Basic Moves

This chapter contains the moves that are available to all characters. These moves fall into two categories:
basic and special. Basic moves are the bread and butter of the adventurer’s life. They cover situations
likely to come up in fights, tense negotiations, and dangerous areas. Special moves come up a little more
rarely. They cover things like gaining a level, taking a long journey, or returning to town between
adventures.

All player characters have all the basic and special moves. Each player character will also have some
moves from their class—we’ll get to those later. Each move is presented here starting with its name, then
the rules of the move. Some are also accompanied by a quick discussion of how to use the move and
some examples of the move being used in play.

Hack and Slash

When you attack an enemy in melee, roll+Str. ✴On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and
avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage but expose yourself to the
enemy’s attack. ✴On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against
you.

Hack and Slash is for attacking a prepared enemy plain and simple. If the enemy isn’t prepared for your
attack—if they don’t know you’re there or they’re restrained and helpless—then that’s not Hack and
Slash. You just deal your damage or murder them outright, depending on the situation. Nasty stuff. The
enemy’s counterattack can be any GM move made directly with that creature. A Hurlock might just
attack you back, or they might jam a poisoned needle into your veins. Life’s tough, isn’t it?

Note that an “attack” is some action that a player undertakes that has a chance of causing physical harm
to someone else. Attacking a dragon with inch-thick metal scales full of magical energy using a typical
sword is like swinging a meat cleaver at a tank: it just isn’t going to cause any harm, so Hack and Slash
doesn’t apply. Note that circumstances can change that: if you’re in a position to stab the dragon on its
soft underbelly (good luck with getting there) it could hurt, so it’s an attack.

If the action that triggers the move could reasonably hurt multiple targets roll once and apply damage to
each target (they each get their armor). Some attacks may have additional effects depending on the
triggering action, the circumstances, or the weapons involved. An attack could also knock someone
down, restrain them, or leave a big bloody splatter.

GM: Jarl, you’re up to your not-inconsiderable belly in slavering darkspawn. They have you surrounded, knives
bared. What do you do?
Jarl: I’ve had enough of this! I wallop the closest one with my hammer.
GM: Okay, then. This is definitely combat, you’re using Hack and Slash. Roll+Str.
Jarl: I got an 11. It says here that I have a choice. Fear is for the weak, let those darkspawn come!
GM: You smash your hammer into the nearest darkspawn and are rewarded by the satisfying sound of the
crunching of his bones. That and a knife wound as the goblin counterattacks. He deals 4 damage to you. What
do you do?

GM: Cadeus, from the shadows, you’ve got the drop on those hurlock warriors.
Cadeus: I leap out and bring my sword down in a sweeping arc! Like this! Yeeeah!
GM: Well, they weren’t expecting that, they’re caught totally off guard and you slice into one. Roll damage.
Cadeus: I deal 6 damage.
GM: The hurlock collapses in a bloody heap! The second hurlock freezes and then he’s grinning at you with that
horrible tusked mouth, raising his signal horn from his belt! What do you do?

GM: Bartleby, you’ve got Count Gerard, mightiest duelist in Orlais, completely disarmed and at sword point.
Bartleby: I won’t let you betray me again, Gerard! I run him through.
GM: Well, okay, that’s a Hack and Slash, roll+Str.
Bartleby: If you say so… I got a 7.
GM: Okay, you run him through because he can’t even defend himself and… umm, wait. You know what, he’s not
in melee with you at all. He’s helpless, forget Hack and Slash, he’s toast. He slumps to the ground, coughing
up blood but his attendants aren’t happy with you. They’re moving to surround you, weapons drawn. What
do you do?

Volley

When you take aim and shoot at an enemy at range , roll+Dex. ✴On a 10+, you have a clear shot—deal
your damage. ✴On a 7–9, choose one (whichever you choose you deal your damage):
 You have to move to get the shot placing you in danger as described by the GM
 You have to take what you can get: -1d6 damage
 You have to take several shots, reducing your ammo by one

Volley covers the entire act of drawing, aiming, and firing a ranged weapon or throwing a thrown
weapon. The advantage to using a ranged weapon over melee is that the attacker is less likely to be
attacked back. Of course they do have to worry about ammunition and getting a clear shot though.

