The Old World: Grim and Perilous

Crucially, this isn't just a resource you spend
to achieve a mechanical effect. The essence of
Story Points is that their use should always correlate
with introducing something new to the
story. Applying this rule will enhance the session
and bring in new, previously unplanned
elements. Look at the following examples:
A character wishes to upgrade their horse riding
check and spends a Story Point. This is a
great opportunity for a brief flashback! Maybe
the character had formed a bond with the
horse before, or reminisces about how their
mother taught them horse riding and showed
them a trick that could be useful now? In this
manner, not only are we justifying the dice
upgrade, but we're also deepening our character's
backstory and grounding them in the
game world.
A character intends to use Lucky Strike. From
a pure game mechanics perspective, the player
can just spend a Story Point, add extra damage,
and pass the turn. But this is a lucky hit – what
luck led to the extra damage? The simplest explanation
is that the opponent inadvertently
exposed themselves, or the character spotted a
gap in their defense. But maybe the character
knocked a chandelier hanging from the ceiling
onto the opponent. This not only adds a memorable
move to the session but now there's a
chandelier on the ground, potentially an important
element in the ongoing scene.
The last, more elaborate example, relates to using
Story Points to bring new facts into fiction.
The Genesys Core Rulebook doesn't define clear
limits for this, so the exchange of Story Points
between the GM and players can become a fundamental
way of introducing potential solutions
to problems presented by the GM.
Imagine a situation where the team has to infiltrate
a heavily guarded castle. As the GM, I
might not have drafted exact entry plans or
guard patrols. Thanks to a full pool of Story
Points, players can act proactively. After a
moment, the team scholar spends a point, saying,
"I found very old plans of this castle after
several hours in the library. It seems there's
a secret dock through which we could enter."
I'm not keen on this idea, not eager for another
session in damp tunnels. However, instead
of saying "no", I return a Story Point to the
players, responding, "You also found documents
indicating this passage was sealed off
years ago due to a structural flaw. It's disappointing,
but perhaps you'll find something
else." The gnome engineer jumps in, "I see a
mention in the same document about another
flaw - a weak supporting pillar for a deserted
tower. Maybe, with some luck, we could bring
it down. It'd make a grand diversion." I like
the idea of a grand entrance, so I accept this
and take the Story Point. Another goes to my
pool when the elf scout proposes, "From my
observation of the guard patrols, there should
be almost no one in the side courtyard around
midnight." I consider it an excellent idea but
make a mental note that the courtyard might
not be as deserted as it seems.
This is a simplified scenario, but what's the
most important to note is that I just presented
a challenge. The players suggested solutions
(though they didn't solve it outright) and
introduced game elements themselves. I now
have three Story Points in my pool, asking to
be used. Typically, I introduce unexpected dangers.
This is crucial to distinguish. If players
anticipate danger, like being fully aware that
the garrison has guards and entering there is
risky, there's no need to spend points. However,
things are different when we, as the GM,
want to throw a curveball their way. Maybe a
delegation from the emperor just arrived at the
castle, and when the tower collapses, knights
come pouring out of one of the buildings. Or
the tower wasn't deserted without reason; a
monstrous creature might have been imprisoned
there, now set loose on the courtyard. We
could take it a step further and combine these
ideas: among the knights, one of the characters
recognizes an old friend, who might be torn
apart by the rampaging beast in moments.
Will the character risk their mission and themselves
to save a former ally? Many plot twists
await, and yet, the dice haven't rolled once!
Chapter 11: Grim World of Perilous Adventure 207