •
  How were you introduced to your deity?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the evangelise and tenets moves as well as one other from your
  Additional Moves.
  Evangelise
  You are in service of a deity or faith and are responsible for the spiritual well-being of
  your Carrier’s crew. You gain an additional action during Downtime that can only be
  used to give formal service or privately consult with a crew-member, both using the
  talk it out move.
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: divine or profane (choose one)
  
  Tenets
  Instead of Ideals, write three tenets that represent your deity’s will. When you discuss
  your faith with someone or learn something about how they personally relate to faith
  and religion, advance a GRAVITY clock with them if you have one. If you ever
  sacrifice or break a tenet, it is lost forever; replace it with an Ideal instead of crossing
  it off and taking an advancement. Your CHANNEL Trait is also reduced by 1 until you
  make amends in whatever way is appropriate for your faith.
  Example tenets might be:
  •
  Violence is a road taken when all others are closed.
  •
  Share your faith freely, that it might spread.
  •
  Scepticism is an affront to the divine.
  •
  From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Divine Guidance
  When you consult your deity for information or guidance, you may dispel
  uncertainties with +CHANNEL. If you do so, on a 7-9 the information is still directly
  useful, but it is difficult to discern if your answer came from the intended deity.
  Inspire Focus
  Once per Sortie, you may take a visible position over the battlefield and inspire
  confidence and clarity in your allies that see you - they each clear a risk and take
  advantage to their next roll.
  Bless
  When you enter battle with a group of allies, give up to four people (including
  yourself) advantage when they next bite the dust.
  Safeguard
  When you exchange blows and someone helps or hinders you, you can protect
  them from any harm they might suffer as a result. When you help or hinder
  someone who is exchanging blows, you can suffer any harm taken in their place.
  Turn Unearthly
  When piloting an Astir you are attuned to, you may project an aura that causes
  otherworldly creatures to flee. Roll +CHANNEL: on a 10+, any creature not native to
  this plane of existence is sent back to their home plane instantly. If they are powerful
  enough to return themselves (or are summoned) during the same Sortie, they are in
  peril (turned) as your divine presence sickens them. On a 7-9, they must flee from
  your sight, and are in peril (turned).
  Firebrand
  When you openly and loudly advocate for something related to one of your tenets,
  roll the highest of +TALK or +CHANNEL. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1.
  •
  Your words reach people far beyond where your voice is heard.
  •
  Even those not of your faith connect to your message.
  •
  You are not targeted immediately for what you preach.
  On a 6 or below, your words are misinterpreted, co-opted, or misrepresented in a
  terrible way.
  Consecrate Ground
  When you attempt to imbue an area or building with your divine power and presence,
  roll +CHANNEL. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1;
  •
  Creatures opposed by your deity cannot enter the consecrated area.
  •
  Creatures within your consecrated area cannot take violent action against each other.
  •
  Creatures within the consecrated area cool off with advantage.
  •
  Creatures within your consecrated area cannot knowingly lie.
  
  WITCH
  Witches seize power through pacts with powerful creatures, knowingly or otherwise. This power
  fuels and binds an Astir as well as any other, but its sources can be demanding… and mischievous.
  +CHANNEL (+2)
  LOOK
  You look: dark, mysterious, shrouded, unsure or haunted
  You wear: pilot jumpsuit, military uniform, dress uniform, occult robes
  Your magic is like: smothering darkness, roiling chaos, striking bolts, withering curses
  When you launch your Astir, you say: ________________
  Witches receive their powers directly from a magical benefactor, like a powerful
  demon, spirit, or other non-divine entity. That benefactor could be a great many
  different things, and their grip on an Impostor might be visible in a lot of different
  ways - but they have one thing in common. Patrons trade in Influence.
  While playing a Witch, you trade Influence to your patron to activate a variety of
  moves, like re-weave reality and borrowed power. These moves let you break the
  rules a little: altering weapon tags, automatically succeeding at rolls, and even using
  moves from other playbooks. Receive boons gives you two moves at random per
  Sortie, but both whims and borrowed power give you some control over what you
  end up with. Consider;
  •
  What and who is your patron? Are they supernatural, or just powerful enough to
  seem so?
  •
  What is the nature of your relationship with your patron?
  •
  Are there other Witches serving your patron? Are there other Witches at all?
  •
  Do people refer to you as a Witch? Is there another term they or you use?
  •
  Is your bond with your patron forever, or will it expire?
  •
  What other kinds of beings exist that could be patrons?
  •
  Did forming this bond cost you anything now, or will it in the future?
  •
  Is there a recognisable symbol of your patronage? An associated familiar?
  •
  Does your patron have a direct connection to you, or do they act through agents?
  •
  Are your boons an informal collection of helpful magics, or something more
  defined? If so, what do you call them?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the receive boons and patron moves.
  Patron
  You receive your magic from an otherworldly patron or benefactor, whose motivations
  are typically not something you can discern. While they are often content to let you
  run free with their power, they will sometimes require things of you - and when they
  can, they will exert their Influence to make sure their bidding is done. You have a
  GRAVITY clock with your patron, representing the tenuous bond between you.
  Your patron may spend their Influence like hold in order to do the following;
  •
  Help or hinder you, succeeding as if they had rolled a 10+.
  •
  Attempt to force you to do something; you may weather the storm to resist.
  •
  Re-roll your boons for the day.
  Whenever your Patron spends Influence, advance your GRAVITY clock with them.
  As long as you Patron has at least 1 Influence, your CHANNEL Trait is set to +3.
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: arcane or profane (choose one)
  
  Receive Boons
  At each dawn, you receive boons from your patron. Roll on the list below two times
  to discern what powers you receive. They last until the next dawn.
  1 · Channelling Boon - You may give your patron 1 In�uence to make a move with +CHANNEL instead
  of the usual trait. When you do so, describe what mark your patron’s power leaves on the situation.
  2 · Hexxing Boon - You can curse an Astir, locking it out of some of its systems. When you do so, roll
  +CHANNEL. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1;
  •
  A Player or Rival cannot spend Mana to activate subsystems.
  •
  A weapon, tool or function stalls, malfunctions, and stops working.
  •
  The Channeler cannot prevent you from communicating with them.
  3 · Masking Boon - You can mask yourself or an Astir you are attuned to against detection. When you
  do so, roll +CHANNEL. On a 10+, you are disguised or cloaked in a fashion appropriate to your patron.
  On a 7-9, the Director will tell you a �aw with your disguise.
  4 · Shielding Boon - You may give your patron 1 In�uence to have advantage when facing harm.
  5 · Vigorous Boon - You may give your patron 1 In�uence to make the subsystems move for free.
  6 · Trickster’s Boon - When you use the subsystems to use an Artifact, instead of taking advantage
  you may roll a d6 and replace either or both of your regular dice results with it.
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Occult Lore
  When you consult your patron for information, you may dispel uncertainties with
  +CHANNEL. If you do so, on a 7-9 the information is still directly useful, but using it
  would cause some unforeseen complication entertaining or beneficial to your patron.
  Whims
  Your patron is unfathomable, and their interests obscure. Your GM should, once per
  Sortie, give you some minor goal or abstract requirement your patron demands of
  you - it should be doable within the session. If you complete it, at the next dawn you
  may choose your boons instead of rolling. If you don't, give your patron 1 Influence.
  Embrace Chaos
  Whenever you roll a 10+, you may opt to instead take a partial success as if you had
  rolled a 7-9. If you do so, hold 1, which you may spend at any point before the end of
  the Sortie to do one of the following;
  •
  Swap two of your Traits.
  •
  Act with confidence.
  Re-Weave Reality
  When you use a piece of equipment to make a move, e.g using a weapon to strike
  decisively, you can ignore one of it's tags OR act as if it had an additional one of
  your choice. When you do so, give your patron 1 Influence.
  Relinquish
  If a part of your Astir is damaged or destroyed and you take a peril as a result, you
  may relinquish your boons; losing them until you receive boons again but fixing
  that part and losing the peril. You cannot re-roll relinquished boons.
  Share The Burden
  When you cool off you may choose to succeed as if you had rolled a 10+. If you do
  so, give your patron 1 Influence.
  Borrowed Power
  When you request help from your patron, roll +CHANNEL and give your patron 1
  Influence. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1, or be in peril and hold 3. You may
  spend your hold at any point during the Sortie 1-for-1 to use any boon you don’t
  currently have, or you may spend 2 hold to make any move from another playbook.
  
  CAPTAIN
  Even the best of teams need guidance. Overlooking sorties from the Carrier’s helm,
  the Captain commands the crew and ensures those in the field get the help they need.
  LOOK
  You look: noble, upright, callow, eager or intimidating
  You wear: immaculate uniform, casual clothes, armoured clothing, officer’s coat
  You lead with: gut feelings, well-informed advice, stoic instruction, tested experience
  Responsible for the crew and their mission, the Captain provides support on missions
  by leading the crew and harnessing the Carrier’s equipment and weaponry. Captains
  can even provide temporary upgrades and refits for Constructs deployed on a sortie,
  or level their tactical know-how into better positioning on the battlefield.
  While playing a Captain, you're in command of the group's Carrier and its crew. This
  lets you roll several moves with the Carrier's +CREW trait instead of your own when
  commanding it - which is either a blessing or a curse, depending on what that
  CREW value is. Additionally, while at the helm of your Carrier you can take 4 dangers
  rather than 3 before you're defenceless, meaning you're tough to take down in a
  straight fight. All those hands on deck add up, after all. Many of your other moves
  revolve around supporting other players, like surprise requisition and fire support.
  Consider;
  •
  Were you formally schooled as a Captain? How exclusive are such schools?
  •
  Who appointed you Captain of this Carrier?
  •
  Have you served with another crew before?
  •
  Are you used to helming ships this big?
  •
  Have you served with a military before? Are you a commissioned officer?
  •
  What exactly is your place on the Carrier’s bridge?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the coordinator and in command moves, as well as one other from
  your Additional Moves.
  Coordinator
  When you roll a 10+ to help or hinder and choose to help, your ally may act with
  confidence instead of advantage.
  When you roll a 6 or below while rolling +CREW, advance a GRAVITY clock with
  someone who has put their trust in you.
  In Command
  You are the Carrier’s captain, and naturally have command of its crew. While at the
  helm of the Carrier, you may order the crew to;
  •
  Exchange blows and strike decisively with +CREW, using the Carrier’s
  weaponry.
  •
  Weather the storm with +CREW to perform evasive actions.
  •
  Read the room with +CREW to assess the battlefield.
  Additionally, both Carrier and crew are part of your character as far as risks and perils
  are concerned, just like an Astir is an extension of its channeler. To reflect the many
  minds and hands at work for you, you are defenceless at 4 dangers while at the helm
  of your Carrier, rather than 3.
  GEAR
  •
  2 Ornate Gear
  •
  1 Bonus Carrier Module
  •
  Clothes that match your look
  ORNATE GEAR
  •
  Gilded Sidearm I (ranged / blitz, distinct)
  •
  Ruinlock I (ranged / profane, reloading, ruin)
  •
  Duelist’s Blade I (melee / bane, distinct)
  •
  Arcane Mantle I (ranged / arcane)
  CARRIER MODULES
  •
  Construct Sensors (Can detect &
  identify II-V magical constructs
  approaching the Carrier) ■
  •
  Sending Stones (Can send long-
  distance messages quickly) ■
  •
  Construct Bay (Steed Golems for
  everyone) ■
  •
  Cloaking Rituals (Can hide the Carrier
  from sight) ■
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: mundane
  
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Tactical Genius
  When you're supervising allies from afar during a Sortie, you can lever your tactical
  know-how into better positioning. Take 3 hold at the start of a Sortie, and spend it 1-
  for-1 to do the following;
  •
  Remove one risk from an ally.
  •
  Give an ally Advantage to their next move, describing how you advise or support them.
  •
  Have an ally appear somehow in a place they are needed.
  Force Multiplier
  You acquire something—a tool, ship upgrade, a caged malevolent sentience, etc—
  that allows the Carrier and it’s staff to operate far better than usual, but it has a
  downside. Once per Sortie you may act with confidence, but choose 1;
  •
  It whispers in your ear—change one of your Ideals to represent its demands.
  •
  It’s fragile and needs protecting. It grants no benefit while damaged or destroyed.
  •
  It takes up a lot of resources—spend 1 SUPPLY on it when someone leads a
  Sortie, or it stops working until you reawaken it by spending 3.
  Surprise Requisition
  When you dispatch supplies to another character or reveal something extra you had
  them deployed with all along, roll +CREW. On a 10+, choose 1 for free. On a 7-9, you
  had to requisition that gear personally - pay 1 SUPPLY, or drop 1 Stake from a
  Faction as they spread themselves thin to help you.
  •
  A weapon rendered unusable by damage or lack of ammo is replaced/rearmed.
  •
  A weapon gains the bane tag until the end of the scene.
  •
  A weapon gains the ruin tag for one shot or strike.
  •
  An Astir changes it’s approach until the end of the scene.
  Fire Support
  When you provide instruction and call shots for the Carrier’s crew, you may
  exchange harm and strike decisively using +KNOW and the Carrier’s weaponry.
  Information Network
  When you have your crew search for information, you may dispel uncertainties with
  +CREW.
  When you contact your superiors for relevant intel, you may dispel uncertainties
  with +TALK.
  Resupply Priority
  Your Carrier gains 1 SUPPLY whenever you start Downtime.
  Human Resources
  When you read the room, you may also choose from the following questions;
  •
  What is the crew’s mood like?
  •
  Who is responsible for a problem on-board the Carrier?
  •
  What could be a problem for the crew in the immediate future?
  
