Actions (IB)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark hack

Actions in Icarus Icarus Burning

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 about consequences: if there are no consequences you usually don't bother to roll. 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.

Even situations that seem simple has a controlled position, with the consequence being that increase the difficulty of future actions; they became more alert, your method of choice is not applicable.

List of Actions

The actions of Icarus Burning, sorted alphabetically by attribute.

Insight	Prowess	Resolve
Helm	Lunar	Command
Interface	Micro	Consort
Mark	Rig	Judge
Study	Terran	Sway

Insight

Insight is a measure of intellectual width and the ability to see problems before they happen. It is used to resist consequences from using related actions and intellectual conundrums. Your value in Insight is equal to the number of related action you have at least one dot in.

Helm

— Is she fast? I did the Jupiter run with her in a month!

Earn Vark, skipper

Helm is the ability to pilot vehicles, primarily spacecraft from small shuttles and fighters to kilometer-long capital ships. This is a matter of math and reworked expectations; space flight defies intuition, where accelerating towards a target can actually have you end up further away. Helm can also fire fixed weapons—on a fighter most weapon fire is forward under the pilot's control.

Common Uses

Evasion & pursuit: Outfly missiles, jink through debris, shake a tail in sensor-shadow.

Tight ops: Hot-dock under spin, thread a narrow airlock, land on a marginal pad in crosswinds.

Stunts & slingshots: Gravity-assist turns, drift through a minefield, knife-edge passes to break locks.

Battle piloting: Hold attack vectors for gunners, line up torpedo runs, keep the ship in turret arcs.

Course-making under pressure: Plot a safe window through patrol nets or storms while already in motion.

Overlaps

You Helm to drive on Earth or Mars, but Terran or Lunar may adapt better to local conditions.

You can create intercepting trajectories using minimal reaction mass, but Micro might do it with a jump.

You can fire fixed-forward vehicle weapons, but Mark is more versatile in what weapons it can use.

You can analyze orbital mechanics, but Study has a wider scope.

You can use ship's sensors, but Interface might be better.

Teamwork

Set up a teammate’s Mark volley by holding a perfect firing line.

Assist Interface by flying a sensor pass that boosts scan effect.

Group action: Squadron break, formation flying, synchronized slingshot.

Questions

• What are you helming—and in what condition? Where are you going, exactly?
• Are you prioritizing position (survival) or effect (hitting the shot/window)?
• What’s the environment doing — traffic, debris, weather, jammers, gravity wells?

Helm Consequences

• Prop burn: You spend more reaction mass than planned; fuel margin shrinks.
• Heat & signature: Maneuvers light you up—patrols or missiles get a better lock.
• Vector error: Take a risky correction or accept a worse approach window.
• Scrape or bump: Cosmetic damage, bent antenna, or dinged docking collar.
• System strain: Thrusters overheat; temporary loss of a maneuvering axis.

Devil’s Bargains

• You leave a distinctive exhaust trail or paint scrape—someone will track it later.
• You owe a favor to the controller/tug crew who bailed you out.
• A minor component cooks off (fuse, bearing); future Helm tests risk reduced effect until repaired.

Playbooks

Helio 2.

Interface

— Solar interference is, ouch, hot!

Common spacer saying (Icarus Fall, anecdotal)

Interface covers operating computers, sensors, comms, and electronic warfare. You use it to acquire, fuse, and act on data: scans, signals, signatures, links, and controls.

Common Uses

Sensing: Active/passive scans, target ID, pattern/classification, terrain/material reads.

Signal work: Comms setup, routing, spectrum management, encryption/keys, link budget fixes.

Electronic Warfare: Jam, spoof, decoy, or burn-through; mask your own signature; harden links under attack.

Remote control: Command drones, turrets, doors, valves, and other networked actuators.

Data ops: Query, correlate, visualize; pull logs, stitch feeds, flag anomalies.

Overlaps

Find and fix targets with sensors; Mark's fire solution does damage.

Fly by programming an autopilot; Helm holds attitude and executes the maneuver.

Program drones; Lunar, Micro, Terran takes direct control.

