Challenges

Some obstacles that players encounter can’t be solved by a single roll. These are called Challenges. Challenges require a tremendous amount of effort, time, or resources to overcome. They’re typically composed of multiple Risks. For example, compare climbing a wall with climbing a mountain. Climbing a wall might only require 1 Good Tale. Climbing a mountain, however, might require many Good Tales; each Good Tale brings you closer to the summit. Here are some examples of Risks and Challenges:

* Exploring a room.
* Picking a locked door.
* Climbing a wall.
* Charming a person.
* Gathering a follower.
* Exploring a dungeon.
* Infiltrating a castle.
* Climbing a mountain.
* Charming a crowd.
* Gathering an army.

As you can see, Challenges are typically composed of multiple Risks. For example, suppose that you are trying to infiltrate a heavily guarded castle to steal a priceless artifact. Here are a few Risks you might encounter while trying to overcome that Challenge:

* Spy on the castle to learn its vulnerabilities.
* Climb over the outer wall to access the courtyard.
* Sneak past the patrol.
* Steal keys from a sleeping or distracted guard.
* Subdue guard dogs with drugged meat.
* Find the hidden door to the treasure vault.
* Bypass the trap protecting the vault.
* Escape with the treasure.

The GM doesn’t need to predetermine what Risks a Challenge will have, though the GM can if they want. Ideally, the GM should let Risks naturally occur based on context, logic, and the PCs’ actions.

## Challenge Number

Challenges have a Challenge Number (CN), which is decided by the GM. The higher the number, the more difficult, resilient, or time-consuming the Challenge is. For example, here a few different CNs:

* Sneaking into a house: CN 2
* Sneaking into a fortress: CN 5
* Sneaking into the royal castle: CN 10
* Sneaking into a dragon’s lair: CN 20

CN is represented by boxes. Draw a line after every fifth box so that they’re easier to count. For example, CN 8 would look like this:

> ☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐☐
>
>

Whenever a player tells a Good Tale towards overcoming a Challenge, the GM marks at least 1 box. When all of the boxes are marked, the PCs successfully overcome that Challenge. It’s up to the players to narrate how they succeed. For example, suppose that the players are climbing a mountain with a CN of 5, and they mark the last box. At that point, they can narrate the rest of the climb however they want.

If it’s logical, players can work together and pool their Good Tales toward a common goal. For example, if players are working together to slay a group of monsters, then each players’ Good Tale will contribute toward overcoming that Challenge.

Some Challenges don’t allow for collaboration. For example, if one player is participating in a marathon and the other players are watching from the sidelines, then only the runner’s Good Tales can contribute toward winning the race.

## Tales Still Do Things

The most important thing to remember with challenges is that Good and Bad Tales still affect the story. The players aren’t just rolling dice to hit the CN. Tales should always affect the story in a meaningful way.

## Shortcuts, Detours, and Delays

The CN gives the GM a rough idea of how difficult a Challenge will be for the players. However, Tavern Tales is not a game that focuses on numbers; the GM and the players should look beyond the CN.

**The most important part of a Challenge isn’t the CN — it’s the story surrounding the Challenge**. The players’ actions can fundamentally affect how the Challenge proceeds. In the below examples, suppose that the players are trying to retrieve a magic artifact at the summit of a tall mountain. The GM decides that the mountain has a CN of 15.

> **Challenge**: Climb to the mountain summit
>
>

> ☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐☐☐☐
>
>

### Shortcuts

Shortcuts speed up the challenge by allowing a player to mark more than 1 box. For example, suppose that one of the PCs has a magical ring that will open a portal 1 mile away. The player rolls the dice and spends the Good Tale to activate the ring, opening a portal halfway up the mountain. Even though that player only spent 1 Good Tale, the GM should mark more boxes than normal. Since the player teleported halfway up the mountain, it’s logical for the GM to mark 7 boxes which is about half of the Challenge’s boxes.

### Detours

A detour is when players completely avoid the original challenge in favor of a different (typically easier) challenge. For example, suppose that one of the players can fly. Flying to the mountain summit will be much easier than climbing, so the GM gives that player a different challenge with a lower CN.

