Annalise

J/o-cs o/ /ooyc-, /ao aoa -caco//oo

Eternal Tears PDF Edition
Table Of Contents
Pain: An Introduction & Overview
About The Game 3
Books & Short Stories 4
Films 5
Introduction for the Uninitiated 6
...for the Experienced Roleplayer 8
... for the Story Gamer 9
Hunger: The Rules of the Game
Introduction 11
Game Structure 11
The Players 12
Dice & Coins 14
Characters 15
The Vampire 15
Core Traits 16
Vulnerability 17
Secret 18
Hitting Zero 20
Satellite Traits 21
Flipping Traits 22
Reserves 24
The Hold of the Vampire 25
Claims 26
Making Claims 28
Using Claims 29
Moments 32
Resolving Moments 35
~.~
Redemption: Playing the Game 39
Discovering Characters 40
Claims 41
Finishing Intros 42
The Setting 43
Secrets 44
Lines & Veils 45
In Conclusion 46
Laying The Foundations 46
The First Thing 46
Playing...Foundations 47
Roleplaying 49
Making Claims 49
Moments 50
Using Claims 54
Reserves 55
Secrets 56
Vulnerability 56
Ending the Phase 57
Confronting The Vampire 58
Playing... 59
Major Differences 60
Flipping Traits 60
Sacrifcing Claims 61
Revealing Secrets 61
Giving In 62
Ending the Phase 63
The Aftermath 64
Ending The Game 65
Appendix 67
Two Player Games 67
One-Protagonist 67
Afterword 69
G-ca/s
Game Design, Book Design, Cover Creation, Writing, and Layout
by Nathan D. Paoletta
Editing by Adam Dray
Illustrations by Jennifer Rodgers
Photography by Elizabeth Shoemaker
Lettering by Amy Mattulina
Reading & Critical Feedback by Jamey Crook and Dave Cleaver
Playtesting by Nathan D. Paoletta, Patrick Hume, Can Kantarelli,
Jesse A. Caldwell-Washburn, Adam Shive, Shreyas Sampat,
Elizabeth Shoemaker, Jonathon Walton, Kat Jones, Michelle
Fugiero, and Matt Beisler
J/cca/ /ao/s
Rob Bohl. If I hadnt played your game, I wouldnt have written
this one.
Gabrielle, as always.
You, dear reader. Youre my favorite.

~^~
Pain: Introduction & Overview
/oo/ //c 0aoc
This is a game for two to four players, each playing a protagonist in a
Vampire story. The characters are all under the infuence of a Vampire, a
creature of the night that gains its sustenance from others; this could be
a literally blood-drinking, undead creature or a more metaphorical person
who requires something of a less grotesque nature for its survival. The
creature is not created beforehand, nor is it played by anyone; in the
process of play, the group discovers and defnes the Vampire. At its core,
the game is about managing destructive emotions via the metaphor of the
struggle against the Vampire. On a less visceral level, the game is about
creating Vampire stories from the perspective not of the Vampire, but of
his victims, servants, enemies, and others afected by his appetites. This
is creating the story of Dracula by playing Van Helsing, Mina Harker, and
Renfeld. This is the story of Lost Boys by playing the younger brother,
the two vampire hunters and the grandfather. You get the idea.
While the game is inspired by and aimed squarely at creating Vampire
stories, these stories (at least, the ones Im most interested in) are
themselves a subset and descendant of the Gothic horror genre. These
tales are typifed by the struggle between desire and reason, the terror
How the Sidebars Work
T
hese sidebars serve a number of purposes. First,
they contain supplementary text and explanations
of nearby material. Second, they contain cross-
references between the section of the book that
explains the rules of the game, the section that
details the procedures of play. Finally, in the third
section, the sidebars also contain two sets of running
examples of how the games rules work in play.
In This Section
T
his introductory section contains three separate
Introductions. Te Introduction for the
Uninitiated is aimed for people who do not have very
much experience with roleplaying or story games.
Te Introduction for the Experienced Roleplayer is
for people who have roleplayed, but are not familiar
with story games or the new school of focused
design that this game is a part of. Te Introduction
for the Story Gamer is for people comfortable with
this kind of gaming. It is recommended that you read
the Introduction that seems like it most fts your
experience; it probably isnt a bad idea to read all
three, but its not necessary either.
~v~
of isolation in the face of the unknown, and catharsis and resolution via
destruction sometimes the destruction of the source of the horror, but
sometimes of that which the characters hold dear. It is not uncommon
for a game of Annalise to morph away from a classic Vampire and towards
a diferent kind of shadowy malevolence. For the sake of clarity, the
rest of this text will concentrate on the Vampire as the object of the
characters focus. Sometimes games play out like a Bram Stoker story,
sometimes like an Anne Rice novel, and sometimes like a Stephen King
thriller.
Below is a sample of some of the inspirational fction for this game.
Obviously, you dont need to go read all of these stories and watch all of
these movies to enjoy the game this game is built to guide you into
creating the appropriate kind of fction, after all but if you are familiar
with any of these sources then you can use them as touchstones for the
tone and theme in play.
oo/s a J/o-/ J/o-cs
Carmilla, by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872)
Dracula, by Bram Stoker (1897)
Revelations in Black, by Carl Jacobi (1933)
I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson (1954)
Pages from a Young Girls Journal, by Robert Aickman (1975)

A Word on the Fiction

A
ll of the books and short stories listed here are
inspirational in terms of tone and content,
and also are structured in such a way that they can
be viewed through the lens of Annalise as a game
that produces similar fction. Carmilla, while not the
founding text of the modern genre (that honor goes
to John Polidoris 1819 story Te Vampyre) set the
core story of many of the tales to follow, including
Dracula. It is a written account from a young
woman, isolated in a strange place, with mysterious
symptoms of an unknown disease; she also becomes
emotionally involved with a mysterious and aloof
stranger, who fascinates and terrifes her in equal
measure. Finally, an expert on such things discovers
the truth, and the creature is destroyed.
T
his story, entirely appropriate to an age concerned
with the infux into the West of alien cultures
from Eastern Europe and even stranger places,
became stale by the early 20th century. Revelations
in Black is told in the frst person, but concerns
the narrators interaction with a mysterious book,
written by an insane man. Te tome leads him to
meet and eventually discover the nature of a woman
dressed in black. Initially unable to resist her, he
falls ill, but with the fnal pages of the book as his
aid he manages to throw of the infuence of the
Vampire and destroy her. In much Vampire fction,
objects have power and intrinsic meaning, especially
the symbols of rationalism, modernism, and true
religious faith.
I
am Legend takes the basic Vampire myth and
recasts it in a scientifc mold, turning the
trappings of modernity into the reason for the
~~
existence of the Vampire and requiring the discovery
of new tools for their destruction. Tis story inverts
the standard paradigm, as it follows the last man
alive after a terrible plague that turns the rest
of humanity into blood-drinking creatures. Te
Vampires here are a mass of ever-present horror and
the lone narrator stands alone against them. Tis
story also moves away from the ensemble cast, and
can be viewed as inspiration for a game of Annalise
that focuses on only one character.
F
inally, Pages from a Young Girls Journal explores
the other side of the Vampire the seductive
creature of mystery ofering unknown temptations.
Written in the classic epistolary style, the young
girl is traveling abroad with her emotionally distant
parents when she meets a thrilling Italian stranger.
Over the course of the story she makes it clear that
she enjoys his presence and the power that he has,
and in the end she simply accepts her fate with a
simple, I doubt if I shall write any more. I do not
think I shall have any more to say. Tis stands out
as breaking the trend of the fction always ending
with the destruction or rejection of the Vampire,
and sets up the Vampire-as-sympathetic-protagonist
genre of the later twentieth century.
T
he flms listed here run the gamut from stark
experimental work (Nosferatu) to classics of
the genre (Dracula) to the modern action-movie
interpretation of the Vampire (Blade). Tey serve
primarily as inspiration for tone and examples
of visual storytelling than for content. Notice
the broad themes throughout these flms: blood,
shadows, the moon, fre, mistaken identity, victims
and prosecutors of the wicked. Tese are all good
things to fall back on when playing Annalise.
/os
Nosferatu, starring Max Schreck (1922, directed by F.W. Marnau)
Dracula, starring Bela Legosi (1931, directed by Tod Browning)
Dracula, starring Frank Langella (1979, directed by John Badham)
Draculas Daughter, starring Otto Kruger (1936, directed by
Lambert Hillyer)
The Lost Boys, starring Jason Patric and Corey Haim (1987, directed
by Joel Schumacher)
Bufy the Vampire Slayer, starring Kristy Swanson (1992, directed by
Fran Rubel Kuzui)
Blade, starring Wesley Snipes (1998, directed by Stephen
Norrington)
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, starring voice of Hideyuki Tanaka
(2000, English version directed by Jack Fletcher)

