TEXT: By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  EXPEDITIONS 
  Making Preparations ● Running the Journey ● What to Prep  
   
  The characters decide to leave town. Maybe you’ve presented a threat and they’re off to 
  deal with it. Maybe you’ve dangled an opportunity and they want to seize it. Maybe they 
  have plans of their own, something they want to accomplish, and it involves leaving 
  home. It’s time for an expedition.  
  When the players leave town and head out into the wild, here’s how it typically goes: 
   
  They make preparations: Chart a Course, Outfit, and whatever else they need 
  to do before leaving home. 
   
  They head out, and you make GM moves that show their progress and force 
  them to make decisions.  
   
  You ask lots of questions: about the places they pass, about how they spend the 
  time, and about how get along. 
   
  When the time is right, you present challenges (from Chart a Course), 
  introduce dangers, and offer up discoveries.  
   
  They trigger moves and resolve them. Often, they Struggle as One. When they 
  rest, they Make Camp. When they run out of food, they Forage.  
  You zoom in and out. They might reach their destination with ease. Or, they might 
  encounter something that distracts them from their primary goal, or that gets them lost, 
  or that beats them up so badly that they turn back and head home in defeat. It’s all good. 
  Travel—and the challenges it presents—is an important part of Stonetop. It’s a chance to 
  flesh out and explore the wider world. It’s where a much of the game takes place. It’s 
  dangerous, and hard, and that reinforces the importance of home and its relative safety, 
  and the fact that the PCs are special simply because they’ll risk the wider world. No, 
  travel isn’t something to gloss over. Give it the screen time it deserves!  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  MAKING PREPARATIONS 
  Before the leave home, the PCs will make preparations. At the very least, that usually 
  means making these moves: 
   
  Chart a Course 
   
  Outfit 
  CHART A COURSE  
  When you wish to travel to a distant place, name or describe your destination (for 
  example, “Gordin’s Delve,” “the hagr’s lair,” or “wherever these tracks lead”). If the route 
  is unclear, tell the GM how you intend to reach it. The GM will then tell you what’s 
  required, the risks, and how long it will likely take. 
  When you set out on the journey, the GM will present each of the challenges one at a 
  time—plus any surprises that you couldn’t have seen coming—in whatever order makes 
  the most sense. Address them all and reach your destination. 
  When the players start saying that they need to leave town for some reason, direct them 
  to this move. Use it to clarify their destination and how they intend to get there. If they 
  have no idea, prompt them to Spout Lore or maybe Make a Plan. Their route doesn’t 
  need to be perfectly clear—something like “we follow their tracks” is just fine—but they 
  should have some idea of where they’re going and how they’re going to get there.  
  Once they’ve established their destination and route, tell them as many of the following 
  as make sense. Make your choices based on the seasons, the terrain, how well they know 
  the area, the dangers that lurk there, the threats you’ve established and their grim 
  portents. Don’t worry so much about the order right now, and feel free to rephrase or 
  tweak the wording. If it makes sense, add entirely new items.    
   
  You must first travel to ____, and from there to your destination 
   
  You must wait until ____ 
   
  You need a knowledgeable guide/accurate map/detailed directions 
   
  You’ll need to bring ____ 
   
  You need to watch out for ____ 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
   
  The way is perilous, plagued with dangers 
   
  You risk getting lost 
   
  You must surmount/cross/brave ____ on the way 
   
  The terrain itself is treacherous; you risk injury on the way 
   
  The way will be hard and grueling; you risk exhausting yourselves or your 
  resources 
   
  You risk drawing the attention of ____ 
   
  It’ll take at least ____ days (and a corresponding number of rations) 
   
  You don’t know how long it’ll take 
   
  You’ll usually link these with “and” but can also use a merciful “or.”  “You’ll need to bring 
  warm clothes OR the way will be hard and grueling.”  “You need to wait until daybreak OR you 
  risk getting lost.” 
  If you choose First you must travel to __, then Chart a Course for each leg of the 
  journey. You can nest this requirement two or three levels deep. A journey to Lygos 
  might require traveling to Marshedge, and from there to the arid South, and from there 
  to Lygos proper.  
  Answer whatever questions the players have. Clarify your statements. Don’t be afraid to 
  negotiate with them or even change your mind.  
  Write your choices down with tic boxes next to them. Ideally, put this someplace public 
  so the players can see it, too. This list will serve as your narrative to-do list once the 
  journey starts. 
  Winter has been brutal and Stonetop is running out of food. If they don’t get some 
  Surplus soon, people will die. Rhianna and Caradoc decide to go hunt the cave bears 
  south of town, despite Blodwen’s reservations. “Sounds like you’re Charting a 
  Course,” I say. “How do you intend to get there?” 
  Rhianna: “They lair in a cave in the bluff, right? If we follow the bluff south, we’ll 
  find them.” 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  I look at the list and jot down: 
  µ 
  You’ll need to bring warm clothes 
  µ 
  You’ll need to watch out for crinwin (of course) 
  µ 
  The way is hard and grueling (because of the cold and deep snow) 
  µ 
  You risk getting lost 
  µ 
  You risk drawing the attention of the cave bears as you approach! 
  µ 
  It’ll take at least 1 day there and back 
  µ 
  You’ll need to bring sledges, 1 for each Surplus of bear meat you hope to bring 
  back (or make them once you’re out there)  
  I read these off and Rhianna’s like “Wait, we risk getting lost? We’re just going to 
  follow the cliff face south.” Oh, sure. Of course. I cross it off the list.  
  Vahid has gotten it in his head to visit Three-Coven Lake in search of some workings 
  of Azm Qadir. “How do you intend to get there?” I ask. He says that they’ll take the 
  Highway to Marshedge and resupply there. Then they’ll follow the stream upriver 
  into the Steplands and to Three-Coven Lake.   
  That seems legit, so I look over the list and write down the following: 
  µ 
  First, you’ll need to travel to Marshedge 
  µ 
  You need to wait until summer OR you’ll need to bring warm clothes 
  µ 
  You need to watch out for nosgolau on the Flats 
  µ 
  It’ll take at least 8 days and a corresponding number of rations 
  µ 
  You need a knowledgeable guide OR you risk getting lost 
  µ 
  The way is perilous, plagued with dangers 
  µ 
  The Steplands themselves are treacherous; you risk injury 
  µ 
  The way will be hard and grueling; you risk exhausting yourselves 
  µ 
  It’ll take at least 4 days from Marshedge, and a corresponding number of 
  rations 
  Vahid asks why we need a guide or risk getting lost. “Won’t we just be following the 
  stream upriver?”  
  “Sure, I say, but that stream winds through the Steplands, which are notoriously 
  confusing and treacherous. And who knows how many little tributaries feed it?” 
  “Oh, sure. Makes sense. Though, I did spend some time wandering around the 
  Steplands before I got to Stonetop. Maybe I’ve got the lay of the land?”  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  “Sounds like you’re Spouting Lore to me. Roll it!” 
  That autumn, Rhianna, her crew, and Caradoc find themselves out in the Great 
  Wood. They just had a run-in with the shadowy presence that killed Rheinal, and 
  Eira (Rhianna’s lieutenant) has been seriously hurt. It’s getting dark. 
  “We need to get home. Fast. No way we want to be stuck out here with that thing. 
  Can we make it?”   
  “Sounds like you’re Charting a Course. You all know the Woods, so finding your way 
  isn’t really an issue. But if you want to get back before dark, you’ll have to book it. 
  The way will be hard and grueling—especially for Eira—and at that speed, the 
  terrain will be treacherous, too.  And you’ll have to watch out for the shadowy 
  presence!” 
  “Is there any way we could make it less grueling?” asks Caradoc. “Like a shortcut?”   
  “Well… yeah, totally. But you’d have to brave the Red Grove, and it’s in full crimson 
  right now! What do you do?” 
  OUTFIT 
  When you undertake a mission on behalf of a friendly steading, choose someone to roll 
  +Fortunes: on a 10+, together with your allies you pick up to 6 things from the Gear list 
  that corresponds to the steading’s Prosperity; on a 7-9, you pick 3; on a 6-, you get 
  nothing (not even XP).  
  Regardless of the result, you can make up to 3 additional picks, but doing so reduces the 
  steading’s Fortunes by 1. 
  This move mostly takes the place of going shopping before an adventure. The items they 
  pick might be stuff that the PCs had lying around, but more often it comes from the 
  good will of the steading, from their friends and neighbors and communal stores. (That’s 
  why they roll +Fortunes.) 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  This move triggers only when the PCs go on an adventure on behalf of the steading. It 
  represents the steading’s outpouring of support. A foolish jaunt to the Ruined Tower to 
  satisfy the Seeker’s curiosity doesn’t count.  
  Use this move to show off what NPCs think of the PCs. Maybe the town blacksmith 
  gives the Would-be Hero a new dagger as a sign of respect. Maybe the party’s provisions 
  came from the missing boy’s kin—packing up a good lunch is the least they can do. Ask 
  lots of questions, too!   
  The “picks” are from the Gear Lists matching the steading’s current Prosperity. They can 
  “trade down” freely (for example, picking 3 Dirt items instead 1 Poor item) but can’t 
  trade up. More expensive and valuable stuff just isn’t freely available.  
  If they choose to reduce Fortunes for 3 extra picks, they’re asking for things that the town 
  needs. They’ll hand it over, but folks will be going without.  
  If they don’t Outfit (or roll a 6- and choose not to reduce the steading’s Fortunes), then 
  they are on their own. They can still Trade and Barter for supplies, but no one’s going to 
  be particularly generous.  
  On a miss, don’t make a move. Getting nothing is bad enough.  
  Rhianna says “Okay, let’s go get us some bears. Me, my crew, Caradoc, Vahid, and 
  Blodwen. Plus Andras, the new kid, to see if he works out. Outfit?” 
  “Sure,” I say. “Don’t forget, you’ll need warm clothes. And a few sledges, one per 
  Surplus you hope to bring back.” 
  Rhianna rolls +Fortunes and adds an extra +1 because of her Logistics move. She gets 
  a 7-9, so that’s 3 picks off the Poor list.  “My crew and I already have wool cloaks, so 
  we’re good. What about the rest of you?” 
  Blodwen’s set (her thick hides are warm). Vahid’s got a cloak. Caradoc needs a cloak, 
  though. “I guess I’ve been keeping watch huddled under a blanket.” 
  “Andras will need a cloak, too,” I say. I hadn’t thought of that before, but it makes 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  sense. We know his family doesn’t have much.  
  “Can’t we just give him Garet’s old cloak?” 
  “Didn’t you burn him in it?” 
  “Crap. Right,” says Rhianna. “Two wool cloaks, then. That leaves us with one more 
  ‘poor’ pick. You said we needed sledges? Ugh, those are poor, too. And we’ve only got 1 
  pick left. How many do we think we’ll need?” 
  “Well, one per Surplus. And you need, what? 3 Surplus?  So, three sledges. You can 
  pick an extra 3 poor items, but it’ll reduce the town’s Fortunes by 1.” 
  “Really? We can’t just borrow them? Wouldn’t my crew already have them?”  
  “Sure, you can say that your crew already has three sledges, but then the two cloaks are 
  what you have to beg and borrow for. Or you could Trade and Barter for them, I 
  guess.”   
  They kick it around for a while, and finally decide it’s worth the -1 Fortunes. “If we 
  don’t feed people, we’ll be -1 Fortunes anyway,” says Blodwen. 
  They’ve got one choice off the Poor list left, and they opt to get three Dirt items 
  instead: two sets of bandages (4 uses each) and some shabby adventuring gear (3 
  uses). I mention that Andras doesn’t have any weapons and Rhianna’s like “I am 
  giving him Garet’s old shield and spear. It’s not like they’re getting used anymore.” 
  I’m okay with that. 
  Now I start thinking about there this stuff came from. I want to work in that -1 
  Fortunes, so I reveal an unwelcome truth: “Okay, Rhianna, you go around looking 
  for supplies and a cloak for Andras and, like, no one has much to offer. Certainly not 
  food. You can tell folks feel bad about it, too. Ashamed. You’re just barely able to scrape 
  together the gear and the bandages. The only reason you find a cloak is because old 
  Elios died last night. His daughter, Lewela, said he’d been sick and breathing bad for 
  the past week, and, well, he just didn’t make it. So, do you think she offered the cloak? 
  Or did you have to ask for it?” 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  Rhianna sneers. “Oh, I had to ask for it. It was ugly. I think I left her sobbing.” 
  I make a note. We’ll see more of Lewela later, I think. 
  “Caradoc, what about you?” I ask. “Where did you get your cloak?” 
  “Um… from Morwena, I think.”  
  “Oh, totally! She catches you in the square as the crew is gathering. She’s got a bundle 
  under her arm and avoids eye contact. ‘I… I was weaving this for you… before… 
  and, well, the embroidery on the back isn’t done, but if you insist on going out there 
  again… well, you’ll need something warm. So… here.’ And she blushes and shoves it 
  in your arms and runs off.  What do you do?” 
  Other preparations 
  Aside from Chart a Course and Outfit, there are plenty of other preparations the PCs 
  might want to make, including but not limited to the following. These might happen 
  before the PCs Outfit, or after, or sometimes in the middle of them picking choices.  
  Heck, it’s entirely possible that you’ll jump back and forth in time as they take care of all 
  the details. Don’t sweat it.  
  TRADE AND BARTER 
  If the PCs want or need something for the expedition, but they couldn’t get it with 
  Outfit, they’ll need to Trade and Barter. The move is discussed in full in the 
  HOMEFRONT chapter (page XX), but here’s the GM-facing version: 
  TRADE AND BARTER 
  When the PCs go looking to buy, sell, or trade goods in a steading, they can freely exchange 
  items from gear lists matching the steading’s current Prosperity or lower. For example, in 
  a Poor steading, they can freely exchange Poor or Dirt items.  
  If they wish to acquire or sell something from a list higher than the steading’s Prosperity, 
  tell them one or more of the following, linked with “and” or “or” as you see fit. 
   
