Actions (FiD)

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Actions represent what your character does in the world, from sneaking through shadows to breaking down doors or persuading a crowd. Each action is broad, covering a variety of skills and approaches, and they overlap in ways that let you choose how to tackle challenges. Your approach determines the action you roll—whether it’s brute force, careful precision, or quick thinking.

Actions are also about consequences: a failed or opposed roll can lead to unexpected complications, while what happens on a success depends on your effect. Think creatively, play to your strengths, and remember that even failures can drive the story forward.

List of Actions

The actions of Blades', sorted alphabetically.

Attune

When you Attune, you open your mind to the ether which always channels some etheric energy through your body. You might communicate with a spirit, sense echoes of past events, or harness raw magical forces.

The ether is intentionally ambiguous and strange. It is a reflection of the land and its history, ranging from awe-inspiring to deeply unsettling. It channels energy from distant elemental and astral planes, echoes of the past, and serves as the medium in which spirits exist. While not inherently hostile, it is always unpredictable and dangerous—connecting to it can surprise even the most skilled.

Attuning allows you to:

• Perceive echoes of recent events or sense things beyond sight.
• Connect with supernatural forces, such as spirits or elemental energies.
• Access or influence raw arcane power at the risk of unexpected consequences.

Unlike other actions, Attune often carries inherent risks. While Survey is safer for locating hidden things, and Study is more reliable for spirit lore, Attune opens the door to supernatural possibilities—and dangers.

Comparing to Other Actions:

• You can sense the unseen to gain insight, but Survey might be safer.
• You can impress or command a spirit, but Command might be more direct.
• You can track a creature, but Hunt might provide greater precision.
• You can uncover spirit lore, but Study might give deeper understanding.

GM Questions

• How do you open your mind to the ether? What does that look like?
• What energy are you attuning to, and how are you channeling it?
• What do you hope to achieve, and what might go wrong?

Effect of Attuning Attune can perceive the ether, commune with spirits, or strike spirits and echoes to stun or cause harm. Influencing spirits allows you use some of the spirit's power. The area perceived depends on your Tier (p 221).

Effect Levels for Attune

Effect Level	Perception	Interaction	Harm
Limited	A hazy view of the ether, with spirits as unidentifiable shadows	Hear Spirits	Stun
Standard	A clear view of the ether and spirits	Converse with spirits	Level 1 harm
Great	A clear view of the near ether, hazy further out	Influence spirits	Level 2 harm

Consequences of Attuning: Attuning exposes you to dangers, such as:

• Attracting the attention of hostile spirits.
• Experiencing visions or memories that overwhelm your senses.
• Triggering unstable magical effects or phenomena.
• Leaving yourself vulnerable to otherworldly influences.

Playbooks: Druid, Occultist, Saint, Spirit, Warlock.

Command

When you Command, you compel swift obedience. You might intimidate, threaten, or assert authority to get what you want. You might lead a gang or team in a Group Action. You might leverage power, rank, status, or social expectations to enforce compliance.

You can Command someone with Authority when you have the right or are their superior. You only need to roll if the situation is tense, you're ordering them to take risks, or there are conflicting orders or hierarchies; when there is a no danger and a clear chain of command, Authority is automatic.

Intimidation involves commanding those over whom you have no authority, leveraging violence, economic power, social status, or other advantages. More advanced intimidation can include verbal threats or subtle one-upmanship woven into conversation, aggravating the target less and causing less Heat while still getting things done.

Command can partly overcome language barriers, but commands must be simple, clear, and direct. It can even apply to non-sapients, such as animals or monsters. Commanding animals trained with or imprinted on you is a form of Authority. Commanding other creatures is essentially Intimidation and requires leverage, which can be as simple as a whip. Commands to non-intelligent creatures or across language barriers must be simple, such as: heel, stay, attack, or guard.

You use Command to lead a Group Action to coordinate efforts, while the rest of the group's actions solve the problem. This is particularly useful for leading cohorts or NPC groups: you roll Command, and the cohort rolls its quality. Your Command represents leadership and coordination, while their rolls represent their execution of the task.

Command is a brutally direct social interaction. Consorting may be better if you’re seeking mutual understanding, while Sway might work better for negotiation or manipulation. Consort can be used to disguise yourself as someone who has authority, working as a Set Up action for your Command. Commanding a friend or ally can be disrespectful and may worsen your relation unless you have explicit authority or a strong justification.

