The rules give you a skeleton. You give it breath. Your job is not to enforce the mechanics — it is to make the world feel real, let the players make meaningful choices, and reach for the dice only when the outcome genuinely matters.

When to Roll

Roll dice when three conditions are all true:

1. The outcome is uncertain. If a trained locksmith picks a simple lock in quiet conditions, there is no uncertainty. Narrate the success.
2. Failure has interesting consequences. If nothing changes on a failure — if the character just tries again — the roll is pointless. Only roll when failure moves the fiction forward.
3. Success is not guaranteed by competence. A skilled swordsman fighting an untrained peasant is not rolling to hit — he is deciding what to do.

If any condition is missing, do not roll. Narrate the outcome that makes sense. The dice are for moments of genuine tension.

The converse is equally important: if a player describes something clearly impossible — lifting a building, talking a king into abdication — do not roll for that either. Some things simply cannot be done. “I attempt it” does not create a die roll when the fiction does not support it.

Setting Difficulty

The skill formula gives you the baseline. A character with Melee 3 and PC +2 has a 66% chance of hitting. That is the default — no modifiers, normal conditions. When conditions deviate from normal, apply modifiers:

Circumstance	Modifier
Trivially easy for a trained character	Don’t roll
Favorable conditions (good tools, plenty of time)	+10% to +20%
Normal conditions	+0%
Unfavorable conditions (bad tools, time pressure)	−10% to −20%
Severely unfavorable (darkness, injury, interference)	−30% or worse

Modifiers stack. A locksmith picking a lock in darkness (−20%) while wounded (−10%) and rushed (−10%) is at −40%. At that point, even a skilled character is sweating.

The OSR Loop

The game runs on a simple cycle:

1. You describe the world honestly. What the characters see, hear, smell, feel. Not what they conclude — what they perceive.
2. Players declare what they do. Not “I roll Investigation” — “I search the desk drawers” or “I watch the guard’s patrol pattern.” The fiction drives the mechanics, not the other way around.
3. You determine the outcome. If the outcome is obvious, narrate it. If it is uncertain, call for the appropriate roll.

Ad-Hoc Checks

Not every situation maps neatly to a skill. The game provides four types of checks, each suited to a different question:

Check Type	Formula	Range	When to Use
Skill check	((10 + stat) × level) + 30	Varies	Character has the relevant skill
Unskilled attempt	(5 + stat) × 5	10–40	Attempting a skilled task without training
Stat check	(5 + stat) × 10	20–80	Raw capability — no skill applies
Consequence check	Flat % set by GM	Any	The world decides, not the character

Unskilled attempts are for “I don’t know how to do this.” The low ceiling (40% at stat +3) reflects being out of your depth.

Stat checks are for raw capability where training is irrelevant. Can you hold your breath long enough? Resist the poison? Keep your grip as the cart lurches? The wider range (20–80) reflects something fundamental about the character, not a gap in their education.

Consequence checks are for when the character is not the variable. “There is a 30% chance the bridge holds.” “50/50 the guard turns left.” Roll d100 against the percentage. No skill, no stat — just the situation.

Failing Forward

When a character fails a roll, do not default to “nothing happens.” Failed rolls should change the situation:

• Failed lockpick: The pick snaps inside. You need tools to extract it before trying again.
• Failed Persuasion: The merchant is not convinced, and now he is suspicious. Your next social approach starts at Unfriendly.
• Failed Stealth: You are seen. Not “you made a noise and can try again” — you are seen. Now what?

Every roll matters. Success moves toward the objective. Failure creates a new problem that demands a response. The fiction never stalls.

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NPC Dispositions

Every NPC has a disposition toward the party — a judgment call you make based on context. The disposition modifies social skill checks:

Disposition	Modifier	Description
Hostile	−30%	Actively opposed. Looking for reasons to refuse.
Unfriendly	−15%	Suspicious. Resistant. Needs convincing just to listen.
Neutral	+0%	No strong feelings. Open to reasonable proposals.
Friendly	+15%	Well-disposed. Gives benefit of the doubt.
Allied	+30%	Actively on your side. Needs minimal convincing.

Dispositions shift during conversations. A successful Etiquette check might move an Unfriendly NPC to Neutral. A terrible lie caught by Empathy might drop a Friendly NPC to Unfriendly. Adjust based on what happens in the fiction.

Roleplay & Social Checks

Roleplay and mechanics work together. Neither replaces the other.

When to call for a roll: The outcome is uncertain, the stakes matter, and the character is attempting something beyond casual conversation.