On a 7–9, read “danger” broadly. It can be bad footing or ending in the path of a sword or maybe just
giving up your sweet sniper nest to your enemies. Whatever it is, it’s impending and it’s always
something that causes the GM to say “What do you do?” Quite often, the danger will be something that
will then require you to dedicate yourself to avoiding it or force you to Defy Danger. If you’re throwing
something that doesn’t have ammo (maybe you’ve got a move that makes your shield throwable) you
can’t choose to mark off ammo. Choose from the other two options instead.

Aranwe: So, I’m stuck down here on the floor of the ritualarium and that genlock eyegouger is chanting his ritual
up on the pedestal? Since Thelian has the rest of the rabble busy, I’ll aim my bow and take a shot at the
chanting genlock.
GM: An excellent choice—sounds like Volley to me.
Aranwe: I got an 8, damn. Well, I’m low on arrows and even lower on HP. I better take what I can get. I roll my
damage, then subtract the results of a d6, right? I got a 3. Is that enough to distract him, at least?
GM: Sure! The arrow digs into the eyegouger’s leg and he roars in pain, interrupting the ritual temporarily.
Unfortunately, it looks like interruption might just be worse—a terrible rumbling echoes from the pit under
the pedestal and the masonry of the room begins to crumble. What do you do?

Halek: Hurlocks and an ogre? Man, what’s going on here? Well, if they’re coming to get me, I might as well let my
arrows say hello. I take a shot at the mob. I rolled an 8.
GM: Well, what’ll it be? Danger? Ammo?
Halek: I’ll take the danger.
GM: Well, the hurlocks swarm you and you manage to hit one as they approach—he falls down but as the rest
approach, you realize you’ve lost track of the ogre. He smashes you with his club and you take 12 damage!
Halek: 12 damage? That’s the danger?
GM: You’re right, that’s not just danger. Okay, so you’re not mush yet—the ogre is looming behind you and that
club is flying down at your head! What do you do?
 Defy Danger

When you act despite an imminent threat  or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll. If you
do it…
 …by powering through, +Str
 …by getting out of the way or acting fast, +Dex
 …by enduring, +Con
 …with quick thinking, +Int
 …through mental fortitude, +Wil
 …using charm and social grace, +Com
✴On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear. ✴On a 7–9, you stumble,
hesitate, or flinch: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.

You Defy Danger when you do something in the face of impending peril. This may seem like a catch-all.
It is! Defy Danger is for those times when it seems like you clearly should be rolling but no other move
applies.

Defy Danger also applies when you make another move despite danger not covered by that move. For
example, Hack and Slash assumes that you’re trading blows in battle—you don’t need to Defy Danger
because of the monster you’re fighting unless there’s some specific danger that wouldn’t be part of your
normal attack. On the other hand, if you’re trying to Hack and Slash while spikes shoot from hidden
traps in the walls or the enemy is surrounded by a shield of fire, those are whole different dangers.

Danger, here, is anything that requires resilience, concentration, or poise. This move will usually be called
for by the GM. They’ll tell you what the danger is as you make the move. Something like “You’ll have to
Defy Danger first. The danger is the steep and icy floor you’re running across. If you can keep your
footing, you can make it to the door before the necromancer’s magic gets you.”

Which stat applies depends on what action you take and your action has to trigger the move. That means
you can’t Defy Danger from a steep and icy floor with a charming smile just so you can use Com, since
charmingly smiling at the icy floor does nothing to it. On the other hand, making a huge leap over the ice
would be Str, placing your feet carefully would be Dex, and so on. Make the move to get the results.

