Chapter 3: Managing Resources

Fate's Edge GM Guide — Chapter 3

In Fate's Edge, resources are narrative levers, not inventory lists. From the last sip of water in sun-scorched wastes to the fragile loyalty of a Ykrul war-band, every resource tells a story, and every story demands its price. As GM, you are the keeper of these threads—the weaver of scarcity and abundance. This chapter shows how to manage the systems that fuel mortal ambitions and epic campaigns.

Supply Timer: The Pulse of Survival

The Supply Timer tracks the party's access to essentials: food, water, gear, and logistical support. It is a shared party resource—a narrative lever that tightens tension when characters are isolated, pursued, or cut off from civilization.

Supply Timer States

When to Advance the Supply Timer

The Supply Timer advances when the world turns against the party's preparations:

• Extended travel through hostile lands without proper provisioning (see the Travel Framework — Chapter 14 of the Player's Guide, or §16 of the SRD).
• The GM spends 2+ Story Beats on logistics failures or environmental hardships.
• The party chooses to travel light for speed or stealth.
• Failed Lore or Craft rolls related to hunting, foraging, or repair.

Clearing Supply Segments

The timer recedes when the party finds respite:

• Reaching civilization resets the timer to Full.
• A group foraging test (Wits + Lore, DV 2) in favorable conditions clears 1 segment.
• Downtime spent in relative safety removes 1 segment.
• Successful provisioning (a good hunt, a discovered cache) can reduce segments.

Example. A week-long sea passage with uncertain winds. A failed Navigation roll causes the GM to spend 2 SB — filling two segments as supplies spoil. The party is now at Low Supply. A second failed roll fills another segment — Dangerously Low. Fatigue sets in. The sea gnaws at their endurance.

Fatigue: The Weight of the World

Fatigue represents the cumulative toll of journeying through a world that rarely offers comfort: exhaustion that seeps into bones, hunger that hollows cheeks, strain that clouds judgment.

Fatigue Effects

Each point of Fatigue worsens the character's Position by one step (Dominant → Controlled → Desperate). If already Desperate, each additional Fatigue instead imposes a −1 die penalty on all rolls. Penalties from Fatigue and Harm stack.

Clearing Fatigue

Recovery requires genuine respite:

• A short rest (quiet watch, food/water) removes 2 Fatigue.
• A full night's rest in safety removes all Fatigue.
• Fatigue cannot be removed while the party is at Dangerous or Empty Supply.
• Medical attention (Presence + Craft, DV 2) during downtime can remove an additional 1 Fatigue.

Narrative note: Fatigue is not only physical — it can reflect mental strain, grief, or spiritual exhaustion. A failed ritual might leave a caster at Fatigue 2 from metaphysical backlash alone.

Fatigue → Harm Conversion

Each character has a Fatigue track equal to their Body attribute. When the track fills:

1. Increase Harm by one level (0→Harm 1, Harm 1→Harm 2, Harm 2→Harm 3).
2. Clear all Fatigue.

This conversion can occur multiple times in a scene. (See the Player's Guide for full Harm rules.)

Obligation: The Weight of Oaths

"The debt that is never called is the one that compounds in silence. The road remembers. The Hollow collects." — The Gray Wanderer

What Is Obligation?

Obligation is the mechanical representation of a character's debts—the weight of promises made, favors accepted, and powers borrowed. It is not a punishment. It is a promise of future story.

In Fate's Edge, power is never free. When you invoke a Patron's Rite, accept a terrestrial patron's favor, or swear an oath that binds your fate, you mark Obligation. This debt is not a penalty—it is narrative fuel. It ensures that every gain has a cost, every alliance has a price, and every choice has consequences.

What Obligation Represents

Obligation is the currency of being owed. It represents:

• Patron Attention: The gods, spirits, and ancient powers of the world have noticed you. They have invested in you. They expect a return.
• Faction Loyalty: A terrestrial patron (a noble house, a guild, a crime syndicate) has provided resources. They expect service in return.
• Personal Debt: A character owes a favor, a promise, or a debt of honor.

Important: Obligation is not a resource to hoard. It is a narrative lever. When your Obligation is high, your GM has hooks to pull. Embrace it—those hooks lead to adventure.