  DIPLOMAT
  Not every war is fought with weapons. For a Diplomat, the battlefield is a boardroom,
  the landmines are a host’s hospitality and the only weapon you need is a winning smile.
  LOOK
  You look: noble, refined, experienced, naive or slick
  You wear: military dress, mostly disguises, luxury fashion, recognisable uniform
  You have a reputation for being: fair and trustworthy, sly and wily, unpredictable, bold and pushy
  Diplomats are the kind of people that bring factions together and negotiate the
  impossible. They definitely never ever spy on anybody; instead, they meet with other
  important people face to face to achieve with words the kind of things that a legion of
  men couldn’t with blades. The pen is their sword, and none of them have ever
  knocked a man out before stealing his uniform to pass as a guard.
  While playing a Diplomat, you have a lot of power to set the rules of a social situation
  with moves like under the table and bureaucrat. You're also very good at
  subterfuge, both by manipulating people and by stabbing them when they aren't
  looking, with a suite of moves including sharp tongue and sharper knives.
  Consider;
  •
  Are you actually a diplomat? Do you hold any official office?
  •
  How long have you been with the Cause? Were you part of it before joining this
  crew?
  •
  What’s your stance on violence?
  •
  What is your network of connections like? Do you have one?
  •
  What motivates you during this conflict? What are your goals?
  •
  What’s the most danger you’ve been in before?
  •
  What does diplomacy mean to you? How do you go about it?
  •
  Have you ever negotiated with the Authority before?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the negotiator and under the table moves, as well as one other from
  your Additional Moves.
  Negotiator
  You may read the room with +TALK when mediating or taking part in a conversation/
  discussion. When you successfully negotiate or advocate for something important to
  you, advance a GRAVITY clock of your choice.
  Under The Table
  When you set up a clandestine meeting, choose 2;
  •
  There’s no risk of an ambush or interference.
  •
  Third parties aren’t privy to the contents of the meeting.
  •
  All parties are willing to discuss in good faith.
  GEAR
  •
  1 Diplomacy ‘Tool’
  •
  3 ‘Diplomacy’ Tools
  •
  Clothing that matches
  your look
  DIPLOMACY ‘TOOLS’
  •
  Frost Charms I (ranged /
  restraining, elemental)
  •
  Fencing Blade I (melee /
  defensive, distinct)
  •
  Arcane Dagger I (melee /
  bane, small, arcane)
  'DIPLOMACY' TOOLS
  •
  Listenbugs (overhear anyone during Downtime
  near a bug you’ve hidden - they’re fragile)
  •
  Lockpicks (Useful for picking locks, unsurprisingly)
  •
  Silencing Matrix (Removes all noise from a tier I
  weapon)
  •
  Shimmershape Clothing (Clothing can magically
  change colour and design)
  •
  Agents (take shore leave with advantage when
  searching for info or evidence)
  •
  Transport (You have a mount/vehicle that’s fast
  and quiet - probably a tier II construct)
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: mundane
  
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Sharp Tongue
  When you exchange blows with +TALK, on a roll of 12+ your opponent is put in
  peril.
  Sharper Knives
  Daggers and other small weapons are your forte; you can always keep at least one
  concealed on your person, no matter how well checked, and you strike decisively
  with advantage while using one to cause harm. This might extend to improvised
  weapons, also. You probably struggle not to show off or toy around with knives in
  casual situations. It’s unsettling.
  Stir The Crowd
  When you attempt to inspire dissent against the Authority, roll +TALK. On a 10+,
  choose 1. On a 7-9, choose 2, or let your Director choose 1.
  •
  It takes a tragedy to truly galvanise people.
  •
  In doing so, you become known and targeted.
  •
  You have no control or influence over any acts of protest.
  •
  You are unable to spark wider resistance than the local area.
  Bureaucrat
  When you would exchange blows with +TALK to slow someone down or distract
  them with regulations, bylaws, or whatever piece of red tape you can think of, you
  also choose one from the below even on a fail.
  •
  You’re not lying—they’ll really be in trouble if they don’t listen to you.
  •
  You can hold them up for more than a brief moment.
  •
  They won't remember or recognise you.
  •
  You don't need to take a risk.
  Irrefutable
  When you argue or advocate for something and back up your point of view with hard
  evidence or facts, hold 1. When you reach 3 hold, you may spend them to strike
  decisively with +TALK against someone who isn’t defenceless.
  Connected
  When you meet someone of note, roll +TALK. On a 10+, you’re familiar with them,
  and you may choose whether their view of you is positive or negative. On a 7-9, as
  previous, but the Director decides how they think of you.
  Shree Klime
  During Downtime, you may also prepare an alias or disguise. Most people will
  believe you are who you say you are, unless you're disguised as someone they're
  very familiar with, or they are given reason to thoroughly check your person or any
  identification. You may take shore leave to secure 2 of the following;
  •
  You have ID that is either legitimate or so well faked it is impossible for anyone
  short of an expert to tell the difference.
  •
  There's a reason or expectation for someone fitting your disguise to show up.
  •
  You've had something useful planted ahead of time—select a weapon or piece of
  equipment (one you have access to) to be hidden just where you'll need it.
  
  ARTIFICER
  Between necessary repairs and wholly unnecessary tinkering, Artificers do their best
  to keep their allies equipped and their Astirs functioning.
  LOOK
  You look: tough, filthy, punky, weary or wise
  You wear: pristine overalls, casual clothes, patched jumpsuits, homemade armour
  You handiwork looks: clean and utilitarian, fancy and artistic, like it barely holds
  together, unremarkable
  Artificers ensure that the Carrier and the Constructs it carries are in top condition,
  repairing and tinkering with them whenever the chance arises. While talented at
  putting new things together, an Artificer's expertise is just as easily applied to taking
  something apart. Artificers might be professionals, trained in the construction and
  repair of Astirs, or natural tinkerers who grew up making jury-rigged improvements to
  their town.
  While playing an Artificer, expert repairs lets you give everyone else room to breathe
  during Downtime, and also lets you mend something with one of your traits in the
  event that the Carrier's CREW isn't very good. Aside from that, you have some very
  versatile options: arcane generator and from scratch let you acquire a CHANNEL
  trait and give you a powerful new way to use it alongside the norm, and combat
  engineer even lets you branch out into the Scout playbook easily. Consider;
  •
  Where and how did you learn your craft?
  •
  Are there others as skilled at working with Astirs as you in the Cause? What about
  the Authority?
  •
  How did you get involved with the Cause?
  •
  What was your life like before the Cause?
  •
  Have you always worked on Astirs, or did you hone your craft making something
  else?
  •
  Do you have a certain material or style that is considered tell-tale of your work?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the expert repairs and jury-rigger moves, as well as one other from
  your Additional Moves.
  Expert Repairs
  You’re an expert at fixing things, and gain an additional Downtime move which you
  can only spend to mend something. Additionally, you may mend something with
  +KNOW. When you tend to someone’s body or Astir, advance a GRAVITY clock with
  them if you have one.
  Jury-Rigger
  When you take random parts or objects and attempt to create something useful out of
  them, roll +KNOW. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 2;
  •
  It fits the purpose you had in mind.
  •
  It stops working after hours, not minutes.
  •
  It doesn’t explode when it stops working.
  •
  It doesn’t look like garbage stuck together.
  GEAR
  •
  2 Artificer Tools
  •
  1 Transport or Service Golem II
  •
  Construct Manuals (dispel
  uncertainties regarding construct &
  Astir design with advantage)
  •
  Clothing that matches your look
  ARTIFICER TOOLS
  •
  Heavy Wrench I (melee / bane)
  •
  Beam Cutter I (melee / reloading,
  ruin, decisive)
  •
  Steelfuser I (ranged / elemental)
  •
  Alchemical Gel I (Advantage when
  cooling off to repair something)
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: mundane
  
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Augmenter
  When you work on a project during Downtime, you may fill an additional clock
  segment on a result of 10+ or 7-9.
  You may work on a project to create and install magical enhancements or
  alterations to living creatures.
  Arcane Generator
  You’ve built a magical device, small enough to be worn on your back or at your hip,
  that generates arcane power for you. When you start it up, roll +KNOW. On a 10+,
  you are considered to have CHANNEL at +2. On a 7-9, you have CHANNEL at +1
  instead. This lasts for the duration of a Sortie.
  Should the generator be broken or damaged you lose your CHANNEL trait, and if you
  are currently attuned to an Astir the connection is severed (meaning it shuts down). It
  has the magic and distinct tags.
  From Scratch [Requires: Arcane Generator]
  When you tap into magical power to create something long-lasting quickly, roll
  +CHANNEL. On a 10+, you can create something as big as a tower or as complex as
  a lock, and it takes but a few minutes of work. On a 7-9, choose 1;
  •
  You must overclock your generator to do so—reduce your CHANNEL to -1.
  •
  You are unable to conjure any sturdy materials, and everything you have built has
  the fragile tag.
  •
  The work is taxing—take the peril (exhausted).
  Field Testing
  You’re used to testing out new equipment, and can easily get to grips with new tech.
  You have advantage when trying to use, analyse, or figure out something about
  unfamiliar equipment, constructs, or similar magical machinery.
  It’s A Prototype
  Once per Sortie, you may reveal what prototype upgrade you’ve made to a Astir that
  you reasonably had access to recently. When you do so, choose 2;
  •
  You didn’t have to disassemble anything else for parts.
  •
  Your invention doesn’t draw unwanted attention to you.
  •
  The upgrade burns out at the end of the Sortie, rather than after one use.
  •
  Using the upgrade isn’t dangerous is any way.
  Combat Engineer
  You supplement your Artificer training with something more conventional: choose a
  move from the Scout list instead and a piece of Scout Equipment.
  Counterspell
  When you get close and use your expertise in magical machinery to try and break a
  construct or magical mechanism, you may exchange blows and strike decisively
  with +KNOW using the following profile;
  •
  Counterspell III (melee / slow, ruin)
  
  SCOUT
  Scouts are straightforward people. Trained in navigating any terrain and pathfinding
  for less mobile troops, scouts are often the eyes and ears for their Astir allies.
  LOOK
  You look: wild, cold, sharp, cocky or brash
  You wear: gleaming plate, well-worn uniform, survivalist’s gear or rugged leathers
  You fight with: brute strength, dextrous moves, practised discipline, raw tenacity
  Scouts are more than the rank-and-file soldier. Trained to be fast, strong and
  capable, Scouts are the trailblazers and survivors that make it possible for everyone
  else to do their job. From sneaking into enemy territory to gather information to
  performing patch repairs on Astirs damaged in the field, a good Scout can work
  wonders.
  While playing a Scout, you have the fairly unique position of being someone who
  excels at fighting on foot in a world of Astirs. Thankfully, field scout lets you stand
  toe-to-toe with things higher tier than you, and also lets you use bulky, awkward
  equipment far more easily. Depending on the moves you take, a Scout can be a
  dangerous solo agent, leaning on moves like personal armoury and strong as hell,
  or a powerful team player with moves like natural leader and patch job.
  Consider;
  •
  Are Scouts common, or are you an exception ?
  •
  Do you have a tool or ability that helps you be mobile, or are you just agile?
  •
  What kind of reputation do Scouts have? Is fighting an Astir considered risky for you?
  •
  Who didn’t want you to fight?
  •
  Who encouraged you to fight?
  •
  How long have you been a soldier?
  •
  Were you trained or are you a natural fighter?
  •
  Where did you get your equipment?
  •
  What drives you to work on foot in a world of mechs?
  •
  Do you have a better relationship with regular soldiers due to not being a pilot?
  STARTING MOVES
  You start with the field scout move as well as two others from your Additional Moves.
  Field Scout
  You're an expert at managing operations in the field and supporting your allies. You’re
  agile and strong, you tend to notice things those in Astirs don't, and your size allows
  you access to spaces too small for them.
  You can wield tier II weapons without much difficulty, can reload weapons easily
  while on the move or under fire, and don’t need to bite the dust when threatened by
  harm from a higher tier than you.
  When you hold your own against Astirs or show yourself completely above the rank-
  and-file, advance a GRAVITY clock with someone who sees you and is impressed.
  GEAR
  •
  1 Scout Weapon
  •
  2 Scout Equipment
  •
  Any tier I weapons that feel appropriate
  •
  Clothes that match your look
  SCOUT WEAPONS
  •
  Astircleaver II (melee / bane, area, 2H)
  •
  Crossbow+ II (ranged / infinite, blitz, 2H)
  •
  Force Ballista II (sniper / reloading, ruin, 2H)
  SCOUT EQUIPMENT
  •
  Maps and Charts (You can
  always �gure out a route)
  •
  Gatherer's Tools (You can
  always feed your party)
  •
  First Aid Kit (You can tend to
  basic injuries and wounds)
  •
  Traps and Nets (You can
  always set up a defence given
  time)
  APPROACH
  When fighting on foot, your approach is: mundane
  
  ADDITIONAL MOVES
  When you take a new move from your playbook as an advancement, choose from
  the list below.
  Team Player
  When you read the room, you may pass the information you gain along and allow an
  ally to act with advantage instead of you. This counts as them making a move
  involving you, and they may roll with +GRAVITY as appropriate.
  Mobility
  When you're fighting somewhere with the room to be acrobatic and mobile, roll
  +DEFY. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. You can spend 1 hold at any time to do
  one of the following;
  •
  Escape from something that binds, traps or impedes you
  •
  Acquire high ground or a defensible position
  •
  Get to somewhere or something before others can
  •
  Avoid an incoming source of physical harm
  Improvisation
  At the beginning of a Sortie, hold 3. You may spend 1 hold to change your approach
  for a single move. Explain to your Director what you did or used to do this.
  Natural Leader
  When participating in a group move, you can always make the roll in place of
  whoever has the lowest relevant trait.
  Strong As Hell
  You can carry and wield tier III weapons by taking a risk.
  Patch Job
  When you cool off to remove a risk or the ‘overheating’ tick from an Astir, you can do
  it in a few moments rather than minutes, even while the Astir is still moving. Instead
  of the usual result, on a 7-9 you attract unwanted attention.
  Guerrilla
  When you attempt to evade detection or sneak past others, roll +KNOW. On a 10+,
  choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1, or choose 2 and take a risk.
  •
  You avoid detection.
  •
  You find something hidden or forgotten.
  •
  You can set up for an ambush.
  •
  You find a way to allow others to follow you without being detected.
  Pathfinding
  When you're leading a group that is travelling a long distance, hold 3, and spend it 1-
  for-1 on the following options while you travel;
  •
  You lead the group past an area of difficult terrain without issue.
  •
  You find a comfortable, sheltered place to set up camp.
  •
  You're familiar with the area; dispel uncertainties regarding it or the things in it
  with Advantage during the journey.
  •
  You find a shortcut, reducing the length of your journey but adding complications.
  
