Enclave (Advent Edition)

2 Copyright © 2018, 2023 Robby Howell. All rights reserved. Art by Greg Taylor. Titles in Optimus Princeps, Body in EB Garamond. For more about Enclave, including purchasing information, event opportunities, and learning resources, contact Robby at [email protected]. Manufactured in the United States of America. First printing edition 2023. Nopartof thisworkmaybe replicatedwithout theprior express permission of the creator. The creator grants express permission to anyone replicating this publication for personal use to facilitate gameplay. Get involved with the Enclave community by joining our Discord Server&YouTube Channel. Discord Server YouTube Channel

3 Collaborators Greg Taylor – Artist Lee Haber – Co-Presenter & Design Contributor Joe Bogue – Business Advisor & Editor Ray Burton – Editor & Design Contributor Greg Demko – Editor & Design Contributor Alex Dinis – Design Contributor Kylie Underwood – Design Contributor Liz Feller – Design Contributor Blake Langeslay – Design Contributor Jyro Blade – Campaign Advisor Ben Scaglione – Campaign Advisor Yiyi Zhang – Campaign Advisor You helped me put words to ideas that I have struggled to communicate for years. I would be nowhere without your brilliant input and steadying support. Advent Playtesters RCT Nelson Jack Warshaw Blake Connors July and the “Seers of Night” Alex Dinis and the “Harmony” Crew Dan Rozel Jon Kleine Galdonzo Ray Burton David R Haft Peter Ewing PunderfulUsername223 Sam Shereda Rauf Sunyaev Can you believe how far this game has come? I’m so grateful you’ve all been a part of it. To everyone above, and to the many others who have played and loved Enclave over the years, thank you. This ruleset is dedicated to you. Legacy Players TMH Richard Comstock CHM Jamie Petrakis The Fain Train Greg Demko Sam M Ivan Makara Jeremy Schwartz Kylie Underwood Liz Feller Blake Langeslay Melody Ross Josie Eilertsen Allie L Lee Haber Gem Starfielder Daniel Weisman Cog Ryan O'Leary Stewart Pollock

PREFACE 1 Tableless Roleplaying 1 What’s Needed to Play 1 Play Progression 1 ADVENT TO ASPIRANT 2 WORLDBUILDING 3 Manifold 3 Joining The Enclave 3 Life as an Enclave Agent 4 FUNDAMENTALS 5 How to Play 5 Character Capacities 5 Character Limitations 6 Storytelling Mechanics 7 PLAYFLOW TEASER 8 CHARACTER CREATION 9 Gunslinger 10 Illusionist 12 Librarian 14 Thane 16 Thunderbird 18 Wanderer 20 ADVANCED PLAY 22 Stat Scaling 22 Stamina & Essence, In-Depth 23 Replenishment 24 Pitches, In-Depth 24 Insights, In-Depth 26 Turning Points, In-Depth 27 Gear, In-Depth 28 Energywork 28 THE PLAYER 29 Asking Questions 29 Taking Action 29 Character Acting 30 Player Etiquette 31 THE CONDUIT 33 Narration 33 Making Calls 34 NPCs 35 Tempo 35 Combat & Action Sequences 36 The Conduit’s Commitment 36 PLAYFLOW SAMPLE 37 PLAY LOGISTICS 40 Setting Up a Mission 40 Mission Structure 41 Postmission 42 PROGRESSION 43 Leveling Up 43 Commissary Rewards 44 MISSION DESIGN 45 Design Essentials 45 Threats 46 Design Peripherals 47 Improvisation in Design 47 Preconstructed Settings 48 PRECONSTRUCTED CONTENT 48 Preconstructed Mission 49 QUICK REFERENCE 54 Table of Contents

PREFACE 1 Enclave is a social roleplaying game in which a Conduit creates and hosts Missions for a group of Players, each controlling a Character. Play is entirely verbal, with calls resolved by the Conduit based on player commitment, common sense, and codified gamemechanics. Tableless Roleplaying What makes for a truly great game session, filled with moments you’ll reminisce about for years to come? In the majority of cases, it is the investmentof thoseinvolved. To this end, Enclave focuses heavily on character-acting as well as a flexible backbone of defined game mechanics to add consistency and fairness to arbitration and to allow for more expression of player skill. Enclave is played without using dice or other implements, emphasizing the narrativeof the gameover strict adherence toits rules. The Conduit As host of the game, a Conduitis equal parts storyteller and referee, with considerable control over the game’s world: it is their job to facilitate an engaging and satisfying experience for their players. A greatConduitrootsfortheirplayers,providingamplechallengewhile rewarding effort and ingenuity and adapting to their players’ decisions. While you should have a good idea of Enclave’s rules and the capacities of your players’ characters before going in, complete memorization isn’t needed for conduiting – a general idea plus your best guess is almost always good enough. Enclave’s rules are designed to bend and adapt, andConduits should do sowherever they deemit legitimate to promote great stories. The Player As aPlayer, the outcomes of your actions derive from your effort(in decision making, commitment to character acting, creative use of your capacities, etc.)rather than chance. A great player buys into the game, trusting their Conduit, respecting their fellow players, and engaging with the story to the bestof their abilities. All players should come to the game prepared, with a character ready to go and some understanding of how Enclave works. At bare minimum, a player should review their chosenClass andpgs3-7. Mechanics Game rules within Enclave are notmathematical formulas thatmust be followed to theletter. Instead, treat them as guidelines serving to: � Set expectations (“What am I capable of?”) � Giveoptions (“What can I attemptinmy currentsituation?”) � Render supernatural powersmore tangible/approachable To this end, Enclave will very rarely list hard numbers, instead favoring descriptive language. Listed mechanics are as much storytelling devices as they are balance points, seeking to promote player creativity andinvestment. Thisrulesetsplitsmechanicsintotwosections:Fundamentals,which you should know before you play, andAdvanced Play, which can be learnedmore gradually. Combat Enclave has no fixed combat system. Fighting and other action sequences are a common occurrence on-mission, but such scenarios play exactly as the rest of the game, though typically in a much more tense, moment-to-moment manner. Advice on combat for Players andConduits can be foundin their respective sections. Missions Designed by the Conduit to fit the particulars of the squad they are hosting for, Enclave Missions come with an estimated duration as agreed upon by the playgroup.Thismakes them easy to schedule and highly time-flexible, able to be finished in a single session or follow a continuousArc acrossmany sessions. What’s Needed to Play Setting up an Enclave Mission normally requires some amount of advance notice to ensure the Conduit has time to prepare. Beyond this, however, all thatis neededis: � AConduitwith amission ready to go(personal notes recommended) � A group of Players(2-4 suggested), eachwith a Character Sheet Play Progression Your playgroup’s first time with Enclave will look very different from its fifth. Early sessions may feel stilted or choppy, but this is a necessary part of feeling each other out – what do others expect?What do they tend to prefer?What are their play/hosting styleslike? As mutual understanding is established, the game will become increasingly comfortable and fluent. Try to consult rules or character sheets less and less and you and your playgroup get familiarwith the game. You can also consider upping your game by learning about Advanced Play, creating new characters, and/or introducing Progression.

2 This ruleset serves tointroduce Enclave’s fundamentals– how toConduit, how to play, andwhat to expect. If you enjoy your time with Enclave and want to elevate your game, the Aspirant Edition(to be published)will feature additions such as: � Farmorein-depthLeveling,including threemore unlockableAbilities perClass and higher stat caps � Greatly expandedCommissary Rewards,with twice asmuchClassGear and newoptions besides � ManyNew Classes,with future expansionsoffering stillmore � TheFlavor System, rewardingout-of-game creative endeavors(writing,art, etc.)within-game benefits � ExpandedCharacter Creation Optionsofferingmassive customization � Furtherinformation and adviceonPlaying,Conduiting,&Mission Design � MorePreconstructed Content–missions, settings,magicitems,&more ADVENT TO ASPIRANT

3 WORLDBUILDING All player-characters are members of The Enclave, a renowned mercenary organization known for its secrecy, omniscience, and absolute moral neutrality. The Enclave deploys groups of these Agents to accomplish missions together as aSquad. It should be noted that the details listed in this section are not skippable flavortext; they are plot devices with mechanicalweight thatwill helpmissions flow better andinform both design and active play. Manifold Enclave is set in the infinite world ofManifold, with each mission taking placein a differentlocationdesignedby theConduit. Manifold has no fixed techlevel, no pre-defined peoplesor nations, no overarching religions: it is a blank canvas, allowing each mission to take place somewhere completely new and enabling player-characters to come from any setting, culture, or background imaginable. Every playgroup’s iterationofManifoldwill, and should,look astoundingly different. The Enclaveis the singlemost expansive entityin all ofManifold, able to reach almost anywhere despite the world’s infinitude. Though explicitlyknown to relatively few, tracesofThe Enclave arelittered across the histories of Manifold, from local legends to unresolved crimes to full-blown conspiracy theories. Metro One of the few exceptions toManifold’s endless diversity isMetro, a near-universallanguage.Many, thoughnotall,peoplesandnationsof Manifold can be assumed to speak at least some Metro, as can all player-characters. The Human Baseline Assume that characters, cultures, and peoples you encounter in Enclave are human unless specified otherwise. Your version of Manifold may well be populated by other sapient species, but make sure thisismade clearif/whenever they are encountered. Players MAY create nonhuman characters with approval from theirConduit solongas thecomparative strengthsandweaknessesof their chosen species are balanced, simple, and clearly ennumerated. Recurrent Settings While mission locations are assumed to be completely separate from oneanotherbydefault,exceptionsareabsolutelyacceptable.Asetting can recur across missions, following the same overarching storyline, establishing a new plot within the same area, or even just being casually referencedin awholly new setting tointerconnect the two. Personalconnections toa setting(eg.“Thiswasmyhometown”)can be forged by a player for their characterin animpromptumanner via aLuckPitchor certainmagical powerslikeFamiliar Face.Doing this for someone else’s character, whether you are a Conduit or a fellow player, should never be done unless permissionis gainedin advance. Joining The Enclave Despite its impenetrable secrecy,The Enclave has a way of revealing itself to those fit to join. After a few aptitude tests, a worthy candidate is interviewed by a senior Agent, who welcomes the new hire and explains the ropes. The Badge At the endof theirinterview, thenewAgentisgiven an Enclave Badge: this is their passport within the organization and is necessary for going on missions. AnEnclaveBadgeisapotentand subtle magical artifact, invisible to all but its owner(unlessthey choose to reveal it for Enclave business) and impossible to lose, steal,or forge. Mission Briefing Prior toembarkingonamission,inaddition toaMissionStatement, Agents areBriefed on unfamiliar elements of the setting essential to themission(eg.Ifmissionhastodowithtakingpictures,allAgentswillbe taught what a camera is and how to use it). This can be assumed to happen off-screen to keep Q&A streamlined, but if you have any specific questions, be sure to ask your Conduit; such things can also be retroactively clarified evenwhile themissionisin full-swing. Mission Porting Squads are instantly transported to their mission’s location via Teleportation Chambers at HQ, reaching destinations across Manifoldwithin seconds. Once a mission is over, succeed or fail, Agents’ Badges will ping (magicallypulse); tapping the pingingBadgewill teleportyou back to HQ (aka. “Pingout”). If an Agent is unconscious or otherwise incapableof pingingout, a teammatemay do so for them. If the Agent wishes to leave the mission before it ends, they must touch their Badge while mentally requesting Emergency Pingout. ThisisNOT INSTANT: eveninlife-or-death emergenciesitislikely to take at least a couple minutes in-game, and if The Enclave judges your situation to not to be serious(whichthey can betrustedto reliably assess)Emergency Pingout can take up to an hourormore. 3

4 Contracting The Enclave Anyone can hire an Enclave Squad. The organization employs an incomprehensibly large information network and tends to contact prospective clients just as they most need help. A squad might even show up before a client even knows they’ve been hired! Repeat or high-profile clients, however, typically establish a direct line of communication to theorganizationinstead. The Enclave does extract payment from its clients, but it tends to value information, favors, reputation boosting, and similar over money.Becauseof this, even the poorest beggarmay be able to afford anEnclaveSquadiftheyhappentohavesomethingthat,forwhatever inscrutable reason, theorganizationisinterestedin. Agents (including all player-characters) are never involved in this side of Enclave business: all they know is that if a mission is happening, compensation has been accounted for. Life as an Enclave Agent Once theyjoin, anAgentmaygoonmissions asoftenorlittle as theylike. Outside of Enclave work, they live their day-to-day lives in their own cornerofManifold.Missions are typicallyvery short commitments(often less than an hour in the field andrarely longer than a couple days), allowing plentyof time forexternalcareers, familylife,andotherpersonalpursuits. Benefits Agents are rewarded handsomely for their successes: besides large sumsofmoneyintheirlocalcurrency,theyalsoreceivein-housecredit (Merx) tomake purchases fromEnclave Commissary,whichoffers just about any everyday good or service imaginable as well as equipmentto augment the Agent’s capacities on-mission.They also gain access to Enclave HQ’s many one-of-a-kind facilities, including training rooms, consulting services, luxurious on-site housing, and a teleportation network allowinginstant travel all aroundManifold. Perhaps most importantly, The Enclave will accelerate the potential of its Agents, allowing them to develop their supernatural powers far more quickly and effectively than they ever could alone. Formoreon this, seeProgression. An Agent’s Obligations When available for Enclave work, Agents will be presented with Mission Statements the organization believes their skillset to be suitable for. After reviewing and asking questions, the Agent must choose to either acceptor decline themission. If they accept, the Agent must then attempt to collaborate with their assigned teammates to complete the mission to the very best of their abilities. Failing a mission will reduce provided benefits, and consistent failuremay resultin expulsion. Ifdeclined, theAgentwillbeasked toprovidea reason(eg.Deeplyfelt moral objections, a well-founded practical concern, etc.) for their choice.Multipledeclines,especially for trivialorbaselessreasons,may alsolead to reduced benefitsor expulsion. Enclave HQ Vast, sleek, coloredonlyinvarious shadesofgray–itis fromhere that Agents are hired, missions are launched, and the unfathomable machinations of The Enclave are devised behind invisible closed doors. HQ is populated by countless Attendants, uniformed employees with hidden identities ready to serve the needs of Agents before they are even asked to do so. Medical & Legal The Enclave life is a dangerous one, with Agents often coming to substantial harm. If they can make it back to HQ alive, Enclave Medical will ALWAYS be able to restore them: no wound is too severe, no curse too vile, noillness too terminal for these unparalleled professionals. Similarly, if Agents find themselves in trouble with the local law (captured, bounty on their head, etc.), Enclave Legal will be there to help solve the problem. Medical and Legal support is ONLY guaranteed for issues encountered on-mission – if an Agent needs help with something external, they’ll need to pay forit through theCommissary.

5 Whilemuchof theEnclave experience comes down tointuitive decision-making and storytellingflow, there are some essential gameplay elements that allinvolved should familiarize themselveswith before divinginto the game. Don’tworry aboutmemorizing allof thisor getting the details exactly right every time.Remember,mechanicsin Enclave are guidelines rather than rules, allowing for a baseline understanding across players and Conduits of what generally should be possible. For furtheroptions to explore as youlearn the game, seeAdvanced Play. FUNDAMENTALS How to Play At its core, Enclave follows a deceptively simple pattern of interactions between aConduit& theirPlayers: � TheConduit narrateswhatis happening � Players ask questions to get a better picture � Players describewhat theywant their characters to do � TheConduit decides how those actions resolve Throughout thisprocess,players are expected tobe in-character,making decisions that their character would make and speaking with their voice. CharactersallhaveaPersonalitythat theirplayer should try toembody to the bestof their ability. Similarly, the Conduit is responsible for portraying Non-Player Charactersthat their squad encountersin-game. Character Capacities The Enclave doesn’t allow just anyone to join its ranks: its Agents are alwaysbeingsofgreat supernaturalcapacity,withlatentpotential that the organization strives to foster. Yourcharactercanattempt todoanything thatanormalpersoncould in their circumstances(talk,fight, run,investigate, etc.).However, they also have various fantastical capacities to supplement their effortson-mission. Stats AllcharactershaveTwelve Stats(seethetablebelow)representingtheir innate capacities, bothmundane andmagical. Stats are improved during character creation using pluses (+’s), though an Enclave Agent’s assumed baseline sets them as distinctly above-average in every stat by real-world standards from the get-go, with each plus providing a decent further boost. The Twelve Stats Vitality Magnetism, drawing/holding others’ focuswithyourwords& actions. Rallying, aTurning Pointthat can temporarily reinvigorate the user and others. Might Strength, exerting physical force. Resilience Toughness,mitigatingincoming damage and pain. Spirit Essence,magical energy used to fuelAbilities and other supernatural powers. Insightsinto another’s emotional state. Arcane Manifesting, a type ofPitchallowingyour character to spontaneously exhibit aweak but completely novelmagical power. Will Defiance, aTurning Pointthatlets the user throw offmagic& other negative effects. Sensory The five senses, particularly seeing and hearing. Reflex Grace,including agility, balance, flexibility,& reactive speed. Stealth,making careful, subtle actions you takelesslikely to be detected. Vigor Stamina, bodily energy expended through strenuous physical activities. Proactive speed,increasing the rate atwhichyour actions(running,striking, etc.)happen. Skill Manual dexterity,including finemotor control, hand speed,& bodily coordination. Finesse,improving the precision, ease, and overall success rate of complex actionswithinyour character’s sphere of experience. Intelligence Insightson a relevant question, puzzle, or concern. Luck Pitchplausible details aboutyour character’s circumstances.

6 Abilities Defined supernatural powers of your character’s Class that often form the cornerstonesof your playstyle.Abilities should be explicitly declaredwhen used. All Abilities have listed Paired Actions, which a character must performinorder toinitiate (andsometimesalsotosustain)its effects. If thePairedActionisignored, theConduitmay rule that theAbilityis greatlyweakenedor even failsoutright. Activating an Ability costsEssence;once used, the Ability cannot be reattempted untilitsCooldownelapses(evenifit fails). Gear Possessions that your character takes with them onto missions, each interacted with just as you intuitively would in the real world. Like Abilities, each class hasitsown uniqueGearoptions. Like the Agents who wield them, this equipment is far from mundane: Class Gearholds unique supernatural properties and can be assumed to be superior in every way to a mundane counterpart (more durable,more deadly, etc.). Charactersmay also acquireCommon Items&Consumablesin addition to their Class Gear, typically as Commissary Rewards for successfully completingmissions. Character Limitations Enclave Agents are far from omnipotent. Though supernaturally gifted, theywillfacemanyperilsthatwillpushtheirbodiestothebreakingpoint. Stamina & Essence A character’s physical and magical energy, each represented across threeThresholds(Green -Yellow-Red). Allmissions are startedin theGreen, with prolonged exertion leading to a drop and each drop resultinginincreasingly debilitatingExhaustion.Stamina&Essence areimprovedbyyourVigor&SpiritStats,respectively,andbothcan be restored throughReplenishment. Going below Red in EITHER will result in unconsciousness at minimum,with severeinjurieslikely and death possible. Power Ratings The supernatural effectsofAbilities&Gear have numerous specifics listed(howlongtheylast,howpowerfultheyare, etc.)togive both players &Conduits a betterideaof how they shouldlookin practice.Rather than being numerically quantified, these are given power ratings (Low - Med - High) to represent their impact.What precisely these ratings translate toin practiceitis up to theConduit’sjudgment. Harm Thereis no shortage of bad things that can happen to your character on a mission (getting captured, cursed, knocked out, diseased, etc.), the most common being Injuries. Remember though that your character will always be healed back to peak condition by The Enclave after theirmissionif they can escapewith theirlife. Death Death in Enclave is PERMANENT. Pay your respects to the fallen character with your playgroup, then create a new one. Deaths often tell the game’s greatest stories: if faced with death, ensure your characterleaves alegacy thatotherswill remember. If your playgroup wants an alternative to permanent death, discussit together as aContent Boundary: perhaps fallen Agents are recovered and revived by The Enclave? Maybe this process is so draining that they have to retire after?