Tracking Obligation

Capacity

A character's Obligation Capacity is:

Capacity = Spirit + Presence

This represents the total Obligation a character can carry across all Patrons, terrestrial patrons, and other debts before the ledger begins to creak.

Marking Obligation

When a character takes on a debt, they mark Obligation in one of several ways:

• Invoking a Rite (Runekeeper): Mark the Rite's listed Obligation cost.
• Pushing a Rite: Mark an additional +1 Obligation for amplified effect.
• Cracking the Seal (Invoker): Mark double the Rite's base cost.
• Accepting a Terrestrial Favor: Mark +1 Obligation per favor accepted.
• Acquiring an Asset through Patronage: mark Obligation equal to the Asset's tier — Minor 1, Standard 2, Major 3, unique 4 — plus 1 if it sits at the very top of what that patron's Rank can reach.

Exceeding Capacity

When a character's total Obligation exceeds their Capacity:

1. Mark Fatigue: For each segment over Capacity, the character marks 1 Fatigue.
2. No Further Rites: The character cannot invoke additional Rites or accept additional favors until Obligation is reduced.
3. Patron Intrusion (Double Capacity): If the character exceeds double their Capacity, clear all Fatigue, mark Harm 1, and trigger a Patron Intrusion—a narrative demand from the Patron.

Clearing Obligation

Obligation is cleared through meaningful engagement with the Patron or faction to whom the debt is owed. This is not accounting—it is story.

Acts of Service

A character may clear Obligation by performing an Act of Service for their Patron or terrestrial patron. The Act must align with the Patron's themes.

Downtime Clearing

During downtime (see Chapter 9), a character may clear Obligation through one of the following methods:

• Off-Screen Service (Clears 1 segment): The character describes an Act of Service performed between sessions. No roll required.
• On-Screen Scene (Clears 1-2 segments): The character plays out an Act of Service during a session. The GM may call for a roll if the task is challenging.
• XP Payment (Clears 2 segments): The character spends 2 XP to clear 2 segments of Obligation. This represents dedicating time and resources to fulfilling the debt.

Focused Devotion (Talent)

The Focused Devotion talent (3-5 XP) allows a character to clear 1 segment of Obligation by spending 1 Boon during a scene. This represents a moment of focused prayer, meditation, or devotion to the Patron.

Patron Intrusions

When a character's Obligation reaches critical mass (exceeding double Capacity), or when the GM spends SB on a narrative twist, a Patron Intrusion occurs. This is not a punishment—it is a story hook.

What a Patron Intrusion Looks Like

• The Patron Appears: The Patron appears in a dream, a vision, or through an intermediary. "I have a task for you."
• A Rival Servant Arrives: Another servant of the same Patron arrives to collect a debt or challenge your claim.
• The Patron's Mark Becomes Visible: The Patron's symbol appears on your skin, your belongings, or your shadow. This may cause social trouble.
• A Faction Makes a Demand: A terrestrial patron calls in a favor at the worst possible moment.
• A Task Is Demanded: The Patron requires a specific service—a quest, a ritual, a sacrifice—before you may invoke further Rites.

Refusing an Intrusion

A character may refuse a Patron Intrusion. The consequences vary:

• Minor Refusal (Patron Attention Wanes): The character loses the Patron's favor. They cannot invoke Rites or gain benefits from that Patron until they perform an Act of Service.
• Major Refusal (Patron Wrath): The character gains a Patron's Curse (a Condition that imposes penalties until resolved) or gains 2 Fatigue. The Patron will not accept further invocations until the curse is lifted.

Terrestrial Patrons: Mortal Obligation

Not all Obligation flows to cosmic entities. Terrestrial patrons—noble houses, crime syndicates, merchant leagues—also collect debts.

How Terrestrial Obligation Works

• Capacity: The same as supernatural Obligation (Spirit + Presence).
• Marking: Accepting a favor, Asset, or protection from a terrestrial patron marks +1 Obligation to that patron.
• Clearing: Perform tasks for the patron: Minor task (clears 1), Significant task (clears 2), Major task (clears 3+).
• Overflow: Exceeding capacity causes Fatigue, just as with supernatural Patrons.