  You won’t find anything like that, but you could probably get ___ instead 
   
  You’ll need to wait for a merchant from __ to arrive 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
   
  You’ll need to travel to ___  
   
  You’ll need to talk to ___ for that  
   
  First, you’ll need to ___ 
   
  It’ll take some coin to grease the wheels 
   
  You risk drawing unwanted attention 
   
  It’ll take some convincing on your part 
   
  They’ll probably try to fleece you  
    
  As with Outfit, you can use this move to bring the village to life. Use it to push them into 
  interactions with NPCs, especially NPCs they have complicated relationships with. Even 
  if they don’t have to make special arrangements, you can ask them who they got 
  something from and maybe play out a little scene.  
  For stuff that’s more valuable than the steading’s Prosperity, or things that just aren’t on 
  the list, make your choices with your principles in line. In particular, remember to both 
  be a fan of the characters and to begin and end with the fiction. 
  Vahid is muttering a bit about going out in the cold, and he flat out refuses to do it 
  without some decent whisky. Fortunately for him, in Stonetop, a flask of decent 
  whisky counts as a “dirt” item (instead of poor). “I’ve got a handful of coppers,” he 
  says, “can I just, like, buy it?”   
  “Sure!” I say. “Alun’s still got some of the decent stuff at the pub, and he’s always 
  willing to pick up some coin. But when you pick it up, he’s like ‘Heard you’re going on 
  that bear hunt, aye? Doesn’t exactly seem like your sort of thing.” 
  “I’ll say,” says Vahid. “But it’s the only time I’m ever going to get a look at what’s in 
  those caves.” 
  Rhianna would really like some steel-tipped arrows for this bear hunt, but they’re on 
  the Moderate list. Even if she had the coin or something else to barter, she’d have to 
  make special arrangements. As she doesn’t even have the coin, I think about telling her 
  that she’s just out of luck.  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  But, no, she’s got some history with the blacksmith. So, I tell her “You’ll have to talk to 
  Cadi the smith for that, and it’ll take some convincing.”  
  “Cadi, huh? Ugh, fine. I stop at her shop the night before we go with some whisky as 
  a peace offering.” 
  “Oh, the good stuff?” 
  “Hell no. Rotgut. If I had good stuff lying around I wouldn’t be stealing dead men’s 
  cloaks from their grieving daughters, would I?” 
  BORROWING ASSETS 
  The PCs might want to borrow town assets, like the horses or the wagon. Or they might 
  want to borrow important assets that are owned by individuals, like the smith’s anvil or 
  the tanner’s vats. 
   
  If their standing in the steading is questionable, they might need to do some 
  convincing.  
   
  If they take these resources when they’re needed most—like taking the horses 
  during the spring planting or the autumn harvest—it’ll reduce the town’s 
  Fortunes by 1.  
   
  If they fail to bring these resources back, it counts as Meeting with Disaster 
  (see page XX). That will reduce the town’s Fortunes by 1 (at least).  
  As time goes on, the town might acquire more assets (more horses, a second wagon, 
  magic items, etc.). You’ll need to decide what’s involved in borrowing assets like those.  
  FOLLOWERS 
  As a rule, followers that are established by a character’s playbook (like the Marshal’s 
  Crew, or the Blessed’s fellow Initiates of Danu) will join the PCs on an expedition if 
  asked. At most, the PC will need to Order Followers. 
  Other NPCs might offer to join the expedition, or insist on doing so. If the PCs bring 
  them along, write these NPCs up as followers. Followers might also become apparent 
  through a Muster (see page XX), or just organically in play. 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  If the PCs actively look for NPCs to join them on the adventure, handle that with GM 
  moves (like offer an opportunity or introduce someone interesting) and player moves 
  like Spout Lore (“Do I know anyone who’d be willing come into the Woods with us?”), 
  Discern Realities (“Of all these volunteers… who here is useful or valuable to me?”), and/or 
  Parley (“Rheinal, we need your help”).  If they find someone and bring them along, write 
  them up as a follower. 
  When the PCs go looking for a follower, always follow your principles and your sense of 
  the world. Begin and end with the fiction, but also be a fan of the characters and ask 
  questions and build on the answers. “No, there’s no alchemist in town. But the tanner 
  probably knows their chemicals… what’s the tanner’s name, and how well do you know them?” 
  If the PCs bring the horses or a hound (or even a goat), consider writing them up as 
  followers, too!    
  Unless a follower is self-sufficient, the PCs need to provide rations for them. This might 
  affect the choices they made when they Outfitted. It’s totally fine to let them go back and 
  make changes.  
  See the FOLLOWERS chapter (page XX) for more details.  
  GATHERING INFORMATION 
  The PCs might have all sorts of questions they want answered before they go. They 
  might Spout Lore (“Has anything like this happened before?”) or Discern Realities (“I go 
  down an investigate the scene of the attack” or “I’ll ask around the village, see if anyone has 
  noticed anything strange”). They might interview a specific NPC to see what they know. 
  They might use class-specific moves like the Blessed’s Call the Spirits. 
  Reward and encourage them to do these things, but don’t let them dawdle, either. If they 
  spend too much time on preparation, tell them the consequences and ask. “Yeah, you can 
  ask around town and see if anyone saw anything, but it’ll take a few hours at least. And the 
  longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be to follow that trail.”  
  Zoom in and out as appropriate. Play out the scene in which they interrogate the sketchy 
  newcomer, but gloss over the hours spent interviewing townsfolk. “What here isn’t what it 
  
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  appears to be?” “Folks have all sorts of stuff they try to tell you, but it’s all fear and nonsense. 
  Except Cadi. She tells you that her smithy didn’t get touched, at least not on the inside. Every 
  other house near hers got broken into, and stuff in her yard got messed up, but the inside of the 
  smithy was untouched. She seems as confused about it as anyone else.” 
  Don’t be a stickler for timelines here. Maybe something they learn changes the gear they 
  want to pick from Outfitting. Let them. Maybe you’re playing out a nighttime scene in 
  the pub when the Ranger realizes they should have gone down to the Stream and 
  investigated before sunset, while the tracks were fresh. Sure, hand wave it, play it out as a 
  flashback. Whatever. As long as it doesn’t undo something consequential, it’s fine to do a 
  little retconning. Lots of details that’d be obvious to the characters are easy to miss when 
  we’re glossing over hours and days at a time.  
  PUTTING OTHERS TO WORK 
  Before the PCs head out on an expedition, they might set the townsfolk to work. For 
  example: 
   
  They could Muster (see page XX), putting everyone on alert and ready for 
  trouble. Have them make the roll before they leave, because it might generate a 
  potential follower and they’ll need to choose “the muster holds together… even 
  without your presence” if they want readiness to remain high while they are 
  away.  
   