• You can Command to compel action, but Sway might be better for manipulation.
• You can assert authority to gain respect, but Consort might foster stronger bonds.
• You can lead a group action using Command, but other participants must contribute the appropriate Action for the tasks.

GM Questions

• Who do you command, and how do you do it? What’s your leverage here?
• What do you hope they’ll do, and what might happen if they refuse?

Effect Command has two main functions: Authority and Intimidation. Both require leverage (rank, status, or threat). In asserting authority, the required effect depends on your relative position of power or influence. For intimidation, the effect determines how subtle your methods can be while remaining effective.

Effect Levels for Command

Effect Level	Authority	Intimidation
Limited	Command those under your authority, such as lower-ranked members of your organization or when a police officer commands a civilian.	Physical intimidation (e.g., gestures, threats of violence).
Standard	Command subordinates not under your direct authority, such as lower ranks of a different organization.	Spoken intimidation (e.g., direct threats or stern orders).
Great	Command equals in your organization or social inferiors in general.	Subtle intimidation while maintaining decorum.

Consequences of Command: Using Command can create risks or complications based on the situation, such as:

• The target complying begrudgingly, leading to Heat.
• A group action faltering due to poor cohesion or defiance.
• Escalating conflict with a rival group or authority figure.
• Immediate backlash leading to a setback or Harm.

Playbooks: Captain, Knight, Sorcerer, Warlock.

Consort

This action involves socializing, from navigating slums with streetwise charm to mingling with high society using courtly etiquette.

When you Consort, you engage with friends, contacts, or strangers by following social conventions. You might gain access to resources, information, people, or places, make a good impression, or win someone over with charm and style. Consorting can help you forge new connections, reinforce old ones, or tap into your heritage or background.

Consort works when both parties care (even slightly) about what the other thinks. It relies on openness, charm, and social skill. You can Consort with people you know or try to “fit in” and make a good impression in unfamiliar settings.

Consorting requires an environment that isn’t overtly hostile. For instance, you might Consort with fellow prisoners in a chain gang, but not with the assassin sent to kill you. Engaging with those tied to your heritage or background grants better position and/or increased effect.

Sometimes, Consorting sets up another action. For example, to speak with Lord Scurlock at a party, you may need to Consort with guests to reach his table. Sway often follows Consort to convince new allies to act on your behalf, or for more complex or intimate requests. Command rarely pairs well with Consort, as subordinates lack freedom for genuine interaction.

Consort also covers adopting roles, such as acting or disguising yourself to fit into a social setting. Proper attire often plays a crucial role in success.

Consort faces challenges with Tier. When interacting with lower Tiers, your power or status can hinder instead of helping. Dressing down might be necessary to blend in. Conversely, lower-ranked crew members often find it easier to socialize with those of similar status.

Performances: Your Consort rating determines how many performance arts you know, such as playing instruments (string, percussion, wind, keyboard), dancing (stage or social), or conjuring (sleight of hand and fake magic).

• Use Consort to direct others with social pressure, though Command or Sway might fit better.
• Blend into a crowd, but Prowl may work better for stealth, and Finesse might help move quickly through a throng.
• Understand social hierarchies, but Study might provide deeper insights.
• Engage in social dancing; use Finesse for intricate moves or Sway for intimate dances.
• Dress appropriately for a setting, but Command might help maintain an assumed social rank.

GM Questions

• Who are you Consorting with? Where are you meeting them? What are you discussing?
• What are you hoping to achieve?

Effect The effect required for Consort depends on how familiar you are with the situation. You only need to roll Consort when interacting with strangers or trying to gain favors.

• Limited Effect: Mingling with friends or established social settings.
• Standard Effect: Acting in an unfamiliar setting or with important strangers present.
• Great Effect: Consorting with absolute strangers or aliens.

Consequences: Consort consequences often stem from your environment or the tensions of social ambition. Simple interactions with friends rarely require rolls.

• In a ballroom, you’re unexpectedly asked to dance.
• At a slum gathering, someone picks your pocket.
• That punch was spiked!
• While negotiating with a strange tribe, you discover they consider redheads witches to be burned.

Playbooks: Bard, Mastermind, Mountebank, Swashbuckler.

Finesse

Finesse now includes running and foot chases, creating overlap with Prowl. It also covers mounted and vehicle combat.

