Defiant RPG - GM Guide (Electronic Version) X

Defiant Game Master Guide
Preparing for an Episode

Go through the checklist below, before each Episode. If you play the
Episode divided into two Sessions, you need to prepare only before the
first one.
Basic preparations
o Restock Mirrors
o Create two Threads
o Create or choose one NPC for each Thread
o Consider implementing the Story Arc
Advanced preparations
o Restock Mirrors and Secrets
o Create two Threads
o Create or choose two NPCs for each Thread
o Create the underlying circumstances
o Consider implementing or modifying the Story Arc
Running the Episode

During the game, follow the Episode structure and the Principles. In case
you run into trouble, try using the GM Tips.
Episode structure
Prologue • Personal Affairs • Court Challenges • The first Thread
Personal Challenges • The second Thread • Epilogue

Useful information
Court Challenge
At the beginning of an Episode, each Player answers questions and
takes a Challenge.
o What’s the main issue you’ve been dealing with in your Court, lately?
o Have you noticed the Court’s Afflictions affecting life in your Holding?
o Are you aware of any Courtiers causing problems in your Court?
o Have you implemented any new rules or customs in your Court?
o Is there anyone or anything you're especially interested in right now?
NPC Mirror types

The Challenger The Opposite The Aspiring
The Flawed The Lost The Paragon
NPC Secret Types

Dirty Secrets Surprising Secrets Silly Secrets
Dark Secrets Intimate Secrets
The GM Commandments
Make things exciting, colorful and important
Make sure everyone gets a fair amount of game time
Make sure everyone knows the safety rules
Let the Players tell their Characters’ stories
When in doubt, consult the group
Make the world feel real and relatable
Make the Defiant feel exceptional and powerful
Let the Characters stand out
Keep the Scenes interesting and personal

The GM tips
When you describe a Scene
Don’t necessarily start at the beginning
From time to time focus on details
Use the scenery (play it through the NPCs)
Show Characters’ emotions
Make things and people desired
When the game slows down

Show them an act of transgression
Show them a Secret
Give them an opportunity at a price
Ask them for judgment
Give them a valuable gift
Escalate and ask if it’s still ok
Build upon previously established facts
When the game stops entirely

Attack the Characters in an obvious way
Take something from the Characters
Attack the Characters from the shadows
Present new rules, possibly demanding
Question the Characters’ devotion
Ask the Players to frame a Scene

Challenge outcomes
No Successes: At the mercy

Choice: Present the player with a tough dilemma. Give them two or more
options, all of which are pretty terrible and let them choose.
Condition: In case of zero Successes, the player does not get the option
to “buy” the victory. You can let them pay a price for a more favorable
defeat.
Price: The default option to choose in this case. Just pick whatever
outcome you find interesting and go with it.
1 Success: The hard won victory

Choice: The Character will sacrifice something to finish the Challenge,
and you let the player choose what it is.
Condition: They have to pay or forfeit the Challenge. The Condition has
to be stark, since you are also giving them an option to walk away.
Price: Turn the victory against the Character. They get what they wanted,
but they’d probably be better off if they didn’t.
2 Successes: The bump on the road

Choice: This one works pretty much the same as with 1 Success,
however the consequences of the choices should be less severe.
Condition: The Character may choose to half-succeed. Or they can get

exactly what they wanted. If they agree to the Condition, that is.
Price: Add a minor complication or annoyance to spice the things up.

3 Successes: The added bonus
Choice: The Character succeeds. Present them with two options for
additional gains. Say they can have only one of them.
Condition: The Character achieves what they wanted. If they are willing
to pay a small price, they can get something extra out of this.
Price: You get to present the Character with a gift. It shouldn’t be

something extremely useful, but feel free to be generous.
4 Successes: The game-changer

Choice: Not only does the Character achieve all they set out to do, but
you also work with the player to establish the exact nature of the bonus.
Condition: Pan overwhelming vision of success. Ask them if they want

that. If not, tell them what their Character needs to do to avert it. They
need to pay the price if they want to uphold the status quo.
Price: The Character clearly achieved their goal. You are free to throw
any positive boon at them, you can think of. It can be as over the top as
you deem fitting.
We’ve added a copy of the Player Guide below

