Two Scraps from the Cutting Room Floor

I had two ideas for this module that didn't make it onto the two-page spread. One's an additional mechanic, the other an example of a type of challenge that's possible under the system but which might not immediately be obvious!

Resource Depletion

The "Expenditure" factor refers to literal resources at the character's disposal. If you're trying to get past a checkpoint as part of a challenge to cross territory, for example, Expenditure might be a bribe paid out of the character's wallet. You'll have to negotiate both within the fiction and out of character to determine how much it's necessary to fork over to earn the bonus!

For quantities that you can't or don't want to count coin by coin, you can note them among whatever character details you're keeping track of using a simple abstraction: a resource can be Fresh, Depleted, or Exhausted. Each time you invoke that resource for an Expenditure bonus, reduce it one step, from Fresh to Depleted or Depleted to Exhausted. An Exhausted resource can't be spent further, and might even start counting as a Gear or Situation disadvantage on future actions--for example, if you've run down "Fuel" to Exhausted on your car or starfighter, that's a problem!

To give the game an extra heroic feel, characters might have a "Willpower" or "Stamina" or "Grit" resource at their disposal, useable on any action where they might be able to "push" for greater success with a burst of effort. It tops back up to Fresh when the character has a chance to get a good night's rest and a satisfying meal, or moves a single step upward if you only manage one of the two in a day.

Example Social Challenge: Against the Archbishop

You're gathering allies to help you expose the Archbishop's corruption. Lady Iylford, a minor noble, might be able to help, but she'll take some convincing. To get her on your side, address her concerns, laid out as obstacles: (1) She's not convinced there's sufficient evidence the Archbishop is up to anything shady. (2) She's a friend of Lord Camerata, who's loyal to the Archbishop; Iylford would rather not lose that friendship. (3) She's scared that the Archbishop and his cronies will retaliate against her if she gets involved.