1) The Basics - System and Moves

The Basics: Moves and Systems
(Impulse Drive*, Uncharted Worlds*, The Sprawl: midnight, Cowboy World, Dungeon World*,
Legacy 2e, ironsworn, the sword the crown the unspeakable power*, vagabonds of dyfed)
System
Moves
- structured around: dungeon world, impulse drive, uncharted worlds, ironsworn
- check them out
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This sections tells you how to play the game. It goes through the rules for moves and other key
systems, like health and damage.
The Fiction
Structure of the Game

- Phases and scenes
----- scenes are sub-sections of phases
----- scenes can be inexact and will flow naturally. Be guided by the fiction.
----- differences between one-off games and extended games/campaigns.
Downtime Phase
Preparation Phase
- triggered when a new hunt contract is received (the PC’s should be ‘ready to go’)
- discuss contract
----- nice rp chat
----- plan of action
- conduct research
--- possible research targets:
----- type / tier / HP / damage
----- Name
----- image/description (what it looks like)
----- powers and action
----- environment / lair
----- example/known behaviours
- procure hunt specific items (holy water, traps, bespoke items etc.)
----- buying
----- creating and or making
- get help / spend favours
big difference between downtime and prep is the moves they use to represent actions and the
periods of narrative time they can cover.
- can still be somewhat ret-conish/forgiving with time and sequence of events if needed.
The Hunt Phase
Moves
Simplified Moves
- general, combat and downtime. Session moves
- costs/twists and boons
---- twists: something from a move, disadvantage going forward, take 1 health, take 1 stress
---- boon: something from a move, advantage going forward, heal 1 health, heal 1 stress
What are Moves?
When to Make a Move
Moves don’t need to be made for every action that a PC takes. The characters in the game are
assumed to be knowledgable and capable, at least to the extent that would be expected of someone
filling their role. If it’s something that, with enough space and time, you’d expect the character to be
able to do, then they just do it. Describe their action and how it effects The Fiction, then continue
with the game in light of the new development. In Away Team, moves are made when something
is particularly challenging or something meaningful is at stake. As a quick example…..
Moves will flow out of the narrative and fiction of your game. They’ll usually be motivated in one,
or both, of two ways. Firstly, it will just feel like a move is being made.
-----------------------------------------------------
Your having a meeting with and social gathering with the representatives of the Thalian Shipping
Alliance. During this social, you start to have a conversation about the buying price of Regalian
Spice and start bartering.
It feels like the ‘Talk it Out’ move is being made.

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Secondly, there are times when it will feel like the stakes are impactful and a check is needed.
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Your character is hunting a bounty through the tightly packed back alleys of the Alandrian market
district. You see them run and take chase, spotting a more open market square up ahead. You decide
to try to cut them off by running across the square, jumping a couple of low walls and a market stall
in the process.
It feels like something interesting and meaningful is at stake, and a check is needed. You make the
‘Quick Thinking’ move.
-------------------------------------------------------
Either motivation for a move is fine. They will feel like natural moments that flow from the
narrative establish in the game. Moves will come up when it feels like it needs a bit of guidance or
adjudication as to exactly what happens next.
What Does a Move Look Like

- give example and description
Move Title
Move Trigger and Brief Description (This will start with, When you…. engage in combat while
seeking to remain as safe as possible, such as by keeping a block up or moving evasively etc.), roll a
relevant Move Check. On an outcome of:
Strong Success
(What happens when things go particularly well.)
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(what happens when things go well.)
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(what happens when things go well but a cost is involved.)
(1 Hit)
Miss
(What happens when things don’t go well.)
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(What happens when things go particularly badly.)
(No hits, doubles)
Strong Success (3+ hits): (What happens when things go particularly well.)
Full Success (2 hits):
Weak Success (1 hit):
Miss (no hits): (What happens when things don’t go well.)
Critical Miss (no hits, matched dice): (What happens when things go particularly badly.)
Costs
- A list of the associated costs of move to choose from.
Boons
- A list of the associated boons of move to choose from.
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Longer move description and guidance
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Making the Move
1) Establish and Identify the Move
2) Generate/establish stats and impacts/parameters (difficulty and modifiers)