7 Storytelling Mechanics As one might expect, a mission’s narrative is largely controlled by its Conduit, and characters are largely controlled by their players.However, there are times at which these lines are blurred, with major mechanics allowing player andConduit alike toinfluence eachothers’ dominions. Pitches A player’s suggestion of an in-game detail, typically angling for it to fall in their favor. The Conduit then accepts, declines, or adapts the Pitchas theydeemappropriate.Pitchescanbederived from theLuck andArcaneStats aswell as variousAbilities andGear. Clever useof Pitches allows a player to directlyimpact amission’s narrative without overstepping their Conduit’s authority. In fact, good Pitches often make things easier for the Conduit, giving them ideas toworkoffof. MoreonPitches can be foundinAdvanced Play. Insights A Conduit-given hint, usually sourced from the Intelligence or SpiritStat.These can rangeinimpact and frequency, as theConduit determines their players to be meriting, but should never be too heavy-handed, pointing players in the right direction rather than outright solving the problem for them. A player can signal their need for an Insight through pointed engagement with a given problem. But this is very different from fishing for clues; let your Conduit reward your efforts rather than doingit all for you. MoreonInsights can be foundinAdvanced Play. Turning Points Aclimacticmomentwherepoignantin-characteractingcanproduce a powerful magical effect. All Turning Points should start with an emotional hook, something the character experiences or interacts with that is symbolically linked to the benefit the player is hoping to gain. Turning Points are largely confined to Rallying (Vitality) and Defiance(Will)andcanyield trulydramaticresults,but theirlevelof success is heavily predicated on acting commitment. Additionally, frequent useofTurning Pointswillweaken their effects. MoreonTurning Points can be foundinAdvanced Play. Altered States Your character does not exist in a vacuum – their current condition and circumstances will affect their behavior almost as much as their Personality.To this end, adjust your portrayalof your character to fit any Altered State they may find themselves in (pain, tension, hunger, etc.). Exhaustion is typically the most common and important AlteredState youwill encounter. Trying your best to accurately portray these hardships is an essential part of acting in-character and can substantially affect your Conduit’s decision-making in-game. If you are flagrantly ignoring such a state, your Conduitmay take partial control of your character inorder to enforceit. MoreonAltered States can be foundinThe Player.

8 The following passage transcribes a snapshot of an Enclave Mission in process featuring Gutierrez (a Gunslinger), Lacuna (an Illusionist), and their Conduit. Use it to get an intuitive feel for how the various rules and advice detailed throughout this ruleset areimplemented. Bearinmind that thisis just an example: your play experiencemightlook very different from this while still being wholly true to the game. If youwant to seemore, this story continueslater. PLAYFLOW TEASER Conduit: The trail of blood leads you behind the rickety barn, near the forest verge,where you aremetwith a grisly scene:Hiram, theold farmer who first gave you directions, lays disemboweled in the sod. Actions? Lacuna: Oh god. I’ll look away, trying to stay composed. Gutierrez:I want to rush to his side. If it looks like he has any chance of living I have an idea of how I could help, but if not I’m checking the ground around him for tracks. Conduit: The wounds are very fresh, possibly even minutes old, but there is no question that Hiram is very dead. Lacuna, follow-ups? Lacuna: I’ll scan the treeline carefully and look back to the barn too. No obvious sign of threats? .(Conduit nods) Lacuna:Ok, then I’ll say sharply toGutierrezin a higher- pitched voice than usual, “Well?! For goodness’ sake, how long do you need to gawk at him for?” Of course it’s just been a couple seconds, but my character is super unsettled right now! Gutierrez:I’ll nod patiently;internally I’m thinking, ‘Thisis why we always cleared civilians from crime scenes back on the force.’ But anyway, how about those tracks? Conduit: You see none besides your own and Lacuna’s. Gutierrez: Besides Hiram’s, of course. Conduit: Actually no! He’s laying in soft sod and has heavy boots on, but the ground around is completely clear. Gutierrez: Really?! That can’t be right. I wanna get down really low: any sign? I have double-plus Sensory. Conduit:Not even a blade of grass is broken. Gutierrez: Oh-KAY then, now I’m worried… I’ll slowly get to my feet, frowning deeply. Lacuna: I snap my fingers loftily, still not looking, “Did you not hear me before, dolt?What have you found?” Gutierrez:I’ll say calmly, “No tracks, even his. An’ he die no’ long ago. Keep you’ guard up; th’ beast mi’ still be nearby.” Lacuna: I’ll turn back towards the woods. If it’s still nearby, maybe I can draw it out… Conduit:What’s your Intelligence Stat? Lacuna: Single plus. Conduit: Awesome. Yeah, that’s a fantastic idea. These beasts have been described as big, aggressive dogs, so think about what sort of animal might lure those. Lacuna: Oh that’s easy, another dog! I’m sure my character has seen a bloodhound before, so I’ll picture one as I prep Phantasm. Conduit: Excellent. Gutierrez, you see Lacuna looking to the treeline, focusing intently. Gutierrez:I’ll drawmyRevolver butkeepitlow andgo totally still, readying Shootout. Conduit:Very good. Lacuna, Phantasm is ready to roll. Lacuna:Ok, I finishmy PairedAction bywhistlingwithmy fingers,making the Phantasm come running around the corner of the barn towards the forest. Conduit: Sure enough, you hear a vicious snarl. It’s deep and raspy but has a chittering note to it, like mice scrabbling around in the walls of an old house. Lacuna: I make my Phantasm stop, look scared, and slowly retreat back to us, tail between its legs. Conduit:A huge creatureleaps from the undergrowthin pursuit. It’s as tall as a Great Dane but with a huge Rottweiler head and shaggy fur. Great ropes of saliva hang from between massive, pearly teeth, but it barrels out so fast that you can’t pick out much more than that. Gutierrez, reactions from you first; Shootout is ready. Gutierrez: Activating that s*** immediately! Shooting for its head from my hip – less accurate, but I wanna be fanning the trigger for maximum firing speed. Conduit: Awesome. Before I describe the results, Lacuna? Lacuna: Fighting is definitely not my strong suit! I’ll have my Phantasm dodge away from us, hopefully the beast attacks it first. Then I’ll get behind Gutierrez and get a Smokebomb ready. Conduit:Totally. Both of you see the creature wince and stumble briefly – atleast two bullets to the chest… But there’s no blood, just two neatlittle holes. It recovers its stride immediately, bounding after the Phantasm. .(And soit continues)

9 Create a Character Sheet to consult and take notes on as you play, following the steps below. A printable template and filled-inexample can both be found at the backof the book. 1. Choose yourClass(fromthe followingpages) and note down your threeAbilities 2. Generate your character’sPersonality(usingthetablebelow) a. Note down theTWOTraits correlated to yourClass Stats(⮝⮝X/⮝Y), then pickANY as yourthird 3. Listout theTwelve Stats;improve some using (+)’s a. For each uptickin yourClassStats, put a (+)next to to that stat b. Distribute another(+)to the statof your third PersonalityTrait (theone you chose) c. Distribute two final(+)’s however youwish; no statmay be brought above (+++) 4. Ready your character’sGear a. Note down the threepiecesofGearlistedon yourClass’sDefault Roster b. Chooseone additional pieceofGear from yourClass’sElective Roster i. (Optional)Youmay choose to forgo your ElectiveRoster choicein exchange forTWO Common Items,which you design yourself 5. Name your character 6. (Optional)Detail your character’s appearance andbackground a. If such details become relevanton-mission, you canmake them upon the spotwithin reason andwith Conduit approval; be sure to note them downif you do! b. Feel free toinclude clothes, trinkets, andotherminor accessories c. If nonhuman,list fair,Conduit-approved comparative strengths andweaknesses Personality Traits Vitality Indulgent– Fun-loving,greedy, optimistic Might Forceful–Aggressive, retaliatory, brave Resilience Tough–Blunt, no-nonsense,grim Spirit Compassionate–Warm, sentimental,giving Arcane Ambitious–Powerhungry, haughty, scheming Will Self-Controlled–Serious, calm, principled Sensory Alert–Aloof, organized,wary Reflex Smooth– Ingratiating, easygoing, sly Vigor Enthusiastic–Gung-ho, extroverted, boisterous Skill Confident–Cocky, showoffish, cool Intelligence Opinionated–Articulate, pretentious, analytical Luck Carefree–Cheeky,whimsical, complacent CHARACTER CREATION

10 Gunslinger ⮝⮝Skill /⮝Sensory "There's two kinds of people, my friend; those withloaded guns and those who dig.You dig." – Blondie,The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Flashy ranged damage-dealer, good at controlling the pace of a fight and as ready with their words as with their weapons. Limited by their poor defenses and dependency on good positioning, as they are quite vulnerable at close range. When designing a mission for a Gunslinger, try to give them plenty of combat but add intermittent lulls for them to reload and flex their social muscles. They do especially well versus ranged foes but can’t contribute much to puzzles. Grounded in classic gunfighting stories and legends, particularly those of the American Wild West and the countless films, books, and video games they have inspired. Examples from history & pop culture include: � Annie Oakley � Ned Kelly � Roland Deschain (The Dark Tower series) � John Marston (Red Dead Redemption series) � Hol Horse (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) Combat Social Utility Tips on Playing a Gunslinger � Stuck on what stats to give your Gunslinger besides Skill & Sensory?ConsiderReflex,Luck,orVitality! � You don’t have tokeep perfect trackof your ammo reserves(ask yourConduit foranapproximateifitbecomesrelevant),but try to stay awareof howmany shots you haveloaded. � Try todemonstrategood shooting formin-character:gunshave heavy recoil, and their accuracy depends aloton handling. � Always be looking for potential Trickshot angles to get around enemy armoror cover. � Youaren’tworthlessinclose-quarters,butyou should still try to keep foes at a rangewherever possible. � If you want to try Advanced Play as a Gunslinger, start by learningmore aboutPitching.

11 Gunslinger Abilities Default Gear (You have all of these) Duster Good protection against environmental threats(heat,wind, etc.) and hostilemental effects.Magically hides the user’s face solong as they calmly and deliberately chooseNOT tointeractwithnonalliesnearby. Bandolier A belt holding ammo, approximately 24 Rounds, to be divided among your firearms. Will magically refill a few shots (~1-3) wheneveryoufirst comewithin arm’s reachof an enemyyouhavekilled. Revolver Semiautomaticpistolholding6 Shots.Highfiring rateandgoodpower forahandgun,mediocreaccuracy.Auser’shand speedwill benotablyincreasedwhileoperating thisweapon. Elective Gear (Choose ONE of these) Sharps Rifle Single-shot, falling block-action firearm. Good power, accuracy, and range, but impractical to fire while moving. May gradually zoom-invision (up toMiddegree)while sighting down thisweaponover aprolongedperiod. Coach Gun Lightweight,breech-loadingshotgunholding2 Shotsatatime.Goodpowerforitssize,butdecentkickandrelativelyshorteffective range.Caninstantly dash avery shortlateral distance atincredible speed afterfiring (LowEssenceCost). Saddled Horse Aloyal beastwithgreat endurance.Saddle bagshold travelinggear, accessedvia aPitch. Standoff While keeping cool and unruffled, the user will be magically protected from enemy attacks; directly interacting with a specific enemy will briefly stop them from aggressing at all. EssenceCost High MaxDuration Low Paired Action: Hold position, slow your movements, and coolly observe enemies nearby. Must continue to act disproportionately calm and collected; ceasing to do so will end the Ability prematurely. Cooldown Mid � Protection takes the formof aninvisible forcepushingincoming attacksoff-course.ThishasHigheffectivenessversusprojectiles andMidotherwise. � Stopping an enemy requires their full attention aswell as sustained social engagement(intense eye contact, conversation, etc.).Ends earlyif the targetis attacked. ≫ Canreadilyfailiftheuserisinsufficientlyengagingortheenemyisparticularlydetermined.Becomesmuchmorelikelytofailagainstmultipleenemies. Shootout Teleport a sheathed weaponinto your hands; while the Abilitylasts, a fresh bullet is conjured into place whenever you cock a firearm. EssenceCost Mid MaxDuration Low Paired Action: A few seconds of focused stillness broken by a sudden arm/handmovement. Cooldown Mid � Weapon teleportoptionalif already armed; bullet-conjure effect applies toALLuserweapons. � Bullet-conjuring circumventsmuchof thenormal reloadingprocesses,greatly increasingfiring rate (though cockingtheweapon ISstill required). ≫ This ammo appearsoutofnowhere and doesnot drainyourpersonal stock. Trickshot Bounce a shot off a hard surface, the bullet magically remaining intact and retaining its momentum. EssenceCost Low Cooldown Low Paired Action: Perform a stylish flourish with your weapon immediately before firing it. � Pitchthe directionyour shotwill reangle towards; aswith allPitches, successis basedonplausibility.

12 Illusionist ⮝⮝Sensory /⮝Arcane "Is all that we see or seem | But a dream within a dream?" – Edgar Allen Poe Subtle caster specializing in stealth, manipulation, and controlling attention. Though seemingly defenseless, their skillsetmakes them exceptional escape artists. Poor damage output and struggle with smart, unpredictable enemies. When designing a mission for an Illusionist, try to provide them with plenty of deceivable foes. They thrive in classic stealth scenarios but have enough utility to contribute to most styles of mission, though they are quite vulnerable to being blitzed. Grounded in the classic tropes of illusory spellcraft found in myth, folklore, and fantasy as well as real-life stage magic and trompe-l'œil. Examples from history & pop culture include: � Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin � David Copperfield � Oz, the Great & Terrible (The Wizard of Oz) � Mysterio (Marvel Comics) � Zoroark (Pokémon) Combat Social Utility Tips on Playing an Illusionist � Stuck on what stats to give your Illusionist besides Sensory & Arcane?ConsiderSpirit,Reflex,orIntelligence! � Consider the psychology of your targets: what do they expect? Want?Know?How can you capitalizeon this? � Always have an escape plan readyin case things go south, as you willlikely have a very hard time defending yourselfotherwise. � Monitor your Essence carefully, & try to avoid big, expensive illusionswherever a small, cheapone could do the trick. � Try not to get stuck playing reactively – always think of what you can do now to set up for future plans. � If you want to try Advanced Play as an Illusionist, start with Manifesting.

13 Illusionist Abilities Default Gear (You have all of these) Wizarding Hat Strong magical protection for the user's head, also offering limited protection to the rest of their body. Grants the user occasional Insightsonhow best to cast andworkwith theirmagic, especially duringEnergywork. Smokebombs Set ofsmall, decorated ordnances(max6permission); each bursts into a thick cloud of colorful smoke that does not at all obstruct the Illusionist’sownvision. Folding Fan Highly proficient at blocking magic (like a shield would an arrow). Magically draws the eyes of non-allies while open and moving, breaking andholding their focus (Lowpower). Elective Gear (Choose ONE of these) Billowing Cape Decentmagicalprotectiontoanypartoftheuseritcovers.Afteramomentoffocus,Capecanbemadetorippleoutaroundtheuser, allowing them to slowlyhover around atwill (LowCost&Duration,MidCooldown). Tome A magical book – fittingly incorporate into a drawn-out Paired Action (study the text, recite an incantation, etc.) to reduce that Ability’sEssenceCost byup toonePowerRating.(eg.MidtoLow) Handmirror Mentally focusonanally to slowlyopenalineofmagicalcommunicationwith them through themirror,with fullvisualandaudio input.Limited talk time,HighCooldown to re-contact the same target. Veneer Change the appearance of an object or being. Avg EssenceCost Mid MaxDuration Mid Paired Action: Gesture as though carefully “painting” the target, takinglonger thelarger it is. Cooldown Low � Target retainsitsoriginal sound, texture,etc.Mayendprematurelyifnon-alliesnoticeconspicuousdiscrepancies.(eg.“Whyisthatdress clatteringlikearmor?”) � Costwhollydependsonthesizeofthetarget&complexityoftheillusion.Listedaverageapproximatesafullhumanmakeover(nothingdrasticlikeathirdarm). ≫ Eg.Somethingsmalllikealteringhair color couldhaveaLowCostandtakeasecondatmost. � Cooldown beginsonuse rather thanon completion;multipleinstances can be active atonce. Phantasm Conjure a lifelike (though wholly inaudible and intangible) three-dimensional image, which may be remotely puppeted by the user at will. EssenceCost Low-Mid MaxRange Mid Paired Action: Briefly visualize chosen image, then activate with a showy flourish. Ends early if conjured image moves too far away. MaxDuration Low � Must depict a single, specificobject, creature,or being.Detail/realism dependon theuser’s familiaritywith the subject. Cooldown Low-Mid � Cost & Cooldown increase with size, ranging roughly from that of a small animal(like a bird) at cheapest to that of a very large animal(like an elephant) at maximum. (eg.AhumanPhantasm couldhaveaLowCostandCooldown) Viewpoint See the world through the eyes of a chosen target; in this state, you may choose specific objects or beings to hide from their senses. Max EssenceCost Mid MaxRange Mid Paired Action: Focus intensely on target for a few seconds, then close eyes to activate. Ends early if targetmoves too far away. MaxDuration Low � Canonlyseethroughtarget’seyeswhileyoursareclosed,asthoughwatchinganinternalTVscreen.Openingyoureyesdoes NOTprematurely end theAbility. MaxCooldown Mid � Blanked choices are wholly unnoticeable to the target in all ways, though if they are already alert to the choice or it becomes overwhelmingly conspicuous Viewpoint may endprematurely. ≫ Themore thingsyou try to blank, themorelikely the targetwillnotice. � Abilitymay be ended early atwill byuser;Cost andCooldown are scaled downproportionatelyifyou do so.

14 Librarian ⮝⮝Intelligence /⮝Spirit Scholarly support class, great at gathering info, team coordination, and empowering allies. All but helpless in a fight, and tend to play quite slowly, but can hold their own in social situations. When designing a mission for a Librarian, be sure they have a rich and interesting world to interact with. But beware: though vulnerable, this class can complete missions solo if you don’t design around their huge info-gathering capabilities. Grounded in myths and modern clichés surrounding libraries, books, and the “magic of learning” in general, as well as the stock bookworm archetype. Examples from history, myth, & pop culture include: � Thoth � Kui Xing � The Pagemaster (eponymous) � Lucien (Sandman) � Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) � Theo, Cleo, & family (Between the Lions) Combat Social Utility Tips on Playing a Librarian � Stuck on what stats to give your Librarian besidesIntelligence &Spirit?ConsiderLuck,Arcane,orVitality! � MakesureyouunderstandhowtoPitchwhenplayingthisClass. � Be sure to communicate often with your allies to share your findings. � Your team will often default to you when choosing what to do, but don’t feel like you have to give the final word if you’re not yet confidentin a decision. � Givinginfo/empowerment toNPCsisagreatway tobuild trust or establish authority. � Ifyouwant to trymoreAdvancedPlayasaLibrarian,checkout Intelligence Insights. “When you absolutely positively have to know, ask a librarian.” – American Library Association

15 Librarian Abilities Default Gear (You have all of these) Scholarly Raiment Fancy, academic dressoffering decentmentalprotection;increases theuser’sveracityinothers’ eyes. Reading Glasses Allows theuser to speed-readatanincredible rate.Whileintently focusingon something, theuserbecomeshighly resistant tobeing deliberately distracted,interrupted, etc. Bookbag Holdsmanymundane bookson topics relevant to current circumstances, accessedvia aPitch. Elective Gear (Choose ONE of these) Quill Pen Canwrite/drawinmidair(atno cost/cooldown).MarkingsARE tangible butincredibly delicate.LowDuration. Scanner Asmalldeviceprojectingamagicallightatcloserange,revealingthingsnotnormallyvisibletothenakedeye.(egs.Piercinginvisibility, highlighting oldfingerprints,indicatingthepresence ofsubtlemagics, etc.) Memos Set of 10monogrammedletters, plus a pen.Canwrite avery short (max ~10 words)message and teleportit to a non-enemy(ata knownlocation)within a fair range atno costor cooldown. Catalog Magically tidy your surroundings, learning about them in the process. EssenceCost Low Range Low Paired Action: Express dissatisfaction with themess in question, then activate with a showy gesture. Duration Low � Tidyinginvolves spontaneous scouringof filthwhileobjectsmagically fly back to their proper places.User has someinput over thisprocess(howthingsaresorted,wherethey endup, etc.). Cooldown Mid � Playermay ask questions about anythingwithin theCatalog’s range (evenstuff notbeing cleaned)that could have been determined by brieflyinteractingwith theobject(s)in question.Conduit’s answerswill appearwithin the character’smind as though being read from a book. ≫ Eg.“Wasthatstain onthefloorblood?”,“Howmanybulletsareinthatpistol?”,“Werethereanyhandwrittennotes,andifsowhatdidtheysay?” ≫ ThesequestionscanbeaskedbothwhileAbilitylastsANDforaMiddurationthereafter,asthoughtheuseristappingintoaninternalrecord;incessant questions,however,may be denied by theConduit. Knowledge is Power Conjure a magical booklet that may be read in mere seconds, temporarily conveying an entire body of knowledge to the reader as well as a fitting, beneficial magical effect. EssenceCost Mid Duration Mid Paired Action: Announce the book’s topic aloud while extending a hand, snapping fingers (or similar) to activate. Cooldown Mid � Topicsmust be believablylearnable from a book(First-Aid,Mycology,Fencing, etc.).MAY be specific to theuser’s current area.(eg.“local religioustraditions”) ≫ Target’sacquiredproficiencyinthechosenfieldisdecentbutfarfromexpert.OnceAbilityends,targetlosesALLofthismagically-sourcedknowledge. � Magical effectgained by the targetisPitchedby theuser andmust be clearly related to the chosen topic. ≫ Eg.Abookabout fencing couldletthetargetmagicallyflytheirswordbacktotheirhandifdisarmed. Fun Fact Share an interesting piece of information about a relevant person, place, etc. EssenceCost Mid Cooldown Low Paired Action: A perky exclamation of some kind (a small gasp, a quick raising of the hand, suddenly saying “Oh!”). � ThisisPitchedby the player andmust plausibly fitinwithwhatis alreadyknown about the subject.Additionally,itmust be the sortof detail thatonemight learn about from awritten record(book,newspaper,diary, etc.), evenifwhollyimplausible that theLibrarian themselves actually did so. ≫ If accepted, thisnew detail can be taken tohave been true all along. � A Fun FactMUST be shared aloudwith someoneinorder for theAbility towork;itCANNOT bepurelyinternal.