When to skip the roll: The request is reasonable and the NPC has no reason to refuse. Or the roleplay is so compelling that the NPC would be convinced regardless. Or the request is so absurd that no roll could make it work.

When a roll is called for, good roleplay adjusts the odds:

Roleplay Quality	Modifier
Compelling argument, addresses NPC’s actual concerns	+10% to +20%
Adequate, nothing special	+0%
Tone-deaf, contradicts NPC’s values	−10% to −20%

Social Skill Reference

Skill	Used For	Opposed By
Persuasion	Convincing someone of something true or reasonable	Resolve
Deception	Convincing someone of something false	Empathy
Intimidation	Compelling through threat of force or consequence	Resolve
Etiquette	Navigating social norms, first impressions, protocol	—
Leadership	Rallying, inspiring, coordinating groups	—
Streetwise	Navigating underworld culture, finding contacts	—

Opposed social checks use the standard rules: both sides roll, the larger margin wins. One success beats one failure. Both fail means neither side gains ground.

Intimidation as Flex-Stat

Intimidation can be assigned to BR (physical menace) or SP (social pressure) at character creation. The context matters:

BR Intimidation: Looming in doorways. Cracking knuckles. Picking up the table one-handed. Works on people who can be physically threatened. Does not work well on the physically fearless or in contexts where violence is off the table.

SP Intimidation: Naming someone’s secrets in public. Mentioning their patron’s displeasure. Works on people with something to lose. Does not work on people with nothing to lose or outside social structures.

If the context does not match their stat — a BR Intimidator pressuring a noble at a dinner party — apply −10% to −20%.

Social Skills Don’t Mind-Control

A successful social check opens a door. It does not walk through it.

• Persuasion: The NPC is convinced for now, within reason. They do not abandon their deepest loyalties or act against self-preservation.
• Deception: The NPC believes the lie for now. New evidence or time to reflect can unravel it.
• Intimidation: The NPC is cowed for now. The moment the fear is removed, they may act against you. Intimidation creates compliance, not loyalty.

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Chases

The timing track is not just for combat. Any situation where timing, speed, and sequential action matter can use the track — and chases are the natural fit.

Both the pursuer and the quarry act on the same timing track. The pursuer wants to close to Close range. The quarry wants to open distance beyond Distant. If both sides Sprint at the same speed, the gap never changes — so chases are decided by obstacles, complications, and the choices each side makes.

Foot Chases

Action	Speed	Effect
Sprint	3	Move one range band (closer or farther)
Obstacle	varies	Athletics check. Failure: +2 count penalty on next action
Shortcut	4	Investigation or Survival check. Success: two bands. Failure: zero.
Combat action	per weapon	Attack mid-chase (must be in range)
Dirty trick	2	Knock over a cart, slam a door. Target rolls Athletics or takes +2 penalty

Obstacles are your primary tool for making chases interesting. Without them, both sides Sprint repeatedly and nothing happens. Every 3–5 counts, introduce something.

Chase Complications

When a chase needs texture, roll or pick:

d6	Complication
1	Obstacle — a wall, a cart, a fence. Athletics check; failure = +2 count penalty.
2	Bystanders — a crowd, a work crew. Athletics check; failure = +3 penalty and someone gets hurt.
3	Terrain change — stairs, rubble, water. Different skill check required.
4	Zone boundary — Aetheric balance shifts. Firearms and devices recalculate Reliability.
5	Dead end — Investigation check or lose a range band doubling back.
6	Opportunity — a rope to swing on, a ledge to leap from. Creative action for a free range band.

Vehicle Chases

Same structure as foot chases, with modifications: vehicle speed replaces Sprint, Piloting replaces Athletics, and Reliability matters when crossing Aetheric zone boundaries.

Vehicle	Chase Speed	Notes
On foot	3 counts/band	The Sprint baseline
Horse / animal	4 counts/band	Immune to Aetheric interference
Automobile	2 counts/band	Reliability check in Aetheric zones
Motorcycle	2 counts/band	+10% Piloting for obstacles. Rider takes damage on crash.
Airship	3 counts/band	3D chase. Engine stalls at altitude are catastrophic.

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Tracking Accumulation

Keep it simple. A tally on scratch paper:

Aetheric: |||| (4)   Galvanic: || (2)   Net: +2 Aetheric

Each successful spell adds its tier value. Each exotic weapon shot or device activation subtracts its Galvanic rating. Cross off marks as accumulation decays (1 per minute).

Context	How to Track
Combat	Track every spell and every exotic weapon shot. The balance is a tactical resource.
Exploration	Note significant shifts. Between events, decay happens in the background.
Pure roleplay	Do not track unless magic or exotic tech is used.