Obligation in the Blood and Silk Trilogy

Obligation is a central theme in the Blood and Silk campaign arc.

The Velvet War

In the prequel, Old Kes's betrayal is driven by Obligation—Livaea's Unrefusable Offer compelled him to betray the Silk Coin. The player characters inherit this debt: the exiles carry the weight of Kes's broken oath into the main campaign.

Blood and Silk

In Millhaven, the party gains Obligation to the villagers through their actions—and the village gains Obligation to the party. This mutual debt is the foundation of community.

Beyond Millhaven

At the Valvano Ford, Obligation becomes a currency of peace. The three factions cannot move forward until their debts are acknowledged and paid. The party's success comes not from force, but from balancing ledgers.

The Bronze Gate

The Iron Seal of Varus is a broken Obligation made solid. The Ninth Legion's commander swore an oath and broke it—and the curse is the interest. Breaking the curse requires either fulfilling the oath or forgiving the debt.

Player-Facing Obligation

As a player, Obligation is your guide to story. When you mark Obligation, you are not being penalized—you are inviting adventure.

What to Do With Obligation

• Embrace It: A full Obligation timer means your Patron is about to give you a quest. That quest is a session hook.
• Clear It Through Story: Acts of Service are not chores—they are scenes. Describe how you honor your Patron.
• Don't Hoard: Obligation is not a resource to be minimized. It is a source of narrative weight.
• Use It for Leverage: A terrestrial patron's Obligation can be called in at strategic moments. "I remind the factor that I once carried a message for him."

Intent: How to Approach Obligation

"Obligation is not a tax. It is a door. Walk through it."

When you invoke a Rite or accept a favor, consider:

• What story am I inviting? Your Obligation is a promise of future adventure. What kind of adventure do you want?
• Who do I want to owe? Your Obligation is a relationship. Which Patron or faction do you want to deepen your connection with?
• What am I willing to pay? Obligation is a cost, but it is also an investment. What are you willing to sacrifice for power?

GM-Facing Obligation

As a GM, Obligation is your primary tool for ensuring that power has weight and choices have consequences.

How to Use Obligation

• Track It Visibly: Let players see their Obligation totals. The tension of a nearing capacity is a pressure in itself.
• Call It In: When Obligation is high, trigger intrusions. These are not punishments—they are story hooks.
• Make Acts of Service Meaningful: When a player clears Obligation, describe the Act of Service. Make it a scene. Let it matter.
• Use It to Create Conflict: Multiple Obligation tracks can create hard choices. "Your Patron demands a task, but your terrestrial patron demands the opposite. Which debt do you honor?"

Obligation as Story Engine

"The debt that is never called is the one that compounds in silence."

When your players have Obligation, you have hooks. Use them:

• Patron Intrusions: These are free adventure seeds. "Your Patron appears in a dream. The temple of the Forgotten Road has been desecrated. Purify it."
• Faction Tension: Obligation to multiple factions creates natural drama. "The House Contarini demands you deliver a message to the Valvano Ford—but the Ykrul have closed the pass."
• Legacy Consequences: Obligation carries forward. A debt incurred in Millhaven may come due in the Bronze Gate.

The Ninth Taboo and Obligation

In Acasia and beyond, the Ninth Taboo is a form of Obligation—a debt to the land itself.

The Hollow's Attention

The Hollow's Attention timer (Chapter 10) is a form of Obligation to the Curse of Acasia. When the timer fills, the Hollow manifests as an Oath-Keeper and demands payment.

Breaking Customs

When a character knowingly breaks an Acasian custom (pours a ninth cup, takes a ninth step, speaks a ninth name), they mark Obligation to the Hollow. This is not a separate track—it is a narrative debt. The Hollow will collect.

Summary: Obligation at a Glance

Final Thought

Obligation is the heartbeat of Fate's Edge. It is the weight that makes choices matter, the thread that connects characters to the world, and the promise of story yet to come.

Do not fear it. Embrace it. When your Obligation is high, your story is rich.

"The road is long. The debt is patient. Walk true."

Boons: The Currency of Resilience

Boons are narrative tokens earned by embracing risk. They reward failure with opportunity — the silver lining in clouds of defeat.

