CONDITIONS
When a move tells you to mark a condition, mark
any condition you choose. Sometimes the GM may
tell you a specific condition to mark, especially
after a hard move.
If you need to mark a condition and have no
more conditions to mark, you are taken out. You
lose consciousness or flee. The GM will tell you
when you come back into another scene. You may
clear one
condition.
Once a condition is marked, take -2 to
certain moves (max -3)
 If you’re Afraid, take -2 to directly engage
or cow or rebuke.
 If you’re Angry, take -2 to abscond or
pierce the mask.
 If you’re Doubting, take -2 to unleash your
powers or exploit weakness.
 If you’re Insecure, take -2 to provoke
someone or reject what others say.
 If you’re Paranoid, take -2 to distract
someone or assess the situation.
CLEARING CONDITIONS
You can always clear a condition by taking a
certain action. At the end of any scene in which
you take the corresponding action, clear that
condition.
 To clear Afraid, run from something
difficult.
 To clear Angry, hurt someone important
or break something important.
 To clear Doubting, be rebuffed when you
try to make amends for your actions.
 To clear Insecure, take foolhardy action
without talking to your team.
 To clear Paranoid, take pre-emptive
action against one of your allies.
You can also clear a condition when someone else
cow or rebukes you, or when you abscond.
SHIFTING LABELS
When you shift a Label, it means that your view
of yourself is changing. You see yourself more as
the Label you shift up, less as the Label you shift
down. If you ever need to shift a Label above
+3 or below -2 mark a condition instead, GM’s
choice.
ADVANCEMENTS
When someone permanently loses Influence
over you, it means that character can never hold
Influence over you again. This is almost always
best used on an NPC, to indicate that you have
moved past them and won’t be affected by what
you think of them again.
When you retire from the life, it means
you’re not part of the superpowered world
anymore, and that character should be considered
safe and off-limits to the GM’s moves.
When you lock a Label, it means that
Label can never shift up or down again—that part
of yourself is set in stone.
When you become a threat to the world,
it means you’re no longer a “young” villain—
you’re a peer of the biggest scoundrels in the
city, and you aren’t a Capers! character anymore.
The GM should treat your character as one of the
biggest villains in the city, but play them as an
NPC.
VILLANOUS CONDITIONS
The villainous conditions are taken as advances,
and when one becomes a threat to the world, or
is a true “adult” villain, they use some or all of
these instead. Each villainous condition replaces
an original condition but thematically, you are still
afraid, angry, doubting, insecure, or paranoid, but
your delusions are so complete that it shields and
empowers you from it into a mostly unbreakable
shell. Additionally, villanous conditions are cleared
the same way, because ultimately, the same
impulse and source exists for all of them. The
villainous conditions are…
 Alarmed which replaces Afraid. Take +1 to
abscond or assess the situation. Take -2
to directly engage.
 Enraged replaces Angry. Take +1 to
directly engage or cow or rebuke. Take
-2 to abscond.
 Obsessed replaces Doubting. Take +1 to
reject what others say or to cook up a
scheme. Take -2 to exploit weakness.
 Arrogant replaces Insecure. Take +1 to
distract someone or unleash your
powers. Take -2 to provoke someone.
 Treacherous replaces Paranoid. Take +1 to
provoke someone or pierce the mask.
Take -2 to assess the situation.
MOMENT OF TRIUMPH
When you unlock your Moment of Triumph,
you can activate it at any time: read your
Moment of Triumph out loud from the back of
your playbook and follow that script. In essence,
you (the player) take full control of the narrative
in this moment. The GM will let you know what
consequences arise...
After you use your Moment of
Triumph, permanently lock one Label. You have
changed, and some part of you has become set in
stone. You can unlock your Moment of Triumph a
second time through advancements.
BASIC MOVES
DIRECTLY ENGAGE
When you directly engage a threat, roll +
Danger. On a hit, trade blows. On a 10+, pick
two. On a 7-9, pick one.
 resist or avoid their blows
 take something from them
 create an opportunity for your allies
 impress, surprise, or frighten the opposition
UNLEASH YOUR POWERS
When you unleash your powers to overcome
an obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend
your senses, roll + Freak. On a hit, you do it. On
a 7-9, mark a condition or the GM will tell you
how the effect is unstable or temporary.
PIERCE THE MASK
When you pierce someone’s mask to see the
person beneath, roll + Menace. On a 10+, ask
three. On a 7-9, ask one.
 What weakness are you hiding?
 What do you care about presently?
 What do you intend to do?
 How could I get your character to__?
 How could I gain Influence over you?
EXPLOIT WEAKNESS
When you exploit the weakness of a target
that has been made vulnerable by some other
means, roll + Conditions the target has marked.