16 Thane ⮝⮝Resilience /⮝Spirit “Do I hope in vain that you have been sent to me for a help in doubt and need?” – Éomer,The Two Towers Well-armored protector able to outfit and coordinate their allies. Thrives on the front lines. Building authority and gaining trust are crucial for their success, while uncooperative allies are a problem. When designing a mission for a Thane, bear in mind that they tend to favor a slower start. Non-hostile NPCs are hugely important to their gameplay, but you should be sure to include plenty of combat for them too so they can put their tankiness and teamwork skills to good use. Grounded in “ralliers of the common folk”, unifying the downtrodden against a looming oppressor, with an added splash of late antiquity Germanic tradition. Examples from history, myth, & pop culture include: � Boudicca � Joan of Arc � Henry V � Agamemnon (The Iliad) � Ned Stark (Game of Thrones) � Ike, Roy, & many others (Fire Emblem) Combat Social Utility Tips on Playing a Thane � Stuck on what stats to give your Thane besides Resilience & Spirit?ConsiderVitality,Will,orMight! � NPCs are resources! Turn neutrals into allies using your Class skillset and acting chops. You don’t need a whole army to be impactful – a few good allieswill do the trick. � To Arms allows you to adapt your team to the threats they are facing:lotsofprojectiles?Conjurea few tower shields.Enemies have heavy armor?Handout somewarhammers. � Gairethinx can be used to send simple signals at a distance. � Your low Essence Costs and high Spirit Stat let you be liberal with yourAbility usage. � Heavy armor reducesmobility, so force enemies to come to you by holding chokepoints. � If you want to try Advanced Play as a Thane, start with Spirit Insights.

17 Thane Abilities Default Gear (You have all of these) Heavy Panoply A full suitofheavy armor covering the entire body; theusermay detail the specificsofitspieces. Mantle Apinned cloakprovidingokmagicalprotection towhereverit covers;grants theusergreater authority andgravitasinothers’ eyes. Bastard Sword Large,hand-and-a-half swordwithgood striking andparrying effectiveness,including againstmagical threats.Magically enhanced as theuser’sStamina drops, becomingmore deadly andlightweight. Elective Gear (Choose ONE of these) Halfpike & Kiteshield A long, lugged spear and tall, teardrop-shaped shield; effectively wielded together, particularly when braced. Attacks and blocks madewith this duo are boostedwith a small amountofmagically-sourced bonusknockback. Banner Icon-emblazonedflag;holdaloftwitharallyingcrytosummonasmallteamofarmedsoldiersfromtheuser’shomeland,deeplyloyal and combat-ready.Unsummoned after aLow-MidDuration;Highcooldown. Barded Warhorse Strong,proud, and combat-ready.No saddle bags but fairlywell-armored across face,neck, and torso. Gairethinx Draw and hold the attention of all enemies in earshot while simultaneously making them more cautious/hesitant; allies may join in your Paired Action to intensify the Ability’s effects. EssenceCost Low MaxDuration Low Paired Action: Make a commotion by clatteringweapons and armor, shouting, etc.; sustain untilyou choose to end the Ability. Cooldown Mid � Dramaticallyincreases theloudnessof theuser’sPairedAction (less so forjoining allies). � Enemies who are particularly far away, intent on other targets, or well beyond the user’s threat level are more likely to resist this effect. Similarly, the Ability becomesmuch stronger themorenumerous, concerted, and formidable the allieswhojoin theuser are. ≫ Cornered enemies affected byGairethinx areliable to be confused andpanickedinto desperate action. To Arms Conjure weapons and armor onto your allies’ persons from nowhere; this gear lasts until the end of the mission. EssenceCost Low-High Cooldown Mid Paired Action: Make a brief speech callinglisteners to action; only those who respond in kindmay be targeted. � Limited to simple,humble,low-techoptions(spears, clotharmor,shortbows, etc.).Cost scalesonnumberof targets and amount/complexityofgearper target. ≫ Eg.Givinga fewpeopleasimplesword eachwouldhaveaLowCost;givingtwo-dozen eachaspear,shield,andarmorwouldhaveaHighCost. � If a recipient ever deliberatelyflagrantly disobeysor betrays theuser, anygear theyhave received fromToArmswillvanishinstantly. Shieldwall Summon a line of interlocked, hovering shields at a chosen point and orientation, which allies and user may pass through as though intangible. EssenceCost Low Range Low Paired Action: A stomp, shout, or similar,made with a resolute, unyielding attitude. WallWidth Mid � Shields areincredibly durable andimmobile, each comfortablylarge enough to fully cover ahuman. � Exert apotent rebuffing forceon enemies attempting to climbover,push through, etc. Duration Low Cooldown Low

18 Thunderbird ⮝⮝Arcane /⮝Vigor Dynamic magical damage dealer with excellent speed and mobility. Great at darting in and out of combat, but their flashy powers come at the risk of friendly fire, andit requires setup and good timing to perform optimally. When designing a mission for a Thunderbird, pay special attention to your setting: current weather, topography, and vertical exposure all matter much more to this class than others. Make sure they have access to the sky and plenty of room to move. Grounded in storm gods and creatures of myth, and the many weather-manipulating characters they have inspired in modern media. Examples from myth & pop culture include: � Zeus, Thor, Indra, Susanoo, & many others � Storm (Marvel Comics) � Raiden (Mortal Kombat) � Pepa Madrigal (Encanto) � Wonder Tweek (South Park) Combat Social Utility Tips on Playing a Thunderbird � Stuck on what stats to give your Thunderbird besides Arcane &Vigor?ConsiderSkill,Spirit,orWill! � Stayingstillisusuallyalosingproposition!Makeuseofyourhigh mobility tooutflank, scout ahead,or baitout attacks. � For a staple combat combo, use Thunderclap (to gain altitude) intoOutof theBlue. � Be sure towarnyour teamaboutpossiblecollateraldamage–all of yourAbilities can harm alliesif they (or you) aren’t careful. � You aren’t just a damage machine: Stormbrewing in particular has great utility potential. � Don’t feel locked-in to the visuals of your gear: instead of a Thunder Hammer, for example, you could work with your Conduit toSkinit as aThunderStaff! � If you want to try Advanced Play as a Thunderbird, try out Replenishment: this Class burns through Stamina & Essence very quickly. “The thunderbolt draws, even from those that are struck by it, a veneration.” – Seneca

19 Thunderbird Abilities Default Gear (You have all of these) Feathered Cloak Veryfragileandoffersonlyalittleprotectionagainstenvironmentalhazards.However,allowstheusertoeffortlesslyglidewhiletheir arms areoutstretched,gaining altitudeviawind currentsif desired. Talaria Winged sandals mildly increasing the user’s normal running speed. May be used to take steps in midair as though it were solid ground;numberof steps scaleson currentpace (nonewhen still,~10when sprinting). Thunder Hammer Oversized ceremonialweapon,good damage but quite cumbersome.May briefly hold aloft to chargewith electrical power, adding decentmagical damage and reducingweight (LowCost&Duration,MidCooldown). Elective Gear (Choose ONE of these) Heroic Cuirass Muscledchestplateprovidinggreatprotection to the torso.UsermayperformaTurningPointdepicting themmusteringupgreat courage togreatly reduceALLof theirStamina& Essence costs for aLowDuration. Lightning Bolts Set of delicate fulgurites(max5per mission), infused with electrical power when thrown. Deal great magical damage and travel at high speedover agood range, but trajectory can be redirected bynearbyprominent/conductive features. Ceremonial Drum Small hand drum, able to be played with one hand while being carried by the other. Fittingly incorporate into an Ability’sPaired Action, drawingitout beyond standard requirements, tonotablyincrease thatAbility’spower. Stormbrewing Gradually bring about a violent change in the weather. EssenceCost Mid Duration Low-High Paired Action: Perform a dance, chant, or similar ritual, the weather changing steadily as you do so. Cooldown Mid � PitchhowyouwanttheweathertochangeinamannerthatsomehowthematicallyfitsyourPairedAction(awild,shriekingfrenzytobringgalewinds;anelegant waltztobringsheets of rain).Power andDuration are based bothon thelengthofyourPairedAction and theplausibilityofyourPitch. ≫ Eg.BringingsnowtoaswelteringdesertwouldhaveaLowDurationandunderwhelming results. � Youmay target a specific area,person, etc., evenifimpossibleundernormal circumstances, throughyourPairedAction(pointing, callingtheirname, etc). ≫ Eg.Hailpeltsthe roof ofaspecifichouse;alightningboltstrikesaspecific raisedsword. ≫ When targetedin thisway,Stormbrewing’s durationis capped atLow. Thunderclap Unleash a conical explosion of sound, dealing no damage but dazing and hurling away all in its path. EssenceCost Low Cooldown Mid Paired Action: Forcefully clap your hands, slam a fist/weapon into the ground, or similar in your intended direction. � Incredibly loud, liable to temporarily deafen even bystanders. User is wholly immune to this. Daze/knockback power ranges fromHigh (for those right in frontofyou) toLow(for thoseonperipheries). � Ifyou aregrounded,may targetthegroundwithThunderclap tolaunchyourself several storiesinto the air. ≫ Thisweakens daze/knockback effects andlimits them tovery close bystanders. Out of the Blue Surge down to the earth as a bolt of lightning, landing in a small, electrically-charged explosion before resuming your usual form. EssenceCost Mid Cooldown Low Paired Action: Enter freefall while airborne, indicating a point on the ground below to strike. � Damage and explosion size areproportional toyour altitudewhen activating theAbility. ≫ Eg.Fromasuburbanrooftop,thisAbility couldreadilyincapacitateasinglenormalhumanbutnomore; fromalow-flyingplane,however,it could evaporatea normalhumantargetaswellaskilling orbadlyinjuring everyonewithintenpaces ofthem. � Tallerormore conductive targetsnearyourintendedlandingpoint(includingallies) can redirect thisAbility,often to theuser’s detriment.

20 Wanderer ⮝⮝Luck/⮝Vitality Fancy-free and eclectic dark horse with an expansive bag of tricks. Their toolkit offers many opportunities for creativity, making them highly adaptable to their environment. This flexibility does come at the expense of power, and they have few combat options. When designing a mission for a Wanderer, consider how you can keep them on track while still offering plenty of opportunities. They can interface with your setting better than almost any class, but they are also the most liable to derail the group. Grounded in the timeless trope of the “eternal traveler”, sweeping through a quiet town, bringing intrigue and mayhem, before leaving as suddenly as they arrived to carry on their adventure. Examples from history, myth, & pop culture include: � Jack Kerouac � Johnny Appleseed � Bilbo Baggins (Tolkein’s Legendarium) � Phileas Fogg (Around the World in 80 Days) � Ford Prefect (Hitchhiker’sGuide to theGalaxy) � The Cat in the Hat (eponymous) Combat Social Utility Tips on Playing a Wanderer � Stuck on what stats to give your Wanderer besides Vitality & Luck?ConsiderReflex,Vigor,orSpirit! � MakesureyouunderstandhowtoPitchwhenplayingthisClass. � Thoughoffbeat, your gameplanis proactive: beon thelookout for creativeways to apply your highly flexible skillset. � Manyofyourpowerswillyield resultsonlyimmediatelyclear to you:be sure tokeepyour teamin theloop,and resist theurge to inform themout-of-character. � Have fun with your character acting!This Class rewards antics and big reactions. � If you want to go deeperintoAdvanced Play as aWanderer, try outRallying. “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” – Henry David Thoreau

21 Wanderer Abilities Default Gear (You have all of these) Satchel Fullofuseful andinteresting things acquired duringprevious travels, accessedviaPitches. Walking Stick A sturdy butmodest self-defense weapon; outside of active combat, those who perceive the stick to be your onlymeans of defense will tend to treatyou aslessof a threat than theynormallywould. Waypoints Set of handmade markers(max6permission).When placed, infused with a short (max ~5 words) message; any ally who touches themarkerwillhave thismessage appearin theirhead, spokenin theuser’svoice. Elective Gear (Choose ONE of these) Fiddle Notably increases Essence restoration for anyone incorporating listening into Replenishment; tends to inspire feelings of lightheartedjoy andmerrimentinlisteners. Nostrum Unmarked bottleof suspiciousliquid.Conveys up toMidpower healing to the drinker, but theWanderermust pitch a side-effect to beincurredin theprocess: theworse the side-effect, the better theheal.Can beused3xpermission. Map Fairlywell-detailed, specifiesuser’s currentlocation.Magically redrawn to the settingof eachnewmission. By the Wayside Infuse a found object with a fitting magical power, only usable a couple times. EssenceCost Mid Uses per Item 3x Paired Action: Pick up a newly-found object and examine/interactwith it in an interested& appreciativemanner. MaxCooldown Mid � Pitchthe new property you’re hoping for: power and success scale bothon the thematic appropriatenessof your Pitch aswell as how forgotten to theworld yet interesting to the user the object is.(Egs.A rusty old bicycle pulled from a river could become abletotemporarily ride across water; a cool piece ofshedsnakeskin couldbe rubbed onabiteaspotentantivenin) � Properties cannot begeared towardsharmingothers butmay be appliedin combat as appropriate. ≫ Eg.An oldincensestickCOULDNOTshootajet offire;itCOULDunleasha cloud ofthicksmoke. � Powerslastuntilmadeuseof three times, atwhichpoint theitemwill becomemundane again;less ambitiouspowerswill resultin alowerCooldown. ≫ Cooldown beginsonAbilityuse rather thanon completion, allowingmultipleinstances to be active atonce. Fork in the Road Guess what might be encountered along a chosen route to receive a brief, dreamlike vision about that path. EssenceCost Low Cooldown Mid Paired Action: Pause to consider the route in question before internally confirming your guess with the Conduit. � Not at all confined toliteral roads(“What’sbeyondthisdoor?” or“What’sunderthis rock?”are equallyvalid). � Visions can be a blendof things that are actuallyhappeningin the chosen direction,figmentsof theuser’simagination, metaphoricalhints, andmore. ≫ The tone and contentof thevision shouldin somewayoffer an confirmation/refutarion to theuser’sguess(evenifunclear/indirect). � Visions arevery brief, sudden, and disorienting, requiring a fewmoments after to clearyourhead. Familiar Face Establish a preexisting relationship between yourself and a chosen NPC, no matter how unlikely it might be. EssenceCost Mid Cooldown Mid Paired Action: Make a show of suddenly recognizing/remembering the target and briefly describe your relationship to the Conduit. � Ability is accomplished via a Pitch to your Conduit. Unlike normal, plausibility does NOT determine success: the Pitch can be unlikely to the point of absurdity solong as thepros/consof the established relationship arekeptproportionate to theNPC’simportance. ≫ Egs.A friendshipwithahumbleservantismuchmore reasonablethana friendshipwithalocallord;a romancewithan ex-loverwho remains embitteredand mistrustfulismuchmore reasonablethanwith onewho continuestobeunquestioninglydevoted. � Themore aConduithas already established about anNPC, thelesslikely thisAbilitywillworkon them. � Though“produced”via anAbility, the established relationship should be taken ashaving actuallyhappened.

22 Once you have mastered Enclave’s Fundamentals, trying out its more complex mechanics should be your next step. Thesewilloffer youmoreoptions bothin-game and during character creation but tend to bemuch trickier. While theseAdvancedmechanics areintegral to howEnclaveis designed and balanced as awhole, thegame can be very serviceably played without them (especially for the first couple sessions). You can introduce them just a little at a time, startingwithwhatismostimportant to yourClass. Conduits familiar with Advanced Play elements are also highly encouraged to gently introduce them to inexperienced playersmid-mission,walking them through the process for some hands-on experience. ADVANCED PLAY Stat Scaling While a player only distributes six pluses during character creation, each has a substantial effect on what their character is capable of. Plus impact can be approximated at base as: Theaboveguidelines,however,arenotalwaysintuitive.As such, the table belowprovides specificexamplesofwhat sortsofactionsyoumight try to pulloffwith a given stat across the pluslevels. These examples, though niche, should give a rough rubric of relative power level across stat scaling. As always, these are guidelines rather than rules: a Conduit’s goal when assessing stats should always be consistency and evenhandedness rather thanobjective precision. Stat effects that are implemented through collaborative storytelling mechanics (such asInsights and Pitches) have scaling examples listed in theirown committed sections. Stats & Presentation A character’s external appearance does not need to necessarily reflect their stats. A scrawny child can have +++Might just the same as a burly bodybuilder, though their short limbs and low weight may makeit harder to effectively use. This philosophy applies to behavior as well as physicality: assuming they are still being faithful to their character’sPersonality, a+++Intelligence character does not need to “act smart”inorder to receive the stats benefits. Flexible Application Therewill comemany timeswhenitisunclearhowa character’s stats should influence their current action (eg.What helps you yelllouder – Might?Vigor?Vitality?). Players are encouraged to ask their Conduit whethercertain statsarebeingaccounted forinacallbeingmade,and Conduits should encourage their players to make a case for one or anotherwherever they aren’t sure. If the Conduit needs convincing, they can ask the player to elaborateon how they areincorporating the statinto their action. + Impressive by real-world standards,within theTop 1% ++ Elite by real-world standards, something 1 in a Million people are capable of. +++ The fringe ofwhatisbelievableby real-world standards, so impressive as to seemall but impossible. Stat Scaling Examples + ++ +++ Vitality Effortlessly catch someone’s eye. Draw focus of a crowd away from a scuffle. Keep someone talking toyou even as they try to killyou. Might Crack a ribwith a punch. Kickin a solidwood door. Lift one end of a small car. Resilience Treatyour own fleshwoundwithout flinching. Endure full-bodyimmolation for over a minute. Survive a direct slash to the neck. Sensory Detect a subtle changeinwind speed/ direction. Read text on a phone screen from across a room. Hear someone’s breathing through a solid wall. Reflex Cross a tightrope. Execute any single flip. Quickly cramyourselfinto a square box a thirdyour height. Vigor Briefly keep pacewith a typical cyclist. Throw 60 full-power punchesin a minute. Easilywin anOlympic running event. Skill Pull off anintermediate sleight-of-hand trick. As awrestler, pull off an armbar on an untrained person twiceyour size. As amarksman, shoot an apple off of someone’s head atmaxweapon range.

