Homefront Moves

These moves apply during downtime, when you're interacting with the steading's population and resources, or managing its affairs.

CONVALESCE

When you rest for a few days in safety and comfort, set your HP back to your max and clear all your debilities. When you rest for a few weeks under the care of a healer, you heal any problematic wounds that can heal.

If you have suffered a permanent injury or impairment, either retire or Make a Plan to adapt to it.

No roll. Convalesce is the full heal — but it requires safety and comfort. You can't Convalesce in the wilderness or while threats press in. Get home, rest, let a follower or the steading's healer tend to you.

DEPLOY

When you send a steading's people into danger or rally them against an attack, the GM rolls a number of d6 equal to Defenses, taking the highest, on behalf of the community:

On a 6 it goes as well as can be expected. On a 4–5 it works, but someone picks 1 from the list below:

• It's less effective than you expected
• Injuries abound; the steading marks diminished (disadvantage to Deploy, Muster, Pull Together)
• The GM picks a named NPC involved in the action; they die

On a 1–3 it goes badly; the GM makes a hard move.

If the steading is acting from a position of strength, you choose. Otherwise, the GM chooses.

Rolled move. Deploy triggers only when you take charge. If the steading's people go into danger on their own or come under attack without you to rally them, the GM decides what happens. Your presence matters.

LEVEL UP

When you have a quiet stretch of time at home and XP ≥ (6 + twice your current level), follow these steps:

Also gain 1 XP when you struggle against your instinct, when a relationship changes, or for "yes" answers to a Keep Company reflection question.

1. Subtract 6 + twice your current level from your XP.
2. Increase your level by 1.
3. Choose a new move from your class playbook, or an insert class you've unlocked.
4. If you are the Blessed (or have a sacred pouch) and your new level is even, increase your max Stock by 1.
5. If you are the Lightbearer (or have Invoke the Sun God) and your new level is even, choose a new invocation.
6. Review your Instinct and Appearance (on the front of your playbook). Change anything that no longer applies — feel free to make up new options.

If you have enough XP to Level Up twice, you do so right away (no extra waiting).

No roll. Level Up requires downtime at home — usually a few days with no crises. You can't Level Up in the field.

MAKE A PLAN

When you wish to accomplish some project but aren't sure how to go about it, tell the GM what you hope to achieve. They'll say what's required. If you're stumped on how to accomplish one of the requirements, tell the GM and Make a Plan for that.

No roll. Use this for long-term projects — unlocking an arcanum, completing a steading improvement, building a new structure. The GM tells you what's needed (items, people, travel, time, risk) and you figure out how to get it done.

MEET WITH DISASTER

When calamity befalls the steading or panic spreads, reduce Fortunes by 1 (min 0).

When Fortunes would drop below 0 for any reason (not just calamity or panic), the GM picks 1 instead:

• The steading marks diminished from injuries/sickness/doubt (disadvantage to Deploy, Muster, Pull Together)
• The steading marks lacking due to shortages/hoarding/distrust (treat Prosperity as 1 lower)
• The steading marks malcontent from fear/anger/despair (Fortunes reset to 1 each season, not 2; folks need Persuading more often than usual)
• Folks start to leave; reduce Population by 1 (min 0)

Triggered by the GM. This triggers when something clearly bad happens — a building burns, the steading runs out of food, someone dies horribly. A threat that looms and the PCs fail to address will eventually trigger this. The GM should announce trouble and give you a chance to act first.

MUSTER

When you press every able body into the defense of the steading, reduce Fortunes by 1 and have the GM roll a number of d6 equal to Population, taking the highest, on the community's behalf:

On a 4+ the steading is alert and ready for action until the threat passes, Seasons Change, or you cease to oversee the muster. On a 6 also pick 2. On a 4–5 also pick 1. On a 1–3 the muster doesn't come together — the GM makes a hard move.

• Increase Defenses by 1 as long as the muster holds
• Everyone's willing to pitch in; don't reduce Fortunes after all
• The muster holds together even without your presence
• 1 or 2 individuals show real potential; ask the GM who and how

Rolled move. Mustering means putting everything else on hold — regular drills, armed watches, weapons at the ready. People grumble. A steading can't maintain a Muster for long. Use it when danger is imminent, not for vague unease.

PULL TOGETHER

When you set a community to work on improvements, to secure new resources, or to make major repairs, spend whatever the GM says is required (time, materiel, Surplus, etc.), then the GM rolls a number of d6 equal to Population, taking the highest, on behalf of the community:

On a 6 the job gets done. On a 4–5 pick 1:

• It gets done, but other work doesn't; reduce Fortunes by 1
• It gets done, but the work is shoddy or crude
• It gets done, but there's a consequence (bad blood, an injury, a threat unearthed, etc.)
• There's an unforeseen cost, requirement, or challenge; address it and the job gets done

On a 1–3 the work fails or stalls; the GM makes a hard move.