GM: Emory, as you climb up the side of the ravine you spy a cultist on a ledge nearby who evokes a frost spell and
covers the side of the cliff with ice! If you want to keep climbing, you need to Defy Danger or you’ll fall.
Emory: No way, I am too tough. I grit my teeth and dig my nails into the wall, climbing one hand at a time. I’m
using Con, okay? I got an 8, though…
GM: Hmm, well, I think the only way you can gain any traction, tough guy, is if you use your dagger to pull
yourself up the last few feet. It’s going to be lodged in there until you have some time to pull it loose and
there’s an angry spellcaster nearby.
Emory: I can always get a new dagger when I get home. Time to finish this climb and that cultist.

GM: The qunari is swinging his burly arm down at you, knobby fingers gripping a broken branch. What are you
doing, Valeria?
Valeria: So he wants to fight, huh? Let’s do it. I Hack and Slash him, swinging my sword at his legs.
GM: Now hold on there, champ. He’s already got you at a disadvantage. You can jump into the fray but you’ll take
that club head on unless you Defy Danger first.
Valeria: Pfft, he’s no match for Valeria the Red! I leap aside like a leaf in the wind, then I start Hacking and
Slashing.
GM: Defy Danger with your Dex, please and thank you.

Octavia: I’ve had enough of this ogre, I’m going to drop my shield and swing my hammer in both hands. Hack and
Slash, right?
GM: You drop your shield? That’s a bad idea–now you have to Defy Danger because the ogre is going to bash you.
Octavia: Are you sure? Isn’t that what Hack and Slash is? Trading blows and stuff?
GM: Yes, duh, of course. I need another cup of coffee–Hack and Slash it is, make your move!

Defend

When you stand in defense of a person, item, or location  under attack, roll+Con. ✴On a 10+, hold 3.
✴On a 7–9, hold 1. As long as you stand in defense, when you or the thing you defend is attacked you
may spend hold, 1 for 1, to choose an option:
 Redirect an attack from the thing you defend to yourself
 Halve the attack’s effect or damage
 Open up the attacker to an ally giving that ally +1 forward against the attacker
 Deal damage to the attacker equal to your level

Defending something means standing nearby and focusing on preventing attacks against that thing or
stopping anyone from getting near it. When you’re no longer nearby or you stop devoting your attention
to incoming attacks then you lose any hold you might have had.

You can only spend hold when someone makes an attack on you or the thing you’re defending. The
choices you can make depend on the attacker and the type of attack. In particular, you can’t deal damage
to an attacker who you can’t reach with your weapon. An attack is any action you can interfere with that
has harmful effects. Swords and arrows are attacks, of course, but so are spells, grabs, and charges.

If the attack doesn’t deal damage then halving it means the attacker gets some of what they want but not
all of it. It’s up to you and the GM to work out what that means depending on the circumstances. If
you’re defending the Ashes of Andraste and a Tevinter magister tries to grab it from its pedestal then half
effect might mean that the urn gets knocked to the floor but the magister doesn’t get his hands on it, yet.
Or maybe the magister gets a hold of it but so do you—now you’re both fighting over it, tooth and nail. If
you and the GM can’t agree on a halved effect you can’t choose that option.

Defending yourself is certainly an option. It amounts to giving up on making attacks and just trying to
keep yourself safe.

GM: Avon, you begin weaving the spell to push the necromancer’s ghost back through the gates but the ghouls are
bearing down on you.
Lux: Don’t worry, squishy Avon, I will save you. While Avon casts his spell, I swear to protect him—I slam my
hammer on my shield and yell “If you want to stop him, you’ll have to come through me.” I’d like to defend
Avon.
GM: And with such gusto, too. Roll+Con.
Lux: I get an 11, three hold, right?
Avon: Better get ready to use it, Lux. I got an 8 on my spellcasting roll—I choose to put myself in danger.
GM: Of course you do. The ghouls are drawn by the magical disturbance, lurching toward you on the attack.
Suddenly, you’re swarmed by them, they’re everywhere! What do you do?
Avon: Squeak helplessly?
Lux: I’m on it. I spend a point of my hold to redirect the attack to me—I shove Avon aside and let the full fury of my
goodness spill out in waves, angering the undead. To be safe, I’m going to whip my hammer in an arc and deal
my damage. I might as well use it all up and reduce the damage by half. Maker protect us!