- MC has final say, but they aren’t hidden
- last chance to ‘pull out’ and ret-con
3) Make the move check (if needed)
4) Make your choices (if needed)
5) Apply (the results) to the fiction and continue playing in light of the results
Move Checks
- Mechanic
- the move check
- roll dice (2d10) to produce Hits and Misses
- number of hits produced determines outcome
- unlike many pbta games, moves are not directly linked with a stat or skill.
- Results/outcomes
- more granular than standard PbtA
----- resounding miss/fail (No hits, matched dice)
----- miss/fail (No hits)
----- weak success (1 hit)
----- full success (2 hits)
----- strong success (3+ hits)
- not all are always applicable

- can choose to fail
Moves Jargon
- ‘relevant’ move check
- ‘stat+’ move checks
- costs and boons
- momentum (going forward)
- hold
Impacts
Impacts represent the various ways in which the situations and circumstances of the fiction may be
affecting the PC’s. If you’re familiar with rpg’s or other similar types of game, they are the
equivalent of modifiers or difficulty in Monster Hunters. They help to represent situations that are
more complex or potentially more costly, or when the circumstance is easier or in the characters
favour.
Impacts are applied to the move check when a character makes moves, potentially affecting which
sort of outcome is generated by the check. The MC will let you know which Impacts are being
applied to any given move check. Other sources can be, bestiary entries for monsters or various
rules and character talents that tell you when to apply Impacts.
There are four different kinds of Impacts that cover different eventualities, they are Challenge,
Threat, Advantage/Disadvantage and Static Effects. They are described in more detail below. These
impacts can be used independently or together when making move checks. For instance, an action
could be Challenging but not Threatening, Threatening but not Challenging or both Challenging and
Threatening. What Impacts to apply, and when to apply them, should always be led by what makes
sense or seem reasonable in The Fiction of your game.
Challenge
Challenge is a measure of the complexity or difficulty that an action posses. In Monster Hunters,
moves and move checks are only made when something meaningful or interesting is at stake.
+0: Standard
+1:
+2:
+3:
Threat
Where as Challenge is complexity or difficulty, Threat represents an action that is particularly
dangerous or potentially costly. This threat could come from a variety of sources. A physical source
could be the danger inherent to escaping from a burning building, a non-physical source might be a
particularly alert or determined guard etc. Threat covers situations where you’re unlikely to come
out of it unscathed or without having to give something up, even if things go relatively well.
If Threat applies to a move check, every outcome of the check, apart from Strong Success,
incurs an addition cost.
This cost is chosen in line with the normal rules for choosing costs for that move, i.e. The MC
chooses combat move costs, most costs can only be chosen once etc.
Advantage and Disadvantage

Advantage and Disadvantage act as circumstantial modifiers to move checks. They represent a
particularly considered and compelling argument being put forward, or an obviously rushed or poor
disguise etc. For instance, your being chased by horse-riders of The Seven Seas Bandits, the turn
you’re taking isn’t particularly tricky but you only have one hand on your horses reigns. The MC
says you have to take the Face Adversity move at disadvantage. They can also be used to quickly
account for weather or time considerations etc.
: circumstance
(making it more or less likely)
---- ongoing
---- momentum
---- multiples (oppose, don’t stack)
Static Effects
ongoing effects (statics):
+1 bonus/penalty (equipment, injuries etc.) (help and hindrance)
Holds
Monster Hunters uses a system called Holds. These act to abstractly represent a number of things as
points or tokens, that can be ‘collected and spent’ during a character career on the hunt. These Holds
are Wealth, Lore Entries and Favours. Wealth, a measure of useable money and resources, will be
described in more detail in the Equipment chapter on pg. xxx, the other two Holds are described in
more detail below.
Earning and Using Holds