~~
Vo/-oaoc/oo /o- //c 7oo/a/ca
Hello! This introduction is for those who either have no experience
or very little experience playing this kind of game. Annalise is a couple
diferent things. In the most literal sense of the word, it is a roleplaying
game. You and your friends will be putting yourselves into the roles of
characters that you will create together (the roleplaying part), and
you will use a set of rules (the game part) to assist you in telling a
certain kind of story that casts your characters as its core protagonists.
Therefore, this game is also what could be called a story game. The point
of the game is to create a story in this case a story about a Vampire and
its victims, its lovers, and its hunters.
Obviously, you dont need a set of rules to sit around with your
friends and make up a story together. So whats the point of the rest
of this book, then? Well, the rules shape and order your make-believe,
and channel your energy and creativity to create a compelling, exciting,
and interesting story. They create a safe space in which to share your
thoughts. By following the rules, you are giving up a little bit of potential
freedom to assure yourselves of a certain baseline quality of narrative.
After playing once, you may fnd some parts of the rules that are still
uncomfortable or that you dont feel like you need. Thats totally okay
playing the game as written should teach you the skills you need to tell
a great vampire story in the modern gothic horror tradition, and if you
get to a point where you dont need the training wheels anymore, thats
fantastic!
~;~
What do you actually do when you play, other than follow the
written rules? Well, the majority of play in between using the rules is
a kind of hybrid form of writing, directing, and improvisational theater
called roleplaying. When it is your turn as a player, you will act in the
role of your character, saying what he or she says, describing what he or
she does, and authoring the character in real-time as you play. Each turn
will also feature a scene guide, which is another player who is responsible
for authoring the rest of the world around your character, jumping into
the roles of non-player characters (NPC, for short), describing the world
around you, and playing out the consequences of what you have your
character do. The other players are audience members to the two people
involved in each scene, though they usually participate by commenting
and making informal suggestions to the active player and the scene guide.
Finally, the positions of active player, scene guide, and audience rotate
around the table with each turn, giving each player a chance to occupy
each position multiple times during the game.
Roleplaying can be a strange activity when youre not used to it. I
suggest skimming the third section of the book, which gives the step-
by-step play instructions. Pay particular attention to the examples in
the sidebars to get a sense of how players interact when roleplaying. The
fourth section also describes an optional mode of play that strips out
some of the more complicated rules interactions for a quicker, shorter
game. You may wish to start playing using that structure and then, once
you feel comfortable with that, add in the rest of the rules as detailed in
the second section. In any case, I hope you enjoy the game!
~'~
Vo/-oaoc/oo /o- //c ./c-cocca o/c//ayc-
If youre reading this introduction, then you have some amount
of experience with reading and playing roleplaying games. Right on.
Annalise is a game written in the tradition of roleplaying games, but some
of the ways that it works are a little diferent. The things Annalise has in
common with many other games are the diferences between a player and
a character, what a game master or GM (in this game called the scene
guide) does, and that kind of stuf.
I want to devote some space here to the important diferences
between Annalise and many traditional roleplaying games. First of all, this
is not a party-style game. While the characters will all know each other
and will probably have scenes together and work together to face the
Vampire in the end, each scene of play features one character at a time.
As part of this, it is also a GM-less game, in the sense that the scene
guide role for each scene rotates around the table, giving every player
the opportunity to GM some of the time, and play their character some
of the time. As a result of these two factors, the plot cannot be planned
out ahead of time it is always something that arises out of your play
at the table, in the moment. No one person is responsible for doing
homework and coming up with an adventure for the party to go on.
Everyone takes turns being players and GMs and the story evolves as a
result of everyones input at the table.
~,~
So, depending on how you personally get a feel for the rules of a
game, I recommend frst reading either the second or third section of
the game. The second section describes the rules in full, in an easily
referenced format. The third section describes the procedures of play,
covering rules just in time for the many steps of play. The two sections
heavily reference each other, so fipping back and forth will probably be
helpful, especially when you start playing. It can be a little slow going at
frst until everyone gets the hang of it, but it shouldnt take more than a
session to get rolling.
Annalise can take as little as one session to play and as many as fve
or six. The duration depends on how hard your group drives towards
resolution and how much you engage in free roleplay compared to
interaction with the rules mechanics, so it can ft into your normal
gaming schedule in many ways. Annalise is a good game to go to when
you want to break up a long-running campaign. Toss in a game of
Annalise when players dont show up for your regular game, or as a short-
term game when you cant fnd players who can commit to a long series
of evenings. This is not an epic, months-to-years-spanning style of game,
but it is certainly a satisfying one. I hope you have fun with it!
Vo/-oaoc/oo /o- //c J/o-y 0aoc-
This version of the game is meant for players experienced with the new
wave of focused-design games (sometimes called story games), usually
~zc~
published by their creators, and often laser-focused on achieving a unique
set of design goals. In any case, games like these tend to share a number of
structural and mechanical themes. Annalise certainly incorporates many
of the lessons learned from the new school of game design but difers in
some ways that Id like to point out before you get started.
First of all, in Annalise the game master role is shared. Every player
has a character, and the game master (called the scene guide) changes from
scene to scene. Play is structured in discrete scenes, and works well when
the group uses aggressive scene framing techniques and everyone at the
table ofers some input into the content of each scene. Annalise also uses a
kind of confict resolution system, but there is no element of stake-setting
to it, as there is in many similar systems. The resolution system creates
an array of potential outcomes for a given dramatic moment, but players
negotiate outcomes as part of the resolution process, not at the beginning
of scenes. Finally, the game has an over-arching structure to it, but its not a
particularly strict structure. You and your group will have to fnd your own
pace and balance between free roleplaying and the use of the mechanical
system.
This text is organized into three main sections. The frst (this one) is
an introductory section explaining a little bit about the game and the book.
The second is a reference section that contains full details on all of the
rules and how they interact. The third is a instructional section that walks
you through the procedural process of play and describes how the rules
work as you need them, with references to the full details in the second
section. Finally, throughout the book are pieces of Annalises Journal, a
work of fction meant to illustrate the tone and style of how the game
is played. Once fnished with this section, I recommended jumping to
whichever other part of the book best fts your learning style.
~zz~
Hunger: Full Rules Explanation &
Reference
Vo/-oaoc/oo
This section of the book explains the concepts and mechanics that
are used to play Annalise. These are the most complete descriptions
of each part of the game, and this section is intended primarily as a
reference to use during play once you have a handle on how the game
works. This also means that it may be confusing or overwhelming
to read straight through. The sections of the book that describe the
phases of play explain how and when to apply individual rules and their
combinations, and will refer to this section for further details. While the
later sections use running examples to illustrate how the rules are applied
in play, this section does not contain examples.
0aoc J/-oc/o-c
Playing Annalise parallels much Vampire fction in structure. In
the frst part of the game, you discover your character. Unlike many
Sidebars in This Section
I
n this section of the text, the sidebars contain
references to where the rules described are applied
in the third section, the procedures of play. Tey also
point out where to fnd an example of the use of that
rule in play.
Discovering Characters is described on pages
40-45.
~z.~
other roleplaying games, you do not create your character out of whole
cloth before beginning the scenario at hand. Rather, you establish the
very basic details of your character and introduce the character while
inventing the fctional world in which you will play. Once you have
introduced (or Discovered) the characters, the game moves onto Laying
the Foundations. During this second phase, you learn more about your
character and the world while setting the action of the game in motion.
Once you have Laid the Foundations, the game moves into its third
phase, in which the Vampire itself is revealed and the your character
fnally confronts it. Finally, you wrap up the game by exploring the
Aftermath of the Confrontation. Play progresses through these four
phases in a series of scenes, each focusing on one character.
Use the rules in this section throughout all four phases of play.
You may use them in diferent ways in each phase but there are some
constants throughout the game.
/c v/ayc-s
Everyone at the table is a player of the game, and every player has the
same responsibilities and duties to fulfll during play. You will take turns
with other players and rotate through three roles: active player, scene
guide, and audience. Each role has distinct responsibilities, and each
scene has one active player, one scene guide, and the rest of the players
are audience.
Laying The Foundations is described on pages
46-57. The Confrontation is described on page
58-62. The Aftermath is described on pages
63-65.
~z^~
The player of the character on which a scene focuses is the active
player. When you are the active player, you are responsible for roleplaying
your character however you like. At the same time, keep an eye out and
take advantage of opportunities to weave in the actions and efects from
the other players scenes, in order to create a coherent narrative.
The active player designates another player to be the scene guide.
You can choose a diferent scene guides for subsequent scenes, if you
wish. The scene guide is responsible for the many things that experienced
roleplayers think of as GM duties. While the active player may have an
idea for a scene, the scene guide is ultimately responsible for framing it.
The scene guide also describes the world around the character, plays the
roles of non-player characters in the scene (or assigns them to audience
players), and provides adversity for the active players character, usually
by making advances by the Vampire or his minions. It is the scene guides
job to darken each scene with the presence of the Vampire in some way.
Accordingly, each scene has one active player and one scene guide.
Every other player is audience for the scene. It is the responsibility of
the audience to pay attention to the scene as it unfolds, make comments
from the sidelines, and keep track of the unfolding narrative in order
to contribute to it when they become the next active players or scene
guides. When you are in the audience, your character may end up in the
scene. If this happens, play the character as you would normally
though any Moments of the scene always involve only the active players
character. The scene guide may also ask an audience member to play a
non-player character in the scene. Finally, when you are in the audience,
Information on techniques for framing scenes is
in the sidebar on page 47.
Moments are described in this section on pages
32-38.
~z^~
~zv~
Claims are described in this section on pages
26-32.
The Ebb and Flow
K
eeping an eye on the tokens on each players
sheet can be very helpful in play, for two
reasons. First, the number of Satellite Traits
everyone has generated gives an indication of
how well-developed their character has become.
If someone is obviously lagging behind, you may
wish to push Moments on them when you are Scene
Guiding, to give them more opportunity to generate
new Traits. Also, one of the tells for when the game
is ready to move on to the Confrontation is when
every character has generated around four or fve
Satellite Traits and is using them over and over,
rather than making new ones.
you can always narrate an element into a scene when you have made a
Claim on that element. The active player and scene guide have narrative
control over their claims, but because they also have broader narrative
control in a scene, it is worth emphasizing that audience members should
take advantage of their Claims to contribute to scenes in which they are
not participating in a more formal fashion.
Each scene centers on each players character in turn. Thus, each
player will be the active player in a regular sequence; the scene guide,
and therefore audience, of each scene will change irregularly depending
on the choice of each active player. Usually, the sitting order around the
table is the easiest sequence to remember. If something else works out
better for your group, though, dont feel beholden to this suggestion.
cc a Goos
Annalise requires a number of both dice and coins. Dice are normal
six-sided dice. Having eight or ten dice on hand should be sufcient,
as only one person will be rolling at a time. The game also requires a
good number of tokens, called coins, used to track the ebb and fow of
characters abilities, reserves, and resources. Twenty to thirty coins per
player is a safe number. Coins do not have to be literal coins; they could
be poker chips, unused dice, glass beads, or anything else that is available.
As a last resort, you can track the numbers by writing them down, but it
really does make a diference to be able to see and move around tangible
tokens while you play.
~z~
Discovering Characters is the ffrst phase of
play, and is detailed on pages 40-45.
G/a-ac/c-s
Characters in Annalise are the protagonists of the Vampire story.
While they may end up victims, lovers, servants, or hunters of the
Vampire, they all begin simply as people people of interest to the
Vampire, of course. An Annalise character is made up of two core
traits, a number of satellite traits that will be generated in play, and a
pool of reserves that can be called upon to rebuild a characters traits
as they erode. In addition, players possess a number of claims, which
are elements of the fction of which they claim ownership. Use claims
to infuence your own character and other players characters during
Moments, as well as to add details to scenes.
/c (ao/-c
The Vampire is simultaneously the most important and least
important part of a game of Annalise. The game is about the characters,
but the characters are defned by the presence and actions of the
Vampire. A good portion of the second phase of the game is the discovery
of the identity, agenda, and powers of the Vampire that you have created
your characters around. The frst phase of play in which you begin
playing and talking about your characters does not even address the
Vampire. This is intentional and important. A good deal of the fun of the
game is in hinting at the Vampire in scenes and gradually discovering,
together, who and what is this malevolent force in your characters lives.
~z~
The Hold of the Vampire is detailed in this
section on pages 25.
Your characters Vulnerability and Secret are
both generated while Discovering Characters.
Vulnerability is referenced on page 40, and Secret
is referenced on pages 43-44. Generating the
coins in your Core Traits is referenced on page
46.
You generate Satellite Traits during Moments.
Moments are described in this section on pages
32-38.
The Vampire has but one stat, the Hold of the Vampire. If he (or
she, or it, or they) appears in a scene, the Vampire is considered the same
as any other non-player character. Keep in mind the overall structure
of the game when considering whether to insert or call for the Vampire
in a scene. During the Laying the Foundations phase, introduce the
Vampire into scenes to drive along the plot, build tension, or highlight a
characters vulnerability. It is during The Confrontation that the Vampire
becomes directly addressable by the characters.
Go-c -a/s
Each Annalise character has two traits that form his or her core:
Vulnerability and Secret. Vulnerability is that quality which attracts the
Vampire to a character. Secret is a tightly held fact about a character that
may be revealed over the course of the game, for good or ill. Secret and
Vulnerability are each rated with a pool of coins. You begin the game
with three coins in each core trait, and with another seven to distribute
however you wish. Use coins in the Core Traits for the following:
Spend them to generate Satellite Traits based out of the
appropriate Core Trait. To generate a Satellite Trait, place a
number of coins on it equal to twice the number you spend out
of your Core, plus one. For example, spend two coins from Core
to place fve coins on a Satellite Trait. Spend three from Core to
place seven on a Satellite Trait.

~z;~
Reserves are described in this section on pages
23-24.
You generate your characters Vulnerability during
Discovering Characters. See pages 40-41.
T
his list is by no means exhaustive, and its slanted
heavily towards more internal and emotional
issues. If the group is not as interested in that kind
of story, Vulnerabilities can concern things like
inborn weaknesses, being some kind of outcast from
society, or other external kinds of issues.
Spend them in dramatic Moments in order to decide the course
of the story.
Replenish them by spending coins out of Reserves.
Go-c -a/. (o/oc-a///y
A characters Vulnerability is the reason that the Vampire is attracted
to the character in the frst place essentially, Vulnerability explains
why your character is a protagonist in the story that the players are
telling. Vampires prey on the vulnerable and this trait is the core of why a
character has attracted the Vampires attention. The kind of vulnerability
that Vampires fnd attractive stems from negative relationships and
experiences in a characters past. Some general themes and examples:
Experiencing physical, mental or emotional abuse. I am
vulnerable because my parents abuse me at home.
Sufering neglect, lack of care, or lack of a support network. I am
vulnerable because no one has ever helped me get out of trouble.
Being smothered, not being allowed to be your own person. I
am vulnerable because my husband views me as an extension of
himself.
Losing someone important to you, through death, abandonment,
or accident. I am vulnerable because my best friend killed herself
when we were both in elementary school.

~z'~
You generate the Secret of one of the characters
at the table during Discovering Characters. See
pages 43-44.
Getting caught in damaging or dysfunctional relationships. I am
vulnerable because my romantic relationships have always been
just about me.
You will formulate your characters Vulnerability when you frst
introduce your character, and it will be public knowledge to everyone at
the table. Write I am vulnerable because... and fnish the statement.
Go-c -a/. Jcc-c/
Your character also has a Secret. This Secret is something that either
the character hides or is hidden from the character. Either way, it defnes
your character just as much as your Vulnerability. In the fnal encounter
with the Vampire, your characters Secret may turn out to be a potent
weapon, as well. While you author your characters Vulnerability, another
player creates the characters Secret. Secrets are written privately and
then randomly distributed, as explained in the section on Discovering
Characters. You are under no obligation to reveal your characters Secret
until you begin using it in the game. When you create a Secret for
another players character, start by writing, No one knows that... and
fnish the statement. Mix all of the Secrets up in a hat. Each player draws
a Secret at random.
While a Secret could be anything, there are two broad categories
that work well for Annalise. The frst kind of Secret is a truth that the
character would never admit to those around him or her, but that defnes

~z,~
Appropriate Secrets
D
ont worry too much about making sure that
the Secret you write down is right or if its
applicable to a confrontation with a Vampire. Secrets
end up driving a lot of play, as each player makes
decisions for their character based on the Secret
they received. Because of how Secrets work during
the game, it will become important no matter what
it is. Often, seemingly bizarre or innocuous secrets
end up becoming extremely relevant in the later
stages of the game. Te best guideline is for you to
write down something cool that you want to see
have impact on the game.
that person and infuences the characters decision-making. These kinds
of internal Secrets are well-suited to a darker and more mysterious
game. The second kind of Secret is something that was given or inherited
by the character that places them outside of normal society, making it
important for them to keep it hidden. These external Secrets tend to
beneft a more action-oriented game. Some examples of Secrets:
Internal secrets could be a taboo sexual desire or kink
(...I can only feel pleasure when I hate the person Im with.) an
opinion or value system that they arent supposed to have
(...Im a White supremacist.), or some kind of trauma or
negative experience that the character doesnt feel that they can
share (...I was molested as a child.)
External Secrets could be an inborn power (...I can set things on
fre with my mind.), a mysterious legacy (....I carry my fathers
watch and it lets me stop time.), or an uncontrollable mental or
physical afiction (...I cant cross running water.)
Secrets also serve as a dial for how much of the supernatural you
want to see in play. A Secret like No one knows that I was born with the
power to use black magic will mean that somebodys character will end
up using black magic at some point; a Secret like No one knows that
I only care about myself will generate more down-to-earth content in
play. Also, dont worry about whether the Secret you write down is on
the same supernatural or emotional level as the other Secrets. In play,
a wide variety of Secrets is just as efective as Secrets that end up being
interrelated.

~.c~
The Hold of the Vampire is described in this
section, on page 25.
Giving In to the Vampire becomes a possibility
during The Confrontation, and is described on
page 61.
Revealing your Secret becomes a possibility during
The Confrontation, and is described on page 60.
Go-c -a/s V//oy .c-o
If you lose all of the coins out of a Core Trait, it has a specifc efect
on your character, depending on the phase of the game that you are in.
During Laying the Foundations, if your Vulnerability drops to
zero coins, the Vampire gains a hold over your character,
During The Confrontation, if your Vulnerability drops to zero,
you surrender to the Vampire.
During Laying the Foundations, if your Secret drops to zero, you
must reveal your Secret in this scene or your next scene, and you
will not be able to reveal it during The Confrontation to gain the
benefts of doing so. Also, you can no longer spend Reserves to
bring your Secret up from zero.
During The Confrontation, if your Secret drops to zero and it
has not already been revealed, you must reveal it in the manner
described above, and the Vampire gains a hold over your
character.
In any case, if your Secret is at zero and you would lose a coin out
of it because of a 1 assigned to a Consequence, you must spend a
coin from a linked Satellite Trait instead.
These efects trigger immediately when your Trait hits zero, whether
you spent all of the coins out of it or the outcome of a Moment cost you
a coin. You might later spend Reserves to restore your Vulnerability, but
this does not prevent the efects described above.

