(inspired by: Mouse Guard and The Burning Wheel)
Choose a Scene Goal: What each side wants if they “win.”
Determine Starting Dispositions:
Party Disposition: 6 + # of PCs engaged in the challenge
Opposition: Party Disposition + Challenge Rating
Challenge Rating: -1 trivial, 0 low, 1 moderate, 2 severe, 3 extreme, 4 mythic
Set Duration: Typically 2–4 rounds, depending on scene/narrative importance.
Each round represents an exchange during the Flashpoint. Unlike combat, rounds in a Flashpoint unfold over varying lengths of time, determined by the narrative context.
1. Secretly choose an Action: (each side picks one)
2. Reveal and roll:
3. Consult the Flashpoint Matrix for outcomes:
| Win v Lose > | Advance | Fortify | Subvert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance | Deal 2 / Take 1 | Deal 2 | Deal 3 |
| Fortify | Heal 1 / Deal 1 | Heal 2 | Heal 1 / Deal 1 |
| Subvert | Deal 3 | Deal 2 | Deal 2 / Take 1 |
| Critical Success: winner +1 heal or deal; loser -1 deal Ties: * Advance/Advance/Subvert – Deal 1 each * Fortify/Fortify – Heal 1 each * Subvert/Subvert/Advance – Deal 1 each * All Others – no effect |
|||
The Flashpoint ends when:
The side with higher remaining Disposition “wins” their goal — but it might come at a cost:
Remaining Disposition %
75–100%
50–74%
25–49%
<25%
Cost
Minor (small concession or delay)
Moderate (allow key point or partial success)
Major (win with a painful cost)
Severe (technically win but concede major ground)