Earning Boons (GM Reminders)

• On a Partial (1 Boon) or Miss (2 Boons) with meaningful consequences.
• Through clever or risky roleplay that drives the story.
• Via bond-driven actions with intricate descriptions.
• At GM discretion for exceptional collaborative play.

Limit: At most 2 Boons from failures per character per scene. Repetition of the same approach with the same stakes does not award additional Boons.

Boon Economy (Quick Reference)

• Holding cap: Maximum 5 Boons.
• Carryover: At the end of each scene, reduce held Boons to a maximum of 2 (excess lost).
• Conversion: Once per session during downtime, convert 2 Boons → 1 XP (max 2 XP per session via conversion).

Spending Boons (Player Options)

Players may spend 1 Boon to:

• Re-roll a single die (after seeing the pool).
• Activate an on-screen Asset.
• Improve Position by one step before a roll.
• Power certain Rites or abilities as described in their text.

Substituting Fatigue for Boons (Optional)

If a player has no Boons remaining, they may substitute 1 Fatigue for 1 Boon once per scene. This represents pushing through exhaustion for a last chance. The GM may veto if the fiction does not support it.

Anti-Fishing Measures (GM Guidance)

• Once/Scene Cap: At most 2 Boons from failures per character per scene.
• Repetition Rule: Same approach + same stakes in the same scene cannot award another Boon.
• Position Gate: Dominant tests with trivial fallout do not award Boons.

Design note: Boons reward narrative risk, not repeated failure.

Followers and Assets: Power Beyond the Self

Players can invest XP in Followers (on-screen allies) and Assets (off-screen resources). These are story agents with their own motivations and risks. The following sections present simplified, low-bookkeeping systems that avoid numeric timers while preserving meaningful consequences.

Followers: On-Screen Allies

Followers are bought with XP and tracked by a Cap (maximum assist bonus). Cost = Cap² XP; downtime 1–3 days to recruit.

Follower States

Instead of numeric timers, track a follower's Loyalty and Fitness as one of three states each.

Change states when the fiction demands it (e.g., after a failed mission, a moral compromise, or taking damage). No rolls required.

Assisting in Scenes

• Assist dice equal min(Cap, helper's relevant Skill).
• Total assist from all sources capped at +3 dice (the Exceptional Coordination talent allows +4 from one follower).
• Only one follower may assist a given action.

Follower Independent Actions

Once per scene, one follower may take a small independent action (party-wide limit). Examples:

• Scout & Signal — Change an ally's next action to Dominant.
• Distract & Draw — Reduce a threat/hunt/escape timer by 1 tick.
• Fetch & Carry — Move a small object through danger.

Cost: Mark Exposure +1 or worsen Fitness one step (Ready → Hurt → Down) on that follower.

Followers as Successors

A Follower (Cap 3+) can become a successor if the player's main character retires, dies, or ascends. This is the core of the Legacy Engine (see the Epic Play chapter of the full GM Guide).

Follower Upkeep and Risk

• Each downtime, pay Efficient upkeep: max(1, acquisition cost ÷ 3, rounded up) or spend a scene tending the relationship.
• Neglect → Loyalty worsens one step (Faithful → Strained → Broken).
• If the GM spends 2+ SB on an action you take with assistance, they may worsen Loyalty or Fitness on the follower instead of other consequences.
• Off-Screen Capability: Once per downtime, a Cap 3+ follower can solve a significant problem but generates 1 SB for the party (the GM describes the resulting complication).

Assets: Off-Screen Influence

Assets are titles, safehouses, spy rings, charters. They do not act in scenes directly but change the fiction between sessions.

Asset Status

Assets have a single unified Status that describes their overall health and usability.

The Status worsens when the asset is neglected, attacked, or suffers a public failure. It improves through dedicated downtime actions or successful missions that benefit the asset.

Using Assets

• Off-Screen Effect: Use once per session for free (the quiet work between adventures).
• On-Screen Activation: Spend 1 Boon to use the asset dramatically in a scene.
• Downtime Activation: Pay 2 XP or 1 Boon to activate an asset at campaign start or during downtime.
• The asset must have plausible scope for the intended effect.

