Characters (PW)

Formal Introductions

Princess World: Frontier Kingdoms is a tabletop roleplaying game intended for a group of 2 - 5 players. It's a sequel (of sorts) to Princess Academy Adventures, although you don't need to be familiar with that game to enjoy this one. The tone is fluffy but weighty, like a lead marshmallow. In Princess World magic is everywhere and princesses wield great power with relative ease, but people are still people and feelings are still feelings. Actions have consequences, entropy must constantly be fought, and even if the power of friendship is a quantifiable force it won't necessarily conquer all. If you're excited by the idea of characters exchanging barbed pleasantries at a party one moment and facing down enormous monsters in a shower of heart-shaped sparkles the next, this might just be the game for you.

Part of my reason for working on this game was that it's difficult to find anything Forged in the Dark that isn't, well, very very grim. Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of grimdark despairpunk, but I also like more hopeful and optimistic settings. Games about building things that maybe won't just collapse, in a setting that has sunny days and rainbows above all the hardship and tears down below. Also I just love princesses (and magical girls and slice of life that is suddenly absolutely not slice of life but then has to go back to being slice of life again). Sessions in Frontier Kingdoms tend to naturally tilt towards becoming happy messes of melodrama, your princesses forming deep friendships and bitter rivalries, bearing great hardships and heavy responsibilities, experiencing joyful highs and shattering lows. Their trials are both personal and epic, literally shaping the world. For better or for worse.

Crowns In The Dark

Princess World: Frontier Kingdoms is based on Blades in the Dark, product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Thanks also to D. Vincent Baker for Apocalypse World and Avery Alder for Monsterhearts.

Inspiration for this game came from a wide variety of sources, but I'd like to credit the magical girl genre generally and in particular PreCure, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. Other influences include the Atelier games by Gust and the Danganronpa games by Spike Chunsoft, as well as Steven Universe and Adventure Time.

Feel free to take anything from this game. If you put out anything that's based on Princess World: Frontier Kingdoms then you should probably credit Blades in the Dark as the original source, as above, and you can also credit this game if you want. But you don't have to. Listen to your heart.

Everything Changes

There are a lot of differences between this game and Blades in the Dark. I know it's surprising, that a game about scoundrels doing crimes in a haunted fantasy-industrial city and a game about demigod-avatar princesses balancing tea parties and giant monster attacks could be quite a bit different, but there you go. One important change is that there are no playbooks or skins. Your princess is defined by her speciality, by her abilities, and by her aspects. It didn't seem worthwhile to create a bunch of different sorts of princesses when the rules already support any manner of princess you might like to play. To put it another way, everyone's a princess in this game, so you all use the universal playbook, 'Princess'. Another change is that princesses are pretty powerful, as player characters. They'll often have a lot more options when dealing with a situation and will generally be rolling more dice than in a Blades game. Princess World doesn't have quite the same mood of trapped desperation that Dostvol does. The player characters aren't scoundrels hustling just to get by, they're magical princesses charged with noble responsibility. So they're powerful and they have a little more agency, but on the other hand they've got a kingdom to think about. They have parties to attend, factions to appease, subjects to look after, borders to expand and defend and strengthen. There's too much to do, not enough space, everything keeps breaking, and everyone expects too much. Still, even those seemingly manageable moment to moment rolls shouldn't get too comfortable. Hence another big change, the escalation rule. Rolling d6s means doing things in a normal sort of way. Functional, efficient, getting the job done. But maybe you want to show off a bit, add some pizazz, put a little spin on it. Maybe you want to swap those five d6s for five d8s. Or d10s, or d12s, or heck with it. I'm feeling lucky. Let's go d20. Part of the decision to implement this rule was a way to represent princess flamboyance — not just doing something, but doing it in an over the top and sparkly way. Greater risk and greater spectacle. Part of it was because I wanted an opportunity to bust out the d12s once in a while. In any case it's a pretty big break from the pure core of Blades (those precious blessed ever-elusive 6s), and while I recognise that it might not work for some people I feel that it can really add to the drama, as well as give players more options and more agency in action rolls. Being told by the GM that there's nothing you can do to even scratch this enormous monster, but then being able to say "What if I escalate to d20?" carries with it a certain feeling of power and of weight that feels very princess. Maybe the situation really is impossible. But then again, maybe you'll roll a 20. There are other changes too, because a lot of rules for scoundrels don't work or aren't necessary for princesses, but I think I've covered the big ones here.

This Is The World And The World Is Princess

The known kingdoms are relatively small, an island of order amidst an ocean of chaotic wild energy. Princesses are those who through legacy, effort or accident can channel this energy. They're part magical girl and part demigod-avatar and part regular teenager in way over their head. You're one of them. You recently graduated Princess Academy and for whatever reason someone gave you responsibility for a frontier kingdom, a tiny bubble of stabilised chaos at the very edge of the known kingdoms, surrounded by temperamental shields, pressed right up against the shifting wild lands with all of its monsters and elementals and raw magic and absolute uncertainty. This burgeoning frontier kingdom is yours, princess. Yours to build into something stable and lasting. Yours to defend against the dangers of this strange and wondrous world. Yours to prove worthy of ... or yours to fail. Lucky you?

Frontier Kingdom Life

There are four aspects of frontier princessing that remain constant:

There's too much to do.
There's not enough space.
Everyone expects too much.
Everything keeps breaking.

The life of a princess is one of responsibility. You are responsible for your kingdom, it thrives or falls by your actions. You are responsible to your patron they put you here and they expect results. You are responsible for your subjects the people trust their princesses to protect them and rule them fairly. You are responsible for your speciality to embody its spirit and present a shining example. You are responsible to your fellow frontier princesses it's not like anyone else is looking out for them. Perhaps more than anything you are responsible for yourself a princess's heart is strong but heavy, and so easily scarred. It's up to the GM to keep the princesses a little overwhelmed, but also to find the balance between fun tension and actual stress. You don't have to be constantly checking off those four aspects, so that the princesses always have too much to deal with AND no space for improvements AND five factions clamouring for attention AND their border shields are in constant risk of failing. At the same time you shouldn't let them get comfortable. If they're doing fine managing their border and dealing with wild lands nonsense then hit them with an extremely important party invitation. If they're balancing all their social obligations have a wild surge start building near their borders, or have groups with opposing ideals come stomping into their kingdom with official permission to be there and lists of demands. Give them challenges that suit their strengths, but don't be afraid to hit 'em where they're weakest. Force them to get creative about dealing with problems outside of their collective skillset. Present opportunities for them to exercise that legendary princess flexibility. In many ways the Princess World mood is feeling like you're just starting to get on top of things before being blindsided by a problem and all looking at each other like, how in the world are we going to deal with THIS? And then rolling up your collective sleeves and pouring some fresh tea and attending to the business of getting things very thoroughly sorted out. Because you're a frontier princess. You don't sit around complaining. Well, you do for a while. But then you go out. And you get. Things. Done.