~.z~
Ja/c///c -a/s
Once you have fully Discovered your character and you begin Laying
the Foundations, you can more fully defne and realize your character
by creating Satellite Traits. Each Satellite Trait is linked to either your
Vulnerability or Secret, and should be thematically connected to the Core
from which it springs. While your Core Traits are fairly broad and abstract,
your Satellite Traits are more specifcally focused, and they defne your
characters individual abilities, attitudes, capabilities, and skills learned
and inborn. For example, consider a character with a Vulnerability, Never
lets herself get close to anyone. She may have Satellite Traits concerning
her attitude (Air of superiority), skills that shes developed as a result
(Good liar), or the results of her actions (Self-sufcient).
You can defne Satellite Traits only when you are the active player, and
only when you are entering a Moment during that turn. You may Seize the
Moment in order to defne a Satellite Trait, or the scene guide may Push
the Moment on you, requiring you to either use an existing Satellite Trait
or generate a new one. When you generate a Satellite Trait, you explain
what it is and designate the Core Trait from which it springs. You then
decide how many coins from that Core Trait that you wish to spend for the
Satellite Trait. The coins invested in the Satellite Trait are equal to double
the number you spend from the Core Trait, plus one. So, if you defne a
Satellite Trait linked to your Vulnerability, and you decide to spend two
coins from Vulnerability, your new Satellite Trait begins with fve coins (two
times two is four, plus one, for fve total).
Creating Satellite Traits
R
emember that you always generate a Satellite
Trait during a Moment, and its always in
relation to the immediate situation facing your
character. If you have a specifc Satellite Trait that
you want your character to have, you should seize
a Moment in order to create that Trait; alternately,
you can view Satellite Traits as your characters
armor that keeps the Vampire away from their
Vulnerability and other people away from their
Secret. Either way, the exact scope of what a Satellite
Trait can cover intentionally is left vague, and each
group will fnd their own comfortable place for how
expansive or narrow a Satellite Trait can be.
You are able to go into Moments during Laying
the Foundations and The Confrontation. This is
described on pages 50-53.

~..~
Secrets are described in this section on pages
18-29.
Flipping Traits becomes a possibility during The
Confrontation, and is described on pages 59-60.
If you are defning a Satellite Trait that is linked to your characters
Secret, there is one more step to the process. In addition to defning
the Trait in question and generating its dice pool, you must also drop
a hint towards your characters Secret, if it has not yet been revealed.
This can be a simple declaration to the other players, or you can work it
into your narration about your characters approach to the Moment in
which you are defning the trait, but you must in some way reference your
characters Secret when defning a Satellite Trait that is linked to it.
During the game, you use coins in your Satellite Traits in order to
afect the course of the story during Moments, and you will replenish
those coins with coins from your characters Reserves. There is no
specifc efect if you run out of coins in a Satellite Trait, and you can still
spend coins from your Reserves to improve it.
///oy -a/s
During The Confrontation, players can declare that they are fipping
the Satellite Trait that is being used in a given Moment. This represents
the character fnally demonstrating how theyve changed as a result of
their experiences, and the player must narrate how that Trait becomes
an inverted version of itself and how that efects the Moment. Flipping
a Trait allows the player to reroll any or all of the dice that have been
assigned to outcomes for the current Moment. These dice are vulnerable
to being rerolled or otherwise modifed by Claims as per usual, though
the player has the option to declare that they are fipping the Trait after
~.^~
Reserves are initially generated at the beginning of
Laying the Foundations, described on page 46.
Claims are described in this section on pages
26-29.
Moments are described in this section on pages
32-38.
When you are able to spend Reserves is referenced
on pages 54-55.
they declare the Moment closed, in which case nobody will be able to
use any more Claims. Once the Trait is fipped, the player rewrites it in
its new form and marks it as fipped. A fipped Trait cannot be fipped
again. Core Traits may not be fipped, even if theyre being used for the
Moment.
csc-ocs
Reserves are a generic pool of resources from which your character can
draw to maintain resolve in the face of adversity. Unlike Traits, Reserves
are not further defned through play. They are simply a pool of coins that
represent your characters current willpower, strength of personality, or
sheer stubbornness. You can also use your characters Reserves in order to
improve your Claims.
You start the game with three coins in your characters Reserves. Over
the course of play, you will spend coins out of Reserves in order to bolster
your characters Traits and Claims, and you will gain coins in your Reserves
as the result of Moments. Every die showing a two, three, four or fve that
you assign to a Consequence during a Moment becomes a coin in your
Reserves once the Moment is resolved. At the beginning and end of each
turn, the active player can spend his characters Reserves in these ways:
Bolster a Satellite Trait. Spend a number of Reserves equal to one
plus the current number of coins in the Trait you are improving.

~.v~
Satellite Traits are described in this section on
pages 21-22.
Core Traits are described in this section on pages
16-20.
Claims and Floating Claims are described in
this section on pages 26-32.
You may only improve a Trait by one coin at a time, though you
may improve it as many times as you have Reserves to aford
it. That is, if you wish to improve a Trait from 2 to 4 coins, you
frst have to pay three Reserves to raise it from 2 to 3, and then
another four Reserves to raise it from 3 to 4. You may improve as
many of your Satellite Traits as you wish.
Improve a Core Trait. In any given scene, you may improve
Vulnerability or Secret, but not both, though you may raise that
Trait multiple times if you have enough Reserves. Raise a Core
Trait as you would raise a Satellite Trait, except the cost is two
coins plus the current number of coins in the Core Trait. Thus,
it costs 3 coins to raise a Core Trait from 1 to 2, 4 coins to raise it
from 2 to 3, and so on.
Improve a Claim. Move any number of coins from Reserves to a
Claim. You may improve as many Claims in a turn as you wish.
Take a foating Claim. If there are any foating Claims in the
middle of the table, you may spend one Reserves in order to take
that Claim as your own. Place the coin you spent on the Claim.

~.~
Vulnerability dropping to zero is described in this
section on page 20.
Consequences during Moments are described in
this section on pages 35-38.
The Hold of the Vampire during the
Confrontation is described on page 61.
/c Vo/a o/ //c (ao/-c
The one indicator of the Vampires state is how many characters
it has gained a hold over, as a result of their Vulnerability dropping to
zero coins. If a characters Vulnerability drops to zero during Laying the
Foundations, the Vampire gains some kind of hold over the character.
The next scene for that character must concern the nature and extent
of this hold. For the remainder of the game, whenever this character
is in a Moment, the scene guide can add an extra Consequence to the
Moment after the usual set of outcomes has been generated. This extra
Consequence can be anything that has to do with the power the Vampire
has over the character. The player can continue to add coins to his
Vulnerability, but if it falls to zero again during this phase, repeat this
penalty (thus giving the scene guide two additional free Consequences,
and so on). Adding a Consequence in this manner obliges the character to
spend a coin out of his Satellite Trait if he or she has any left; if this is not
the case, then they must spend a coin out of the linked Core Trait.
During The Confrontation, the scene guide adds Consequences to
Moments as normal, but in addition, if the scene guide decides that it
is appropriate to the scene at hand, they may propose the Consequence
You give in to the Vampire. This Consequence begins with a die on it at
a rating of 4 minus the number of holds that the Vampire has over you.
This means that if you have any holds over you, you are at risk of giving
in to the Vampire unless you manage to reroll that dice. The section on
The Confrontation contains more details about how the Hold works.
~.~
.
G/aos
Claims are specifc scene elements that have been brought into
the game by a player. Game play consists of players narrating actions,
events, and background images; Claims are the bits that make up these
narrations. The list below breaks down categories of possible scene
elements. These categories are helpful for reference, but do not have any
mechanical meaning in the game, so dont worry too much about whether
an element is, say, an event or a motif. A scene element can be any of
the following:
Non-player character. Any character introduced into a scene once
it begins can be claimed, such as my lover, the jock who beats
me up, or Henry the shopkeeper.
Prop. Any object that the characters could potentially interact
with can be claimed. My fathers sword, a car with dark tinted
windows, and the vase of roses are considered props.
Location. Any physical place introduced into play can be claimed.
Locations should be sized so that they can be entered and exited
during a scene, like a room, a single building, or a neighborhood.
Claiming the Earth or the United States is probably too large,
unless your game is working on a cosmic scale.
Visual motif. If some visual element of the scene is described in
detail, it can be claimed. Things like the city skyline, shattered
glass littering the ground, a refection doubled between two

~.;~
Claiming The Vampire
C
laims and the Vampire interact in an interesting
way. While you cannot claim the Vampire
when hes introduced as such, what happens if you
introduce a character, they get claimed, and then
later in the game all the signs point towards them
being the Vampire? Well, you have a few options
First, redefne the Claim to be a relationship with or
a motif about the Vampire. Tis is appropriate when
there is an obvious link between your character and
the Vampire. Second, abandon the Claim (feel free
to redistribute the dice on it to your other Claims).
Tis is appropriate if you just want to reset the
problem. Tird, narrate the character into a scene
in such a way as to prove that they are not the
Vampire. Tis is appropriate if you are invested in
the character NOT being the Vampire. In any case,
feel free to speak up if and when you feel like a
Claimed character is edging into being the Vampire
territory, whether it is your Claim or someone elses.
mirrors, and swirling smoke are good visual motifs, assuming
that they are narrated into the scene with some detail and
attention.
Discrete, repeatable event. If an event that involves the active
players character is described in some detail, and it is an event
that could happen again later, it can be claimed. An event always
must have the potential to involve or force a reaction from a
character. Things like a torrential downpour, an argument
between lovers, or a car chase could be claimed as an event.
Relationship. Having a crush on someone, being married to
someone, being someones best friend these are all claimable
relationships.
Claimable scene elements usually stop at the skin that is, you
should not claim emotions, abstract notions, or other ephemera. Anger
and Nothingness are not good claims, though a motion made in anger
or a mirror showing only nothingness are good. Claims should be
tangible and demonstrable. This may get a little wobbly when claiming
relationships but, in general, relationships are demonstrable things.
Also, all claims are things in the fction of the game. While sometimes
tempting, general table chatter is not eligible for claiming. Claim the last
piece of pizza if you wish, but dont use the game mechanics to do so.

~.'~
a/oy G/aos
All Claims are made on the scene elements that someone else has
narrated into the scene. During the Discovering Characters phase, you
claim elements that other players introduced as they described their
character and narrated their introductory scene. During the Laying the
Foundations phase, audience members claim elements that the active
player and scene guide bring into the game, and each active player and
scene guide can potentially Claim elements that the other introduces.
During The Confrontation, you can no longer make new Claims.
To claim an event, simply say I claim X and write it down on
an index card or scrap of paper. You also put a number of coins on it,
depending on when you make the Claim. The number and kind of Claims
you can make work slightly diferently depending on what phase of the
game you are in. Just remember the most important rule about Claims:
you cannot Claim elements that you introduced into a scene.
During the Discovering Characters phase, you can claim any
number of elements. Whoever claims an element frst gets it.
There are a couple of limitations; you cannot claim another
players character, and you cannot claim the Vampire, if and when
it appears (see sidebar). Every Claim you make during this phase
begins with two coins on it.
During the Laying the Foundations phase, you can still Claim
elements introduced by other players. Place two coins on the

Claims during Discovering Characters are

referenced on page 41. Claims during Laying the
Foundations are referenced on page 49. Claims
during The Confrontation are referenced on pages
59-60.
~.,~
frst Claim you make in a scene. For your second and subsequent
Claims, you do not put any new coins on them; rather, you must
redistribute the coins on your Claims in such a way as to place at
least one coin on the new Claim. That is, if you have three Claims
each with two coins on them, and you make your second Claim
in a scene, you have to redistribute those six coins such that
there is at least one coin on the new Claim, which will involve
dropping at least one of your extant Claims down by one coin.
This necessarily limits the number of elements you can Claim in a
Laying the Foundations scene.
During The Confrontation phase, you can no longer make new
Claims, though you can continue to spend coins from your
Reserves to take Floating Claims.
7soy G/aos
There are two main ways in which you use Claims. Making a Claim
means that you have the primary authority over that piece of the fction,
and you can (and should!) narrate in colorful details and fll the holes in
scenes by asserting your Claims, particularly when you are audience. This
assertion can be the introduction of simple details: The girl at the bar
that keeps glancing at you is Carlotta (for a claim of an NPC named
Carlotta) or The water is tinged red for some reason... (for a claim of
blood in the water). Asserting a Claim could also add a little nuance
to a scene or nudge it in a specifc direction: And thats when your

~^c~
Using Claims in Moments is referenced on pages
53-54. Moments are described in this section
on pages 32-37.
phone rings! (for a claim of ringing telephone) or Your husband really
doesnt want you to go out (for a claim of your marriage to Tom). The
scene guide and active player are encouraged, though not required, to
incorporate Claim details injected in this manner.
Claims also have a more specifc role to play in the resolution
of Moments. Asserting a Claim in a Moment always requires you to
narrate how that Claim is pertinent to the matter at hand, subject to
the satisfaction of everyone else at the table. After the active player has
rolled their dice for a Moment, Claims can be used in the following ways:
Spend one coin of a Claim to reroll a die assigned to any
Consequence or Achievement. The active player is bound to take
the new result, whether good or bad. Anyone can use a Claim to
reroll a die in any potential outcome.
Spend coins of a Claim to modify a potential outcome. Raise or
lower the number assigned to a potential outcome up or down
by the number of coins that you spend. That is, you can spend
two coins to add or subtract two from a die, spend three to add
or subtract three, and so on. You cannot modify the value of a die
below one or over six.
Spend one coin of a Claim to add a new Consequence or
Achievement to a Moment. Roll a new die to generate the number
assigned to that outcome. The new outcome counts as if it had
been developed along with the others, so it is open to be rerolled,
and the active player can move the coin on it into his Reserves
after the Moment is resolved if its a Consequence.