Asset Upkeep

Each downtime:

• Efficient (higher XP, less time): Cost = max(1, Acquisition XP ÷ 3). Minimal effort.
• Intensive (lower XP, more time): Cost = 1 XP. Requires a dedicated downtime action with significant personal involvement.
• Failure to pay → Status worsens one step (Flourishing → Stable → Strained → Collapsed).

Terrestrial Patrons: Favors and Obligation

Not every patron is a cosmic entity. Powerful mortals—nobles, crime lords, generals, merchant princes, and the old families of the Vilikari—can act as terrestrial patrons. They offer tangible aid (escorts, legal protection, supplies, even ongoing Assets) in exchange for favors and loyalty.

How Terrestrial Patrons Work

When a character accepts a favor from a terrestrial patron, start an Obligation Timer with the patron's name (e.g., "Prefect Marcellus's Obligation [4]"). Mark one segment each time the character accepts a significant favor. When the timer fills, the patron calls in the debt — a mission, a political favor, or a direct demand.

The party also tracks a separate Obligation tally for each terrestrial patron, exactly as they would for a supernatural Patron (see the Managing Obligation and Corruption section). Each accepted favor adds +1 Obligation. Exceeding Obligation Capacity (Spirit + Presence) causes Fatigue exactly as with cosmic Patrons.

Refusing to honor the debt turns the patron into an enemy. The GM may advance associated Crisis timers or introduce complications.

Clearing Terrestrial Obligation

Obligation to a terrestrial patron is cleared by performing tasks for the patron. The GM sets the scope:

• Minor task (deliver a message, pay a bribe): clears 1 Obligation.
• Significant task (escort a caravan, break a siege): clears 2 Obligation.
• Major task (assassinate a rival, broker a treaty): clears 3+ Obligation.

Each task becomes a story hook.

Rank: What a Patron Can Reach

A terrestrial patron's Rank says how far their arm goes: how many Assets they can carry for you, how large those Assets may be, and how much debt they will let you run up before they come collecting.

What an Asset Costs in Obligation

When a patron grants an Asset or a Follower for Obligation rather than XP, the cost is the thing's tier: Minor 1, Standard 2, Major 3, unique 4. Followers ride the same ladder — a Cap 2 counts as Minor, a Cap 3 as Standard.

One modifier, and it is the interesting one. If what you are asking for sits at the very top of what that patron's Rank can provide, add 1. It costs them, so it costs you. A Street patron scraping together a safehouse is spending real credit; a Regional one hands over the same safehouse without breaking eye contact.

No patron can grant an Asset larger than their Rank allows, at any price. That is not a cost question — their arm does not reach.

Example Terrestrial Patrons

Running Terrestrial Patrons

• Track each patron's Obligation Timer and the party's Obligation visibly.
• When a player asks for a favor, state the cost: "That's worth one segment and +1 Obligation. Are you willing?"
• When an Obligation Timer fills, give a hook that fits the patron's personality.
• If the party refuses, tick a Crisis timer or introduce a complication.
• Patrons compete. If the party owes Obligation to two rival patrons, those patrons will eventually demand conflicting loyalties.

Player Trusts: Shared Legacy

A Trust is a shared pool of XP that players contribute to, used to acquire and maintain party-owned Assets and Followers. Trusts represent a collective enterprise—a mercenary company, a trading guild, a spy network, a religious order.

Forming a Trust

Any player may contribute XP to the Trust pool. Contributions are voluntary and cannot be withdrawn. The Trust has no individual owner; spending from the pool requires majority agreement.

Tiered Buy-In for Trust Slots

A Trust is not a single Asset — it is a container that can hold multiple Assets and Followers. The Trust's capacity is determined by its Tier, which players purchase collectively.

Upgrading a Trust

Players may upgrade a Trust to the next Tier by paying the difference in XP (e.g., from Tier I to Tier II costs an additional 8 XP, contributed collectively). Upgrading requires a downtime scene where the Trust formalizes its new charter, expands its operations, or absorbs a rival organization.

What a Trust Can Buy

Once the Trust has capacity, players may spend XP from the Trust pool to acquire Assets and Followers that belong to the Trust as a whole.