  ADVANCEMENT
  In Armour Astir, characters earn advancements in three ways;
  •
  Completing a GRAVITY clock
  •
  Compromising or sacrificing an Ideal
  •
  Completing your Spotlight clock
  Advancements can be spent to;
  •
  Choose a new Move from your playbook (up to 3).
  •
  Increase a Trait by 1, to a max of +3.
  •
  Rewrite as many of your Ideals as you want.
  After you have advanced and chosen from the above options 3 times, you may also
  choose from the following additional options.
  •
  Choose a Soldier Move or a non-starting Move from any playbook (up to 3).
  •
  Choose a new playbook. Keep what moves you and your Director agree are truly
  part of your character, and discard the others. Replace them with the starting
  moves for your new playbook. You do not gain its starting equipment.
  •
  Retire from combat without losing sight of your Ideals.
  •
  Take control of a Faction. You may take shore leave to trigger its Faction move.
  SOLDIER MOVES
  GET OUT OF MY WAY!
  When you come to blows with your Rival, see someone you have a GRAVITY clock
  with die, or witness the Authority commit a truly terrible act, hold 3.
  You may spend this hold 1-for-1 to strike decisively against non-Rival or Main foes,
  even if they aren't defenceless, and treat any result of 6 or below as a 7-9.
  RED COMET
  Any Astir you channel gains a Artifact called 'Uncanny Speed', and its Mana capacity
  is increased by 1.
  FLASH
  You may communicate with other Channelers instantly over great distances in times
  of urgent need, sending words or even feelings and sensations to help or hinder
  with +CHANNEL.
  Additionally, dead characters may still help or hinder you, their spirit able to speak
  with you from beyond.
  SELFLESS
  You may put yourself in peril to completely defend another from one source of
  incoming harm, like a blade or a challenging statement.
  You may put yourself in peril to attempt something uncanny, superhuman, or
  unbelievable.
  INDOMITABLE
  Whenever you make a move, on a result of 12+ you may clear a risk.
  MIDSEASON UPGRADE
  If you are a Channeler, an opportunity to acquire a tier IV Astir will appear.
  If you are a Support, an opportunity to acquire an upgrade to the Carrier will appear.
  
  WHITE DEVIL
  Stories of your talent and your Astir have spread far and wide among your enemies:
  anyone other than your Rival who would act against you whilst piloting your Astir
  must take the risk (intimidated) to do so. This risk is cleared if they witness your Astir
  be seriously damaged, if you flee from fighting, or if they have reason to believe you
  aren't piloting it.
  NIGHTMARE OF SOLOMON
  You have acquired a weapon of horrific potential. When you deploy it to destroy your
  enemy with overwhelming force, you succeed. Resolve all your GRAVITY clocks as if
  you had filled them, even ones that have been previously committed to and locked.
  You don’t gain advancements for clocks resolved in this manner. In the future, no
  matter how noble your intent or just the results, your actions will be used to justify
  further violence.
  THE ARITY METHOD
  Once per Sortie, when you would bite the dust, succeed as if you’d rolled a 10+. Act
  with confidence the next time you would exchange blows or strike decisively.
  ORIGINAL VIDEO EPISODE
  During Downtime, you may spend one of your Downtime moves to lead a raid or
  operation against the Authority to disrupt their activities. Tell the Director what you set
  out to do, and who comes with you. If it’s anyone you have GRAVITY with, advance
  it. During the next Conflict Turn, the Authority has disadvantage on any moves they
  make.
  ONCE THE WAR’S OVER
  When you talk about what’s waiting for you after the fighting’s over, hold 3.
  You may spend your hold 1-for-1 to automatically succeed on any move as if you had
  rolled a 10+.
  Whether or not you spend your hold, you will perish before the beginning of your next
  Downtime. Don’t roll to bite the dust as usual—instead, let your Director know when
  you think it’s time.
  
  THE AUTHORITY
  & THE CAUSE
  The Authority and the Cause are the big players in any game of Armour Astir. The
  Authority is oppressive, powerful, and domineering, with its sights set on the world -
  or at least the slice of it our game takes place in. On the other hand, the Cause is,
  hopefully, benevolent and driven—but is just as likely scattered, conflicted, and
  scared. While players tend to their wounds and sneak precious moments in
  Downtime, these forces develop too, during the Conflict Turn.
  THE AUTHORITY
  The Authority is a single entity, divided into Divisions each of which have their own
  specific goals and interests in service of the Authority. Each of these Divisions has a
  name and leader, a resource it generates during the Passive Step, and an Ideal -
  something that drives its actions in service of the greater Authority, an idealistic
  leader, or something else entirely.
  The Authority is split into 3 Divisions;
  •
  A Military Division, which focuses on deploying forces to attack or defend with
  violence.
  •
  A Subterfuge Division, which focuses on deploying spies or agents to deal with
  things quietly.
  •
  A Resource Division, which focuses on developing new magic or tools,
  accumulating wealth, etc.
  Each Division generates one of three resources during its Division Step. Military
  Divisions generate POWER, Subterfuge Divisions generate INFO, and Resource
  Divisions generate SURPLUS. During the Conflict Turn, these are spent to make
  moves that allow the Authority to increase its influence over the world, through
  whatever means it has. The Authority begins play with 0 of each, meaning they must
  spend at least the first turn of the game building up strength.
  In mechanical terms, this means spending POWER or INFO to encroach and build
  up GRIP on Factions or Regions, then spending that GRIP in an attempt to seize
  control. The Authority also gathers SURPLUS to invest in a project that, should it be
  completed, would spell doom for the Cause and it’s efforts.
  If you want to define your Authority further, with more than 3 Divisions, remember that
  more Divisions means more possible Division Moves in a single turn - possibly
  allowing them to brute-force actions with more resources than your amount of
  Factions can oppose. Keep this in mind when determining how many Factions the
  Cause is made up of. Additionally, consider giving these other Divisions a Passive
  Step that isn’t resource gathering, since inflating the amount of resources the
  Authority also makes it easier for them to exhaust Factions.
  For some examples, consider;
  •
  A Research Division, which focuses on developing new enchantments and rituals.
  Passive Step: Start or advance a 6 step clock titled ‘Introduce or improve a
  construct design.’
  •
  A Curator Division, which focuses on stealing and investigating that which doesn’t
  belong to it. Passive Step: Start or advance a 6 step clock titled ‘Take something
  that isn’t theirs.’
  •
  An Administrative Division, which focuses on the development and protection of
  bureaucracy. Passive Step: All players take disadvantage while operating within
  Authority structures or remaining undiscovered among Authority citizens and
  personnel.
  
  AUTHORITY FORCES
  The Authority, broadly speaking, has far more soldiers and assets than ever worth
  individually keeping track of. Instead, we just keep an eye on the things that are likely
  to come up in play. Broadly speaking, everything that the Authority makes use of is
  either a person, a group, or an asset. A person is a character of specific talent, power
  or influence. A group is a number of characters who are, together, an important force.
  An asset is an object or place that is useful to the Authority, and might be anything
  from a Carrier to simple supplies like food or clothing.
  When creating these, keep a hierarchy in mind. Everything should be tied to
  something else, indicating who they answer to, or in the case of resources and
  places, who they are controlled by. Soldiers are likely tied to their officers, who are
  likely tied to a general or other significant figure, who is then likely tied into the
  Authority’s military Division at the top. Assets, depending on what they are, might be
  tied directly to the people that make use of them, or tied to figures who are
  responsible for their use or protection.
  As the Director, it's important to think about what happens when these connections
  are broken. Does that elite cadre of Astir pilots fall in line behind a different officer
  when theirs is killed in battle, or was their loyalty to that officer rather than the
  Authority overall, causing them to leave it? When they lose a trio of experimental
  Astirs in battle, is the Captain of the Second-Hand Fortune given command over a
  new unit, or just demoted underneath one of their peers? Don't feel like you need to
  have a grand plan penned for every foe or asset in advance, though. Sometimes
  decisions in the moment are the most fun to make.
  AUTHORITY PROJECTS
  With the invest move, the Authority can gradually start and complete long-term
  projects. These projects, if completed, should create a large advantage for the
  Authority that threatens to completely turn the war in their favour unless it is dealt
  with as quickly as possible.
  Projects don’t need to be one big macguffin that’s being slowly constructed. A project
  might be developing a plan for one decisive military push, slowly accruing reserve
  forces for an unstoppable offensive, or even the inner political turmoil of the Authority
  slowly resolving itself into a state where its true might can be properly coordinated.
  Unsealing the Sovereign Crypt
  Crown-Claimant Goze aims to open the Sovereign
  Crypt and use the contents as fuel for another ritual.
  The End Of Mourning
  Once the mourning period for the last Empress is
  over, the remaining heirs are sure to unleash the
  forces they have massed in a civil war.
  
  THE CAUSE
  While the Authority is one entity organised into orderly Divisions, the Cause is
  disparate Factions united under one banner. Factions represent the smaller groups
  and efforts that make up the Cause. For those, we just keep a list of their leader, a
  short summary of who they are, and their type, which has a move attached to it.
  In the Conflict Turn, the primary role Factions play is opposing the moves made by
  the Authority and possibly countering with their own, depending on how the dice turn
  out. What that opposition looks like, and what move they might make, is determined
  by their type;
  It’s a good idea to have around two Factions per Division in the Authority, to ensure
  some balance in the economy of actions during the Conflict Turn.
  FACTION STAKE
  Factions can’t offer infinite support. When they take action during the Conflict Turn,
  expending manpower, supplies, or revolutionary zeal, they lose some of their Stake.
  Stake is an abstract representation of both a Factions assets and members (i.e its
  ability to oppose the Authority), and its responsibility and metaphorical weight within
  the Cause (i.e its ability to direct that opposition). Factions with high Stake are more
  invested in the Cause, and as such are more able to push it into action.
  Factions may have a maximum Stake of 3, and all Factions begin with 2 except for
  those picked out during Cause setup. However much Stake the Cause has in total
  when you begin play is all the Stake that exists. Stake can shift between Factions or
  be temporarily ‘dropped’, but not destroyed or created. When a Faction loses Stake
  by opposing the Authority, other Factions gain that Stake by stepping in to make up
  for their losses.
  Stake asks you to consider how well those with agency and ability direct the Cause
  with consideration and respect to its various Factions, if there are conflicts of formal
  hierarchy in the Cause vs who in the Cause have actual agency, and how Factions
  choose to view the loss of Stake: as a moment for recovery in which other Factions
  must cover for them, as a passing of the torch (their duty now done), or even
  something more antagonistic like other Factions capitalising on their spent nature to
  take agency from them.
  Type
  Opposition
  Move
  Guerrillas
  Opposes with ambushes and
  scattered force
  A Division of your choice can’t
  lead a move next turn.
  Assassins
  Opposes with targeted killing
  An important figure in the
  Authority is killed.
  Thieves
  Opposes with robbery
  Resources shift from the Authority,
  reducing SURPLUS by 1.
  Agents
  Opposes with infiltration and
  subterfuge
  Something important is taken or
  learned, reducing INFO by 1.
  Saboteurs
  Opposes with sabotage and
  ingenuity
  Something important is destroyed,
  reducing POWER by 1.
  Suppliers
  Opposes with new equipment or
  supplies
  Take upto 3 dropped Stake and
  distribute it among Factions.
  Diplomats
  Opposes with negotiation and law
  Remove any GRIP on a Faction.
  Military
  Opposes with direct assaults and
  force
  Remove any GRIP on a Region.
  Strange
  Opposes with the weird and
  unexplained
  Something unexpected and
  strange happens.
  
  EXAMPLE FACTIONS
  STAKE
  GRIP
  The Iron Circus (Suppliers)
  The Iron Circus build and repair magical constructs, operating out of
  a steel-clad airship. The Circus aren’t an orderly workforce, but
  they’re fast, reliable, and loyal.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  Syl’s Stallers (Saboteurs)
  The Stallers, led by Syl Sarna, specialise in stopping constructs in
  their tracks. Using experimental gauntlets that nullify enchantments,
  they infiltrate reinforcements in transit and prevent their constructs
  from ever animating.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  Allington Merchant’s Association (Suppliers)
  More commonly known as just the Allington Association, they
  possess a significant amount of capital and are more than willing to
  put it on the line to support more revolutionary-inclined clients.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  The Riverknights (Guerillas)
  A cadre of fighters who use custom-enchanted aquatic Golems to
  rapidly navigate rivers and canals, often striking ships or dockside
  fortifications before retreating as quickly as they arrived.
  REGIONS
  Regions are places of importance, on whatever scale is appropriate to that of your
  game. In a large campaign spanning a globe, Regions might be entire countries and
  capital cities or bases of importance, while in a smaller campaign your Regions might
  be cities, towns and military encampments. In either case, make sure you don’t step
  into the trap of only considering Regions that are of military importance. Places of
  historical, cultural, spiritual or ecological importance are equally as valid: they, after all,
  represent the people and the future that the players and Factions are fighting to protect
  or free from the Authority’s clutches.
  Regions aren’t just for fighting over, of course. The people in them will likely call for the
  aid of Factions and the players, and if they want to you should allow your players to
  invest themselves in the future of Regions. Players might help repair the damage from
  Authority raids or occupation, help build houses or infrastructure for the people that live
  there, or might help bring refugees to safe Regions in order to make a new home there.
  All of the above might be things done in Downtime, or might be the focus of Sorties and
  Missions.
  Players may have a GRAVITY clock with a Region if they desire, but Regions
  themselves do not have any statistics or moves attached to them—even small
  communities are difficult to codify in a way that is truly representative. The Director
  might connect characters or assets to a Region instead of a Faction, and a Faction
  might call a Region home.
  If the Authority seizes a Region, this should mean something. It is up to you to
  determine why Regions are important, and what the Authority stands to gain by seizing
  them.
  