~^z~
Spend two coins of a Claim to add a new Consequence or
Achievement to a Moment. Choose whether the outcome has
a three or a four assigned to it. This outcome counts as if it had
been developed with the others, as detailed above.
You cannot spend coins of multiple Claims for one of these
efects.
You can use more than one Claim in a Moment, if they all apply.
During The Confrontation, you may sacrifce a Claim. Doing this
means you have to narrate how that element is killed, destroyed,
negated or otherwise shunted out of the fction. In return, for
every coin that was on that Claim, you get two coins to spend
efecting the Moment at hand in any fashion you wish, as
detailed above. You can spend these coins at any point during the
Moment, but once the Moment has been resolved, discard any
coins that you did not spend.
When the group transitions from Laying the Foundations to The
Confrontation, each player can discard any of their Claims that
they dont think will see use in the rest of the game. Redistribute
the coins from those Claims in any manner you wish among your
remaining Claims. Also, discard all Floating Claims from the
center of the table they are no longer in play.
In addition to making a new Claim every scene (which nets you two
coins on that Claim), you can use your characters Reserves to strengthen
your Claims. Spend a coin out of your Reserves to place a coin on any

Sacrifcing Claims is referenced on page 61.

~^.~
Reserves are described in this section on pages
23-24.
Claim, on a one-for-one basis. If you ever end a scene with no coins
on a Claim, it becomes a Floating Claim and goes in the middle of the
table. Anyone can spend one coin out of their Reserves to put a coin
on a Floating Claim, thus taking the Claim for themselves. You cannot
reclaim any Floating Claims in the same turn that they become Floating,
but if it comes back to your turn and nobody has Claimed it, you are not
prohibited from doing so.
ooco/s
A Moment is any situation in which a character has a specifc
achievement that they want to make, but gaining that achievement may
have consequences. Moments are times when something important could
happen, as well as the times that we discover more about a characters
background and capabilities. Moments can be internal to the character;
they can occur between the character and another character; they may
exist in a more difcult-to-defne conceptual space. Moments are also
the turning points of the plot, and the sequence of Moments throughout
each players scenes is what creates the narrative of the story. At least
one achievement and one consequence must exist in order for a situation
to become a Moment. Finally, a Moment only happens when someone
specifcally says, this is a Moment. If no one declares a Moment, then
the active player still can narrate how their character thinks, feels, and
acts in a scene, and the scene guide always narrates everything else
~^^~
about the scene. Moments allow narrative authority to be temporarily
reassigned depending on the Moments result.
Moments concern the generation and then resolution of an array
of possible outcomes, divided into achievements and consequences.
Achievements are defned by the active player, and usually concern the
positive outcomes that could come out of the situation. The scene guide
defnes the Consequences, which usually describe the problems and
negative outcomes that could arise. The only limits to possible outcomes
are that they should be things that could come about as a result of the
circumstances surrounding the Moment, though they may be indirect. As
with everything, the boundaries for what constitutes a good outcome
will vary by group, mood, and style of game and, if they feel something is
inappropriate or not fun, everyone at the table has the ability to say, Hey,
I dont think thats a good outcome. Can we come up with something
else? Also, active players and scene guides are encouraged to ask for
input from the audience when they are having difculty formulating
Achievements and Consequences.
There are two kinds of Moments: when a player Seizes a Moment
(by defning an Achievement for their character), and when a scene
guide Pushes a Moment on them (by describing a Consequence of the
characters actions). Moments work slightly diferently during diferent
phases of the game.
During Discovering Characters and The Aftermath, there are
no Moments narration is freeform, as described in those two

~^v~
Seizing Moments during Laying the Foundations
is referenced on page 50.
Pushing Moments during Laying the Foundations
is referenced on page 50.
Moments during The Confrontation are
referenced on page 59.
sections. Moments only happen during Laying the Foundations
and The Confrontation.
During Laying the Foundations, the active player can say that
they want to Seize a Moment any time during their scene.
This requires defning the Achievement that their character is
attempting to make, and declaring whether you are creating a new
Satellite Trait or using an existing one (as described under Satellite
Traits). If you wish, you can use a Core Trait in a Moment, but
that is rarely a good idea (unless your goal is to run your character
into the arms of the Vampire). The scene guide then defnes a
consequence to match that achievement. Similarly, the scene
guide can initiate a Moment at any time during a scene by saying
that they are Pushing a Moment and defning a Consequence for
the course of action the character is currently taking. The active
player then decides whether to use an existing Trait or defne a
new Satellite Trait.
During The Confrontation, players can no longer make new
Satellite Traits for their characters. When Seizing a Moment,
the active player simply declares which Trait to use -- Satellite or
Core. When Pushing a Moment, the scene guide declares a Core
Trait that the Moment is targeting, and the active player decides
which Satellite Trait to use. If the character has no more coins in
Satellite Traits, the player must use a Core Trait in the Moment.

~^~
A copy of the outcome chart suitable for use
at the table is included at the end of this book.
This play aid is also available for download from
fndannalise.com
cso/ooy a ooco/
Once a Moment has been identifed and the active player has chosen the
Trait they are using, the players have to decide the possible Achievements
and Consequences of the Moment. There is already at least one Achievement
or Consequence on the table (depending on whether the Moment was Seized
or Pushed). If it is an Achievement, the scene guide declares a Consequence;
if it is a Consequence, the active player declares an Achievement. Then
the active player may declare more Achievements, and the scene guide
may match the Achievements with Consequences on a one-for-one basis.
The active player must spend one coin per outcome generated out of the
Trait used for the Moment thus, the total number of outcomes cannot
exceed the number of coins the character has on that Trait. If the Trait is
assigned an odd number of coins, then the player has the option to declare
an Achievement that will not be matched by a Consequence; however, this
means that they are risking their entire Trait on the Moment. Note that
Satellite Traits always begin play with an odd number of coins on them.
Once all of the outcomes have been declared, the active player rolls
a number of dice equal to the number of outcomes generated. The active
player then assigns one die to each outcome, with the value of that die
indicating whether that outcome happens or not. Consult the following
tables.
When assigned to an Achievement:
Value of 1: You do not even come close to gaining the Achievement.
Value of 2: You do not gain the Achievement.

~^~
The Moment Record
W
hile not strictly necessary, it can be very
helpful to keep a written record of all of
the Achievements and Consequences that are
generated as part of a Moment. Simply write down
the outcomes as they are proposed, and then place
dice assigned to those outcomes right on the paper.
Some people also record the fnal numbers assigned
to the outcomes or otherwise indicate which ones
come to pass and which do not. In addition to
making it easier to keep track of in play, this record
then becomes a cheat sheet recording the events of
your game. Te back of this book has a simple chart
that can be copied to use for this purpose; there is
also a download available at fndannalise.com.
Many thanks are due to Vincent Baker and his
game Otherkind, which was the primary
inspiration for how Moments are resolved.
Value of 3: You may come close, but you do not gain the
Achievement.
Value of 4: You gain the Achievement.
Value of 5: You gain the Achievement handily, and you add a coin to
this Trait.
Value of 6: Your Achievement has an unexpectedly positive outcome,
and you choose to either add a coin to the Core Trait linked to this
Trait, or create a new Achievement for the Moment that enters play
with a four assigned to it.
When assigned to a Consequence:
Value of 1: The Consequence happens with full force. Choose
either to spend one coin out of the Core Trait linked to this Trait
if it is possible to do so, or to allow the scene guide to create
another Consequence that enters the Moment with a three
assigned to it. If it is not possible to spend a coin, you must allow
the scene guide to generate a new Consequence.
Value of 2: The Consequence happens, and you spend an
additional coin out of this Trait if you have any to spend.
Value of 3: The Consequence happens, though not to its fullest
possible extent. When the Moment is resolved, place a coin in
your Reserves.
Value of 4: You avoid the Consequence, though perhaps only
barely. When the Moment is resolved, place a coin in your
Reserves.

~^;~
Ones and Sixes
W
hen the text refers to ones or sixes, read that
as any ones assigned to a Consequence or
sixes assigned to an Achievement. As you can see
from the charts, a one in an Achievement and a six
in a Consequence have no particular efect. Te use
of ones or sixes is a shorthand for this awkard
phrasing of the situation.
How Claims are used to affect Moments is
described on pages 29 -32.
Using Claims during Moments is referenced on
pages 53-54.
Value of 5: You avoid the Consequence. When the Moment is
resolved, place a coin in your Reserves.
Value of 6: You completely avoid the Consequence. When the
Moment is resolved, place a coin in your Reserves.
If the active player assigns any ones or sixes and decides to add a
new Consequence or Achievement to the Moment, that Achievement
or Consequence must be generated and given its assigned value. Note
that if the active player decides not to generate a new Achievement or
Consequence, the dice can still be modifed, but if they do, the dice
cannot be changed. Before moving on, the scene guide and active player
narrate what has happened in the fction so far.
Once the active player has assigned all the initial dice, players have
the option to spend coins of Claims to reroll or modify results or add
new outcomes. Proceed around the table, starting with the active player.
Each player has the option to bring in one Claim. Once it is the active
players turn again, they choose whether to bring in another Claim
and keep going, allowing everyone else to continue but pass on using a
Claim themselves, or say, Were done, no more Claims! Continue in
this manner until everyone is done using Claims, or the active player has
declared on their turn that Claims are over. Once everything has been
assigned its fnal numbers, the scene guide and active player narrate the
end of the Moment based on how the dice have been assigned.
Finally, the active player updates the coins in his applicable Traits and
his Reserves. Every Consequence with a one or two in it at the end of a