Each Asset or Follower consumes one Asset Slot. A Trust cannot exceed its slot capacity.

Upkeep and Delegation

Each downtime, the Trust must pay upkeep for its Assets and Followers using the standard rules (Efficient upkeep in XP, or 1 XP and a scene, per asset or follower).

Alternatively, the Trust may delegate upkeep to a Cap 5 Follower:

• The Cap 5 follower can manage up to 4 Asset Slots (any combination of Assets and Followers).
• The follower's own upkeep covers the delegated Assets — no separate XP cost.
• Risk: If the follower becomes Strained or Broken (Loyalty), all delegated Assets worsen one step or are lost until the follower is restored.

Trust Assets in Play

Assets and Followers acquired through a Trust belong to the party as a whole. Any member may activate them by spending their own Boons, following the normal Asset rules.

Dissolving a Trust

If the party disbands, remaining XP in the pool is lost. Assets may be transferred to individual characters who pay the XP cost (or accept Obligation to a Terrestrial Patron to cover the difference). Followers loyal to the Trust may scatter, become independent NPCs, or be absorbed by a patron.

Trust Quick Reference

Mandate Timer (0–6)

Tracks the party's public legitimacy.

• High Mandate: Allies seek them out, resources flow, doors open.
• Low Mandate: Suspicion, bureaucratic obstacles, support withers.

Advance the timer when the party gains renown (clean victories, public accolades) or loses face (scandals, broken oaths).

Crisis Timer (0–6)

Tracks the opposition's growing strength.

• Rising Crisis: Complications escalate, enemies grow bolder.
• Managed Crisis: Breathing room, opportunities to strike back.

Advance the timer when the party fails key objectives, ignores looming threats, or the GM spends SB on faction escalation.

Example. If the party brokers a peace treaty, advance Mandate by 1. If they assassinate a rival leader but leave evidence, advance Crisis by 1. When either timer reaches 6, trigger a major faction response (a summons, an assassination attempt, a public trial).

Combat Resource Management

In combat, resource management takes on desperate urgency.

Supply in Combat

• Intense Combat: GM may spend 1 SB to worsen Supply by one step (Full → Low → Dangerous → Empty).
• Prolonged Engagement: Each hour of sustained combat worsens Supply one step.
• Ammunition Depletion: Ranged weapons may run low, requiring scavenging actions (e.g., Craft roll to recover arrows).

Fatigue in Combat

• Characters apply Fatigue penalties as described above.
• Reaching Fatigue level 4+ during combat causes immediate collapse (incapacitated).
• Fatigue cannot be cleared during active combat.

Follower Combat Integration

• Followers assist using their Cap (see Followers: On-Screen Allies, above).
• Spending 2+ SB in combat can worsen a follower's Loyalty or Fitness.
• Followers can take combat-relevant independent actions (cost: worsen Fitness one step).
• After a follower acts twice in a high-risk combat scene, worsen their Exposure or Fitness.

Narrative First: The Fiction Is the Ledger

In Fate's Edge, arrows, rations, and waterskins are tracked only in the fiction that surrounds them. Mechanics engage only when those resources become scarce enough to matter. The focus remains always on narrative tension — the gnawing hunger, the fading light, the last arrow — not sterile bookkeeping.

Abstracting Coin and Time. Routine expenses and petty bribes are handled narratively ("You have enough coin from past jobs to cover a week's stay"). For major expenses (bribing a corrupt official, outfitting an expedition, buying a rare magical component), players may spend XP in place of coin (1 XP = a substantial sum). Use the "XP as currency" rule sparingly; it should feel like a meaningful sacrifice, not a tax.

GM Reminder. When a player asks "Do I have enough arrows?" the answer is almost always "yes" until it becomes dramatically interesting to say "no." Similarly, track Supply only when the party is isolated, pursued, or in a hostile environment. Let the world breathe with its own needs and abundances. And when the dice say the world pushes back against mortal plans — listen to what they tell you about the price of ambition.

Echo Characters: Managing Multi-Character Switching

Players may choose to temporarily step away from their current character and play another, while their first character continues to act offscreen. This is called an Echo Character. The optional rules in the Player's Guide give the player-facing procedure; this section provides the GM's mechanical framework for tracking offscreen characters, applying consequences, and maintaining narrative continuity.

