Here's the current list of basic moves.
Basic Moves (I want to...)Every fairytale can use the following basic moves.
Perform a Feat of Fable (Perform)When you Perform a Feat of Fable, trust to your luck in a situation, or attempt something legendary, roll the dice and add your Courage. On a 10+, you do it and gain 1 boon token. On a 7-9, you do it, but choose 1 cost:
- you look foolish
- you hesitate at a key moment
- you only succeed by pure luck
- you take 1 harm
Sidebar: Defending Against NPCsWhen an NPC attacks you in some way, usually the narrator will give you a chance to react before the attack completes. They may say, “Hook points the wand at you and the tip starts to glow. What do you do?” At that point, any move that makes sense within the fiction is a valid response. The two most common moves used to respond are Perform a Feat of Fable and Strike A Blow. The former generally represents some sort of defense or dodge, while the latter represents trying to strike your opponent before they strike you.
Threaten Harm (Threaten)When you Threaten Harm against an opponent, or attempt to throw your size around, roll the dice and add your Brawn. On a 10+, they must either decide to take their medicine or do what you want. On a 7-9, they must choose 1 of the following:
- flee with their tail between their legs
- find a hidey hole
- offer you an easy bargain
- throw down their arms
- reveal a secret
Strike a Blow (Strike)When you Strike a Blow against an opponent or group of opponents, roll the dice and add your Brawn. On 10+, you choose 3 results from the list below. On a 7-9, you choose 2 results from the list below. You can choose from the following results:
- you steal something from them
- you avoid serious harm
- you inflict terrible harm
- you stun them
Tell a Tall Tale (Trick)When you Tell a Tall Tale to an opponent, engage in a battle of wits, or try to trick them, roll the dice and add your Cunning. On a 10+, your trick works. On a 7-9, you must provide them with some proof to make the trick work. Against PCs: On 10+, they also mark experience. On 7-9, they may mark experience to accept your trick.
Sidebar: TricksA good example of a trick is when the Evil Queen tricked Snow White into eating the poison apple. Snow White didn't trust the old peddler offering the apple, so the queen cut the apple in half and ate the white, non-poisonous part to show the princess that the apple was safe.
Ponder Fate (Ponder)When you Ponder Fate, size up your opponent, or consult a source of lore, roll the dice and add your Wisdom. On a 10+, ask 3 questions of your opponent or the narrator. On a 7-9, ask 1 question of your opponent or the narrator. Gain 1 boon token when you act on the answer to one of your questions. You can ask the following questions:
- which way should I go?
- do you have a weakness?
- who’s in control here?
- where do I get it?
- are you telling the truth?
- what are you really feeling?
- what do you intend to do?
- what do you wish I would do?
- how could I get you to believe my tale?
Live to Tell the TaleWhen you want to Live to Tell the Tale, roll the dice and add your Popularity. On a 10+, you survive with one heart token remaining. On a 7-9, you survive and the narrator must choose whether you are merely unconscious, mostly dead, or lost. On a miss, you must choose a debility. If you have already received all of the debilities, you are dead. The available debilities are:
- Shattered: -1 Courage
- Crippled: -1 Brawn
- Addled: -1 Cunning
- Broken: -1 Wisdom
Special MovesThe following special moves may be available to fairytales, at the narrator’s discretion.
BargainThe narrator may allow you to make bargains with the following move. When you Bargain with another, roll the dice and add the value of your offer. On a 10+, you may strike an unequal bargain. On a 7-9, you must strike an easy bargain or they reject your offer. On a miss, they reject your offer. Against PCs: On a hit, they also mark experience. See the Bargains chapter for more information.
Cast a SpellYou only gain access to spells if it says so in your Storybook. When you want to Cast a Spell, roll the dice and add your Wisdom. On a 10+, your spell is cast and you gain 3 boon tokens. On a 7-9, your spell is cast and you gain 1 boon token.
CounterspellIf you have access to Cast a Spell, you also gain access to Counterspell. When you want to Counterspell magic cast against you or others, roll the dice and add your Wisdom. On a 10+, the spell is countered. On a 7-9, the spell is countered, but choose 1 cost:
- the spell is redirected to a different target
- the spell is only held at bay for a time
- the spell takes on a different form
Against PCs: On a 10+, you also take 3 boon tokens from them. On a 7-9, you also take 1 boon token from them.
Test FateAt the end of each session, roll the dice and add your Popularity. Unlike most rolls, you want to roll low. On a 10+, you must discard 1 magic item worth more than 1 wealth. On a 7-9, you must discard 1 magic item worth 3 wealth. On a miss, you can keep all your magic items. Signature items are never discarded.
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