You earn holds by the actions your character takes reflecting in the fiction of the game. These could
be actions such as, the close study of a particular animal or a conversation with an NPC trader. In
mechanical terms, when it seems appropriate, you’ll make a move (such as Look in to It) and one of
the effects of a success is that you can earn Holds (in the case of Look in to It, you would earn Lore
Entries).
These Holds can than be spent for various effects, such as using a Lore Entry hold to ask a question
concerning the topic you have the Lore Entry about. When you have Holds, they can be spent the
instant you earn them or they can be stored up for later use. If you’re storing them, make a note of
how many holds you have and what the hold concerns, such as Lore Entry – Drakes (2). When you
spend a Hold you lose a point in it, i.e. (using the above example) asking a question to learn the
possible colour variants of Drakes would mean that you would have Lore Entry – Drakes (1)
remaining.
Holds can be as general or precise as required by the needs of the fiction. For example, you could
have Lore Entries on Drakes (generally), Greater Drakes (specific sub-type) or Lesser Drakes of the
Lenolan Highlands (specific population of a specific sub-type) etc. The MC will give you guidance
as to what a Hold cover, if needed or unclear.
Lore Entries
Lore Entries represent study - collected knowledge, research or observation about a subject. They
are collected data points that the character can use. Lore Entries could be book based learning, such
as the history of a place or period, or they could be direct observation, such as what the lookout sees
on the horizon. Whatever source they may come from, they are all Lore Entry holds and can be
spent or saved as usual.
Uses
- Ask a Question
You can spend a Lore Entry to ask a single question about a subject that the Lore Entry relates to.
The MC will answer truthfully, within the scope of the fiction and what it is possible for your
character to know. Expect more general or vague questions to get more general and vague answers.
Saving Lore Entries for later use can be a good way of keeping up the pace of the game. It allows
you all to fill in the details when it’s needed, interesting or relevant, rather than straight away.
Questions can also then be used for players to ask potentially more interesting or useful questions,
as they aren’t required to come up with them all ‘on the spot’.
- Gain Advantage
Lore Entries can be used to gain Advantage on a move check that a character makes. You can spend
a Lore Entry and, if the entry spent would make sense to help in the situation, that move check
gains Advantage. For example, you have Lore Entry – Lesser Drakes (1) and with a hunting party
trying to track one. If a move is called for by the MC when tracking, you could spend the Lore
Entry hold to gain Advantage on the move check.
As long as it seems reasonable in the fiction and the MC allows it, you can spend Lore entries to
gain advantage on checks made by other characters, as well as your own. You give pertinent
information to the Wayfinder while tracking, you spend the Lore Entry and they gain Advantage on
their move check.
- Resource for Moves

The last way in which you can use Lore Entries is as a potential cost for moves. Some moves may
let you ‘spend a Lore Entry’ as a cost of the move being made. This is generally to represent that
you’ve had to use some of your stored or collected knowledge to be able to complete the task, or
that the knowledge you had collected wasn’t particularly useful. If this option is available, the move
will let you know that it is.
Favours
Favours represent, and are a measure of, the stored social capital of a character. Where as Bonds
represent the actual narrative connections you have with other characters, Favours represent when a
character has said ‘I owe you one’ etc. These could range from, having a favour with a shipwright
that may help you find quick and/or free passage on a ship, or having some credit in hand with a
fixer that you can cash in to find work or an item etc. As with other holds, Favours can be broad or
specific. Favours should be recorded in a similar way to Lore Entries, such as Favour – Fixer
Lucius (1), or whatever system suits you best.
Uses
- Call in a Favour
As you might think from the name, you can spend a Favour hold to gain a favour. These favours can
be pretty broad in scope, but should never put the character performing the favour deliberately in
direct harms way. For instance, a ship captain might give you passage through dangerous waters but
won’t give you passage directly in to the Whorlstrom. A friend in the Antillan resistance could give
you safe harbour and a place to hide in Antilla, but wouldn’t if you’re being directly chased or they
think you’ve been followed and will give them away.
It’s not out of the question that theses people could perfrom the more dangerous request, but that
would require more than the spending of a Favour, and would probably require some sort of move.
PC’s and the MC should work together to figure out how the favour should be cashed in, but the
MC has the final say on what is deemed too dangerous or demanding for a Favour.
If it makes sense within The Fiction, the MC should allow a PC to spend a Favour hold to gain a
favour for a different character, whether a different PC or an NPC.
- Convert Favours to Renown.

The character can spend a Favour to gain Renown. This is to represent a character, for example,
saying ‘hey friend, don’t worry about it’, and by doing so increasing their reputation in some
manner. This turns a more focussed social capital of favours in to a more generalised reputational
social capital.
When a character spends a favour in this way, they gain two renown for each Favour hold that they
spend in this manner.
- Gain advantage
In the same way in which Lore Entries can be spent, Favours can also be spent to gain Advantage
when a character is making a move check. If it seems reasonable within The Fiction, you can spend
a suitable Favour to gain advantage on a move check. You spend the Favour - Fixer Lucius (1) to
gain advantage on a Hit the Shops move check where Lucius’ connections may be helpful etc.
- Resource for Moves