Unlock/drive networked systems; Rig can reach in physically when the link fails.

Hack computer; You may need Rig to create a connection.

Build a picture from traces/logs; Study derives wider theory and root-cause.

Navigate comms and codespaces; Judge senses deceptive behavior.

Teamwork

Set up Mark by lasing a range, painting a target, or feeding lead/solution data.

Assist Helm with approach vectors, wind/dust, deconfliction, and windows.

Group action: Multi-sensor search, synchronized jamming, shared tactical picture.

Questions

• What sensors/links are in play (band, power, geometry, clutter, countermeasures)?
• Is this contested (jamming, deception, permissions) or a clean administrative task?
• What are the time/latency limits and what failure modes matter if the link drops?

Interface Consequences

• Signature raised: Your emissions make you easier to find/target.
• Countered: ECCM reduces effect; accept partials or escalate with worse Position.
• Latency/packet loss: Remote control lags or stutters; risk misfire or drift.
• Corruption: Logs/feeds are incomplete — further actions have reduced effect until cleaned.
• Lockout: Authentication throttles or alarms trigger; future Interface actions face worse position.
• Data trail: You leave traces that cause Heat and may trigger alarms.

Devil’s Bargains

• Your call-sign/fingerprint is recorded; later attribution causes Heat or retribution.
• A watchdog process wakes — security will start hunting, even if you succeed.
• A convenient relay goes dark after this op; you lose that shortcut for a while.

Hacking

To hack, obtain a data path (terminal, tapped line, joinable RF, or local port). If no path exists, create one — usually Rig (install a tap, open a relay, physical access). Prep exploits/payloads as flashbacks; most intrusions are minutes to hours of task time, not “netrunning.” Mature systems are well-defended; strong crypto and admins are the norm. A sysop actively on-console resists as if Tier +2. Use Interface to plan and execute; switch to Rig when the job becomes physical.

Playbooks

Helio 1; Outis 1; Praxic 1.

Mark

— The first to take out a done gets the day off! Sorry boys, I already bagged one.

Maxit Randal, rover team boss

Mark covers observation and ranged attack. You use it to detect threats, track targets, aim and fire ranged weapons, and place shots under varied conditions (spin, microgravity, dust, glare).

Common Uses

Targeting: Lead a moving target, account for spin/micro-g drift, correct for recoil and muzzle climb.

Precision fire: Disable a system, shoot-to-warn, or pick a weak point at range.

Area control: Suppressive or bounding fire to fix or displace an opponent.

Recon: Spot movement, identify firing positions, read muzzle flashes and tracer arcs.

Observation: Notice objects in space that accelerate, usually with computer aid.

Calibration: Zero optics, dial dope, compensate for atmosphere, thermal shimmer, or motion blur.

Overlaps

Fire fixed-forward heavy weapons, but Helm is better att dogfighting.

Scan with ship or suit sensors, Interface can set up computers to run scans.

Plot intercept trajectories at range; Study maps trajectory but doesn’t intuitively intercept.

Shoot cleanly in gravity; Terran/Lunar/Micro can dodge and melee.

Teamwork

Set up a teammate’s breach by pinning sentries with disciplined bursts.

Assist Helm by calling ranges, wind/dust, and impact corrections.

Group action: Coordinated volley, firing line, forward observing, or interlaced fields of fire.

Questions

• What’s the engagement range and stability (micro-g, spin, terrain, cover)?
• Are you prioritizing aiming/Effect or cover/Position?
• What cues are you using to aim by (lase, thermal, tracer, lead indicator, spotter data)?

Mark Consequences

• Exposure: You reveal position (muzzle flash, thermal, report) and draw return fire.
• Degradation: Optics fog, sensor bloom, or dust fouling reduces effect until serviced.
• Drift/lead error: You must take extra time to correct or accept reduced effect.
• Ammo strain: Low on a critical magazine; next Mark action risks limited effect.
• Collateral: A near miss damages nearby fixtures, gear, or bystanders.