Princess Games

Playing a princess is so much fun. For one, there are so many different types. Not just in terms of their speciality, but their character and attitude and just their whole approach to being a princess. You can play it imperious or as a down-to-earth people's princess, as a tough sensible individual who can't be bothered with all the princess trappings and who just wants to get the job done, or as a starry-eyed idealist in love with the romance of it all. You could be a laconic stoic princess, silently bearing the weight of all of her responsibilities, determined never to let her inner turmoil show to those who are relying on her. Or you could be a bouncy happy princess who wears her heart on her sleeve and bursts into tears over every elemental she cheerfully destroys. So many princesses! So much potential! Oh, it'd melt your face with the possibilities. One thing to keep in mind is that you don't need to roleplay everything. It's fine to just say "I do x like y and I'm feeling z." Lots of people aren't comfortable expressing a lot of emotion or have trouble articulating exactly what their character is saying. Often you're playing someone who can do things you can't, and that's kind of the whole point. Don't be afraid to let your character (and the dice) do the heavy lifting for you. Of course it can be fun to get into your character's head and play out a little scene (based on a good roll) where you convince the guard that of COURSE you're meant to be here, but it's equally fine to let the dice do the talking and say, "I do a great job getting the guard off my case, and I'm pretty happy about it." As the GM you can do a lot with a player who's more comfortable with this 'tell, don't show' style of RP. You can ask questions like, "Do you show your happiness in any particular way?" and often that'll lead to, y'know, just little cute character moments that really do add a lot to the game, even if the player isn't playing everything out. Anyway, that's just a thing I think about quite often. There's so much room in RPGs, for all types of players. Just like there's so much room in Princess World, for all types of princesses. Metaphorically, at least.

Royal Developments

There are a couple of ways to get into this game. You could build your kingdom together with your fellow players and the GM, then create characters to fit the kingdom, or you could make your characters together then build a kingdom to fit them, or you could jump around from one thing to the other until you've got everything sorted out and slotted together. However you do things you should do them together, as a group. The relationships between the princesses and their kingdom, and with each other, will help establish the tone of your game and suggest a direction for the sessions ahead. The history you all share is important too. Are you just meeting now, or do you have a past? Did you attend Princess Academy together? Were you in the same class? Are you friends, siblings, rivals? Did any of you expect to end up in a frontier kingdom, or did you have different ideals, different goals? Is this a stepping stone to greater things? Do any of you actually want to be here? You can always expand and modify or even retcon character relationships and their past lives during play, but it's fantastic to have some early discussion about where you're all coming from and what your goals are and the places you expect this to go. One thing's for sure; this story is going to be so much cooler and weirder and more interesting and surprising and fun than one you could make alone. So come on, princess. Let's get started.

Princess Character Creation

What Measure Is A Princess

Princesses have four core traits: Fitness, Wit, Charm and Whimsy. These traits are defined by the four aspects beneath each. If a princess has three points of Sporty and one of Sneaky she'll have a Fitness of two, because two of the Fitness aspects have points invested in them. The more well-rounded your princess is with a particular set of aspects, the better their core trait rating. Each aspect has a rating from 0 to 4, which tells you how many dice to roll when performing a related action. (If a princess has no points in an aspect she rolls two dice and takes the lowest.) At creation princesses have seven points to split among their aspects, although to begin with they can't have move than two points in a single aspect. Later they can use XP to improve their aspects up to a maximum of three points, or four if the appropriate Mastery improvement has been purchased for their kingdom. You choose which aspect to use in an action by describing what your character does. Aspects that are poorly suited to the situation may be less effective and put the character in more danger, but they can still be attempted. You're free to describe how your character performs an action based on their personality and style. Maybe your princess is good at Bossy because she's big and tough, or covered in weapons, or she has an air of authority and competence, or maybe she's just really good at shouting at people. Princesses all have a speciality. This is what they are the princess of. Moon Princess, Fire Princess, Bagel Princess, Stabby Princess, Pocket Princess (she can guess what's in any pocket!), it could be pretty much anything. Whenever a princess uses her speciality as part of an action roll, add +1d. Princesses also have special abilities. Two of them to start with. These are things like Healer, which lets you help others recover from harm, or I Put Pockets In My Dress, which gives you extra prep points, or I Was Here The Whole Time, which lets you leap out from hiding to join any scene that didn't previously feature you. Some abilities are a lot more whimsical than others. More abilities can be earned later, through XP.

Core Traits & Aspects

Fitness — Sporty running, jumping, climbing

Fitness — Tough fighting, enduring, wrecking stuff

Fitness — Graceful fine manipulation, dexterous movement, elegant motion

Fitness — Sneaky unseen action, stealthy movement

Wit — Nosy noticing things, figuring out someone's biz

Wit — Bookworm studying, performing research, remembering odd facts

Wit — Sensible calming things down, making sound choices, talking sense

Wit — Tinker inventing, fixing, improving

Charm — Chatty making friends, warming hearts, honest charm

Charm — Stylish catching eyes, winning hearts, pulling off that look

Charm — Foxy subtle persuasion, cunning words, an air of mystery

Charm — Bossy demanding results, commanding respect

Whimsy — Artsy creative endeavours, critical judgement

Whimsy — Earthy grounded actions, gardening, a friend to nature

Whimsy — Airy floaty thoughts, strange judgement, random action

Whimsy — Weird chaotic affinity, wild energy, general oddness

Aspect Flexibility

Princesses have many aspects, and a lot of ways to approach any given situation. For example, if your princess wanted to dance she could roll Stylish, Graceful, Sporty, or maybe Airy or even Weird. On the other hand she probably wouldn't roll Tinker or Bossy unless she could think of a really good reason those aspects would apply. Sometimes a situation might be best suited to a specific aspect, but another could be used in a pinch. In these cases you'll often be rolling with reduced effect due to the less than ideal aspect. For example, if a princess is trying to move through an area without alerting nearby monsters then Sneaky would be ideal, but she could also roll using Sporty or Graceful or Airy with reduced effect.