Environmental Zones as Adventure Design

Zones are adventure design tools. The Aetheric balance of a location tells the players what works here, what does not, and what the place is.

A factory pumping Galvanic energy into the air (baseline −10) tells the players: your caster is weakened here, firearms are reliable, someone is running heavy machinery. A haunted forest with +8 Aetheric tells them: bring swords, your guns will jam, the caster thrives but the forest is watching.

Dynamic Zones

Spell flooding: A caster throwing Standard spells generates +2 accumulation per cast. Three spells pushes +6 — enough to make firearms noticeably unreliable (−12 Reliability).

Tech pushing back: A force generator pulsing −2 per minute shifts the balance toward Galvanic. Five minutes of operation moves the needle by −10.

Decay as timer: Accumulation decays at 1 per minute. A +6 spike from combat fades in six minutes. Rest to reset the zone, or press on while the balance favors you. This creates pacing tension without any new mechanics.

Baselines do not change in-session. Only sustained, intensive activity over weeks or months shifts a location’s permanent baseline.

Location Baselines

Location	Baseline	Why
Open countryside	0	No sustained activity
City street	0 to −2	Faint industrial hum
Factory floor	−5 to −12	Active machinery
Power plant / foundry	−15 to −25	Heavy Engine concentration
University / library	0 to +2	Faint scholarly traces
Old cathedral / temple	+3 to +5	Centuries of ritual
Haunted manor	+5 to +8	Aetheric residue from trauma
Cemetery / barrow	+3 to +8	Proximity to the Veil
Wild Zone edge	+8 to +12	Technology falters
Wild Zone heart	+15 to +25+	Swords and sorcery only
Galvanic lab	−3 to −8	Prototype testing
Abandoned factory	−2 to −5	Residual resonance, fading

Zone Boundaries as Tactical Terrain

Treat zone boundaries like walls, cover, and chokepoints — tactical features that change how encounters play out.

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Narrating Spell Effects

Spells describe broad concepts, not narrow effects. Force does not say “deals 2d6 in a 15-foot cone” — it says “project raw magical force as a push, strike, or crush.” The tier table gives the mechanical numbers. The fiction is yours to shape.

Scaling Descriptions by Tier

Tier	Scale	Sensory	Aftermath
Weak	Personal, one target	A flicker, a whisper, a faint shimmer	A chill in the air
Standard	Room-scale	A flash, a crack, unmistakable	Scorch marks, frost, displaced objects
Strong	Area-scale, changes the scene	A roar, a wave of force	Structural damage, altered terrain
Spectacular	Building-scale, awe-inspiring	Everyone stops. The air changes.	Craters, fused stone, warped metal

Creative Spell Use

When a player proposes a use that is not in the tier table, ask three questions:

1. Does the spell’s concept cover this? Force moves things. It does not create fire, read minds, or heal wounds.
2. What tier would this effect require? Shoving a door open? Weak. Collapsing a tunnel? Strong or Spectacular.
3. Is the proposed effect within the scope of that tier? Compare to what the tier already does. If it is dramatically more powerful, it does not fit.

If all three pass, the effect works as proposed. If the concept fits but the tier is wrong, offer a reduced version: “Force cannot collapse the tunnel at Standard, but you could crack a support beam.”

Backlash as Narrative

Backlash is not just “take 1d4 damage.” It is the Aether biting back. Describe it in terms of the spell that caused it:

Spell Concept	Backlash Looks Like
Force	Concussive rebound. The caster staggers as if punched.
Elemental Manipulation	The element turns on the caster. A fire spell scorches their hands.
Barrier	The barrier snaps back like a rubber band.
Mend	The healing goes wrong. A bone sets crooked. A wound seals over infection.
Wither	The entropy reflects inward. A fingernail blackens. Hair grays at the temple.
Detect / Reveal	Sensory overload. Every magical trace floods their perception.
Commune	The other side notices you. Something whispers back.
Sever	The severing cuts both ways. Something inside disconnects momentarily.

The 25% wild effect chance after backlash is a storytelling gift. A Wild Effect from Force might shatter every window in the room. A Wild Effect from Commune might briefly open a two-way connection. These moments make sessions memorable.