~^'~
Reserves are described in this section on pages
23-24.
confict obliges the active player to discard or add additional coins to a
Trait. Also, for every Consequence that was not assigned a one or a two,
the active player places one coin in his or her Reserves.
You can have a diferent number of Moments during each active
players turn, and some scenes may very well not require any Moments
at all. Each group will fnd its stride, but its usually a good idea for each
players character to go through a similar number of Moments over the
course of each phase.
~^,~
Redemption: How to Play the Game
Play of Annalise has an over-arching structure. The frst phase
is Discovering Characters. All the players at the table come up with
ideas for characters and introduce their characters to each other, while
cooperatively sketching out the world the characters inhabit and the
nature of the darkness that they face. The second phase is Laying the
Foundations, during which the players learn more about the characters
and the infuence of the Vampire in their characters lives. The third
phase is The Confrontation, in which the characters fnally confront the
creature, for good or ill. Finally, the game wraps up as the group details
the Aftermath of the confrontation.
This section is written in a way that walks you through the
procedures of play without going into full details about the mechanics.
Notes in the sidebar refer you to the full explanation of the mechanics in
Hunger: Full Rules Explanation and Reference. Also, this section contains
two sets of running examples. Example Set 1 concerns a group playing
in a modern-day, small-college setting, with a more internally-focused
character. Example Set 2 concerns a group playing in a medieval fantasy
setting, with a character with more external issues and methods for
resolving them.
Sidebars in this Section
S
idebars in this section contain examples of how
the rules are used in play, as well as references
to the full description of mechanics in the second
section. Also, there are occasional sidebars of
supplementary text to explain some common
trouble spots in play or provide more detail on
important ideas for the game.
Phases of Play
P
hase 1: Discovering Characters concerns the
discovery of the protagonists of the story to
come and their world, and starts on this page.
P
hase 2: Laying the Foundations concerns fnding
out more about these protagonists, the situation
that they fnd themselves in and the nature and
agenda of the Vampire, and starts on page 46.
P
hase 3: The Confrontation concerns the
resolution of the confict between the
protagonists and the Vampire, and starts on page
58.
P
hase 4: The Afternath concerns the fallout from
the infuence of the Vampire on the protagonists
lives, and starts on page 63.
~vc~
The use of dice and coins for play is described on
page 14.
A characters Vulnerability is one of two Core
Traits, and is fully described on pages 17-18.
E
xample 1 of introducing a Character: Damien,
Travis, and Sarah are playing. Damien is the frst
player. He says, My character is named Annalise.
Shes a young woman, just going to college. Shes tall
and pale, with dark hair and eyes, and very pretty in
a haughty way. Her Vulnerability is neglect - heres
what I wrote down: I am vulnerable because my
parents never cared enough to get mad at me.
Damien frames his introductory scene, switching
into the character of Annalise as he talks: So, I
think my intro scene is that Im breaking up with the
guy I started dating at the beginning of school. Hes
actually kind of a dick, and Ive fnally realized that
v/asc z. scooc-oy G/a-ac/c-s
To start the game, you sit around a table with the friends with whom
you will play. You will also need some note cards (blank business cards
are perfect, or index cards that have been cut in half), pencils, some six-
sided dice and a number of tokens to use as coins. Designate one person
as the frst player. If one person in the group is more familiar with the
rules than the others, they should not be frst player, as the other players
actually have more options during the frst players scene, and the person
who knows the game best can lead by example. The advantage to being
the frst player is having a lot of power to defne the general course of the
game right from the start. The frst player begins the game by introducing
their character. Right now, a character consists of two facets: a name and
a Vulnerability. There are more components to a character but you will
generate those later in play. If you have more ideas and general-concept
stuf, thats great, but for now all you need are a name and a Vulnerability.
The frst players frst scene consists of an introduction that describes
the character in broad strokes, and a situation that showcases the
characters Vulnerability. Vampires prey on the vulnerable, and what
makes the characters protagonists in the story you are about to tell
is the pain, loss or trauma that theyve sufered that has attracted the
Vampires attention. The characters frst scene should demonstrate this
Vulnerability and may also involve the why and how of the Vampires frst
noticing the character, but it does not have to involve the Vampire per se.
This frst scene is also your prologue for the character, an introductory
~vz~
hes not even going to pretend to put in the efort
that I need for him to put into a relationship. He
asks Travis to play the boyfriend. As the frst player,
Damien has established that the game will take place
in the modern day, on or around a college campus.
Neither Travis nor Sarah has a problem with this,
and they all just run with it as they introduce their
own characters.
Claims are fully described on pages 26-32.
E
xample 2 of Introducing a Character: Shreyas,
Elizabeth and Kat are playing the game for a
second time. Elizabeth ends up the second player.
My characters name is Sir Hector Greenbriar. I
am a knight of the realm, a defender of truth and
justice and the very picture of chivalry. She doesnt
declare his Vulnerability at the outset. She frames
her introductory scene. Sir Hector is just breaking
down the door into the room at the top of a tower
where the Princess Laurendell has been imprisoned.
Shreyas, you wanna play her? Basically, shes been
stuck up here for a while but she doesnt want to be
rescued by Hector, and she doesnt want to go with
him. Kat says, Let me guess... your vulnerability is
something that means that you dont listen to what
other people want? Elizabeth says, Yup. I wrote
down, I am vulnerable because everyone has always
treated me like Im worth more than they are.
piece that gives the other players a glimpse before the story proper
begins. Feel free to cast other players as non-player characters that you
frame into the scene, or simply narrate how the whole thing plays out.
You can announce your characters Vulnerability at the outset, or you can
let it become apparent through play. You should write it down, though,
and by the end of the scene everyone should understand what it is.
G/aos
While each player has total authority over the framing and content
of their characters introductory scene, the other players are participatory
audience to their narration. As each player goes through their scene, the
other players can claim elements of that scene. Claims are little pieces of
scenes, such as non-player-characters (NPCs), locations, motifs or items
that the characters will interact with during play. When you make a Claim,
write down that scene element on a piece of paper and place two coins on
it. At this point in the game, you can make as many Claims as you want, but
you can only Claim elements that have been narrated into the fction by
another player. When you make a Claim, you are doing two things. First, you
are saying, this is neat thing, and I want to be able to bring it back into our
story later down the line in a concrete manner that matters. Second, you
will be using Claims in later phases to further your characters agenda. You
want to have Claims, and the best Claims are things that interest you. There
is no penalty for having too many Claims or making Claims that dont end up
getting used, so make any that you think will be interesting!
~v.~
E
xample 1 of an introductory scene: Damien
narrates his intro scene for Annalise. Im
waiting at a bus stop where Im supposed to meet
my boyfriend, Dave, whos been out at a bar with
his friend. Hes supposed to pick me up and take
me home, but hes late. Sarah says, I claim Dave,
the boyfriend. Damien says, Well, hes gonna
be my ex by the end of the scene. Got it, Sarah
replies, as she writes down Annalises ex-boyfriend
Dave on a card and puts two coins on it. Damien
continues, So, Im waiting there for half an hour,
then 45 minutes, then an hour, then Dave shows
up. He gets out of his car, and hes obviously tipsy
-- not drunk, but hes all smiley and loose and he has
a little trouble paying attention to what Im saying.
Im standing there, all in black, backlit by this street
light, and he cant see my face. Travis says, Im
claiming backlit, with shadowed features. Damien
and Sarah both exclaim, Ooh, cool! He writes it
down on a card and puts two coins on it.
E
xample 2 of an introductory scene: Shreyas starts
playing the Princess Laurendell. Oh my... and
who might you be, Sir Knight? Elizabeth responds,
Your Highness, it is I, Sir Hector Greenbriar! I have
adventured through these moors and mountains
in order to save you! Im standing there, all tall
and strong, my sword out and glinting in the
frelight. Shreyas says I claim metal glinting in the
frelight. You introduced it, so even though Im in
the scene, I can still claim it. He writes it on a card,
puts two coins on it, and continues. Sir Knight,
while I appreciate your courage and prowess, there
seems to be some misunderstanding... I dont need
to be saved. She turns and goes to the window,
obviously ignoring you. Elizabeth retorts, Tats
not gonna fy. I walk over to her, grab her arm and
os/oy //c Vo/-oaoc/oos
Once the frst players scene is done, the next player to the right
frames an introductory scene and establishes the characters name and
Vulnerability. In addition, the second player and subsequent players must
also establish some kind of relationship to a character that has already
been introduced. This relationship can be of any scope and kind, as long
as it brings the two characters close enough that they could reasonably
be in contact on a fairly frequent basis. If an interesting non-player
character has been introduced by the time it gets to your turn, feel free
to grab it as your character if you do this, and someone else has the
non-player character as a Claim, they need to rewrite the Claim to be
something related to your character (in order to fulfll the restriction that
you cannot Claim a players character). The second players characters
relationship will necessarily have to be to the frst character that was
introduced, but each other player can make relationships with any
combination of preceding characters.
Play continues in this way each player frames a scene for their
character, introduces the character, and establishes a relationship to
at least one of the characters who has already been introduced. You
do not have to establish a relationship with the character of the player
immediately preceding you (unless you are the second player, obviously),
nor with more than one of the other characters (unless you want to
do so). Keep in mind that everyone gets to make Claims during every
introductory scene. You may notice some people in the group ending up
~v^~
spin her around. My lady, you must come with me.
I cannot, in good faith, allow you to remain in the
prison, your beauty and your honor wasted up in
this tower. And shes all struggling and everything,
and I just throw her over my shoulder and carry
her out of the tower. Kat says, Wow, youre a dick.
Um, Im claiming the event Taking someone away
against their will. Sorry for the weird phrasing, but
thats basically what the event is, right? Everyone
agrees. Kat writes that down on a card and puts
two coins on it. Elizabeth then says OK, I also
need a relationship. Um, Shreyas character is a
travelling scholar, right? I think he is at the same
Court as Sir Hector pretty often, and theyre both
young and adventurous, so theyre pretty friendly
acquaintances.
Secret is one of a characters two Core Traits,
and is described on pages 18-19.
with fewer Claims than others. This should be fne, as long as everyone
has at least two or three by the time the introductory scenes are over.
Any player who has not played the game before and has no Claims
when you end the introductions should Claim a couple of elements they
thought were interesting or cool before you move on.
/c Jc//oy
As you go through this phase, you will be creating a basis for the
setting as well, in terms of time period, location, general feel, tone, and
so on. The frst player has a lot of defnitional power but everyone should
feel free to mix things up with their characters and the elements that
they claim. Obviously, if players expectations difer strongly about what
is happening at the table, the group should resolve the diferences before
moving on. Players should ask for clarifcation about the setting in order
to talk through confusion and diferences of opinion. For most groups, it
is probably useful to have a brief discussion about what kind of game you
want before you dig into Discovering Characters. For other groups, it can
be rewarding to have one person (the frst player) start out with a totally
blank slate, and go from there.
Jcc-c/s
Once all the players have introduced their characters, they generate
the next character element: Secrets. Every character has a Secret,
~vv~
something that the character is unwilling or unable to share with anyone
that they know. Secrets tend to fall under one of two broad categories
internal and external. Some Secrets are very internal to the character, and
concern your characters emotions, thoughts, or feelings that they are
unable or unwilling to share. Other Secrets are more external, in that they
are something about the character that has been inherited or bestowed
upon them, and that they cannot or will not reveal. Your characters
Secret is a Core Trait of your character, along with Vulnerability. You do
not author your own Secret. Once the group has an idea of the characters
that the game will include, you each write down a Secret that you would
like to see in play keep in mind that you could end up having that
Secret for your character! Shufe the Secrets and redistribute them
randomly. The Secret you receive is the Secret for your character. If you
are absolutely not cool with your Secret, you can ask if anyone wants to
trade. The group should not move on to the next part of the game until
everyone has accepted a Secret.
Secrets function diferently in diferent phases of the game. During
Laying the Foundations, you will hint at your Secret as your character
becomes more defned and starts getting more involved in the story.
During The Confrontation, your Secret may serve as your fnal reserves,
and its revelation can potentially defne the end of the story for your
character. However, it is never necessary to reveal your Secret unless
you think it is appropriate; alternatively, you could reveal it early simply
through what happens in play, though you will be losing a big mechanical
boost in the later stages of the game.
~v~
E
xample 1 of Secrets and Lines & Veils: Sarah
fnishes her scene, and says, Ok...Secrets now,
right? Damien and Travis nod, and they all take
a moment to write down a Secret on a note card.
While they do this, Travis introduces a Veil: So, just
to be clear, you guys know Im not cool with explicit
sexual violence, right? I mean, it can be mentioned
if its appropriate, but if it can be way of-screen, I
would appreciate it. Damien and Sarah agree, and
they dont have any explicit Lines or Veils of their
own. Tey all fold the Secret cards in half and put
them in a hat, then each draws one at random.
Damien goes, Hrmm... cool. Are we all cool with our
Secrets? Everyone is, and they move on.
E
xample 2 of Secrets and Lines & Veils: Shreyas
pulls his Secret, and goes, Oooh... um, thats
an interesting one, but I dont think Im up to it.
Anyone wanna trade? Elizabeth says, Heh, I bet
you got mine. Ill trade with you; I had a good idea if
I ended up with mine, anyway. Tey trade, and are
both satisfed with their new Secrets. Technically,
they each know each others Secret now, but both
see this as an opportunity to help each other
foreshadow the Secrets eventual revelations.
/ocs a (c/s
Simply put, Lines are the places where a person draws the line
about potentially painful or ofensive content in the game, while Veils
are a measure of how much vagueness a player wants to couch certain
content in. While the group is writing down Secrets, you should have a
talk about both Lines and Veils. The game is about managing destructive
emotions and actions and dealing with vulnerability, and these themes
can lend themselves to subject matter that someone at the table may not
be cool with seeing in play not to mention the adult genre tropes of
Vampire fction. If you have a hard line about something (e.g., Hey guys,
Im really not cool with sexual violence at all. Can we make sure not to
have any Secrets about that?) you should state it aloud. This is the best
time to air any other themes or subject matter that you prefer to be not
brought up at all (a Line), or things you prefer to occur of-screen or
without graphic depiction (a Veil).
Vo Gooc/osoo
Once everyone has a Secret that they like, this phase of play is over
and the group is ready to start Laying the Foundations. At this point,
everyone should have a character with a name, a Vulnerability, a Secret,
a relationship to at least one other character, and a number of Claims;
everyone should also understand everyone elses Lines and Veils.
~v~
E
xample 1 of The First Thing: Damien puts three
coins each on Vulnerability and Secret, then
decides to put only one more on Secret, and the
other six on Vulnerability. He sees Annalise as
building up a lot of barriers between her and her
vulnerability, and being not very good at keeping
secrets. He places three coins in Annalises Reserves,
and is ready to start Laying the Foundations.
A characters two Core Traits are fully described
on pages 16-19.
Core Traits dropping to zero is fully described on
page 20. A characters store of Reserves is fully
described on pages 23-24.
E
xample 2 of The First Thing: Elizabeth puts three
coins each on Vulnerability and Secret, then
divides the remaining seven as even as she can. She
puts four more coins on Sir Hectors Secret (for a
total of seven) and three more on his Vulnerability
(for a total of six). She grabs her three coins for
his Reserves and waits for the others to fnish
distributing their coins.
v/asc .. /ayoy /c oooaa/oos
In this phase of the game, you will
get to know and defne your character to a greater degree
begin to use and modify Claims
foreshadow your Secrets
show how and why the Vampire is attracted to your character, and
defne the relationships between your character and the Vampire
more concretely
/c -s/ /oy
Before launching into Laying the Foundations, everyone needs
13 coins to divide between their Vulnerability and Secret. Each Core
Trait starts with three coins, and you divide the remaining seven coins
between the two Traits however you want. While you will gain more
focused Satellite Traits during play, these two Core Traits are the key
components of your character; they are your resources to stave of the
Vampire and perhaps overcome him. If either (or both) fall to zero coins,
your character will sufer certain consequences that depend on the
current phase of the game. Finally, each player places three coins in their
characters Reserves.