  THE CONFLICT TURN
  During the Conflict Turn, the Authority develops and spends resources to make
  moves. In response, the various Factions that make up the Cause mobilise to oppose
  these moves, or given the opportunity, make their own.
  STEP 1: CHOOSE DIVISION MOVES
  Each of the Division moves spends a different resource built up during the Conflict
  Turn. When you make a move, you must choose a Division to lead it, and each
  Division may only lead one move. This means you may make a maximum of 3
  Division moves during any Conflict Turn. Leading confers no benefits, but colours the
  action and determines which Division feels the fallout should the move fail. Note that
  you can only build up 3 GRIP on any one Faction or Region with encroach, but save
  up as much POWER, INFO and SURPLUS as you want.
  Invest
  When a Division takes extra resources and puts them towards a longer-term plan,
  commit +1-3 SURPLUS and roll 2d6. On a 10+, start or advance an 8-step clock
  representing a project the Authority is working on. On a 7-9 as above, but an
  opposing Faction also triggers their move.
  Encroach
  When a Division attempts to increase their control of a Region or Faction, commit +1-
  3 INFO or POWER and roll 2d6. On a 10+ Gain 1 GRIP on a Region or Faction. On a
  7-9 as above, but an opposing Faction also triggers their move.
  Seize
  When a Division capitalises on their GRIP to take over a Region or Faction, commit
  +1-3 GRIP and roll 2d6. On a 10+ seize control of a Region or Faction. On a 7-9 as
  above, but an opposing Faction also triggers their move.
  STEP 2: RESOLVE DIVISION MOVES
  For each move, decide which Factions are opposing it. Opposing Factions must ante
  up Stake to do so. If less Stake is wagered than the Authority is spending resources,
  the Authority rolls with advantage. If more is put forward, the Authority rolls with
  disadvantage. If no Factions oppose, the Authority rolls with confidence.
  On a 7-9 result, you may choose one of the opposing Factions and trigger their move
  in addition to the one the Division made. What this looks like is up to you, and might
  differ much from Faction to Faction. On a result of 6 or below, the move goes badly
  for whatever Division is leading it—again, what this looks like and means for the
  Authority is up to you—though it should take more than a few bad rolls to really
  damage a Division.
  Finally, 2 points of the total Stake wagered is given up. 1 is redistributed to a different
  Faction and 1 is ‘dropped’, to be recovered through Sorties or Faction moves. If only
  1 point had been wagered, it is redistributed.
  STEP 3: PASSIVE STEP & FACTION MOVE
  Finally, any Division that didn’t lead a move this turn performs its Passive Step
  instead, earning a resource for the Authority: Military Divisions earn 1 POWER,
  Subterfuge Divisions earn 1 INFO, and Resource Divisions earn 1 SURPLUS.
  If all Divisions performed their Passive Step—that is, if you made no Division
  moves—you can choose one Faction and trigger its move, as if you rolled a 7-9 on a
  Division move. When opportunity presents itself, someone is sure to strike.
  CHOOSE DIVISION
  MOVES
  RESOLVE DIVISION
  MOVES
  PASSIVE STEP &
  FACTION MOVE
  
  RUNNING THE GAME
  As the Director, it’s primarily your job to facilitate play. To that end, you have an
  agenda and principles to guide your decisions and help you figure out what is in the
  spirit of the game. When it comes to making moves, your director moves give you
  clear options for directing the action. There’s also a brief primer on safety tools,
  though I encourage you to research these more to find something that suits you,
  some example foes and guidelines for creating characters to oppose the players,
  and an explanation of rivals.
  AGENDA
  As a Director running Armour Astir, there are certain things you should strive for.
  These are your agendas. Think of these like your tenets, as you perform the sacred
  rites of running a fun game for your friends.
  •
  Portray a world entrenched in conflict.
  •
  Let the players make a difference.
  •
  Play to find out what happens.
  PRINCIPLES
  Additionally, you have your principles. Your principles are things to consider when
  deciding what move to make, and can also serve as a reference when you’re unsure
  if a move you want to make is appropriate.
  •
  Give Conflict Weight
  •
  Begin And End With The Fiction
  •
  Address The Characters, Not The Players
  •
  Consider Scale
  •
  Fight Wars With Words (Sometimes)
  •
  Ask Questions And Use The Answers
  •
  Let Them Be Victors As Well As Victims
  •
  Make Moves Off-Screen
  •
  Keep Things Magical
  GIVE CONFLICT WEIGHT
  In Armour Astir, conflict reaches everyone in some way. When you present your world
  and the people in it, consider the effects of it on them, and the things they've been
  caught up in because of it. Confront your players with the consequences of their
  actions, and remind them that marginalised people often suffer the most during times
  of struggle: even if it feels like what is being struggled against isn’t something directly
  adversarial to marginalised identities.
  BEGIN AND END WITH THE FICTION
  When you make your moves, establish and ground them in the fiction before you
  detail what the mechanical results are. Then, return to the fiction, and show the
  fictional consequences of those results. Be a good example for your players: teach
  them to make their action clear before resolving it with dice, and then to hook the
  consequences back into the fiction.
  ADDRESS THE CHARACTERS, NOT THE PLAYERS
  As far as you're concerned, once you start the session you're no longer at the table
  with your good friends. To your left is Cordelian, the Arcanist, piloting his Lance-Minor
  Astir. To your right, the rough-and-rowdy Scout, Rio. Staring daggers at you from
  across the table is Mire, the Witch, whose Falcon-class Astir is currently missing an
  arm. So when you talk to your players, make sure you're actually addressing those
  Paradigms, Artificers and assorted other heroes. Ask Mire what they do, not what
  their player thinks they do. This helps everyone focus and keep their minds on the
  fiction that you're all creating together.
  
  CONSIDER SCALE
  War is a big, bloody thing, stretching continents as easily as it stretches time. Let
  your players feel the consequences of their involvement with it on more than one
  scale. Just as they involve themselves in the small-scale of conflict, getting in their
  Astirs and taking the fight to the enemy as commanded, let them involve themselves
  in the overarching systems of war—the politics, the organisation—and let them
  become valuable to the cause they fight for. Then, you can involve them in larger
  consequences - and if they try to run, they should find these connections they've
  made difficult to cut.
  FIGHT WARS WITH WORDS (SOMETIMES)
  Not all fights are fought with blades. Fight your players with words, spoken or
  otherwise, and remind them of the impact influential figures can have without setting
  foot on a battlefield when the opportunity arises. If your players are so inclined, let
  them wield this power too: let them disarm foes with a scathing insult, or write a
  challenging letter that wins over a sympathetic lord. Not all problems are best solved
  with force, after all.
  ASK QUESTIONS AND USE THEIR ANSWERS
  The shared fiction of your world is something you work on together with your players,
  so involve them in fleshing it out. Ask them questions about their characters, and the
  places and concepts related to them. If you don't know something, if you're short on
  interesting ideas, or you just want someone else’s viewpoint, don't hesitate to ask
  one of your players instead. Be curious about what they want to contribute to the
  fiction, and help them feel invested in it by using the information they give you. This
  lightens the narrative load for you, helps keeps things a little varied, and also lets you
  have the same curiosity and surprise as the players do when something new
  becomes part of the story.
  LET THEM BE VICTORS AS WELL AS VICTIMS
  At the table, you're all part of the same fiction. Your players are the stars of the
  show—so let them feel like it. Let them succeed and fail in the directions they find
  interesting, and try not to force them down particular avenues in the grand scheme of
  things. Don't gun for them too hard. You're here to create an interesting story about
  war and revolution together, not a miserable one about how they spent several
  sessions in a narrative gutter before you killed them all. Generally, use your players
  risks and perils as a guideline for when to hurt them. Let their Astirs feel powerful
  when it matters, but punish them when their guard falls: after all, they're bound to the
  same rules when trying to harm your characters.
  MAKE MOVES OFF-SCREEN
  It’s also important to remember that, while your players and their characters are
  important, not everything that happens does so right in front of them. Don't be afraid
  to make moves and keep things shifting behind the scenes, then present the results
  of those moves to the group when appropriate. There are battles the characters
  aren't involved in, and discussions or decisions they don't get to make. Remind them
  that the world is bigger than they are.
  KEEP THINGS MAGICAL
  Finally, Armour Astir isn’t just a game about mechs and pilots. It’s a game about giant
  magical constructs, slinging spells at each other through enchanted weapons,
  protected by complex rituals and powered by Channelers—powerful magic-users
  fueled by innate talent, divine powers, otherworldly influnces and arcane artifacts.
  Don’t forget that!
  
  DIRECTOR MOVES
  Just like your players have moves, you as a Director have moves to help guide and
  codify what you can do. The players make a move when they want to do something -
  you make a move when;
  •
  They roll a 6 or below on one of their moves
  •
  When they look to you for something to happen, or can’t decide what to do
  •
  When the fiction says something should happen
  Broadly speaking, the moves you have are to;
  Typically, after making a move, you should pass the narrative baton back to your
  players by asking: what do you do?
  MAKE AN OBVIOUS THREAT
  Show them the barrel of the gun, tease something to come, etc. Put things on the
  table so everyone can see what's in play, and take that into account when making
  awful decisions.
  "There's an explosion from behind the bay doors, and a blue Astir striped with grey
  dashes through the smoke directly towards you, a long blade streaking with white-hot
  energy. What do you do?"
  "You're out of sight, moving from column to column keeping an eye on the
  Ambassador, when one of his guards falls out of step with the others. They reach into
  their coat. What do you do?"
  "Back on the ship, Hargen, you watch as the construct sensor spikes upwards in two,
  no, three spots. Ensign Wren dials in the sensitivity and turns to you. 'Two Wolves
  and an unidentified third, closing fast.' What do you do?"
  EXPLOIT A DANGER OR A TAG
  Use the risks and perils your players have taken, and the tags on their gear, as
  vectors for action against them.
  "They're faster than you expect, rushing up on the side where your sensors are
  disrupted. You dodge just enough to make sure the blade doesn't go through your
  cockpit, but they carve your Astir's head off entirely instead - replace that risk
  (blinded) with a peril (blinded). What do you do?"
  "You took the risk 'embarrassed', right? As you try to walk away, Cress takes your
  wrist, and says 'You know, we don't have to do this in front of the others. Come with
  me.' She starts to pull you away as the others are leaving—what do you do?"
  "June brings her shield up, but she doesn't need it. You run the firing ritual and...
  nothing. Your missiles had the limited tag, and that previous salvo was your last.
  What do you do?"
  •
  Make an obvious threat
  •
  Test the forces of GRAVITY
  •
  Exploit a danger or a tag
  •
  Split them up
  •
  Put them in danger
  •
  Reveal something new
  •
  Attack someone who’s defenceless
  •
  Start a (mysterious) clock
  •
  Give an option with cost or
  consequence
  
  PUT THEM IN DANGER
  When the players fail a roll or leave themselves exposed to harm, that's a good
  opportunity to hurt them by putting them in danger. It's up to you how severe you be
  here in a given situation: putting them in peril is a much harder move than asking
  them to take a risk, and having them replace a risk with a peril is a slightly kinder
  middle ground.
  "He dashes out of your reach to safety, and fires a rayrifle shot directly at you. You'll
  need to take a risk to avoid it. Ok, now what do you do?"
  "You're holding the wreck up for the time being, but your Astir just isn't made for this.
  You can hear and feel the grating and grinding of its parts as your arms start to
  buckle - take the peril 'crushed'. What do you do?"
  "They don't look impressed by what you have to say at all. The guy with the helmet
  looks at you, and seeing how scared you look, keeps eye contact as he slowly puts
  his blade through the injured guard. Replace your 'scared' risk with the peril 'shaken'.
  What do you do?"
  ATTACK SOMEONE WHO'S DEFENCELESS
  If a character has stacked up enough dangers to become defenceless, they're truly in
  the crosshairs and are exposed to consequences that could force them to flee, be
  killed, or otherwise taken out of action. When someone is defenceless, there's blood
  in the water and everyone can smell it.
  "Carryl, you glance leftwards and see Paldry's Astir, smoking and immobile. She's
  defenceless, and does nothing but panic as one of the Coursers dashes forward,
  sinking its lance right through her iron carapace. What do you do?"
  "You try to step away, but Kett isn't going to let you leave even if it costs him his life.
  He swings the thermal axe at you, decisively. I need you to bite the dust - what do
  you do?"
  "The crowd are talking among themselves as they watch you, waiting for you to
  respond, but you can't find the words. Second-of-Blades gives you that smug grin
  again, and says 'Take your time, channeler. I can wait here all day to see how little
  merit your case has.' You're already defenceless, so I need you to bite the dust and
  see if you can keep your cool. What do you do?"
  GIVE AN OPTION WITH COST OR CONSEQUENCE
  When your players ask you how or if they can do something, give them options: and
  where appropriate, tell them the cost or consequence attached. This lets them make
  more educated choices about the fiction you're all making together.
  "Sure, you can try and snatch the sword away from him, but if you mess it up you'd
  be putting yourself in a really dangerous spot."
  "You catch that red Astir out the corner of your eye, breaking away from the pack.
  You could give chase, but with the damage to your mobility enchantments you'd
  really have to push your Astir to catch up to them: you'd have to mark 'overheating'."
  "You reach out with your magic to the presence you noticed, feeling around in the
  ether for it. You can feel your senses dimming as you extend further and further from
  your body, and you know that if you keep going you risk losing yourself entirely. Do
  you keep going?"
  