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Creating Devices on the Fly

When a player asks “Is there a device that could do X?” or you need a piece of exotic tech for an NPC or location, use the quick creation method:

1. What does it do? One clear function. Devices do one thing.
2. What spell does it most closely mimic? A ward detector mimics Detect. A force generator mimics Barrier. Find the analog.
3. Set the Galvanic rating. Weak analog = 1, Standard = 2, Strong = 3. Passive readers = 0.
4. Assign Reliability. 50–60: fragile prototype. 65–75: field-ready. 80+: robust.
5. Add a drawback. It is loud, slow, fragile, fuel-hungry, or alerts things you would rather not alert. Every device has one.

The Balance Test

Before handing a device to the players, ask three questions:

• Does it replace a character ability? Devices should complement abilities, not make them obsolete.
• Does it have a meaningful cost? Galvanic rating shifts the balance. Reliability means it might fail. Charges mean it runs out.
• Does it solve the problem too cleanly? The best devices create new problems while solving old ones.

Devices as Rewards

Rarity	Availability
Common	Specialist shops in major cities
Uncommon	Faction quartermasters, specific contacts
Rare	Black market, faction armories, expedition salvage
Unique	One-of-a-kind. Built for a specific purpose. Quest reward.

Faction-specific devices are among the best quest rewards in the game. A device built by a specific faction — with their design philosophy, their limitations, their aesthetic — tells the players something about that faction every time they use it.

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Economy at the Table

The economy system is covered in Coin & Commerce. This section covers GM-facing guidance for running it in play.

When to Call for a Station Check

Not every purchase needs a check. If a player wants to buy ammunition and they’re Station 2, just say yes — ammunition is Tier 1. Station Checks exist for moments where reaching above your means creates tension or story: bribing the hotel concierge, hiring a specialist, acquiring something the patron didn’t provide.

The skill depends on how they’re getting it: Etiquette for formal access, Streetwise for black market, Persuasion for negotiation, Deception for bluffing wealth they don’t have. Apply −15% as the base modifier and adjust for circumstances.

Pacing the Drift

The Drift is your throttle for economic urgency. After 2–3 sessions of game time without a paying mission, slide the Ledger one step toward Lean. But don’t be mechanical about it — if the table is deep in a personal storyline or investigating something interesting between jobs, slow the Drift. When you want urgency, let it catch up.

At Lean, the Society must take the next available job — even one they don’t like. At Dire, every member’s Station drops by 1 and the charter is on the line. Use Dire sparingly — it’s a crisis, not a routine.

Assigning Payouts

Every mission has a Payout Rating that affects the Ledger:

Payout	Ledger Effect	When to Use
Scraps	No effect — Drift still applies	Routine favours, patrol duty, information delivery
Honest Work	Holds Level — prevents Drift	Standard missions — the bread and butter
Good Money	+1 toward Flush	Dangerous or high-stakes work
Windfall	Jump to Flush, +1 Station possible	Once-in-a-career scores — use rarely

When NPCs discuss payment in fiction, use marks for colour: Scraps ≈ 20–50 marks, Honest Work ≈ 100–300, Good Money ≈ 500–2,000, Windfall ≈ 5,000+. Players don’t track the numbers — the Payout Rating handles the mechanical effect.

Adjusting Backing

Backing changes at campaign inflection points, not session by session. A string of successful missions, a major win for the patron, or the faction growing in power might push Backing up. Repeated failures, defiance of orders, or the patron’s faction losing territory pushes it down. When Backing drops, the Station Floor drops with it — members at the floor feel their lifestyle degrade. That squeeze is where patron politics become personal.

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The Dockmaster’s Favor

Step 1 — Read the room. Sera’s player asks about Greaves’ mood. The GM describes: he looks up from his manifests and his expression goes flat. No roll needed — the GM is describing the world honestly.

Step 2 — Etiquette to soften the ground. Sera compliments his operation, uses his title, stays formal. Etiquette target: ((10 + 2) × 2) + 30 = 54. Rolls 41 — success, margin 13. Greaves softens. Disposition shifts from Unfriendly (−15%) to Neutral (+0%).

Step 3 — Persuasion. Sera mentions their patron, Lord Ashton, and implies future favors. Good argument: +10% roleplay modifier. Persuasion target: 66 + 10 = 76. Rolls 52 — success, margin 24. Greaves pulls out a manifest. “Two berths. Cargo hold, not cabins.”

Step 4 — Deception at the gangplank. A dock inspector asks about a sealed crate. Sera claims it is survey equipment. Deception 66 vs. inspector’s Empathy 40. Sera rolls 38 (success, margin 28). Inspector rolls 52 (fail). One success beats one failure — the lie holds completely.

Through the Market District

Count 0: Both Sprint (speed 3, tokens at 3).