Again, as with Lore Entries above, Favours can be spent as a cost of moves. You’re spending some
built up social capital to get the job done or to avoid further or worse complications. If this option
is available, the move will say ‘spend a Favour’ and will let you know if more than one can or has
to be spent in this way.
General Moves
General
- Face Adversity (general overcome a challenge/obstacle)
- Quick Thinking (reactive overcome a challenge)
- Express Yourself (when using words. Persuasion, performance, deception, barter etc.)
- Take The Lead (intimidation, command and overtly proactive. Possibly help and sharing info?)
- Look in to it (observational and intellectual research, study and puzzle solving, insight)
- Tool for the Job (When looking to use or produce equipment, engineering or mechanical solutions)
- Fisticuffs (combat)
- Recovery (what it says on tin)
- Check gear????
Face Adversity
When you attempt to overcome a challenge or obstacle, and you aren’t rushed for time or ill
prepared, or you have a moment to think, roll a relevant Move Check. On an outcome of:
Strong Success You overcome the obstacle easily, gaining confidence or an

(3+ Hits) advantage. You succeed and choose a boon from those listed.
Full Success You overcome the obstacle as intended. Apply the effects of the
(2 Hits) action to the fiction.
Weak Success You overcome the obstacle, but there is some sort of complication.
(1 Hit) You succeed but must choose one cost from the list below.
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)
Costs
- gain negative momentum
- takes more time than expected
- the activity is only partially successful
- lose one spirit
- lose one data point
- lose one favour
Boons
- associated boons of move to choose from
- gain positive momentum
- gain one spirit
- gain one health
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Face Adversity is, in many ways, the most general of the general moves.
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Quick Thinking
When you look to overcome a challenge or obstacle, but are reflexive, rushed or forced to
improvise, roll a relevant Move Check. On an outcome of:
Strong Success You overcome the obstacle easily, gaining confidence or an

(3+ Hits) advantage. You succeed and choose a boon from those listed.
Full Success You overcome the obstacle as intended. Apply the effects of the
(2 Hits) action to the fiction.
Weak Success You overcome the obstacle, but there is some sort of complication.
(1 Hit) You succeed but must choose one cost from the list below.
Miss You were caught off-guard. You’re action doesn’t succeed and it’s
(No Hits) cost you, choose a cost from the list below as well.
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)
Costs
- associated costs of move to choose from
- gain negative momentum
- lose d3 health
- lose d3 spirit
Boons
- gain positive momentum
- gain one spirit
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At first, Quick Thinking may look like the same move as Face Adversity, they are both about
overcoming challenges and have similar consequences associated with their outcomes. They are for
different situations, however, and have different costs and boons to reflect this.
Quick Thinking covers reactive action, such as jumping into an area of shadow when an unexpected
guard walks round the corner. It can also covers moments of acting under fire or pressure, when a
character is trying to keep cool and calm.
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Express Yourself
When you look to use words, or other forms of communication, to achieve your goals, whether
that’s via persuasive negotiation, deception, seduction or other means, roll a relevant Move Check.
On an outcome of:
Strong Success You communicate exactly as you wanted to. You get what you
(3+ Hits) wanted and get to choose one of the boons listed below.
Full Success Your conversation or communication succeeds and you get what
(2 Hits) you wanted. Apply it’s effect to the fiction.
Weak Success You successfully communicate as intended. It was more work than
(1 Hit) you were expecting, choose a cost from the list below.
Miss You aren’t able to express yourself as intended and the attempted
(No Hits) communication fails. You’ll have to try something else.
Critical Miss For whatever reason, the conversation goes particularly badly. What
(No hits, doubles) you are attempting fails and you choose 2 of the listed costs.
Costs
- You must spend a resource point (possible bribe).
- You must spend an applicable favour (use social capital).
- You give away something about yourself, your actions/intentions or your companions.
- You’re intentions are made clear, if not already, or you’ll be seen through, eventually.
- You take d3 spirit damage, the situation was stressful.
- You gain negative momentum.
Boons
- Earn a favour
- Increase reputation
- Gain one spirit
- Gain positive momentum
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Express Yourself is the catch-all move for conversation and communication actions. Among others,
it covers persuading an individual to join your cause, deceiving your way past a guard or seducing
extra information from a contact or fixer. The move is intentionally broad to catch all possible
instances in which it may be relevant.
This move can also be used for performances or arts based actions that are short, sharp or
impromptu. Otherwise, such as when composing a song or writing an article or book etc., look to
use the ‘Work on a Project’ downtime move. That move will probably better represent extended
periods of time working towards a creative goal, potentially over weeks, months or even years.
If the character is looking to intimidate or more forcefully coerce a target with their expression and
communication, look to the ‘Take the Lead’ move.
There are many factors that can affect an Express Yourself move check. These include how
convincing or attractive the offer, argument or lie might be. They can also be affected by
reputations, personalities, factional biases or a characters friends and associates. An MC should
consider all of these when deciding which of the impacts should apply.
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Take the Lead