  TEST THE FORCES OF GRAVITY
  Ask a player to make a decision that calls one of their GRAVITY clocks into question,
  like putting someone they love in danger, or giving them a tough request from a
  trusted friend. They can't change their clocks until they're filled, but you can always
  make moves to sow the seeds of doubt—or reinforce those relationships instead.
  "You're taking the time to carefully line up the shot, when you hear Function over the
  comms, struggling against someone. You have GRAVITY with them, right? What do
  you do?"
  "Knight Huller breaks away from the others as he sees you leave, and plants himself
  between you and the door. Your clock is 'We can't help but fight when we lock eyes.',
  right? You could maybe still get past him if you wanted. What do you do?"
  "Mishell takes you by the hand, and comes in close if you let her. She looks
  genuinely worried, and actually—she puts one of her hands on your shoulder, and
  says 'Jess, I need you to trust me. I know it seems like a lot, but I know you can do
  this. You're ready.' What do you do? As a reminder, your clock with Mishell is 'Always
  had each-other's backs'."
  SPLIT THEM UP
  Nice and simple - introduce something that separates the players, requiring them to
  deal with trouble without working together.
  "Manchester, you fall behind as the three of you are sprinting through the halls. Hold
  and Sander make it down to the end of the corridor ahead of you, and you're catching
  up when the building shakes. The floor and walls in front of you crumble as an Astir
  backs through the building, demolishing a wide portion of it and cutting you off from
  the others. What do you do?"
  "You watch the others swipe their stolen sigils against the crystal, and the lifts take
  them upwards. It goes red when you do yours, though, and instead you start
  descending. You know what's on the floor below, right? What do you do?"
  "June, you manage to quickly boost your way out, so you're safe. Sear, though,
  you're not quite so lucky. That grey Astir didn't just stab you, the spear went through
  your armour and it's pinning you to the inside of the chamber. You can hear the hum
  of the macrospell charging, and see June rushing to safety in the distance. What do
  you do?"
  REVEAL SOMETHING NEW
  Reveal something new to the players that complicates things for them.
  "Ok, ok. That's a six, but you don't fail here actually. There's a hiss of pressure as the
  Lovesong's cockpit opens, and the pilot gets out. It's like looking into a mirror, Coln.
  It's your brother. What do you do?"
  "You dash forwards, bringing your axe down towards Hill as he staggers backwards,
  but his guard hasn't fallen. It was a feint, Lottie. He steps under your swing and tugs
  the weapon loose from your grip. I'm erasing his 'stunned' risk, and you should take
  the risk 'disarmed'. What do you do?"
  "There's a huge cracking noise, and all of you—even the people who aren't
  channelers—feel the magic in the air around you get stronger instantly. Up in the sky,
  the clouds break as the Ophelian Engine tears into your plane of existence. What do
  you do?"
  
  START A (MYSTERIOUS) CLOCK
  Start a clock to represent a countdown until something happens, progress towards
  something, etc. Label it, or leave it a mystery: either way, a ticking clock creates
  pressure on the players and leaves them anticipating whatever is to come. Clocks
  typically have 4, 6, or 8 segments, but you could make a larger one if you wish, or
  divide something into multiple shorter clocks.
  You should also decide what advances these clocks: will they fill on their own over
  time, are they something that ticks up when the players fail moves or ignore a threat,
  or do the players need to take action directly to advance it? Whatever the method,
  when a clock is filled, it should be a big deal. Everyone should know about what
  happens next.
  SAFETY TOOLS
  When playing tabletop games, even with people you're intimately acquainted with,
  there can be situations in which topics and imagery players aren't comfortable with
  can arise. It's important to communicate clearly ahead of time to help keep everyone
  at the table safe.
  Personally, I recommend at very least having a 'Session 0', where players and the
  Director can make characters together and discuss what kinds of play and subjects
  they're interested in tackling. However, this alone doesn't provide a framework for the
  group to step back in the event that something unexpected and potentially triggering
  comes up during play.
  To help with that, there are a number of safety tools groups can use to help avoid
  these situations that, even if they aren't used, better communicate the boundaries of
  everyone at the table. You should discuss as a group what safety tools, if any, you
  will be using.
  Provided below is info on a few I am personally familiar with, but there are more out
  there - I encourage you to talk with your players and look up tools that suit your
  needs. There is no end-all be-all of safety tools other than open, honest
  communication with the people you play games with. While they can be helpful, they
  are no replacement for treating each-other with genuine care.
  THE X-CARD
  The X-Card is a simple method by which players can veto content during a game,
  signalling to everyone that they wish to step back from whatever has been flagged. It
  is a card with an X on it, that, should a player be uncomfortable with something that
  arises during a session, they can tap or raise to signal their discomfort. The group
  steps back or edits out the signalled content.
  More information on the X-Card and examples of its use can be found at
  tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg.
  LINES & VEILS
  Lines & Veils is a system where players can designate topics as a boundary for them
  at two levels - as either a 'line' or a 'veil'.
  •
  Lines are hard limits. A 'line' is something that should not come up during the
  game - it is something that a player has communicated that they do not want
  present in their role-play.
  •
  Veils are soft limits. A 'veil' is something a player has communicated they wish to
  'fade to black' or 'pan away' from. Unlike a line, they are ok with it being present in
  the story—just not with it being a focus.
  More information on Lines & Veils and examples of its use can be found at
  rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/30906/what-do-the-terms-lines-and-veils-
  mean.
  
  OPTIONAL: NO-DICE DOWNTIME
  During No-Dice Downtime, players take turns performing actions to fill the Downtime
  Clock: once filled, it’s time for the next Sortie. It is a 6-step clock, and different moves
  fill different amount of steps. The last action may overflow the clock if there’s not
  enough steps left: if you do so, take disadvantage when you next lead a Sortie.
  These moves are quick scenes framed and led by a player, and may be chosen in
  whatever order or fashion suits the party. The first move must always be check in,
  but aside from that players are free to choose whichever options they think are the
  most useful.
  Other players can take part in a move to help out or to cause problems. Every player
  taking part past the first should flip a coin and call it. On a success, they may either;
  •
  Reduce the move’s step cost by 1, to a minimum of 1.
  •
  Gain the benefit of the move also.
  •
  Advance a GRAVITY clock with another character in the scene.
  On a failure, they may either increase the Downtime Clock an additional step, spend
  1 SUPPLY, or cause a problem that will put them at risk during the next Sortie. This
  could be sudden mechanical problems, a wound re-opening, etc.
  CHECK IN
  0 STEPS
  When you finish a Sortie and return to the Carrier to figure out what’s next, it’s time to
  check in with each-other not as your characters, but as players. Is everyone happy
  with how the game has gone since the last downtime? Does anyone want to discuss
  the safety tools you’re using, and maybe amend any lines/veils etc? Does anyone
  have thoughts or comments on how the game is progressing, and what they might
  want to see more or less of?
  After you’ve checked in, everyone can choose and make their two Downtime moves.
  MEND SOMETHING
  2 STEPS
  When you attempt to repair a damaged Astir, suture wounds, or take the rest you
  need to recover from that last Sortie, you’re attempting to mend something.
  When you do so, remove one peril of mechanical or physical origin from yourself or
  someone else.
  WORK ON A PROJECT
  2 STEPS
  When you take part in long negotiations, start building something from scratch, or
  otherwise put effort towards a longer-term endeavour, you’re trying to work on a
  project.
  When you do so, fill in one empty segment of your progress clock. If you’re starting a
  new project, explain it to your Director and they will start a clock to represent it. Other
  players may contribute to your clock or their own.
  TALK IT OUT
  2 STEPS
  When you try to ease tensions, make a connection or spend time with other
  characters during Downtime, you’re trying to talk it out.
  When you do so, you may choose to remove a peril of social or emotional origin from
  another character.
  SHORE LEAVE
  4 STEPS
  When you try to purchase something at a market, look for trouble in neutral turf, or
  otherwise leave the safety of the ship to do something on foot during Downtime,
  you’re taking shore leave.
  When you do so, flip and call a coin. If you succeed, you find what you were after.
  You may pay 1 SUPPLY to flip the coin again, however many times it takes.
  
  PLAN & PREPARE
  4 STEPS
  When you review orders for the next Sortie, go over scouting reports and maps, or
  otherwise attempt to prepare the crew for what comes next, you’re trying to plan &
  prepare.
  When you do so, choose 1 of the following;
  •
  During the next Sortie, you will have the opportunity to recover 1 dropped Stake
  and give it to a Faction of your choice.
  •
  During the next Sortie, you will have the opportunity to acquire up to 3 SUPPLY.
  •
  The next lead a Sortie roll is made with advantage.
  •
  All players hold 1. You may spend your hold during the next Sortie as if it were
  hold gained through one of your basic or playbook moves.
  Each choice may only be taken once per move, per Downtime.
  PLAYBOOK ALTERNATIVES
  Some playbook moves make reference to the Downtime moves: versions of them
  alterered to work with No-Dice Downtime can be found below.
  Expert Repairs (Artificer)
  You’re an expert at fixing broken constructs, and any repair bay runs smoother with
  you around. When you mend something, assisting players may try again if they fail
  their coin toss. When you tend to someone’s body or Astir, advance a GRAVITY clock
  with them if you have one.
  Augmenter (Artificer)
  When you work on a project during Downtime, you may fill an additional clock
  segment. You may work on a project to create and install magical enhancements or
  alterations to living creatures.
  Shree Klime (Diplomat)
  During Downtime, you may also prepare an alias or disguise. Most people will
  believe you are who you say you are, unless you're disguised as someone they're
  very familiar with, or they are given reason to thoroughly check your person or any
  identification. You may take shore leave to secure 2 of the following;
  •
  You have ID that is either legitimate or so well faked it is impossible to tell the
  difference.
  •
  There's a reason or expectation for someone fitting your disguise to show up.
  •
  You've had something useful planted ahead of time: select a weapon or piece of
  equipment (one you have access to) to be hidden just where you'll need it.
  Evangelise (Paradigm)
  You are in service of a deity or faith and are responsible for the spiritual well-being of
  your Carrier’s crew. When you talk it out, assisting players may try again if they fail
  their coin toss. When you give religious service or perform the rites of your faith, you
  may advance a GRAVITY clock with someone involved.
  
  CREATING DIRECTOR CHARACTERS
  Director characters (or non-player characters in more common parlance, though the
  GM of a game is also a player) are any character other than those created and
  owned by the players. When they appear on screen, the Director is typically
  responsible for their actions, though where appropriate you could (and should) find
  opportunities to let players step into their shoes.
  When creating a Director character, you first need to think about how important they
  are. Characters are ranked as either extras, side or main characters. Extras are
  characters who are only important in their opposition to the player characters: the
  rank-and-file, the nameless soldiers, etc. Side characters are those that have some
  minor importance to the story: if they’re important enough for a player to know their
  name, they’re probably at least a Side character. Finally, Main characters have a
  larger role, appearing fairly often and having an impact on the world similar to or
  beyond that of the players.
  When making a Main character, someone who is important to the story you’re telling
  and likely to be on-screen often, come up with three adjectives to describe them. For
  a Side character, someone who will appear more than once but isn’t quite so
  important, come up with two. For Extras, who are unlikely to appear more than once
  (and are likely to end up dead), a focus on one adjective can help their short time on
  screen feel nice and sharp. If you know a character might involve themselves with
  the players in a more direct manner, you might choose a tag or two instead of some
  of your usual adjectives. Saying someone is resolute means something, but saying
  someone is decisive has specific mechanical effects.
  If you want to come up with additional details or backstory ahead of time for Main or
  Side characters, feel free—but putting that degree of effort in for Extras is likely to be
  wasted time.
  When creating the Authority and Cause, the characters you come up with that lead or
  influence those groups are most likely Main or Side characters. That said, characters
  can move between these classifications in play wherever appropriate. Sometimes
  you bring on an Extra without realising how in love with them the players will become.
  CLASHING WITH DIRECTOR CHARACTERS
  Naturally, players can and will probably spend a lot of time fighting against and
  opposing the actions of Director characters on account of the Authority being made of
  them (if a player is a member of the Authority something has gone drastically awry).
  In conflict, a character’s status as either an extra, side or main character determines
  how many risks and dangers a player needs to inflict on them to make them
  defenceless. Extras are defenceless at one danger, meaning they are dealt with
  pretty quickly in straightforward conflicts, or even immediately vulnerable when in a
  situation where they might be at risk already—a player attacking them when they’re
  unaware, etc. Extras are perfect for the rank-and-file or enemies that attack in
  massed numbers.
  Sides are defenceless at two dangers, making them a little more involved to deal
  with. Even in a situation where they’re at risk to begin with, you’d still need to inflict a
  second on them to strike decisively, making them less resilient than the players but
  still someone they need to confront properly.
  Mains are defenceless at three dangers, making them equal to players in this regard.
  Main characters should be a challenge the players can’t ignore—someone they might
  tangle with on more than one occasion, who feels like a fair match for them (at least
  one-on-one).
  
