Position & Effect Cards

Print these cards, cut them out, and use them at the table. When a player declares an action, place the appropriate Position and Effect card face-up so everyone can see the stakes before the dice hit the table.

Tip: Print on cardstock for durability. Use Ctrl+P → Landscape → Save as PDF.

You have the upper hand. The situation is manageable. Even if things go wrong, the fallout is minor.

On Failure

Minor setback or complication. You lose your advantage or the situation shifts, but nothing catastrophic happens.

When to Use

The character has leverage, preparation, surprise, or safety. The worst realistic outcome is inconvenience.

The default. Things could go either way. Failure here carries real consequences.

On Failure

Meaningful consequence: harm, lost resources, escalation, or an opportunity that closes. The situation gets harder.

When to Use

Standard action under pressure. No special advantage or disadvantage. Most rolls in play are Risky.

You are cornered, outmatched, or out of options. This is your last shot. Failure is devastating.

On Failure

Severe harm, major loss, capture, or the worst-case scenario you were afraid of. The fiction escalates hard.

When to Use

Outnumbered, unarmed, trapped, acting against overwhelming odds, or trying something with no safety net.

On success, you accomplish more than expected. Faster, bigger, and with lasting impact.

What It Means

The action achieves extra: you disarm and intimidate, you heal fully instead of partially, you bypass the entire obstacle. Multiple 6s or exceptional fictional advantage often earn Great Effect.

Example

Picking a lock while the guards are away and the lock is a simple model you've cracked before.

On success, you accomplish what you set out to do. No more, no less.

What It Means

The expected result for the action. You achieve your goal as described. A single 6 under normal circumstances typically produces Standard Effect. This is the default.

Example

Persuading a cautious merchant to share information. He tells you what you asked for, nothing extra.

On success, you make progress, but it's partial or constrained. More work is needed.

What It Means

Success is real but reduced. You weaken the guard instead of knocking him out. You open the door a crack, not all the way. The fiction constrains how much one action can achieve.

Example

Trying to break down a reinforced steel door with your bare hands. Even on a 6, you dent it. You'll need another approach.