Table of Contents
Clocks
Progress clocks are a method of tracking detailed, long, tricky or complicated tasks in an easily manageable abstract manner. Filling in a clock visually represents progress towards a desired outcome and how far you have yet to go.
Each segment of a clock may represent any amount of fiction depending on the desired outcome of that clock:
- It could be getting past one guard to get to the next room on the way to the prison exit
- It could be getting past all the guards and getting out of the prison.
Clock Size
The size of a clock and how many segments it has is chosen by the Grandfather - with possible haggling from other players if needed. It should be based on the difficulty of the tasks and how many steps the Grandfather thinks it needs, and how many players will be working on it at the same time.
Two Clocks
The Grandfather will usually have two clocks going at any time. One for the progress of the protagonists and one for the progress of the antagonists.
Antagonist clock outcomes could be simple and cover a short period of time such as:
- Lockdown! The guards lock all the doors in the prison to stop the protagonists escaping. Only when all segments of the clock are filled does this occur
Or they may be more convoluted:
- The Jig is Up! Each segment represents an escalation in guard activity and prison responses, when the clock is full the protagonists are recaptured.
When to use Clocks
Clocks are for:
- longer objectives and goals
- time crucial goals
- Any goal with an opposing force that can have it's own progress (ideally with a clock of their own to visually add pressure)
Clocks do not need to be used for one-off or quick events. If the outcome of the event may lead to important or interesting plot changes - use a Move. If it's easier to just have it succeed, just do describe how it works in the fiction.
Example
Using a shadow in combat may or may not be part of a clock.
- Attacking one person is just a standard combat move as the shadow is always ready and time is not an issue
- If the person being attacked is aware and has a readied weapon
- you are both at ranges to effect each other, it's a Melee