Projects represent ongoing efforts that shape the world through action.
A Project may involve building, repairing, researching, preparing, negotiating, discovering, transforming, or creating something meaningful. Projects do not pause the story. They grow through Moments, Scenes, and Adventures as Heroes invest time, Skill, resources, and effort into their goals.
Some Projects belong to a single Hero. Others become shared undertakings that influence entire communities, regions, or campaigns.
STARTING A PROJECT Copy link
A Project begins when a Hero declares a meaningful goal, the group commits to a shared undertaking, or the WorldKeeper introduces an opportunity that requires sustained effort.
Every Project should establish three things:
NAME What is being created, discovered, changed, or pursued?
EFFECT What will completing the Project accomplish?
COMPLEXITY How much Progress must be made before the Project is complete?
The WorldKeeper may also establish any Resources or Requirements necessary to complete the Project.
PROJECT COMPLEXITY Copy link
Complexity determines how much Progress a Project requires.
Complexity | Progress Required |
|---|---|
Simple | 3 |
Standard | 4 |
Complex | 5 |
Epic | 6 |
Legendary | 7 |
When the required Progress has been filled, the Project is complete.
PROJECT TOKENS Copy link
Project Tokens represent a Hero's productive capacity—the expertise, focus, and sustained effort they can currently contribute toward meaningful Projects.
A Hero's maximum Project Tokens are determined by their Skill Training +1:
Skill Training | Project Tokens |
|---|---|
Untrained | 1 |
Trained | 2 |
Adept | 3 |
Master | 4 |
5 |
A Hero normally begins with Project Tokens equal to their maximum.
Greater Skill does not necessarily determine what a Hero is allowed to attempt. Instead, it determines how efficiently and consistently they can make meaningful progress.
An inexperienced Hero may eventually accomplish something extraordinary.
They may simply need much more time.
WORKING ON A PROJECT Copy link
When a Hero spends Minor Time meaningfully working toward a Project, they may spend 1 Project Token and place it on that Project as Progress.
The action must actually contribute toward the Project.
Researching the correct material, forging a component, translating a necessary text, negotiating an agreement, reinforcing a structure, or conducting an experiment might all represent meaningful Project work.
A Hero cannot contribute a Project Token simply because time was spent. Something must be accomplished that moves the Project forward.
RECOVERING PROJECT TOKENS Copy link
Spent Project Tokens represent expended productive capacity.
When Major Time passes, a Hero recovers spent Project Tokens up to their maximum, provided the fiction allows them reasonable opportunity to recover, reorganize, prepare, or otherwise return to productive work.
This creates an important distinction:
Minor Time creates Progress. Major Time restores capacity.
A highly trained Hero can therefore sustain considerably more progress before needing additional time.
An Untrained Hero may contribute only once before exhausting their available capacity. A Master can continue contributing across several periods of Minor Time before reaching the same limitation.
RESOURCES & REQUIREMENTS Copy link
Project Tokens represent work, not materials.
Some Projects require Resources before meaningful progress can be made.
These might include:
• Raw materials or components.
• Specialized tools.
• A workshop, laboratory, archive, or other location.
• Rare knowledge.
• Assistance or labor.
• Political leverage or permission.
• Supernatural materials or conditions.
Finding these Resources may become an Endeavor of its own.
Resources do not normally restore Project Tokens. Instead, they enable progress or make that progress more effective.
Particularly useful Resources may provide additional benefits at the WorldKeeper's discretion, such as contributing Progress, improving Quality, preventing a Broken Symbol, or enabling something that would otherwise be impossible.
PUSH YOURSELF Copy link
A Hero who has exhausted their Project Tokens may continue working by pushing beyond their normal capacity.
For each additional Project Token contributed this way, gain 1 Fatigue.
A Hero cannot Push Yourself indefinitely. The WorldKeeper may limit further work when exhaustion, circumstances, missing Resources, or the nature of the Project makes additional progress unreasonable.
Pushing beyond normal Project capacity represents long hours, obsessive focus, dangerous experimentation, and exhaustion.
KEYS & PROJECTS Copy link
When a Hero's contribution directly invokes an appropriate Key Symbol, they may gain +1 Project Progress from that contribution.
A Key must meaningfully apply to the work being performed.
SOLO & GROUP PROJECTS Copy link
Solo Projects Copy link
A single Hero drives the Project.
Other Heroes may assist, but the Project primarily represents that Hero's undertaking.
Crafting, inventions, research, rituals, personal recovery, and spiritual pursuits are common Solo Projects.
Group Projects Copy link
Multiple Heroes contribute toward the same Progress requirement.
Each Hero maintains their own Project Token capacity and may spend their own Minor Time contributing toward the Project.
All Project Tokens contributed count toward the same Progress.
This means expertise matters enormously, but cooperation can compensate for limited individual Skill.
PROJECT QUALITY Copy link
Completing a Project does not necessarily mean completing it perfectly.
Broken Symbols accumulated during the Project determine its final Quality.
Broken Symbols | Quality |
|---|---|
0 | Exceptional |
1 | Stable |
2 | Flawed |
3 | Unstable |
4+ | Broken |
Quality describes the reliability, effectiveness, durability, or consequences of what was created.
A Flawed Project still works.
An Unstable Project may work with serious limitations.
A Broken Project may technically achieve its purpose while carrying dangerous faults, severe complications, or incomplete results.
Failure does not always erase Progress.
Mistakes can become part of what is being created.
COMPLETING A PROJECT Copy link
When the Project reaches its required Progress, it is complete.
Resolve its stated Effect and determine its final Quality.
Consider the Resources used, Broken Symbols accumulated, choices made during construction, and the fiction surrounding the Project when describing the result.
A Project should leave something behind.
A weapon exists.
A structure stands.
A mystery has been unraveled.
An alliance has been forged.
A ritual has changed something.
Even an imperfect Project becomes part of the world and may create opportunities, complications, or new Projects of its own.