23 Stamina & Essence, In-Depth Stamina costs in Enclave are rarely explicitly listed because they can be reliablyintuited –we allknowwhatit feelslike to exertourselves. If they were to be listed, however, the following examples would give some idea of how to map some familiar activities onto the Thresholds (Green-Yellow-Red), assuming no pluses toVigor. With this progression in mind, we can much more easily judge how MAGICALexertionwoulddrainusin turn.BymappinganEssencecost onto the chart above (eg. A couple Mid Costs would probably cost you a Threshold), expenditures can be tracked with relative ease despite thelack of easy real-world parallel. The Spirit & Vigor Stats will substantially reduce the threshold impact of your Essence & Stamina costs (respectively). Below are some sample Activities, continued from the chart above, to demonstrate how thismight scale. Exhaustion – Stamina Dropping a Threshold in either Stamina or Essence will result in Exhaustion, an Altered State conveying physical feebleness, mental infirmity, and other symptoms that intensify as you descend within the Threshold. Like other Altered States, it is up to the player to engagingly portray their character’s current Exhaustion. While EnclaveMissions often push the body far more than most of us have experienced in real life, Stamina Exhaustion symptoms should still be familiar.Check the examples belowif you needideas. Exhaustion – Essence EssenceExhaustion symptomsareeeriebutnotwhollyalien: theyare feverish and hallucinatoryin nature, distorting perceptions,messing with emotions, and broadly affecting a character’s grip on reality. This allows them to be more personalized and specific to the character experiencing them.Forinspirationand thematicguidance, see the examples below. An Example of Stat Use In-Context Thatcher (a Librarian) coughs violently and covers his mouth, crouching low and squinting as best he can through the heavy smoke. His player asks if he can see any kind of exit nearby, and the Conduit asks for his Luck. Thatcher’s Luck is only baseline, and a convenient exit in sight would be a major windfall, so the Conduit initially is leaning against it, but Thatcher’s Player reminds the Conduit that his character also has (++) Sensory. With this additional information, the Conduit affirms that he can barely make out a heavy door through the smoke. Thatcher lurches forward to shove it ajar. Another check, this time for Might and Vigor (both baseline), before he wildly slams into the door and it starts to open at an agonizing pace, stymied by a pneumatic closer. Thatcher stumbles through into a dingy, industrial stairwell a few moments later, but not before taking in a few noxious lungfuls of smoke. A final stat check, this time Resilience, (+). The Conduit describes Thatcher’s head spinning as he hacks up sooty phlegm, but, though dizzy and sore from his haphazard collision with the door, he remains in good enough condition to start scrambling up the stairs. Cost Activity Threshold Impact Low Amorningjog Minimal;would only drop a Thresholdifyou’re already close Mid Running amile Noticeable; several of thesein a row andyou’ll drop aThreshold High Sprinting severalmiles Substantial; almostguaranteed to drop aThreshold Cost + ++ +++ Low Running amile Sprinting several miles Running a marathon Mid Sprinting several miles Running a marathon Sprinting a marathon High Running a marathon Sprinting a marathon Sprinting for an entire day Green Youfeelfine,atworstlikeyou’vejustexercised(heavybreathing, sweating,heart rateup) Yellow Fatigue starts to set in (all of the above but worse, plus lightheadedness, enfeeblement, clumsiness,nausea) Red Approaching thepointofcollapse(alloftheabovebutevenworse, plusstrain-inducedinjuriesand frequentaction failure) Green You feel fine, at worst like you’re jumpy or excited (tingling sensations,increasedsensitivitytotaste/texture/etc., feeling on-edge) Yellow Your body is abuzz with magic, and it is starting to become overwhelming (all ofthe above butworse, plus brief hallucinations andsuddenmoodswings) Red You are wracked by the magic coursing through you; is this bodyevenyoursanymore?(alloftheabovebutevenworse,plusoutof-body experiences, bouts of incoherency, and dangerous magical woundssuddenlymanifesting onyourbody)

24 Replenishment A character who needs to restore their lost Stamina/Essence on-mission can do so by partaking in Replenishment, personally therapeutic or enjoyable in-character recreations done during periods of downtime. Characters who need more immediate restoration can instead try the morelimited butimpactfulRallying. Replenishment activities should be thematically appropriate to the resource you are trying to restore: Stamina should focus on physical comfort and relaxation (like eating a big meal), Essence should focus on whatis personallymeaningful and fulfilling (likea deep conversation), and someactivities canquality forboth(likegettingagoodnight’ssleep).Unlike how Staminais scaled byVigor and Essence by Spirit, Replenishmentis NOT tied to any stat. Beyond the universals, pursuits that fityour character’s specific needs, interests, beliefs, etc. can also readily qualify as Replenishment. Some examplesmightinclude: � Alavish character taking a hot bath to restoreStamina � Anoutdoorsy character going fishing to restore Essence � Amystical character engagingin deepmeditation to restore both An activity only counts for Replenishment when there are relatively minimal stakes or stressers involved (eg. Drinking tea during a swordfight wouldn’t qualify). As such, they should normally be attempted only during naturally-occurring periodsof downtime during themission. Replenishment Scaling ThespeedatwhichReplenishmenttakeseffectisdeterminedbothby an activity’s appropriateness (to both character and resource) and the player’s commitment in describing and acting out their character partaking in it. The Conduit should weigh this total effectiveness against the time spenton the activity to approximateitsimpact. Asageneralrule,ifaplayerrepeatedlyemploysthesameActivitywith little variation, theConduit should reduceits effectiveness. On any mission with substantial downtime, especially where Timeskipping is involved, characters are very likely to partake in “offscreen” Replenishment that isn’t given the time to be properly committed to. Conduits should give all players a chance to briefly describe any Replenishment Activities their character performs during such breaks and offer some restoration for them (typically muchlessthaniftheplayerhadbeenableto gointo depthwithit). Pitches, In-Depth As a Conduit, it is impossible to fill in every detail of the story you are leading, but thisleaves greatopportunity for your players. APitchallows a player to suggestsomething to happen in-game that would normally be whollybeyond theircontrol toinfluence sodirectly.Pitchesareoneof the mostubiquitousandimportantmechanicsinEnclave,usedinAbilities& Gear as well asmultiple stats. Learning to use them wellis amajor stepin mastering the game. WhenjudginganyPitch’seffectiveness, theConduit shouldfirst focus on how plausible and interesting they find it within the context of their current narrative – they should never feel jarring, overly-convenient, or directly contradictory towhat you have established. Beyond this, however, a player’s character-acting can also be factored in when determining a Pitch’s success. Players should try to demonstrate investment in the story even as they try to change it, using their engagement to really sell theirConduiton the Pitch. Pitch success is not a yes-or-no matter: partial successes/failures (“Yes/No,BUT…”)areoftenthebestwaytoresolveaPitchinamannerthat is both fair to the player and reasonable for the game. However, if a Conduit feels that a player is overusing a particular type of Pitch, they shouldlet themknow and substantially reduce success rates. Luck Pitching Good stories are not necessarily realistic stories – heroes are often improbably lucky, and Enclave Agents are no exception. This good fortune is represented by a player’s Ability to directly influence the narrative itself via Luck Pitches, allowing them to propose a detail about the game’s world or plot not yet defined by their Conduit – a nearbyobject, a convenient result, even the behaviorof anNPC. Examples of what Luck Pitches can accomplish as the stat is improved(depending onhow effectivethePitchwas)include: Apitchcanbeexplicitlydeclared(“I’dliketopitchthatthebig,scarydog hasgivenupandgoneelsewhere”)butitcanalsobe smoothlyintegrated into a question, preserving flow while still making your intentions abundantly clear(“Isthat big,scary dogstill outside?”). If you and your Conduit know each other really well, you may not need to verbalize your Pitches at allin some cases. Luck Pitches can be used quite frequently without penalty, especially as theLuckStatisimproved. Effect. A Few Minutes Spent Half an Hour+ Spent Over an Hour Spent Low Minimalimpact, offsettingjust a few Lowexpenditures Okimpact, roughly equivalent to a single Medexpenditure Goodimpact, comfortably over half of aThreshold Mid Okimpact, roughly equivalent to a single Medexpenditure Goodimpact, comfortably over half of aThreshold Greatimpact, pretty much a full Threshold’sworth High Goodimpact, comfortably over half of aThreshold Greatimpact, pretty much a full Threshold’sworth Excellentimpact, a fullThreshold and then some Luck Low Effectiveness Mid Effectiveness High Effectiveness Base Recover anitem fromwhereyoulast leftitminutes ago Find a useful but unremarkable object convenient to hand Overhear part of a pivotal exchange betweenNPCs + Find a useful but unremarkable object convenient to hand Overhear part of a pivotal exchange betweenNPCs Come across a useful clue ++ Overhear part of a pivotal exchange betweenNPCs Come across a useful clue An enemy improbablymisses an easy killing blow +++ Come across a useful clue An enemy improbablymisses an easy killing blow Somehow emerge unscathed from a collapsing building

25 Arcane – Manifesting No matter their background, Enclave Agents all have latent supernatural power far beyond what is encapsulated by their Abilities. Using a Pitch, a player can prompt their character to produce a wholly novel magical effect, a smallManifestationof this hidden inner potential. This allows all characters a near-infinite toolbox of useful spells so long as they can work within the scope of Manifesting’s numerouslimitations. A Manifested power must be clearly tied to the established theming of the character using it – their class, personal backstory, aesthetic, even their actions on-mission. Any Pitch that strays too far from this can be deemed implausible by the Conduit and denied. Additionally,while theycanbe similar,Manifestedpowers should(as objectivelyaspossible)beMUCHweaker thanClassAbilities. As one might imagine, what Manifesting can accomplish varies MASSIVELY from character to character and situation to situation. But to give a starting point, here are some examples of what Gutierrez – the detective Gunslinger from the sample character sheet–mightManifest across variousArcanelevels: A Manifested power does not need to feel “classically magical”. Your character doesn’t even need to know how they are doing it. However, remember that just because a givenManifestation worked once does NOT mean it will work again: circumstances will be different by then, and(aswithallPitching)your current situationis amajor factor inManifesting’s successor failure. Manifesting has no explicit cost/cooldown, but players should keepitrare, though a highArcaneStatwilloffer alittlemoreleeway. An Example of Luck Pitching In-Context Misery (a Wanderer with (++) Luck) peeks into the creepy dormitory; her player acts out Misery nervously chewing her tongue as she scans the old, gothic four-posters for movement, asking pointedly if anyone seems to be there. The Conduit (taking this as a successful Pitch) says there isn’t, and Misery tiptoes over to search the nearest beds. After she rifles through a couple, the Conduit asks her playerwhat she’slooking for. The player replies that Misery honestly doesn’t know what she wants and is mostly letting her curiosity get away from her, so the Conduit mentions some interesting personal effects she comes across: a pretty comb, a lacy bonnet, a tin of face powder, all of which Misery promptly pockets. Inspired, Misery’s Player Pitches that just as she is turning to leave she spots a diary peeking out from under amattress.This gives the Conduit a greatidea of how they can advance the plot, so they give the Pitch their full approval. An Example of Manifesting In-Context Anutum (a Thunderbird with (++) Arcane) sprints along the high balustrade as bullets whip past him, seeing flashes of gunfire from the top of the central keep ahead. He has no Abilities off-cooldown, and the height is far too great for his Talaria to climb. A large door at the base of the turret he is racing towards suddenly bursts open, more guards spilling out. But Anutum's Player gets an idea, asking whether there’s another of those metal flagpoles mentioned earlier between himself and the new threats. Though he has base Luck, the Conduit says there is, but clarifies that climbing it would be slow going. Undaunted, Anutum's Player has him leap for the pole as they Pitch him Manifesting a static cling that could let him run up it rather than climb normally. In his backstory, Anutum worked aboard an airship, harvesting electricity from storm clouds and traversing the rigging with practiced ease; the Conduit likes this thematic link as well as the spectacle of the scene and gives it the go ahead. Arcane Low Effectiveness Mid Effectiveness High Effectiveness Base Make agun’s barrel dramaticallyglint before firing Light a cigarettewith a snap of the fingers Dust for fingerprints without needing specialized tools + Light a cigarettewith a snap of the fingers Dust for fingerprints without needing specialized tools Compel someone at gunpoint to answer a question truthfully ++ Dust for fingerprints without needing specialized tools Compel someone at gunpoint to answer a question truthfully Set a notepad to automaticallywrite downwhatyou say +++ Compel someone at gunpoint to answer a question truthfully Set a notepad to automaticallywrite downwhatyou say Form a “fingergun” and fire a single, short-ranged shot

26 Insights, In-Depth When considering giving a player an Insight, the Conduit’s main consideration should be how much effort the player has already put into the situation at hand. Asking good questions, testing personal theories, narrating their character’s internal monologue, and discussing with others in-character are all good signs that an effective Insight is merited, especially over a prolonged period. An Insight can even just confirm a player’s current thoughts rather thanintroducing newideas. Insights should be given somewhat sparingly at base – one or two per qualifying situation – but this should be relaxed if a player is engaging particularly well with the matter at hand and/or a relevant stat is high. Playerscanask followupquestions to Insights theyhavebeengiven(which themselvesalso countasnew Insights), though thesemay beleft unanswered if theConduit feels that toomany have beenissued. Intelligence Insights Many Enclave characters have supernatural reasoning skills well beyond the capacity of real people. Rather than sidelining or replacing the player’s own wits and analytical agency, Intelligence Insights represent the character’sin-gamemental facultiessupporting their player’sideaswith suggestions, clues, and counterpoints. Intelligence Insightsalways requirein-characterengagementwith an issue: investigate the problem, narrate your character’s inner thoughts, and discuss thematterwithothersin-game. Throwing out your current hunches is a great way to prompt Intelligence Insights, especially during in-character conversation with others. Not only can your Conduit potentially give Insights to all involved instead of just you, but it’s usually much more engaging (andthereforemeritsmore/better Insights). Examples of what Intelligence Insights can accomplish as the stat isimprovedinclude: Spirit Insights Much can be inferred about someone through their mannerisms, tone,word choice, etc., butin averbalgamelikeEnclavemuchof this information is too subtle to convey. Spirit Insights represent these instinctual perceptions, giving a player clues as to what a character they areinteractingwithis feeling, thinking,or even suppressing. Spirit Insightsalwaysrequiredirect,interpersonalcontactwithan intended target. Players should indicate what about the target they arepayingattention to(anervoustick,anemphasizedwordorphrase,an element of their appearance, etc.) and any guesses they have as to what these noted behaviors might reveal. Try to elicit revealing behaviors through your interactions with the target: ask them questions, share a personal storywith them, try to get them toopen up. Examples of what Spirit Insights can accomplish as the stat is improvedinclude: An Example of Int Insights In-Context Thatcher (a Librarian with (++) Intelligence) and Anutum (a Thunderbird) peer out from the back of the armored cart as it enters the fortress courtyard: guards everywhere and no sign of Noël (their ally, a Gunslinger). “D’ya think they killed her?” whispers Anutum. “This place is maximum security…” muses Thatcher grimly, “Could’ve been shot down on the spot like that other poor bastard we saw earlier…” At this point the Conduit interjects with an Insight for Thatcher, reminding his player that part of their mission does include rescuing those captured from previous break-out attempts. With this idea now in mind,Thatcher adds, “But thisisNoëlwe’re talking about – she’s reckless, but she’s not an idiot; I’m sure she had an alibi ready to at least stall for time.My guess is she’s in a holding area for processing, probably near the entrance.” Thatcher’s Player asks the Conduit whether this seems like sound reasoning, and the Conduit (giving a follow-up Insight) confirms that it is. An Example of Spirit Insights In-Context Cici (a Librarian with (++) Spirit) turns to face the bloodied man slumped on the floor as her ally, Coolidge (a Thane), sheathes her sword and walks away. “It’s o-ok,” Cici says, trying to be as soothing as she can, though her voice shakes a little at the sight of his wound, “She’ll g-get someone to come patch you up, promise.” The man groans in pain but refuses to meet her eyes. “Are you scared?” she asks, eyes wide with a genuine mixture of curiosity and trepidation. Her player specifies that Cici will really focus on the man’s face as she says this. The Conduit describes his eyes briefly flicking to meet hers, his contorted face relaxing for just a moment, before he returns to grimly staring off into the distance. “You’re not scared of dying…” Cici muses aloud, clearly impressed. ‘But you are scared of something else…’ her player adds asinternalmonologue, and the Conduit, issuing an Insight, confirms that this is an excellent inference. Int Low Effectiveness Mid Effectiveness High Effectiveness Base Be reminded of relevant knowninfo Determine the relevance of a clue Confirm/deny a working theory + Determine the relevance of a clue Confirm/deny a working theory Identify an obscure pattern ++ Confirm/deny a working theory Identify an obscure pattern Guess a personal safe’s combination +++ Identify an obscure pattern Guess a personal safe’s combination Roughly translate an unknownlanguage Spirit Low Effectiveness Mid Effectiveness High Effectiveness Base Confirm sarcasm See through a clumsy lie Discern an unspoken opinion + See through a clumsy lie Discern an unspoken opinion Deduce a hidden intention ++ Discern an unspoken opinion Deduce a hidden intention See through a masterfullie +++ Deduce a hidden intention See through a masterfullie Intuit a secret allegiance/affiliation