Devil’s Bargains

• A distinct ballistic/signature trace ties the shot to you later attack or Heat.
• You clip a cable, panel, or sensor — mission continues with a minor systems penalty.
• Your firing position becomes untenable — delay and forced reposition.
• You use the last of your ammunition/burn out your weapon.

Playbooks

Lancer 2; Rover 2.

Study

— The radiation patterns indicate... something...

“Lucky” Lucy Swartz, science officer

When you Study, you collate information, scrutinize details, and interpret observations to uncover facts, corroborate evidence, and guide decisions. Study often powers Gather Information or Set Up by identifying risks, weak points, and opportunities.

Study can persuade via facts and logic, but it works best on people who value evidence. Debating someone into a false belief, even one you believe in, needs Sway.

Use Study for research (briefings, dossiers, long-term projects), document work (logs, schematics, contracts), and careful scene reading (tool marks, footprints, residue, wear patterns). Given time, Study yields precise, actionable answers.

Common Uses

Briefing build: Compile a concise dossier from scattered sources.

Scene reconstruction: Order events into a coherent timeline and cause chain.

Footage scrub: Frame-by-frame review to catch tells, loops, or edits.

Document forensics: Parse contracts, regs, and fine print for leverage.

Pattern analysis: Correlate incidents; flag anomalies and likely links.

Specs & schematics: Read systems from drawings and maintenance notes.

Risk model: Map failure modes and “if-then” branches before acting.

Target profile: Infer motives, routines, and pressures from open intel.

Manifests & logs audit: Reconcile records; spot fraud and backdating.

Language & codes: Translate, decipher ciphers, derive terminology.

Material ID: Prelim ID of residues, alloys, or bio samples from tests.

Ballistics/sight lines: Diagram arcs, cover, and fields of fire.

Databanks: Set up efficient search routines, know where to look, understand what you find.

Overlaps

Read a person; Study looks into records or collates stories, Judge rules intent in the moment.

Reconstruct a scene; Study traces causes, Mark tracks targets, Rig inspects hardware.

Parse a system design; Study models it, Interface tests it live, Rig opens the panel.

Learn a social order; Study maps ranks/rituals, Consort just blends and listens.

Spot firing arcs; Study looks at plans, Helm looks around, Lunar/Micro moves around.

Databanks; Study knows where to look, Interface makes apps to do the search.

Teamwork

Study excels at teamwork, but many of these take time and are best done in a flashback.

Set up Mark by diagramming firing lanes and weak points.

Set up Helm with approach vectors from traffic and ephemerides.

Set up Rig by digging up designs or reverse-engineering .

Set up Interface with system maps, user roles, and likely trust gaps.

Set up Sway by explaining culture, taboos, and pressure points.

Assist Judge with precedents, policy clips, and credential checks.

Assist Consort by prepping names, ties, and conversational inroads.

Group action: Parallel audit — split sources (cams, logs, samples) and converge findings.

Questions

• What sources do you have (records, samples, footage, witnesses)?
• How much time/quiet do you get before interruption?
• What’s your specific question or hypothesis?

Effect Needed

• Limited: Familiar domain or good references; clean samples, clear footage.
• Standard: Typical noise, mixed signals; partial records or time pressure.
• Great: Poor visibility, cross-domain unknowns, masked data, tampered logs.

Consequences

• Incomplete picture: A key element is missing or misleading; future rolls face a soft complication.
• Time sink: You need more time — or accept reduced effect now.
• Contaminated sample: Evidence is degraded, current information uncertain; verify to be sure.
• False lead: You draw a plausible but wrong inference; the GM starts a trouble clock.
• Corroborate: Everything takes more time than expected in science.

Devil’s Bargains

• Your notes identify you if found (+Heat/status later).
• You must consult a rival expert, owing them a favor.
• The only clean data comes from a restricted archive you’ll have to explain accessing.

Playbooks

Nestor 2; Philosopher 2.

Prowess

Prowess is a measure of physical sturdiness and the ability to roll with blows. It is used to resist consequences from using related actions and physical ailments. Your value in Prowess is equal to the number of related actions you have at least one dot in.

Lunar

— I lunar’d his ass with my magno-boot!