  They could Pull Together (see page XX), having folks attempt to repair the 
  granary or build new fortifications or prepare some damn fool scheme that the 
  Fox dreamed up. They might need to Parley or otherwise convince folks to get 
  to work, but assuming they do, you should probably hold off and have them roll 
  for Pull Together when the characters head home. That way, they players learn 
  the success of the plan at about the same time their characters do. 
   
  They might set an individual or two to a task, like searching the Chronicle for 
  references to the Wandering Market or just keeping an eye on Ergben. They 
  might need a Parley (or Order Followers) to get that to happen, but if they do, 
  it either doesn’t trigger a roll (and you just decide what happened when they get 
  back) or it triggers Do Their Thing (if it’s a capable follower). If there’s a Do 
  
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  Their Thing roll, hold off on rolling until they PCs are heading back (for the 
  same reason you hold off on a Pull Together roll).   
  Make note of any such tasks or projects the PCs set their neighbors to, so that you don’t 
  forget them later.  
  MISCELLANEOUS 
  I’m sure your players will come up with other things they want to do prior to an 
  expedition. In general: follow the fiction and your principles. Zoom in and out as you see 
  fit. Tie their actions back to the townsfolk and ask lots of questions. If the preparations 
  trigger a move that needs to be resolved before they leave, have them roll it now. If they 
  trigger a move that takes time to resolve, roll it when they are on their way home.  
  Box Text: Flashbacks  
  Sometimes, the characters get into the field and realize that they wish they’d have 
  done something before they left. Consider playing this out as a flashback. Frame the 
  scene in the past and play it out normally, with moves and rolls and such. When the 
  scene is done, jump back to “now.” 
  The key thing about flashbacks is that they shouldn’t contradict or nullify anything 
  that’s happened “on screen” already. For example, if the PCs have already Struggled as 
  One to trudge through a few miles of deep snow, it doesn’t make sense to flashback to 
  a scene in which the acquire snowshoes for everyone.  
  It’s your call whether to allow a flashback, but keep your principles in mind (especially 
  be a fan of the characters). When in doubt, ask the table at large for their opinion. 
  While out on the bear hunt, Blodwen realizes that she’d really like to have 
  borrowed one of the horse’s moves, “Sniff out danger on the wind.” “Is it okay if we 
  say I just did that?” she asks.  
  Now, Blodwen can calm animals with a touch and they generally love her, but 
  this isn’t a sure thing. I decide to do a flashback. “Okay, quick… it’s back this 
  morning, just before you all left. You’re in the stable, the horses are still sleeping. 
  Which one do you wake up, and how?”   
  
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  “Oh, Fflur, I think. She’s the more sensible of the two. I put my hand on her snout 
  and whisper her name, and as she wakes up I offer her a little handful of barley 
  that I secreted away.” Fflur munches away and nuzzles Blodwen’s hand asks for 
  some more. “I need a favor first, old friend. I’m going out in the Wood today, and 
  you’ll be here, safe and sound. I could use your sense of smell. Can you loan that to 
  me?”   
  That’s clearly a Parley. I think about Fflur, and whether she has any reason to 
  object. Her instinct is “to panic”—she’s the more sensible horse, but still a horse—so 
  I think she’d resist. I ask Blodwen to roll +CHA and she gets a 7-9. Fflur’s like 
  “But, how will I know if predators are coming? Or if the stable burns? Or… or… 
  or predators?” I tell Blodwen that she needs to give Fflur some concrete assurance 
  that she’ll be safe without it.  
  “Oh, sure. I remind her that she’ll be safe in the stable all day, and I weave her a 
  talisman that’s proof against fire. I need to use up 1 Stock anyway to make room 
  for the Borrowed Power. Does that work?” Sure it does. Fflur agrees. Blodwen 
  updates her notes.  
  And we jump back to right now, in the Woods. “I want to sniff the wind for 
  danger,” says Blodwen. Away we go! 
   
   
   
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  RUNNING THE JOURNEY 
  They PCs have made their preparations. They’re doing this. “We head out,” they say. 
  They’re looking at you. What do you do? 
  What you do is run the game: describe the situation, follow the rules, make moves, and 
  exploit your prep.  
  Travel in Stonetop works best as a “point crawl.” You don’t follow the characters step-by-
  step, mile-by-mile, or even hour-by-hour. Instead, you zoom in and out to match the 
  level of interest or importance.  
  Here’s how: 
   
  First, describe the situation: where they are, what it’s like, the time of day, the 
  weather. “You head down the path from Stonetop into the Great Wood. A few 
  minutes later, you find yourselves standing at the Stream: wide, shallow, and swift, 
  a constant, noisy rush of water, a feeling of mild dread.”  
   
  If it’s the first time they’ve been here in play, or something has significantly 
  changed, you might dig in and ask some questions. The various almanac 
  entries are loaded with these. “Rhianna, what little ritual do villagers do each 
  time they cross the Stream? Why?”  “Blodwen, what detail here tells you that this is a 
  place people come, but not a place where they tarry?”  
   
  Make a GM move (often an exploration move, described below), following 
  your principles. Maybe you’ll hint at more than meets the eye. Maybe you’ll 
  present a discovery or introduce a danger, person, or faction. Maybe you’ll 
  provide a choice of paths, or bar the way and make them backtrack. Or you’ll 
  make any other GM move that makes sense.  
   
  Ask them “what do you do?” Go from there. 
   
  If and when they decide to move on, change the environment. Zoom in on 
  the next point of interest, the next terrain, the next challenge. Describe the 
  new situation, ask questions, make a move, and see what they do.  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  Exploration moves 
  Add these to your arsenal of GM moves once the players leave town and head into the 
  wider world. These same moves get used when exploring POINTS OF INTEREST (see page 
  XX), but here, we’ll discuss how to use them as part of a journey. 
  Your exploration moves are: 
   