27 Turning Points, In-Depth Dire situations often make for the best acting moments, and Turning Points allow players who fully engage with and commit to the drama of thescenetoberewardedfortheirefforts.WhenjudgingaTurningPoint’s effectiveness, theConduit has threemain factors to consider: � How committed and effectiveis the player’s actingoverall? � How strong and appropriateis their chosenhook? ≫ Hooks can be anything (aninteractionwithanother character,an object, ascenethe characterwitnesses, etc.)that has some sortof demonstrable emotionalimpacton the user. ≫ Appropriateness dependson the typeofTurning Point(detailsto come). � Howmuch time and effortis being taken to portray the scene? ≫ Turning Points can be slowly built upover time,only activating at a distinct crescendo. Turning Points should be used sparingly and creatively, lest they become dullandpredictable. Ifaplayer reusesahookorattemptsaTurningPoint ateverypossibleopportunity,theConduitshouldreduceitseffectiveness. If a Turning Point fails to achieve what a player was hoping for, they can choose to continue it, reattempting their original goal with greater effectiveness levels, so long as they raise the stakes of the scene and introduce new elements(suchas differentacting choices,a newhook, etc.). Vitality – Rallying EnclaveMissions tend to be fast-paced and dangerous, and there will often come times where your characteris woundedorlowon energy with no room forReplenishment. ByperformingaRally,aTurningPointdepictingasuddenmorale boost, second wind, or similar, you can immediately revitalize yourself, restoring Stamina/Essence or magically healing a specific injuryormalady (asindicatedby user).Note, however, thatin casesof severe injury Rallying can NEVER do more than Stabilize the wound. Typically, Rallying should depict a heartening, energizing, or endearing moment – something that makes the character want to never say die, despite great opposition. As with all Turning Points, content should symbolically fit the benefit the useris going for. ExamplesofwhatRallying can do asVitalityisimprovedinclude: Unlike most Turning Points, Rallying can affect beings BEYOND just the user: if another character involves themselves in the Rally’s hook, the user can choose to give/shareits benefits to/with that other character, scaling on the initiator’sVitality Stat as well as both parties’ acting commitment. Will – Defiance Your characterwill enduremany hostilemagics(curses, enchantments, etc.),Altered States, and all sortsofother negative effects.Defiance, a TurningPointdepictinganinternal struggleagainst theimpairment, allows a user to throw off a negative effect and become far less susceptible to being affected byit again for some time thereafter. Typically, Defiance should depict an intense, dramatic, or catharticmoment– something that stirs the user to theirvery corein a way that thematically opposes the debility they are trying to expel. Players should alsogiveweight to the effectitself, sellingitsimpacton their character rather than trivializing/ignoringit. ExamplesofwhatDefiance can do asWillimprovesinclude: Particularly strong magics (eg. An ancient spell enforcing loyalty to a royal line) or effects tied to immutable physiognomy (like becoming hungry) will only be temporarily kept at bay by Defiance, though effective uses can prevent them from returning for quite some time. An Example of Rallying In-Context Misery (aWanderer) follows the faint sobbing into a dingy closet, there discovering her teammate Lacuna (an Illusionist), clutching folds of her cape over her face. “Miss Laccy?” Misery says in alarm, hurrying over; “Begone, wastrel!” wails Lacuna, futilely trying to push Misery away and revealing the vicious, bloody slashes thatmar her pristine features.Misery’s eyes soften tenderly.She kneels down and dabs at the bloodwith her handkerchief: “Who coulda done such a horrid thing to such a lovely dame?” she coos. Lacuna cannot even manage a withering retort. “W-Why?” she says after a few moments. She doesn’t finish the question, but Misery infers the rest. “Kindness is free, I say,” she chirps with an oversized smile, “We all in this t’gether, right?” Misery has (+++) Vitality, and her player asks whether this interaction could merit a Rally to patch up Lacuna’s face. The Conduit is totally on board, and the gashes begin to close. An Example of Defiance In-Context Kato (a Thane) hears the clattering of the bone chimes resounding in his ears. The Conduit describes an icy knot building in his chest, a trembling in his limbs, and a deep compulsion to flee. Kato has no (+)’s to Will, so his player has him futilely mouth commands, eyes wide, before turning and bolting back down the hall. His player Pitches that,in his haste, Kato trips over the corpse of one of his own dead soldiers; he has (+) Luck, so the Conduit accepts this. Kato scrabbles on his hands and knees and gently cradles the man’s lifeless face in his hands. His own face tightens in righteous, shameful fury. “Then let death be my judge and pain be my jury,” he whispers, closing the dead man’s eyes and staggering to his feet with a hoarse battlecry. The Conduit loves it all and affirms that the Defiance has worked: despite his baselineWill, Kato is free of the magical fear. Vit Low Effectiveness Mid Effectiveness High Effectiveness Base Offset a singleLow Essence cost Clear up a bruise Restore almost half a Threshold + Clear up a bruise Restore almost half a Threshold Close up a slashed shoulder ++ Restore almost half a Threshold Close up a slashed shoulder Restore a full Threshold +++ Close up a slashed shoulder Restore a full Threshold Set a broken bone and numbits pain Will Low Effectiveness Mid Effectiveness High Effectiveness Base Push through intense pain for a couple seconds Sprint full speed a short distance despiteRedStamina Shake off amagical frost slowingyour movements + Sprint full speed a short distance despiteRedStamina Shake off amagical frost slowingyour movements Whollyignore hunger after aweek without food ++ Shake off amagical frost slowingyour movements Whollyignore hunger after aweek without food Refuse amagicallyirresistible offer +++ Whollyignore hunger after aweek without food Refuse amagicallyirresistible offer Briefimmunity to a deadlymagical fire engulfingyouwhole

28 Gear, In-Depth Whenever your player-character makes use of their Gear, consider its physicality: how might you actually strike with a weapon? How might a worn piece restrict movement? Try wherever you can to represent the weight of your equipment when describing or pantomiming its use: it will add realism to your actions and flavor to your character acting. Objects Found On-Mission Enclave Agents may readily attempt to make use of anything they find on-mission. They may NOT, however, take it with them when leaving: The Enclave cannot effectively ping out objects that weren’t originally brought with you. If you’re fond of something you’ve foundon-mission, try creating a comparableCommissary Reward. Gear Skinning With Conduit approval, you can customize your Gear’s appearance however you see fit so long as the item can sensibly retain its listed functions.Some examplesinclude: � AThane’sBastardSwordisinscribedwithmysterious runes � AThunderbird’sCloakismadeof scalesinsteadof feathers � ALibrarian’sReadingGlasses are amonocle rather than standard eyeglasses Sheathing Whenever a held item is not actively in use, it is assumed to be stored inaSheath(orsimilar)onyourcharacter’sperson.Trytothinkabout where it would make sense for this to be positioned. Remember to specify drawing theitem fromitsSheathbeforeyoumakeuseofit:in tight situations, youmight not be able to bringit to bearin time. It's fine to fudge the details and assume your character can effectively manage what they’re carrying, just be ready to get specific if the situation calls forit. Common Items Acustomizable(butcomparativelyweak)objectbroughtontomission inaddition toyourClassGear.Common Itemscanbehypothetically ANYTHING, and the player has full control over their design, but they must be fully approved by a Conduit before play based on the following criteria: � Must bemuchweaker thanClassGear(as objectivelyaspossible) ≫ Eg.AGunslinger could notbe givenamodernfirearm � Must be thematically appropriate to the character’sClass and/orBackstory ≫ Eg.AThane fromahighmedieval region could notbe givenawatch � May not have any supernatural effectsUNLESSotherwise largelyimpractical foron-mission use,inwhich caseit may have aweakone ≫ Eg.Awallet couldmagicallyproducealittlelocal currency A character forgoing their Elective Equipment will receive TWO Common Items, trading far greater customizability for raw power. Characters may also receive Common Items as Commissary Rewardsfor successfulmissions. Energywork Magic in Enclave is highly flexible, able to be altered based on its user’s intentions and current situation. This process, called Energywork, allows ANY supernatural capacity (usually Abilities) to work differently than aslisted. Initiate your Energywork by: � MakingclearyourintentiontoyourConduit–whatareyouhoping will happen? � Changing up yourPaired Actionin away that befits yourintended change, whether creative and mold-breaking or subtle and indirect.Some potentialideas: ≫ Match the paceof your action to the scaleof yourintended change (if you’retrying forsomething dramatic,make youraction drawn outand arduous, etc.) ≫ Convey a poignant changeinmood through character acting. ≫ Expression/artistry: have your character dance, paint, give a speech, etc. ≫ Incorporate anobject at hand. ≫ Focuson somethingmeaningful: aninternalmantra, amemory, a detailof your surroundings Your goal with Energywork is to keep it reasonable, thematicallyappropriate, and concise: if too muddled, wordy, or ambitious, your Conduit may rule that it fails outright, has unintended results, or(most often)isin somewayweaker/less effective thanintended. Broadly speaking, Energywork is the single hardest mechanic in Enclave tomaster:it’s recommended thatyouhaveafirmgraspof the rest of the game before you dive into it, but once you’re ready it can elevate your experiencemore than anyothermechanic. What Can Energywork Accomplish? Atitsmostbasic,Energyworkcanbeused foreasy trade-offsbetween power and Essence Cost/Cooldown(eg.TheAbilityisweaker butalso proportionately cheaper). Beyond this, so long as it is reasonable, thematically-appropriate, and concise, almost anything is possible with Energywork. Possibleoutcomesinclude: � Changes tolisted detailslike range, duration,or targeting ≫ Eg. Stormbrewing creates a tiny, localized rain cloud over a specific person’sheadthat followsthemaround forawhile � Altering a fundamental detailof themagic ≫ Eg.ShieldWall conjuresswordsinstead ofshields � Completely new effects ≫ Eg.APhantasm violently explodeswhentouched � Other,more specific trade-offs ≫ Eg. Fun Fact revealsa dirtysecretthattheAbilitywould not normally permitbutthe usermusttellasmanypeopleaboutitasthey can An Example of Energywork In-Context Noël (a Gunslinger) rushes into the vault in time to see the bomb’s bright analog timer tick down to 00:05. Her player activates Standoff, attempting to target the bomb to prevent it exploding; normally not feasible, but the Conduit likes the idea and asks for more. The player has Noël smile as she remembers staring down the barrel of a shotgun, carried by the first bounty hunter she killed back home beforejoiningThe Enclave. “Oh puh-lease, that rusty old thang?” she says both in her memory and aloud to the bomb.TheConduitis sold, affirming that theAbility has activated, the bomb’s timer halted at 00:01.

29 APlayer’sgoalinEnclaveis toworkwithyour teammates to tella story through themissionyourConduitdesigns for you,regardlessofwhetherthesquadsucceedsorfails.Tothisend,alwaysendeavortostayin-characterandacceptyour Conduit’srulings.NeverforgetthatEnclaveisagameofteamwork:missionscan’tusuallybecompletedifallmembers aren’t contributing and participating, and the gamewill bemuchless fun. Regardlessofexperienceorskilllevel,itissuggestedthatALLplayersatsomepointtryConduiting,oratleastlearn a little about it. Even if you only ever do it once, hosting can improve your skills as a player and will give your usual Conduit a chance to play. THE PLAYER Asking Questions Direct the focus of your Conduit’s narration by asking them about the worldaroundyouandthesituationathand(“What’soverthere?”,“What’s he wearing?”, “Do I feel tired?”, etc.). Anywhere there are gaps in your comprehension, fill theminwith a question–yourConduit cannot read yourmind. Itis almostimpossible to ask toomany questions.Your Conduit relies on them as much as you do, as the questions you ask will cue them into yourintentions: help them help you. Work with Incomplete Information Often, the answer to your question may be unclear or inconclusive (“You don’t know,” “You can’ttell,” “There’stoo much going on for youto see,” etc.). There are MANY good reasons for your character to potentially haveincompleteinformation, so trust that your Conduit hassuchareasonbutbesuretoaskfollowupquestionsifyouhaveany. Clarifying Power Ratings What does it mean when an Ability has a “Mid Duration”? How much greater is “High Cost” than “Low”? That is up for your Conduit and playgroup to feel out together, so whenever you have a question about apower ratingbe sure to ask your Conduit about it. (eg. “Viewpoint has a Mid Range; would that be enough to hit the watchman onthe farside ofthebridge?”) Expectinconsistencyin thesecalls,especiallyduringyourfirst few sessions. However, over time, your playgroup’s understanding of whatLow,Mid,&Highall reallymeanwillgraduallyconverge to the pointwhere further clarifications are very rare. Implicit Luck If you are playing a highLuckcharacter and you jump off a roof,it’ll generally be understood that you’re hoping for a soft landing to be conveniently waiting for you underneath even if you don’t explicitly Pitch for it. This IS a valid way to use Luck, but it is recommended thatyouonlydosowithaConduitwhoisveryfamiliarwithyourstyle and preferences. Even when this is the case, Implicit Luck does put more burden on your Conduit and, as such, should be used somewhat sparingly. More importantly, don’t expect Implicit Luck to always work out exactly as you envisioned – once again, no matter how good your Conduitis, they cannot read yourmind. Tips – Good Questions to Ask � “Whatmore can I see/hear/etc. about[aspecific detail]?” � “Whatis the current positionof[another character, object, etc.]?” � “Do I think I could pulloff[a challengingaction]fromwhat I knowofmyown capacities?” � “How’remy current Essence/Staminalevels feeling?” � “How’smyCooldownon[anAbility]?” � “Did[another character]say that aloudorwasitinternal?” � “Could you remindmeof themission’sobjective?” � “Do I remember[an obscure detail from earlier]?” Taking Action Whenever you want your character to do something in-game, you must describe both what they are doing and how they are doing it to your Conduit. Anything that you can make a case for being intuitively achievable based on your character’s capacities is fair game. Clarity and specificityareyourmaingoalshere,but tryalso tobeasconciseasyoucan. Remember that an action can always fail or execute differently than youintendedit to.Trust your Conduit’s judgment on these calls and roll with the punches. Be sure you don’t interrupt your Conduit or fellow playersin theheatof themoment;instead,ifyou’dlike tobrieflycut-in for a quick action, raise your hand tomake yourintentionsknown. Elaboration Whenever yourConduit asks you toelaborateon an action you have described, take it as a cue to make them really want to see it work: poetic details, snippets of character acting, and demonstrated commitment to what you’re doing will all help your Conduit get investedin the story you’re tellingwith your action. Showing Intent There will come many times where you aren’t sure whether somethingyou’redoingwillworkornot.Insuchcases,itisimportant that you start your action description by mentioning what you are trying to achieve.YourConduitwillwant toknowwhatyou’regoing for: even if it doesn’t work out as you were hoping, clarifying your intentmakes a partial successmuchmorelikely.

30 Responding to Instant Actions Normally your Conduit will give you all the time you need when taking actions, but in some circumstances you may be asked for Instant Actions. These should be short and simple, ideally just a coupleofwords,andrepresentyourcharacteractingonaninstinctive level before they recover their bearings. Try not to panic when asked for Instant Actions – your Conduit won’t judge them to the same standards as normal actions, they are meant to be scrappy andimprecise. If you absolutely needmore time to think, ask for a brief cutaway to another player. Combat – The Player’s Side Just about all EnclaveMissions will feature a fight, a chase, or similar high-stakes action sequence.While these scenesoftenonly take a few minutesorlessin-game, they can take asmuch as10x aslongormore in real time, as your Conduit slows the game down to give everyone time to act and react to the fast-paced events unfolding around them. Try tomakeyouractionsparticularly specificinCombat,as small detailsarefarmorelikelytomakeahugedifference.Somegooddetails to focusoninclude: � Aim –where are you trying to hit? � Motion – howis your bodymovingwhen you dodge? � Stance –what position are you taking to shoot? � Timing –what cueis your characterwaiting for to act? While specificity is crucial in Combat, so too is timeliness: if you are taking toolong to thinkordescribewhatyou’redoing,yourConduit may need to put you on the spot and ask for Instant Actions to keep up the paceof play. Teamwork in Combat Aswith somuch elseinEnclave,good teamworkis criticalin combat. Players are highly encouraged to cooperate during action sequences, trading thespotlightwillinglyandlooking forways to synergize their actions with one-another. Since Enclave doesn’t have a rigid turn structure, players can chain actions together very smoothly, even in a relatively tight sequence.(eg. “Asmy ally doesX, Iwantto be doing Y at thesametime”) Just remember to keep all coordination in-character! Your Characters shouldn’t be able to read eachother'sminds. Tips on Taking Action � If you have choice paralysis, gowith your gut –inmost cases, theworst thing you can dois nothing � Your character can’t do everything atonce, so try to prioritize what’smostimportant andwhat your characteris best at � Make heavy useofmetaphorswhen describing supernatural actionswith no clear real-world parallel � If an action sounds coolin your head, you can go forit evenif you haven’t thoughtout every step: yourConduitwill walk you throughitif they agree thatit’s plausible � A failed actionis rarely a closed door – think aboutwhat new informationit gives you,what new tactics you can try, and what newoptionsmight now be available � When another player takes action directly relevant to your own,make sure to checkin and clarifywith them and yourConduit during your next cut � Try not toovercomplicate your actionswhen something simplewill do the trick Character Acting In Enclave, you are portraying a being different from yourself: try to embody your character rather than just puppeting them. Being in-charactermost notably impacts dialogue, but it should also color the actionsyou takeaswellasheavilyinfluenceyourdecision-makingprocess. Many of Enclave’s mechanics are rooted in character acting, with substantial benefits available for thosewho really commit toit. Characteractingisaconstantlearningprocess.Whatisimportantis to try, and toimprove wherever you can.One sub-par performance will not define your character! Personality Your character’s three stat-basedPersonalityTraitsshould be core to theiridentity,whatmakes themwho theyareasaperson.Remember that these Traits are very flexible and can be validly portrayed in countlessways, especiallywhen blended. But your character is more than just their Traits: add depth and variety to them by considering their motivations, history, flaws, quirks, and other parts of their individual experience.Why did they join The Enclave? Do they have any habits, phobias, or prejudices? What does their day-to-daylooklikeoutsideof Enclavework? These details don’t have to be spelled out from thebeginning:you can come up with new ones mid-mission. Just try to be sensible with what you introduce and commit to whatever has alreadybeenestablished. An Example of Teamwork In-Context Smoke billowing around him and flames licking at his back, Thatcher (a Librarian) rushes blindly into a window, crashing through the fragile glass and plummeting from the tower’s topmost floor with a panicked shriek. The player of his ally below, Noël (a Gunslinger) asks if her (++) Sensory can pick out and recognize the scream over the sounds of fighting around her, which the Conduit affirms. Noël spares a glance up, grimaces, and yells over her shoulder, “Anny! Catch!” Anutum (a Thunderbird) whirls around to see what she’s talking about, spots the fallingThatcher, andThunderclaps up towards him, scattering the enemies closing in on him.Realizing howvulnerableAnutum nowis to enemy pistol fire,Noël pulls out the defused bomb she kept from earlier in the mission, its timer still displaying 00:01, and holdsit above her head.While doing so she activates Standoff and shouts “Back off boys! Unless y’ fancy yer chances in a collapsing tower!” as Anutum manages to catch the falling Thatcher several stories up.

31 Dialogue Whenever they converse with other player-characters or NPCs in-game, your character’s words should be spoken with your voice. Dialogueis thebest time toletyour character’sPersonality shine–let itdictateyourwordchoiceandbehavior.Playwithpitch,pacing,and accent,andsticktowhatyou feelfitsbest.Yournormalspeakingvoice is often a great place to start: try adapting one thing at a time and see whatworks. Don’t feel limited to words: body language, tics, and other mannerisms are excellent additions to yourDialogue repertoire. Altered States Your character does not exist in a vacuum – their current condition and circumstances will affect their behavior almost as much as their Personality. To this end, adjust your portrayal of your character to fit any Altered State they may find themselves in (tension, exhaustion, pain, etc.). If you are flagrantly ignoring such a state, your Conduit may impose consequences to enforce it. This is particularly true for supernatural Altered States(likeamagically-inducedterror or rage):if you aren’t really embracing the effect,yourConduitwillneed to take partialcontrolofyourcharacter toensureitisn’tunfairlyinvalidated. Typically, the most common and important Altered State is Exhaustion;if nothing else, try your best to do thisonewell! Tips on Character Acting � Theonlymandatory things you need to actout are your PersonalityTraits andAlteredStates – EVERYTHING elseisoptional, though verymuch encouraged � Acting can be asinvaluable a tool as yourAbilities andGear: the rightinteractionwith the rightNPCis sometimes all you need to solve amission � Characters can change,whetherorganicallyor because you’re dissatisfiedwith how they feelin play;just try to always haveit bejustified byin-game events � Evenif you can’t say something aswell as your character could, giveit your best shot and clarify yourintentionif you think yourConduitmissedit � Try speakingin first person(“I yell,‘Look out!’”)or summarizing (“Iaskwhathappened”)if you’re not comfortable voicing – then,incrementally build your confidence by properly voicing a fewlinesonemission and a fewmore the next � PursueinteractionswithNPCsor player-characters whenever there’s downtime � Practice your character’s voiceout-of-game; trymonologuing as themwhile commuting, showering, doing chores, etc. � If forced to decide between succeeding at themission and committing to stayingin-character, ask yourselfwhich will tell a better story. It’s usually thelatter � Protect your voicewithwarmups andwater – all the talking, yelling, and strange accentsmight blowitoutotherwise Player Etiquette There are few, if any, wrong ways to play Enclave. However, try your utmost to avoid the following etiquette breaches,which areliable to spoil the experience for your playgroup: � Chatting out-of-character, especially when coordinating or conveyinginformation: try tokeep what youknowout-of-game separate fromwhat your characterknowsin-game � Being unprepared at the expense of the Conduit and other players: respect your playgroup’s time � Behaving so blatantlyout-of-character as to be unrationalizable � Interrupting or “backseat driving” – if you have a suggestion for another player, ask both them and your Conduitifit’sok(witha newerplayerthisis usuallyfineinmoderation) � Sulking, complaining,or defying yourConduit’s calls � Griefingyour fellow players–PvPis finewhen everyone’son-board withit,butit’snotok to takeoutyour frustrationormischievous instinctsonothersin-game In the vanishingly rare caseswhere a player repeatedly commits such faux pas, especially where malicious or disrespectful intent is detected, their Conduit may impose whatever consequences they see fit. If you are such a player, don’t expect anotherinvite any time soon. Your characteris a critical pieceof this story, but they are not themain attraction: focus on helping other people's stories be as engaging as your own.Be thekindof personotherswant to playwithmore thanonce. Content Boundaries If you have any content boundaries– topics, scenes, or themes that you absolutely do NOT want to experience in-game – you need to inform your playgroup well ahead of the session. Be reasonable with these requests, and donot castigate someonewho accidentallybreaks one: a gentle reminder should bemore than enough. Agood startingpoint forgroupdiscussiononcontentboundaries is permanent death: does anyone strongly object to it? Another useful topicisPlayerversusPlayersituations:if thereisin-character justification, can you harm a fellow Agent? What could be the consequences?Whereis theline drawn between this and griefing? This is ESPECIALLY important with underaged players: do NOT have a mixed playgroup of those both under and over 18 without setting firm and sensible content boundaries.