GM: So, Hadrian, you’ve been defending Durga while she heals Willem, but now Willem is better. What do you do?
Durga: I leap forward to drive back the spiders!
Hadrian: I want to tangle with these deepstalkers.
GM: Okay, Durga, the spiders come at you with their fangs bared.
Hadrian: No way, I still have hold left over, I want to spend it to redirect that attack to myself.
GM: You two are spread out, now. How are you going to do that if you’re 20 yards away? You lost your hold when
you attacked the deepstalker, my friend.
Hadrian: Yeah, I guess I’m not “standing in defense” anymore. Forget it, you’re on your own, Durga!

Spout Lore

When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+Int. ✴On a 10+, the GM will tell
you something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. ✴On a 7–9, the GM
will only tell you something interesting—it’s on you to make it useful. The GM might ask you “How do
you know this?” Tell them the truth, now.

You spout lore any time you want to search your memory for knowledge or facts about something. You
take a moment to ponder the things you know about the Dalish people or the mortalitasi of Nevarra and
then reveal that knowledge. The knowledge you get is like consulting a bestiary, travel guide, or library.
You get facts about the subject matter. On a 10+ the GM will show you how those facts can be
immediately useful, on a 7–9 they’re just facts.

On a miss the GM’s move will often involve the time you take thinking. Maybe you miss that mercenary
moving around behind you, or the tripwire across the hallway. It’s also a great chance to reveal an
unwelcome truth. Just in case it isn’t clear: the answers are always true, even if the GM had to make them
up on the spot. Always say what honesty demands. If they contradict preestablished lore, your group can
decide whether to retcon what was said, or to retcon what’s been written. Just try not to spend too much
time holding up the game to go back and fix mistakes – usually, the factoids in question won’t ruin the
game even if they are inaccurate.

Fenfaril: The floor was illusory? Damn those dwarves. Damn them straight to wherever dwarves go when they’re
dead.
GM: Heh, yep. You’re in a murky pit, and there’s a shadowy humanoid shape, mottled and eyeless, moving towards
you, mumbling.
Fenfaril: Mumbling shape, huh? What is that thing? Is it going to attack me? I’m sure I’ve read about them
somewhere before, maybe at school?
GM: Could be. Spout Lore!
Fenfaril: Bestow your knowledge upon me, brain. I rolled an 8.
GM: Well, of course you know of these things—the name escapes you but you definitely remember a drawing of a
creature like this. It was in a hallway, standing guard over something. You know there’s a trick to get it to let
you pass but you can’t quite remember. Why not?
Fenfaril: Obviously I was hungover that day. I was a terrible student. A trick, you say? Hmm…

Vitus: I got a 10 on my spout lore about this gilded skull.

Discern Realities

When you closely study a situation or person , roll+Wil. ✴On a 10+, ask the GM 3 questions from the list
below. ✴On a 7–9, ask 1. Either way, take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
 What happened here recently?
 What is about to happen?
 What should I be on the lookout for?
 What here is useful or valuable to me?
 Who’s really in control here?
 What here is not what it appears to be?

To Discern Realities you must closely observe your target. That usually means interacting with it or
watching someone else do the same. You can’t just stick your head in the doorway and Discern Realities
about a room. You’re not merely scanning for clues—you have to look under and around things, tap the
walls, and check for weird dust patterns on the bookshelves. That sort of thing. If you’re just doing a
quick scan, say so, and the GM will tell you all your cursory glance might reveal.

Discerning Realities isn’t just about noticing a detail, it’s about figuring out the bigger picture. The GM
always describes what the player characters experience honestly, so during a fight the GM will say that
the apostate mage stays at the other end of the hall. Discerning Realities could reveal the reason behind
that: the apostate’s motions reveal that he’s actually pulling energy from the room behind him, he can’t
come any closer.

Just like Spout Lore, the answers you get are always honest ones. Even if the GM has to figure it out on
the spot. Once they answer, it’s set in stone. You’ll want to Discern Realities to find the truth behind
illusions—magical or otherwise.