~v;~
The division of player responsibilities is fully
described on pages 12-14.
I Dont Know What This Scene Should Be About
I
f this is your frst time playing Annalise or youre
simply not familiar with this kind of up-front
scene framing in your roleplaying, dont worry! Its
not hard. Here are a couple of simple suggestions
for scene guiding. Ask the active player, Do you
have an idea about what you want your character
to do? and frame a scene around the answer. If
the active player doesnt have an idea, remember
that this game is about a Vampire. Frame a scene
that obviously points to vampiric activity, such as a
mysterious disappearance or the weakened state of
a loved one. Finally, look at the Claims on the table,
and try combining them into a situation. An NPC
who is the characters boss, the motif of shattered
glass on the sidewalk, and a Church? Frame a
scene with the character discovering his boss on the
ground after assailants unknown have thrown him
through a Church window. Te frst couple of scenes
in this game can be a little halting, as everyone is
trying to get some legs under their character as well
as make solid scenes for other people. Take a couple
deep breaths, remember that a slow start is normal,
and pay attention for ways to weave elements from
each characters individual story into the broader
narrative.
v/ayoy /-ooy/ //c oooaa/oos
Starting with the frst player and proceeding around the table to the
right, take turns being the active player (and having a scene that focuses
on the active players character). Each active player selects another player
a scene guide to frame the scene for them. From this point onward,
you cannot frame a scene for yourself the way you did while Discovering
Characters. Players can volunteer to frame scenes, of course, but it is up
to the active player to make the fnal choice if multiple people volunteer
to be the scene guide. All of the other players are audience.
The Foundations scenes allow players to establish more information
about their characters, generate Satellite Traits, and create more scene
elements for other players to Claim. The Foundations phase is like the
rising action of a short story or movie. It creates tension and introduces
new twists and turns. While the Vampire, or at least his infuence, should
be present throughout these scenes, it is not necessary that he interact
with every character in every scene. The active players scenes can involve
other characters, but this is not necessary. Laying the Foundations is also
a good time to foreshadow your Secret.
Scenes involve any or all of the following:
The players roleplay characters assigned to them (the active
player roleplays their character)
The active player Seizes a Moment

~v'~
E
xample 1 of roleplaying: Damien asks Travis
to guide his scene. Travis frames: Annalise
is trying to concentrate on doing homework, but
she keeps getting distracted by the sounds of her
roommate making out with her boyfriend. Damien
says, I turn up my iPod louder, but it doesnt help.
Im still angry over Dave, my ex, being such a jerk,
and I dont think I have that great of a relationship
with my roommate. After a couple of minutes I pull
of my headphones and say over my shoulder, Will
you two do that somewhere else? Im trying to work
here. Travis says, You can practically hear Greta
rolling her eyes behind your back. Its my room too;
why dont you go to the library if you have so much
damn work?
E
xample 2 of roleplaying: Elizabeth asks Kat
to guide her scene. She thinks for a moment,
then has an idea and frames a scene: You have
returned to court, the princess in tow. So, heres
the scene: Youre in the kings receiving room, with
all the courtiers and hangers-on in attendance, and
you are giving the king a recap of your adventure.
Shreyas says, Oh hey, I have a claim of Te King
of the Land. Can I play the king? Kat likes that
idea and they roleplay Sir Hectors report. Shreyas
presents the king as being a pretty absent-minded
guy, getting on in years, and it quickly becomes clear
that Sir Hector doesnt think much of him. As this
interchange winds down, Kat says, Youre fnishing
your report, when the Royal Wizard -- a dried-up old
stick whos been around forever -- suddenly speaks
up. My Lord, you have had quite the adventure...
but what do you have to show for it, other than this
brat of a princess at your side? Elizabeth exclaims,
Oh, no way! Sir Hector is a knight! He doesnt stand
for that kind of talk about a lady.
The scene guide Pushes a Moment on the active player
Any player Claims scene elements
While most people tend to have an intuitive sense of when it is
appropriate to end a scene, it is up to the scene guide to declare when a
scene is over. To keep things moving, the scene guide can ask the active
player if they are ready to move on from the current action.
o/c//ayoy
This game assumes that youll spend most of each scene simply
roleplaying. Describe what your character does, say things in-character,
explore the world that you are all creating, interact with non-player
characters, and so on. Until a Moment happens, the scene guide has the
fnal word on everything in the fction except the thoughts and actions
of the active players character and other players Claims. At any time in a
scene, a player can involve their Claims, if they feel that it is appropriate.
Involvement includes interjecting ideas about the Claim, adding detail
about a Claim, or speaking as the Claim, among other things. The scene
guide and active player should incorporate these additions into their
narration and into the general situation of the scene. Also, the scene
guide can always ask or allow an audience player to take on the role of a
non-player character in the scene.

~v,~
Claims are fully described on pages 26-32.
E
xample 1 of making Claims: During a scene,
Sarah claims a location: the old overgrown
churchyard where Annalise is following the
shadowed-face stranger. Sarah puts two coins
on the Claim. Later in the scene, Travis says,
Te moonlight shines through the stained-glass
windows, making weird abstract patterns on the
pews, and Sarah wants to claim moonlight through
stained glass. She already has made one Claim this
scene so she has to move coins. She takes one coin
of the old overgrown churchyard and one coin
of the only other Claim she has, speaking without
words, which currently has three coins on it. At the
beginning of the scene, Sarah had one Claim with
three coins on it (speaking without words). At
the end, she has created one Claim with two coins
on it, then created a third claim and taken one coin
of each of her other Claims. So, she has speaking
without words with two coins, moonlight
through stained glass with two coins, and the old
overgrown churchyard with one coin.
G/aooy Jccoc /coco/s
At any point in a scene, any player can potentially claim a scene
element. To do so, simply say to the other players Im claiming.... and
write it down on a card as during the frst bit of play. If this is the frst
Claim you are making in the scene, you place two coins on it. If youve
already made at least one Claim, you do not gain any additional coins
rather, you have to move coins that are already on your Claims. You can
take as many coins as you wish of an existing Claim and move them
to the new Claim, and you can move coins from multiple Claims if you
want. Keep in mind that you cannot claim an element that you yourself
have introduced into the fction.
As you can see above, all players including those who are audience
in scenes can use their Claims to efect Moments in those scenes.
Claimed elements will also come into play in the Confrontation phase
of the game. If a player spends all of the coins of one of their Claims,
it becomes a foating Claim and goes into the center of the table. The
active player in each scene can spend Reserves to claim foating Claims.
If any are still foating Claims on the table when play moves on to the
Confrontation, they are discarded from play. Finally, players always have
the authority to narrate their Claims into a scene as color or background,
even (especially!) when they are audience. These interjections have no
mechanical weight but they are a good way to stay involved with scenes
and set up your characters next scene.
~c~
Moments are fully described on pages 32-38.
E
xample 1 of seizing a Moment: Damien says, Im
initiating a Moment. I want to make Greta and
her boyfriend leave. Im creating a Satellite Trait,
If Im not happy, why should you be? linked to my
Vulnerability. I get one free coin, and Im going to
spend two coins out of Vulnerability, giving me four
more, so fve total. I now have seven Vulnerability
and four Secret. I think its pretty clear that the
achievement I want here is that Greta and her
boyfriend leave the room. Travis says, Hrm... the
consequence here is that this pushes Greta over the
edge, and she starts actually hating you. Do you
have another achievement that you want to add?
Damien says No, not really. Im cool with this.
E
xample 2 of pushing a Moment: Kat says, Te
Wizard totally wants to make a fool out of you
in front of the court. You dont have any Satellite
Traits yet, so you have to defne a one. Elizabeth
says, Oh yeah. Im totally making a new Trait
-- Chivalrous! Its linked to my Vulnerability and
Im going to spend three coins on that bad boy. She
takes three coins of Vulnerability (bringing it down
to three) and puts six on Chivalrous, bringing it to
seven with the one free coin. Kat says Cool. So, the
consequence youre looking at here is that you look
like a fool in front of the assembled court.
ooco/s
Moments are pivotal points of play, the times when the story could lead
to many possible endings. Moments are also the times when players get to
defne more about their characters, in the form of Satellite Traits. There
are two kinds of Moments: Moments that are Seized by the active player,
and Moments that are Pushed by the scene guide. In both cases, the active
player either defnes a new Satellite Trait or chooses to use one that has been
already defned, and the scene guide and the active player decide on a set of
potential outcomes for the Moment. Outcomes are the various things that
could happen as a result of the Moment, and are divided into Achievements
and Consequences. Achievements are defned by the active player, and tend
to concern things that are positive or helpful for a character; Consequences
are defned by the scene guide, and tend to change a characters life or agenda
for the worse.
Moments must always be formally declared (This is a Moment!), and
the player declaring the Moment defnes the frst outcome (an Achievement
if the Moment is Seized by the player, or a Consequence if the Moment is
Pushed by the scene guide). Once the frst outcome has been defned, the
active player declares which Satellite Trait they are using for the Moment, or
if they are creating a new one. If creating a new one, the active player says
which Core Trait (Vulnerability or Secret) the new Satellite Trait is linked to,
and writes it down on their character sheet. The player must spend at least
one coin of a Core Trait; the Satellite Trait begins with a pool of coins equal
to one coin plus twice the number of coins spent of the Core Trait.
~z~
Orthogonal, Not Opposing
S
omething very important to keep in mind,
especially if you have a lot of experience
with other confict resolution systems, is that
achievements and consequences in this game never
oppose each other. Tey always need to be stated
as orthogonal to each other that is, the success
or failure of an achievement should never mean
that a consequence cannot happen, and vice versa.
Tis is because the dice assigned to the elements
of the Moment will determine what comes to pass
and what does not. What you are doing when you
state achievements and consequences is creating an
array of possible fallout from the circumstances of
the Moment. In other words, you are cooperatively
pushing the fction of the game forward, while
letting the dice decide exactly what happens and
what does not. It is certainly possible (though rare)
for a confict to end with no achievements being
made AND no consequences being sufered. In
short, always make sure before you roll dice that
the achievements and consequences on the table
will not end up contradicting one another if they all
come to pass.
Once the Satellite Trait has been generated and given its pool of
coins, the player who hasnt yet defned an outcome does so. Once there
is one Achievement and one Consequence on the table, the active player
may decide to add an additional Achievement; if the active player does so,
then the scene guide must add an additional Consequence. The Moment
can have a number of total outcomes equal to the number of coins on the
Trait being used for the Moment. This is often an odd number of coins,
which means that the active player may max out their Trait in order
to have one more Achievement on the table than the scene guide has
Consequences. This leaves the Trait vulnerable to being totally drained,
however.
There is one important rule to remember when generating
Achievements and Consequences: they cannot directly counter each
other. The Moment will determine whether some, all, or none of the
outcomes happen, and it has to be possible for all of the outcomes to be
able to happen at once, if thats how the Moment ends up. The active
player and scene guide are welcome to ask for suggestions for outcomes,
if theyre having trouble developing appropriate ones.
Once all Achievements and Consequences have been declared,
the active player spends a number of coins out of their trait equal
to the Achievements and Consequences on the table, then rolls dice
equal to that number of coins. He or she then assigns one die to each
Achievement and Consequence. Note that you roll the dice before
assigning the numbers (as opposed to picking an outcome, rolling a
die and assigning that number to that outcome). Once youve assigned
~.~
Resolving Moments is fully described on pages
35-38.
E
xample 1 of resolving a Moment: Teres one
Achievement and one Consequence on the table,
so Damien spends two coins out of his new Satellite
Trait (bringing it down to three) and rolls two dice.
He rolls a 3 and a 1, takes a look at the chart above,
and places the 1 towards the Achievement and a 3
towards the Consequence. Damien goes, Ahh, suck.
Travis replies, Ok, before we go on to Claims and
stuf, we have to describe whats going on. Umm, so,
what do you say to Greta? Right now Damien has a
1 in his achievement, which means that he will not
get it this scene, and a 3 in his consequence, which
means that the consequence is going to happen.
Damien says, I glare daggers at Greta and say, Im
sorry... I wasnt aware that I wasnt allowed to do
work in my own room. Well, Ill be sure to stay nice
and quiet while you fake it once again with your
hunk of meat there. Tats pretty much guaranteed
to make her hate me, I think. Travis nods and says,
She turns bright red, then grabs her boyfriend and
practically pulls him on top of her. She sure as hell
isnt leaving now!
T
here are two charts at the end of this book that
are suitable for use at the table: the outcome dice
chart, and a Moment record sheet (see page 37).
Tese play aids are also available for download from
fndannalise.com.
numbers, youve set the initial state of the Moment. The scene guide and
active player both describe whats happening in the fction, based on the
results assigned by the active player. The chart below describes what each
number means.
Achievements:
Value of 1: You do not even come close to gaining the
Achievement.
Value of 2: You do not gain the Achievement.
Value of 3: You do not gain the Achievement.
Value of 4: You gain the Achievement.
Value of 5: You gain the Achievement handily, and you add a coin
to this Trait.
Value of 6: Your Achievement has an unexpectedly positive
outcome. Choose to either add a coin to the Core Trait linked
to this Trait, or create a new Achievement for the Moment that
enters play with a four assigned to it.
Consequences:
Value of 1: The Consequence happens with full force. Choose to
either spend one coin out of the Core Trait linked to this Trait if
it is possible to do so, or allow the scene guide to create another
Consequence that enters the Moment with a three assigned to
it. If it is not possible to spend a coin, you must allow the scene

~^~
E
xample 1 of using Claims in a Moment: Damien
has the frst opportunity to use Claims, and
he does so. Im going to reroll that 1 I have on the
Achievement, using my Burning Eyes in the Dark
Claim. I think that there are a set of burning red
eyes outside the window of Annalises room, and
when Greta notices them she freaks out. He spends
a coin from Burning Eyes in the Dark and rerolls
the 1, getting a 5, which means that he gets the
Achievement handily. Awesome! So, she sees the
eyes and screams and they run out of the room.
Sarah is sitting in between Travis and Damien, but
she decides she doesnt want to use a Claim. Travis
then has the next option, and he ponders, Umm,
Im going to use a Claim to add a consequence.
He spends two coins of Backlit, with Shadowed
Features and adds, Annalise can see a beckoning
light in the red eyes, enough to illuminate just
enough of the face outside the window to almost
recognize it... the consequence is that the face burns
itself into your mind and you cant stop thinking
about it. Im spending two coins so I can set the
value to either 3 or 4. Im going with 3, obviously I
want you to remember the creepy face!
guide to generate a new Consequence.
Value of 2: The Consequence happens, and you spend an
additional coin out of this Trait if you have any to spend.
Value of 3: The Consequence happens, though not to its fullest
possible extent.
Value of 4: You avoid the Consequence, though perhaps only
barely.
Value of 5: You avoid the Consequence.
Value of 6: You completely avoid the Consequence.
7soy G/aos
Once the active player has rolled and assigned his or her dice, players
can now bring in Claims to efect the Moment. Starting with the active
player and going in turn order, each player can spend coins of their
Claims in order to modify the values of the dice assigned to outcomes,
or to add new outcomes to the Moment. For the former, you may spend
any number of coins of a Claim in order to adjust the number assigned
to an outcome by that number; also, you may spend one coin in order to
reroll a die assigned to an outcome. To add new outcomes, you may spend
one coin to add a new Achievement or Consequence to the Moment and
roll a new die to assign to that outcome; alternatively, you may spend two
coins to add an Achievement with a value of four or a Consequence with
a value of three.

