When players make moves during the game, sometimes you’ll want to ask them for an action roll to determine how the scene progresses. After a player tells you what they want to do, use this guide to determine if you should call for a roll, choosing whichever option best fits the situation:

• Skip uninteresting rolls. If the consequences of failure won’t be interesting or significantly change the story, let the PC act without the need for a roll. Similarly, assume the PCs are competent in simple tasks—a PC generally doesn’t need to roll to climb a ladder or open an unlocked door, even if the consequences of failure would be interesting.
• Let the PC guarantee their success in exchange for a consequence. If there is an opportunity for an interesting consequence, offer them the consequences for performing the move without a need for a roll. If they decide they are okay with those consequences, let them perform the move without a roll and inflict the consequences as agreed. For example, rather than rolling to see if a PC can jump from one roof to another, you might allow them to automatically succeed in exchange for being noticed by bystanders on the street below.
• Establish the stakes. If a move is particularly difficult or dangerous and offers interesting consequences that depend on their success or failure, establish the stakes for the roll so that the player knows what to expect. Once everybody is aligned, ask them to make the roll to see how the fiction changes. For example, if a PC wants to jump from one roof to another and roll for it, you might inform them that on a success, they’d jump without anyone noticing, but on a failure, they’d likely fall to the street below.
• Make clear any guaranteed consequences. If a move is particularly difficult or dangerous, and if it will certainly have consequences regardless of whether the PC succeeds,, tell them the certain consequences that will come from their move and establish the stakes for the roll. Once everybody is aligned, ask them to make the roll to see how the fiction changes. For example, if a PC wants to jump from the roof of a burning building to safety, you might inform them that after they jump, the roof will be devoured in flames and they won’t be able to return to that building regardless of how well they roll.

Experiences Impact Fiction

When determining whether or not a roll is necessary, always consider a PC’s backstory, including both their chosen Experiences and their narrative history. For example, if a PC chose “Expert Climber” as an Experience, and they’re attempting to scale a wall with no other danger around, you might decide there is no need for a roll to be made–they can just do it. If the climb would be tricky due to weather, but you don’t want the story to focus on what happens if they fail, you might offer them the option of marking a Stress in exchange for climbing without a roll. If there are archers shooting down at them from a parapet above, or if they’re trying to avoid onlookers noticing their climb, establish this danger with them, then let them choose whether to roll or make a different move. If the wall is old and crumbling, and putting weight on it will make it unclimbable for anyone else behind them, establish this consequence with your table, then let them choose whether to roll.