  Change the environment 
   
  Provide a choice of paths 
   
  Bar the way; make them backtrack  
   
  Hint at more than meets the eye 
   
  Present a discovery 
   
  Point to a looming danger 
   
  Introduce a danger, person, or faction 
   
  Offer riches at a price 
   
  Have them Struggle as One 
  CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT 
  Frame the scene in a new location, or say how the current location changes (night falls, it 
  starts to rain, etc.). This is one of your most important exploration moves. Use it to show 
  that they’ve covered distance and reached some place different. 
  This is a good move to pair with questions. You can ask who’s been here before, or what 
  they know about it, or what they’ve heard about it. You can ask about local customs or 
  beliefs. You can ask “painting the scene” questions that prompt the characters to add 
  details on a theme.  
  Or you can just tell them what’s there and move on. 
  “You all march down into the Great Wood and start heading south. The forest is eerily 
  still and quiet, just the crunch of snow beneath your feet and your breath floating in 
  front of you. Hey, Vahid, you’re from down south… what’s the worst part of all this 
  trudging through the snow and cold?” 
  “About an hour after you slip past the crinwin, Lowri motions for everyone to stop. 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  He points up towards the bluff on your right, and you can all see the cave in the side, 
  short and wide. It’s the bears’ den. What do you do?” 
  “You’re all sweating and grunting, taking turns dragging these sledges through the 
  snow and over uneven ground, you barely even realize it’s getting dark until it’s 
  almost too late. The sun’s already down, it’s gonna be pitch black in like 10 minutes, 
  and you’re still like an hour away from home. What do you do?” 
  PROVIDE A CHOICE OF PATHS 
  With this move, you present the proverbial fork in the road and ask them which way they 
  go. There might be other options, and maybe they do something different, but you’re 
  presenting the obvious options and asking them to choose. 
  When you use this move, try to give some indication of how the choices are different. 
  Otherwise, the choice isn’t meaningful. 
  The available paths don’t have to be literal paths, or they don’t both have to be.   
  “Okay, the sledges are loaded. Are you going to head back the way you came? The 
  crinwin will almost certainly notice you if you do. Or you could cut deeper into the 
  Woods and try to circle around them, but that’ll take longer. What do you do?” 
  BAR THE WAY; MAKE THEM BACKTRACK 
  Sometimes, they hit a dead end. Or they realize that they don’t have what they need. 
  They’ve got to turn around and go back, find another way, acquire something behind 
  them, etc.. Or just plow ahead, heedless of cost and risk, breaking themselves on the 
  barrier. 
  Describe what’s barring the way forward, and maybe give an option or two for what they 
  could do instead. 
  “It’s just not going to happen. Caradoc, you’re able to scale the bluff up to the Flats, 
  but it’s a dicey thing. You don’t see any way you could drag those sledges up here laden 
  with bear carcass. And it’s not like there’s anything up here you could tie a rope 
  around for leverage. What do you do?” 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  “Okay, you drag the sledges northeast, trying to circle around the crinwin, but a while 
  after you cross the Stream, you get to a spot that’s relatively open and the drifts are 
  just too deep. You could try to wade through them, but it’ll be grueling work and you’ll 
  never get home before dark if you do. It’s looking more and more like you’ll have to 
  cross through crinwin territory again. What do you do?”  
  HINT AT MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE 
  Drop a hint that there’s something interesting here, a discovery to be discovered or a lie 
  to be uncovered. This move often prompts the players to Discern Realities or Spout Lore 
  or otherwise look closer. 
  To make this move, point out something out of place or something fraught with 
  meaning, but don’t say what it means. Be a little coy about it. It’s a hint, not an 
  announcement.  
  “Blodwen, while Rhianna and her crew are creeping up towards the cave, you spot 
  tracks in the snow. Big ones, leading away from the cave. What do you do?” 
  “Vahid, as you watch the crinwin flee, you realize that they all headed for this great 
  big redwood pine, maybe fifty paces away. And you think that maybe there’s a 
  something hidden in the boughs, like a huge bird nest or something. Everyone else is 
  busy catching their breath or wiping crinwin blood off themselves. What do you do?” 
  PRESENT A DISCOVERY 
  Discoveries are interesting things that the PCs find but that aren’t (inherently) 
  dangerous. They might be useful or valuable, or just something worth investigating. Yes, 
  this is incredibly broad.  
  When you make this move, you just put the discovery in front them. Describe it, tell 
  them what they see/hear/smell/feel, what (if anything) it does. Make it clear that this is 
  something of note. What they do next is up to them.  
  “What here is useful or valuable to you? Well, you check the bedding and it’s clear that 
  they didn’t, like, bring back shinies or anything like that. But you notice that your 
  torch light is guttering a bit, away from the entrance, towards the back wall. And 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  there, down on your hands and knees, you find an exit from the cave, going further 
  into the bluff, just big enough to squeeze into. And it’s got little glyphs carved all 
  around it, like the ones the Forest Folk used to put on things. What do you do?” 
  “Yeah, Vahid, now that you’re closer, and looking up at it, you can see that it’s 
  definitely a nest. A papery thing, like a wasp nest, but way, way bigger. This must be 
  what the crinwin live in. What do you do?” 
  POINT TO A LOOMING DANGER 
  This is the claw-print in the mud, the wolves howling in the distance. This is the piles of 
  sticks, strangely neat and tidy, sure sign that a hagr dwells nearby.  
  Use this move to foreshadow future dangers, to make the PCs nervous and to prompt 
  them to investigate or take precautions. Or flee. They could also flee. 
  Here’s a good twist on this move: instead of telling them what they find, ask them what 
  they find that tells them __ is afoot, or what their experience is with __, or what they’ve 
  heard about the __ that haunt these hills. 
  “Rhianna, you’ve all been quietly trudging for a couple hours through the snow when 
  the hair on the back of neck stands on end. What do you see or hear that tells you that 
  you’re passing through crinwin territory?” 
  “Blodwen, as you sniff the air, you catch the unmistakable scent of a predator, one of 
  the bears, you’re sure of it. And not coming from the cave… it’s coming from the east, 
  towards the Stream. What do you do?” 
  “Like a half-hour after dark, Caradoc, you realize that you’re just shivering. Your 
  teeth are chattering, even though you’re sweating from pulling at the sledge. The rest 
  of you are starting to notice it, too. Burning fingers, numb toes, the air catching in 
  your throat. What do you do?”  
  INTRODUCE A DANGER, PERSON, OR FACTION 
  With this move, you put a danger on screen. You’re not pointing to it, it’s not looming, 
  it’s here, what do you do?  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  Alternately, you’re introducing an NPC, putting them on screen and giving the PCs a 
  chance to interact with them. Or, you’re revealing that there’s a subset of creatures or 
  people that they didn’t know about before: different tribes of crinwin, a cult within the 
  Hillfolk, rivalries and allegiances among the fae.  
  “You creep through the Wood toward the Stream, following the tracks and Blodwen’s 
  nose. You start to hear the rush of running water, and then you see it. It’s huge, like a 
  horse but stouter, pacing back and forth at an opening in the ice. It’s snout darts into 
  the water and pops up with one of those silvery, scaly slug-things that you sometimes 
  see in the river, and it just gobbles it down. Ugh. What do you do?” 
  “Crunch crunch squeak. Huff huff huff.  Crunch squeak. Rhianna, it takes you a bit to 
  realize it, but you’re hearing footsteps in the snow, and heavy breathing, and scrapes 
  of the sledges… from the party, of course, but also coming from up in the trees, all 
  around you. And just as you realize that, Eira pulls back on her bow and fires. 
  ‘Crinwin!’ she yells!” 
  “As you’re all looking up at the nest, thinking about what to do, Caradoc, you notice a 
  pair of big pale eyes, watching you, from behind a tree at ground level. As soon as you 
  realize what you’re seeing, they’re gone, and there’s a scurrying up the tree, and you 
  see those eyes poking around, looking down at you. It seems… different… than the 
  others. Curious, rather than angry. What do you do?”  
  OFFER RICHES AT A PRICE 
  Show them something valuable, but difficult to get. Gold glitters in the webs, 30 feet up. 
  Those gipgwin flowers smell better than anything and would fetch a handsome price, but 
  the spiny vines crave blood and flesh. That ceirwmawr could feed the whole village, but 
  it’s said that only the Pale Hunter can give one chase. 
  Consider “riches” to be anything the PCs would consider valuable. That could be actual 
  riches, or just some sort of supply or resource they desperately need. And consider “price” 
  to be any sort of cost: time or safety, effort or attention or retribution. Then sit back and 
  see if they think it’s worth it. 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  “These pictograms… they mark the tunnel as a sacred place, home to some sort of 
  sleeping tree or forest spirit. But there’s also a warning against entering ‘unprepared?’ 
  Or maybe that’s ‘unpurified.’ Regardless, it looks like you’d be crawling down a 
  narrow tunnel in the earth for who knows how long. What do you do?” 
  “You know, if that is a crinwin nest—and it sure looks like one—there’s probably all 
  sorts of stolen stuff up there. Like, all the things they’ve swiped from people this past 
  year. Maybe even your grandmother’s ring, Caradoc. What do you do?” 
  HAVE THEM STRUGGLE AS ONE 
  Sometimes there’s a challenge that everyone must deal with but that you don’t want to 
  explore in detail. In that case, ask the players to Struggle as One.  See PC moves, below.  
  Box Text: Use Your Other Moves, Too! 
  Just to be clear: you can and should continue to use your basic GM moves and threat-
  specific moves while the PCs are on a journey. Moves that will get be particularly 
  useful on a journey include: 
   
  Ask a loaded question (“What here tells you this place is touched by the fae?” or 
  “Rhianna, what does Vahid do while you travel that’s getting on your nerves?”) 
   
  Use up their resources (“The next three days are mostly uneventful. Mark off 3 
  rations each.”) 
   
  Tell them the consequences and/or requirements, then ask (“Well, you need 
  to start a fire if you want to cook the game you caught, but that’ll almost certainly 
  draw attention from the crinwin.”)  
   
  Have them roll the Die of Fate (“Let’s see what the weather’s got in store 
  today… Blodwen, roll me a d6, will you?”) 
   
  Weather 
  The weather is an important part of any journey. It colors the whole trip and can be a 
  challenge all by itself.  
  You can invoke the weather with any GM move. You can change the environment and 
  say that it starts to rain or announce trouble by describing how the wind picks up and 
  the canopy sways and the sky goes dark. You decide when it rains and when the sun 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  shines, and you can do so whenever you feel like it, based on your agenda and principles 
  but also on your sense of theme and story. Or, you can have them roll the Die of Fate 
  and let that guide your choices.  
  One way to use the Die of Fate is to ask the players what sort of weather they hope for, 
  and let the roll tell you how well the gods comply. For example, if they’re trying to sneak 
  into a camp of southern mercenaries in the dead of winter, they might hope for heavy 
  winds and driving snowing, all the better to hide their approach. On a 1 or 2, nope, it’s a 
  clear, still night with a bright moon reflecting off the snow and it’s so cold that every step 
  squeaks. On a 3 or 4, maybe it’s a driving wind or a gentle snow, one or the other. On a 5 
  or 6, yeah, just what they wanted. 
  Another way to use the Die of Fate is with preset results, based on the season. Here are 
  some general tables that do just that. Use these as-is, or make your own for specific 
  locales and specific seasons, informed by the Seasons Change move (see page XX). 
  Late winter/early spring 
  1 
  Snow/sleet/hail, an early 
  thunderstorm,  or a day of cold, 
  soaking rains 
  2-3 Cold and windy, maybe some 
  showers 
  4  
  Clouds on the horizon and steady 
  wind; roll twice tomorrow and take 
  the lower roll 
  5-6 A fine, sunny spring day; some 
  clouds; some gusting winds 
  Spring/early summer 
  1 
  A heavy storm; high winds, hail, 
  thunder, lightning 
  2 
  A day of steady, chilly rain 
  3-4 Warm and windy, maybe some 
  brief showers 
  5-6 Warm, sunny, pleasant 
  Summer 
  1 
  A heavy storm; high winds, hail, 
  thunder, lightning, tornadoes 
  2 
  Blazing heat, still air, not a cloud in 
  sight 
  3 
  Hot and humid, with brief, 
  drenching thunder storms 
  Late summer, early autumn 
  1 
  One last powerful thunderstorm or 
  a day of cold, soaking rain 
  2 
  Windy with a few rain showers 
  3 
  Warm, clouds on the horizon, a 
  steady wind (roll twice tomorrow 
  and take the lower roll) 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  4-5 Hot, muggy, some wind 
  6 
  Warm, sunny, breezy, perfect  
  4-5 Hot and dry during the day; cooler 
  and windy at night 
  6 
  Warm, sunny, breezy, perfect 
  Autumn 
  1 
  Cold, drenching rain and/or sleet 
  all day 
  2 
  Cold, windy, an early snowfall 
  3 
  Chilly, windy, maybe some quick 
  rain showers 
  4-6 Crisp, breezy  
  Winter 
  1 
  Blizzard: wind, snow, all of it 
  2 
  Intense cold and wind 
  3 
  Very cold, very clear, very still 
  4 
  Cold and snowy, or cold and windy 
  5 
  Some snow, but mostly just dreary 
  6 
  Warm (for winter) and sunny 
   
  PC moves 
  These moves become relevant while the PCs are on an expedition.  
  STRUGGLE AS ONE  
  When the GM calls on you to struggle as one, they'll describe the challenge(s) you face. Say 
  how you do your part and each roll +STAT: on a 6-, you find yourself in a spot, the GM 
  will describe it or ask you to; on a 7-9, you pull your weight; on a 10+, you do well 
  enough to get someone else out of a spot, if you can tell us how.  
  If you roll a 6- but someone saves you, don't mark XP. 
  This is one of the only PC moves that you get to explicitly call for, as opposed to the 
  move being triggered by the fiction. Use it when the party decides on a course of action 
  that challenges everyone, usually over a period of time, and you don’t want to dwell on 
  the details. If you’re ever thinking of having everyone roll to Defy Danger, consider using 
  this move instead.  
  Mathematically, Struggle as One is much more forgiving than everyone Defying Danger 
  on their own. That’s intentional.  
  When you call for the move, it’s your job to describe what they’re struggling against. You 
  don’t have to be specific (that’s the point of this move), but you do have to be clear 
  enough for the PCs to tell you how they deal with it. Use same trick you use with Defy 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  Danger: “Sounds like you’re Struggling as One, and the struggle is against the mud and mire of 
  the fen.”  
  If the PCs are dealing with multiple challenges at once, you can blend them into a single 
  Struggle as One or split them up. You could say “Okay, I need to you Struggle as One to 
  avoid the hunting drakes, how do you do that?” and then follow it up with “Okay, now you’ll 
  need to Struggle as One to reach the hilltop before nightfall. I assume you’re just all trying to keep 
  up a steady pace?”  Or, you could say “Sounds like you’re Struggling as One, and the struggle is 
  to reach that hilltop before nightfall while avoiding hunting drakes. How do you do that?” 
  Zoom to the level of interest, yours and theirs. 
  With that said, don’t use this move when one PC is essentially responsible for everyone 
  else’s fate. If the party risks getting lost and the Ranger is navigating, then that’s the 
  Ranger Defying Danger (maybe with someone providing Aid). You can choose to have 
  them Struggle as One if you want, but only if there’s some other danger or challenge you 
  want to roll into it, something against which they must all contend.  
  After you call for the move and describe the challenge, it’s up to them to say how they 
  deal with it. That will inform what stat they should roll. Sometimes it’s just obvious, 
  sometimes it takes negotiation. Follow the same guidelines you would for Defy Danger.  
  As a rule, the PCs can’t Aid each other—everyone is involved already. If someone makes 
  a compelling case and justifies it in the fiction, go for it. But by default, they can’t Aid.  
  Followers with an appropriate tag or move can Aid the appropriate PC(s); the PCs might 
  need to Order Followers, but the followers don’t need to Do Their Thing. If the follower 
  has no applicable tag or move, decide whether they pull their weight or find themselves in 
  a spot. If it’s not clear to you, have their player roll +Quality for them as if they were a 
  PC.  
  Everyone rolls at once and figures out what they got. Encourage them to keep their 
  results quiet for the moment.  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  Ask who got a 6-. Put them in a spot. (If a PC was Aided by a follower, then put the 
  follower in the spot with them, or instead—your call.) Make the GM move, following 
  your principles and exploiting your prep.  
  Once you’ve described the spot, ask if anyone got a 10+. Ask them to describe how they 
  get the character(s) out of their spot. If they come up with something plausible, then they 
  do it—no more rolls required.  
  If multiple characters get a 6-, you’ve got a few choices: 
   