> **Challenge**: Fly to the mountain summit.
>
>

> ☐☐☐
>
>

Alternatively, suppose that the players discover that a clan of dwarves lives on the mountain. Rather than sneaking through the dwarves’ territory, the players decide to enlist their help. The GM gives the group a different challenge.

> **Challenge**: Convince the dwarves to retrieve the artifact from the mountain summit
>
>

> ☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐
>
>

Detours might be harder or easier than the original Challenge, depending on context. They might also not work out as the players intended. For examples, the PCs might successfully convince the dwarves to retrieve the artifact from the mountain, only to discover that the dwarves decide to keep it for themselves.

### Delays

Some events may delay or set back the players. In these cases, the GM might mark fewer boxes than normal, or possibly even remove marks from boxes. For example, suppose that the PCs are climbing a mountain and one of them falls into a ravine. The players decide to rescue their stranded friend, so the GM gives them a detour.

> **Challenge**: Climb down the ravine
>
>

> ☐☐☐
>
>

Since the PCs are climbing down the ravine to rescue their friend, the GM might say that every box they mark in this Challenge removes a mark from the original challenge. After all, they’re traveling farther away from their original goal.

## Remember: A Challenge is a Story, Not a Number

Try to avoid thinking of Challenges as a number. If the players keep saying, “I spend my Good Tale to climb up the mountain,” then they’re missing the fundamental point of Challenges. They can spend their Good Tale to do all kinds of interesting things, like find a cave to rest for the night, discover supplies from a dead and frozen explorer, or sing a traveling song to lift everyone’s spirits. These out-of-the-box Tales are much more interesting, and they increase the chance that the GM will give you a convenient shortcut or detour.

If you’re fighting a dragon, don’t just spend turn after turn saying “I hit it with my sword.” Think about the dragon as an actual dragon. How would you kill it? Check its hide for a missing scale. Slice holes in its wings so it can’t fly away. Neutralize its fire breath with powerful frost magic. Taunt it so that it becomes infuriated and makes a mistake. These Tales are much more interesting and rewarding!

## Playing it Safe

Since theoretically any Tale can contribute toward overcoming a Challenge, some players may be tempted to play it safe with their Good Tales. For example, instead of climbing the mountain, the players might spend their Good Tales to do things like gather supplies, get advice from local climbers, and survey the terrain. It’s perfectly fine if players tell safe Tales in moderation. However, if they overdo it, the GM can punish the players with detours or delays. The GM could say that the players’ actions redefined the Challenge to something mundane (from “Climb the mountain” to “Learn a lot about the mountain”), or that the players have gotten all they can out of playing it safe. If they want to mark more boxes, they’ll have to start taking real risks.

## PC Challenge Numbers

Player characters also have Challenge Numbers. When you start a game of Tavern Tales, everyone should discuss the game’s overall feel to select the PCs’ starting CN. Here are a few suggestions based on tone:

* Gritty: 1-2
* Dramatic: 3-4
* Heroic: 5-6
* Epic: 7+

The higher the players’ CN, the more resilient they’ll be against harm and danger. The recommended starting CN for new players is 3. This number is low enough that they’ll feel like fledgling adventurers, but not so low that they’ll constantly be on the brink of death. As the PCs complete quests and become more powerful, the GM may consider increasing their CNs.

When a player suffers a Bad Tale during a Challenge, they mark one of their boxes. When all of their boxes are marked, that player is overcome by the challenge, giving the GM free reign to tell a Bad Tale that is much worse than normal. The severity of the Bad Tale depends on context, the GM, and your gaming group’s preferences. Here are some examples:

* The king accuses you of treason, and the guards haul you off to the dungeon.
* The frigid weather causes you to lose all sensation in your hands, and your fingers start turning blue.
* A wave from the storm flings you off the ship.
* The dragon bites off your arm. You pass out from the blood loss and pain. You’ll die in a few minutes if the bleeding continues.
* The orc pushes you off the cliff, causing you to fall to your doom.

Yes, death is a possible consequence. When you start a game of Tavern Tales, your group should have a discussion about when it’s appropriate to kill a PC. Should players potentially face death when all of their boxes are marked, or should they only face death in extreme circumstances?