Variably Unique

It's up to the GM whether or not specialities are unique. I play that only one princess in the world can have a particular speciality, but very similar specialities might exist. It's fine to have a Baking Princess, Sweets Princess, Patisserie Princess, Donut Princess, Cake Princess and so on in the same world, but you can't have two Baking Princesses at once. On the other hand you can definitely have Baking Princesses who have come before, making you the latest in a long line who have taken up the whisk and gone out to show everybody the greatness of baking. Princess Speciality Princesses don't get trusted with a frontier kingdom without first graduating Princess Academy, which means they're highly skilled and powerful individuals in their own right. You can detect magic, create shields of protection, summon and control elements such as fire, earth, air, water, darkness, light and so forth, call forth pocket dimensions to hold your stuff, create illusions or magical fireworks to serve as entertainment or distractions, and quite a bit more. Perhaps most importantly, you're not just a generic magical princess. You are a princess of something. There are all sorts of princesses in this world, Dancing Princesses, Scientist Princesses, Tiny Princesses, Sword Princesses, List Princesses, Spooky Princesses, Sparkly Princesses, just so many kinds. A princess's speciality represents not just what the princess is good at, but also what she exemplifies. For example, a Tiny Princess isn't just (or even necessarily) small, she is an avatar of tininess. She stands for everything that makes being tiny special and interesting and great.

Princess Speciality Bonus

Any time you use your princess's speciality to help with a roll, add a +1d bonus. This includes times when you're commanding something related to your speciality, remembering facts related to your speciality, talking to someone about your speciality, using a tool associated with your speciality, and so on. For example, if a Baking Princess is commanding her gingerbread warriors in battle, that's a +1d bonus. If she's making biscuits, +1d. If she's at a party and manages to work the quality of the cakes being served into the conversation, +1d. The first time you use your speciality as part of an action roll in a session, mark Heart XP. At the end of every session, if the princess exemplified their speciality, they gain a bonus experience point. If they did this multiple times or in a particularly striking fashion, they get two bonus XP. This isn't just using their speciality to get bonuses, but showing why their speciality is great or having a dramatic moment centred around it. For example, a Science Princess overcame an obstacle through research and application, a Potato Princess solved a big problem with the judicious application of potatoes, a Giant Princess gave a practical demonstration of why it's very useful to have an amazing giant woman around.

Changing Specialities

It is not at all common for a princess to change her speciality. After all, this has been her focus for as long as she can remember. It's the thing she cares about the most in the world, the thing she's best at, the thing she exemplifies and embodies. Abandoning that isn't a small thing. But, it might be that the princess's viewpoint changes as a result of her frontier life. Maybe something happened. Maybe she lost that spark of passion. So, yes, it is possible for a princess to change her speciality, but only as a very dramatic and heavy thing. If a player wants to change their princess's speciality they should work with the GM to incorporate the change into play. Show how they're disillusioned with their current speciality, maybe have them apply for special permission to change and have it involve a quest and/or ceremony—or make it a spectacularly dramatic moment out in the wild lands, where the princess sheds her old speciality and bursts into her new one. The aftermath of changing speciality must be felt, too. At the least, the princess should expect a heavy assault of aside glances and pointed gossip at the next party she attends. If a princess is retiring due to reaching her heart scar limit, she may change her speciality so that a legacy character may carry on in her place. It's still a pretty heavy thing but everyone will kind of understand.

Standard Princess Abilities

Princess Weapon

All princesses have a special weapon that they can summon and dismiss at will. When using this weapon the princess rolls with increased effect. Depending on what she's fighting the princess might also have potency. (For example, a fire sword against an ice elemental, a light bow against a shadow enemy, an enormous hammer against a skeleton.) If the weapon is lost or destroyed then the princess may start a long term project to create a new weapon, with the cost and length determined by the GM (one or two Treasure and around four to six ticks seems fair, but it's up to you). Once this project is completed the princess must spend a free time action bonding with her new weapon before she can summon and dismiss it at will.

Princess Bonding

Princesses have an instinctual bond with animals of all kinds. Sometimes even monsters. With agreement between player and GM, the princess may begin the game bonded to a pet or mount. They may summon or dismiss this companion just like their princess weapon, although of course it's still a living creature with its own instincts and priorities. Mechanical bonuses given by the pet or mount are at the GM's discretion. Additionally, princesses may attempt to calm or tame animals with an action roll.

Princess Burst

This is a move that can only be used when in a desperate position. The princess summons all of her determination and heart and lets it out in a massive burst. It costs four Weight but cannot push the princess over their limit, so they must have at least five free Weight to use this. Roll this action with four dice, regardless of the aspect used, and either increase effect or improve position (player's choice). After using the princess burst add 'drained' as a level one harm. If the princess is already drained, add 'exhausted' as a level two harm. If the princess is already exhausted she cannot use a princess burst. Harm gained from using a princess burst cannot be resisted.

Princess Magic

Basic magical training is part of a princess's education, and they are essentially walking magic batteries, conduits and magnets. Just how much magic a princess can use is up to the GM and players to define, as are the limits of magic. It's all down to the tone of your game, whether it's a cartoonish over the top colourful spectacular of exploding cupcakes and rainbow bridges, a more grounded depiction of magic where everything has weight and the consequences are real, or anywhere in between. Princesses are inherently, inescapably magical, but what that means and how far that goes in your story is up to you. For some examples of how magic can be used in game, see the Princess Magic section (pg 82).