32 Other General Advice for Players � Thereis no shameinmakingmistakes � Listen to yourConduit: they’ll constantly beoffering you hints and cues, butit’s yourjob to pick upon them.They willNEVERlie to you, though the enemies,magics, and mental states at playin the gamemaydo so � There are always new steps you can take to develop your skills as a player – ask for feedback from yourConduit and fellow players and try new strategies each time you play � Don’t feellike you have tomemorize everything; having a general feel for your capacities andkeeping your Character&ClassSheets close should be enough � Whenin doubt, ask for a cutaway and check your sheet � You can bring yourown real-lifeknowledge (martialarts, technicalfields,firearms,medicine, etc.)to your characterif you canjustify themknowingit, but do not try to undermine yourConduit’s callswithit: reallifeis not universally applicable to thein-gameworld � Thereis always something you can be doing; theonlyway to findoutis to try � Don’t get discouraged!Defeatism never helps and alwayskills themood � Contrastingly,knowwhen to quit:if you aren’t close to successwhen themission starts to runover,it’s good form to have your characters retreat.You can always request to return to the same plotline next time you play

33 AConduit’sgoalis to facilitatean engagingandchallenging experience for theirplayers,adapting to theirdecisions to allow the mission’s plot to unfold spontaneously and holistically rather than ushering them from one plot point to anotherorresolvingafixedplayloop. Conduitingisa fulfillinganddemandingpursuit: try toapproachitflexiblyand intuitively, and always ask for feedback from players toimprove your skills. A Conduit is also responsible for designing the mission. This can be a daunting prospect, so various types of Preconstructed Content are also available for thosewhowish to useor consult them. Conduits should familiarize themselves with all elements of the game and play often in addition to hosting. Thoughmanyplaygroupswill tend tohaveone dedicatedConduit,itishighly suggested that allmembers tryleading the game at some point. Evenif you’ve never doneit before, youmight be surprised how easilyit comes to you. THE CONDUIT Narration Enclave is a game of imagination – your players can’t directly sense the world you’re putting them in, instead they need to rely on you and your voicetotransportthemthere.Describetheworldaroundtheminenough detail for your players to engagewithit. Kick off your narration by establishing the scene, focusing on prominent, interesting specifics that are particularly urgent, relevant, or otherwise demand attention. Flavorful, immersive details are always a nice touch but aren’tmandatory. Prompts The narration process also offers you the opportunity to use leading questions,pointedclarifications,orsimilartogentlyhelpyourplayers realize things that you might see as obvious but they may have misunderstoodornotnoticed. “Areyou sureyouwant to do that?”is a powerfulphrase;make good useofit! Make sure that prompting doesn’t devolve into railroading – no matter your best efforts, sometimes players insist on making choices you disagree with or didn’t expect. So roll with it: you never know when something you perceived as amistake will lead to anincredible moment that you and theywill remember for years to come. Incorporating Player Input Can’tansweraplayer’squestion?Askthemaquestioninreturn:their answer will jog your creativity and offer you critical seconds of extra thinking time.(eg. Ifthey ask “Doesshe have weapons?” respond with “... Whatsortswould youbemostworriedby?”) Similarly, when your player hits you with a good Pitch, let it inspire you rather than treating it as a dispute. Even a sub-par Pitch can spark a great idea, which you can implement off a partial success/failure (“Yes,AND…” or “No,BUT…”). Attention Whenever aplayer asks aquestion, they aredirecting their character’s in-gameattention(eg.Iftheyaskwhatsomeonelookslike,it’simpliedthat the characterislookingthat person over). As a Conduit, consider where a character’s attention is focused when narrating what’s going on around them:whatmight theynotnotice that theynormallywould? Also bearinmind that attention comesinmany shades: checking the weather demands FARless focus than aiming a precise shot. Players can also take advantageof attention for theirown gain!Make sure that the enemies NPCs you embody can be distracted and misdirected, behaving in a believable fashion that canny players can exploit. This is especially important for characters with a high VitalityStat,as theyare supernaturallybetteratcapturingattention. Incomplete Information AConduit shouldNEVERlie to a player aboutwhat their character perceives, but perceptions can often be distorted or misleading. To this end, aConduit can,where fitting, “lie” aboutin-game reality. Whileincompleteinformationmostobviously can come from an AlteredState, there aremanymore typesof situationswhereit can be merited. Instant Actions are a perfect example: as everyone knows from personal experience, high-stress situations canmakeit very easy to miss what would otherwise be obvious details. As such, action sequencesshould usually featureincompleteinformation: the world often becomes a blurin combat, even for trained fighters. Tendtowardsleniencywhenissuingincompleteinformation,and alwayshavea strongreasonbehind thedetailsyouchoose toomit,but do not shy away from making use of it! When well-implemented it can greatly elevate drama and stakes while giving players’ game sense a chance to shine. You can even use incomplete information as pure poetic license to convey tone and subtext to a player.(eg. Describing a normalladderas10storiestalltoa character overcomeby exhaustion) Tips on Narration � Seeing and hearing are yourmainstays, but remember to include theother three senses aswellwhere relevant � The term “narration”mightmake you thinkof an unbroken monologue, butmostof the narration you do should typicallyjust be a few phrasesor sentenceslong � When narrating the same scene for a groupof characters,keep inmind how their different capabilities, positions, and current focuses differentiate theinformation they receive � Thereislittlemore satisfying for a player thanwhen their Conduit passionately narrates their hard-fought victories � Characterswith a highSensoryStat are particularly dependenton your narration

34 Making Calls When your player-characters take action or have something happen to them, it is your job to determine the result and bring about the logical aftermathin as rational and coherent amanner as possible.These rulings are final, but you should be willing to go over controversial calls after the missionif your playerswant to discuss further. Use ablendofintuition, common sense, andlistedmechanics tomake yourcalls–whatmakesmostsensetohappengiventhecapacities,current status, and demonstrated effort of those involved? Then, based on what you decide, give some follow-up narration to describe how the action transpires andwhat happensimmediately after. Prompting Elaboration If you want more detail about what your player is trying to do, ask them to elaborate (“How are you dodging the strike?”, “Where are you aiming your gun?”). Use this also to double-check any mechanical elements you aren’t certain of without breaking flow (“Could you remindmethe cooldown onthatAbility?”, “Whatis yourMightStat?”). Descriptions don’t have to be purely verbal:if players are up forit, physicalsimulationscanbeagreataddition(especiallyforcombat).Just make sure to keepit ultra slow-mo with zero hard contact – sparring is for the dojo, not for Enclave. Outs Try to provide your players with narrative prompts and elegant plot contrivances (Outs) when you see them heading towards disaster. In particular,ifsomethingishappeningtoaplayer’scharacter,theymust be given some sort of chance to react to it. Failure to foreshadow or offer counterplay alwaysmakes for a poor experience. Whenyoumakehigh-stakescallsthatcouldseriouslycompromise a character (capture, unconsciousness, death, etc.), try to only ever rule against them if you have offer numerous reaction opportunities or otherOutsleading up to the call. Swing Situations Whenever the right callisn’timmediately clear, ask yourself: � Whatoutcomewould tell a better story? � Has this playerearneda success? This second point in particular should be the ultimate determining factor in all swing situations you resolve. Reward players who are putting effortintothe game– through character acting, investment in the story,immersionin theworld–with favorableoutcomesin swing situations.Thiswillincentivizeyourplayerstowholeheartedlybuyin to everymissionyouhost,making the experience better for everyone, as theyknow their effortswill be requitedwhenit really counts. Mechanical Walkthroughs Newer players not yet familiar with certain AdvancedMechanics(or even more experienced players that have misconstrued them) may miss prime opportunities to use them on-mission. If you notice this as a Conduit,you arewelcome togive that player anon-the-spot tutorial, guiding them through using the mechanic in that instance (ideally without doingallthework forthem). Not only is this a great way to give your player an Out when they are floundering (eg. Suggesting Energywork when an Ability doesn’t quite workthe waytheythoughtit did), but it is by far the best way for most players tolearn andimprove at the game. Just try not to take toolong when doing soor yourmission’sTempomay suffer. Inter-Player Resolution If two of your players attempt actions directly in opposition to each other,who shouldyou sidewith?Evenin aPvP-free playgroup, these sortsofinter-player callsarenotuncommonandwillbe someofyour trickiest decisions to make, as they can very easily feel unfair to whoever gets the short end. In addition to your normal call-making thought processes, ask yourself: � As always,who’searneditmore?What tells a better story? � Who seems to have betterintentions? If thereis a clear initiator, do they seem to be trying to cause a problem? � Is there a splitoutcomeor compromise you could reach that mightleave both parties satisfied,or atleastless frustrated?(eg. “Youbarelyturn yourheadintime,butthe bullet grazes yourleft cheek,leavingabloodystreakacrossit.”) Technical Knowledge Though characters in Enclave may be expert fighters, gymnasts, sharpshooters, or whatever else, players and Conduits should obviously not be expected to share these same skills. If a call requires specific, technicalknowledge that theConduitdoesn’thave(eg.Ifyou shootanarrowintowaterhowfarwillitgo?), they should simplygowith their best guess, whatever feels most reasonable and keeps things moving along. You can even ask a knowledgeable player if you want, but try not to get stuckonminutiaeorit’ll draw thingsout. Even if you later learn that you guessed wrong when making a technical call, it does not mean that the call was bad (and it certainly doesn’tmean youshould undoit)solong as you gave the best guess you could basedonwhat youknew at the time. Tips on Making Calls � Always remember that success& failure are a spectrum: a mixed resultor even awholly unexpectedoutcomeis often the correct call tomake � Try your best never to go backon a call, andif you absolutely need to do so try to resolveitin as clean and simple away as possible – undoing partof yourmission should be your absolutelast resort � Itis better to be toolenient than too strictwhenmaking calls, but try to fall somewherein themiddle.Regardless, being consistentis bestof all � Try to stay unpredictablewhen providingOuts –if your players figure themout every timeitwill feelmorelike railroading � Blindsiding a playerisNEVER acceptable – thereis always a way to provide anOut, evenifit’s extremely subtle

35 NPCs Player-characters are very rarely alone on a mission – there will be enemies, monsters, innocent bystanders, comrades in arms, and much more, andit’s up to you to bring them all tolife. Whenever a player encounters a Non-Player Character, try your best toactasthatNPC,takingactionsandspeakingforthem.Convincingand engagingNPCswillgreatlyadd toyourplayers’immersionandcanprove remarkably compelling andmemorable. Acting Priorities Playing an NPC is all but identical to how players act as their characters.However,whenever anNPCisintroduced, ask yourself: � How plot-relevantis thisNPC? � Willmy players heavilyinteractwith thisNPC? If the NPC isn’t likely to be important in these ways, you don’t have to spend nearly as much effort portraying them – a simple change in voiceisoften enough. Similarly, think about the NPC’s purpose to the mission’s plot and prioritize accordingly: if they have an important secret, focus on their body language; if they are an enemy pretending to be an ally, maybemake themoverly friendly; etc. Social Gameplay As in our real world, Enclave Missions are just as often solved with conversations, dealings, and threats as with fighting, spellwork, and stealth.Thegame heavily supports these playstyles,with some classes being almost solely focusedon social gameplay. Portraying your NPCs as unthinking pawns – lacking internal motivationsorunderstandableemotionalreactions–ratherthanreal people closes these avenues to your players and can remove skill expressionandimmersion from thegame.Plus, few thingswillinvest your playersin themission quitelike a profound socialinteraction. Tips on NPC Acting � If you aren’t a confident actor, voice yourNPCs through narration(“Shesays,‘Youshouldn’tbehere!’”)rather than speaking as them directly � Animals,monsters, spirits, andother entities areNPCsjust as much as people are, and they can be very fun to act as � If your playerslove (orlovetohate) anNPC, you can absolutely bend the plotof themission tomake thatNPCmore relevant.The reverse also applies � Try to push your capabilities as an actor – challenge yourself in the typesof characters, emotional states, and convictions you portray � Ask your players after themissionwhichof yourNPCs they found compelling andwhy; their feedbackis the bestway tolearnwhatworks andwhat doesn’t Tempo Evenifeverythingelse seemsperfect,poorpacingcanleaveamissiondead in its tracks. Keep your players happy and engaged by frequently swapping the center of attention, alternating between periods of calm and excitement, and trying your best to finishon time. Tempois by far the hardest conduiting skill tomaster: persevere, trust yourplayers tobepatientwhenyoumakemistakes,andyouwillimprove. Cuts Keep your focus on one player at a time, giving them the spotlight to askquestions,performactions,etc.Frequently switching this focus– “Cutting” from one player to another – will ensure certain players don’t dominate the session and help people not feel left out. Other players can jump in (with your permission) if they have immediate follow-upsor responses to something. Try to space your cuts evenly, but don’t worry if it doesn’t work out that way: some players will just have more to say and do than others. Remember, during combat and action sequences you will generallywant to cutmuchmore frequently than usual. Derailment Try not to get frustrated when your players inevitably get distracted fromyourintendedplot.Instead,hostasyounormallywould,buttry to prompt them with fallout from their shirking of the task at hand. (eg.Whilethey’replayingwithsquirrelsinthepark,theysmellsmokefrom theburningbuildingthey’resupposedtobe rescuingpeople from) Instant Actions There is a delicate balance between giving players enough time to think and killing the momentum of a scene. By declaring Instant Actions, you can put pressure on your players to act immediately in situations that call for tension.(eg. “Withoutwarning,thelights go out, plungingthe roominto darkness;instantactions?”) This can be a great way to build stakes, up the challenge, and increase the speed of play.While they can be validly used in a variety of situations, Instant Actions should most commonly be used when your players are surprisedor takenoff-guard. Cutting away from a playerwho needs time to thinkis also a great option, but if cutting isn’t suitable or the situation demands it you can set a shot clock. Timeskipping Whencuttingbetweencharacters, try to ensurenoneof themget too far ahead of one another in time. This is especially tricky when one character is doing something low-effort and slow and another is doing something high-effort andintense – next thing you know, the formeris half an hour ahead and you need to catch theotherone up. Timeskipping is often the best way to solve this problem: with permission from the player, you can quickly blow through an inconsequential sequence (especially travel or other simple tasks with near-guaranteedsuccess) and give them a summary of what happened at the end. Don’t be afraid to prompt a player into a timeskip if you need tomove themission alongor catch them up to their fellows.

36 Even scenes of some importance can be Timeskipped with good reason(suchasaplayerbeinguncomfortableactingoutaromancetrist)– typically called a Fade to Black, these should be resolved as neatly as possible by the Conduit, perhaps asking a couple broad questions to the player to ensure they retain some agency. Keeping a tight timeline is never a matter of counting seconds: as with all other elements of conduiting, you should approximate, handwave, and fudge whatever is necessary to keep things engaging. TheTimeline should not be setin stone. Tips on Tempo � Make sureYOU also aren’t taking toolongwith your narration and calls! � Cutting frequently between your playersisespecially importantif the party splits;if you think a cutwill take a while, be sure to give yourother players an ETA � Dead air(when no oneissaying or doinganything)should be avoided at all costs – evenif there’s an awkward stop, try to getit together and power ahead � ItisNEVERok tokill, harm,orotherwise compromise a player-character during aTimeskip. Instead, end the skip preemptively and give them someouts � Just the phrase “InstantActions” can get an experienced player’s adrenaline flowing – useit to prime your playgroup for a changein tone andintensity Combat & Action Sequences If social gameplay is the soul of Enclave, action sequences are its beating heart, upping the tension and energy levels of the mission while offering your players endlessopportunities for skill expression. Combat is the most common form of action sequence and should generally appear in some form on most of your missions, as many classes are built around it. But it is far from the only kind – an escape from a collapsingbuilding,death-defyingacrobatics,acat-and-mouse evasionof amuchstrongerenemy,andmuchmorecanallbehostedinthesamestyle. As a general rule, you should be cutting between players more often than normal during action sequences tomake sure all can contribute. While far frommandatory, followinganinformal“turnorder”among players canhelp ensure timein the spotlightisproportional,butifyoudo this be ready to frequently break order to allow people to act in response to new events out of turn. Remember to make ample use ofincomplete informationandInstantActionstokeepupthepressureandimmersion. Injuries Characters in Enclave do not have health pools. Instead, wounds are treatedholistically,weakeningandimpairingtheirrecipientaslogical. Injuries in Enclave are classified as either Stable (not currently getting worse), Recovering (getting better), or Deteriorating (getting worse).Thelatter can readily escalate to criticallevels, evenif relatively minor at first. (eg. A shallow stomach wound that gets bigger through vigorousactivitythenbecomesinfected) Injuries can be dealt with pragmatically (improvised bandaging, real-lifemedicines foundon-mission, etc),butwithoutmodernmedical technology it is VERY difficult to even Stabilize particularly bad wounds without use of magic such asRallying (though bearin mind thatit canONLYStabilizesevereinjuries). All but the most trivial injuries qualify as Altered States and should be incorporated into character acting (limping, ragged breathing,wincing, etc.). As a Conduit, you should be particularly careful when making a call on character injury. Make sure you’ve provided Outs for your playerleadinguptothecall,andwherepossibleissuecautionarylesser injuries to help steer them away frommore severeones. A Note on Sports MostConduitswillat somepointfind themselves trying tofindways to allow a combat character to meaningfully contribute to a mission wherefighting reallyisn’tappropriate. In thesecases,oneofyourbest go-to options is to have the mission feature athletic competition – a nonlethal duel or boutis themost obvious, but evenmoremundane sports canwork(especiallywithasupernaturaltwist). Try to prompt your players to use their normally combat-only Abilities in the context of the game: Thunderclapping a volleyball might not beobvious, butit’ll certainly be satisfying. The Conduit’s Commitment Yourplayers arenotyour enemieswhenhostingEnclave.GreatConduits balance providing ample challenge for their players while alwaysrooting for them to succeed. In creating and hosting missions, you should always try your best to make them fair, engaging, and fun. Once you are confident you’ve done so, strive also to make your missions compelling, something your players will remember for years and maybe even learn something from about themselves. Do not be deterred by a mission below your standards: the bestway to bounce backis to host another! Try to learn your players’ tastes through feedback, then capitalize on them –what do theylike?What do they hate?Whatmoves them?