When you Finesse, you use dexterous manipulation, graceful combat techniques, or subtle misdirection. You might duel with agile weapons like rapiers, leverage speed in mounted or vehicle combat with ride-by attacks, swerve across a dance floor, or unobtrusively pick a pocket. Finesse also applies to manipulating delicate devices and racing on foot, mounts, or vehicles.

Finesse emphasizes precision, elegance, and control. It shines when you have time and space to act deliberately but struggles in chaotic or rushed situations. For example, dueling gracefully is easy when uninterrupted, but a desperate brawl with flying firebombs might force you to adapt quickly.

Finesse, Skirmish, and Wreck create a dynamic triangle in small fights: Finesse beats Skirmish with precision, Skirmish outmaneuvers Wreck with versatility, and Wreck overwhelms Finesse with brute force. In larger battles, Skirmish often dominates due to its adaptability.

While Finesse thrives in open space, sleight-of-hand excels in chaotic environments. Crowds and distractions make it easier to pick pockets or slip away unnoticed. Unlike Prowl, which relies on stealth and shadows, Finesse uses distraction and opportunity. For example, being tackled by guards might be the perfect chance to lift their keys.

• Perform sleight-of-hand or pick pockets with Finesse, but Consort is better for showmanship, and Prowl is quieter.
• Duel with Finesse, but Skirmish is better for chaotic melees, and Wreck can overwhelm you.
• Shoot on the run with Finesse, though Hunt's stationary precision may be better.
• Use Finesse to handle locks or devices, but Tinker may yield better results.
• Run a chase with Finesse, but Prowl excels at leveraging terrain.

GM Questions

• What are you Finessing? What makes it graceful or subtle?
• What are you trying to achieve?

Effect Levels for Finesse Finesse emphasizes precision and control, which affects both harm and physical feats. With Finesse, harm tends to be lighter and more controlled, though excessive damage or unintended outcomes are common consequences.

Effect Levels for Finesse

Level	Harm	Physical Feats
Limited	Level 1 harm	What a trained person can accomplish.
Standard	Level 2 harm	What an elite practitioner can achieve.
Great	Level 3 harm	Feats of world-class precision and skill.

Finesse Consequences

• You overextend and come crashing down.
• You escape but leave a clue for your pursuers.
• You take an honorable wound in a duel.
• You accidentally wound or kill an opponent.
• You get caught in melee while trying to maintain distance.

Playbooks: Captain, Knight, Savant, Swashbuckler, Wee One.

Hunt

The Hunt action is the ideal choice for tracking, stalking, and locating targets, as well as finishing them with a precise ranged attack. Hunt encompasses survival skills, urban tracking, scavenging, and understanding movement patterns.

When you Hunt, you track your target with precision and skill. Hunt emphasizes operating on your own terms: stalking the target, selecting the ambush point, lining up the shot, and striking with precision. You can follow tracks in the wilderness, shadow someone through a crowded street, or study movement patterns in a group to locate your target. Hunt excels in preparation; time and distance are your allies. You can attack from a distance, hide in a stakeout, or manipulate the environment to channel opponents into danger. When stalking enemies, you maintain a range of about 50 meters per Tier, with a minimum effective range of 25 meters.

In melee, Hunt falters, forcing you into desperate positions or making it difficult to find an effective angle. Hunt defends against itself. Its precision and attentiveness make it effective for detecting ambushes, spotting surveillance, and recognizing the signs of a stalker. Survey and Study provide alternate defenses, offering broader perspectives or deeper analyses, while Prowl can help you escape from areas under surveillance.

The survival aspect of Hunt allows you to hunt, forage, and camp out safely and out of sight. Survey can forage, but cannot hunt.

• Stay hidden and aware, but Prowl is better for getting there.
• Analyze physical evidence, but Study yields more detail.
• Maintain ranged weapons or plant traps, but Tinker allows modifications.
• Keep surveillance on a target, but Survey offers a broader perspective.

GM Questions

• How do you hunt them down? What specific methods do you use?
• What tools, skills, or preparation help you succeed?
• How does the terrain or environment affect your hunt?
• What risks do you take, and how might things go wrong?

Effect Levels for Hunt Hunt relies on situational awareness and maintaining an advantageous position to ambush, affecting harm, perception, and tracking ability. "Good terrain" includes natural outdoor settings like forests or grasslands. "Poor terrain" includes rocky areas and artificial surfaces such as paved or maintained roads and streets.