List Of Special Abilities

Every princess begins with two special abilities, and may gain more later via XP. Some examples:

Healer: You may aid in a Recover action, to others or yourself. Everyone in your kingdom (including you) gets +1d to all healing treatment rolls.
Always Be Noting: Every free time phase, without using an action, you may fill in up to two segments on long term projects that involve research or writing (including reports).
Constantly Tinkering: Every free time phase, without using an action, you may fill in up to two segments on long term projects that involve fixing, improving, or creating something. This includes border shields.
Never Not Networking: Every free time phase, without using an action, you may fill in up to two segments on long term projects that involve improving relations with a group, or add one tick to a relations clock.
Merchant Heart: At the end of each free time phase you may add 1 Treasure to the kingdom's vault. Gain +1d on all rolls involving trade or negotiation, including the Reach Out and Borrow Something Special free time actions.
Fairy Companion: You have a fairy who loyally accompanies you, offering advice and helping when she can. If your fairy helps with a roll, gain +1d. If the GM agrees then your fairy may make a set up action, rolling 1d. Fairies are tiny and relatively fragile. If hurt (level one harm or greater) they will poof into a perfect fairy gem. It takes a free time action to restore the fairy to her normal form. Princesses may Protect That Smile on behalf of a fairy.
Faction Connection: Name a faction. Gain +1d and increased effect when dealing with that faction. If relations with this faction are at +3 during the advancement phase, mark one bonus XP for either yourself or your kingdom. You may take this ability once for each faction.
Chaos Battler: When making action rolls against elementals or other creatures formed of wild magic, you have potency. When channelling wild magic add increased effect to your action. Gain +1d when resisting the consequences of actions involving elementals or wild magic.
Wild At Heart: You have an instinctive affinity for wild magic. When channelling wild magic choose one: you understand exactly what you're dealing with—you are the calm in the storm—you discover something new The number of wild magic dice you use is halved for the purposes of calculating Chaos. Increase effect whenever you attempt to reduce Chaos caused by the destruction of an elemental, and when you Calm The Wilds as a free time action.
Creative Coordination: When you lead a group action, if at least two participants roll a full success you may take that as a critical success.
Royal Inspiration: When you lead or command your subjects they gain +1 quality. When you resist harm on their behalf add +1d to the roll.
I Added Pockets To My Dress: Gain +2 prep points.
Back Into Action: Permanently fill in one segment of your healing clock (so you only need to fill in three to recover a harm). Add +1d to Recover actions on yourself. It only costs 1 Weight for you to act while twonked.
Athletic Adventurer: Add increased effect to all rolls made using Sporty, and gain an extra Fitness XP whenever you train Fitness.
Insightfully Inquisitive: Add increased effect to all rolls made using Nosy, and add +1d to all Gather Information and Investigation rolls.
Style Savvy: Add increased effect to all rolls made using Stylish, and add +1 to the quality of parties you help prepare.
Crafty Creator: Add increased effect to all rolls made using Artsy. For you Artsy is always an appropriate aspect to use when working on a long term project.
Gadget Girl: When using tools or magic tools to deal with barriers, traps, or other obstacles (mundane or magical), ignore the Tier.
Chaos Witch: While in the wild lands or a frontier kingdom, you may add dice and effect to an action you take by increasing your kingdom's Chaos, on a one-to-one basis. For example, if you raise Chaos by two then you add two dice and two levels of effect to your action.
Close To The Sun: While in the wild lands or a frontier kingdom, you may mark one Weight to roll an action using your kingdom's Chaos instead of an aspect. On a failure, as an additional consequence, double the kingdom's current Chaos. On a partial success, as an additional consequence, add one to the kingdom's current Chaos. These consequences cannot be resisted.
Jolly Cooperative: You don't spend Weight to help another princess. When helped in an action roll, choose one: your connection to those helping you is clear —a truth is revealed—you know what you have to do
Efficiency Expert: You may give yourself or another princess an extra action during every free time phase.
According To My Calculations: You may always use Bookworm for a set up action, either in the moment or as a flashback. On a partial success, improve position or increase effect. On a full success, improve position and increase effect. On a critical success, improve position, increase effect, and also increase the result level of actions affected by the set up by one (so a miss becomes a partial success, a partial success becomes a full success, and a full success becomes a critical success).
I Was Here The Whole Time: When you spring out of hiding to perform an action add +1d to the roll. Additionally, you may add yourself to any scene by having a flashback to hiding yourself somewhere. This costs no Weight, and no roll is required.
So Impulsive: When taking a desperate action you get +1d to your roll if you also take -1d to any resistance rolls against consequences from that action. Strong Heart, Easily Scarred: Add +1d to all resistance rolls. Whenever you mark any amount of Weight, mark one additional Weight. Once per action, when you push yourself choose one: gain an additional +1d—ignore one negative factor for this action—mark Heart XP
Social Chameleon: You're adept at fitting in, no matter your surroundings or company. When making social rolls with any group that has a neutral (0) or better relationship with your kingdom, you may ignore Tier as a factor.
Happy Hobbyist: When indulging you may pick which dice result to use to reduce Weight. For example, if you rolled a 2 and a 5 you could choose to reduce your Weight by either 2 or 5. Mark XP in your indulgence's core trait whenever you spend a free time action indulging.
Mine's Bigger: Your princess weapon is unusually powerful. When you use your weapon as part of an escalated action, choose one: push yourself without paying Weight—gain potency—your weapon transforms
Just As I Planned: When you fail an action roll, you may mark two Weight to also have the same result as a full success. If you do this, explain how this was all exactly how you intended things to go right from the start. Note that you also suffer the consequences from the fail result (unless you resist them). You just get the full success in addition to that.
One Princess Army: Scale is never a negative factor for you.
The Bigger They Are: When making an action roll that involves a higher Tier threat, or a monster or elemental that is more than twice your size, add +1d and increased effect.
Hard To Ignore: When you push yourself in an action roll that involves talking or getting attention, choose one: everyone looks at you and only you— your physical appearance changes dramatically—your voice reaches everyone present
So Fighty: When you push yourself in an action roll that involves fighting or physical force, choose one: your skill or savagery impresses or frightens someone watching—you use your size to spectacular effect—you physically or mentally adapt to whatever you're facing
Very Very Sneaky: When you push yourself in an action roll that involves avoiding attention or bypassing obstacles, choose one: your physical form changes significantly—you leave no kind of trace—anyone who notices you doubts their own senses
Bombastic Magic: When you pay prep to use magic as part of an action roll, choose one: you float and conjure damaging missiles—you stun or confuse nearby enemies—you gain an elemental aura
Intensely Dramatic: During affairs you must escalate every action roll you make at least once. When you escalate an action choose one: an unlikely boast is proven true—you dismiss an obstacle like it's nothing—something explodes— you look undeniably amazing
Especially Special: When you use your speciality in an action roll choose one of the following effects: you summon or control a representation of your speciality —the greatness of your speciality is impressed upon someone present—you temporarily become a living avatar of your speciality
My Heart Is My Shield: You may negate harm by marking two Weight for each level of harm you would have suffered. Negating a level 1 harm costs two Weight, level 2 four Weight, and level 3 six Weight. When you do this, mark Heart XP equal to the level of harm negated.
My Very Best Friend: Name another princess. When you help that princess in an action or Protect That Smile on their behalf, either give them +1d or gain +1d, and mark XP in the relevant trait. If the princess you named takes a heart scar, mark two Weight and two Heart XP. If the princess you named retires due to heart scarring or dies, mark eight Heart XP and four Weight.
How Dare You: When one of your friends suffers harm, you gain +1d and increased effect on all action rolls against whatever harmed them until the end of the session.
In The Name Of The Moon: You have the ability to transform and gain power, but it comes with a few strings. It costs one Weight to transform. The transformation sequence takes around ten to twenty seconds to complete and is very flashy and obvious. Any notion of stealth is completely out of the question, and you can neither take any other action or be harmed while performing your transformation sequence. Once transformed you add +2d to all action rolls, but must escalate them at least once. Taking any harm will force you out of your transformed state, with an additional cost of one Weight. If you aren't forced back to your usual form then you don't have to pay any extra Weight. The transformation lasts for around ten minutes, or until the end of the scene, whichever comes first.
This Isn't Even My Final Form: You may only take this ability if you already have In The Name Of The Moon. You have an even MORE powerful form that your first stage transformation, but it has a few conditions. First, you must already be in your first transformation. Second, you must be in a desperate position in order to summon the strength of emotion required to enter this second stage. Third, it takes around ten to twenty seconds to enter the second stage and it's even flashier and more obvious than your first stage transformation. Once in your second stage form all action rolls gain +4d and have increased effect, but you must escalate at least once. All core traits are considered to be one higher for the purpose of resistance. Your second stage lasts either ten minutes or until the end of the scene (whichever comes first), but failing an action roll will break you out of it instantly, back to your regular princess self. Upon leaving your second stage gain the level 1 harm 'drained'. If you were already drained, instead mark the level 2 harm 'exhausted'. If you were already exhausted then erase all Weight and immediately gain a heart scar. These consequences cannot be resisted or negated.
Call Your Attacks: When you confidently call out your action with an appropriate phrase, gain either +1d, increased effect, or both, at the GM's discretion. Note that this can apply to any action, not just attacks. Although it's probably not a good idea to use it when you're trying to be stealthy.
Proper Preparation: +1d when performing a set up action. Anyone benefiting from your set up actions gains +1d, in addition to the usual improved position or increased effect.
Princess Powerful: +1d when rolling Fitness to resist consequences. It only costs you one Weight to push yourself when using a Fitness aspect.
Socially Invulnerable: +1d when rolling Charm to resist consequences. It only costs you one Weight to push yourself when using a Charm aspect.
Sharp Spirit: +1d when rolling Wit to resist consequences. It only costs you one Weight to push yourself when using a Wit aspect.
Strong With The Odd: +1d when rolling Whimsy to resist consequences. It only costs you one Weight to push yourself when using a Whimsy aspect. Princesses, Assemble: When you push yourself in a group action you're leading, give every other princess who is part of the group action +1d and choose one of the following effects: you shine as bright as the moon—for just a moment everything is calm and still—someone gains a grudging respect for you In addition, Weight from escalated failures is reduced by one. (So escalating once carries no Weight for failures rolled, escalating twice carries one Weight for failures rolled, and so forth.)
Unflinching: You ignore the penalty from a single level one and a single level two harm. You can mark one Weight to ignore all penalties from harm, including being twonked, for a single action.
Unruffled: During a kingdom affair, when in a controlled position your action rolls gain increased effect. Once per action, if you did not trade position for effect, you may push yourself to improve your position, either from desperate to risky, or from risky to controlled.
Unstoppable: You may mark a level one harm to negate a consequence that isn't harm.
Loose Cannon: When you act against the orders or wishes of those who have authority over you (for example, your patron faction) you may push yourself once without paying Weight. In addition choose one of the following: another person's rulebreaking goes unnoticed or is deliberately overlooked—no innocents get hurt due to your action—consequences will fall on your head alone
Also add an additional Kingdom XP trigger: "Someone in authority acknowledged (however reluctantly) that you got results."
This Impossible Girl: When you push the limits beyond what is reasonable or sensible, or do something audacious enough to leave others speechless, either mark XP in your strongest core trait or push yourself without paying Weight. If this is part of an action roll where, after all other factors are considered, effect would be none or lower, effect is limited instead.
Guardian: When you Protect That Smile, gain +1d to your resistance roll and clear one Weight.
Critical Eye: When you make an action roll against a weakness or vulnerability, or when acting with potency against a threat, gain +1d or increased effect, or both, at the GM's discretion. Also add an extra +1d to engagement rolls when exploiting a weakness or vulnerability.