Core Principles

• Players choose when their character steps offscreen.
• Offscreen characters remain active in the fiction and can still affect the world.
• Absence creates opportunity and risk, not punishment.
• The world reacts to characters even when unseen.

The Downtime Log

Each session a character is offscreen, the player completes a simple Downtime Log. The GM records the outcomes and may introduce one consequence per log.

Log Structure

The player declares:

1. Resource Action: How the character maintains connections or standing (e.g., sends a letter, pays a retainer, visits a contact offscreen).
2. Project Action: One goal or project advanced (e.g., researches a ritual, trains a follower, builds a contacts list).
3. Event Response: How the character reacts to unseen events or threats (e.g., avoids a patrol, hides from a rival, investigates a rumor).

Tier-Based Project Limits

Players may advance up to a certain number of projects per downtime based on their character's Tier:

• Tier I–II: 1 Project
• Tier III–IV: 2 Projects
• Tier V: 3 Projects

GM Response

For each Downtime Log, the GM:

• Notes the fictional outcome of each declaration.
• May assign one meaningful Consequence (complication, shift, or new opportunity) that will affect the character when they return.

Consequences should be specific and story-driven, not punitive. Examples:

• "Your contact has moved; you'll need to find them again."
• "The rival you avoided now knows your general location."
• "Your project succeeds, but you lost a valuable resource in the process."

Crisis Timer for Offscreen Characters

Each offscreen character tracks a private Crisis Timer [6]. This timer represents mounting pressure, danger, or narrative trouble that accumulates while the character is away.

When to Tick the Crisis Timer

Tick the Crisis Timer +1 when:

• The player's Downtime Log includes a failed or partial outcome (GM discretion).
• The GM spends 2+ Story Beats on offscreen events related to that character.
• The character ignores an obvious threat or obligation (e.g., refuses a Patron's demand while offscreen).
• The character is In Peril (status declared by player at start of absence).

When the Crisis Timer Fills

At 6 segments, the character faces a major offscreen crisis. The GM describes what happens, and the player must address it upon return. Examples:

• A rival captures the character's ally or asset.
• The character is wounded or cursed (apply Harm 1 or a Condition).
• The character loses a valuable resource (String, Asset tag, or follower Loyalty).
• A Patron calls in a debt in an especially inconvenient way.

After the crisis, reset the Crisis Timer to 0. The crisis should create a story hook, not remove the character from play.

Reducing the Crisis Timer

Players may reduce the Crisis Timer by:

• Spending 1 Boon (on their active character) to send aid or a message.
• Accepting a Devil's Bargain that introduces a complication on their active character.
• Having another player's active character interact with the offscreen character's situation (e.g., "I send a scout to check on them").

The GM may also reduce the timer by 1 if the player's Downtime Log shows proactive risk management.

Return Mechanics

When a player brings an Echo Character back to active play:

1. The returning character gains 2 Boons for narrative re-entry (a burst of momentum).
2. The player rolls Wits + Spirit (DV 3) to reestablish presence. On a success, they reintegrate smoothly. On a failure, the GM applies one additional consequence (e.g., they arrive off-balance, or a complication follows them).
3. The GM reveals any Consequences accumulated during absence, and the player must address unresolved plot threads.

Optional: Buddy System

If multiple players have offscreen characters, they may nominate a Buddy (another player with an active character) to help track Downtime Logs and Crisis Timers. The Buddy gains +1 additional Boon for the session for this support role (this Boon does not count toward the session cap).

Player Guidelines (for GM to communicate)

Share these with players who wish to use the system:

• Declare offscreen goals with clear fictional intent.
• Treat absence as character growth, not disappearance.
• Expect absence to create tension, opportunity, and drama.
• Keep your Downtime Log brief (one sentence per action).

Full Cross-Reference

For player-facing rules on Echo Characters (how to declare absence, what a Downtime Log is, and the benefits of returning), see the Player's Guide chapter on Followers and Assets. The player version omits Crisis Timers and GM consequence mechanics; those are your tools as GM.