Toby, bar crawler

Lunar is mastery of low gravity (≈ 0.05–0.40 g). At these gravities, normal walking is inefficient: you bound, hop, kick off surfaces, and brake with hands, knees, or lines. Mercury and Mars (≈0.38 g) sit at the upper edge; many moons lie below 0.05 g (treat those as Micro).

You can Lunar outside this band to leap and bound, but expect worse position (too floaty below ~0.05 g; too “sticky” above ~0.40 g). At ~0.38 g (Mercury/Mars), both Lunar (bounding leaps) and Terran (walking) work. In the ~0.03–0.06 g band, either Lunar (bound/hop) or Micro (push-and-glide) works.

Common Uses

Bound & brake: Silent hops, long strides, soft landings; control drift with limbs/handholds.

Vertical mobility: Ascend/descend shafts, clear gaps, roof-to-roof movement.

Close combat: Low-g grappling, push-kicks, wall-bounces, recoil-aware strikes.

Stealth locomotion: Minimal contact, dust-light steps, using rails and shadows.

Load handling: Move bulky gear with parabolic throws, counter-mass tethers, controlled slides.

Overlaps

Cross distance by bounding; Micro excels when drift and handholds beat foot contact.

Fight up close in low-g; Terran is superior once traction dominates movement.

Reposition in a gunfight; Mark wins the shot — Lunar moves you into or out of the lane.

Drive vehicles made for 0.05–0.40 g; Helm handles vehicles everywhere.

Route fast via rails and shafts; Study plans the path, Lunar executes it under pressure.

Time hops off sensor cues; Interface builds the picture, Lunar exploits the window.

Use lines and anchors on the move; Rig can install the hardware and traverse slowly.

Teamwork

Set up Mark by wall-bouncing into an unexpected firing angle.

Assist Rig with stable low-g stance while they place an anchor.

Group action: Staggered hop line across open terrain; leap-frog entry through a shaft.

Questions

• Player: What’s the local g (≈0.05–0.40)? Surface — dust, rock, plates, ice? Handholds available?
• GM: Are you encumbered (pack, suit, stretcher)? Is dust/loose regolith a factor?
• GM: What is your focus — speed, silence, or control?

Lunar Consequences

• Over-jump: You overshoot or rotate — must burn time to stabilize or accept worse position.
• Hard landing: Knee/ankle strain; reduced effect until you pause or strap up.
• Dust plume/prints: Your track is obvious; pursuers get improved effect.
• Panel ping: A noisy contact alerts sentries; threat clocks advance.
• Tether snag: Line fouls; future actions suffer until cleared.

Devil’s Bargains

• You leave distinctive boot/grouser marks that will be noticed later, causing Heat.
• A tool or weapon pops free during the maneuver — recovering it costs time.
• You scuff a panel or handrail; maintenance logs will flag this path post-op.

Playbooks

Posthuman: optional 2.

Micro

— Micro'd over for coffee, fumbled — microing coffee bubbles all over now.

Wendi, novice space traveler

Micro is mastery of very low gravity (≈ 0.00–0.05 g). Walking is useless; strong pushes send you on long, uncontrolled trajectories. You move by small, precise impulses, manage rotation mid-flight, and arrive oriented to grab, brake, or work.

Microgravity rules is outer space, among asteroids, and in at the rotation axis of spin habs. In 0.03–0.05 g on tiny moons both Micro and Lunar are viable.

Outside this band, use Micro in any free-fall context: liquid suspension, wire drops, or trapeze/rigging.

Common Uses

Push-and-glide: Fingertip launches, palm brakes, toe-taps; arrive aligned to the task.

Attitude control: Arrest unwanted spin; counter-rotate limbs/tools to null yaw/pitch/roll.

Close combat: Clinch, tie-up, and redirect mass; shove opponents into drift or bulkheads.

Silent movement: No footsteps, minimal panel pings; ride handrails and shadows.

Mass handling: Float bulky loads; manage inertia with tethers, reels, and kill-velocity grabs.

Overlaps

Push-and-glide through tight spaces; Lunar bounds faster where foot contact is reliable.