  Put them all in the same spot, or close enough. “Caradoc, Vahid… you’re both 
  trudging along at the back, right, and at first you think you’re seeing things. The 
  hillside isn’t really moving, is it? And then you realize, yeah, it is, it’s a mudslide, 
  and the path under your feet starts to give way.” In this case, a single 10+ could 
  theoretically save everyone, depending on the fiction and what that player 
  comes up with.  
   
  Put them all in spots at the same time, but different spots each. “Blodwen, as 
  twilight falls, you find yourself falling further and further behind, panting, out of 
  breath, a stitch in your side, losing sight of the others. At the same time, Rhianna, you 
  realize that you’ve lost track of Eira in the tall grass. Like, oh crap, where is she?”  In 
  that case, each 10+ will probably save only one of them.  
   
  Pick one and put them in a spot, ignoring the other 6- results for now. Resolve 
  that spot. Then say how time or distance has passed and put the next character 
  in a different spot. This is a great technique to demonstrate a really long and 
  arduous trek. In this case, each 10+ can only be used once. 
  If anyone finds themselves in a spot and there isn’t a 10+ to save them (or the player who 
  rolled 10+ can’t come up with something plausible, or chooses not to), then zoom in and 
  play out the scene from there. Ask the other affected character what they do. Or, tell 
  someone else what they see and ask them what they do. Maybe they just Defy Danger and 
  roll a 10+ and it’s all good. Maybe it snowballs into an absolute disaster. Play to find out. 
  When the scene resolves itself, don’t make them Struggle as One again against the same 
  challenge. Just skip ahead to the end of the struggle. But if, in the process of resolving 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  any 6- results, the situation is now fundamentally different and they face a new or 
  different challenge, then it’s okay to have them Struggle as One again.  
  Regardless of the results, this move is a great time to ask questions. “Blodwen, have you 
  ever been someplace this high up? How does the view make you feel?” “Caradoc, as the path 
  slipped out under your feet and you started to fall, what went through your mind?” “Rhianna, 
  after you’ve hauled Caradoc back up on the path, huffing and puffing… what do you say to 
  him?”  
  One of Rhianna’s crew just came back with a rusty spade, the shaft snapped in two, 
  and Rhianna’s sure of it—this is crinwin territory. They hope to sneak through and 
  avoid a fight, kill the bears, then find a way up the bluffs and head home via the 
  Flats.  
  “So, you’re being sneaky?” I ask. “What’s that look like? Are you all together, or spread 
  out, or what?” 
  “We go single-file, weapons out,” says Rhianna. “Just a pace or two between each of 
  us. Lowri scouts ahead, he’s got the sharpest eyes. I’ll go first, and you three follow me. 
  Step where I step. The rest of my crew will bring up the rear. I’ll go for the firmest 
  ground, least likely to make noise. There’s no point in hiding… we’ll just have to 
  move quietly and hope that no one’s watching.” 
  Okay! I tell Rhianna she can roll +DEX or +WIS, since she’s looking for the firmest 
  and quietest path, but everyone else will be rolling +DEX to follow her steps. 
  Rhianna’s crew doesn’t need to roll (they’re stealthy). “Does my crew Aid us?” 
  Rhianna asks. Sure. I have her roll an extra d6, and everyone can use it in lieu of a 
  die they rolled. The dice hit the table. 
  “Okay, anyone get a 6 or less?” Vahid did. “Okay, cool. Don’t mark XP just yet. Let’s 
  see… oh, yeah. All that gear you carry around? It’s not stowed right for this stealthy 
  stuff. There’s this metallic CLINK and you feel a pull on your pack. Something fell 
  out of your pack onto the rocks you’re stepping over. What was it?” 
   “A ball bearing,” says Vahid. “Like, marble-sized. I’ve got a whole pouch of them.”  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  “Why do you… no, never mind. Well, that pouch is now snagged on a branch, 
  suspended like this. You move even a little, it’s going to spill open and make a terrible 
  racket. Anyone got a 10+, able to help him out?”   
  Rhianna does. “Any sign of crinwin? Like, did they hear that clank?”  
  “Yeah,” I say. “It’s like painfully quiet. You’re all stock still, not even breathing, and 
  you then you hear it. ‘Clink! Clink! Clink clink CLINK!’ in the distance. Crinwin, 
  mimicking the sound. A way off, though maybe getting closer? What do you do?”  
  “I motion for everyone to be still, then I take that rusty spade we found and I hurl it 
  behind us, north and east. I’m hoping it’ll hit a tree and draw their attention while 
  we skedaddle. Yeah?” 
  “Smart. Sounds like you’re Defying Danger with INT?” 
  “I got a 10+ on my Struggle Together. Doesn’t that mean I can just do it?”  
  “Oh, right, sorry. Yeah, it’s like you say… you throw the spade, just hurl it, and 
  maybe 30, 40 paces away it ricochets off a tree, PING. And then the crinwin start 
  going ‘PING! PING!’ and you can tell they’re moving in that direction. What do you 
  do?” 
  “I slip back to Vahid, unsnag his pouch, give him a dirty look, and we get out of here.” 
  “Cool! Okay, off you go. Hey, Blodwen, what was racing through you mind during 
  all of that?” 
  Blodwen noticed bear tracks leading away from the den, then sniffed danger on the 
  wind. Yup, one of the bears is out there, probably down near the Stream. They decide 
  to sneak up on it and bring it down before dealing with the bears in the cave.  
  “We fan out,” says Rhianna. “Keep low, slowly approach the Stream. Whoever sees the 
  bear first signals to the others, then we’ll encircle it.” 
  “Okay, cool, it sounds like you’re Struggling as One again. You’re struggling against 
  the bear noticing you as you approach. That’s DEX, I think.” 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  “Is it really a struggle?” asks Blodwen. “I mean, if the bear is near the Stream, it’s 
  unlikely to hear us coming. And we’re downwind of it, so it won’t sniff us out. I guess 
  it could spot us, but at that point we’d spot it, too.” 
  “Huh. You know, you’re right. Good call. You creep through the Wood toward the 
  Stream, following the tracks and Blodwen’s nose. You start to hear the rush of 
  running water, and then you see it…” 
  The PCs have put fire to the crinwin nest and started heading back toward Stonetop. 
  “Between the fight, and dealing with the nest, and dealing with the bears… it’s 
  getting late. You’re going to have to Struggle as One to get back home before dark. The 
  struggle is the distance, and the heavy load, and the chance you’ll run into something 
  else out here. How do you do it?”  
  “Let’s put two people on each sledge and just haul ass. Vahid, Caradoc, and I will each 
  take one, pared up with one of my crew. Blodwen, you should take point with Eira 
  and Lowri, keep us going the right direction and watch for trouble. Yeah?” 
  Everyone agrees. “Blodwen, you’ll be rolling WIS. Everyone else, I think either STR 
  or CON, your choice. As for your crew, Rhianna, they’re not hardy or athletic, right? 
  So, I think you’ll be rolling Quality for them to see if they pull their weight. Blodwen, 
  Eira and Lowri are Aiding you, so Rhianna, roll an extra die for that.” 
  Everyone rolls. Vahid and Caradoc both get a 6-. I could put Vahid and Caradoc in a 
  spot together, but I feel like spreading it out. 
  “Vahid, your hauling, hauling, hauling, right? Your noise is running, you’re crying, 
  your lungs are burning. When was the last time you worked this hard for this long?”  
  “Oh, I pull my weight around the village,” he says. “It’s not a matter of hard work, it’s 
  the damn cold that’s doing it to me. My lungs are just raw.” 
  “Sure, cool. Anyhow, you start stumbling. You get up each time, but you and Andras 
  are falling behind. Does anyone have a 10+ and a way to help them out?” 
  Rhianna does. “I curse a little, then tell Lowri to take over for Vahid. And I have 
  
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  Eira to take over for me. We’ll rotate through, every ten minutes or so, two people get 
  a breather and the two resting get back to hauling.” 
  That takes care of Vahid, but Caradoc still has a 6-. “Okay, you rotate through like, 
  three times, pacing yourselves but making progress, when, Caradoc, there’s this lurch 
  on your sledge. And a grinding sound. You tug a little and think you hear something 
  tear. Vahid, you see  that they’ve hit a log, buried in the snow. One of the branches 
  snagged the sledge, and the whole thing is stuck. Anyone else got a 10+?” They all look 
  around, but no one does. Blodwen and Rhianna’s crew both got 7-9s. “Okay, 
  Caradoc, mark XP. What do you all do?” 
  And we play out the scene from there.  
  MAKE CAMP  
  When you settle in to rest in an unsafe area, answer the GM's questions about your 
  campsite. Then, each player (including the GM) takes turns asking one of the following 
  questions of a character in camp. 
   
  What do you do in camp that’s so annoying/endearing? 
   