Unless a move says otherwise players can only ask questions from the list. If a player asks a question not
on the list the GM can tell them to try again or answer a question from the list that seems equivalent. Of
course, some questions might have a negative answer, that’s fine. If there really, honestly is nothing
useful or valuable here, the GM will answer that question with “Nothing, sorry.”

Omar: I don’t trust this room—I’m going to poke around a little. I take out my tools and start messing with stuff. I
pull candlesticks and tap the walls with my hammer. My usual tricks.
GM: Discern Realities?
Omar: Oh yes. I Discern all the Realities. I got a 12. I want to know “What here is not as it appears to be?”
GM: Well, it’s obvious to you that the wall on the north side of the room has a hollow spot. The stones are newer
and the mortar is fresher, probably a hidden alcove or passageway.
Omar: I want to ask another one. “Who sealed the room.”
GM: That’s not on the list, so I’m going to pretend you asked “What happened here recently.” Looking at the
stonework, you notice the wall actually bends out in places. The work is shoddy and awful—looks to you like
the work of darkspawn. The only way it’d get bent out that way, though, is if there was something pushing it
from within.
Omar: So either the darkspawn blocked it from the other side, or there’s something in there that tried to get out.
GM: Bingo.

Parley

When you have leverage on a GM Character and manipulate them, roll+Com. Leverage is something
they need or want. ✴On a 10+, they do what you ask if you first promise what they ask of you. ✴On a 7–
9, they will do what you ask, but need some concrete assurance of your promise, right now.

Parley covers a lot of ground including old standbys like intimidation and diplomacy. You know you’re
using parley when you’re trying to get someone to do something for you by holding a promise or threat
over them. Your leverage can be nasty or nice, the tone doesn’t matter.

Merely asking someone politely isn’t parleying. That’s just talking. You say, “Can I have that magic
sword?” and Ser Telric says, “Hell no, this is my blade, my father forged it and my mother enchanted it”
and that’s that. To parley, you have to have leverage. Leverage is anything that could lure the target of
your parley to do something for you. Maybe it’s something they want or something they don’t want you
to do. Like a sack of gold. Or punching them in the face. What counts as leverage depends on the people
involved and the request being made. Threaten a lone mercenary with death and you have leverage.
Threaten a mercenary backed up by their gang with death and they might think they’re better off in a
fight. (If that lone mercenary was an Antivan Crow, though, you might have been better off not
threatening them at all…)

On a 7+ they ask you for something related to whatever leverage you have. If your leverage is that you’re
standing before them sharpening your knife and insinuating about how much you’d like to shank them
with it they might ask you to let them go. If your leverage is your position in court above them they
might ask for a favor.

Whatever they ask for, on a 10+, you just have to promise it clearly and unambiguously. On a 7–9, that’s
not enough: you also have to give them some assurance, right now, before they do what you want. If you
promise that you’ll ensure their safety from the wolves if they do what you want and you roll a 7–9 they
won’t do their part until you bring a fresh wolf pelt to prove you can do it, for example. It’s worth noting
that you don’t actually have to keep your promise. Whether you’ll follow up or not, well, that’s up to
you. Of course breaking promises leads to problems. People don’t take kindly to oath-breakers and aren’t
likely to deal with them in the future – or they’re likely to deal with them in a very specific and unsavory
way.

In some cases when you state what you want you may include a possible promise for the target to make,
as in “flee and I’ll let you live.” It’s up to the target of the parley if that’s the promise they want or if they
have something else in mind. They can say “yes, let me live and I’ll go” (with assurances, if you rolled a
7–9) or “promise me you won’t follow me.”

Leena: “Lord Hywn, I need you to vouch for me or the Queen will never grant me an audience.”
GM: He’s not really convinced—it could be a big hit to his reputation if you embarrass him. “Why should I help
you, Leena?”
Leena: Oh, while I talk to him, I absentmindedly play with the signet ring from that assassin we killed. The one he
hired to off the prince. I make sure he sees it.
GM: Oh boy, okay. Parley, roll +Com.
Leena: An 8.
GM: “Enough being coy!” he looks at you cold and angry. “You and I both know you murdered my hired man. Give
me the ring, swear to silence, and I’ll do as you ask.”
Leena: I toss it to him. We can always dig up more dirt on this scumbag later.