Glide along bulkheads; others can walk using magnetic soles.

Match velocities with micro-thrusters or in hoppers; Helm flies vehicles.

Coast along a route; Rig pre-places tethers and stoppers for controlled captures.

Ghost past mics and cams with expert twists; Interface spoofs feeds.

Spot things that move unnaturally in microgravity; Mark notices deliberate intent.

Teamwork

Set up Study by matching velocities with floating evidence for clean sampling.

Assist Sway by controlled body-language “dance” in free-fall.

Group action: Staggered glide chain, conga-line handrail transit, synchronized capture.

Questions

• Handholds, rails, nets, or open volume? Any fans, vents, or leaks imparting airflow?
• Suit mass, pack, or loose items? What’s the plan to manage rotation and kill velocity?
• What trade are you favoring — speed, silence, or control?

Micro Consequences

• Wrong push: Drift off-axis or miss the grab — lose time or accept worse position.
• Hard contact: Bounce or scuff; disorientation, minor suit/tool damage, temporary reduced effect.
• Unwanted rotation: Enter a slow tumble; lose Effect until stabilized.
• Floating kit: A released item drifts; recovery costs time and might be dangerous.
• Tether snag: Line fouls; actions suffer worse Position until cleared.
• Micro-thrust: Vents/breath cause slow drift that degrades precision until compensated.

Devil’s Bargains

• Jettison a small item to trim trajectory — it’s lost or alerts someone later.
• A tool or mag-clip pops free; you’ll finish the task short a piece of gear.
• Drift into sight — a camera or watcher will have you on record.

Rig

— If it’s got fasteners, fluids, or firmware, I can make it behave.

Nial, Praxic line tech

Rig is hands-on engineering: build, fix, disable, and operate mechanisms, systems, and tools. It covers field repairs, breaching, fabrication, anchoring, life-support work, suit maintenance, and safe handling of power, pressure, and propellant. Much of this involves supervising drones or automated machines.

Common Uses

Field repair: Patch hull/suit leaks, reroute power, swap cards/valves, clear jams.

Breaching & disable: Charges, cutters, spreaders; disarm traps, lock-bypass by mechanism.

Anchors & access: Place bolts, pitons, rails, lines, and gantries; safe work envelopes in any g.

Fab & mod: Print/lathe small parts, splice hoses, tune actuators, balance rotors.

Systems ops: Spin-up/down habitat sections, purge lines, purge/fill tanks, hot- and cold-work.

Ordnance: Set fuses, shape charges, de-arm munitions, safe a magazine.

Robotics & drones: Bench a unit, replace boards, calibrate gimbals, align optics.

Hazmat/LSS: Filters, scrubbers, pumps, chillers; diagnose alarms without making it worse.

Production: 3D printing, feedstock allocation, applying and modifying designs.

Operate Machinery: Cranes, diggers, pumps, sluices, airlocks, refineries.

Overlaps

Solve it with tools and access; Interface solves it with links and permissions.

Open by cutting or unbolting; Mark can shoot it apart — faster, louder, less controlled.

Move masses with cranes/hoists; Terran covers brute carry under gravity.

Route via ladders/lines; Lunar Micro traverse fastest once hardware is placed.

Diagnose from practical application; Study designs from first principles.

Power and attitude tweaks for docking; Helm flies — Rig safes and latches the interface.

Open a door mechanically; Interface slices the electronics or hacks lock control.

Teamwork

Set up Interface by installing taps, bypasses, and shielded runs.

Assist Command with the best light and sound.

Group action: Damage-control party, lift-and-shift crew, synchronized breach.

Questions

• What’s the work envelope — pressure, temperature, contamination, voltage, spin?
• Are proper tools/parts available, or is this improvised from what’s at hand?
• What failure modes are intolerable (fire, flood, vacuum, arc, collapse)?
• Is time the constraint (bleeding tank, rising CO₂), or precision (safe-crack, fuse timing)?