Custom Special Abilities

Your princess can take a custom special ability, if approved by the GM. Custom abilities take up an ability slot as normal, and can be gained through Heart XP just like the above abilities. If the player and GM can agree, your princess's special abilities can be just about anything, although overpowered abilities don't tend to be as much fun as they might initially seem. You can give your special abilities names, if you want, or just write down what they do.

Princess Titles

A princess's official title is her full name coupled with her speciality. For example, "Luna Bright, Moon Princess" or "Science Princess, Miya Heart" or "Princess of Science, Miya Heart" or "Luna Bright, Princess of the Moon". This is how she should introduce herself (or be introduced) at formal events.

Princess Pronouns

Although 'she' and 'her' are used in this game to refer to princesses, please note that princesses may be girls, boys, both, neither, or anything in between. Your princess can look however you want and refer to themself however you please.

Appearance

Princesses can look like anything and dress how they like. Some suggestions: Hair: Big and bouncy, spiky, long, fluffy, messy, perfectly braided, ponytail, twintails, sidetail, bob, engulfing, shaved, ridiculous Hair Colour: Blue, brown, blonde, rainbow, sky, red, black, white, glittery, candy-striped Eyes: Big, small, squinted, mean, kind, curious, wide, cunning, trusting, angry, sad, bright Eye Colour: Brown, blue, hazel, amber, black, red, purple, ocean, galaxy, storm, moonlight General Appearance: Tall and skinny, big and muscley, little and cute, fluffy and floaty, chirpy and small, bouncy and chubby, petite but buff Outfit: Dress and gloves, overalls and cap, pirate coat and hat, t-shirt and skirt, cat costume, dragonskin jacket and pointy shoes, overcoat and hat that hides your face, maid outfit, princess hat and gown, full plate armour, flower shirt and shorts Feel free to describe as much or as little of your princess as you please. Draw a picture of her if you like.