Pendrell: This is the place where One Eye plays cards, right? Okay, I walk up to the guard. “Hey there fellows, care
to, you know, open the door and let me in?” and I’m being all suave and cool so they’ll do it. Parley is
roll+Com right?
GM: Not so fast, slick. All you’ve done is say what you want. The big smelly one on the right steps in front of you
and says, “Sorry sir, private game,” all bored-sounding. It’s like he hates his job and wishes he were someplace
else. If you want to parley, you’re going to need some leverage. Maybe a bribe?

Aid or Interfere

When you help or hinder someone , roll+any appropriate stat with them. ✴On a 10+, they take +1 or -2
to their roll, your choice. ✴On a 7–9, they still get a modifier, but you also expose yourself to danger,
retribution, or cost.

Any time you feel like two players should be rolling against each other, the defender should be
interfering with the attacker. This doesn’t always mean sabotaging them. It can mean anything from
arguing against a Parley to just being a shifty person who’s hard to discern. It’s about getting in the way
of another players’ success.

Always ask the person Aiding or Interfering how they are doing it. As long as they can answer that, they
trigger the move. Sometimes, as the GM, you’ll have to ask if interference is happening. Your players
might not always notice they’re interfering with each other.

Aid is a little more obvious. If a player can explain how they’re helping with a move and it makes sense,
let them roll to aid. No matter how many people Aid or Interfere with a given roll, the target only gets the
+1 or -2 once. Even if a whole party of adventurers aid in attacking an ogre, the one who makes the final
attack only gets +1.

GM: Ozruk, you stand alone and bloodied before a pack of angry werewolves. Behind you cowers the Prince of
Rivain, weeping in terror.
Ozruk: I stand firm and lift my shield. Despite certain doom, I will do my duty and defend the princeling.
Aronwe: I emerge from the shadows and draw my sword! “Doom is not so certain, dwarf!” I stand beside him. I
want to help him defend. “Though I do not know you well, I have seen you in battle, Ozruk. If we are to die
today, we die as brothers!”
GM: Touching, really. Okay, roll+Con and if you succeed, Ozruk, take +1 to your defend attempt. Here we go!

Special Moves
Special moves are moves that come up less often or in more specific situations. They’re still the basis of
what characters do in Dragon Age—particularly what they do between dungeon crawls and high-flying
adventures.
 Last Breath

When you’re dying your spirit hovers on the brink, shifting through the Veil between the world and the
Fade (the GM will describe it). Then roll (just roll, +nothing—yeah, death doesn’t care how tough or cool
you are). ✴On a 10+, you’ve cheated death—you’re in a bad spot but you’re still alive. ✴On a 7–9, your
soul is slipping into the Fade. It’s not going to be easy to come back. ✴On 6-, your fate is sealed. You’ve
crossed over to the Fade for good.

The Last Breath is that moment standing between life and death. Time stands still as the Veil parts. Even
those who do not pass beyond catch a glimpse of the other side and what might await them—friends and
enemies past, rewards or punishment for acts in life or other, stranger vistas. All are changed in some
way by this moment—even those who escape.

There are three outcomes to this move. On a 10+, the Character has cheated death in some meaningful
way. They’ll stabilize and can even be healed back up to fighting strength (though whether they stabilize
to consciousness depends on circumstance, and they may still be attacked and reduced to 0 HP again,
prompting another immediate Last Breath). Stabilized characters have 1 HP.

On a 7–9, your soul slips almost entirely into the Fade, save a thin, tenuous link – like entering a coma. It
might not happen immediately, depending on the circumstance, but once it does there is little that can be
done to bring you back, and not much time to do it in. Here’s where a mage, especially a necromancer,
comes in handy. If a character whose soul has entered the Fade is attacked, the link is broken. They can’t
roll for Last Breath again and they are lost.

