Fictional Positioning

The actions your character can take — and which moves they trigger — are shaped by your fictional positioning: the sum of everything established about your character and the world.

What positioning is made of

• Your traits — age, build, skills, habits, personality
• Your equipment — what's in hand vs. stowed, what's on your person
• Your position — relative to foes, allies, cover, hazards
• What you can sense — given light, position, weather, distractions
• Your state — momentum, footing, emotional condition
• How you describe it — your approach

What positioning decides

• How much danger the GM puts you in before asking what you do
• Whether your action is even feasible — "The cliff is sheer and wet — you can't just climb it."
• Whether a move triggers, or you just do the thing — "Don't roll Clash — you've caught him flat-footed. Just deal your damage."
• Whether a move can trigger — "You can stab it, but it's made of solid stone. You won't hurt it — you'll just put yourself at risk."
• What's required to attempt something — "You need to drop to a light load first, and even then you're Defying Danger."
• Which move triggers — "I think you're Defying Danger with WIS to spot them, not Seeking Insight."
• How big the risk is — "If you bust, you miss the jump and you're rolling Death's Door."
• How much one move can accomplish — "A strong success? Yeah, you weave through the arrows and drag them to cover."

Positioning comes first. Establish what's possible and which move fires before you touch the dice. The dice decide how it goes; the fiction decides what's on the table.

Who rolls

You roll when you act. The GM rolls for your community.

When your character acts, you push your luck — the GM doesn't roll for the world's reactions and doesn't trigger moves. If a monster attacks, the GM says "It leaps at you, claws out" — then asks "What do you do?" They don't roll to see if it hits.

When the community acts — mustering, pulling together, trading, facing the turning seasons — the GM rolls on its behalf: a number of d6 equal to the stat, taking the highest. See the homefront moves.

So:

• If you act to avoid or counter the threat, that probably triggers a move (Defy Danger, Defend, Clash). The roll tells us what happens.
• If you ignore the threat, the GM confirms you understand the situation, then says what bad thing happens.
• If the GM wants to leave something to fate and no move applies, they might ask for a Die of Fate — roll a d6. High is good, low is bad.

PC vs. Follower Conflict

Sometimes you'll come into conflict with your followers. When that happens, slow down. Give the GM a chance to voice the follower's position. If you're making a move that targets them, clarify what you're trying to do and why they might resist.

If the follower acts against you — trying to stop you, foil you, or change your mind — that's Interfere or Persuade. Follow those moves. The GM portrays the follower, but the dice decide the outcome.

Your follower is on your side, broadly. But they're also a person with their own fears, opinions, and limits. Conflict makes the relationship richer — don't avoid it, just handle it with care.