On a hit, the fight is over... for now. On a 10+,
they choose 1. On a 7-9, they choose 2. On a
miss, they choose 3.
 you take a powerful blow in return.
 they escape your clutches at the last moment
before you saw it through.
 they manage to keep you from getting
something you wanted.
 they pull off one last gambit. They choose
one: Add 1 Heat, exhaust one of your
Assets, or burn 1 Plan.
DISTRACT SOMEONE
When you distract someone from what’s
really going on, roll + Trouble. On a hit, they
are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+,
choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1.
 you get an opportunity.
 you redirect their attention to someone else.
 you confuse them for some time.
 you avoid immediate retaliation for this.
In addition, if a PC is targeted with this move: on
a 10+, both. On a 7-9, choose one.
 If they play the dupe, add a Plan to the pool.
 If they see through your distraction, they
mark a Condition.
ASSESS THE SITUATION
When you assess the situation, roll + Superior.
On a 10+, ask two. On a 7-9, ask one. Take +1
while acting on the answers.
 what here can I use to ________?
 what here is the biggest threat?
 what here is in the greatest danger?
 who here is most vulnerable to me?
 how could we best end this quickly?
COW OR REBUKE
When you cow or rebuke someone for their
weakness, and express your disappointment or
disdain, roll + Menace. On a hit, they hear you:
They mark Curses!, clear a condition, or shift
labels if they respond. On a 10+, you can add a
Plan to the pool, or clear a condition yourself.
ABSCOND
When you abscond from a situation or an
immediate threat, roll + Trouble. On a hit, you
get away from the present situation or threat, and
choose one. On a 7-9, you escalate the threat you
absconded from, or stumble into a new one.
 add a Plan to the pool
 clear a condition
 reveal something you absconded with
PROVOKE SOMEONE
When you provoke someone susceptible to
your words, say what you’re trying to get them
to do and roll + Superior. For NPCs: on a 10+,
they rise to the bait and do what you want. On a
7-9, they can instead choose one.
 they stumble: you take +1 forward against
them
 they err: you gain a critical opportunity
 they overreact: you gain influence over them
For PCs: on a 10+, both. On a 7-9, choose one.
 if they do it, add a Plan to the pool
 if they don’t do it, they mark a condition
TAKE A POWERFUL BLOW
When you take a powerful blow, roll +
conditions marked. On a 10+, choose one.
 you must remove yourself from the situation:
flee, pass out, etc.
 you lose control of yourself or your powers
in a terrible way
 two options from the 7-9 list
On a 7-9, choose one.
 you lash out verbally: provoke a teammate
to foolhardy action or take advantage of
your Influence to inflict a condition
 you give ground; your opposition gets an
opportunity
 you struggle past the pain; mark two
conditions
On a miss, you stand strong. Mark potential as
normal, and say how you weather the blow.
PERIPHERAL MOVES
START OF SESSION
At the start of every session, the GM adds a Plan
to the pool.
END OF SESSION
At the end of every session, choose one:
 Cling to your sense of self and strike
out on a caper of your own. Describe this
solo caper and how it defines your evolving
villainy. Shift one Label of your choice up
and one Label of your choice down.
 Cling to the safety that others can
bring. Describe to whom you seek succour
from, and how they can give it to you. Give
them Influence over you, and either clear a
condition or mark Curses!
 Cling to the feeling of mistrust.
Describe why you feel betrayed and by
whom, and how you intend to get back at
them. Remove their Influence over you.
INFAMY
Villains are encouraged to attempt and hog the
glory for themselves. Infamy can have a minimum
value of 0 and a maximum of 3. Everyone starts
with 0 Infamy.
You can spend Infamy to take +1 on
a roll, when you refer to an exploit out loud and
boast about your reputation.
If you have 0 Infamy and would lose
one, keep it at 0 and mark a condition.
If you have 3 Infamy and would add
one, keep it at 3, instead some hero or law
enforcement comes after you specifically.
ASSET
Assets represent the ill-gotten and diabolical
means by which villains can do their devilish
deeds. Assets can be shared as you like, and
provide narrative benefits to all you trust as you
use them.
You can wager an Asset to take +1 on
a roll for just that extra edge. If you roll a hit, you
keep the Asset. However, if you miss, the Asset is
lost. You may acquire new Assets or reacquire a
lost Asset as per the GM’s discretion.
You can exhaust an Asset during
schemes and plans in order to stave off Heat
and Conditions. An exhausted Asset becomes
temporarily unavailable. But when time passes,
the Asset is regained.
INFLUENCE
When someone has Influence over you, it means
you care about what they do, say, or think. At any
time you can give Influence to any character who
doesn’t have Influence over you. All adults have
Influence over you when first introduced.
When you have Influence over someone,
take +1 to all moves targeting them, including
rejecting their Influence.
