Other Moves in Combat

You won’t rely solely on combat moves in a fight. Make other moves as appropriate to the situation, your intent, and the actions of your foes. 

FACE DANGER

Make this move when you seek to avoid or overcome an obstacle in combat, or when you choose to focus on defense.

• You leap over a gully as you ride into battle. Face Danger +edge.
• The massive elder bear roars, spittle flying. Will you muster your courage against this terrifying beast? Face Danger +heart.
• You bring up your shield as the raider presses their attack, standing your ground against the withering axe blows. Face Danger +iron.

If this is a proactive move—you are overcoming an obstacle—make it when you have initiative. If this is a reactive move—you are trying to avoid an immediate threat—your foe likely has the initiative. 

When would you Face Danger instead of Clash against an attack? If you are fighting back, that’s probably Clash. If you focusing on defense, getting out of the way, ducking behind your shield, or taking cover, that’s Face Danger. It’s less risky, since you can leverage a favored stat and the penalty on a weak hit is relatively mild. Unlike Clash, you won’t have an opportunity to inflict immediate harm on a hit, but a strong hit with Face Danger can put you in good position for a follow-up move.

You’ll also likely Face Danger if your foe is trying to gain advantage through an action other than a direct attack. They move to the trees to get a shot at you from cover. Or they taunt you, trying to provoke you into a reckless response. Perhaps they shove at you, putting you off-balance for a follow-up attack. What do you do? Envision it, then make the move. If you fail to score a hit, you likely suffer a loss of momentum to represent this setback. Your foe has initiative and will try to press their advantage.

Face Danger might also be used to flee combat altogether. If you have a path and means to escape, make this move to see if you get away.

Finally, in cases where an enemy represents a minor obstacle, Face Danger can be used to avoid combat or as a means of resolving your action against a mundane foe. For example, you can Face Danger to sneak past an enemy or run away from a potential fight. If you are dealing with a minor foe from aposition of clear advantage, such as firing an arrow from hiding,

you can Face Danger to see what happens. In either case, a misson this move might force you to Enter the Fray.

Secure an Advantage

This move is made in combat when you try to gain some leverage, improve your position, or setup another move. For example:

• You take careful aim before shooting. Secure an Advantage +wits.
• You perform a sly feint, trying to put your opponent off balance and create an opening. Secure an Advantage +shadow.
• You attempt to dishearten your foe with an intimidating roar as you charge. Secure an Advantage +iron.

Secure an Advantage can be used whenever you have initiative, or as a means of establishing a favorable position prior to the fight. Mechanically, it’s a powerful move for building your momentum track toward a decisive action. Narratively, it’s a great way to bring cinematic action into the scene. 

When you want to Secure an Advantage, picture the situation. Consider the terrain, your weapons, your position, and your fighting style and approach. Consider your enemy, and their tactics and readiness. Where is there an opportunity? Envision your action, then make the move.

Compel

Compel can be used as a shortcut to ending a combat. You don’t have to make the End the Fight move to surrender or negotiate a truce. End the Fight is the outcome of a desperate, probably bloody, skirmish. If you or your foe have other objectives, give Compel a try.

• You attempt to force your foe to surrender. Compel +iron.
• You try to surrender, reason or negotiate. Compel +heart.
• You trick your foe into giving up the fight. Compel +shadow.

Compel needs to be supported by the fiction. What is your foe’s intent? How do they feel about you? Are you a hated enemy? A potential meal? What are they willing to risk to end you? Has the fight gone in their favor or against them? What leverage do you have? If there’s no upside for them, you can’t make this move. If you aren’t sure, Ask the Oracle before you Compel.

Compel might be used proactively (when you have initiative) or reactively (when your foe has it) depending on the circumstances. Offering to surrender is a reactive response, and can be done when you don’t have initiative. Attempting to Compel your foe to give up the fight is a proactive move made when you are in control.

Aid Your Ally

This move is an obvious choice when you want to bolster your ally’s actions. Envision what you do to help them, make the Secure an Advantage move, and let them take the benefits of the outcome.

You should have initiative before you attempt to Aid Your Ally. On a strong hit, both of you then take or retain initiative. This is a huge advantage for your ally if they were having a difficult time making progress against their foe. On a weak hit or miss, you both lose initiative.

Suffer Moves

Make Suffer moves as appropriate when you face the outcome of your actions within a combat scene. 

If you make a suffer move and score a strong hit, you may take or retain initiative—even if you scored a weak hit or miss on the preceding move. However, this opportunity does not overrule the fiction of the moment. If you are out of action and Face Death, you aren’t likely to come springing back into the fight. If you do score a strong hit on a suffer move, consider what happens next and the moves you may make in the context of the situation.

Pay the Price

Being forced to make the Endure Harm move is the obvious result when you must Pay the Price in a fight, but there’s much more that can happen in a dynamic combat situation. You lose your footing. You drop your weapon. Your shield is shattered. A goal is lost to you. A companion or ally is injured. You are put in a perilous position. A new threat reveals itself.

Mix it up. Make combat exciting and cinematic. Whatever happens, make the outcome one you wish you had avoided. If in doubt, roll on the Pay the Price table or Ask the Oracle.

Ask the Oracle

In solo and co-op play, you can Ask the Oracle about your foe’s objectives, tactics, and specific actions. The oracle can also help determine the outcome of events or introduce new twists.

Use this move sparingly. For the most part, trust your instincts. Your actions trigger reactions. Who are you fighting? What do they want? What do they do next? Your first impulse is often the right one.

Chapter 6 includes the Combat Action oracle (page 188) which you can use to prompt an NPC action or response in a fight. You can also leverage the description of your foe’s tactics in chapter 5 (page 133) to guide their behavior.

Be mindful of your surroundings and other characters. Ask questions. “Can I take cover here?”, “Is the river shallow enough to cross?”, “Do the villagers flee?” Consider your foe’s actions and your opportunities in the context of the environment.

In guided play, the GM is your oracle. When you have questions about what happens next, look to them, or talk it out at the table. Your GM is free to use the Ask the Oracle move to answer questions.