  If you know a character is going to be involved in fighting, there’s some additional
  details you might want to come up with for them. You’ll need to decide their tier, as
  described above in Conflict & Tiers. This defines broadly what what they are effective
  against, and what is effective against them. You will also want to determine what
  approach they use in combat, which gives them weaknesses and strengths against
  certain opposition.
  Finally, give them whatever equipment, attacks or bonuses that feel appropriate for
  who they are and what their role is, either from the example lists or made fresh for
  your game. For Extra-level monsters, creatures, or other foes that you want to keep
  simple, you might forgo giving them this level of detail and just give them a note like
  'this foe's attacks have the bane tag' or 'this foe has the armour tag'. Keep a few
  things in mind, though;
  •
  Bane and ruin lets foes hit effectively above their tier
  •
  For simplicity’s sake, Director characters who pilot Astirs don’t have Mana or
  subsystems unless you decide specifically otherwise.
  •
  Weapons used by foes might be stolen or picked up by players
  •
  You don't need to build the Astirs used by foes using the normal rules
  SQUADS
  When foes are attacking in large numbers, they fight as a squad (aka a small gang).
  When engaged in combat with a squad of your tier or higher while alone, your rolls
  against them are made at disadvantage. You can ignore this if using a weapon that
  has the area tag. A squad being defeated doesn’t necessarily mean the entire group
  has been killed—they might simply scatter or retreat where appropriate—but doing
  so removes the disadvantage, as does disengaging from the fight or acquiring
  backup.
  EXAMPLE FOES
  The following pages have some example foes of various ranks and tiers, broadly
  categorised into;
  •
  Astirs & Golems
  •
  People
  •
  Creatures & Monsters
  •
  Outsiders
  
  ASTIRS & GOLEMS
  Like those piloted by the players, Astirs and Golems are the mainstay of most
  Authorities when it comes to warfare. Whether grown from the soil, forged in
  foundries, or summoned from another plane, all Astirs have something in common:
  they are exceptionally dangerous in the right (or wrong) hands.
  UNPREPARED CADET III (EXTRA, MUNDANE)
  •
  Sidearm I (ranged / defensive)
  •
  Omen III
  ▪
  Force Repeater III (ranged / defensive)
  “U-uh, reporting for duty, sir! Ready to skirmish.”
  MILITIA LABOUR PILOT II (EXTRA, ARCANE)
  •
  Sword, Axe, Mace I (melee)
  •
  Service Golem II
  ▪
  Golem Fists II (melee / messy)
  ▪
  Condenser Stave II (ranged / refresh, magic, 2H)
  “Simple bipedal constructs, Service Golems are still capable of doing the work of ten
  men. If only we had more of them.”
  BANDIT SKIRMISHER PILOT II (SIDE, MUNDANE)
  •
  Sword, Axe, Mace I (melee)
  •
  Skirmisher Golem II
  ▪
  Hefty Blade II (melee / messy, area)
  “Quit bragging, Marco. It's not much of a competition when we have to scrap and
  fight to pull down one servo, but you can cut down two in one swing.”
  MERCENARY ASTIR PILOT III (SIDE, ARCANE)
  •
  Raypistol I (ranged / bane, limited)
  •
  Wolf III
  ▪
  Rayrifle III (ranged / area, 2H)
  ▪
  Forceknife (melee / small, thrown, decisive)
  “There’s our print on the steelwork, sure—but everything else is new. The benefit of…
  diverse employers.”
  AUTHORITY MAIN IV (MAIN, ARCANE)
  •
  Raypistol I (ranged / bane, limited)
  •
  Orca IV
  ▪
  Forceblade IV (melee / bane)
  ▪
  Burstcaster IV (ranged / area, bane, 2H)
  “Orca, mark one. Launching.”
  MECHANICAL KNIGHT II (MAIN, MUNDANE)
  •
  Shatterlance II (melee / bane, reloading, limited, 2H)
  •
  Sword/Axe/Mace I (melee)
  •
  Warded Plate (ward)
  •
  Steed Golem II
  ▪
  Iron Hooves II (melee)
  “Cavalry? Of a sort, I suppose. Just stay out of our way.”
  
  PEOPLE
  People come in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life, with all kinds of identities.
  They're you, and they're me.
  ANTI-CONSTRUCT TEAM I (EXTRA, ARCANE)
  •
  Raycaster I (sniper / reloading, ruin, 2H)
  •
  Shortswords I (melee)
  •
  Arcane Generator I (Ignore reloading on weapons)
  “Stop complaining, kid. It won’t feel heavy once you see it put a hole in an Astir.”
  MILITIA I (EXTRA, MUNDANE)
  •
  Sword, Axe, Mace I (melee)
  •
  Repeater Crossbow I (ranged / 2H)
  “People like you or me, ready to fight for what they believe in. Or to keep their
  homes, at least.”
  RIFLEMAN I (SIDE, MUNDANE)
  •
  Sword, Axe, Mace I (melee)
  •
  Snaprifle I (ranged /, infinite, distinct, 2H)
  “Heads down, hold fire. Don't shoot back until you hear the snap.”
  KNIGHT I (SIDE, MUNDANE)
  •
  Great Weapon I (melee / bane, area, messy, 2H)
  •
  Warded Plate (ward)
  “Clad in steel, bearing blades almost as tall as they are, and carrying the confidence
  of a nation. Once upon a time that was all an army needed.”
  SCOUT II (MAIN, MUNDANE)
  •
  Scourblade II (melee / bane, distinct, 2H)
  •
  Raypistol I (ranged / bane, limited)
  •
  Grappling Rig I
  “So, bad news about the captain. Someone swung out of a tree and stuck a
  broadsword through his cockpit.”
  PATHFINDER I (MAIN, MUNDANE)
  •
  Blessed Bow I (sniper / decisive, divine, 2H)
  •
  Hatchet I (melee)
  •
  Invisibility Cloak I (limited, fragile, makes you invisible)
  “Arrows have to come from somewhere! Spread out. Search the treeline.”
  
  CREATURES & MONSTERS
  All sorts of things lurk in the deep, dark corners of this land. Some of nature, some
  not so much.
  WOLF I (EXTRA, MUNDANE)
  •
  Tooth & Claw I (melee)
  “Hail, adventurer. Prithee bring me ten wolf asses, so that I might fashion you a belt.”
  GIANT SPIDER I (EXTRA, MUNDANE)
  •
  Fangs I (melee)
  •
  Spinnerets I (ranged / restraining)
  “Scouts say they found an Astir in the northern forest, covered in so much webbing
  they couldn’t move it at all. No sign of the pilot. Probably for the best.”
  OWLBEAR II (SIDE, PROFANE)
  •
  Rending Claws II (melee)
  “Look, I don't care if you believe me or not. I’m not going back in without a golem. Not
  while that thing is in there too.”
  WYVERN III (SIDE, ELEMENTAL)
  •
  Fireball III (ranged / area)
  •
  Rending Claws III (melee)
  •
  Fireproof Scales III (Cannot be harmed by fire)
  “If you can see their shadow pass on the ground, it's too late. Your best bet is to hope
  that when they descend, it's not you they're after.”
  FROST DRAGON V (MAIN, ELEMENTAL)
  •
  Rimebreath V (ranged / area, reload, restraining)
  •
  Tail Sweep V (melee / area)
  •
  Frostbound Hide V (ward)
  “The final count? Two companies of men, their assigned golems, and a full wing of
  astirs.”
  LANDSHARK MATRIARCH IV (MAIN, MUNDANE)
  •
  Crushing Jaws IV (melee / messy, area)
  •
  Digging Claws IV (Can dig and swim through earth or sand)
  •
  Tremorsense IV (Can detect foes through vibrations in the ground)
  “The worms? Oh, no. You can feel them coming from miles away. No, it's the sharks
  you want to worry about.”
  
  OUTSIDERS
  Extraplanar creatures, those from worlds beyond ours, are broadly referred to as
  'outsiders'. Unbound by natural law, outsiders are often inherently magical.
  IMP I (EXTRA, PROFANE)
  •
  Devilish Firebolts I (ranged / bane)
  “Among the lowest orders of devils, but dangerous in their own right.”
  FROST MOTE I (EXTRA, ELEMENTAL)
  •
  Freezing Touch I (melee / restraining)
  •
  Ice Shard I (ranged / bane, reloading)
  “Set a fire burning tonight, have someone keep an eye on it. Mara said she saw
  motes blow in on the wind last night.”
  LOWLY ANGEL II (SIDE, DIVINE)
  •
  Divine Flame II (ranged)
  “The shapes of angels seem strange, but why pretend to understand the work of the
  divine?”
  VOID GIANT III (SIDE, MUNDANE)
  •
  Obelisk III (melee / messy, 2H)
  •
  Voidborn (Doesn't need to breathe or eat, is immune harm from cold)
  “They came from above. Down from the skies, from the deep darkness of night.”
  PIT FIEND III (MAIN, PROFANE)
  •
  Abyssal Warmace III (melee / bane, area)
  •
  Hellish Regrowth (Perils from physical harm reduced to risks)
  “Leading any gathering of devils will be a pit fiend. Unlike the lesser creatures
  beneath them, these fiends have the strength and tenacity to match their cruelty."
  TERRA, TITAN ALIVE V (MAIN, ELEMENTAL)
  •
  Erupting Earth V (ranged / area, messy)
  •
  Titanic Punch V (melee / slow, ruin)
  •
  Uncaring Gaze (Doesn't notice things III or lower unless directly interfered with)
  “The elemental planes have no king or governor, and they never will. One would
  have to wrest power from the waking earth itself. ”
  
  RIVALS
  Rivals are recurring characters who appear again and again to challenge specific
  players who have earned their attention. Mechanically speaking, they are Main
  characters with a GRAVITY clock with whoever they’re the Rival to. They also have a
  Need (what their faction demands of them, what they are obligated to do, etc), and a
  Want (what they want from their counterpart), which helps direct their fiction, but also
  provides them with leverage the Director may use against their counterpart
  (whichever player is involved with a particular Rival).
  Leverage
  When your counterpart interferes with your Need or indulges you in your Want, hold
  1. You may spend this hold whenever 1-for-1 to do the following;
  •
  Raise or lower the result of one of their moves by one level of success.
  •
  Ask a challenging question that must be answered.
  •
  Appear somewhere you aren’t expected.
  Rivals don’t need to explicitly be foes that are gunning for a player in an antagonistic
  way. They might be an allies with a competitive relationship, someone they are trying
  to impress (or vice versa), and so on.
  EXAMPLES OF LEVERAGE
  Lilette, an Arcanist, is crossing blades with her Rival, Kett. She has forced them into
  a corner and made them defenceless. There’s no love lost between the two of them,
  so Lilette takes the opportunity and tries to strike decisively, driving her trice-forged
  blade right through the chest armour of Kett’s astir. She rolls an 8, netting her a
  mixed success, but Kett’s fate isn’t quite sealed: he has hold to spend! The Director
  spends 1 hold to lower the result of Lilette’s move by one level of success, reducing it
  to a failure. The outcome of Lilette’s move is now out of her hands.
  Dani is struggling against Cress, her Rival. Rain is pounding against the rooftop they
  are fighting on, and Dani has been knocked over, crawling along the slick rooftiles to
  try and grab their dagger. Before she can reach it though, the Director spends one
  hold to ask a challenging question that must be answered. Cress calls out through
  the storm: “Did what we had mean anything to you?”
  SETTING & MISSION HOOKS
  The next section of the book is dedicated to Setting & Mission Hooks.
  Setting Hooks serve as examples of the settings you might play Armour Astir in: each
  containing an example Cause and Authority, some key locations, factions and
  characters, and even some variants of example gear and Astirs. Take them whole-
  cloth, scavenge from the bones, or simply use them as inspiration.
  Similarily, Mission Hooks provide a quick scenario outline with options for
  customising it to match the setting and players of your game. If only part of a hook
  interests you, cut it out and just use that! You could even take elements from various
  hooks and combine them, just like any of the other example content in this book.
  NAME:
  NEED:
  R I V A L
  WANT:
  HOLD
  GRAVITY
  Corel White
  To follow her orders to the letter
  To learn more about the Ilgard’s music
  2
  +2
  NAME:
  NEED:
  R I V A L
  WANT:
  HOLD
  GRAVITY
  Bromwael
  To be rewarded by the Associate
  To fight their rival alone
  1
  +3
  
  THE GHOST REACHES
  OVERVIEW
  The Ghost Reaches are a bustling, dense archipelago, that stretch from the many
  temperate southern islands up to the frigid Isle of Repose. Named for an old local
  legend, which described how wayward spirits would make a pilgrimage from island to
  island, eventually coming to a final rest at Repose.
  The Reaches, while once divided by fierce rivalries, have long since been united
  under a ruling council consisting of democratically elected delegates from each
  island. How many delegates an island may elect is based on a number of factors, like
  population, how much trade value their ports provide to the Reaches, and so on.
  While in their warring days many of the islands struggled to be self-sufficient, co-
  operation has allowed them to find new identities and niches in regards to what they
  provide those that live there and the Reaches at large. These transformations in
  infrastructure and industry have left the Reaches a prosperous but lightly defended
  place, much of its military returning to civilian life in the post-unification period.
  In recent years, this attracted the attention of the Faces Of Progress, an industrial-
  militaristic faction from the continent to the west. Seeking access to the Reaches’
  resources and workforce, the Faces Of Progress made a rapid, unexpected move to
  capture the Isle of Repose and re-purpose it as a staging point from which to move
  on the entire region. Opposing them (and their now-frequent raids on nearby islands)
  is The New Hunt, a loose militia that cobbles together Astirs from what local
  craftsmen can spare and parts taken from creatures on the Isle of Kings.
  AUTHORITY: THE FACES OF PROGRESS
  The Faces Of Progress, having recently grown from ‘vampiric cohort’, to ‘cabal of
  industrial magnates’, to ‘sovereign state’, is quickly becoming the production centre
  of the known world. Their factories produce everything from cutlery to armed Astirs, in
  dizzying quantities. To keep this up and expand even further, they find themselves in
  need of new sources for raw materials, a need they see fit to address by force. The
  Ghost Reaches is merely first on their list: once it has been strip mined and levelled
  to make room for factories, Progress will be made somewhere else.
  Leader: The invasion of the Reaches is led by Galinn Juriss, a former mine foreman
  who proved himself as a natural military leader during the Faces’ violent transition
  from business to nation. Rumour has it the Faces’ true leadership has shared a
  certain sanguine gift with him.
  Aesthetic: Porcelain, damage repaired with gold lacquer. Leather padding and
  patterned silks. Golden trims and ornamentation. Exposed tubing and scarlet liquids.
  CAUSE: THE NEW HUNT
  Formed in reaction to the Faces Of Progress seizing the Isle of Repose, The New
  Hunt is a loose militia of a few dozen resistance cells, doing what they can to prevent
  their foes gaining any more of a foothold in the archipelago.
  Leader: The New Hunt has no overall leader, with cells acting largely independently.
  Aesthetic: Monster bones, horns and teeth. Recycled driftwood, iron chains and
  bolts. Colourful paintwork, kill tallies and trophies.
  