## Conditions

Conditions are ongoing effects that harm someone physically, mentally, or socially. Here are some example conditions:

* Amputated arm
* Deep chest wound
* Hungry and thirty
* Hopelessly lost
* Wanted: Dead or alive

Instead of writing their CN boxes horizontally, players write them vertically like this:

> ☐ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
>

> ☐ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
>

> ☐ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
>

When you gain a condition, write it in one of the blanks that has a marked box to the left; if it the box isn’t already marked, mark it. You can’t clear boxes that have a condition next to them because the condition is preventing you from performing at your peak capabilities.

For example, if you have the condition “Wanted: Dead or alive,” then you have a constant nagging fear in the back of your mind. You have trouble sleeping because you’re afraid of being ambushed at night. You suspect everyone you meet of going after the bounty on your head. This constant paranoia and stress prevents you from performing at your best.

## Acquiring Conditions

Players can acquire conditions in 3 ways: traits, bad decisions or running out of boxes.

### Traits

Traits can inflict unique conditions. These traits generally provide guidelines for how to use the conditions.

### Bad Decisions

If a player makes a bad decision, the GM can give that player a condition. For example, if a PC throws a pie in the king’s face, the GM can give the condition player “Wanted for treason.” Players typically won’t be this suicidal, but they will occasionally take extreme risks, such as trying to leap over a spike pit. If that player rolls poorly and falls, it’s very reasonable for the GM to give a condition like “Broken legs” or “Punctured lung.”

### Running Out of Boxes

When all of a PC’s boxes are marked, the GM can give that player 1 condition in addition to telling a free Bad Tale that is much worse than normal.

## Clearing Boxes and Conditions

Players clear all of their boxes (except those with conditions) whenever they finish a challenge. They finish a challenge when they overcome it, abandon it, or are defeated by it.

You clear conditions whenever it’s logical to do so. For example, suppose a player’s character sheet looks like this:

> ☑ Broken arm
>
>

> ☑ Lord Hale wants my head
>
>

> ☐ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
>
>

This player is nearly overwhelmed by conditions. It will only take 1 Bad Tale to defeat this player in a Challenge. So, the player will probably need to focus on clearing these conditions as soon as possible.

Healing the “Broken arm“ condition is fairly straightforward: set the arm in a cast and wait for it to heal. Players may be able to accelerate this process with magical healing, medicine, or professional care.

Clearing the condition “Lord Hale wants my head” isn’t quite as clear-cut. The player could pay Lord Hale to get on his good side, leave the region to escape Lord Hale’s reach, or simply assassinate Lord Hale to remove the problem altogether.

When you clear a condition, you also clear the mark in the corresponding box.

## Use Conditions Against Players

Conditions aren’t just words on a character sheet. They’re meaningful consequences that are supposed to annoy, hinder, and harm the affected player. As the GM, it’s your job to constantly remind players of their conditions. When they roll a Bad Tale, use one of their Conditions against them by inflicting a penalty or worsening their condition.

For example, suppose a PC has a tough fight with a monster and gains the condition “Deep claw wounds.” The player ignores the wound and continues adventuring. The GM can use Bad Tales to make that PC suffer from the untreated wound. Here are some examples:

* The monster strikes you on your unhealed wound, ripping the scabs off your tender flesh. Change your condition to “Bleeding claw wounds.” You’re losing blood, and fast.
* You successfully navigate through the swamp, but your claw wounds are now swollen and oozing a frothy yellow puss. Change your condition to “Infected claw wound.” You also have -2 brawn because the disease is sapping your strength.
* Climbing the mountain is too much for you with that wound. You pass out from the pain.
* You hear a predatory roar in the distance. It seems that something has picked up your blood trail.

Make it clear to players that they ignore conditions at their own peril.

