Journey

When undertaking a long journey…

If you don’t know the way, then it’s not a Journey and the World decides what happens. Or you could take back control by obtaining a map, a guide, some directions, or by picking a different destination you know the way to. Vague directions can be enough but always make the journey dangerous and give a Disadvantage to all PCs.

If you know the way...

• ...and the territory is relatively safe and civilized, go to step 5).
• ...and the territory is dangerous and wild, pick one PC to go through steps 1) to 4).

1) The Thing

Along their journey the PC notices some THING about the territory. If the PC’s Player describes it, they get an Advantage. Otherwise, they forgo the benefit and someone else will have to do it.
Continue to step 2).

Describe a Thing, not an event: a small location, a creature, a plant, a rock, a section of a river, a hole in the ground, any one Thing that grabs the PC's attention during their journey. Avoid narrating context and circumstances. Come up with the thing, describe it briefly, and explain why the PC might consider it noteworthy, why it might grab their attention.

2) The Event

The World describes a short event that happens during the journey, then continues on to step 3). The event could be helpful, problematic, or just odd, but it must always:

• focus on the current PC
• involve the thing from step 1)
• be open-ended
  
  

Take it easy, this is a small and odd event. Don't force your hand to make it into a big challenge or encounter. Try treating the thing from step 1) like Simple People; the event would then be something that the thing does, shows, or suffers. Think small!

3) The Roll

The Player rolls+Knowing, resolves the outcome, then continues on to step 4).

• 10+: the Player describes how their PC handles the situation positively. Others can suggest and help. These are “past events” being recounted so no moves are ever triggered.
• 7-9: as 10+, but something gives the PC a Disadvantage.
• 1-6: as 10+, but something goes awry, forcing the PC to spend Supplies or suffer a Serious harm effect.

4) Stay or Go

Any Player can suggest interrupting the journey here in order to stay and explore the thing/situation just discovered. Avoid lengthy discussions and just take a vote:

• If all Players agree to stay, the Journey ends + World Reaction.
• If all Players agree to go, the Journey continues. Select a different PC to do step 1). When all PCs have gone through the 1-4 steps once, continue on to step 5).
• If any Player disagrees, the Journey ends and a Long Rest is triggered. This allows the PCs to debate their plans in a real scene, with moves and everything. Just be sure that, once a clear majority arises, the Players with the minority of the votes are willing to force the issue instead of conceding it.

5) Arrival

If the journey took days or more, perform the Long Rest move. The World can frame it either near the end of the journey, sometime after all the short events seen so far, or already at the destination, especially if the location is not new or arrival is not urgent. Otherwise, you have arrived.