  THE NEW HUNT
  OVERVIEW
  Formed in reaction to the Faces Of Progress seizing the Isle of Repose, The New
  Hunt is a loose militia of a few dozen resistance cells, doing what they can to prevent
  their foes gaining any more of a foothold in the archipelago.
  Leader: The New Hunt has no overall leader, with cells acting largely independently.
  Aesthetic: Monster bones, horns and teeth. Recycled driftwood, iron chains and
  bolts. Colourful paintwork, kill tallies and trophies.
  EXAMPLE FACTIONS OF THE NEW HUNT
  STAKE
  GRIP
  King’s Isle Couriers (Guerillas)
  Once upon a time, the KIC were your best bet for getting packages
  quickly and safely across the Isle of Kings. With the Faces of
  Progress on the scene, they’ve turned their pathfinding skills and
  secret routes to slightly different ends.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  The Beached (Military)
  An offshoot of a mercenary company, The Beached washed up on
  shore after getting caught in crossfire during the Faces’ initial
  invasion. In following with their company’s code, they quickly set
  about converting their wrecked ship to a local HQ and scheming
  against their accidental attackers.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  Sif’s Sleepers (Strange)
  Many were displaced when the Isle of Repose was seized, including
  the many priests that tended to its restful temples. Those young and
  angry enough to turn their sorcery against the Faces banded
  together as Sif’s Sleepers.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  The Reaches Unity Fund (Suppliers)
  With the Reaches’ actual military slow to mobilise, many influential
  and resourceful individuals collected together to form the Unity
  Fund, a thinly-veiled operation to financially back the various
  resistance cells of The New Hunt.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  Calistone (Thieves)
  Calistone were a small-time band of thieves who just happened to
  have a very well-hidden route in and out of Repose at the time of
  the invasion. Though the route was only good for one heist, the
  spoils of Progress were enough to take them from an amateur group
  to a well-tooled organisation.
  STAKE
  GRIP
  Loreth Tidal Guild (Saboteurs)
  The Tidal Guild is reponsible for maintaining a system of dams and
  locks that keep Loreth Island inhabitable following an magical
  accident that sunk it a few meters below sea level. Their
  engineering expertise also made them naturals at disrupting arcane
  fortifications and Astirs belonging to the Faces Of Progress.
  
  THE FACES OF PROGRESS
  OVERVIEW
  The Faces Of Progress, having recently grown from ‘vampiric cohort’, to ‘cabal of
  industrial magnates’, to ‘sovereign state’, is quickly becoming the production centre
  of the known world. Their factories produce everything from cutlery to armed Astirs, in
  dizzying quantities. To keep this up and expand even further, they find themselves in
  need of new sources for raw materials, a need they see fit to address by force. The
  Ghost Reaches is merely first on their list: once it has been strip mined and levelled
  to make room for factories, Progress will be made somewhere else.
  Leader: The invasion of the Reaches is led by Galinn Juriss, a former mine foreman
  who proved himself as a natural military leader during the Faces’ violent transition
  from business to nation. Rumour has it the Faces’ true leadership has shared a
  certain sanguine gift with him.
  Aesthetic: Porcelain, damage repaired with gold lacquer. Leather padding and
  patterned silks. Golden trims and ornamentation. Exposed tubing and scarlet liquids.
  EXAMPLE DIVISIONS OF THE FACES OF PROGRESS
  EXAMPLE PROJECTS OF THE FACES OF PROGRESS
  The Juriss Company (Military)
  Galinn Juriss’s personal expeditionary force, sent to claim the Ghost Reaches for
  his vampiric masters. Galinn is eager to improve his position: there are few within
  the Faces of Progress who have their own armed Companies, but there are fewer
  with their own lordships.
  The Veiled Order (Subterfuge)
  The Veiled Order is a small organisation that spreads itself out within the many
  operations of the Faces Of Progress, doing behind the scenes what it cannot do
  on the stage. Spies and saboteurs, the Veiled Order rely on disguises cast from
  blood magic in order to pass unnoticed among their enemies.
  Artery #23 (Resource)
  The many Arteries of the Faces Of Progress transport goods, weapons, and that
  sweet sweet sanguine wherever they are needed. #23 is tasked with aiding and
  abetting the Juriss Company in their many endeavours.
  Pacifying The Isle Of Kings
  Sinnh Renere, an agent of Artery #23, thinks something
  can be done to make the Isle Of Kings’s wildlife ignore
  Juriss Company troops.
  A Watchful Eye
  An extensive checkpoint system between islands
  would be tough to install, but would heavily restrict
  movement of The New Hunt.
  
  EXAMPLE ASTIRS OF THE GHOST REACHES
  EXAMPLE GEAR OF THE GHOST REACHES
  PUNCTUREIII
  PROFANE
  CORE
  MANA
  2
  OCCULT
  OVERHEATING
  MANA-FORGE
  RESISTANCE CHARM
  You may cool off to resupply an
  expended weapon
  CLARITY COVENANT
  (Lowers dangers from stunning/dazing)
  Punctures are the rapier of any Faces Of Progress squad,
  designed to be let loose on particularly dangerous foes.
  Carrying large blood-fed spellcannons, Punctures are best
  dealt with harshly: focusing rituals mean middling blows will
  do little to sway their aim.
  MV: FOE EYE
  You can always assess
  which foe before you is
  the most dangerous.
  CARRIED
  Spellcannon III (ranged / ruin, limited, 2H)
  SHEATHED
  Forceknife III (melee / small, decisive)
  CLIPPERIII
  MUNDANE
  CORE
  MANA
  2
  ANCIENT
  OVERHEATING
  WARDING
  SPELL ROUTINES
  RUGGED BUILD (+ward)
  Choose to take a result of 7-9 on a
  weather the storm
  Clippers are large, rugged Astirs originally designed for
  patrols over the Isle of Kings, keeping the roads clear of
  overgrown fauna. The New Hunt has re-purposed an entire
  fleet of them for war, a task they are more than fit for.
  MV: CUTTING ARMS
  You may use the
  subsystems move to
  remove a environmental
  hazard of your choice.
  CARRIED
  Hewer III (melee / bane)
  CARRIED
  Force Repeater III (ranged / defensive)
  Bloodletter I (melee / distinct)
  The rank-and-file of the Faces Of Progress carry these sinister spears, mundane in
  nature but by design capable of drawing the blood of their victims. Those not of the
  rank-and-file, it turns out, have an unquenchable thirst.
  Ashmaker Bow I (ranged / ruin, dangerous, 2H)
  Ashmakers were just a theory until the invasion began: one the New Hunt have
  taken pleasure in putting into practice. Immensely dangerous alchemical arrows
  paired with a bow ritually treated with the protections needed to withstand them,
  Ashmakers are the prized possesion of any resistance cell.
  Little Shark II (melee / small, freezing)
  When the first mariner’s golem team was dispatched to interfere with Progress
  reinforcements, they found their equipment lacking for undersea use. Dubbed Little
  Sharks, these golem-fit wands stacked with short-range frost magic provided an
  easy way of ruining ship hulls.
  Decanting Staff III (ranged / bane, 2H)
  A long staff, held in both hands of an Astir. A series of alchemical processes purify
  and extract magical energy from stolen blood, before turning it to violent ends.
  Hewer III (melee / bane)
  A circular saw, spun at lightning speeds by the volatile reaction between distilled
  alchemical fire and permafrost from the deep heart of Repose.
  
  MISSION HOOKS
  THE GRAND MELEE
  The Authority has arranged a grand tournament between Channelers. It has invited
  would-be challengers from [around the country/within its military/around the world] to
  fight in their Astirs [one-on-one/in teams] and compete for [glory/a grand prize/a
  blessing/an important role]. Little do the challengers know, however, the Grand
  Melee is simply an opportunity for the Authority to [show off a new Astir/kill off skilled
  channelers/steal custom Astirs/recruit channelers].
  PLACES
  An Astir workshop, where:
  •
  Artificers are dismantling a heavily damaged Astir
  •
  Trainee Artificers are being taught the basics by the workshop chief
  •
  Everyone is working together on an emergency/large repair job
  •
  An injured channeler is being freed from their destroyed Astir
  A lounge where;
  •
  Channelers are waiting between tournament bouts
  •
  Rich spectators are watching the tournament from safety
  •
  Authority officials are debriefing their plans for the tournament
  •
  The players can relax, whilst secretly being observed
  The tournament grounds, where;
  •
  Some challengers are being a little too secretive about their Astirs
  •
  A boisterous Channeler is looking for a fight to tide him over
  •
  The Authority is openly recruiting channelers
  •
  Someone is itching to cause trouble
  PEOPLE
  An ace Authority channeler who is;
  •
  Waiting for the perfect opportunity to betray their masters
  •
  Desperate to prove their true worth
  •
  Taking part in the tournament as penance
  An artificer who is;
  •
  A double agent
  •
  Sabotaging any Astirs they work on
  •
  Looking for a promising channeler to give an experimental upgrade
  A Cause agent who is;
  •
  Here on completely unrelated business
  •
  Way in over their head
  •
  Looking for help getting somewhere they shouldn’t be
  THINGS
  •
  Ruined banners
  •
  A lost badge of office
  •
  A malfunctioning weapon
  •
  A rare magical focus
  •
  Crates of alchemical supplies
  •
  A vandalised altar
  •
  Books full of odd rituals
  •
  A storm in a teacup
  •
  A trapped storeroom
  •
  A mythical sword
  
  NEUTRAL GROUND
  The Cause has learned of a secret Authority project set up in a supposedly neutral
  city. It has sent the players to [scout out/steal/destroy] the project, which is [an
  experimental Astir/a dangerous magical experiment/a secret arms depot].
  Complicating this is the fact that the Cause [has no intel on the nature of the
  project/is hiding something from the players/has been fed false information].
  PLACES
  An entry checkpoint, where:
  •
  Overworked employees aren’t checking anyone’s papers
  •
  A recent event has extra attention being paid to inbound parties
  •
  Someone is trying to smuggle goods into the city
  •
  Some Authority soldiers are making a scene
  A warehouse where;
  •
  Authority personnel can enter their secret base
  •
  Rich spectators are watching the tournament from safety
  •
  Authority officials are debriefing their plans for the tournament
  •
  The players can relax, whilst secretly being observed
  The forest nearby, where;
  •
  The Authority is secretly testing something
  •
  The magically enhanced trees are being directed to Authority lumberyards
  •
  A large clearing makes for a perfect ambush spot
  •
  Someone is itching to cause trouble
  PEOPLE
  A rookie Authority channeler who is;
  •
  Far, far too naïve
  •
  Personally invested in the success of the project
  •
  An old friend of one of the players
  An artificer who is;
  •
  Helping cover up the project, since it might lead to other advancements
  •
  Posing as a civilian while spying for the Authority
  •
  Sheltering smuggled Cause resources
  A Cause agent who is;
  •
  Here on completely unrelated business
  •
  Way in over their head
  •
  Looking for help getting somewhere they shouldn’t be
  THINGS
  •
  Stolen alchemical supplies
  •
  An abandoned Astir
  •
  A hidden weapons cache
  •
  An unfinished ritual
  •
  Strange remains
  •
  A broken chain
  •
  Forged documents
  •
  A trail of blood, still wet
  •
  A seeing orb
  •
  Smuggled luxuries
  