Tavern Tales doesn’t have a pre-defined list of conditions. It’s up to the players and the GM to create and use conditions in logically fitting ways. Just ask yourself, “What would make this condition worse?” If that happens, the GM can use a Bad Tale to make the condition worse. Here are a few sample progressions:

* Disliked → Despised
* Corrupted → Cursed
* Concussed → Comatose
* Hungry → Starving → Dying
* Traumatized → Neurotic → Insane

## NPC Conditions

NPCs can gain conditions. Treat them the same as PC conditions.

## Combining Challenge Numbers

The GM can combine CNs into a single Challenge. This typically only happens in combat encounters when the players face multiple monsters. For example, suppose that the PCs are fighting the following opponents:

* Zombie, CN 2
* Orc Warrior, CN 4
* Dragon, CN 8

These monsters collectively have a CN of 14, so the GM can combine them together.

> **Challenge**: Defeat the monsters.
>
>

> ☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐☐☐
>
>

When a player marks a box, they can ask the GM if this is enough to defeat anyone. If it is, the GM can let the player defeat one of those monsters. For example, suppose that the PCs fight the monsters and achieve the following:

> ☑☑☑☑☑|☐☐☐☐☐|☐☐☐☐
>
>

A player asks if this enough to defeat anyone. The GM tells the player that this enough to defeat the Orc Warrior or the Zombie. The player decides to slay the orc and describes immolating the orc with fire magic. The GM then scribbles out 4 of the marked boxes to represent that the orc is removed from the fight.

## Defenses

Creatures can acquire defenses, which makes them more resilient in certain situations. A typical defense might read: “Gain the defense ‘Fire Resistance ☐.’ Mark it when you suffer a Bad Tale related to fire.”

You might be able to mark that box when you get hit by a dragon’s fire breath, try to break out of a burning building, or travel across a scorching desert. Essentially, each defense gives you 1 additional box to mark. You clear your defenses whenever you clear your other boxes. Defenses are a keyword. Read more about them in Chapter 8.

## But I don’t want to use Challenges!

That’s perfectly fine. Challenges are a tool for the GM to use (or not use) whenever you want. Some GMs might prefer a more organic and fluid GMing style that doesn’t use Challenges. In these situations, you simply resolve conflicts based on what is logically appropriate. For example, suppose that the players want to explore a forest to find ancient ruins. If you want a more structured approach, you can say that the forest has a Challenge Number of 8. After the group accumulates 8 Good Tales, they locate the ruins.

Alternatively, the GM might use a more fluid approach that doesn’t involve a Challenge. The GM can resolve rolls as normal — Good Tales mean good things happen and Bad Tales mean bad things happen. When and how the players find the ruins depends on the players’ actions. If the ruins are near a lake in the middle of the forest, then obviously the players won’t locate the ruins until they search near the lake.

Most GMs will prefer to use a mix of Challenge and non-Challenge encounters. In general, Challenges are more suited for encounters that have a clear, well-defined objective. Consider using Challenges when there is a very clear winner and loser, or a very clear success state and failure state. Challenges are ideal for combat encounters because there is a very clear success state (you defeat the monsters) and a very clear failure state (the monsters defeat you). Here are some examples:

* Defeating monsters in combat.
* Climbing to a mountain summit.
* Picking a complicated lock on a door.

Resolving encounters without a Challenge is generally better when the objective is unclear and doesn’t have an obvious end point. This approach allows the GM to spontaneously resolve conflicts based on what is logical. Consider using the non-Challenge approach when there isn’t a clear winner or loser, or there isn’t a clear way to measure success or failure. Non-challenges are ideal for wandering and exploration because you don’t know what you’ll discover, and when you’ll discover it — you just keep exploring until you find what you’re looking for. Here are some examples:

* Searching for hidden treasure.
* Talking to locals to gather information.
* Sailing west until you find land.

Players accrue Bad Tales as normal during non-Challenges. The difference is that players aren’t defeated when they mark all of their boxes. Instead, that player clears all of their marked boxes and the GM tells an especially detrimental Bad Tale against them. At that point it’s up to the players to decide if they want to press on.

As the GM, experiment with both approaches to find what fits your gaming style. Some GMs will prefer a clear and well-defined approach with Challenges, and other GMs will prefer a looser and more organic approach. You’ll probably find that the ideal solution is a mix of both approaches, depending on the situation.

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