Effect Levels for Hunt

Level	Harm	Perception	Tracking
Limited	Level 1 harm	Obscured: detect the presence of targets	Track in one type of good terrain
Standard	Level 2 harm	Clear: identify targets	Track across varied good terrains
Great	Level 3 harm	Detailed: notice intricate details	Track briefly in poor terrain

Consequences

• You lose your quarry, temporarily or permanently.
• You are spotted before you can act.
• Targets move out of sight or escape.
• Enemies return fire or move to engage.

Playbooks: Ranger, Sharpshooter, Wizard.

Prowl

When you Prowl, you move skillfully and quietly. You might sneak past a guard, hide in shadows, or leap rooftops. You can attack unexpectedly or exploit surprise to your advantage.

Prowling combines stealth, agility, and environmental awareness. It’s more than just sneaking—it’s about adapting to obstacles, timing movements, and using terrain creatively. Crowded streets, narrow alleys, and cluttered environments are your playground. Darkness and cover are your allies, though excessive hindrances can slow you down and create challenges of their own.

Prowl excels in challenging terrain requiring climbing, swimming, squeezing, or careful footing. Actions like darting between cover, tightrope walking, escaping bonds, or weaving through obstacles might overlap with Finesse. Prowl specializes in moving unnoticed, while Finesse emphasizes speed.

Prowl is countered by Actions like Hunt and Survey, which can expose your position, or Wreck, which destroys your cover. Another Prowler might engage you in a game of cat-and-mouse.

In combat, Prowl is most useful for surprise or escape. Unless hidden, it’s not effective for direct attacks. However, when your target is unaware, you can roll Prowl to launch a sneak attack. More commonly, Prowl serves as a Setup Action, creating opportunities for sniping, escapes, or other maneuvers.

Group Actions with Prowl: Group Prowl tests are common in stealth plans and are particularly effective. The GM should balance these tests to ensure meaningful choices:

• Group tests should only occur when there’s both a tangible advantage and risk.
• To avoid making group actions too easy, the GM may reduce effect. Each roll might cover only a short distance or a single obstacle. Players can increase effect to progress further.
• Group actions should not be used near enemies. Exposed spots, like entering a guarded room, may require individual rolls.

Prowl Compared to Other Actions:

• Hiding in a crowd—Consort blends in with the crowd; Finesse moves faster.
• Waylaying a victim—Finesse, Skirmish, and Wreck are better for direct combat.
• Clearing a path—Wreck removes heavy obstacles; Prowl avoids notice.
• Planning an access route—Survey has a broader scope.
• Escaping restraints—Tinker picks locks; Finesse slips free with dexterity.

GM Questions

• How do you Prowl? What methods or creative use of the environment do you employ?
• Does either side has an advantage, such as equipment or senses?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• What could go wrong?

Effect Levels for Prowl The effect of Prowl depends on the terrain and situation. Ideal terrain offers plentiful cover and minimal hindrances. Complications arise from limited cover, excessive obstacles, or exposed positions.

Effect Levels for Prowl

Level	Terrain and Cover	Example Situations
Limited	Excellent cover, few obstacles.	Moving through an open area with ample hiding spots, like bushes or dumpsters.
Standard	Moderate cover or minor hindrances.	Sneaking across a lightly wooded area or weaving through a crowded market.
Great	Sparse cover or severe hindrances.	Crossing open ground or navigating unstable ruins filled with debris.

Consequences When Prowling Prowl consequences depend entirely on the situation. Examples include:

• Leaving clues that generate Heat.
• Being spotted briefly, increasing alertness or ticking a guard clock.
• Slipping, falling, or getting stuck while traversing terrain.
• Failing to evade, allowing opponents to close in or inflict Harm.

Playbooks: Chi, Monster, Rogue, Warrior, Wee One.

Skirmish

When you Skirmish, you engage in close-quarters combat. You can fight with spears, swords, or pistols in hand-to-hand range. You can wrestle and brawl. Skirmish thrives in chaotic conditions, allowing you to exploit openings, cooperate with allies, and adapt to unpredictable situations.

When you Skirmish, you get up close and personal, fighting in tight spaces with short-range weapons. Skirmish can represent either disciplined techniques or improvised maneuvers, depending on how you describe the action. It emphasizes endurance and situational awareness over brute strength or pure dexterity. This perception allows you to fight selectively, protect allies, and adapt to shifting conditions.