When you look to someone else to act, either on your behalf, in line with your beliefs or to help
someone else with their activity, roll a relevant Move Check. On an outcome of:
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)
Strong Success (3+ hits):

Miss (no hits):
Critical Miss (no hits, matched dice):
Costs
Boons
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can be persuasive or coercive
Help,
command, leadership
intimidation, control
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Look Into It
When you search, study or gather and work with information, whether that be of a person,
object or the general environment, roll a relevant Move Check. On an outcome of:
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
Boons
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The main purpose of the Look Into It move, is to gather data points. These can be used to ask
questions about the object of study. In this way, it is the game’s investigation and puzzle solving
move. Data points don’t have to be spent straight away, so the move can also be used for
generalised information gathering
- Look in to it (observational and intellectual research, study and puzzle solving, insight)
- Recall Information (would I know this, how much do I know about this etc.)
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Tool for the Job

Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
Boons
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Downtime Moves
Downtime
- what is ‘downtime’?
- Work on a Project
- Rest and Recuperate (fuller and long lasting recovery)
- Carouse (make and improve contacts, earn favours)
- Earn Some Credits (earn resources or favours)
- Hit the Shops
- Find a Contract
Work on a Project
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
Boons
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Rest and Recuperate
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
Boons
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Carouse
When you look to make new connections or seek out your contacts, or to improve those that you
already have, roll a relevant Move Check. On an outcome of:
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
Boons
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- make new contatcs
- improve relations with contacts or connections
- earn favours
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Earn Some Credits

When you look to make new connections or seek out your contacts, roll a relevant Move Check.
On an outcome of:
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
Boons
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- gain some resource or asset points
- earn favours
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Hit the Shops

When you look to make new connections or seek out your contacts, roll a relevant Move Check.
On an outcome of:
Strong Success
(3+ Hits)
Full Success
(2 Hits)
Weak Success
(1 Hit)
Miss
(No Hits)
Critical Miss
(No hits, doubles)

Miss (no hits):
Costs
- spend a resource point
- spend a favour
Boons
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- acquire assets and equipment
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Session Moves
Session
- start session (continuing)
- start session (new episode)
- character advancement
- end session
- find a contract
Damage, Health and Healing

- Hit points and spirit
- damage types
- pure damage
- Injuries
- Healing and Recovery

---- auto d6 health at end of combat encounter
---- recovery move (in combat)
---- rest and recuperate move (during downtime)
PVP
- attacker: performing the move
- defending: having the move performed on them
- defender and MC discuss any impacts (not including challenge)

- make move
- if fail, take cost
- if success:
----- defender take 1xp and the move happens
----- defender resists, move doesn’t happen but the defender must take a cost from the list for the
relevant move.
resources
- money or other. Useable or required for some moves.
data points
- collected information, kept as hold
favours
- social capital, kept as hold
----- have team leader trait

----- have rank

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1) The Basics - System and Moves

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The Basics: Moves and Systems

Structure of the Game

----- differences between one-off games and extended games/campaigns.

- get help / spend favours

The Hunt Phase

When to Make a Move

It feels like the ‘Talk it Out’ move is being made.

What Does a Move Look Like

Longer move description and guidance

Making the Move

1) Establish and Identify the Move

2) Generate/establish stats and impacts/parameters (difficulty and modifiers)

3) Make the move check (if needed)

4) Make your choices (if needed)

- not all are always applicable

Advantage and Disadvantage

Earning and Using Holds

- Resource for Moves

- Convert Favours to Renown.

- Resource for Moves

Strong Success You overcome the obstacle easily, gaining confidence or an

Strong Success You overcome the obstacle easily, gaining confidence or an

Take the Lead

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Longer move description and guidance

Tool for the Job

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Longer move description and guidance

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Longer move description and guidance

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Longer move description and guidance

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Earn Some Credits

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Hit the Shops

Strong Success (3+ hits):

Damage, Health and Healing

- Healing and Recovery

- defender and MC discuss any impacts (not including challenge)

----- have team leader trait

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