Recovering a character’s soul from the Fade is always a harrowing, but interesting, tale. The risks are
extreme, as a mage will risk possession just to securely project their soul into the Fade – moreso if they
can manage to bring their friends along. While it’s impossible to enter the Fade physically (or is it?),
fighting and dying there is. Dying in the Fade means losing one’s soul, and any character who is rendered
thus will be stuck in that same hovering state. If all the players are so incapacitated, they’ll have to create
new ones, or otherwise recruit new players to come rescue them.

On a miss, death is inevitable. It still might not occur immediately, but it absolutely will, and when it
does the character’s soul is gone for good. That’s not to say their soul can never be encountered in the
Fade, but it won’t be returning to their body. That’s also not to say another spirit can’t find its way into
the newly vacated body, either, so hopefully there are no malevolent necromancers nearby…

Encumbrance

When you make a move while carrying weight you may be encumbered. If your weight carried is:
 Equal to or less than your load, you suffer no penalty
 Less than or equal to your load+2, you take -1 ongoing until you lighten your burden
 Greater than your load+2, you have a choice: drop at least 1 weight and roll at -1, or
automatically fail

A PC’s load stat is determined by their class and Str. Being able to haul more is a clear benefit when
trying to carry treasure out of a dungeon or just making sure you can bring along what you need.

This move only applies to things a person could walk around with and still act. Carrying a boulder on
your back is not encumbrance—you can’t really act or move much with it. It affects what moves you can
make appropriately in the fiction.
 Make Camp

When you settle in to rest consume a ration. If you’re somewhere dangerous decide the watch order as
well. If you have enough XP you may level up. When you wake from at least a few uninterrupted hours
of sleep heal damage equal to half your max HP.

You usually make camp so that you can do other things, like eat, recover, and perhaps inventory your
spoils. Or, you know, sleep soundly at night. Whenever you stop to catch your breath for more than an
hour or so, you’ve probably made camp. Staying a night in an inn or house is making camp, too. Regain
your hit points as usual, but only mark off a ration if you’re eating from the food you carry, not paying
for a meal or receiving hospitality.

Take Watch

When you’re on watch and something approaches the camp  roll+Wil. ✴On a 10+, you’re able to wake
the camp and prepare a response, everyone in the camp takes +1 forward. ✴On a 7–9, you react just a
moment too late; your companions in camp are awake but haven’t had time to prepare. They have
weapons and armor but little else. ✴On a miss, whatever lurks outside the campfire’s light has the drop
on you.

Undertake a Perilous Journey

When you travel through hostile territory , choose one member of the party to act as  trailblazer, one
to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster. Each character with a job to do rolls+Wil. ✴On a 10+:
 the quartermaster reduces the number of rations required by one
 the trailblazer reduces the amount of time it takes to reach your destination (the GM will say by
how much)
 the scout will spot any trouble quick enough to let you get the drop on it
✴On a 7–9, each role performs their job as expected: the normal number of rations are consumed, the
journey takes about as long as expected, no one gets the drop on you but you don’t get the drop on them
either.

You can’t assign more than one job to a character. If you don’t have enough party members, or choose not
to assign a job, treat that job as if it had been assigned and the responsible player had rolled a 6.

Distances in Dragon Age are measured in rations. A ration is the amount of supplies used up in a day.
Journeys take more rations when they are long or when travel is slow.A perilous journey is the whole
way between two locations. You don’t roll for one day’s journey and then make camp only to roll for the
next day’s journey, too. Make one roll for the entire trip.

This move only applies when you know where you’re going. Setting off to explore is not a perilous
journey. It’s wandering around looking for cool things to discover. Use up rations as you camp and the
GM will give you details about the world as you discover them.

End of Session
When you reach the end of a session , look at your alignment. If you fulfilled that alignment at least once
this session, mark XP. Then answer these three questions as a group:
 Did we learn something new and important about the world?
 Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?
 Did we loot a memorable treasure?
For each “yes” answer everyone marks XP.