37 Even after reading more about the game, it can be hard to imagine what Enclave actually looks like in practice. To illustrate, the storyof Gutierrez & Lacuna fromearlier continues below. Asyouread, try topickouthowdifferentelementsof thegame(mechanics, conduitingtechniques,etiquette,etc.)are woven into the overarching narrative. How does the Conduit prompt and resolve calls for their players? What questions do the players ask theConduit? PLAYFLOW SAMPLE Conduit:Themouthof the denislittered with torn silk sheets, dirtied with blood and filth. You see considerable evidence of recent struggle as well as bone fragments and cigarette butts littered everywhere. Remind me your Sensory Stats? .(Both playersindicate double-plus) Conduit: Oh, quite good! In that case, you can both hear faint sounds within the den: grunting, growling, gnashing of teeth, plus the scratchy sounds of a phonograph warbling out old-timey opera music. Who has actions from here? .(Gutierrez’s Player raisestheir hand, Conduit nods) Gutierrez:I'd like to look across to the far bush where my ally is hiding and mouth to her, “Can you do anything about our smell?” Conduit: Excellent point, responses from you, Lacuna? Lacuna:That is a good point. My stuff’s all visual, right? Conduit: Largely, yes. Energywork is an option though! Lacuna: Well, there’re plants all around, I’d like to pitch that there’s a strong-smellingwild herbwithin arm’s reach. I’d be able to detectitwith my high Sensory. Conduit: Clever! And you have a plus in Luck, even better. While she’s investigating, any follow-ups from Gutierrez? Remember: you don't know what her planis, you just see her droplow and start sniffing plants. Gutierrez: Doesn't look injured or panicked or anything? .(Conduit confirms) Gutierrez:Okay,we've beenworking togetherlong enough now that I trust she's got an idea. Question: do I see any reason why grabbing a couple pieces of that torn up silk might alert the enemies? They all sound like they're very occupied right? Like, we were told there was the guy and his three – now two, heh – pets, and I think I can account for all of them based on what we heard. Conduit: You don't see any reason why that would be the case, no. Gutierrez: In that case I wanna take some scraps close to the bush I’m in, no more than arm’s reach. My other hand’s on my Revolver. Conduit: Easily done. And then? Gutierrez: I want to investigate any bite marks still there so I can make a guess at whether the two in there are the same size as the one we fought earlier. Conduit: Awesome. Before we go further, Lacuna, you’ve found a few unassuming seed pods that ooze a thick sap. It smells strongly of fake lemon, like you might find in dish soap. Lacuna: Perfect. I’ll pick a few and then wave to get Gutierrez’s attention. Can I mime that I want to cross to his hiding place? Conduit: For sure. Gutierrez? Gutierrez: I still need to check out those scraps, but I’ll nod to her. Definitely hold up a handor something to caution her so she doesn’tjust stroll out into the open. Lacuna:I roll my eyes – of course I was gonna be careful! I want to create a very quick Phantasm of myself. Conduit: Paired action? Lacuna: I guess mentally picturing myself isn’t that obvious… I’ll think back to looking at myself in a full-body mirror at home and flare out my cape to finish, like I’m posing. Conduit: So to clarify, you're picturing what you looked like the last time you looked in the mirror? Lacuna: Yeah, this morning, when I was getting ready for this mission. Conduit: Perfect, goes off within seconds. Lacuna: Then I’ll have the Phantasm quickly and stealthily cross from my bush to Gutierrez’s. Conduit: Ah, trying to bait them out again, eh? .(Lacuna’s Player nods) Conduit:What’s your Intelligence? Lacuna: Single-plus. Conduit: In that case, quick Insight for you: your plan for the Phantasm might out Gutierrez’s location. Lacuna: Oooh, tricky!I obviously don't want to screw you (to Gutierrez’s Player), but in-character Lacuna probably wouldn't care about that.... Ok,instead she sends thePhantasmoutinto theopen and away from the den, not because she cares about Gutierrez but because she doesn’t want to make a fool of herself by accidentally exposing him. Conduit: Great justification! There's no response to it passing, even after a couple seconds. Lacuna:In that case I’ll cut across myself. The Phantasm can vanish now, I don’t need it anymore. Conduit: Before she arrives, any more from Gutierrez? Gutierrez: Did I learn anything from those bite marks? Conduit: Of course – you see plenty of them, much larger than any dog’s tooth could make, and viciously serrated as well. Their saliva drips from several pieces, uncannily warm against your skin. Definitely a rough estimate, but the beast that made this was probably no bigger than the other one you fought. Lacuna arrives at this point. Gutierrez: I whisper to her, “Some more hounds in there, Miss. Teeth’s all jagged, don’ let ‘em bite chu.” Lacuna:I cock an eyebrow, toss my hair, and whisper back as loftily as I can, “Obviously.”

38 Gutierrez: Gracious nod, small smile, then say, “Good, good. You got smell covered?We could use gunpowder but I don’ wanna alert ‘em.” Lacuna: I don't let myself return his smile. I hold up the seed pods and say, “Patience, simpleton. This will be easy.”Which is a total lie, by the way! .(Group chuckles) Conduit: Alright, let’s see how this goes! Lacuna? Lacuna: Ok… I crouch and open my Tome on the ground in front of me… I'm pretty sure the best Ability for masking our scent would be Veneer, right? Because it's long lasting and I can, like, paint the smell over us. Conduit: Nice. Again, you have single-plus Int as well as a Wizarding Hat, so I can confirm that your reasoning is solid – Phantasm definitely wouldn’t fit, and Viewpoint normally only hits one target. Lacuna: So that’s my starting point… can you cut away? I need some time to think! Conduit: Absolutely. Gutierrez, any actions while she's working on this? Gutierrez:Nope, I just want to have my Sharps Rifle out and ready, aiming right down the barrel at the den. Do I hear anything different going on inside? Conduit: Still mostly snarls and eating noises. The music has been turned down, and you now faintly hear a deep, gravelly voice. It’s talking tenderly, but you can’t make out the words. Gutierrez: Probably talking to the dogs. Conduit:Totally. Lacuna, had enough time to think? Lacuna: Mhm! I’d like to crush one of the pods between my hands and rub the sap betweenmy palms, bringingmy facelow to getmoreof the smell. Conduit: It’s a bit sticky but quite thin and watery. The scent is mild even as it fills the air. Lacuna:As I’m smellingit, Iwant toManifest,like, a biggreen bubble rising slowly from my Tome. The only thing it’ll do is give off that same smell. Can I do that? Conduit:Can you giveme alittle about why Lacunamightknow a spelllike this? Lacuna: Good point… Can I establish that she worked in a bathhouse? Seems like the sort of thing she’d do! Conduit:I likeit, put a note on your sheet.The bubble starts to balloon out from your Tome. Lacuna: Perfect! Can I also say that Lacuna learned magic in a special language? I want to do an incantation as part of my Energywork while the bubble is forming. Conduit: Seems reasonable to me, make a note of that too. What’s the incantation? Lacuna: … I have no idea. Can I just make something up? Conduit: Long as it’s thematically appropriate to what you’re trying to do. Think on it while I’m with Gutierrez. Gutierrez: Can I glance over my shoulder to see what she’s doing? Conduit:For sure:you seeLacunaonherknees, eyes closedin thought,with an emerald bubble floating up from her spellbook. Gutierrez: My character’s never really seen magic before, so this would actually be really impressive to him, even more so than the Phantasms and stuff she’s done before. So I’ll scratch my face and shake my head in mild wonder then turn back to my position. Conduit:I love that moment. Gutierrez: Have I noticed anything new? Conduit: You’ve noticed a ripe, foully-sweet smell, different from the lemony seed pods. It was very subtle at first but over the last few seconds it’s become quite strong. Gutierrez: Huh. Can I tell where it’s coming from? Damn, I don’t think I should change position. Conduit: Your nose is good, but you’d need to move around a bit to gauge. Gutierrez:Damn, I don’t think I should change position. You can cut back. Conduit:Thanks! Lacuna, you ready? Lacuna:I think so.Ok, so I’m going to sayinmymagiclanguage “Green star of spring, bring flowers” andkeep repeating thatin a whisper as I rubmy hands together. Then I’ll pull my hands apart, start using Veneer, and begin to paint them over my body like normal. Conduit: Really nicely done. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the magic feels sticky and, therefore, takes longer than usual to use. You're not trying to change appearances, right? Lacuna: Mhm! Just completely masking scent. And if it works on me I'll slowly scooch over to Gutierrez and do it on him too. I'm okay with this being slow. Conduit: Awesome. Over a long, slow minute, you apply the magic to the two of you. Gutierrez, you start to notice the change immediately: gone are the familiar smell of your leathers, your rifle polish, your own sweat, and even that awful sweet smell. Additionally, dozens of tiny flowers bloom on the ground around the two of you as the magic takes hold. Lacuna:Not supposed to do that, but the smell is gone so whatever. I’ll toss my hair and give a triumphant smirk. Conduit:It certainly is. Gutierrez, reactions? Gutierrez:I’d watch the flowers grow for amoment, that’simpressive tome the same way as the Manifesting was. When she's done I'll catch her eye and give a little nod to make sure she’s good. Conduit: Lacuna, responses? Lacuna: A curt nod back. Then I whisper to him, “This won’t last forever, we should begin our infiltration.” Gutierrez:I’ll get to my feet. Conduit:Asyou try to do soGutierrez,you feel a stiffnessinyour hands and arms, only noticeably now as you try to move. You’re right-handed, yeah? .(Gutierrez’s Player confirms) Conduit:The sensationis stronger there: your right fingers are so tight that you can barely compress your trigger. Gutierrez: S***, that’s real bad.Maybe a poison? I don’t know when I could have contracted it. Lacuna: Can I help him? Conduit: He hasn’t voiced any of this yet, and it’s not obvious what’s happening. Gutierrez:I want to whisper to her, “Samthin’s nah right…” Conduit: As you try to get the words out, you feel them transform in your throat into a long, feral whine, much louder than you intended. Gutierrez: Oh damn, this is definitely magical! Can I stop the whine from getting out? Conduit:You had nowayofknowingitwas coming, soit escapes beforeyou can try to stop it. Lacuna, it’s now very clear there’s something wrong. Worse still, you hear a frenzied howling start up inside the den. Lacuna:Well that’s bad. Ok, it’s clear that something’s wrong but I have no idea what. And those beasts clearly heard, so maybe I should be running defense?

39 Conduit: Very valid. If he’s incapacitated and you’re trying to help him, you’re both defenseless if they charge out. Lacuna: Should I throw a Smokebomb? Conduit:What would you be hoping to accomplish? Lacuna: Distract them, I guess. Conduit:Then go for it. Lacuna: Ok, I’ll throw one down as far into the den as I can accurately toss, then I’ll try to pull Gutierrez deeper into our cover so he’s less exposed. Conduit: Excellent. Cutting back. Gutierrez: So I definitely shouldn’t try talking again, I can’t shoot… wow, I’m f***ed. How the hell did I get hit by this?? Conduit: Well, you know it’s stronger on your dominant hand. So it probably follows that– .(Gutierrez’s Player smackstheir head) Gutierrez:The silks! They even had saliva on them! Conduit: Bingo. Gonna put that double-plusWill to use? Gutierrez: Hell yeah. So it’s paralyzing me and f***ing up my voice? Conduit: Maybe more: that sickly sweet smell is back and stronger than ever, intensifying alongside the other symptoms. Gutierrez:Oh that’s a huge problem.Well I’m sweating big time, gonna try wrestling with my arms and fingers a bit. No good? Conduit: Your arms can move a bit but not the fingers. Gutierrez: How about my head and jaw? Conduit:Not yet affected, besides your voice. Gutierrez: Right… can I get a moment to think? Conduit: Of course. Lacuna, you’ve pulled him out of sight of the den’s entrance, but just as you do so you hear the sounds of huge, galloping paws accompanied by wild snarling.The beasts are about to exit the den. Lacuna: Are our smells still masked? Conduit:Yep. Despite what I just said to Gutierrez, that stench seems to be contained by your magic. Lacuna: And the Smokebomb didn’t deter them? Conduit: You hear them burst out of the entrance and come to a skidding halt less than ten paces from you both. They ran through the smoke without halt. Lacuna: Not too surprising… we need a distraction. Is Phantasm off of Cooldown? Conduit: Your last one was of you, right? And I think you said it was really rough. .(Lacuna’s Player confirms) Conduit:We’ll say it’s up. Lacuna:Oh thank god. In that case I’ll start mentally focusing on… I need a fast animal that whines… a horse, I guess? Like a baby horse? Conduit: Makes sense. Jumping back to Gutierrez. Gutierrez:I’ve got something. My Rifle’s by my face, right? Conduit: You’re aiming down the barrel, so definitely. Gutierrez:Ok, I want tolowermy head to the chamber and take a deep sniff of all the spent gunpowder caked there. Almost choke on it, you know. .(Gutierrez’s Player pantomimesthe actions, his handstrembling, jaw clenched, gasping softlythrough grittedteeth) .(And soit continues)

40 Scheduling is a necessary evil of any group activity, and no one likes waiting. But in Enclave, the days or weeks leading up to a mission are put to good use by all involved: this is the Conduit’s time for Mission Design and the players’ opportunity to ask questions, discuss strategy, andlearn about eachothers’ characters. While playingin-personis usuallymore fun, Enclave works wellover video calls too.Having a shared group chatis also recommended for taking notes and exchanging gameinfo. PLAY LOGISTICS Setting Up a Mission 1.Setadate, start time,&meetinglocationwithyourplaygroup 2.Agreewith playerson anintended real-timemissionlength � All involved must understand that this is NOT a guaranteed end time! You can always pause themission and reconvene laterifit’s goingover 3. Players provideConduitwithFocusWords � These are words or short phrases (eg. “Melting”, “Schoolhouse”, “WolvesAmongSheep”, “NeverSayDie”, etc.)used by theConduit asinspirationwhen designing 4. Players goover their characterswithone-another � Discuss your characters’ capacities, appearance, & personality. Talk tactics and start to think about your character’s potential reactions andopinions towards their squadmates 5.Oncedesignis ready,ConduitprovidesaMission Statement � Summarize themission’s goal, setting, andother notable details ≫ Players are encouraged to ask questions, butif theConduitjudgesone to be too revealingoroff-topic theymayleaveit unanswered ≫ Questions are askedout-of-character, but all answers areknownincharacter � If you have strong in-character reasons, you may decline a mission. YourConduitwill need tomake a newone, so do so sparingly 6.At the agreed upon date/time, convene the playgroup! Kato’s Player: So my guy Kato is a Thane, really defensive skillset and I’m good at getting people on our side. For my stuff to work well you’ll need to listen to me though, and that’s not always a good idea! Misery’s Player: It’s my first time playing, but just looking at my character I don’t think she’s a great listener. Kato’s Player:That’s fine, I picked aVigor personality for Kato so he can be a hothead sometimes. He has a bit of a savior complex.Maybe I can, like, try to inspire your character or make her want to listen to me? Misery’s Player:Is that a thing we can do? Lacuna’s Player: Totally. My character Lacuna has an Intelligence personality, plus Arcane and Sensory, so she’s super stuck-up. But last time I was with a really polite and charming Gunslinger, and it felt right for her to thaw out towards him by the end. Misery’s Player: That’s like the opposite of Misery – she’s Luck/Vitality and then I picked Spirit, so she’s really sweet but definitely has a bad attention span. Kato’s Player: The Wanderer is a really flexible class, so that’ll probably work well.What item did you pick? Misery’s Player: A Map. The Nostrum was too confusing. Oh! And my Vitality is triple-plus so I can probably patch you up with a Rally if you get beat up. Kato’s Player: That’s very useful, I’ll probably need it. Kato got badly injured on both the other missions I’ve done. Lacuna’s Player:I didn’t get hurt on my first, somehow. I’ve found that my Abilities are actually really good on defense, but it’s not always obvious how. So if you can buy me a like minute I can protect us too. Kato’s Player: Soit soundslike we’ve got strong defenses. Eitherof you guys got offense? Lacuna’s Player:Not really, but I’ve tricked people into hurting themselves before. Misery’s Player:I’ve got nothing. Kato’s Player:Wow, so I guessit’s onme then! I have a big spear and can arm you both with other weapons, but it sounds like we want to avoid fighting unless we have to. Lacuna’s Player:What do you both look like? Misery’s Player:I hadn’t really considered. Kato’s Player:Ifit helps, Katois 25, wearing dark blue traditional Japanesestyle military dress. Lacuna’s Player: Hair color? Kato’s Player: Uhhh… black, I guess? Short crew cut, manicured goatee. Misery’s Player: Ok, Misery’s kinda young, like 16, but I’ll say she’s almost 6’ tall with huge feet. That sounds right to me somehow. .(And soit continues) Sample Mission Setup Three players – Misery (a Wanderer), Lacuna (an Illusionist), and Kato (a Thane) – and their Conduit pencil in a mission for an upcoming Saturday starting at 3pm over video call. They budget 4 hours to play, even though the Conduit is pretty sure they’ll be done by6pm. Each player gives theConduitone FocusWord: � Misery’s Player:Night Knight � Lacuna’s Player:Chandelier � Kato’s Player:Betrayal As the Conduit uses these Focus Words to build the mission, the players discuss their charactersover text chat:

41 Mission Structure The group is together, everyone’s ready, but diving straight into play is quite jarring. Budget alittle breathing room before and after themission to give everyone time to get comfortable, digest, andimmerse themselves in the experience. 1. ASSEMBLY: Player-charactersmeet at EnclaveHQ � Thisisentirelyin-character,letting the squadestablishrapportand discuss the mission while affording players a little time to settle into their character-acting � Assembly typically goes for about 2-5min, but if players are really intoit theConduit canletit golonger 2. PORT-IN:The squadis teleported to themission’slocation � Buildimmersionbydescribingtheteleportingprocess(eg.“Atingling sensation starts in your extremities, building through your bodies until your visionsuddenly explodesintoakaleidoscope of vivid color”) � As the squad arrives, take theopportunity to give some establishing narration:what are the first things they see?Hear? Feel? 3.MISSION 4. PINGOUT:Squad teleported back toHQ via theirBadges � If players areinvestedin the setting and don’t want to leave yet, give them a brief chance to overview what their character plans to do from here before returning to Enclave HQ (Final Actions). Keep these quick so you canwrap upon time! 5. POSTMISSION:Review and feedback � Askwhatyour playersliked, disliked, and still have questions about. Tell themwhatYOUliked about their performances aswell. Sample Mission Statement The Contessa Trasudanica -- a terrifying, immortal being forever bound to the eerie Ebony Convent – has just been double-crossed by her most powerful servant (and unrequited lover) StellanLieber. She now laysin an enchanted sleep, while Lieber assumes control of her ancient home and many servants. The Ebony Convent is a dilapidated mansion in classic gothic-medieval style, littered with the corpses of slain adventurers and dotted with hidden passageways and magical secrets. It is populated by barely-sentient undead, loyal to the Contessa but now serving Lieber, chief among them the Candlemaids, handpicked by the Contessa and much more sentient than the rest. Lieber’s motives are unknown, but The Enclave deems it unlikely that he can be reasoned with. He wears head-to-toe black plate armor, blessed by the Contessa herself to be nigh-indestructible, though it does leave him unable to move faster than a walk. The house’s servants greatly fear Lieber, perhaps even more than Contessa herself. MISSION GOAL:Wake the Contessa and defeat Lieber. PORT-IN: Squad will be teleported into a curtained hearth in a small antechamber to the parlor where the Contessa sleeps. The players have several questions after theMissionStatement: � Q (Kato):Do the undead have emotions?Canwe talk to them? ≫ A:There are several different typesof undead here, each sentient to varying degrees.Most can’t talk, but theywill understand you and do have simple emotions.Asmentioned, they all fearLieber. � Q (Kato):WillLieberknowwe’re there? ≫ A: Definitely not at first, but the houseis fullof servants, and even if they don’t see you the house has hiddenmagical surveillance systems that certainlywill eventually.You should expect him to be alerted fairly shortly after arriving. � Q (Misery):WillmyMap show secret passageways and stuff? ≫ A:Not by default, butwith Energyworkit probably could. � Q (Lacuna):So thehousehasmagical surveillance systems.Does ithaveothermagicalpowers?DoesLiebercontrolallofthem? ≫ A:He does now.Besides surveillance, you can expect some classics like doors being remotely closed/locked, shifting staircases, trapped suitsof armor, that sortof thing.There are definitely others too, but those aren’t yetknown for sure. � Q (Kato): Does Lieber’smagical control over the servantsmean he’llknowif they betray himor help usout? ≫ A:Great question.He’d probably be able to tellif he focuseson a particular servant, butit doesn’t seemlike he’ll have an automatic, remote alertofit happening.