Defiant Player Guide
At the beginning of an Episode
Personal Affairs: at the beginning of an Episode, choose one an get the
bonus from the list below.
o Gain two points of either Province or House Standing

o Increase the Potential of the next Court Challenge by three
o Remove all Afflictions from you
o Remove all Afflictions from your Courtiers
o Create a new Facility in your Holding
o Change the adjectives of any number of your Facilities
o Start an Endeavor of your choice with a +3 Potential modifier
o Advance an Endeavor by three steps
o Change your unique Trait
Mark Setbacks on all Endeavor progress tracks.
At the end of an Episode

Answer the questions to get Standing:
o Have you done right by your Province and Princeps?

+1 Province Standing
o Have you stayed true to your bloodline’s Creed and ideals?
+1 House Standing
o Have you fulfilled your royal duties to the full extent?
+1 Province or House Standing
o Have you done anything notable to support Principles or Commandments?
+1 Province or House Standing
o Have your actions gained popularity and fame throughout the Domain?
+1 Province and +1 House Standing
Remove one Minor Affliction from your Character. Reduce the severity
on one Affliction (Severe to Major, Major to Minor or erase Minor).
Remove an Affliction from one of your Courtiers.
Trouble
Whenever you roll a “1” during a Challenge, mark one box on a Trouble
Track.
If all boxes are marked, the Trouble activates and the PC gets a Severe
Affliction. The GM chooses the Trouble and narrates the situation.
Trouble Track resets.
If even one box is marked, the Player may activate the Trouble at any
time. The Player chooses the Trouble and narrates the situation. Trouble
Track resets.
Shards
Spend a Shard to do one of the following:
• Improve dice pool (+1d8) and ignore having to mark Trouble

• Ask Theme Question
• Activate a Special Rule
Regain Shards by using Origin rule on your Character Sheet.
Afflictions
Minor Affliction: -1 to Potential.
Major Affliction: -2 to Potential
Severe Affliction: -3 to Potential
You can have a total of three Afflictions of each type. Fourth Affliction
changes into one more severe Affliction (Minor to Major, or Major to
Severe). Fourth Severe Affliction means the Character is out of action.
You can remove Afflictions through Character’s actions, after the

Episode, through some Special Rules, as a Personal Affair/Challenge.

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Defiant Game Master Guide

Preparing for an Episode

Running the Episode

Personal Challenges • The second Thread • Epilogue

NPC Mirror types

The Flawed The Lost The Paragon

NPC Secret Types

Dark Secrets Intimate Secrets

Make sure everyone gets a fair amount of game time

Make sure everyone knows the safety rules

Let the Players tell their Characters’ stories

When in doubt, consult the group

Make the world feel real and relatable

Make the Defiant feel exceptional and powerful

Let the Characters stand out

Keep the Scenes interesting and personal

From time to time focus on details

Use the scenery (play it through the NPCs)

Show Characters’ emotions

Make things and people desired

When the game slows down

Show them a Secret

Give them an opportunity at a price

Ask them for judgment

Give them a valuable gift

Escalate and ask if it’s still ok

Build upon previously established facts

When the game stops entirely

Take something from the Characters

Attack the Characters from the shadows

Present new rules, possibly demanding

Question the Characters’ devotion

Ask the Players to frame a Scene

No Successes: At the mercy

1 Success: The hard won victory

2 Successes: The bump on the road

Condition: The Character may choose to half-succeed. Or they can get

Price: Add a minor complication or annoyance to spice the things up.

Price: You get to present the Character with a gift. It shouldn’t be

4 Successes: The game-changer

Condition: Pan overwhelming vision of success. Ask them if they want

We’ve added a copy of the Player Guide below

o Gain two points of either Province or House Standing

Mark Setbacks on all Endeavor progress tracks.

At the end of an Episode

o Have you done right by your Province and Princeps?

• Improve dice pool (+1d8) and ignore having to mark Trouble

Regain Shards by using Origin rule on your Character Sheet.

Major Affliction: -2 to Potential

Severe Affliction: -3 to Potential

You can remove Afflictions through Character’s actions, after the

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