Skirmish is the most combat-focused Action, with limited utility outside of combat. However, it can still support high-stakes group efforts, such as search lines, forced marches, or enduring prolonged physical strain.

Skirmish, Finesse, and Wreck form a tactical triangle in combat:

• Skirmish outsmarts Wreck with endurance and tactics.
• Wreck overwhelms Finesse with sheer power.
• Finesse counters Skirmish with speed and precision.

In prolonged or chaotic battles, Skirmish excels due to its balance of offense and defense. It’s about survival and conservation of effort. In a fight with multiple threats or unstable conditions, Skirmish is your go-to action. It’s not as fast and lethal as Finesse, as focused as Hunt, or as destructive as Wreck, but it relies on adaptability and awareness in the heat of battle.

• You can shoot someone at close range, but Hunt is better at a distance.
• You can maneuver into position, but Finesse is faster and Prowl is more discreet.
• You can coordinate with allies, but Command imposes order more directly.
• You are alert to immediate danger, but Survey has a wider scope and warns earlier.
• You can navigate traps and hazards, but Survey or Tinker is safer, and Finesse is faster.
• You can win an endurance race, but Prowl and Finesse beats you on pure speed.

GM Questions

• Who do you engage in combat? What’s your tactic or style?
• Do you prolong the action to leverage your endurance?
• Are you coordinating with allies?
• What are you trying to achieve?

Effect Levels for Skirmish The table provides typical harm inflicted, endurance levels, running distances, and exertion times. Most creatures can run about 10 km before needing rest. The time can be high exertion, or added to a working day of normal exertion. Humans gain an endurance advantage as noted in their race description, doubling the distances and times listed below.

Effect Levels for Skirmish

Effect	Harm	Endurance	Run Distance	Exertion Time
Limited	Level 1 harm (minor wounds or strain)	Basic endurance	20 km	1 hour
Standard	Level 2 harm (serious injuries or fatigue)	Athletic endurance	40 km	2 hours
Great	Level 3 harm (critical injuries or exhaustion)	Elite endurance	80 km	4 hours

Consequences Combat and exertion always carry inherent risks:

• You may suffer wounds or other debilitating effects.
• You might fail to reach your intended position, possibly leaving allies unsupported.
• Your attack could have a lesser result, disabling targets without neutralizing them.

Playbooks: Chi, Cleric, Fighter, Sage, Sorcerer.

Study

When you Study, you collate information, scrutinize details, and interpret observations to uncover hidden truths, corroborate evidence, and guide decisions. Study is often used to Gather Information or Set Up another action by identifying problems and opportunities.

Study can convince others by facts and logic. This is a niche use and works best on those who are also learned in Study. The facts of the matter are important; debating someone into believing a falsehood is difficult.

Study excels in research, whether preparing for a score or pursuing a long-term project. You use Study to gather information from documents, newspapers, books, or research an esoteric topic. You can make educated guesses about where to find information. Do you want to learn which noble has the best art collection with the worst security? Estimate how many rioting prisoners it would take to overwhelm the guards? Study provides precise answers when you take the time to focus.

Use Study to "read" a person, judging whether they’re lying, what they want, or their intentions. Study notices small details—expressions, tone, or subtle clues that reveal hidden truths. During interactions, you can gather information by asking the GM questions such as, “Are they telling the truth?”

Study can also reconstruct events. Ask questions like, “What happened here?”, “What did they want?”, “Who left this track?” This overlaps with Survey, which scans for big-picture insights, and Hunt, which follows trails to locate a target. Study focuses on precise, detailed understanding, whereas Survey and Hunt excel in broader or more active contexts.

Languages If your game tracks knowledge of languages, you know Common, your racial language, and a number of additional languages equal to your Study rating. Learning root languages offers broader understanding, while exposure teaches you the dialects you’ve encountered.

• Collate information to understand a situation, while Survey captures the bigger picture.
• Study evidence of a spirit, though Attune offers deeper insight at greater risk.
• Understand a society or court. Consort is quicker but less precise and helps you fit in.
• Analyze a mechanism. Any action can help you understand equipment you use, but Tinker can both identify and modify things.

GM Questions

• What do you study?
• What details or evidence do you scrutinize?
• Would someone of your background know this?
• What do you hope to understand?

Effect The effect of Study is less direct than other Actions, often providing critical context or uncovering opportunities:

• Limited effect: You gain general warnings or surface-level information. “They have flamethrowers!”
• Standard effect: You analyze the situation and uncover useful context. “These are veterans from the wars—expect a hard fight!”
• Great effect: You identify specific vulnerabilities or key details. “Those backpacks hold high-pressure napalm—blast them!”