Rig Consequences

• Escalation: A secondary alarm trips; isolation valves slam; clocks advance.
• Leak/arc/backflow: You contain it, but position worsens or a teammate is endangered.
• Overstress: A rushed fix will fail after the scene unless reinforced.
• Contamination: Dust, propellant, or coolant exposure imposes a short-term penalty.
• Resources: Parts, fuel, tools, designs; something is missing or in short supply.

Devil’s Bargains

• You cannibalize a part the crew will miss later.
• Your work leaves a maintenance signature that can be traced.
• The breach closes once used; you may need another way out.

Playbooks

Cyborg 1; Outis 2; Posthuman 1; Praxic 2.

Terran

— Hey, dirtgirl, Terra this hatch open — show us some downwell strength.

A-boss, drill sergeant

Terran is mastery of normal gravity (≈ 0.8 – 1.2 g). Naturally present on Earth and Venus; reproduced in spin habitats for regrav and long-watch health. It’s baseline is footing, leverage, and endurance — sprinting, bracing tools, grappling, lifting, and precise footwork. Drive land vehicles and aircraft.

At ~0.40 – 0.6 g (Mercury/Mars), both Terran (walking/standing power) and Lunar (bounding leaps) work. Outside this band, Terran also covers land and air vehicles and brute-force efforts (punch, haul, pry, brace) with worse position from excess force as g departs from standard.

Common Uses

Footwork & stance: Plant, shift, and drive through; reliable traction and balance.

Strength & carry: Deadlifts, fireman’s carries, prying hatches, tool bracing against kickback.

Grapple & control: Clinch, pin, throw — leverage and bodyweight dominate.

Athletics: Sprints, vaults, slides; controlled descents and ladder/rung climbs.

Work under load: Jackhammers, bolt guns, cutters — manage recoil and torque.

Drive and Fly: Operate gravity-rated vehicles — rotorcraft, fixed-wing, wheeled, tracked.

Overlaps

Hold ground in a fight; Lunar trades stance for burst bounds and soft landings.

Brace long tools against kickback; Rig improves effect with fixtures and clamps.

Walk with magnetic boots; Lunar in low-g and Micro in micro-g are faster.

Climb/rappel on rungs and rails; Rig sets up ladders and rails.

Haul crates and hose runs; Rig uses winches and actuators.

Drive vehicles; Helm focus on spacecraft.

Read terrain for paths; Study makes and read maps. Mark looks for openings.

Teamwork

Set up Mark with a rock-steady shooting platform in recoil and wind.

Assist Rig by anchoring their line and taking tool torque.

Group action: Coordinated push, shield wall, bucket/hoseline under full gravity.

Questions

• What surface are we on — wet deck, dust, ice, grated walkway? Any slope or ladder?
• Loadout and PPE — suit stiffness, mag-soles, gloves? Recoil/torque to manage?
• Are we racing endurance (oxygen/heat) or burst power (short lift/sprint)?

Terran Consequences

• Slip or skid: Lose footing — position worsens or take a short fall/bruise.
• Strain & fatigue: Forearms/back pump; reduced effect until rest or support.
• Tool kick: Recoil torques you off-line; task progress set back.
• Overbalance: Commit weight past safe limit; must bail or eat a tumble.
• Surface damage: Scuffed deck or bent rail leaves evidence and irate ops.
• Tit-for-tat: Take a wound when attacking an enemy.

Devil’s Bargains

• Finish the task, but suffer a lingering strain as Harm.
• Leave distinct tread/drag marks that will be noticed later.
• Expose yourself by moving directly when moving/attacking.

Playbooks

Posthuman optional 2.

Resolve

Resolve is a measure of self-confidence and integrity and the ability to control your own decisions and reactions. It is used to resist consequences from using related actions as well as mental and spiritual effects. Your value in Resolve is equal to the number of related actions you have at least one dot in.

Command

— If they trust you or fear you, they’ll move. If they do neither, you failed.

Company sergeant, Jovian docks

When you Command, you compel immediate compliance. You assert authority, set tempo, and direct people under stress. Use it to take charge of a scene, run a group action, or force a decision through rank, readiness, or credible threat.

Authority vs. Intimidation

Authority applies when you have standing (rank, role, ownership). No roll is needed for routine, safe orders within a clear chain of command; roll when orders are risky, contested, or the hierarchy is unclear.