  What do I do in camp that you find so annoying/endearing? 
   
  Who or what seems to be on your mind?  
   
  What do we find ourselves talking about? 
   
  How do you pass the time? 
   
  What new thing do you reveal about yourself? 
  When you’ve eaten 1 ration, drunk your fill, and gotten at least a few hours of sleep, 
  pick 1. If your rest was particularly comfortable, peaceful, or enjoyable, pick 2.  
   
  Heal damage equal to half your maximum HP (rounded up). 
   
  Expend 1 use of an appropriate resource (rations, whisky, remedies, etc.) to 
  clear a debility 
   
  Take +1 forward 
   
  There’s a lot going on in this move. It’s arguably two moves tucked into one.  
  
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  First, the trigger: Make Camp happens when you settle in to rest in an unsafe area. 
  There’s a lot of judgement calls to be made. If you’re handwaving a few days of travel on 
  the Maker’s roads, the move doesn’t trigger every night. You can just use up their 
  resources (“okay, everyone mark off 4 rations…”) and change the environment (“…and 
  towards the end of your fourth day of travel, you round the bend and Gordin’s Delve looms 
  above”) without ever bothering with Make Camp.  
  But! If there’s danger afoot, or the PCs have been hurt, or they’re investigating a point of 
  interest and they’re like “I think we need to rest,” that is when this move triggers.  
  When they announce that they want to Make Camp, think about where they are and 
  what they are (or should be) worried about, and ask them questions: 
   
  If the route is perilous, or they need to watch out for __, or they risk drawing 
  the attention of __, then ask them how they address that.  
   
  If it’s cold, ask them how they cook and how they stay warm.  
   
  If they start a fire, ask they what they use for fuel or how they start it. 
   
  If it’s wet, ask them if they camp in the muck or look for someplace dry.   
   
  Ask what precautions they take to keep animals out of their food.  
   
  Ask them if they set a watch, and the order. 
  As you ask these questions and get their answers, be sure to show downsides to their stuff 
  (“if you plan to eat porridge, you’ll need to start a fire”) and tell them the requirements or 
  consequences and ask (“if you start a fire, you’re certainly going to attract attention… do you 
  make one?”). But also, offer them opportunities, with or without a cost (“sure, you could 
  look around for a better camp sight, maybe Discern Realities, but it’ll take some time and you 
  might not find anything before dark”).  
  Once they settle in, prompt the players to start asking questions. Pick someone to go first 
  (it can be you if you want). Have them pick a question, a character to ask about, and go. 
  They can ask about other PCs or NPCs in camp; you, of course, should ask about PCs.  
  
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  If there’s a question or an answer that piques your interest or that seems a bit vague, ask 
  follow-up questions (and encourage the other players to do the same). “Oh, you’re thinking 
  about Morwena? How can we tell? Blodwen, what do you do when you see that?”  
  Sometimes these questions will lead to little scenes of interaction between the characters. 
  That’s great, run with it! This can even lead to moves being made between PCs or PCs 
  and NPCs. All good.  
  You decide what (if anything) happens during the night. Consider all the dangers you’ve 
  established, the preparations they’ve made (or not made). Think about relevant threats 
  and their grim portents. If it’s obvious to you that a particular encounter would occur, 
  then it occurs. Decide who’s on watch when it happens, make an appropriate GM move, 
  and go. 
  If you think there’s a chance that something might interrupt their rest, but you aren’t 
  sure, then call for the Die of Fate. Consider having them roll twice and take the 
  higher/lower roll, depending on the precautions they’ve taken. Here’s a general-purpose 
  result table: 
  1 
  Something dangerous approaches, inclined to do harm 
  2 
  Something dangerous approaches, curious but not aggressive 
  3 
  Something annoying happens (critters in the food, rain, a follower acts up, etc.) 
  4-5 The night passes uneventfully 
  6 
  They observe something interesting, find something useful, or otherwise gain 
   
  some small boon (or the night passes uneventfully) 
  For the recovery part of the move, yes, they must meet all three conditions (eat, drink, 
  and sleep) in order to make a choice. In order to get two choices, things need to be great: 
  8 hours of rest, a mattress or soft place, not too cold, not too hot, decent food, maybe 
  someone to get intimate with. Play it by ear, but two choices should be the exception, not 
  the rule.  
  To clear a debility, everyone has to agree that the resource they expend makes sense. Take 
  the source of the debility into account. If they’re Weakened because of drudgery and hard 
  
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  work, then a ration or some whisky will do just fine. If it’s from the cold, they could 
  expend some adventuring gear to keep the fire going all night, or a use of poultice and 
  herbs to sooth their frostbit fingers. If they ask “what could I use to treat ___,” remedies 
  are always a good answer. Or they can Spout Lore and you can give them some ideas. 
  Box Text: Deprivation  
  If PCs don’t get food, drink, or rest, then at first the only consequence is that they 
  don’t get to make a choice when they Make Camp. But the longer they go without 
  enough food, water, or rest, the more danger they are in. Start by asking them to Defy 
  Danger (the danger being their hunger, thirst, or exhaustion). Escalate with a debility, 
  then more debilities. Make increasingly hard GM moves (tell them the requirements 
  or consequences, reveal unwelcome truths, show downsides, etc.) as they endure 
  more and more deprivation. Between sessions, write up a threat (affliction) with some 
  grim portents. 
   
  Vahid, Caradoc, Blodwen, and Rhianna are en route to Marshedge (they’ve got 
  Andras with them, but left the rest of Rhianna’s crew behind). It’s early spring, so 
  they’re bundled up in thick hides or wool cloaks, but they’re sticking to the Highway. 
  It’s been easy going so far. They need to watch out for the nosgolau; I’m planning to 
  spring an encounter the second night out, while they camp in view of Titan Bones.  
  “Okay,” I say, “The first two days pass without incident. Mark off two rations each. 
  The second night out, you find yourselves stopping at the next wayside. The sun has 
  dipped behind the mountains and the light is fading fast. Titan Bones looms to the 
  west, like a half-mile away.” I provide a choice of paths. “Are any of you planning to 
  investigate the hill, or do you just make camp?” 
  They’re curious, sure, but Rhianna has the good sense to make them to wait until 
  morning. They Make Camp. 
  “So,” I ask, “are you going to eat porridge or dip into the provisions you brought? 
  You’ll need a fire if you want to eat porridge.” They opt to use up their provisions now 
  and camp without a fire. They plan to sleep huddled together for warmth, and they 
  set a watch (Blodwen, then Caradoc, then Andras, then Rhianna, then Vahid). 
  
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  “Are you doing anything else, like to prepare for the nosgolau or something?” Vahid 
  says that he rigs up a little contraption, a thin rope strung with old potsherds, propped 
  up around them on blocks of wood. “If one of us wanders off, we’ll trip the rope and 
  it’ll make a racket and hopefully wake the rest of us up.”  That triggers Vahid’s 
  Magpie move. He rolls a 10+ and takes the time to dig it out, no problem.  
  “Okay, who wants to ask the first question?”  
  Rhianna goes first. “Andras, what do you do in camp that’s so endearing?” Andras is 
  a follower, so it’s my job to answer. “I think, mostly, he’s just being competent and 
  helpful and doesn’t need to be told to do anything. He’s come a long way since you first 
  took him under your wing. And maybe, too, the way he’s mooning over Blodwen. It’s 
  pretty cute.” 
  That makes me wonder how Blodwen we’ll react, so I take my turn. “Blodwen, what 
  is Andras doing that you find so annoying or endearing?” (Notice how I didn’t choose 
  one or the other; I’m genuinely curious how she feels about him.)  She thinks about it a 
  bit and says “The way I keep catching him looking at me, but then pretending he isn’t. 
  He’s been doing it most of the trip.”  “Is that annoying?” I ask, “Or endearing?”  
  “Annoying” she says. “Even though I’m doing the same thing to Caradoc.”  Oh? Oh!  
  I ask Blodwen to go next. “Caradoc, who or what do you seem to be thinking about?” 
  As if she needs to ask. “Morwena,” he says. “Definitely Morwena.”  I ask how we can 
  tell and he’s like “Oh, I’m just sitting here moping, the cloak she made for me pulled 
  tight. I’m kind of fingering the hem and staring off into space.” He gives a longing 
  sigh. 
  I ask Morwena what she does when she sees that and she goes over and gives him a 
  bit of provisions (“Like what?” I ask. Play up the mundane! “Probably a bit of 
  flatbread, maybe some goat cheese. It’s too early for fruit.”).  She sits down next to 
  him, tears off a chunk and hands it over. “Want to talk about it?” she asks. “No,” he 
  sighs. But then he blurts out “I mean, what am I supposed to do? Just stay home and 
  do nothing when there’s danger afoot? Let other people take care of it? Like, 
  Rhianna? Or, like, like you? Gods, I thought women wanted someone brave and 
  
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  tough and all that. But no, not Morwena. She just wants me to stay home and dig in 
  the earth.” 
  “Ain’t nothing wrong with staying home and tilling the earth,” Rhianna says under 
  her breath. I shoot her a little grin.  
  The scene with Caradoc and Morwena plays out a little longer, with Andras looking 
  kind of sullen. Rhianna uses Take the Measure to ask if she can trust him to keep 
  things professional, and I’m like “For now, yeah.” 
  Vahid still hasn’t asked a question, so he goes. “I think I sit down and next to 
  Rhianna and offer her a smoke. What new thing do you reveal about yourself? I’m 
  interested in that comment of hers, about staying home and tilling the earth.”   
  Rhianna thinks a bit. She’s always been a little cagey about her past, and I half-
  expect her to cop out and say something like “Nothing. I tell everyone to shut up and 
  get some sleep.” But out here, without her crew around, she surprises us and opens up a 
  bit. “I was betrothed to be married, once,” she says. “To a boy named… Urien. He 
  was a farmer’s son. Worthless with a spear, but gentle and good with animals. You’d 
  have liked him, Blodwen.” Vahid asks what happened and she sighs and shakes her 
  head. “Got sick. Caught the fever in late autumn, was dead by winter.” She gives a 
  little smile. “Life sucks, then you die. Grab onto the one’s got.” And then she’s like “I’m 
  looking straight at Caradoc when I say this.”  
  “What?” he says. We all laugh a little. 
  They settle in to sleep and I need to decide if and when the nosgolau show up. They 
  didn’t light a fire and they’ve stayed safe on the wayside, but I still think they’re going 
  to show. I ask Blodwen to roll the Die of Fate to see which shift they show up in, and 
  I figure if they get a 6 then I’ll let them off easy. But, no, she rolls a 2. Caradoc’s shift.  
  I ask Caradoc a couple questions about what he does to keep awake, and what he’s 
  thinking about, and then I introduce a danger. “About an hour into your watch—
  you think, it’s hard to tell—you realize you’re watching this light in the distance, up 
  on Titan Bones. And then it’s closer, and you hear Morwena’s giggle, and she’s calling 
  