Consequences Study consequences often cause delays, but serious consequences may lead to poor decisions:

• You realize you lack sufficient knowledge and must find a source to learn more.
• Your findings are incomplete or contain false details.
• Time becomes critical: “Just a few more minutes…”
• You make a breakthrough but require something specific: “I know a cure! Now we just need silvershine flowers!”

Playbooks: Artificer, Cleric, Occultist, Sage, Wizard.

Survey

When you Survey, you observe the situation and anticipate outcomes. Spot an ambush point, detect trouble, or uncover opportunities and weaknesses. Players must tell the GM when using Survey, as it relies on proactive observation.

Survey gathers wide-scale information using senses and instincts. It’s ideal for identifying danger, noticing weak points, or spotting patterns others miss. Often used before things go wrong or for Gathering Information on a Score, Survey helps you prepare or act preemptively.

When you actively Survey, you scan the area, assess the environment, and anticipate what’s coming. It’s essential in unfamiliar settings, whether assessing targets, scanning locations, or traveling. Survey can deal with hazards during hiking, riding mounts, or driving vehicles, while Finesse does sharp turns and high-speed chases.

Survey can focus on specific details in chaotic environments—tracking one person in a crowd, picking out a conversation, or spotting gold nuggets in sand. Unlike Study, which analyzes details for deeper understanding, Survey provides a broad overview.

Survey overlaps with other actions but remains distinct. It identifies immediate dangers, while Hunt tracks targets and Study focuses on specifics. Survey detects signs of the supernatural, while Attune directly interacts with ethereal phenomena at greater risk.

• Perceive key players at court, though Consort or Study may reveal how to act.
• Spy on a target, though Prowl provides better vantage points.
• Find clues, while Study analyzes them and Hunt tracks them.
• Stake out an area, while Hunt narrows in on a target.

GM Questions

• What are you surveying?
• How do you go about it?
• What do you hope to learn or find?

Effect

• Limited Effect notices things you expect or are actively searching for.
• Standard Effect notices what is present and visible.
• Great Effect picks up clues about what you cannot see.

Consequences

• You notice something too late.
• You see danger where there is none.
• You get only partial information.
• You get spotted in return.

Playbooks: Druid, Mystic, Ranger, Spirit.

Sway

When you Sway, you influence someone with guile, charm, or logic. You might lie convincingly, persuade someone to act against their instincts, or argue a point with charisma. Sway works best when there’s some common ground, allowing you to nudge the target toward agreement.

Sway is about convincing people to do things they otherwise wouldn’t. Routine interactions, like renting a room from an innkeeper or buying legal goods from a merchant, typically don’t require Sway rolls. Bargaining might involve Sway, but only in scenes where the stakes or outcomes are significant.

Sway covers seduction and charm, though it’s not always romantic—it can involve building rapport, creating trust, or spinning a web of deceit. Success depends on how well you’ve prepared the target to be receptive to your message. Shared goals or mutual benefits strengthen your case: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” or “We both profit from this deal.”

Sway faces challenges when dealing with people of lower Tier. The poor often distrust the powerful, so using a middleman or disguise can help. Crew members who appear humble or of lower rank may find persuasion easier. This Tier penalty applies to personal conversations but not to public displays like grandstanding or speeches.

Swaying someone involves blending words, logic, and charm to get them to see things your way. While pure logic falls under Study, Sway mixes reasoning with enthusiasm and charisma to make your case compelling.

Sway relies on finesse and subtlety, using social manipulation to persuade, deceive, or build trust, while Command compels obedience through direct force and authority. Sway works best when the target is inclined to listen—you’re nudging them rather than forcing them. For complete enemies or resistant targets, Command may prove more effective.

• You can cajole a manifested spirit, but Attune can communicate with spirits in the ether.
• You can trick someone with fear or authority, but Command is more direct.
• You can hold a convincing speech, but Command might be better at inspiring or rallying.
• You can interrogate, but Command may be faster, and Study may yield clearer information.
• Sway mingles with individuals, Consort lets you engage the entire room.

GM Questions

• How do you sway them? What do you say or do?
• What do you hope they’ll agree to?
• What do you hope to achieve?

Effect Sway is about convincing people, so who can you convince?