Count 3: Both resolve simultaneously. Range unchanged — both moved the same distance. Complication: a fruit cart blocks the alley.

Kael’s Athletics target: 66. Rolls 28. Success — clears the cart smoothly. Finch’s Athletics target: 50. Rolls 63. Failure — clips the corner, +2 count penalty.

Count 3 declarations: Kael Sprints (speed 3, token at 6). Finch Sprints (speed 3 + 2 penalty = 5, token at 8). Kael is gaining.

Count 6: Kael resolves, moves to Close. Finch has not resolved yet. Kael declares a tackle (Brawl, speed 3, token at 9).

Count 8: Finch resolves, moves from Close back to Near. Kael’s tackle at count 9 needs Close range — Finch is now one band too far. Tackle misses.

Count 11: Finch reaches Far range in the old quarter. Zone shifts to +3 Aetheric — any firearm drawn now loses 6 Reliability.

Resolution (approaching 12 counts): Final opposed Athletics. Kael: 66, rolls 44 (margin 22). Finch: 50, rolls 61 (fail). Kael dives, catches Finch’s coat. Chase over — Close-range confrontation in a +3 Aetheric zone.

The Holloway House

The garden (+2 baseline). Marsh activates the Compass (Galvanic Rating 0 — passive reader, no shift). Kael’s revolver: 95 − 4 = 91. Malfunction chance 9%. Barely noticeable.

Main floor (+5 baseline). Kael’s revolver: 95 − 10 = 85. Malfunction 15%. Marsh’s semi-auto: 85 − 10 = 75. Malfunction 25%. Marsh holsters the pistol and draws a knife. Sera’s casting target: 55 + 10 = 65. The Aether is feeding her.

Sera casts Detect to search for magical traps. Rolls 42 against target 65 — success, margin 23. Standard tier. She senses three sources: two faint wards on the windows, one stronger pulse beneath the floor. Accumulation: +2. Net balance now +7. Kael’s revolver drops to effective 81. It decays back to baseline in two minutes.

The cellar (+8 baseline). Kael’s revolver: 95 − 16 = 79. Malfunction 21%. Marsh’s semi-auto: 85 − 16 = 69. Malfunction 31%. Sera’s casting target: 55 + 16 = 71. She is formidable down here.

They find a ward circle on the cellar floor, still active, pulsing Aetheric energy. Something is contained inside it. Opening the circle is a choice — the thing inside might be dangerous, and releasing it in a +8 zone means any magical entity will be empowered.

The Resonance Cage

The GM uses the quick creation method:

1. Function: Localized Galvanic containment field.
2. Spell analog: Circle — creates a bounded zone. Standard tier for basic containment.
3. Galvanic rating: 2 (Standard analog). Generates −2 per minute while active.
4. Reliability: 55. A prototype built from salvaged parts.
5. Drawbacks: 10 minutes to set up. One-shot power source (~30 minutes). Loud Galvanic pulse on activation. The field affects everyone inside — casting at −4 to target numbers.

Sera lures the creature with a Weak spell. When it enters the cage radius, the engineer activates it. Reliability check: d100 against 55, rolls 33 — it fires. The creature recoils from the Galvanic field but can batter it with its own Aetheric energy. The party has 10–15 minutes before the cage fails.

The device does one thing (containment). It has meaningful costs (setup time, one-shot, affects allies). It creates new problems (transport, time limit, alerting other threats). It is rooted in established mechanics.

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The GM’s Toolkit

Situation	Tool	Reference
Should I call for a roll?	Three conditions test	Uncertain + consequences + not trivial
How hard is this check?	Modifier table	+20% favorable to −30% severe
Raw capability, no skill?	Stat check	(5 + stat) × 10
Environmental chance?	Consequence check	Flat %, roll d100
NPC social encounter?	Disposition + social skill	−30% hostile to +30% allied
Chase on foot?	Timing track + Sprint	Speed 3 per range band
Vehicle chase?	Timing track + vehicle speed	Speed varies by vehicle
Track accumulation?	Tally marks	+tier for spells, −rating for devices
Zone baseline?	Location table	0 neutral to ±25 extreme
Creative spell use?	Three questions test	Concept + tier + scope
Need a device?	Quick creation method	Function → analog → rating → drawback
Can they afford this?	Station vs. Cost Tier	At/below = yes, +1 = check, +2 = narrative
Society running low?	The Drift	2–3 sessions without work → Ledger slides toward Lean
How much does the job pay?	Payout Rating	Scraps / Honest Work / Good Money / Windfall
Patron pulling back?	Backing change	Campaign inflection point, not session-by-session