  ELEVENTH HOUR
  The Cause has learned that the Authority has developed [a macrospell/an Astir/a
  magical weapon/something strange and arcane] capable of ending the war in one
  fell swoop—in their favour, of course. It falls to the players to [discover it’s secret
  location/destroy it/seize it for the Cause] before the Authority can use it to [force
  Cause leadership to expose themselves at a ‘peace’ meeting/destroy the Cause’s
  primary base or holding/kill an absurd amount of dissenters].
  PLACES
  A grand hall, where:
  •
  The Cause’s bureaucracy is crumbling
  •
  An official is about to overplay their hand
  •
  A performance with unforeseen consequences is about to begin
  •
  A betrayal is about to be revealed
  A Carrier’s command deck, where;
  •
  A terrifying order is about to be given
  •
  A mistake is about to be made
  •
  A coup attempt is made
  •
  Someone has a moment of clarity
  A secret location, where;
  •
  The players aren’t welcome
  •
  The players are, suspiciously, very welcome
  •
  Something is revealed to have been vastly misunderstood
  •
  Something equally as bad is happening far more quietly
  PEOPLE
  An ace Authority channeler who is;
  •
  Aghast at the lengths the Authority is going to
  •
  A Cause agent in deep cover
  •
  Responsible for pulling the trigger, whatever that looks like
  A diplomat who is;
  •
  Moving resources in a very unhelpful way
  •
  Moving resources in a very unhelpful way, intentionally
  •
  Trying to cajole a reticent group into action
  A chief Artificer who is;
  •
  In charge of the Authority’s team working on the [macrospell/Astir/etc]
  •
  Looking for a weakness in the Authority’s plan
  •
  On the verge of a magical breakthrough
  THINGS
  •
  Something unrecognisable
  •
  A door that shouldn’t be open
  •
  An immense magical gemstone
  •
  Forgotten bones
  •
  A construct of vast size
  •
  A dropped key
  •
  Files meant to be burned
  •
  A bribe
  •
  Something you think is yours
  •
  A volatile potion
  
  AUTHORITY ATTACK!
  The Authority is raiding [a small town/a Cause stronghold/an off-planet colony/a
  major city] in order to [search for something/capture and occupy it/destroy Cause
  morale]. It falls to the players to fend off the assault and save the day, even though
  [one of the players calls this place home/a grand Cause secret is sequestered
  here/this place was once sacred to the Authority].
  PLACES
  A warehouse, where:
  •
  A prototype Astir is waiting
  •
  The Authority have found a way in
  •
  Evacuees have found shelter
  •
  Something isn’t right
  A street, where;
  •
  Drastic action is about to be taken
  •
  Something hidden is being uncovered
  •
  A stand-off occurs
  •
  Innocents are left vulnerable
  The outskirts, where;
  •
  A heated skirmish is building
  •
  Something is amiss
  •
  A declaration is made
  •
  An escape route is being protected
  PEOPLE
  A civilian leader who is;
  •
  Held hostage by the Authority
  •
  Hiding out with something important
  •
  Leading evacuation efforts
  An Authority channeler who is;
  •
  In no way ready to lead this mission
  •
  Out for revenge
  •
  Trying to prove themselves to their superiors
  A civilian who is;
  •
  In the wrong place at the wrong time
  •
  One of the players (better find yourself an Astir)
  •
  Taking matters into their own hands
  THINGS
  •
  A childhood home
  •
  An unfinished miracle
  •
  A stockpile of arms
  •
  A broken gate
  •
  A system of canals
  •
  A hoisted flag
  •
  A missing shipment
  •
  A hole in the wall
  •
  A number of gold bars
  •
  A delicate alchemical process
  
  APPENDIX
  RISK & PERIL EXAMPLES
  RISKS
  Risk (distracted) - Something has caught your eye, and it's very distracting. Maybe
  you could make some space and collect your thoughts?
  Risk (targeted) - Missile lock! Evade, evade! Could you counterspell the targeting
  systems, or put something between you and the missiles?
  Risk (suppressed) - You're being held at bay by suppressing fire. Maybe you could
  take them out, or find some cover.
  Risk (on fire) - Your Astir is on fire. It's really hot all of a sudden. You could find some
  water, or do something else to extinguish the flames.
  Risk (bleeding) - That's a nasty cut you've got - you could bandage it up, or try to
  close the wound with magic...
  Risk (chilled) - Brrr! You or your Astir are all frosty. Find a way to turn up the heat, or
  chip away that building ice.
  Risk (flirty) - Can love bloom on the battlefield? You're hoping, but maybe you just
  need a minute to cool off.
  Risk (scared) - Getting in an Astir can be pretty frightening. Maybe someone could
  talk you down, or maybe you just need to face your fear.
  Risk (disrupted) - Your Astir's systems have been messed up, knocked out of
  alignment, etc. You could magically re-align them, or manually open things up and fix
  the problem.
  Risk (angry) - That was too damn close! You're real mad about it! You could get rid of
  the target of your frustrations, or just try to get some space from them.
  PERILS
  Peril (exhausted) - You're running on empty. Little short of a real rest will fix that.
  Peril (wounded) - That's more than a little bruise or cut - you need real medical
  attention for this one.
  Peril (broken limb) - Whether it belongs to you or your Astir, this needs proper
  treatment - and for your Astir, maybe replacement.
  Peril (impaled) - You'd better leave that where it is. It's going to get in the way, but it'd
  get worse if you took it out...
  Peril (furious) - Something REALLY got to you, huh? You're mad in a way that sticks
  even when the fire dies down, and need some real time to work things out.
  Peril (bad rep) - Your reputation with someone or something has taken a real hit. It's
  going to be trouble until you do the work to fix things.
  Peril (in love) - It turns out love can bloom on the battlefield, and it's got you good.
  There's a few ways you could resolve this one.
  Peril (burnout) - Overheating has seared the inside of your Astir, destroying parts.
  This calls for some real internal repairs.
  
  GLOSSARY & SHORTHANDS
  Sortie: A period of time in which the players have left their Carrier to fight, scout or
  otherwise act with an objective in mind.
  Mission: A larger goal that would take multiple Sorties to achieve.
  Campaign: A full game of Armour Astir, consisting of several Missions and ending in
  resolution in some way of the core conflict.
  Trait: The 6 stats that cover your characters abilities and are used to make moves.
  GRAVITY: A measure of one characters admiration and understanding of another.
  Cause: The group that you and yours represent in your fight against an Authority.
  Authority: The primary antagonistic group of your game.
  Dangers: Dangers are effects that make you vulnerable to harm, physical or
  otherwise. Dangers are split between minor ‘risks’ and more serious ‘perils’.
  Defenceless: Being defenceless means that you must bite the dust when
  threatened by harm, physical or otherwise.
  Approach: The five approaches: mundane, arcane, divine, profane and elemental.
  Approaches offer confidence or desperation when using exchange blows and
  strike decisively and are determined by your playbook or by an Astir or Golem.
  Some weapons have their own approach, which overrides your usual if you choose
  to use it.
  Tag: A tag is a small note that provides some narrative or mechanical information that
  can be easily added to an object or character to provide detail or customisation.
  Weapon: Something used to inflict harm on someone else (by design or otherwise).
  Gear: Any piece of useful equipment that isn’t used to hit someone over the head.
  SUPPLY: An abstract representation of trade goods, tools and parts stored on board
  your Carrier.
  Construct: A magically-powered machine or vehicle. Constructs typically require a
  Channeler to pilot and fuel them, though some are automatons. Golems, familiars,
  and Armour Astirs are all constructs.
  Armour Astir: Astirs are powerful enchanted constructs, typically between 30 and 60
  feet tall, that must be piloted by a Channeler who provides the magic required for
  them to function. They’re mechs. You know what these are.
  Golem: A magically-powered vehicle, usually smaller than an Astir. Golems fill a role
  that can be loosely considered cavalry. Simple enough for a conventional magical
  power source, meaning anyone can pilot them if they aren’t autonomous.
  Familiar: Familiars are small, autonomous Constructs that assist their master with a
  narrow field of tasks. Like a drone, or funnels/bits.
  Artifact: A part of your Astir that can be activated with the subsystems move to give
  you Advantage on a roll, before or after you make it.
  Advantage: To roll an additional die and take the highest two.
  Disadvantage: To roll an additional die and take the lowest two.
  Confidence: To roll with two additional dice and take the highest two, ignoring any
  disadvantage.
  Desperation: To roll with two additional dice and take the lowest two, ignoring any
  advantage.
  
  MAGICAL OBJECTS
  2d6
  Object
  11
  A set of cooking utensils that are always spotlessly clean.
  12
  An orb that floats by the head of its owner, providing them with wisdom.
  13
  A coin that always lands as it is called.
  14
  A basket of porcelain spheres that move to form a model of the solar
  system when laid on black cloth.
  15
  An ornamental sword that any onlooker views as tailor made for them.
  16
  A jar of sand that wards the bearer against fear.
  21
  A clay tablet that can capture a perfect rendering of any scene it is held
  up against.
  22
  A map that may be temporarily written on with your fingers.
  23
  A thin crystalline needle that constantly points at the closest source of
  invisibility magic.
  24
  A hammer that will drive nails through anything.
  23
  A silver token that prevents the holder from knowingly lying.
  26
  A small vial of liquid that burns through everything except glass.
  31
  A gold-painted ring that alters divination magic cast by the wearer to show
  more hopeful or lucky futures and outcomes.
  32
  An iron rose that sprouts thorns in the hands of someone who has broken
  a vow or promise.
  33
  A gem that can capture words from the bearer’s target.
  34
  A shield that can hold back any flood.
  35
  A feathered cloak that projects a waterproof barrier around the wearer.
  36
  A box that only opens during an eclipse.
  41
  A knife and fork that vibrate gently in the presence of poison.
  42
  A set of hand-made dice that only ever roll 3’s.
  43
  An adhesive that will bond any two things.
  44
  A solvent that will separate any two things.
  45
  A mask with jewelled lenses that feeds false information about the wearer
  to anyone who would use mind-reading magic on them.
  46
  A lock that merges with any surface it is pushed into, until unlocked.
  51
  A wax strawberry that becomes poison once a trigger word is spoken.
  52
  A flag that slowly ruins the soil wherever it is planted.
  53
  A never-ending ball of string.
  54
  A fake paper Astir that folds up to fit in your pocket.
  55
  A thin stone disc that floats freely wherever it is left, and can support a
  few kilograms of weight.
  56
  A keyring that guides the holder to lost keys.
  61
  A leather collar that hides the wearer from magic that detects living
  creatures.
  62
  A crown that repairs itself and reshapes itself to fit any head.
  63
  A short knife that is capable of cutting through any non-magical rope, cord
  or chain.
  64
  A gauntlet fitted with a jewel that can conjure a storm overheard.
  65
  A pair of gloves that can touch in the intangible.
  66
  A pair of picture frames that act as a portal to each-other.
  
  MAGICAL WEAPONS
  2d6
  Object
  11
  A spear that binds those injured by casting chains from their blood.
  12
  A sheathe from which a blade of any length can be drawn.
  13
  A long Astir’s cannon that fires shells full of magically contained magma.
  14
  A launcher filled with wands that cast blighting spells upon impact.
  15
  A javelin that trails flame behind it when thrown.
  16
  A wand that allows the bearer to draw down bolts of lightning.
  21
  A flintlock pistol with rounds guided by bound spirits.
  22
  An ornamented halberd that lets forth a terrifying roar when it takes a life.
  23
  Paired swords that unerringly track wounds left by the other.
  24
  An Astir-sized staff capable of spraying beams of frost.
  23
  A crossbow adorned with elemental crystals that charge its bolts with
  thunderous energy.
  26
  A bow, made from the wood of a tree grown in blessed grove.
  31
  A set of perfectly balanced bronze orbs.
  32
  Three silver arrows, each with a small plaque for a target’s name.
  33
  A pair of alchemical mortars, designed to flood the world with toxin.
  34
  A rifle loaded with thick pieces of magical crystal.
  35
  A hollow mace, from which sticky tar oozes.
  36
  A ballista that trails a path of solid, tangible light behind its bolts.
  41
  A multi-chambered firearm designed to fire lead-encased scrolls.
  42
  A flat-tipped executioner’s sword that leaves only closed wounds.
  43
  A brace of flintlocks that briefly crack open thin portals to a much more
  incendiary realm than ours.
  44
  An axe carved wholly from one huge, serrated fang.
  45
  A pouch of small gems that explode dramatically when shattered.
  46
  A blade that is magically incapable of leaving wounds.
  51
  A long whip embedded with venomous, weeping thorns.
  52
  A catapult that conjures a new payload into existence after every shot.
  53
  A ring of keys which can magically merge into a small blade.
  54
  A lightweight lance, embellished with golden seals that attempt to deflect
  any magic that would harm their bearer.
  55
  A thin glass orb filled with acid, that slowly repairs and refills itself after
  smashing against its holders target.
  56
  A silver dagger that can be safely hidden in the flesh of its bound owner.
  61
  A heavy mace that emits a dispelling field, designed to stop Astirs without
  causing damage that would make them unsalvageable.
  62
  A winged spear that grants the bearer limited flight in pursuit of their foe.
  63
  A contraption that fires searing javelins accurately in trios.
  64
  A matched pair of long-clawed gauntlets, which harbour a charge of frosty
  magical energy.
  65
  A crystalline wand, charged with spells that brand those struck.
  66
  A long-handled axe, enchanted to whip up heavy winds whenever it is
  swung in anger.
  
  RELEASE NOTES
  06/20:
  •
  Additional art added! Dropped some placeholder stuff where there’s still incoming
  art.
  •
  GRAVITY clocks reduced to 6-step.
  •
  Spotlight introduced to give dripfeed xp on failures! This has been a common
  complaint, so hopefully this should make failure feel a little more exciting.
  •
  First Setting Hook added! Possibly more to come: please let me know if you find
  this useful and if it’d be worth my time to add more!
  •
  Reworked Astir parts a little so that all ‘usable’ parts under the previous system
  are now 1-per Sortie but can be reused by spending mana with subsystems. It
  seemed a little inconsistent that most things were single-use for free but Artifacts
  were infinite use at cost.
  CREDITS
  WRITING & DESIGN BY:
  Briar Sovereign
  ARTWORK BY:
  S. Malachi Peters
  Simon Sweetman
  Jolyne ‘Jojo’ Gremory
  Zack Morrison
  Henry Guerra@juangeedraws
  Terrence Hector
  Florian Walraven
  Viktor Engholm
  Peyton Gee
  ADDITIONAL WRITING BY:
  S. Malachi Peters
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Armour Astir (PbtA)/Playtest Materials/ArmourAstir_af_basic.pdf