Challenges are storied moments in the adventure. For there to be a Challenge there has to be an obstacle or threat and significant stakes.
When faced with a Challenge Adventurers describe their approach. Bearer then considers whether approach fits one of three categories.
Fitting: The Adventurers approach to the challenge is fitting, they overcome the challenge.
Searching from the right place. A convincing argument. Spending enough time or resources.
Impossible: Challenge cannot be overcome this way. A different approach, tools or help is required.
Persuading an enemy to work against their interests. Climbing a wall of glass without tools. Jumping over a canyon. Recalling details about civilization lost to time.
Uncertain: Challenges are uncertain when approach to challenge is risky or character is under great pressure. Uncertain challenges require a Test.
Fighting. Resisting poisons. Navigating without landmarks. Avoiding hidden threats. Persuading an enemy to help you accomplish something they also want.
Stakes
Stakes are goals and Setbacks that vary from Challenge to Challenge. Success in Challenge means the Adventurers reach their goal and failure makes their lives more difficult with a Setback.
In a battle defeating an enemy is a clear goal and Setbacks are suffered blows. Avoiding a trap risks its effect. During a journey reaching a destination is the goal and Setbacks can be loss of direction or dwindling supplies. In a meeting with a villainous sorcerer goal could be gaining their secret knowledge and Setback is rousing their suspicion.
Success at a cost is always a possible Setback. This deal can take any form but all parties have to agree to it.
Everyone at the table is welcome to suggest Setbacks. Most important thing is that something changes.
Arduous Challenges
When a challenge is especially taxing it is an Arduous Challenge.
Arduous Challenges consists of several individual Challenges. Each involved Adventurer describes their approach to one of the Challenges.
Each success advances the Arduous Challenge into Adventurers’ favor, each failure causes a Setback.
If Adventurers gain as many or more successes as they suffer Setbacks they win the Challenge. If more Setbacks are suffered they end up in a new situation and the chance to solve the Challenge in this manner has passed.
When there are more Adventurers than Challenges two or more Adventurers can work together on a Challenge one making the Test and other helping.
Intense negotiations, Great rituals, chases and infiltration of a hostile keep can be resolved as Arduous Challenges.
Arduous Stakes
Arduous Stakes are resolved in two stages. There is the Setback from current Challenge and Setback from failing the entire Challenge. Setback from current could be a Burden Test, triggering a trap or increasing Trouble. Setback from the entire Challenge means Adventurers do not reach their goal.
Example of an Arduous Challenge
An example of an Arduous Challenge could be infiltrating a chamber in a small keep. Bearer sets following Challenges, outer wall, open yard and unknown layout.
First Challenge the Adventurers face is the outer wall. They could scale it as an Uncertain Challenge, but they have gained information about a tunnel to the well. They take the tunnel making the approach fitting.
Second Challenge is an open yard. They decide to wait until dark to attempt sneaking through making the approach Uncertain.
Third Challenge is finding the chamber. This is an Uncertain Challenge.
If the Adventurers fail two of the Challenges they are caught.
Obstacles
Obstacles bar the path forward. They are often static and may force character to choose a different approach. Locked door, jagged ravine and strong currents are obstacles. Situationally a bridge knight or jailkeeper can take the role of an obstacle.
Obstacle can become a Threat if the approach goes wrong.
Threats
Threats cause harm and hindrances.
Adversaries are active. They investigate suspicious events, attack those who are in their way and lay traps for unsuspecting enemies. Direct confrontation with an Adversary is a Conflict, see Conflict chapter for more details.
Hazards are static. They remain in place until removed or act in easily predictable manner. Traps, poisons, cliffside with loose stones, storms and burning buildings are Hazards. Passive Adversaries can be resolved as Hazards.
Lasting Threats
Lasting Threats are part of the environment or lingering Hazards such as blood clotting poison and sleep inducing mist.
Lasting Threat is resisted when the character comes into contact with the Threat and at the end of their Turn if they remain threatened.
Success in resisting Lasting Threat protects from the Threat for now but does not end it. Poison can be resisted for one round but in a moment poison affects the character again if it still has some Duration.
Some Lasting Threats are actively held, for example being snatched into jaws of a dragon or being affected by Focus Magic. These Threats provoke Tests at the start of the Turn until the hold is broken.
Lasting Threat Duration
When a Lasting Threat has a static Duration it is measured with a number of Tests. A poison with a Duration of three provokes three Tests from the Victim and affects them on failed Tests.