TEXT: When the PC’s action’s primary goal is to...
  Gain an advantage 
  or remedy a  
  disadvantage  
  (generate Juice)
  Heal an ally, shake off a negative effect, 
  create or obtain something useful, 
  weaken a foe, change the environment 
  as support (add/burn tag, give/remove 
  status)
  CHANGE 
  THE GAME  
  (PG-182)
  Get someone to do 
  something
  Intimidate, persuade, command, charm, 
  seduce, negotiate
  CONVINCE  
  (PG-185)
  Reduce or avoid an 
  incoming status
  Block, dodge, parry, resist effect,  
  withstand or ignore an attack or an 
  attempt to influence
  FACE DANGER 
  (PG-187)
  Overcome the  
  opposition  
  (whether to secure 
  a goal or to harm 
  someone)
  Seize an object, person, or position 
  under contention, outrun / outsmart / 
  outmaneuver / overpower someone, 
  attack a defensive opponent
  GO TOE TO TOE  
  (PG-188)
  Harm someone or 
  something that is 
  open to attack  
  (give a status)
  Attack at a moment of opportunity or 
  vulnerability: punch, blast, shoot, stab, 
  put a spell on someone, cause social or 
  financial harm
  HIT WITH ALL 
  YOU’VE GOT  
  (PG-190)
  Gather any kind of 
  information  
  (generate Clues)
  Observe, search, study, call contacts, 
  ask around, contact or tap into  
  otherworldly knowledge
  INVESTIGATE or 
  LOOK BEYOND 
  THE MIST  
  (PG-192)
  Hide herself, her 
  motives, her actions, 
  or her allies
  Lie undetected, sneak, pickpocket, 
  impersonate, follow someone, avoid 
  electronic or magical detection
  SNEAK 
  AROUND 
  (PG-195)
  Perform a dangerous 
  task under pressure
  Acrobatics, athletics, break a fall, 
  climbing, high-speed or combat driving 
  or piloting, picking a lock or cracking 
  a safe, gambling, anything involving 
  high risk
  TAKE THE RISK  
  (PG-196)
  When the PC’s action exceeds the agreed scope or use of her powers, the player 
  must STOP. HOLDING. BACK. (PG-256).
  When the PC’s action goes against her Mysteries or Identities, the player can, at his 
  option, MAKE A HARD CHOICE (PG-254).
  Add a story tag
  • When someone picks up an important object (pistol, the victim’s wallet)
  • When you want to highlight the environment (crates, stormy night)
  • When you want to characterize the situation (hope, endless bureaucracy)
  When a player 
  invokes tags for a 
  move
  • Check if the tags fit the narrative (e.g., line of sight for firing a shotgun).
  • Check if power tags directly enhance the action. Rule out tags which
  only enhance a related or secondary action, e.g., defensive tags when
  attacking.
  • Invoke any appropriate weakness tags.
  • Split a complex action into several moves.
  When a player 
  forgoes a move 
  option
  • If they do not protect themselves, give them a status.
  • If they do not control collateral damage, optionally, give a status to
  someone or something else due to ricochets, debris, side-effects, or
  other consequences.
  7-9 on Investigate
  Your investigation exposes you to danger. Choose from Complicate Things.
  The clues you get are fuzzy, incomplete, or part-true part-false.  
  Mix in false information or give very little actionable information.
  Whoever or whatever you are asking the question(s) can ask you one question as 
  well. You answer on the same terms.  
  Ask about the following. Later, have the NPCs act on the player’s answers.
  • The PC’s intentions and plans
  • What the PC values (including Mysteries and Identities)
  • How she can be manipulated
  • What the PC knows that their adversaries don’t yet know
  • A new insight or detail about the PC, not necessarily related to the case
  7-9 on Sneak 
  Around
  Someone unimportant noticed you, but that just made them important, right?
  • A local person, creature, being, or group (check District locals)
  • Someone guarding the scene (police, PI, security, thugs, etc.)
  • Someone from the PC’s supporting cast
  You are perceived only by a secondary sense.  
  The NPC senses enough to raise suspicion or to incriminate the PC later, 
  but not enough to spur immediate action.
  You must leave something important behind – or be discovered. 
  Describe a situation that forces them to choose between being 
  discovered and leaving behind something or someone...
  • … from their tags (burn the tag if appropriate).
  • … valuable to the case, such as evidence, a key, or a witness.
  • … that can lead pursuers back to them or their allies.
  7-9 on Take the 
  Risk
  Pick two or three hard MC moves as potential outcomes and let the 
  player choose between them.
  Reveal a 
  custom move
  Before or when it is triggered (Danger enters scene, Danger attacked, etc.)
  PLAYER MOVES
  MC INTRUSIONS (Anytime, even during players’ actions)
  © 2018 Son of Oak Game Studio / Amít Moshe 
  
  Complicate 
  Things, 
  Bigtime
  • Major threat: The PCs are outnumbered, outgunned, cornered, or otherwise at a
  major disadvantage, e.g., the big bad reveals a dangerous weapon or ally.
  • High stakes: Someone or something the PCs value or need is in extreme danger.
