Tokens & The Loom
Flavor Tokens
Flavor Tokens allow for certain narrative actions and minor mechanical benefits. Expending Flavor Tokens always calls for creative description, flavor text, or roleplay. These can be awarded whenever one player at the table wants to reward good storytelling. They can reward anyone, including the GM, but Flavor Tokens must always be given from one player to another (you cannot give yourself a Token). Flavor Tokens can also be transferred, so if one player wants to see another player shine in the current moment, they can gift one of their own Flavor Tokens to another player, possibly giving that player more roleplaying options in that moment.
If you table is not used to players taking on a rewarding role such as this, you may use a hybrid GM system, where the GM rewards the players and when the players expend the Flavor Token, it is given to the GM to be used when they wish, then it returns to the ether.
Earning Tokens
Other ways of earning Flavor Tokens include ways you can interact with the world and people around you in a way that enhances the story being told. You may take any of the following actions to try to do so, or propose a new action to the GM.1
- Inconvenience yourself to help someone else
- Give away something you hold dear
- Pause for a moment, describe how you take a quick rest and its effect on you
- Leave an offering to a forgotten god or to the local spirits
- Speak your true feelings on a deep subject
- Take a moment to bask in the grandeur, describe the view
- Take a moment to witness a tiny moment of beauty, describe the moment
- Take a moment to marvel or look in horror at something you've never seen before, describe the experience
Rule of Sincerity
Keep in mind, the GM has authority to either ask follow-up prompts to fish for a more profound contribution, or to dictate that the action you have described does not earn you a Flavor Token. The best approach here is to be earnest and sincere in your storytelling.
Token Spending Options
Spending Flavor Tokens allows players to take guided storytelling actions and even bring other players into the storytelling moment. These are just a few ways to spend Flavor Tokens; you may receive alternative ways to do so when purchasing new Abilities in the Experience Market. You are also allowed to offer a number of Flavor Tokens to another player to propose a turn in the story. Tokens given in this way are transferred to the recipient player.
Any player involved in the roleplay during the moments of this Flavor ability gains a Beat.
| Cost (Tokens) | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drive | Grant yourself a Reroll as a reaction by flavoring the cost.* |
| 1 | Realize | Add an element of the scene, describing in detail the object or characteristic. You may Reroll your next Test relevant to the new element.* |
| 1 | Inspire | Give someone within Yonder a Reroll as a reaction by describing how you helped previously or how they find strength to do well*. |
| 3 | Listen | Reveal something hidden about a person, and ask them what it is. You may Reroll your next Test relevant to the given response.* |
| 3 | Bond | Offer someone the chance to connect with you on a personal level, explain what they see in you. |
| 3 | Remember | Know something important about the place you're in, and tell it to the table. You may Reroll your next Test relevant to the information.* |
| 5 | Strain | Take an entire short rest's worth of downtime (no other actions) to stretch the limits of an Ability. You may Reroll your next Test relevant to the Ability.* |
| 5 | Pry | Find what someone needs to give them a chance to change fundamentally, ask them what it is. |
| 5 | Pray | Listen to the shared wisdom of the spirits, and ask the table what they tell you. You may Reroll your next Test relevant to the given advice.* |
| *Some Flavor Actions call for a Reroll, which can be done by rerolling the initial D20 or by rolling an additional D20 and keeping the more successful result. |
The Party Loom
Each party of adventurers is given a Loom: a track of story points that records their progress and party level. This Loom also determines how many Spirit Tokens they may hold. The maximum number of Spirit Tokens is determined by half of the number of story points needed to level up the party rounded down (see below).
Party Leveling
Leveling up a party requires a certain amount of story points. This number is determined by the following equation:
Example
Number of players: 4
Story Points needed for a Level-Up:
Initial (Level 0 to 1): 8
Level 2: 12
Level 3: 16
Level 4: 20
Level 5: 24
A party gains Story points whenever a player gains a String, Milestone, or Zenith (from a source other than the Loom). At the beginning of a party's adventure, it is given 1 Loom Boon. The cost for Loom Boon Abilities is limited to a number of Strings equal to the upcoming Party Level (i.e. initial = 1 String, leveling up from level 1 = 2 Strings). Each Loom Boon is considered to be
a Group Action. Group Actions cannot be activated unless an additional player has thrown in the gauntlet at the same time as the player activating the Group Action. The additional player must take the Narrate General Action to successfully activate the Group Action. This gives each Loom Boon a -2 String discount when building the Ability. Spending a Spirit Token for an Ability counts as the same cost reduction as spending a Resistance.
When a party levels up, each character gains a String. In addition, they gain a Loom Boon (see below), as well as refresh all Spirit Tokens.
Story Checkpoints
There are checkpoints in each leveling track at indices that satisfy the condition:
Note: index at 1.
When a party reaches a checkpoint, either:
1. Refresh a number of Spirit Tokens equal to a roll of a D6.
2. Clear 1 Stress from each party member.
3. One player gains a String.
4. Unlock a new Loom Boon based on the current environment.
Using the Loom
An adventuring party as access to a communal pool of Spirit Tokens, representing the heroic resolve of our story. The number of tokens is determined by the number of players plus the current party level (minimum of 1).
Loom Boons
Loom Boons are party abilities that can be activated by any initiated member of the party. Some Loom Boons have limits to how many times they can be used, which is denoted by either "1/Long Rest" (once per Long Rest) or "1/Short Rest" (once per Short Rest). Some Loom Boons require a Spirit Token to be expended in order to use this. The party's Spirit Token pool should be tracked by the Loom in a shared location. Spirit Tokens can be earned using Story Checkpoints or by converting Flavor Tokens. Each Flavor Token can be turned into a Spirit Token, which is then accessible to anyone in the party.
Here are some examples of general Loom Boons a party can earn when leveling up. A new party chooses one Loom Boon to start with.
Buff - before making a roll, add an additional Volatility Die (1/Short Rest)
Recoup - during a Short Rest, expend a Spirit Token to regain a number of Marks equal to a roll of your Nerve Volatility Die (1/Long Rest)
Tutelage - add a Volatility Die to an ally's roll if you have proficiency in a relative Domain (1/Long Rest)
Shared Fortune - on a Crit, you may designate an ally to be given an extra Volatility Die on their next roll (1/Long Rest)
Protective Instinct - when an ally takes Fallout, any one member of the party can be granted an extra Volatility Die when that member takes an Action to protect the affected ally (1/Short Rest)
Bulwark - expend a Spirit Token when a close ally is affected with physical Stress to take the Stress instead of them
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Your archetype and background may also give you options for earning Flavor Tokens. ↩