• Limited effect: Convince people to follow expectations or act in their own self-interest.
• Standard effect: Convince people to do something that doesn’t involve risk or make a fair transaction.
• Great effect: Convince people to take risks or do foolish things that give others an advantage.

Consequences

• They misunderstand or miss certain points in your agreement.
• They have second thoughts or report the incident.
• They bargain for more favors from you.
• The negotiations take more time than expected.

Playbooks: Bard, Mastermind, Mountebank, Mystic, Saint.

Tinker

When you Tinker, you manipulate or operate devices, mechanisms, or substances. You might run a vehicle, repair a gadget, or pick a lock. Tinker is the go-to action for those who specialize in invention and machinery and pairs well with the Crafting rules (p. 224) for complex creations.

Locks, traps, gadgets, and poisons all fall under Tinker’s domain. It rewards creativity and technical expertise, allowing you to manipulate the environment or create tools that give your crew an edge. Whether creating, repairing, disabling, or operating a mechanism, Tinker reflects a deep understanding of how things work.

Tinker doesn’t make you a master in other actions—it provides general competence. You can shoot but not as precisely as Hunt, drive but not as smoothly as Finesse or Survey, and so on. However, when it comes to identifying, repairing, or activating devices, you excel.

To Craft something complex, you’ll usually need a Design for most projects or a Formula for Alchemicals. Only specialists with certain Special Abilities can invent new Designs or Formulas, but anyone can use existing ones to create items. Crafting Magic Items is restricted to those with specific abilities.

• Handle an arcane device, though Attuning might better connect with its magical properties.
• Make any vehicle run. Finesse is better at maneuvers, while Survey avoids road hazards.
• Use explosives to demolish, though Wreck excels at large-scale destruction.
• Spot a trap, secret door, or hidden mechanism, though Survey covers broader areas.

GM Questions

• What do you tinker with? How do you approach it?
• What parts or materials do you use?
• What do you hope to achieve?

Effect Tinkering with strange devices or under adverse conditions can limit your effectiveness. A lack of proper parts or tools may make some tasks impossible, particularly when this is central to the story.

• Limited Effect: Working with familiar mechanisms and proper supplies and tools.
• Standard Effect: Using improvised parts or tools or dealing with unfamiliar devices.
• Great Effect: Successfully handling alien mechanisms and making do with improvised supplies.

Consequences

• Missing a part—where’s that zeven-sproke kindler?
• Falls apart right after the score.
• Looks bad, works fine.
• Chassis missing? Just watch out!

Playbooks Artificer, Rogue, Savant.

Greyhawk: Crafting in Greyhawk is traditionally controlled by guilds with specialized skills. Tinker represents a generalist approach, allowing you to create functional but less refined items compared to guild craftsmen. Selling non-guild-made goods is often illegal and typically fetches lower prices.

Wreck

When you Wreck, you unleash raw, destructive force. You might smash down a door, tear through a barricade, or cause chaos to create a distraction. Wreck reflects strength and brute physicality.

Wrecking involves overwhelming obstacles with sheer power—breaking structures, dismantling objects, tossing opponents about, or causing widespread destruction. It’s not subtle, but it’s effective when speed and impact matter. You can also use Wreck to perform impressive physical feats, like free climbing, lifting massive weights, or enduring extreme physical strain.

Wreck in combat is all about strength and emotion, relying on passion and raw power. It’s fast and intense—you either win quickly or burn out. You can attack at a distance using heavy weapons, grenades, or thrown objects. While not as far-ranging as Hunt, it’s still a potent option.

You can intimidate others with displays of strength or Set Up an ally’s Command to cow opponents. Wreck can also be used for raw sex appeal, though this is often awkward or out of place in civilized settings.

Wreck overlaps with other actions but stands out in its sheer destructive potential:

• Tinker can demolish with precision, but Wreck is faster and more chaotic.
• Prowl can clear paths stealthily, but Wreck forces obstacles aside.
• Command can intimidate, but Wreck is physically menacing.

Wreck, Finesse, and Skirmish create a dynamic triangle in small fights:

• Wreck overwhelms Finesse.
• Finesse counters Skirmish.
• Skirmish outmaneuvers Wreck.

When raw power is needed, Wreck dominates. In larger or longer battles, Skirmish excels.

• Smash with a siege engine, where Tinker plays it safe and spares the machine.
• Overpower a mount to force it to carry you, while Finesse has fine control.
• Free climb, only Prowl does it quietly.