Indulgences

Every princess has some little interest that's not entirely necessary. Maybe she loves baking, or gardening, or collecting unusual weapons. This goes beyond a simple hobby. This is the princess's indulgence, the one thing that's just for her amidst a life of responsibility and thinking of others. It's through this indulgence that the princess can relax, unwind, and heal her heart. However, a balance must be maintained. Overindulging has consequences. When choosing an indulgence, agree with the GM which core trait it uses. For example, gardening could use Whimsy, baking might use Charm, running might use Fitness, reading might use Wit. Indulgences can only be indulged during free time by using a free time action. By spending a free time action the princess may roll a number of dice equal to the core trait associated with the indulgence, and subtract the highest result from their accumulated Weight. This is always a d6 roll and cannot be escalated. Example: Stella loves stargazing. After a typically stressful day spent dealing with frontier kingdom nonsense she decides to indulge in a little astronomy to unwind. Stargazing is related to Wit and Stella has points in both Bookworm and Tinker, so Stella rolls 2d6 and gets a 1 and a 5. She clears five Weight. If an indulgence is not indulged during a free time period, mark one Weight. The princess is working too hard without relief and it's having an effect on her. If the princess has multiple indulgences, only one must be indulged in order to avoid marking Weight. If the result of an indulgence action clears more Weight than the princess has accumulated then she has fallen into obsession. See the Indulge Indulgence free time action (pg 90) for details. Some example indulgences: Baking, gardening, astronomy, reading, riding, collecting, tea making, pottery, sewing, engraving, hiking, writing, knitting, skateboarding, juggling, dancing, hunting, journalling, running, embroidery, quilling, painting, magic tricks (the mundane kind), birdwatching, body building/exercise, scrapbooking, fishing, sports, playing a musical instrument, music appreciation, beekeeping, jigsaw puzzles, insect raising, spelunking, carpentry, candlemaking, sculpture, doll making, modelmaking, miniature painting, jewellery making, origami, listmaking, soapmaking, game design Note that although indulgences can be social activities, the action of indulging in them is primarily a solitary 'me time' activity for the princess. So if the indulgence is a team sport like baseball, the indulging princess would mostly be practising by herself or researching new techniques, not just playing baseball with others.

Treasure & Items

Each princess begins with one point of Treasure, and the sorts of basic items you might expect to bring along to a fresh frontier kingdom. Hairbrushes, clothes, mirrors, probably a travel chest or suitcase, snacks, books, tools related to the princess's speciality and indulgence, useful bits of string, towels, and so on. If a princess needs something in particular then she can use a free time action to Borrow Something Special or start a project to buy or make it. While on an affair prep points can be spent for the princess to just happen to have something relevant to the task at hand. Of course, they have to own the item to begin with. If it's particularly rare or unusual or powerful, or just not something the princess would possess, then the GM can rule that they don't have it, or that they have to use a flashback to explain how they got it. Treasure is an abstract measure of valuable items and the coin of the known lands ==== copper, silver and gold fortunes. In Princess World: Academy Adventures terms, one Treasure represents items and coins equal to about ten gold fortunes. Treasure is mostly used to buy more free time actions, to fund projects, and as part of the cost of upgrading the kingdom's Tier. Princesses may have up to four personal Treasure. Anything more than that must be kept in the kingdom's vault. At the end of a session, if a kingdom has more than its vault can hold (eight without improvement) then all excess Treasure is lost.

Buying Luck

Once per session, one Treasure can be spent to reroll one dice. That's once per session for the group, not for each princess individually. The concentrated luck in fortunes is powerful, but fickle. It doesn't do to rely on it too much. Note that this might also necessitate the spending of a prep point, to have the Treasure in the first place.

Legacy Princesses

If a princess retires (or dies) and a new character needs to be created, the legacy rule may be invoked. This rule is intended to let players continue playing a similar sort of princess even with a new character. Create your new princess using the standard rules, but with the following modifications:

The new character must have the same (or very similar) speciality as the leaving princess. Legacy princesses are taking on the leaving princess's kingdom, responsibilities, and in some way her legend.
The player may choose one ability to be passed down to the new princess. This does not count as one of the two starting abilities.
The new character's aspects have a starting limit equivalent to the leaving princess's aspects. For example, if the leaving princess had 3 Tough then the new princess may spend three of her beginning aspect points to raise her Tough to 3, ignoring the usual 'max 2' limit.
The GM may optionally choose a scar to be passed down to the new princess. This counts towards the scar limit.

Transferring From Princess Academy

If a princess has risen through the grades at Princess Academy and come out of it a fully trained and qualified True Princess, she's likely to be pretty powerful. That is, by the standards of an academy-level princess. In Princess World: Frontier Kingdoms both the scale of threats and the danger they pose is an order of magnitude more than that faced by academy students. Therefore, if you are bringing a graduating princess into the world of frontier kingdoms the following rules can be followed.

The princess allocates seven aspect points as per a normal starting character. Their previous core traits of Fitness, Wit, Charm and Whimsy were their academy-level characteristics, and now they're entering a new world. However, with the GM's agreement you may ignore the normal two point limit for starting aspects, increasing one or more aspects to three or even four.
Fortunes are exchanged for Treasure at the rate of ten gold fortunes to a Treasure. Remember that princesses can have a maximum for four personal Treasure, that it costs a prep point to bring a Treasure along on an affair, and that a frontier kingdom's basic unimproved vault can hold a maximum of eight Treasure.
If the princess mastered a hobby (brought it up to +4) they gain +1d or improved effect when using that hobby as part of an action. Also note it as an additional indulgence.
All previous abilities are considered academy-level. Put a circle next to them. If an academy-level ability is used, it is considered to have no effect against a standard threat. The roll will have to be escalated, position will have to be traded for effect, or something else must be done just to bring it up to limited. You can use an ability slot (either one of the starting two, or one earned via Heart XP) to fill in a circle, in which case the ability will have full effect and be on equal footing with other frontier-level abilities.
All items are also considered academy-level (with the exception of the princess's weapon). Put a circle next to them. The rules for academy-level items are alike to those for academy-level abilities; considered to have no effect against a standard threat. Princesses may begin long term projects in order to bring items up to frontier-level. The cost and time, as well as special resources required, are at the GM's discretion. Note that using an item during an affair will cost a prep point.
Pets, mounts and other companions may be brought along, but they will have no mechanical effect unless the GM rules otherwise. Long term projects might be used to bring them up to frontier-level at the GM's discretion.