  • Greater implications: The PCs’ actions implicate the entire block, the neighborhood,
  a large group of people, or the whole City.
  • Danger beyond their control: A threat becomes hard or impossible to contain, e.g.,
  a tidal wave.
  Deny Them 
  Something 
  They Want
  • Someone escapes: important witness, suspect, villain
  • Something or someone is taken: ally, supporting cast, vehicle
  • Something is destroyed: evidence burns, a sacred item is defiled
  • Someone refuses to help: informant clams up, contact won’t assist
  • Access is denied: escape path is blocked, security detail is tightened
  Make 
  Something 
  Horrible 
  Happen
  • Tragedies: loss of a life, a loved one, livelihood, health, feeling of safety, soul, freedom,
  social standing, powers, or Mythos.
  • Targets: a passerby, a victim in the case, one of the PCs’ allies or supporting cast, the
  City itself or a large area or group within it, etc.
  Turn Their 
  Move Against 
  Them
  • The action affects an unintended target(s).
  • The action succeeds “too well” (too far, too strong, too fast) or the PC achieves more
  than she can handle.
  • The action harms what it meant to secure.
  • The action causes an unexpected reaction or side-effect.
  Give a Status
  • Detrimental, to PCs / allies that suffer harm or are in trouble.
  • Beneficial, to Dangers that improve their position or situation.
  Reduce / 
  Remove a 
  Status
  • Beneficial, for PCs / allies that lose an existing advantage.
  • Detrimental, for Dangers that shake off existing limitations or harm.
  Burn a Tag
  • An item is temporarily broken, lost, or unusable.
  • A resource is temporarily exhausted or inaccessible.
  • Allies can’t or won’t help her until problems are resolved.
  • The PC can’t or won’t use her skills, traits, or Mythos powers.
  Force Them to 
  Choose
  Choose two or three Hard MC moves and let the player choose between them.
  If appropriate, try to tie the choice to the PC’s Mysteries and Identities.
  Hard Danger 
  and custom 
  moves
  • Make a predefined hard move as listed in a Danger’s moves.
  • Trigger a custom move that can be activated “as a hard move”.
  Complicate Things
  Foreshadow
  • Warn the PCs of a threat about to arrive if they don’t
  change course.
  • Choose any hard move and describe how it is about to
  take place.
  Introduce a 
  new threat into 
  the scene
  • A Danger from the case
  • Environmental threats, such as exposed electric cables,
  ominous ancient runes, or a collapsing wall
  • “Reinforcements”: more of what the crew is currently
  dealing with
  • “Victims”: a related third party that may be targeted
  specifically
  • “Civilians”: an unrelated third party who could get hurt
  • “Trouble comes in threes”: a threat unrelated to the
  scene that targets the PCs, such as a Nemesis or a
  snoopy news reporter
  • “The Police”: a third party guarding the location
  (police, private security, a local gang, the Gatekeepers)
  • “What are you doing here?!”: PCs and crew supporting cast
  Advance an 
  existing threat
  • Activate a Danger’s soft move
  • An adversary prepares an attack against the PCs or
  their allies by changing position, drawing or aiming a
  weapon, revving up Mythos powers
  • An adversary prepares to block the PCs moves by
  putting up barriers (physical, social, magical, etc.)
  • Someone or something in the scene that the characters
  want is about to elude them
  • An environmental threat worsens
  • Alert the players to a Danger’s countdown spectrum
  (and possibly countdown custom move), e.g., the bomb
  is ticking
  SOFT MOVES (Before and after players’ actions)
  HARD MOVES (When a player rolls a miss or when otherwise stated)
  Hit Them After 
  a Fair Warning
  Make a hard move based on a previous Complicate Things 
  move, if the PCs did not respond.
  Optional: 
  Activate their 
  Weakness Tags 
  as Flaws
  Make a hard move based on a PC’s weakness tag (they 
  mark Attention).
  Custom move 
  as a soft move
  Trigger a (Danger) custom move that can be activated 
  “as a soft move”.
  
  Stacking
  • A greater tier replaces a smaller tier (tier-2 replaces tier-1).
  • An equal tier increases the tier by 1 (tier-2 increases an existing
  tier-2 to tier-3).
  • A smaller tier adds pips to the greater tier until the next tier is reached.
  Duration
  • Most statuses are Ongoing, lasting until they narratively expire or are removed.
  • Temporary statuses expire after they apply to a single action.
  • Permanent statuses do not expire.
  Recovery
  • Players reduce or remove statuses with Juice (Change the Game move) or 
  during downtime with the Montage (Downtime) move (PG-201).
  • Dangers can reduce or remove statuses as a hard move or offscreen
  (between scenes).
  Statuses  
  on Dangers
  Choose one: add to the Danger’s spectrums, affect the Danger’s moves, 
  or affect player moves.