GM Questions

• What are you wrecking? How do you approach it?
• What do you hope to destroy or disrupt?
• What’s your ultimate goal?

Effect Levels for Wreck Refer to the table below for harm, stunts, and lifting capacity. Heroes can generally lift their own body weight, but Wreck lets you push far beyond this. Stable supports—like lifting a portcullis in its frame—can double these values. Feats of strength usually last less than a minute, and long-term carrying capacity is about half the listed weight.

Effect Levels for Wreck

Level	Harm	Physical Feats	Lifting
Limited	Level 1 harm	Impressive displays of strength	150% body weight
Standard	Level 2 harm	Elite physical feats	200% body weight
Great	Level 3 harm	Amazing displays of strength	400% body weight

Consequences Combat always carries risks, and Wreck can lead to unintended outcomes:

• The structure collapses at the worst moment.
• Overexertion leaves you vulnerable.
• Collateral damage causes unexpected complications.
• An opponent manages to cause you Harm.

Playbooks: Monster, Sharpshooter, Warrior.

Starting Actions

Starting Actions by Attribute

Insight

Hunt: 4 Ranger, Savant, Sharpshooter, Wizard

Study: 5 Artificer, Cleric, Occultist, Sage, Wizard

Survey: 6 Druid, Fighter, Mystic, Ranger, Spirit, Weapon Master

Tinker: 3 Artificer, Rogue, Savant

Prowess

Finesse: 5 Captain, Knight, Ninja, Swashbuckler, Wee One

Prowl: 6 Chi, Monster, Ninja, Rogue, Warrior, Wee One

Skirmish: 5 Chi, Cleric, Fighter, Sage, Weapon Master

Wreck: 4 Monster, Sharpshooter, Sorcerer, Warrior

Resolve

Attune: 5 Druid, Occultist, Saint, Spirit, Warlock

Command: 4 Captain, Knight, Sorcerer, Warlock

Consort: 4 Bard, Mastermind, Mountebank, Swashbuckler

Sway: 5 Bard, Mastermind, Mountebank, Mystic, Saint

Starting Actions by Frequency

• Prowl: 6 Chi, Monster, Ninja, Rogue, Warrior, Wee One
• Survey: 6 Druid, Fighter, Mystic, Ranger, Spirit, Weapon Master
• Attune: 5 Druid, Occultist, Saint, Spirit, Warlock
• Finesse: 5 Captain, Knight, Ninja, Swashbuckler, Wee One
• Skirmish: 5 Chi, Cleric, Fighter, Sage, Weapon Master
• Study: 5 Artificer, Cleric, Occultist, Sage, Wizard
• Sway: 5 Bard, Mastermind, Mountebank, Mystic, Saint
• Command: 4 Captain, Knight, Sorcerer, Warlock
• Consort: 4 Bard, Mastermind, Mountebank, Swashbuckler
• Hunt: 4 Ranger, Savant, Sharpshooter, Wizard
• Wreck: 4 Monster, Sharpshooter, Sorcerer, Warrior
• Tinker: 3 Artificer, Rogue, Savant

D&D Equivalents

Ability Scores

• Charisma: Command, Consort, Sway
• Constitution: Skirmish
• Dexterity: Finesse, Prowl
• Intelligence: Study
• Strength: Wreck
• Wisdom: Attune, Survey

Skills

• Acrobatics: Finesse
• Animal Handling: Hunt
• Arcana: Attune
• Athletics: Prowl, Wreck
• Deception: Sway
• History: Study
• Insight: Study
• Intimidation: Command
• Investigation: Study
• Medicine: Tinker
• Nature: Hunt
• Perception: Survey
• Persuasion: Sway
• Religion: Attune
• Sleight of Hand: Finesse
• Stealth: Prowl
• Survival: Hunt

Actions to D&D Abilities and Skills

• Attune: Wisdom, Arcana, Religion
• Command: Charisma, Intimidation
• Consort: Charisma, (Diplomacy from earlier editions)
• Finesse: Dexterity, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand
• Hunt: Wisdom, Animal Handling, Nature, Survival
• Prowl: Dexterity, Athletics, Stealth
• Skirmish: Constitution
• Study: Intelligence, History, Insight, Investigation
• Survey: Wisdom, Perception
• Sway: Charisma, Deception, Persuasion
• Tinker: Medicine
• Wreck: Strength, Athletics