Incidentally, should a frontier princess ever run into an academy-level threat, they should roll most actions from a controlled position with great (or higher) effect — if an action roll is even needed. This is kid's stuff to them, after all.

Magical Princessism & Aspects In Play

The most important thing to remember, in this game, is that you're a magical princess. Not only that, but you're a princess of something. If you can figure out a way to use your speciality as part of an action you get +1d to the roll, which might save you if you're in the dreaded roll-two-take-the-lowest situation. The second most important thing to remember, in this game, is that you're a magical princess, and not just any magical princess, a graduate of Princess Academy judged worthy to guide and rule over a frontier kingdom. You have access to amazing powers and can do things that non-princesses can only dream of. A princess using Sporty isn't just running and jumping like a common fool, she's zipping around leaving star-shaped sparkles in her wake, dashing along walls and leaping into the sky before pirouetting into a perfect spin kick that slams a dislodged rock right into a monster's face. Well, if she gets that six. The thing to remember is that you're not just some person. You might get hit hard by the world, but you can hit back harder. And if the worst comes to the worst? You limp back to your castle, you mark a little Weight, maybe you get a new heart scar or have to spend a while recovering. You're tough. You can carry that weight, you can handle a few scars, and you certainly heal up quickly. You're a princess. You can do anything. So go do it, princess.

Sporty

Running, jumping, climbing, kicking a can into a bin, whacking a ball with a stick. Sporty actions are used when it's all about speed, athletic movement, and hand-eye coordination. You're dodging between falling rocks, you're leaping over a wide gap, you're distracting everyone at a party by demonstrating your keep up skills. Sporty is a fairly narrow aspect, although princesses do tend to do a lot of basic running and jumping as well as dodging and climbing, and there's often more than a little whacking things with sticks and throwing stuff at other stuff, too. Sporty can be used for fighty actions, but be sure to explain why you're using it instead of Tough or Graceful. It can occasionally be used for social actions, as long as the conversation is about sports.

Tough

Fighting, enduring, wrecking stuff. Tough actions are used when it's about brute strength or raw endurance. You're fighting something using strength more than skill, you're powering through a crowd of minor elementals to get to the biggest one, you're gritting your teeth and putting up with some silly little princess's nonsense without punching her pigtails off. Tough, like Sporty, is a narrow but useful aspect. With some creativity it can be stretched to situations that aren't just about hitting stuff or being okay about getting hit, but often another aspect would be more suitable. On the other hand it can be a lot of fun justifying why your princess is simply Toughing through every obstacle she comes across, and aren't we all here to have fun?

Graceful

Fine manipulation, dexterous movement, elegant motion. Graceful actions are used when a situation requires a little finesse, a little care, a little attention. You're picking a lock, you're guiding an airship through a canyon, you're baiting a crowd of monsters into getting tangled together and bumping heads. Graceful arguably has more general application than Tough or Sporty, but it also requires more justification. You can't just say "I gracefully fight the monster"—well I mean you CAN, but you could also be the type of Graceful princess who leaps across tables and swings from chandeliers, always looking for those cunning edges and thoroughly exploiting every opportunity. Or maybe you're the type to swish through every situation, so confident and elegant that nothing dares disturb your perfect hair. There's some crossover between Graceful and Stylish, but keep in mind that Graceful is a Fitness aspect and Stylish is Charm. Graceful is most suitable when it's about how you're moving and the deftness of your actions. Stylish is more suitable when it's about how you're getting attention and why people can't take their eyes off you.

Sneaky

Unseen action, stealthy movement. Sneaky actions are used when you want to do something without anyone noticing. You're creeping behind an enormous elemental, you're signalling to your companions without anyone at the party realising, you're blowing your nose without being seen. Sneaky, as an aspect, has a very definite application. You use it when you're doing something but you don't want anyone to know you're doing it. Being so defined means that it's difficult for other aspects to muscle in on its territory. If a situation demands stealth then it might be possible to use something like Graceful or Airy to get through it ... but everyone knows, in your heart you really just want to be Sneaky.

Nosy

Noticing things, figuring out someone's biz. Nosy actions are used when you just really want to know something. You're trying to work out if she's lying, you're searching for hidden traps, you're observing a monster to work out its weaknesses. Whether it's realising that orange slimes are strong against lightning or figuring out that Princess Debbie isn't telling the whole truth about the Teapot Situation, Nosy is a good aspect for a curious sort of princess. Using it to its fullest means asking questions and noticing details, as well as making action rolls to figure out what's REALLY going on. Remember that you can use it in flashbacks too, because of course you've been poking your nose into this difficult person's affairs.

Bookworm

Studying, performing research, remembering odd facts. Bookworm actions are used when knowledge is required. You're studying elementals to work out why they're so interested in pies, you're figuring out what this weird magic teapot does, you're trying to remember the history of this mansion. Bookworm is a versatile aspect, whether deep in the wild lands or attending parties. Information is often useful, and a good Bookworm roll at the right time can mean the difference between the right choice and absolute disaster. If you're ever stuck and not sure what to do, why not try a Bookworm roll to see if you can remember something relevant? Often a Bookworm roll can be used as a setup action, giving mechanical bonuses to any princess who uses the information gained. At other times your Bookworm roll might give you hold, able to be spent to ask questions of the GM about a particular subject. Bookworm is also a useful aspect for long term projects where research is necessary or helpful. There's overlap between Nosy and Bookworm, but also an important difference. Nosy is used when you're noticing something right now, or figuring out what's going on in the moment. Bookworm is used for remembering things you already know, or studying something over a longer time period. Nosy is intuitive, Bookworm is methodical.

Sensible

Calming things down, making sound choices, talking sense. Sensible actions are used when someone needs to be the adult in the room. You're pacifying an angry chicken, you're telling off some silly fools, you're calmly explaining to your patron representative how you lost their favourite hat. A princess with the right personality can get a lot of mileage from this aspect. Sensibility and a forthright attitude can solve a lot of problems in Princess World. With that said it's not a cure-all, and a failed action roll can really put you on the back foot. Still, being a grown up about things is an important tool in a princess's arsenal, and should not be underestimated. Sensible can be useful when writing reports or dealing with factions, and it can be useful when trying to make sense of a situation or de-escalate. It's not about noticing things, like Nosy, or fixing things, like Tinker, or studying things, like Bookworm. Sensible is about taking a breath and ordering your thoughts and sorting things out. If tea can possibly be involved, all the better.