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  your name.”  There’s a custom move for this, so I have Caradoc roll +WIS and 
  surprise, surprise, things don’t go so well… 
  The next morning, after they deal with the nosgolau and get Caradoc back, they’ve all 
  gotten a few hours of sleep. “Everyone mark off a ration for last night if you haven’t 
  already,” I say. “And pick one from the Make Camp list.” 
  Blodwen got a little beat up in last night’s adventures, but nothing too bad. She 
  chooses to heal damage. Her max HP are 20, so she heals 10. She’d only lost 6 HP, so 
  she’s back up to max. 
  Caradoc, though… he had a rough night. He’s down to 10 HP (out of 18) and he’s 
  suffering the Dazed debility (-1 ongoing to INT and WIS) because of what the 
  nosgolau did to his brain. He’s lost in himself, a bit out of it, not really trusting his 
  own senses. He’d like to clear that debility. “What resource do you use?”   
  “Well, I’ve got some whisky,” he says.  
  “That’s gonna bring you back to reality?” I ask.  
  “No, no. Right. Umm… oh, I’ve got it. I think the next morning, before we get 
  going, I fish a candle out of my adventuring gear and get it lit. And I’m like doing 
  that thing where you put your hand as close to the flame as you can. I probably burn 
  myself a little but keep doing it, just to convince myself that this really is the real 
  world.” 
  “Cool, that works for me. Everyone else?  Okay, clear Dazed and mark off a use of 
  adventuring gear. And Morwena, you wake up to see Caradoc maybe trying to burn 
  himself with a candle, what do you do?” 
  FORAGE  
  When you spend a few hours seeking food in the wild, roll +WIS: on a 10+, gain 1d4 
  rations and... 
  … +1d4 if you have the gear to hunt or trap 
  … +1 if the land is verdant and full of life 
  
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  … +1 if you know the land and its creatures well 
  … +1 if it’s summer or autumn 
  … if it’s winter, roll twice and take the lower roll.  
  On a 7-9, as above but you must deal with a danger of the GM’s choice. 
  Foraging in barren terrain is usually impossible.  
  If the PCs end up in the wild and out of rations, they’ll probably need to use this move. 
  The move represents one “party” going out to gather food. If two or more go together, 
  one of them is Foraging while the other Aids. If they split up, they can gather more food 
  but they put themselves in more danger. 
  It’s possible to travel while Foraging, but as a rule they’ll cover only half the distance they 
  would otherwise. 
  Interpret “the gear to hunt or trap” pretty widely: just about any sort of ranged weapon 
  will do, as will dedicated equipment like wire snares. If they need to improvise, they can 
  Spout Lore. 
  On a 7+, use the fiction-as-established and the number of rations they gain to inform 
  what those rations look like. A rabbit or two could provide maybe 3; a deer might be in 
  the 5-10 range. Feel free to ask the player what they found, especially on a 10+. 
  On a 7-9, the danger could be the prey itself. That’s a particularly good choice if they 
  score a bunch of rations. But it could also be scavengers or other predators drawn to their 
  kill, or just about any other danger they might encounter in the wild (including hazardous 
  terrain or weather or getting lost).  
  On a miss, you might reveal an unwelcome truth that land is barren or picked clean, or 
  show the downside to their lack of experience in the wild, or hurt someone and inflict 
  the Weakened condition (on the Forager and/or others) because of hunger. Or you could 
  drop them right into a bad situation, like getting gored by a wild boar or surrounded by a 
  group of feathered drakes, and maybe they can score some rations after all.  
  
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  After a week on the road, mishap and misadventure have depleted the party’s 
  provisions. They’re out of rations and still a couple days from Marshedge. Rhianna 
  goes a-hunting, bringing Andras with her. 
  “Are you, like hunting game? Looking for plants to eat? What’s the plan?” 
  “Hunting game. We’ve both got bows. This is, like, what we do back home. For a 
  living.” Sure, of course. She rolls (with an Aid die from Andras) and gets a 10+. They 
  get 2d4 rations (1d4 base, +1d4 for hunting; neither of them knows the Steplands 
  well and it’s early spring, so the land is hardly verdant or full of life) and roll a 3.  
  “Well, that’s not great. What do you think you brought down?”   
  “Probably just some birds,” says Rhianna. “Maybe a few morning doves?”   
  Works for me. 
  Meanwhile, Blodwen and Caradoc are foraging near the road, looking for edible 
  plants and the like. Caradoc is Aiding; Blodwen rolls +WIS and gets an 8. Caradoc’s 
  got a bow, but he’s not really using it—Blodwen’s taking the lead. They get 1d4 
  rations (the base, no modifiers) and end up with 3 rations. 
  That’s a fair number of rations, but there’s a danger to be dealt with. “So, there’s not 
  much that you can find worth eating. Some wildflowers have started to bloom, and 
  there are buds on the trees, but no, like, fruit, right? But Blodwen, on a hunch, you 
  follow a swath of wildflowers up and around a curve in a hill, and there, coming 
  from a dead old tree still gripping the side of the hill, there’s a big buzzing sound. 
  Bees! There’s lots of honey in there, for sure, 3 rations worth, but you’ll have to get it 
  out. What do you do?”   
  Later, after resupplying in Marshedge and heading out towards Three-Coven Lake, 
  they once again find themselves short on food. Rhianna takes Andras hunting again, 
  but the rest of them stay put at their campsite. They’re well off the roads, now, and 
  don’t want to take chances. 
  Rhianna and Andras, alas, roll a 6- to Forage. The party is reasonably close to 
  
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  Three-Coven Lake, less than a day’s hike away from it (though they don’t really 
  know that). My notes include a run-in with Hillfolk who are devoted to keeping 
  people away from the lake, and this seems like a good time to spring it.  
  “Okay, it’s a dreary, miserable day, but at least it’s no longer raining. Rhianna, you 
  and Andras tracked a big old ram through the hills for a bit, and finally brought it 
  down while it was drinking from a wide stream. Plenty of meat for the taking, like 
  maybe 8 rations worth? Andras has gone down to butcher the thing while you keep 
  lookout.” That’s just me setting the scene. Now I use the Hillfolk’s monster move, 
  outmaneuver their prey, and use it hard and direct. “You’re scanning the hills 
  around you, and then, like, out of nowhere, there’s a mounted warrior on one of the 
  peaks. A Hillfolk. He whistles, and as he does, you realize the trap! He’s a distraction, 
  and right then, an arrow comes from out of nowhere and pops right into Andras!  
  He’s taking a d8 damage. Is he still up? Okay, cool, I think it took him in the leg, he’s 
  down and grabbing at it and scanning about in a panic, what do you do?” 
  Resolving Chart a Course 
  When the characters prepare for the journey, they Chart a Course (see page XX). You tell 
  them any of the following that apply, linked with “and” or “or” as you see fit: 
   
  You must first travel to ____, and from there to your destination 
   
  You must wait until ____ 
   
  You need a knowledgeable guide/accurate map/detailed directions 
   
  You’ll need to bring ____ 
   
  You need to watch out for ____ 
   
  The way is perilous, plagued with dangers 
   
  You risk getting lost 
   
  You must surmount/cross/brave ____ on the way 
   
  The terrain itself is treacherous; you risk injury on the way 
   
  The way will be hard and grueling; you risk exhausting yourselves or your 
  resources 
   
  You risk drawing the attention of ____ 
   
  It’ll take at least ____ days (and a corresponding number of rations) 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
   
  You don’t know how long it’ll take 
  Once they set off on their journey, present these challenges one at a time—along with 
  any surprises they couldn’t have seen coming—in whatever order makes sense. When 
  they have addressed them all, they reach their destination.  
  But, what do each of these challenges mean? How do you use them in game? Let’s 
  discuss. 
  YOU MUST FIRST TRAVEL TO _ 
  This just means you’re breaking the journey up into stages. Resolve the first journey (and 
  its challenges) and then move on to the next. 
  YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL _ 
  This challenge is often combined with an “or.” “You must wait until daylight, OR you risk 
  getting lost.” “You must wait until summer, OR the way will be hard and grueling.”  
  To present this challenge, tell them the requirements, then ask. If they wait, cool. Think 
  about what happens in the meantime. Maybe make another move and see what they do. 
  (This is a great time to advance a grim portent). If they want to go sooner, then tell 
  them consequences. If they still go, hit them with that consequence, now or whenever 
  makes sense. 
  YOU NEED A KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDE/ACCURATE MAP/DETAILED 
  DIRECTIONS 
  Present this challenge while they make their preparations, by telling them the 
  requirements, then asking. Depending on what they do next, you might offer an 
  opportunity (likely with a cost) and/or challenge a specific character. “Remember, you’ll 
  need a knowledgeable guide to get to the Lore Tree of Pharlain. Blodwen, you think the wisents 
  in the Great Wood probably know the way. Maybe you could convince them to take you. What 
  do you do?” 
  YOU’LL NEED TO BRING _ 
  Another one that pairs well with an “or.” “You’ll need to bring warm clothes OR the way will 
  be hard and grueling” is pretty common. Sometimes, though, the thing they need to bring 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  is just a requirement to get the job done. “You’ll need to bring a horse (or similar) to drag the 
  wagon home.” “You’ll need to bring a skilled tracker or a hound in order to follow the trail.”   
  Present this challenge while they make preparations by telling them the requirements 
  and consequences, then asking. It’ll inform the character’s choices when they Outfit, 
  drive them to Trade or Barter, or otherwise acquire the needed resource before they head 
  out. 
  If they don’t bring _, then waste no opportunity to show them the consequences. 
  Likewise, if they do bring _, feel free to threaten it any chance you get. And if they lose _, 
  make them feel it. 
  YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR _ 
  At some point during the journey (or while they Make Camp), actively point to a 
  looming danger or just introduce the danger if it makes more sense. Ask what (if 
  anything) they do about it. If they… 
  … ignore the danger, then hit them with it, hard. Don’t pull punches. You warned 
  them. 
  … try to avoid it, ask them how. If their plan has any chance of succeeding, have 
  them Struggle as One. 
  … do anything else, play it out normally—describe the situation, follow the rules, 
  make moves, exploit your prep.  
  Another way to present this challenge is to introduce a danger as a hard move when 
  they’re doing something else. “Oh, you got a 6- to Forage? Well, you’ve snuck up deer, and 
  have your bow drawn, when you spot a pair of cold, reptilian eyes staring at you from the 
  undergrowth… a feathered drake! And that’s just the one you’re meant to see—there are at least 
  two more out there, you just know it! What do you do?” 
  Just because the characters address this challenge doesn’t mean it can’t come back to 
  haunt them. If they slip past a nest of crinwin on their way to the cave bear den, they’re 
  going to have to watch out for those crinwin on their way back, too!  
  