Intimidation applies when you lack authority but has leverage; this can be violence, economic pressure, social status, or operational control (air, power, access). Subtle intimidation (implications, tone, crowding) draws less Heat.

Common Uses

Take charge: Snap a team to roles, timings, and lanes under fire.

Break will: Freeze a room, halt a rush, or make a foreman stand down.

Group actions: Coordinate a cohort/NPC team; see below.

Field discipline: Stop looting, keep spacing, hold fire, eyes front.

Crisis direction: Evac routes, triage priorities, cordon and search.

Group Actions

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

Overlaps

Impose compliance; Sway persuades without leverage.

Enforce hierarchy; Consort builds rapport and long-term buy-in.

Compel by threat posture; Mark makes the shot that proves it.

Control a crowd with presence; Judge frames the legality and consequences.

Direct a pilot under stress; Helm flies — Command sets the maneuver and timing.

Task drones by voice/gestures; Interface programs and permissions the network.

Teamwork

Set up Sway by creating silence and attention for the pitch.

Set up Mark by calling lanes and count-downs for synchronized fire.

Assist Rig by clearing a perimeter and assigning hands.

Group action: Stack on the hatch; breach on your count; phase lines by your marks.

Questions

• What leverage do you demonstrate — rank, force, control of resources, or time?
• Are orders risky, humiliating, or contrary to standing directives? Who might resist?
• What happens if they stall or refuse — to them, to bystanders, to your timeline?

Effect Levels for Command

Effect	Authority	Intimidation
Limited	Subordinates in your own chain on routine/risky tasks.	Overt menace: physical posturing, shouted threats.
Standard	Lower ranks in other orgs; civilians under your remit.	Clear verbal threats or countdowns; weapons displayed.
Great	Peers/equal status; broad deference to uniform/role.	Subtle pressure while keeping decorum and deniability.

Particularly obnoxious orders may need additional effect.

Consequences

• Resentment: Obedience now, friction later — Heat or status ticks.
• Brittle cohesion: A group action splinters; some lag or go off-script.
• Escalation: Rival authority answers in kind; clocks advance.
• Backlash: A public order draws recording, complaints, or legal scrutiny.
• Overreach: You own the outcome — collateral, injuries, or damage stick to you.

Devil’s Bargains

• A witness records and forwards the clip.
• A bystander you didn’t account for feels humiliated and will act against you later.
• Your display burns a bridge: -1 status with a faction present.

Playbooks

Captain 1; Sophist 2.

Consort

— Make them like you, or at least like being seen with you.

Wimson, maître d’

When you Consort, you build and leverage relationships. You mingle, swap favors, and fit into a social scene to gain access, information, or assistance. It works best where both sides care (even a little) about reputation, reciprocity, or belonging.

Consort assumes the environment isn’t openly hostile. You can Consort with people you know or try to “fit in” and make a good impression in unfamiliar settings. Proper attire and etiquette matter.

Common Uses

Circulate: Work a room, find the fixer, meet the admin behind the desk.

Gatekeeping: Get onto the list, past the rope, into the back office.

Favors & intros: Call markers, secure an introduction, line up a quiet meeting.

Blend & belong: Match slang, status signals, fashion; pass as “one of us.”

Disguise: Wear the wig, walk the walk, be this other self.

Overlaps

Build rapport for future asks; Sway closes hard asks now.

Wear status comfortably; Command enforces it under pressure.

Read room and pecking order; Study dissects motives and subtext.

Gossip about who is who; Judge who is worth attention.

Network to get a grasp of an organization; Interface rides comms and profiles.

“Just part of the crew” on the job; Lunar/Micro/Terran handles true stealth and evasion.

Dance, toast, small talk; Sway makes a performance.

Teamwork

Set up Sway by warming the mark’s circle before the pitch.

Assist Study with real-world context for a social graph.

Group action: Split the party to cover cliques, compare notes on a beat.

Questions

• What circle is this (union, guild, ward, diaspora, alumni)? What do they value?
• Are you dressed/specced right — fashion, insignia, body language?
• Is there a rival or minder here who might feel snubbed or threatened?