When you take advantage of your Influence
over someone, surrender the Influence you hold
over them to choose one:
 give them -2 on a move they just made
(after the roll)
 inflict a condition on them
 take an additional +1 on a move targeting
them (after the roll)
When someone with Influence over you
tells you who you are or how the world
works, accept what they say or reject their
Influence. If you accept what they say, the GM
will adjust your Labels accordingly; if you want to
keep your Labels as they are, you must reject their
Influence.
When you reject someone’s Influence, roll.
On a hit, you successfully hold to yourself and
tune them out. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9,
choose one.
 clear a condition or mark potential by
immediately acting to prove them wrong
 shift one Label up and one Label down, your
choice
 cancel their Influence and take +1 forward
against them
On a miss, their words hit you hard. Mark a
condition, and the GM will adjust your Labels.
If you have Influence over a teammate and
you would gain Influence over them again,
immediately shift one of their Labels up and one
of their Labels down, your choice.
If you have Influence over an NPC and you
would gain Influence over them again, take
+1 forward against them.
THE CAPER
A session usually revolves around a single Caper.
The current leader makes the first suggestion.
Everyone else can either abstain, second, or
counter.
Abstain means you don’t take a stand, but
can contribute thoughts and vote.
You can Second a plan put forward by the
leader or a counter-plan by another. Only one
person can second a plan, publicly supporting the
plan and locking in their vote. If the caper you
seconded is chosen, take Influence over the
leader.
Finally, you can Counter with a Caper
proposal of your own.
Once everyone has had a chance to abstain,
second, or counter, then everyone votes. These
things aren’t always decided democratically, but
eventually a consensus is reached in character.
Whoever suggested the chosen Caper is
then designated as the new leader.
PLANKS
Once the Caper has been decided, the GM
will decide what Planks the players must face,
choosing one to five depending on how grand or
difficult the objective is.
 First, you must _____ .
 You must seize _____ .
 You must break into _____ .
 You must take out _____ .
 You’ll need intel on _____ .
 You’ll need to keep _____ busy.
 You’ll risk the attention of _____ .
 You’ll need the compliance of _____ .
 You’ll have to set an escape via ____.
 Don’t forget the _____ .
Afterwards, starting with the leader and then more
freely, each player can act, until all the Planks
have been crossed off. After all Planks have been
crossed off, you may attempt to snatch victory.
HEAT
The GM will set Heat from 1 to 5, based how
alert opposing forces are and how dangerous
the intentions are. If Heat reaches 5 the caper is
interrupted by the forces of justice unless all the
Planks have been crossed off, in which case the
alliance can attempt to snatch victory.
MEDDLE
When meddling in the plots and schemes of
others, check your playbook and trigger the move
detailed there, and likewise the person you are
meddling with does the same. You can only
meddle once during a caper, and can only
be meddled with once.
COOK UP A SCHEME
When cooking up a scheme, roll + Label of
your choice (Label is then locked). Describe your
scheme, and how it’s carried out. On a hit, add a
Plan to the pool. On a 7-9, choose one: mark a
condition; exhaust an Asset; mark Heat.
EXECUTE PLAN
When executing a plan, spend up to 3 (min.
1) Plan and roll + Plan spent. Describe your plan,
and how it’s carried out. On a hit, cross out a
Plank. On a 10+, add 1 Infamy. On a 7-9, choose
one: mark a condition; exhaust an Asset; mark
Heat.
SNATCH VICTORY
To snatch victory once all planks are
cleared, gain 1 Infamy and roll. On a 10+,
successfully pull off the caper, and justice arrives
in time only to give chase. On a 7-9, you’re
caught in the act.
Take +1 forward during your escape if
you’re able to snatch victory before the forces of
justice arrive, surprising them.
TEAM MECHANICS
When you initiate a Caper as an alliance,
add two to the Plan pool.
 If the leader has Influence over every ally,
add 2 Plan.
 If everyone has the same purpose in the
caper, add another Plan.
 If any alliance member mistrusts the leader
or the alliance, remove a Plan.
 If your alliance is ill-prepared or offbalance,
remove a Plan.
The leader can mark a condition to avoid
removing a Plan from the pool.
Anyone working with the alliance can spend Plan
one for one to help an ally; give them +1 to their
roll.
Allies can also spend Plan to act selfishly. When
you act selfishly, say how your actions ignore or
insult your allies, remove one Plan from the pool,
and shift one Label up and one Label down, your
choice. You can use this option after rolling to
alter the Label you’re rolling with.
Whenever time passes, the GM will empty the
Plan pool and restore it to one Plan.
END OF CAPER
At the end of a caper, gain 1 Infamy and roll
+ Heat. On a 10+, take +1 forward, as your
fame grows. On a 7-9, you also make some
enemies, choose one:
 a hero wants payback;
 a villain wants credit;
 someone you cared about turns away from
you.
You can also spend 1 Infamy to acquire a new
Asset, shift a Label of your choice, or spend 2
Infamy to mark Curses!