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  THE WAY IS PERILOUS, FILLED WITH DANGERS 
  When you tell them this, you’re basically saying “here there be monsters.” Save this for 
  truly dangerous excursions: the deep parts of the Great Wood, Ferriers Fen, the 
  Labyrinth, the Steplands near the lakes, etc.  
  This challenge is less of a specific danger and more of an ongoing threat. Whenever they 
  travel from one point of interest to another, or whenever they Make Camp, either point 
  to a looming danger or introduce a danger that’s already been established. Then, see 
  what they do about it. 
  If you prefer, you can have them roll the Die of Fate: 
  1  
  A danger springs on them, unavoidable 
  2 
  Introduce a danger, directly in front of them 
  3-4 
  Point to a looming danger, what do they do? 
  5-6 
  Point to a looming danger, but also present a discovery 
  If a journey includes this challenge, feel free to spring dangers on them any time they roll 
  a 6- or a move generates attention or a complication.  
  Caradoc just tried to convince Andras that he’s not interested in Blodwen (and maybe 
  that’s even true? the boy’s conflicted). He rolled a 7-9 to Defy Danger with CHA. 
  Andras was mollified, but I offered Caradoc an ugly choice: stay and keep talking 
  about it or make an excuse and slip out of camp by yourself. He chose the latter, 
  heading off to relieve himself, and as he’s finishing up I tell him that “you spot a 
  weird, wide print in the dirt, like a hand but the fingertips are all big and round. 
  There’s another one. And another. And you head back towards camp, you spot a 
  weird, bloated shape in a nearby tree, what do you do?” 
  YOU RISK GETTING LOST 
  To present this challenge proactively, wait until they enter the environment in which they 
  could lose their bearings and then tell them the consequences and ask what they do 
  about it. “You’re entering the deep woods now, an area none of you are familiar with. Who’s 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  navigating? How do you do it?” Very often, their answer will trigger Defy Danger (usually 
  with INT or WIS). If someone does something to help, they’re Aiding.   
  You can also present this challenge reactively (even if they already addressed it). After a 
  missed roll or a bad decision, reveal an unwelcome truth. “After tracking the beast for over 
  an hour, you realize that you’ve lost your bearings, Rhianna. You’re lost. What do you do?” 
  YOU MUST SURMOUNT/BRAVE/CROSS _ ON THE WAY 
  Change the environment to put them in front of the obstacle. Then, introduce a danger 
  by describing what’s challenging about it and making the risks clear. Ask what they do.  
  If someone Spouts Lore or Discerns Realities, maybe you provide a choice of paths or (if 
  they miss) bar the way and make them backtrack. If they just go ahead and attempt to 
  surmount it, all together, maybe you have them Struggle as One.   
  THE TERRAIN ITSELF IS TREACHEROUS; YOU RISK INJURY ALONG THE 
  WAY 
  When they enter the treacherous terrain (the mountains, the fens, the snow-covered 
  hills), then introduce the danger or even jump straight to putting someone in a spot. 
  Make it clear that this is an ongoing problem, and then (usually) have them Struggle as 
  One. 
  This is a challenge that might come back to haunt them even after they’ve addressed it. If 
  they’re still in treacherous terrain when they roll a 6- or suffer some other consequence, 
  feel free to bring up terrain-related trouble! 
  THE WAY WILL BE HARD AND GRUELING 
  Announce trouble as they travel. “It’s just a slog, with the mud sucking at your boots. Your 
  legs are just aching from the effort.” Or “Your fingers are burning, your feet are numb, you feel 
  yourselves shivering.” Or “The rain picks up and starts coming down in sheets. You’re all soaked 
  through and you’ve got hours of travel ahead of you. What do you do?”  
  Assuming they press on, you can: 
   
  Tell them the consequences and ask. “If you press on, you can reach Gordin’s 
  Delve by nightfall but you’ll each have to mark Weakened or Miserable.” 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
   
  Have them Struggle as One, the struggle being against the terrain or the 
  environment that’s wearing them down 
   
  Treat it as each of them Defying Danger (probably with CON) individually, 
  the danger being their own exhaustion. Maybe on a 7-9, they mark a debility 
  and on a 6- they just can’t make it and you put them in some sort of a spot.    
  If they don’t want to press on, you can make them backtrack (“You could head back and 
  maybe look for a different pass, one that isn’t covered in snow?”), provide a choice of paths 
  (“well, you can either keep going this way or you can cut through the Red Grove”), offer and 
  opportunity with a cost (“you could search for some shelter to get out of this storm, but that 
  means you won’t get home before sunset”), tell them the consequences and ask (“if you don’t 
  keep moving, it’s just going to get worse; you’ll probably freeze to death”), or whatever else 
  makes sense.  
  YOU RISK DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF _ 
  When they approach the area where __ is, point to a looming threat and then ask what 
  they do about it. The easiest way to resolve the party sneaking around is to have them 
  Struggle as One. But if they come up with an alternative that sounds reasonable (like the 
  Blessed using Veil or someone going off on their own to cause a distraction), go with that 
  instead. 
  If they Make Camp where __ could notice them, ask them what they do to remain 
  hidden. This is a great chance to tell them the consequences/requirements and ask. “So, 
  do you start a fire? You’ll need to if you want to warm up and cook dinner, but it’ll almost 
  certainly draw attention from the Hillfolk.”   
  The risk of being noticed remains even after the characters have initially addressed it. 
  You might have them Struggle as One to keep quiet as they move through crinwin 
  territory, and if successful they go unnoticed. But if, a little later, someone makes a loud 
  noise or starts a fire or whatever, the crinwin will certainly come looking. 
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST _ DAYS (AND A CORRESPONDING NUMBER OF 
  RATIONS) 
  When the characters are Outfitting or otherwise making preparations, remember to tell 
  them the requirements and ask. “It’s going to be at least two days there and two days back, so 
  you should have 4 uses of rations each. Otherwise, you’ll need to Forage or go hungry. Have you 
  got enough?” 
  Once the journey is underway, periodically use up their resources and have them use up 
  rations. “After another two days of travel, you reach the edge of the Steplands. Mark off another 
  2 rations each.” If they don’t have enough rations (or choose not to use them), tell them 
  the consequences/requirements and ask what they do. “Yeah, sure, you can stretch your 
  rations and only use half as many. But no one gets to heal when you Make Camp, and you risk 
  exhausting yourselves tomorrow. Do you do it?” See the Deprivation sidebar (page xx) for 
  more ideas. 
  YOU DON’T KNOW HOW LONG IT’LL TAKE 
  Present this right away, as the characters are making preparations. Maybe give them a 
  ballpark (“probably a few days each way”), but the point is: they don’t really know. So, how 
  many rations are they going to bring with them? 
  Of course, you should know how many days travel it will. Maybe it’s a range (it’s probably 
  a range), but you should know the minimum number of days, at least.  
  This challenge usually means the characters are heading out on an unknown path. It will 
  often be combined with a risk of getting lost and/or the need for a guide/map/directions. 
  Expect this type of journey to take more “screen time” than other, more familiar journeys, 
  because each point along the journey will be new to them and warrants describing.  
  In play, periodically use up their resources and tell them to mark off some rations. Or 
  tell them the consequences of going without food. 
   
   
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  WHAT TO PREP 
  If you know that an expedition is in the PC’s future, there’s plenty you can to prepare in 
  advance. You don’t need to prepare these things, but they can help make the journey go 
  more smoothly in play. 
  First, chart the course. Look at where they are going, they’re likely route(s), and make 
  your choices for the Chart a Course move.  Write them down with little check boxes next 
  to them, so you can tic them off as you present them in play. See page XX for examples.  
  Next, draw a map of the route you expect them to take or the area you expect them to 
  traverse. Grab a map of the vicinity around Stonetop or the World’s End region and 
  highlight or add the points of interest relevant to the journey. Consider making a more 
  zoomed-in map for areas that aren’t very well detailed on the regional map.  
  Make a list of locations (on the map or elsewhere) that includes the different 
  environments and points of interest you expect them to travel through or pass by. For 
  each item on your list, if it hasn’t been explored in play, or if there’s some significant 
  change you want to highlight, then make a few notes: 
   
  A brief description, no more than a sentence.  
   
  2-3 impressions, ideally hitting senses other than visual.  
   
  Some questions you want to ask of the players 
   
  Any dangers or discoveries you expect to be encountered there 
   
  Any challenges (from Chart a Course) that are tied to the location 
  For locations that are described in the Almanac, you can either copy the relevant details 
  or just add a page reference to your notes (and maybe put a sticky on the page in the 
  Almanac). Feel free to add questions or other details of your own devising! 
  Write out 5-7 possible encounters that could occur along the journey—dangers, 
  discoveries, or events you can use when the characters miss a roll, when a 7-9 implies 
  some sort of complication, or when you just need to break up the journey a bit.  
  
  By Jeremy Strandberg, 2018  
   
  For each encounter, limit yourself to 1-3 sentences but try to tie them into a larger story. 
  For creatures, include a disposition or activity—what are they up to and how are they 
  likely to react to the characters? For any encounter, use it to show the characters (and 
  more importantly, the players) the bigger picture. For example, don’t just have them 
  encounter a random hagr; have them encounter a hagr who is sullenly building a new 
  home for itself because the Mother of Spiders and her brood chased it out of its old 
  home.  
  Finally, create each POINT OF INTEREST, each DANGER, and each DISCOVERY they are 
  likely to encounter, in as much or as little detail as you feel valuable and appropriate, 
  using the following chapters for guidance. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeon World (PbtA) [multi]/Other Contents/Hacks/Stonetop/GM05 Expeditions.pdf