Tinker

Inventing, fixing, improving. Tinker is used when something needs to be better, or go faster, or just exist in the first place. You're trying to make this broken broomstick fly (even if it never did in the first place), you're trying to get through a magical barrier, you're inventing an entirely new type of scone. It's good to have a skilled Tinker around in a frontier kingdom, because so many things seem to break all the time. Border shields, for example. There are a lot of long term projects that Tinker could be applicable to, and it's useful for fiddling with anything mechanical or magical in the field—getting things open, bypassing magical barriers, mucking around with traps. Remember that the wild lands isn't just a natural wilderness, it's filled with all sorts of crazy stuff. Maybe some kind of ancient magical energy conduit that could be Tinkered into a weapon or trap? Maybe this weirdly-shaped chunk of scrap is actually a robot, just waiting for someone to come along and Tinker it into life! With a little creativity and a generous GM, the right princess can stretch Tinker a long way.

Chatty

Making friends, warming hearts, honest charm. Chatty actions are used in social situations where you're being open and friendly. You're telling this nice faction representative about your lovely little kingdom and how nice it would be if you could afford new shield crystals, you're explaining to this guard that you got lost looking for the vault, you're getting along famously with this massive troll. This is also a good aspect to use when baking or cooking. Making food for yourself or others is a friendly sort of activity. Chatty can be stretched to use for affable manipulation or good-natured deception, but something like Foxy is usually more fitting. Chatty is most suited to situations where the princess is just being really friendly. People (and even monsters) can find it really hard to refuse such a nice princess. Chatty princesses often end up getting what they want, leaving a trail of vaguely confused good impressions behind themselves.

Stylish

Catching eyes, winning hearts, pulling off that look. Stylish actions are used when it's all about being the centre of attention. You're the only one anyone's looking at when you enter the party (distracting everyone from what your friends are doing in the background), you're perfectly coordinating the aesthetics of your magic with your outfit, you're leaping elegantly over that monster's surprised head. Using Stylish effectively requires some effort, because more than any other aspect it's all about HOW you're doing something. It's flexible, but shouldn't be abused. If the action isn't about being looked at and looking good doing it then maybe Stylish isn't the perfect fit. Stylish princesses need an audience.

Foxy

Subtle persuasion, cunning words, an air of mystery. Foxy actions are used when you're wrapping someone around your little finger. You're getting the location of the vault out of this butler without him even realising you're doing it, you're explaining away your presence so adroitly that the guards forget to even ask your name, you're making these monsters apologise for ever even thinking about attacking you. Foxy, like Stylish, requires effort to use well, but can be very effective. Remember, it's not just about getting what you want. It's walking away without anyone even realising what you were up to. The right princess using Foxy in the right way can get away with murder ... as long as the dice are kind.

Bossy

Ordering people around, commanding respect, getting what you want. Bossy actions are used when you want something and you want it NOW. You're telling this lazy group of subjects that you need these border shields repaired today, you're wondering why this impertinent guard is blocking your exit when you clearly want to leave, you're demanding that this giant elemental put you down right this instant. Bossy actions usually involve stating what you want and expecting people to jump to it. It's about taking command of a situation and making things go the way they're supposed to—which is, of course, to your complete convenience. Keep in mind that using a Bossy action doesn't have to mean you're getting shouty or pushy. You could be calmly stating what's going to happen. You could just walk into a room and give the workers inside a look that tells them exactly how you feel about their lack of progress. It's all about asserting your will upon those around you.

Artsy

Creative endeavours, critical judgement. Artsy actions are used when you want to ~create~, or judge the creations of others. You're assessing a bunch of pots to see which ones are worth anything, you're fashioning a mask out of twigs and leaves, you're improvising a dance to wordlessly express your peaceful intentions to an elemental. There's some overlap between Artsy and Tinker, but also an important difference between the two. Tinker is solid, functional, useful. Artsy is whimsical, aesthetic, abstract. It's not the most practical aspect, but it's not trying to be. True to its nature, it will take a creative princess to find useful actions for Artsy. Keep in mind that it can be used in flashbacks to have created something that might be useful in the moment.

Earthy

Gardening, nature, a friend to flowers and animals. Earthy actions are used when dealing with natural things. You're tracking an elemental through the wild lands, you're making friends with a squirrel, you're getting the most out of your blueberry plants. Earthy is the grounded aspect of Whimsy, useful for tracking, hunting, identifying or befriending animals and plants (of course you can be friends with a flower), growing things, even dealing with natural threats like elementals. Keep in mind that 'natural' can have a very broad scope, in Princess World. Oh, and remember that even if you make friends with a squirrel (or a plant or whatever) you can't actually talk to them. Not unless you've got a special ability that lets you do that. Finally, if you're a whimsically focused princess then you're probably playing an odder sort of character. You might like to use Earthy for those rare moments when you're pulling your head out of the clouds and coming back down to the ground, accepting that, yep, this situation is actually pretty serious and we'd better not be silly about it.

Airy

Floaty thoughts, strange judgement, random action. Airy actions are used when you want to float through a situation or into a solution. You're innocently wondering aloud why Princess Rebecca is lying, you're bending over to pick up a coin and incidentally dodging an attack, you're remembering a random story your great aunt used to tell you that's somehow impossibly relevant to the current situation. Airy can be a tricky aspect to deal with. It can be used to gently shape the narrative, or to just sort of drift through it. Airy princesses tend to float along and go with the flow, up to the point where they say or do something seemingly (or actually) random that solves a mystery or reveals a treasure or proves key to defeating a monster.

Weird

Wild magic usage, chaotic affinity, general oddness. Weird is used both when dealing with weirdness and being weird. You're controlling the magic surge from an exploding elemental, you're having a chat with a ghost, you're juggling pancakes into a monster's mouth. Weird is a surprisingly practical aspect, in a frontier kingdom. It's used when dealing with wild magic, of which there is a lot, especially if you're going to be hunting down elementals. It can also be used for just plain weird stuff. Keep in mind that although using Weird in an action might be easy to justify, it also might not be the most effective approach to problem solving. Fighting a monster using a fish as your weapon is certainly appropriately Weird, but it also might not have much of an effect. Escalation can be useful for a Weird princess in this sort of situation. After all, stochasticity is your ally.