42 Postmission Onceplayhasconcluded,unlessyou’vegonelateandpeopleneed toleave, the playgroup should take some time to discuss the mission. Conduits should ask players what they liked/disliked about the design, and players can do likewise, asking their Conduit and teammates about their portrayalof their character. Going over contested calls is especially important, as Conduits can explain their thought processes without having to keep plot elements secret anymore. On a lighter note, players can ask more frivolous questions about parts of the mission they’ve become invested in (What happened afterthesquad pinged out? Did a beloved NPC escapeintact?Was the villain brought to justice?). Conduits don’t have to respond to these if they plan on revisiting the setting anytime soon, but there’s no harm in doing sootherwise. Plus,it can be alotof fun. Mission Log If you plan to play your character more in future, be sure to keep a record of the missions they have participated in somewhere on your character sheet.Each entryon thisMission Logshould atminimum feature the mission’s date, success/failure, Rewards you claimed or Level progress you made as a consequence, any personal notes you wish tokeep, and(mostlyimportantly)its name. Try to name missions something distinct and memorable. References to specific characters, events, or themes are par for the course, and clever wordplay will always help it stick. This naming processcanbeagreatway towrapupa session,butitcanalsobeeasily handledlaterover textif there are time pressures. Conduit:All your characters now come together at EnclaveHQ: remember to stay in-character and that they know the Statement as well as the answers to the questions you all asked! .(Brief awkward pause) Kato:I guess I go first. I step forward, put a fist to my chest, and say, “How now, my ladies? I am Duke Kato of Daié, and I shall be your shield.” Lacuna:Internally I’m like, ‘Ah, finally! A worthy teammate.’ I’ll walk over, extend a hand for him to kiss, “Young for a Duke, aren’t you?” Kato:Ohhh, that immediately rubs Kato the wrong way, it’s a sore spot for him. I’ll hide my grimace, reluctantly kiss her hand, and say, “I have much to live up to, ma’am.” Misery:Well all that goes right over my head! I’ll smile and say, “Uhh, wow! All these important people! And I’m just some tramp.” Lacuna:I give her a withering look and say, “No one asked.” Kato:I’ll immediately go toMisery and bow low, “Please do not speak ill of yourself, my lady.” Misery: I’ll giggle, he’s so nice to me! “Aww, you don’ gotta do that Mr. Duke!” Lacuna: Lacuna will hide how pissed she is by this and say, “Perhaps we should focus on the challenge presented to us, mm?” Kato: “Yes, yes. Of course. Your names?” Lacuna: “You may refer to me as Lacuna. I am a spellweaver of renown specializing in–” (Misery’s Player puts a hand up, Conduit nods) Misery: Can I cut her off? Conduit (to Lacuna’s Player): You ok with that? Lacuna: Go for it! Misery:I blurt out, “That’s such a pretty name!” .(And soit continues) Sample Assembly Saturday arrives, the group starts up their video call, and after some pleasantries theConduitinitiatesAssembly: Sample Port-In After a few minutes of Assembly, the Conduit narrates the squad’s departure: “You are escorted from your meeting place by anonymous Enclave Attendants to the Teleportation Chamber. It is dimly lit, with smooth walls and a series of floor panels pulsing with a gentle glow, like bioluminescent jellyfish. A smooth voice echoes from unseen speakers: ‘Agents, please take your places atop the telepads.’ As you comply, you immediately lose feeling in your feet as an icy-warm sensation rushes up your body; you feel like you’re falling into a bottomless, technicolor well, discordant and vivid as a fever dream. “The sensation comes to an abrupt end, replaced with dim light, the smell of dust and old bones, and a distant, pervasive moaning. You have appeared behind a heavy curtain in a spacious fireplace, empty but for an old iron grate. A single set of shuffling footsteps, along with the creaking of ancient gurney wheels, soundsin the antechamber beyond the curtain. Lacuna, thanks to your high Sensory, you can also pick out a faint, shrill chattering beyond this room to the right.What actionswould you like to take from here?”

43 PROGRESSION Aspreviouslymentioned,joiningTheEnclaveoffers fargreaterbenefitsthanjustmoney.Agentswillfind thatas they participateinmore andmoremissions, theirinnate supernaturalpowerswillimproveataFARgreaterrate thancould ever be accomplished through more standard means of training. Plus, good performance on-mission is recompensed withweapons, artifacts, andotherinvaluable gear to be added to theAgent’s arsenal. Onceyourplaygroupis ready forit,introducingProgression elementsisagreatway tobuildlong-terminvestment in your characters. As they grow in strength they will also become better-suited for increasingly more challenging missions, and youmay even notice their personalitiesmaturing and developing seeminglyof theirown accord. Leveling Up All characters begin their careers at Level 1. After completing TWO missions(whethersuccessesor failures), the characterwillincreasein rank to Level 2and can progress further from there, all theway toLevel 10. This process, however, becomes more difficult the higher you climb, with the number of completed missions required to increase in Level alwaysbeing equal to thenextoneyouwill reach.(eg.Going fromLevel4to Level5takes5missions) Leveling is highly beneficial to your character, granting them bonuses to both theirStats andAbilities. Stat Pluses Whenever your character Levels, distributeTWO (+)’s among their stats.Youmay not put both (+)’sinto the same stat atonce. Additionally, unlike during character creation, Leveling allows a given stat tobebroughthigherthan three (+)’satmaximum,with the new cap set at FIVE (+)’s. This will bring the stat’s power distinctly beyond the boundsof reality, asillustratedin the examples below. For all examples below involving collaborative storytelling mechanics, assume a High Effectiveness instance. Also of note: the Arcane examples are a continuation of the Gutierrez example given in theManifestingsection. Advanced Stat Scaling Examples ++++ +++++ Vitality Tempt a bloodthirstymonster away fromits helpless prey. Rallying:Restorewell beyond a fullThreshold. Distract a regiment of soldiers from a battle at hand. Rallying:Reattach a severedlimb (thoughwithminimal recovery of function). Might Overheadlift an entire small car. Throw the aforementioned car a dozenyards. Resilience Survive a pistol shot to the skullwithout any brain damage Grab a swinging swordwithoutit even breaking skin. Spirit Spirit Insights:Get aglimpse of a formativememory. Spirit Insights:Pick up the emotional tone of avery recent eventin a now-empty room. Arcane Manifesting(Gutierrez):Block off an areawith phantasmal “crime scene tape” that rebuffs non-allies trying to enter. Manifesting(Gutierrez):Turninvisiblewhile non-aggressively tailing an unaware suspect. Will Defiance:Stave off asphyxiation even after severalminutes without air. Defiance:Safely handle a cursed artifact known to kill anyone who touchesit. Sensory Count the number of peoplein a small crowd at aglance. Detect the heartbeat of someone buried alive 6ft underground. Reflex Comfortablyland a 3-story drop unscathed. Walkin someone’s shadow,matching everymovement, without being noticed by them or unwary passersby. Vigor With a running start,leap clean across a two-way street and land onyour feet. Comfortably outrun agalloping horse over any distance. Skill Catch a fly between two fingerswithout killingit. As a painter, produce a photorealistic portraitinminutes. Intelligence Intelligence Insights:Quickly figure out how a completely alien piece of technology functions. Intelligence Insights:Accurately predictwhat another person will be doingin several hours. Luck LuckPitching:A criticallyvaluableitem happens to beleft unattendedinyour presence. LuckPitching:Clean out a table of professional poker players without once needing to bluff.

44 Ability Perks In addition to Stat (+)’s, each time you Level you may design a single unique bonus for one of your three Class Abilities called an Ability Perk. Any single Ability may have multiple Perks designed for it, maxingout atFOUR. While Perks will often greatly impact a character’s playstyle, they cannot be too powerful or too dramatically change the core of the Abilitytheyaredesignedfor. Withintheseboundaries,Perkscanvary wildly in function, granting benefits such as: � Improving a specific elementof theAbility (eg.Rangeincreases fromLowtoMid under certain circumstances) � Giving theAbility an additional effect(eg.Targetismagically afflictedwithamildbut untraceable feeling of dread) � Offering explicit contingencies for how theAbilitymay be used(eg. IfthePairedActionismademore drawn outand grand,this canaffectasmall groupinstead ofasingletarget) Some examplesof valid Perks: Ifyoueverhave troubledesigningaPerk, tryworkingwithaConduit or a fellow player to brainstorm andworkshop someideas. Commissary Rewards Progression is not limited to Leveling: characters may also expand their personal arsenals through Enclave Commissary. Unlike with Leveling, one Commissary Reward may be acquired after each SUCCESSFUL missionyour character participatesin. If you aren’t surewhat to pick, you may “bank” yourReward forlater.Youroptionsinclude: � ACommon Item, following the same parameters as normal � A setof1-5Consumables � Any pieceofGear from yourClass; this costsTWORewards, meaning you need to bankonein advance.Can repeat a Gear piece you already have (eg.AsecondRevolver) � Any pieceofGear fromANYClass; this costsTHREE Rewards,meaning you need to bank twoin advance Consumables Single-useitems–potions,specializedammunition, enchantedfood, and much more – with supernatural properties that your character can bringwith themon-mission. Just like Common Items, Consumables are Player-designed and Conduit-approved but can only be gained as Commissary Rewards and have very different restrictions: � Can be comparable toor even slightly greaterin power than ClassGear(as objectivelyaspossible);ifweaker, up toFIVE copiesof thatConsumablemay be acquiredinone batch ≫ Eg.Amundane,modern-gradesignalflareisveryusefulbutprobably notasimpactfulasClassGear;3x canbeacquiredat once � Must be thematically appropriate to themissionitis acquired after, but doesNOT need to be thematically tied to the characteror classin anyway ≫ Eg.AGunslinger couldacquireascroll of necromancyafteramission inan underworldpalace � Canonly ever be usedONCE(afterwhichtheyare gone forever) While far from mandatory, Consumables can add enormous versatility toyourcharacter’s skillsetwhilealso servingas souvenirsof pastmissions, adding some exotic flair to your character’s theming. Some examplesofConsumables(assumeafittingsourcemission): Loadout Before each mission, you must choose which of your items you are bringing. As tempting as it may be to bring everything that you have onto every mission, try to be selective with your choices. As with Sheathing, have a realistic idea of where your character is carrying thingson their person. If you do try to bring armfuls on items on-mission, note that it is very likely to both encumber you and prove difficult to rummage through your things to find what you need quickly. Conduits may also choose to impose a limit on the total number of items brought onto amissionif they deemit necessary. Trickshot (Gunslinger) Can bounce up to two additional times, though with proportionatelylower success rates. Viewpoint (Illusionist) Ifyourcurrenttargetmakeseyecontactwithsomeone, youmay switchyourViewpoint to that new person. Catalog (Librarian) Whips up a strong wind (contained to the area it is usedin) overwhich user has near-complete control. Shieldwall (Thane) Shields are even more durable, able to block even a modern-grade explosivewith onlyminor damage. Out of the Blue (Thunderbird) While on the ground, if a possible target is overhead, can use theAbilityin reverse to bolt directly upwards. By the Wayside (Wanderer) Believably demonstrating fondness for or attachment to an objectgrantsit+1 use; stacks up to+3 atmax. Maple Sweet (5x) Piece of delicious hard candy; the taste gradually improvesmood. Medicated Wrap(4x) Bandage roll treated with strong antibiotics; works to steadily disinfect and closewoundsitis used on. Returning Rope (3x) Climbing rope that will safely untie itself and return toits owner up to a few times(expendedafterfirstuse). Nametracer (3x) Bullet carved from whalebone; whispering someone’s full name toitwillmakeit home towards that person. Icicle Knife (2x) Magical dagger, sharp but fragile; shatters after use. A wound from it will make the target experience dangerously extreme cold for aMidduration. Daubin’ Woad(2x) Wild blue warpaint; takes time to apply but greatly empowersyour nextwar-themedDefiance. Lifesaver Potion(1x) Quickly works to heal all physical injuries suffered by drinker but knocks them unconsciousin the process. Hand of Power (1x) Heavy magical gauntlet. Activate to telekinetically move a terrain feature within a Mid range. Very high power, able to lift houses and bend streams, but only one suchmanipulation can bemade.

45 Building a mission is like writing a book, an empty canvas for you to flex your creative muscles and express yourself with storytelling and artistry.But unlike a book,where you control every detail puton the page,missions come tolife through your players’ choicesin-game farmore than they do as you are planning them. Assuch,amission’sdesignoftenendsupbeingabout10%Planning, 90% Improvinpractice,witheventhebestplannedones rarelyhigher than20/80.Soinsteadofpouringhoursintodefining everylastdetailaboutyourworldin advance, focusonwhatismostlikely to becomenarratively relevantduring play. For a thorough example of how to implement various design elements, check out thePreconstructed Mission– WARNING:MAJOR SPOILERSfor potential players, soonly read that sectionif youintend to hostit yourself! MISSION DESIGN Design Essentials When crafting an EnclaveMission, begin by asking yourself: � What do the givenFocusWordsmakeme thinkof? � Whataremyplayer-characters’capacities?Howcan Imake sure that everyone can satisfyingly contribute to thismission? � What preferences(themes, challenge,tone, etc.)domy players have? From here, touch upon specific design elements. As mentioned above, don’t bother going into tremendous depth: a couple key points plus a clear personal gistwilloften serve you better. Taking notes for yourself is highly recommended, though not mandatory; it is especially useful for things like names and hidden plot elements that are tough tojuggleon the spot. Setting Wheredoes themission takeplace?Thisisoften thebestplace to start whendesigning,asitwillmassivelyinfluenceprettymucheveryother element youintroduce. Considerhowyourplayersmight try tointeractwithyour setting: are there possible components (locals to chat with, unmarked levers to pull,weapon cachesto raid, etc.)for them toinvestigate? Additionally, consider what elements of your setting will inevitably impact the gameplay of your mission (layout, weather, supernaturalfeatures,etc.)–howmightyouintroduce theseelements? What purpose do they serve (ambience,hazard, etc.)? Other important details include landmarks/sublocations within yourSetting,whatlies beyondit, and specific place names. VIP NPCs WhatNPCs arelikely to bemost relevant to themission? Considerwhomightbemostimportant to/involvedin thematter at hand. Take the opportunity to come up with an overview of their personality, motivations, and capabilities, and be sure to give them a good name. Keep some of the more interesting details hidden from your players so they can get toknow the charactersmore naturally. Try not to go overboard with predetermining your NPCs – stick to a handful of essential characters like the main antagonist(s), the mission’s employer(if encounterable), etc. Less important NPCs can be more improvisational, though brainstorming a list of potential namesin advance can save you alotof headachewhen hosting. Goal What does the squad need to accomplish? The best Goals are both clear and open-ended, able to be approachedin several differentways evenifit’s notobvious how. Additionally, what are the failure conditions? What degree of collateral damage is acceptable for the mission to still be called a success? These do not have to be stressed in the same way the Goal should be, as they are usually quite straightforward. Hidden Information WhatcriticalfactsdoyourplayersNOTknow;whatwilltheyneedto find out in order to complete the mission, and what twists might throw them for aloop? Though you will typically come up with it only after the rest of yourmission planningismostly finished, hiddeninfois arguably the most important part of your design. When done well, it will pique your players’ curiosity, getting them excited for what comes next and invested in the story of the mission. Foreshadowing is king here: you wantyourplayers toalmostbeable toguess the secretsyouarekeeping from them. As important as it is, however, hidden info should be one of your most flexible design elements – be ready to ditch your notes if you come up with a better idea on the spot or the mission takes an unexpected turn.

46 Timeframe Howlong do you expect yourmission to takein-game?Bearinmind that, typically speaking, EnclaveMissions tend to be fast-paced –less than an hourofin-game timeis standard. So why is this? Well, in addition to ensuring thatTempo doesn’t flag, even just a two minute fight sequence in Enclave can take more thanhalfanhourof real timeifyouhave fourplayers tomanage, each ofwhomwillhaveallmannerofactionsandquestions thatneed tobe dealt with. Many players won’t be up for more than a 2-3hr session, and soifyou budget some time forPre-& Postmissionthat canleave youwithlessthan10minutesin-gameifyouareplanningfornothing but high-intensity action! As with all things in Enclave, however, these benchmarks are highly flexible and dependent on your players, your own hosting style, and the typeofmissionyouwant.Slower-pacedmissions fullof Timeskips can span days in a single session, and some groups will want to play all daylongif you are up to conduit for9+ hrs. WhileEnclaveMissions aremostlyone-offs, thisisprimarily done so scheduling sessions is easier.Multi-session Arcs, letting you really dive into a given setting/plotline, are very doable as well – just make sure your group knows what they are committing to. Having each sessionof anArc be self-contained,with the squad pingingout at the end but jumping right back into the same world/story next session, can be a good middle ground since it allows the playgroup to change (if, for example, one person can’t makeitthat day) without messing up the narrative. Port-In Location Wherewill the squad appearwithin themission’s setting? SinceEnclaveMissionsare so fast,itisoftenagoodidea tohave the Port-In site be close to the action, letting players jump in with minimalwaiting aroundor unnecessary travel. Threats Once you’re happy with the mission’s essentials, your next step can be to flesh out the opposition the squad might encounter. Your goal in designing threatsis tointroduce appropriate danger, risk, and challenges that are fair, varied, and(mostimportantly)interactive. Since most classes are at least partially based around fighting, try to havecombat feature to somedegreeinmostdesigns.Remember, thereare plentyofotheraction sequencesthat servea similar roleifyouwantmore variety, and even a largely combat-free mission should still have some other types of threat present. If a mission’sTempo is dwindling, combat sequences or other threats can be greatPlot Driversto reinvigorate your players and get things backon track. Enclave has no defined monster list, and you in no way need to enumerate the capabilities of your threats in anywhere near the level of detail needed for player-characters. Enemies The most common type of threat: the soldiers, monsters, evil spirits, andmuchmore that your playerswill facein combat. In addition to their armaments, supernatural powers, and whatever else, be sure to consider an enemy’s behavior: how will they interact with the squad? Will they charge unthinkingly? Bide their time?Will they evenknow that the squad are their foes? Most single-sessionmissionswill end up having nomore than2-3 defined enemy types. It can be tempting to do more, but you’ll risk gumming up your tempo with too many specifics, so try to stay parsimoniouswherever possible.You can alwaysimprovise newones if there's a desperate need for any. Enclave characters tend to be powerful, and a well-coordinated groupof them canmake fairly shortworkof alone enemy.Groupsof foes are much harder to deal with, as they will divide the squad’s attention and firepower. As such, if you only plan on only having a single enemy on your mission, make sure it is a MAJOR threat. You can always tone the power downif your players are struggling. Environmental Hazards Threats built into the setting itself, anything from a region-wide curse to a horrible plague to something asmundane as a blizzard. Unlike enemies, environmental hazards can almost never be permanently dealt with, and they very rarely pose an immediate risk of death. Instead, use these threats to wear down your squad with gradual negative effects, the sort of thing which theymightignore at first butwill eventuallyoverwhelm them unless they adapt. It’s rare for environmental hazards aloneto be sufficient as threats for your mission, but mixed in with others they can make for some highly challenging andimmersive gameplay situations. Traps & Hidden Threats Buriedlandmines,prowlingassassins;somethreatswaitfortheirprey to come to them. Hidden threats should be approached carefully: when done right they are a thrill, but when done wrong they can be very frustrating due to how harditis for players to effectively react to them. Try to be sparing with your traps,foreshadowing their existence when possible and using them more to deter foolish or reckless behavior than to punish bad luck. Above all else, avoid having them be automaticallylethal at all costs. Puzzles, Obstacles, & Passive Opposition Not all threats cause harm: magical riddles, locked doors, and mazes can bejust as dauntingwhen the players are up against a clock. Likewithhidden threats,passiveoppositionneeds tobe able tobe meaningfully interacted with. Instead of unavoidable injury, however, a poorly-designed obstacle will often lead to the mission stallingout as players get stuck. For these reasons,becautiousinyouruseofpassiveopposition.Be ready tointroduce aPlot Driverif gameplay grinds to a halt, though you can also try prompting your players to discuss the problem in-character so you canweavein a couple Intelligence Insights.