Page 77 - Chronicles of Darkness

a Condition that resolves when the character deals lethal
damage to someone clearly reflects the violent nature of that
Conditions and story point. Resolution criteria also serve as an opportunity

Storyteller Characters for daisy chains of Beat-generating events, such as allowing
exceptional success on three successes instead of five, or re-
In most cases, a Storyteller character doesn’t need solving a Condition on a failed roll to encourage the player
to gain Conditions, since the Storyteller doesn’t earn to choose dramatic failure (and thus earn two Beats at once).
Beats. She can simply roleplay the appropriate be- It’s best to keep the resolution criteria for a new Condition
havior or apply an appropriate situational modifier somewhat general, rather than requiring one specific action.
if circumstances demand it. However, a Storyteller For example, a Condition that resolves when the player
character can gain Conditions occasionally, such as commits any act of vengeance allows the player flexibility in
when a player character uses a supernatural power exactly what actions the character takes, while a Condition
that inflicts one. If a Storyteller character resolves a that resolves when the character kills a particular person
Condition, she earns a point of Willpower for use in restricts the player’s options. More options are usually better.
the same scene, instead of a Beat.
Breaking points and exceptional successes are the most
common opportunities for creating new Conditions. When
none of the given example Conditions seem to apply, or the
player has an idea for a different way the momentous event
Some Conditions are marked as Persistent. These has affected her character, feel free to invent a Condition.
Conditions typically last for a long time, and can only be The Storyteller can also invent Conditions whenever she
resolved permanently with a specific and impressive effort. wants to offer Beats for roleplaying significant behavioral
Once per chapter, a player can gain a Beat when a Persistent or situational shifts, or for some mechanical effect that she
Condition impacts his character’s life. wants to impose, such as a lingering penalty.
If play would bog down in the search for the right
Lingering Conditions Condition, the Storyteller should just improvise one and
keep the session going.
Conditions are designed as reminders that events that
happened earlier in the story have repercussions later.
Usually, Chekhov’s gun applies — if you put the Condition Experience
on stage, it should cause some drama by the end. However,
Storytelling games are slippery things, and sometimes it’s A player earns Beats for his character in many ways (listed
better to drop a story thread represented by a Condition for below). When your character has gained five Beats, they
the sake of the ongoing narrative. convert to one Experience, which can be used to develop
For example, an emotional state like Swooned might no your character’s abilities.
longer be relevant to events in the game because a long time
has passed, or it might have been the result of a conflict with a Beats
character the players don’t care about anymore. In those cases,
it’s perfectly fine to just cross off the Condition. The Storyteller You gain Beats when your character fulfills one of the
may choose to award a Beat as if the character resolved it. criteria below.
Improvised Conditions • If your character fulfills an Aspiration, take a Beat. At
the end of the game session, replace the Aspiration.
Storytellers shouldn’t feel limited by the list of Conditions • Each Condition has criteria for resolution. When
in the Appendix (p. 288). As a rough guideline, a Condition resolving a Condition, take a Beat.
typically consists of a modifier between +2 and -2 dice to a
certain type of action, or to any action taken with a certain • Some Conditions provide Beats for actions other than
motivation. Conditions can also consist solely of roleplayed resolution.
effects until resolution, such as the Shaken Condition (p.
290), in which the mechanical effect is the resolution. • Any time you fail a roll, you may opt to make it a
A Condition is resolved when the character does dramatic failure and take a Beat.
something significant to act on it, or when she addresses
the original source. The sample Conditions in this book • If your character takes damage in one of her three
give examples of how to resolve them, but players can also rightmost Health boxes, take a Beat.
resolve them after other events with Storyteller approval if it • At the end of any game session, take a Beat.
makes sense in the story. Resolution criteria for improvised
Conditions offer a way for the Storyteller to encourage certain • Any time your character risks a breaking point (p. 73),
kinds of dramatic action, especially when she wants a story take a beat.
point to have lingering effects on the characters. For instance,
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infernal engines -dramatic systems