Level Up

When you have downtime (hours or days) and XP equal to (or greater than) your current level+7 , you
can reflect on your experiences and hone your skills.
 Subtract your current level+7 from your XP.
 Increase your level by 1.
 Choose a new advanced move from your class.
 If you are a mage, you also get to add a new spell to your repertoire.
 Choose one of your stats and increase it by 1 (this may change your modifier). Changing your
Constitution increases your maximum and current HP. Changing your Willpower increases your
maximum and current mana. Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.

When you level up, don’t just mechanically take your actions. Discuss with the group why you’re making
the changes. Everybody must agree that it makes sense within the fiction.

For example, if you level up strength, it’s because you engaged in physical activity. You exercised (that
one’s easy; adventuring is quite a workout). But if you spent the entire session without saying a word,
hiding during conversations, it doesn’t make sense that you’d increase your Communication. You might
argue that you want to increase the stat because it’s low, and you didn’t utilize it because it’s low, and
this is the first step toward using it more – but that’s unrealistic. Advancing, getting better at something,
is just as much about failure as it is about success. If you want to get a higher Communication score,
you’re going to have to communicate! Even if it means embarrassing yourself, or worse. That’s why you
mark XP for failures!

Likewise, when you take a new move, think of proper justification for it. For most moves, this goes along
with a stat increase or your general playstyle – the moves your class has access to are already in your
wheelhouse, and as you grow braver and bolder you naturally learn and do more.

For some moves, however, there may need to be a more specific justification for learning it. A mage who
didn’t use any spells or magical moves, and indeed showed no connection to the Fade, probably wouldn’t
see an increase in their magical capability. A warrior who trained with a master or fought alongside a
skilled swordsman would definitely learn a thing or two. Likewise, characters can learn new techniques
from books and tomes, from teachers, or from exploring and expanding their own skills (a mage might
learn an advanced spell simply by having cast its less powerful form, for example).

Return Triumphant

When you return triumphant, roll +Com to report that you’ve completed your adventure. ✴On a 10+,
choose 3. ✴On a 7–9, choose 1. ✴On a miss, you still choose one, but there may be other complications
(the GM will say how).
 You befriend a useful NPC.
 You hear rumors of an opportunity.
 You gain useful information.
 You are not entangled, ensorcelled, or tricked.

Returning triumphant represents your arrival back to town. This allows words of your deeds to spread,
which can present new opportunities or new jobs or leads. It gives you a chance to carouse and party
with the townsfolk, if you slayed that foul beastie that’s been plaguing them or recovered their lost gold.
It might also mean somber reflection on what you accomplished while you carefully consider your next
move. If you failed to do whatever it is you set out to do or you come back empty-handed, you don’t
Return Triumphant. You just have to eat the loss and try again.

Supply

When you go to buy something with gold on hand, if it’s something readily available in the settlement
you’re in, you can buy it at market price. If it’s something special, beyond what’s usually available here,
or non-mundane, roll+Com. ✴On a 10+, you find what you’re looking for at a fair price. ✴On a 7–9,
you’ll have to pay more or settle for something that’s not exactly what you wanted, but close. The GM
will tell you what your options are.

Recover

When you do nothing but rest in comfort and safety  after a day of rest you recover all your HP. After
three days of rest you remove one debility of your choice. If you’re under the care of a healer (magical or
otherwise) you heal a debility for every two days of rest instead.

Outstanding Warrants

When you return to a civilized place in which you’ve caused trouble before , roll+Com. ✴On a 10+,
word has spread of your deeds and everyone recognizes you. ✴On a 7–9, as above, and the GM chooses
a complication:
 The local constabulary has a warrant out for your arrest.
 Someone has put a price on your head.
 Someone important to you has been put in a bad spot as a result of your actions.

This move is only for places where you’ve caused trouble, not every patch of civilization you enter. Being
publicly caught up in someone else’s trouble still triggers this move. If the PCs have stayed in a place as
part of the community, it counts as civilization.

Bolster

When you spend your leisure time in study, meditation, or hard practice,  you gain preparation. If you
prepare for a week or more, take 1 preparation. If you prepare for a month or longer, take 3 instead.
When your preparation pays off spend 1 preparation for +1 to any roll. You can only spend one
preparation per roll.