Effect Needed

Only roll when favors, access, or first impressions are uncertain or risky.

• Limited: Among friends/knowns; routine mingling, safe topics.
• Standard: Unfamiliar venue or mixed status; minor favors, guarded info.
• Great: Cold approach to elites/outsiders; sensitive passes or off-hours access.

Consequences

• Social debt: You owe a tit-for-tat or must vouch for someone.
• Wrong read: Minor faux pas; reduced effect with this circle tonight.
• Seen with them: Gain Heat or status ticks (good or bad) by association.
• Pickpocket: Lose an item in the bustle.
• Snare: Incriminate yourself during the bustle.
• Schedule slip: Chatter costs time; a window elsewhere closes.

Devil’s Bargains

• You get the intro, but a rival also gets invited.
• You’re recorded on venue cams; footage will surface later.
• A helpful contact expects reciprocal favors.

Playbooks

Machinator 2; Nestor 1.

Judge

— 'Decide fast, decide right — and make it look inevitable.'

Transit arbiter, Bern Orbital

Judge is live read and snap decision under pressure. You size up people, crowds, and unfolding situations; spot tells, stress, and intent; weigh rules/precedent against on-scene reality; then call it — go/no-go, escalate, de-escalate, comply, or cut away. No mysticism: this is observation, experience, and pattern-matching.

Common Uses

Threat triage: Who’s about to break, shoot, bolt, or bluff.

Lie/intent check: Consistency, timing, micro-pauses, over-explaining, coached lines.

Crowd temperature: Flashpoint risk, ringleaders, de-escalation levers.

ROE/precedent calls: When policy collides with reality — what flies here, now.

Time-critical choice: Which door, which target, which witness; commit without all the data.

Cold reading: Which seat will they choose? Where to stand to be noticed?

Overlaps

Pass a checkpoint; Judge understands procedures, Command bullies through, Sway bribes.

Sort a disputed crate; Judge rules custody, Interface instead fixes the manifest.

Calm a crowd; Judge reframes the incident, Sway soothes influencers, Command imposes order.

Choose lanes/windows; Judge avoids conflict, Helm & Interface face threats head-on.

Read people/situation in the moment; Study instead reconstructs causes with time and records.

Pick the approach people will accept; Sway instead convinces people of your solution.

Gauge gatekeepers and norms; Consort works the room to learn what plays.

Flag tells on comms/video; Interface instead pulls logs/metadata.

Identify imminent shooters; Mark is on overwatch.

Teamwork

Set up Sway by naming the pressure point you just spotted.

Set up Command with a clean go/no-go and lanes.

Assist Consort by tagging who will actually help.

Group action: Rapid consensus — you call it, the team aligns in a beat.

Questions

• What cues are visible — posture, hands, spacing, glance paths, comm silence?
• What norms/ROE apply here (jurisdiction, venue, culture)? Who’s watching/recording?
• What’s the worst miss: false positive or false negative? What clock is ticking?

Effect Needed

• Limited: Familiar domain or well-known actors; clear angles, good sight/audio.
• Standard: Typical venue with mixed signals; some noise, enough cues.
• Great: Poor visibility, cross-culture with no context, heavy masking or laggy comms.

Consequences

• Misread: You miss a subclause — reduced effect or escalate a clock.
• Overcommit: You burn options; retreat or reframe now costs position.
• Offense taken: Someone feels judged; status/Heat ticks.
• Tunnel vision: You miss a second actor/vector; flanked or surprised.
• Recorded ruling: Your call is on the record; later scrutiny bites.
• Set precedent: From now on this is the rule.

Devil’s Bargains

• You must commit publicly — reversal later will cost face or favor.
• The person you single out marks you for payback.
• You get the right read, but a rival also gets the information.

Playbooks

Machinator 1; Philosopher 1; Sophist 1.

Sway

— Of course the best seats are in the back, the owner only sits up front to support the performers.

Magnifico, doorman at the opera, to visiting belters

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, just like it has issues with character of higher 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.

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.