  Injury: ouch-1 • stinging-pain-2 • broken-arm-3 • multiple-fractures-4 • dying-5 • dead-6
  Gunfire: grazed-1 • flesh-wound-2 • gunshot-wound-3 • bleeding-out-4 • dying-5 • dead-6
  Subdual: tangled-1 • restricted-2 • cuffed-2 • tied-up-3 • pinned-down-4 • overpowered-5
  Exhaustion: tired-1 • groggy-2 • fatigued-3 • exhausted-4 • passed-out-5
  Poison: rash-1 • spreading-venom-2 • paralyzed-leg-3 • spams-4 • system-shock-5 • dead-6
  Disease: cough-1 • infected-2 • sick-3 • bedridden-4 • system-shock-5 • dead-6
  Vision: obstructed-1 • clouded-2 • disoriented-3 • can-hardly-see-4 • blinded-5 • legally-blind-6
  Social (+): attention-1 • interesting-2 • admired-3 • life-of-the-party-4 • media-craze-5
  Social (-): embarrassed-1 • on-the-spot-2 • humiliated-3 • laughing-stock-4 • ostracized-5
  Fear: hesitant-1 • daunted-2 • fearful-3 • terror-struck-4 • petrified-5 • scared-to-death-6
  Mood: melancholic-1 • sad-2 • depressed-3 • shattered-4 • despaired-5 • suicidal-6
  Charm: interested-1 • beguiled-2 • charmed-3 • mesmerized-4 • controlled-5 • enslaved-6
  Combat (+): upper-hand-1 • behind-cover-2 • in-my-sight-3 • tactical-superiority-4
  Combat (-): distracted-1 • exposed-2 • surprised-3 • overrun-4 • surrounded-5 / defeated-5
  Legal: warning-1 • watched-2 • warrant-for-arrest-3 • wanted-4 • most-wanted-5
  Financial: strained-budget-1 • overspending-2 • financial-risk-3 • indebted-4 • bankrupt-5
  Mental (also intoxication): scattered-1 • dazed-2 • confused-3 • bewildered-4 • psychotic-5
  The Mist: vague-details-1 • memory-lapse-2 • memory-loss-3 • amnesia-4 • oblivious-5
  STATUSES
  NARRATION
  Emphasize the 
  atmosphere
  • Narrate as a hard-boiled detective or a dangerous gangster.
  • When you describe a scene, describe its mood.
  • Use film noir and comic book motifs:
  Lighting  
  stark contrasts 
  shadow patterns  
  (flickering) neon  
  streetlight  
  shutters & blinds 
  headlights 
  partial cover of 
  shadow, fog, mist, 
  steam, or smoke
  Weather  
  melancholic persistent rain  
  ominous thunder & lightning  
  corrupt dirty pouring rain  
  overcast and bleak 
  mysteriously misty  
  inner City sweltering heat 
  solemn snow  
  hopeful sunny day  
  partly cloudy routine
  Ambient Noise 
  street noise 
  vehicles  
  subway 
  machinery  
  floor/door creaks  
  news on TV 
  weather  
  ravens
  Air & Odor  
  smog  
  pollution 
  perfume  
  sweat  
  blood  
  alcohol  
  garbage  
  sewage 
  chemicals  
  rot
  Cinematic 
  camera  
  camera angle 
  pan  
  zoom  
  shot  
  cut  
  fade in/out 
  dissolve  
  close-up 
  (comics) panel
  Mystery: Goosebumps, shivers, hairs bristle, cold air, something in the corner of your eye
  Make Your 
  Characters Real 
  and Human
  • Focus on the NPCs’ everyday persona (Logos); only hint at their Mythos.
  • Give your NPCs emotional layers:
  Outwardly: Hard-boiled, brusque, coy, seductive, determined, forthcoming, diplomatic, courteous, 
  aggressive, indifferent, averse, aloof, flamboyant, miserable, calculated, calm, erratic, resigned
  But actually: Vulnerable, afraid, exhausted, cunning, hopeful, consumed by hatred, lost, lonely, just fine, 
  tormented, convicted, dead inside, happy, hopeless, suicidal, psychotic, numb, delusional
  Keep it a mystery
  • Cultivate suspense, drop tiny clues, pace the revelation of the truth.
  • Mention small strange details offhandedly to hint that nothing is as it seems. 
  • Candidly describe the player characters’ gut feelings and intuitions.
  • Hint at a Mythos, but never speak its name or talk metaphysics in-play.
  Ask Provoking 
  Questions
  • Actively prompt the players to reveal their characters’ lives by asking questions 
  that matter, such as: How does your character feel about this? What do she think 
  will happen now? Who would want her dead?
  • Adjust the case and your moves based on their answers.
  Stay Consistent
  • Bring back beloved, hated, or curious characters, locations, and themes.
  • Take notes, track new names and details in your series.
  • When positioning matters, sketch out a map of the scene.
  Make the City feel 
  alive
  • It’s a City full of people and creatures. Who else is around right now?
  • It’s a City, and life goes on. How have things changed here recently?
  • While this scene is taking place, what are the major NPCs doing?
  MILD       MINOR              MAJOR                   DRAMATIC                    INCAPACITATING        LETHAL/TRANSFORMATIVE
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/City of Mist (PbtA)/Extras/MC Screen (Pages).pdf