The Pace of Peril

A perilous challenge has four stages. The first and fourth are taken care of by the Narrator, while the players can take their own precautions and actions in the second and third stages.

1. Designing Obstacles . The Narrator comes up with a variety of obstacles, usually one per adventurer, as well as consequences for failure.

2. Freelinking: Node title Assess the Challenge does not exist . If the party has a chance to act in advance, each adventurer undertakes one effort to learn about or prepare for the obstacles. When they don’t have foreknowledge of the challenge, skip this stage.

3. Freelinking: Node title Face the Challenge does not exist . The party chooses who will face each obstacle and that character undertakes an effort to overcome it. Sometimes it makes sense for each adventurer to handle a different obstacle, or a single character might handle each in sequence if alone.

4. Freelinking: Node title Resolution does not exist . After the party faces each obstacle—either by overcoming it or dealing with a negative consequence—they finish the perilous challenge and the Narrator details the outcome.

Telling a Story

Like exploration challenges, perilous challenges are best when they fit seamlessly into an adventure. The first time, it can be helpful for the Narrator to explain the concepts of obstacles, effort, peril, and consequences. Even that format is just a guideline, however, and not something to be adhered to strictly. Below are various examples of perilous challenges and how to mix narrative with mechanics.