~v~
E
xample 1 of ending a Moment: Its back to
Damiens turn and he says, I actually think
that thats a really cool Consequence. Im going to
end the Moment. Now what occurs is that all three
outcomes happen, with a 3 on Annalise becomes
obsessed with the shadowed face, a 3 on Greta
hates Annalise, and a 5 on Greta and her boyfriend
leave Annalise alone. Te 3s have no additional
efect; the 5 means that Damien puts one coin
back in his Trait, If Im not happy, why should you
be?, bringing it up to four coins. Damien places
two coins in Annalises Reserves (as there were
two Consequences on the table at the end of the
Moment) and the group moves on with the scene.
Allocating coins after a Moment is fully described
on pages 37-38.
Reserves are fully described on pages 23-24.
E
xample 1 of using Reserves: Its the end of the
scene and Damien has three coins in Annalises
Reserves from the beginning of the game, and
adds two more from the Moment he just fnished.
Damien created the Trait If I cant be happy, why
should you be? at fve, but lost one of those coins
Whenever you use a Claim, describe how that element comes back
into the fction in a way that efects the Moment. Keep in mind that
Claims are used in an additive, not a retroactive, manner. When you
bring a Claim into a confict, you are narrating in an additional thing that
occurs, that has been prepared, or that suddenly becomes relevant to the
situation established so far. Narrating appropriate Claims and layering
them into what has already been stated adds texture to conficts and
grounds them in the narrative elements that you and your group have
already established.
Once the opportunity to use Claims has rotated back to the active
player, they can declare the Moment fnished, or continue using Claims.
If they declare it fnished, the Moment has passed. Once the Moment is
over, the active player and scene guide narrate how the Moment resolves,
turning that narration into material for the rest of the scene. Before
moving on, the last thing the active player does is deal with any results
of 1, 2, 5, or 6 on any of the outcomes, as each of those has a mechanical
efect; also, the active player places one coin in his Reserves for every
Consequence on the table.
csc-ocs
At the beginning and end of each active players turn, the active
player has the opportunity to spend Reserves. Reserves are an abstract
resource that represents your characters ability to hold their own against
the threats that they face, recover strength, and otherwise persevere in
~~
from the Moment, so its down to four. He could
spend his fve coins to bring it back up to fve, but
decides that he doesnt want to blow them all at
once. He does spend two coins to place two coins
on his Claim, Burning Eyes in the Dark, saying, I
think that this will get a good amount of use....
Claims are fully described on pages 28-32.
E
xample 1 of Pushing a Confict: Travis says, Okay.
Greta and her boyfriend are gone and you try to
get back to work... but you cant. Te image of that
face with those foating red eyes keeps coming to
you, almost as if theyre calling you.... so, this is a
Moment. Te consequence is that youll go out into
the night, alone. Damien thinks about that. Hrm...
I dont want to make another Trait right now, so
Im going to use I pretend that I dont need anyone
even though its pretty low. My achievement is that
Im going to end up spending the night in my own
bed. (example continued below)
Secrets falling to zero are described on page 20.
E
xample continued: Annalise only has two coins
on the Trait, so the two outcomes already
generated max it out, and no more can be added
before Damien rolls the dice. He takes the two
coins of of the Trait and rolls two dice, getting a 2
and a 6. Heh, no problem! He puts the 2 into the
Consequence and the 6 into the Achievement, so
they both happen. Nobody has any Claims that they
want to use, so thats how the Moment resolves. Te
2 in the Consequence means that he has to spend an
the face of adversity. To use Reserves, spend as many coins as you wish
to add coins to any Core or Satellite Trait, or to strengthen your Claims,
or to grab foating Claims for yourself. It costs one coin plus the current
number of Coins in a Satellite Trait to improve that Trait by one coin and
it costs two coins plus the current number of Coins in a Core Trait to
improve that Trait by one coin. You may transfer coins from Reserves to
Claims on a one-for-one basis. Finally, you can spend one coin to take a
foating Claim from the foating Claim pile and place one coin on it (you
can then further strengthen that Claim). There is no penalty to having no
coins in your Reserves.
Jcc-c/s
Any time you create a Trait based out of your Secret, you must drop
a hint about your Secret or foreshadow its eventual revelation. This can
be a short fashback scene, some out-of-character explanation, an interior
monologue, or simply revelation of a little piece of your Secret in order to
establish the Trait.
If your Secret Falls to zero during this phase, then you must reveal it
by the end of your next scene in whatever manner you feel appropriate.
Feel free to request that your scene guide frame your scene in a certain
way in order to facilitate your reveal; keep in mind that you need to reveal
your characters Secret in the fction, as well as to the other players. This
means that you cannot take advantage of revealing your Secret in order to
get assistance against the Vampire during the Confrontation. In addition,
~~
additional coin out of his Trait, but he doesnt have
any left in it, so he ignores that penalty. With the
6, he could add a new Achievement to the Moment,
but he doesnt have anything else he wants to see
happen, so he chooses to add a coin to his Core Trait
(Vulnerability) instead. He places one coin in his
Reserves (for the one Consequence on the table) and
narrates how Annalise begins moving towards the
window, compelled by the eyes..
The Hold of the Vampire is fully described on
pages 25.
E
xample 2 of a Moment in full: Shreyas has Pushed
a Moment for Elizabeths character Sir Hector. He
set the Consequence that the court wizard wants to
embarrass Sir Hector in front of the court. Elizabeth
says, My Achievement is to prove that Im a true
knight. She doesnt have another Achievement
that she wants to make. She takes two coins of of
her Chivalrous Trait, leaving fve. She rolls two
dice, getting a 2 and a 1. Not good for Hector! Im
putting the 1 into the Consequence and the 2 into
the Achievement. Looking at the chart, this means
that Hector is going to be embarrassed and he will
fail to prove that hes a true knight. Shreyas narrates.
Okay, the withered old man steps forward and raises
his staf, saying with a sneer: Leave these halls, you
stripling. Te only prize youve gained is that of a fool
the princess was banished for a reason. Elizabeth
says Im spending two coins of my Claim Heraldic
Crest to change the 2 to a 4 for my Achievement.
As for the Consequence, I dont really want to lose
another coin from Vulnerability, so go ahead and add
another Consequence. Damien thinks for a second.
you no longer can use Reserves to raise your Secret. It will remain at zero
for the rest of the game. Anytime you would lose a coin out of it due to
a 1 assigned to a Consequence during a Moment, lose a coin from any
Satellite Trait linked to your Secret instead.
(o/oc-a///y
Much of this phase will revolve around your Vulnerability and the
Satellite Traits you make out of it. This is also the Trait that is what makes
you attractive to the Vampire. As such, if your Vulnerability drops to zero
during this phase, then the Vampire has gained some kind of hold over
you. In the fction, this means that the Vampire has either gained some
kind of magical or metaphysical control over you, or maybe that it has
found your emotional weak spot, or even that it has taken one of your
loved-ones hostage (or turned them towards the darkness...). Your next
scene should concern the exact nature and extent of this hold.
In any case, mechanically this means that anytime your character is
in a Moment, the scene guide can add an additional Consequence after
the normal Achievements and Consequences have been declared, as long
as you have enough dice in the Trait in question to add the Consequence.
This additional Consequence must refect the power the Vampire has
over you.
You can gain dice back in Vulnerability after hitting zero (you cannot
do this with your Secret). However, if you hit zero in your Vulnerability
~;~
Hmm... okay, so the additional Consequence is that
one of the barons in attendance will ask for your
pledge of loyalty. He writes this down and puts a
die with a value of 3 on it. Kat goes, Oh, cool, I have
an idea for that scene.... and Elizabeth asks, Okay.
Um, anyone else using Claims? Kat responds, Oh,
well, I dont really want to see you shamed in front of
the court. Im going to spend a coin of of my Claim
Blood dripping down the blade to reroll that one. I
think you swear a blood oath to the king. Elizabeth
says, Good idea! I draw my sword and slice my hand,
then get down on one knee. My liege, I swear by my
blood that I had only your best interests at heart.
Kat rerolls the 1 and gets a 4! It is now back to
Elizabeth to use any more Claims, but she fnishes,
Im happy with this; the Moment is done. Elizabeth
has a 4 in the embarrassed before the Court
Consequence, so Sir Hector barely avoids being
embarrassed. She also has a 4 in the prove that Im a
true Knight Achievement, so Sir Hector has proved
himself to be worthy of his title. And she has a 3
in a Baron asks for your pledge Consequence, so
that will happen, as well. Sarah thinks for a moment
before saying, So, I avoid being embarrassed, and
Ive proved Im a true Knight I think the blood oath
mightily impresses the King and whatever baron
is interested in me has an idea of my strength of
character. But well deal with that in my next scene.
Finally, Elizabeth deals with Reserves. She gets two
coins for Reserves for the two Consequences that
were on the table, and none of the outcomes were a
1, 2, 5, or 6 so none of those special efects kick in.
Sir Hector has 5 coins in his Reserves, and the scene
continues.
again -- you trigger this condition a second time -- the Vampire
gains another hold over you, and the scene guide can add up to two
Consequences to any moment your character has. And so on. Keep track
of the holds that the Vampire has over your character, as it will matter
during the Confrontation.
oaoy //c v/asc
Scene length should follow the general media rule of thumb for scenes:
a major change in location, characters present, tone, or action probably
means that it is time for the scene to end. It is the scene guides job to call
an end to a scene, though its generally pretty obvious when a scene is over.
The basic process of this phase is that you go through scenes, with each
active player Laying the Foundations for the upcoming Confrontation. As
with scenes, it will be probably be pretty obvious when it is time to move
on to the Confrontation phase of play, but the table agree that its time to
move on before you do so. Typical signs that it is time to move on include
the following:
All of the characters have established four to six Satellite Traits.
The Vampire is present in most, if not all, scenes.
The fction itself concerns a journey to fnd the Vampire.
Attempts to fnd out the details of the Vampires life, powers, or
agenda continually run into opposition.