Rolled move. Use Pull Together for steading improvements, major repairs, or significant public works. Regular tasks (plowing fields, fixing a leaky roof) don't need this move.

TRADE & BARTER

When you wish to acquire or sell a commonly available item, you can. When you seek to acquire or sell a special item, the GM rolls a number of d6 equal to Prosperity minus the item's Value (min 0), taking the highest, on behalf of the community. In winter, disadvantage.

On a 6 you can get it or sell it for a fair price. On a 4–5 when you're trying to buy, the GM picks 1:

• You can get it, but it'll cost more than usual
• ___ has it, but they aren't keen to give it up
• You can get something close, but not quite right

On a 4–5 when you're looking to sell, you can sell it now but you won't get its full worth.

On a 1–3 either way, if you want to acquire/sell it, you'll need to travel to ___ or wait until next season.

For unique or truly exceptional items, don't Trade & Barter. Either get with the GM and Make a Plan, or wait for a trade opportunity when Seasons Change.

Rolled move. Common items (from the Inventory sheet or any household) don't need a roll. Special items (short supply, crafted goods, rare materials) have a Value (see value.md). Unique items go through Make a Plan or a seasonal trade opportunity.

SEASONS CHANGE

🌱 SPRING

When spring bursts forth upon the land, the GM decides which community member is most hopeful, then rolls a number of d6 equal to Fortunes, taking the highest, on behalf of the community: on a 6, pick 1 seasonal gain; on a 4–5, pick 1 seasonal gain, but a threat to the community makes itself known or gets worse; on a 1–3, threats abound.

Whatever the result, reset Fortunes to 2.

☀️ SUMMER

When the hot days of summer settle across the land, the GM highlights the community member who is the most content, then rolls a number of d6 equal to Fortunes, taking the highest, on behalf of the community: on a 6, pick 2 seasonal gains; on a 4–5, pick 1 seasonal gain; on a 1–3, a threat to the steading makes itself known or gets worse.

Whatever the result, the community generates 1d4−1 Surplus. Then, reset Fortunes to 2.

🍂 AUTUMN

When autumn falls and the land is ripe for harvest, the GM highlights the community member who is the most determined, then rolls a number of d6 equal to Fortunes, taking the highest, on behalf of the community: on a 6, pick 1 seasonal gain; on a 4–5, pick 1 seasonal gain, but a threat to the steading makes itself known or gets worse; on a 1–3, threats abound.

Whatever the result, reset Fortunes to 2.

When the harvest is complete, roll 1d4; the steading generates that much Surplus.

❄️ WINTER

When winter grips the land, the GM highlights the community member who is the weariest and rolls 1d4+Population (min 0) on behalf of the community; the steading consumes that much Surplus. If there's not enough, reduce Surplus to 0, reduce Fortunes by 1, and pick 1:

• Reduce Population by 1 (min 0) due to death, decrepitude, and departure
• An important resource (one of the horses, the cistern, etc.) is lost or not maintained
• An important NPC dies, their role unfilled
• Your PC dies, leaves, or retires from play

Then, the GM rolls a number of d6 equal to Fortunes, taking the highest, on behalf of the community: on a 6, the winter is relatively mild, name a local NPC with whom your relationship improves at least a little (work together to figure out how); on a 4–5, the steading must consume additional Surplus equal to 1d4+Population before winter ends or suffer the consequences as above; on a 1–3, as a 4–5, but also threats abound.

Whatever the result, reset Fortunes to 2.

Seasonal Gains

• Population boom: A number of youth come of age, and/or outsiders settle here. Increase Population by 1 (max 4).
• Tor's blessing: Fine weather abounds. Take +1 to Pull Together this season, and any time the GM rolls the Die of Fate for weather, they roll twice and offer you your pick.
• Unexpected bounty: A sudden influx of wild game, trade profits, or some other resource generates 1 Surplus, now.
• Trade opportunity: At some point this season, someone offers to trade something valuable at a good price or something unique/unusual at a reasonable price. Pay what they're asking and it's yours.
• Interesting news: There's an opportunity to improve your fortunes, knowledge, or relations, and/or to make progress towards a steading improvement.
• Valuable insight: You learn something that gives you a chance to address a threat that's been plaguing the steading.

Rolled move (seasonal). The GM rolls on behalf of the community each season, highlighting a community member who embodies the season. Winter is the hardest — it consumes Surplus, and running short drops Fortunes by 1 before the consequences land.

KEEP COMPANY

When you spend a stretch of time together with an NPC or group of NPCs, decide if you would like to Keep Company. If so, ask an NPC one of the following. Then the GM asks you one of the following on behalf of an NPC.

• What do you do that's annoying / endearing?
• What do I do that you find annoying / endearing?
• Who or what seems to be on your mind?
• What do we find ourselves talking about?
• How do you / we pass the time?
• What new thing do you reveal about yourself?

No roll. Keep Company is a reflection move — you trade questions with an NPC to deepen the relationship and reveal character.