~'~
v/asc ^. Goo/-oo/oy //c (ao/-c
This phase works in the same structural manner as Laying the
Foundations. Each player in turn enjoys a scene, selects their scene
guide, and plays through one or more Moments. The content of
these scenes should be, however, the build-up towards and eventual
confrontation against the Vampire. This involves making choices about
your characters traits and deciding how the character changes in reaction
to circumstances. While the structure of this phase is the same, your
characters have all by now been fully Discovered. This means that many
of the options from the last phase are no longer available, while other
options more appropriate to the confrontation are now open.
v/ayoy /-ooy/ //c Goo/-oo/a/oo
Play continues around the table, with each player choosing a scene
guide and playing through a scene in the same manner as in Laying
the Foundations. However, while scenes in that phase of the game are
primarily about discovering the characters and the situation that they are
in, the focus of the Confrontation phase is the discovery, investigation,
and confrontation of the Vampire. Sometimes all of the characters will be
allied together in their eforts; in other games, all of the characters will be
pursuing their goals alone and unaware of the others. Thus, there can be
multiple scenes that could be considered the Confrontation scene, even
for one character, if need be. In any case, the climax of this phase (and of
~,~
the game) should be a set of scenes that resolve the relationships between
the characters and the Vampire.
ao- //c-coccs
Now that play has moved onto The Confrontation, characters are
considered fully discovered. Primarily, this means that players can no
longer create new Traits during Moments. Also, the scene guide now can
pick a specifc Core Trait when Pushing a Moment on the active player,
and that player must use either one of their Satellite Traits linked to
that Core or the Core Trait itself to resolve to Moment. Also, players no
longer can make new Claims, though they can continue to take foating
Claims if and when any are generated.
///oy -a/s
During a Moment, a player can fip a Satellite Trait their character
is using in order to reroll any or all of the dice that have been assigned
to outcomes. Flipping a trait means that the player describes how that
trait becomes inverted, a reversed refection of how that character used
to act. A generally positive trait fips to being generally negative, and vice
versa. The player erases the old trait and writes down the new one, with
a note that its fipped. You cannot fip a trait thats already been fipped.
When you fip the trait, describe what that means in the fction, take up
any or all the dice you have assigned, and reroll them. You can fip only a
E
xample 1 of Flipping a Trait: Play has moved
into the Confrontation, and Damien is having a
scene where his character Annalise is trying to break
the Vampires hold over her friend Aimee. Travis is
the scene guide for Damien, and theyve set up the
Moment thusly: Damiens Achievements are Break
the Vampires link to Aimee and Track the Vampire
through Aimees blood. Traviss Consequences are
Aimee turns on you and Your protective crucifx
is destroyed. Damien chooses Annalises Trait, I
only make friends I can use. He spends four coins
of of the Trait and rolls four dice, getting 2, 3, 3,
and 4 not great for Annalise! He assigns the 4 to
Break the Vampires link to Aimee, the 2 to Track
the Vampire through Aimees blood, and the two
3s to the two Consequences. Damien and Travis
narrate the action, and then Damien asks if anyone
is using Claims. Nobody is. Well, I think this is an
ideal moment for this, says Damien. Im fipping
the Trait. As Annalise looks into Aimees eyes, she
gives a small, genuine smile and says, Aimee...
youre the frst person whos ever cared about me.
Youre my only real friend, and I cant let you go like
this, even if you never speak to me again. Im calling
the fipped Trait I would never use my real friends.
He rerolls the 2 and the two 3s , getting a 3 on the
Achievement and a 4 and a 5 on the Consequences!
While Annalise wont be able to track the Vampire,
she does successfully break the creatures hold over
Aimee and she avoids Aimee turning on her and
prevents the destruction of the crucifx.
Flipping a characters Satellite Traits is fully
described on page 22-23.
~c~
E
xample 2 of a Moment during The Confrontation:
Sir Hector is at the top of a mountain, valiantly
trying to stave of the onslaught of the Vampires
undead servants as his ally works a spell to break the
pall of darkness over the land. It is Elizabeths turn
with Kat as scene guide, and the Moment has been
generated as such: Achievements are Buy enough
time for Johann to work his spell and Destroy
all of the Vampires minions; Consequences are
Johann and Sir Hector are separated and Sir
Hector is infected with the Vampires blood. So
far, its not looking good. After rolling dice and the
frst round of Claims, the situation stands at Buy
enough time with a 2, Destroy the minions at 5,
Johann and Hector separated at 3 and Sir Hector
infected at 1!
Sacrifcing Claims is fully described on page 31.
E
xample 2 of Sacrifcing a Claim: Elizabeth says
All right. Crap. I think its time for this: Im
Sacrifcing my Claim of My Fathers Armor. It has
4 coins on it, so I have 8 coins to use. What happens
is that I throw myself into the zombies, shouting at
Johann to hurry up, and as I fght them of with my
sword, they rend the armor from body. Im spending
3 coins to turn Buy enough time from 2 to 5, and
Ill spend 2 to turn Johann and Hector separated
from 3 to 5 as well. Shreyas says I really want you
guys to be separated... Im spending a coin of Cold
Winds Blow to reroll that die. Te cold wind blasts
snow and dead leaves down the mountain, making
it impossible to see each other. He rerolls the 5, and
it comes up 3 again. Elizabeth still has 3 coins from
Satellite Trait, not a Core Trait. The active player can decide to fip a Trait
at any point during the Moment, including after they declare it closed. If
they fip it before it is closed, the dice that the player rerolls are still open
to being modifed by Claims.
Sacrifcing Claims
You can sacrifce a Claim in order to gain double the number of coins
on it to use in a Moment. When you sacrifce a Claim, you narrate how
that aspect of the fction is destroyed, killed, or otherwise removed from
the game. The Claim is taken out of play entirely once the Moment is
resolved, regardless of how many of the coins generated from sacrifcing
it are spent. A sacrifced Claim often gives you more coins than you need
for the specifc efect you want, so you keep those coins as an all-purpose
pool to spend on anything you want for the duration of the Moment. If
the Moment resolves with any of those coins unspent, they are lost.
coca/oy Jcc-c/s
You can reveal your Secret in a Moment in order to immediately
turn all of the dice assigned to outcomes to threes and fours in whatever
combination you wish. This ends the Moment, thus those values cannot
be modifed by Claims. Revealing your Secret drops your Secret score to
zero, and you cannot raise it again for the rest of the game. Obviously,
revealing your Secret requires you to narrate how the Secret is revealed
and what efect it has on the situation and the people around you.
~z~
sacrifcing her Claim, so she spends two of them to
change the 3 back to a 5, and says that the Moment
is over. Te last coin is discarded before she deals
with Reserves.
The Hold of the Vampire is fully described on
pages 25.
E
xample 1 of Revealing a Secret: Annalise is
having a climatic scene where she has bound
the Vampire in a mirror. Sarah is Damiens scene
guide, and has pushed a Moment, with the main
Consequence being You give in to the Vampire.
Damien rolls nothing but ones and twos, and it
isnt looking good for Annalise. He says Tis is it.
Im revealing my Secret. Its Im only happy when
the people around me are miserable. I peer into the
mirror and let the Vampires face blur in my vision
as I tune out the tempting ofers its making me. I
just sit there, my back to the window, brushing out
my hair and smiling absently, until dawn breaks over
my shoulder. Te last words it hears are Now, this
makes me happy. Damien sets the Consequence
die to 4 and his Achievement (which was to destroy
the soul of the Vampire) to a 4. Because he revealed
a Secret, those dice cannot be modifed by Claims
and the Moment is over. He narrates how Annalise
smiles as she listens to the creatures dying wail.
Sarah and Travis both think that thats an incredibly
great ending scene for the Confrontation.
0ooy Vo
The danger of struggling against the Vampire is that it fnally has
you where it wants you. There are two ways for a character to give in to
the Vampire. First is through the hold that the Vampire has over your
character. In every Moment that involves the Vampires presence, there
is a Consequence on the table that states You Give In to the Vampire
You do not need to spend a coin out of your Trait for it. It begins the
Moment with a value of 4 minus the number of holds the Vampire has
over you. It is treated as any other outcome for the purposes of resolving
the Moment. If you end the Moment with a 3 or less in it, then the
Consequence takes efect as you give in to the Vampire. Second, if your
Vulnerability is reduced to zero, you Give In to the Vampire (in the next
scene, or the Aftermath if you have no more scenes).
Giving In doesnt necessarily mean that your character is out of play,
or even that they stop struggling against the Vampire, but you cannot
raise your Vulnerability for the rest of the game. You essentially cannot
resist any commands given to you by the Vampire, and you pursue its
interests against the other player characters, whether your character is
willing or not. Your Aftermath is going to deal with the nature of your
new relationship to the Vampire. Also note that you can narratively
declare that you Give In to the Vampire without your Vulnerability being
at zero, if the events of play make that the most satisfying outcome for
you. If you do this, drop your Vulnerability to zero for the rest of the
game.
~.~
oaoy //c Goo/-oo/a/oo
Like in the Laying the Foundations phase, there is no hard and fast
rule about how long it takes to fnish The Confrontation phase. All the
characters need to have their confrontations with the Vampire, of course,
but the manner and nature of these confrontations will be diferent and
may occur at diferent times for each character during the phase.

E
xample 2 of Giving In to the Vampire: While
Sir Hector has been struggling valiantly, over
the course of the game Elizabeth has managed to
accrue two Holds on him. In each Moment in the
Confrontation thus far shes managed to escape
giving in. Te scene is that the Vampire, who turns
out to be the ancient magician from earlier in the
game, has challenged the knight to a duel at the
top of his mountain lair. Elizabeths Achievement
is to best the creature in single combat; the two
Consequences on the table are Sir Hector falls to
his death and Sir Hector gives in to the Vampire,
which starts out with a 2 on it (begins at 4, minus
2 for the 2 Holds on Sir Hector). Over the course
of the game Sir Hector has become more and
more vainglorious, and Elizabeth chooses not
to change the 2 - in addition, she ends up not
gaining her Achievement, and sufering the other
Consequence! Kat, her Scene Guide, narrates how
the preternaturally strong wizard easily defeats Sir
Hector and throws him from the peak. Elizabeth
says oh, and heres where I give in....my broken
body is lying on the mountain path, and I beg the
Vampire not to let me die. I think he drains whats
left of my blood, and the next night I arise as his
new champion. Shreyas says Wow, so you end
up some kind of undead Vampire Knight? Totally
good. Elizabeth says Well, I have one more idea for
the Aftermath, but well get to that. Basically, yes,
undead Vampire Knight.
~^~
v/asc v. /c //c-oa//
The last few scenes show the fallout of The Confrontation. The
Vampire may still be around, or may not be. Scenes in the Aftermath
should showcase the changes to your characters, how they react to what
happened in The Confrontation, and the changes to their relationships
with each other. There is no longer a need to have Moments; however,
the state of your character at the end of The Confrontation phase
imposes some limits onto the nature of your characters changes, and your
scenes should honor those limits at least as guidelines. Usually, one
scene per character is enough for the Aftermath, but theres no reason
not to have more if your group feels that it is appropriate.
The guidelines for your aftermath scenes are as follows. First,
showcase your fipped Traits, if you have any. One easy way to go through
the Aftermath is to state explicitly, this scene is about my fipped Trait
X. You can ask the table to frame a scene for a particular fipped Trait, or
set of fipped Traits, if you want. If you revealed your Secret, your scenes
should involve the fallout from having that Secret be revealed. If you did
not reveal your Secret, you should consider doing so now, though you
dont have to. Especially if youve been creating a lot of Traits linked to
your Secret, it will probably be very satisfying to reveal it; if you havent
included it as a big part of your character, however, it may not matter. If
you gave into the Vampire, your scenes should involve what that means
for you, now that the Vampire has been confronted. This could mean
that youve become its willing servant; it may mean that you are now on
Flipping Traits is fully described on pages 22-23
Revealing your Secret is fully described on page
20.
~v~
the run from it; or that you are grieving its destruction. However, now
that your Vulnerability is exposed, you can have scenes about overcoming
that Vulnerability and forming healthy relationships, if you think that
is appropriate. You can combine multiples of these into single scenes,
particularly fipped Traits and revealing a Secret, or a fipped Trait and a
Vulnerability focus. It will probably be useful to keep to focusing on only
two things at a time.
As in the Discovering Characters phase, now each active player
has the fnal say about anything happening in their scenes. While the
active player can (and should) ask the other players for input into their
Aftermath scene or scenes, it is up to each individual player whether
they wish to simply narrate their own ending, or cast the other players
in supporting roles. If the characters fnish the game with stronger
relationships to each other, players should feel free to simply roleplay out
the interactions between their characters.
oaoy //c 0aoc
And thats it. If you want to play again with some continuity from the
game you just played, keep all of the unsacrifced Claims and put them
into the foating Claims pile at the beginning of the next game. If you
want to use the same character, you need to re-create the character with
a new Vulnerability, and youll take a new Secret if you revealed it in this
game. If your characters Secret was not revealed, you should keep the
same one (though you will start with no Satellite Traits). Alternatively,
~~
you can make your character into a foating Claim for the next game, and
create a new character.
Thanks for playing! Questions, comments, and concerns are always
welcome. For contact info, game resources, and other material related to
the game, please visit the website at
www.fndannalise.com
~;~
Appendix
This section contains some diferent options for structuring the game
for various numbers of players and/or protagonists, as well as some rules
variations that may help groups that arent as familiar with this kind of
game.
0aocs /o- oo v/ayc-s
Annalise works very well for two players. Each player creates a
character as normal, and then you simply take turns scene-guiding for
each other. The rules change in one important way: instead of randomly
drawing Secrets, you simply author your own Secret. You still keep it
secret from the other player, since part of the fun of Secrets is revealing
them later, but you have total control over your characters Secret. The
rest of the game works as described.
0aocs o// Goc v-o/ayoos/
It is possible to play Annalise as a one-protagonist story, with I Am
Legend being the iconic example. The protagonist is created as usual, but
Creating Secrets is described on pages 43-45.
I Am Legend is discussed in the sidebar on pages
4-5.
~'~
everyone at the table has a say in the protagonists creation. Discuss who
they are, why they are alone, what their vulnerability is, and narrate an
introductory scene as normal. For their Secret, one person at the table
is in charge of the Secret. This player is the only one who can create
Secret traits for the character. If you prefer, each player can write a
Secret for the chosen player to draw randomly out of a hat. Or course,
the Secret player can also author the Secret by themselves, if that works
better for the group.
In play, everyone takes a turn playing the protagonist and chooses a
scene guide for the scene as normal. In Moments, the Secret player can
ask to create a Secret Satellite Trait if theyre not the active player, but
it is up to the active player to allow this or create a Vulnerability Trait
instead. Claims work the same. You are encouraged to Claim NPCs in
particular, as it will be helpful to have a supporting cast of characters
available for audience to play.
A one-protagonist game will probably play much quicker than a
standard game. If a longer game is desired, start the character with 5
coins on each Core Trait and in the Reserves instead of 3.
Creating Satellite Traits is discussed on pages
50-51.
Starting Coins are discussed on page 46.
~,~
Afterword
Annalise has been an incredible amount of fun to research, write, and
play. I am extremely excited to share it with you.
The conception for the game was a very unsatisfying experience I had
playing another game, Misspent Youth, by Rob Bohl. Misspent Youth is
actually a really tight, really fun game of youthful rebellion and sticking it
to the man, but I happened to be on a diferent wavelength than the rest
of the players. I ended up making a character named Annalise.
Unfortunately, she was a character that I was not able to play
satisfactorily in that game. Misspent Youth is about kids who act out
for the good of their friends and their world, not who turn inwards to
deal with their problems. Annalise was young, emotionally damaged,
vulnerable but extremely self-sufcient, and going through many
problems both real and imagined. In general, she was a character that
I wanted desperately to help -- to resolve her issues -- through play.
The problem was that her issues only could be reached or even seen by
exploring her internal, emotional demons.
And so, I wrote this game where the metaphor of the Vampire as
an external predator can cast a characters inner life in sharp relief. Not
every character needs to follow this pattern, and not every game must
focus (or even should focus) on the internal problems of the protagonists.
~;c~
Colophon
T
his book was produced on a 2.2 GHz Macbook Pro
running Mac OS X 10.5.4. It was created using
the Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium.
T
he typefaces used in this book are Mona Lisa Solid ITC
TT, Chaparral Pro, Hoefer Text, Snell Roundhand,
and Journal.
T
his digital game text is copyright 2008 by Nathan
D. Paoletta. All images are copyright their
respective artists, and are used by permission. You
are granted permission to copy and distribute any
textual portion of this book for personal use and/or
to aid in playing the game, including to create
handouts or play aids for yourself or other players,
as long as these copies are not represented as
original documents or sold for material gain. Please
visit the website for downloads of character sheets,
game aids and additional resources: fndannalise.
com.
T
his is the initial realease of the Eternal Tears PDF
Edition of Annalise.
N
othing here is real.
Ive played many an enjoyable game that felt more like a Stephen King
novel or the movie Van Helsing than Dracula or The Lost Boys. But it
is my hope that you, dear reader, will be as excited and moved by the
possibilities of this game as I have been, and will have as great a time
with it as I have had.
Thank you again for taking a chance on my game. May all of your
stories be soaked in blood and fueled by passion.