Telling Tales

The core mechanic in Tavern Tales is a Tale. Basically, a Tale is something that you say about the world or your character, and by saying it you make it true. For example, you might say “I kick in the door and rush into the other room.” This is a Tale because it describes what’s happening in the story. Tales can be as short as long as you like; most Tales are 1 or 2 sentences.

Every Tale falls into one of three categories: Good, Neutral, or Bad. These terms are subjective, so Tales are Good, Neutral, or Bad through the eyes of the players.

Good Tales
Good Tales have a significant, positive impact on the story for one of the players. Think of Good Tales as moments in the story when the hero triumphs over adversity. The players are in charge of telling Good Tales. Here are a few examples:
 * I slash the orc with my sword.
 * I dive out of the way of the rolling boulder.
 * I grab the rope and swing across the open chasm.
 * I silently pick the lock on the massive iron door.
 * I chat with the locals and gather valuable rumors.

Neutral Tales
A Neutral Tale is anything that doesn’t have a significant impact on the story. Both the GM and the players are in charge of telling Neutral Tales. Here are a few examples: Neutral Tales can also be descriptive. Descriptive Tales don’t affect the story whatsoever; they simply help everyone visualize the action. Here are a few examples: Neutral Tales may not be as flashy as Good and Bad Tales, but they are very important to the game because they help set the scene. Whenever someone takes their turn, they should tell at least 1 Neutral Tale.
 * I draw my sword.
 * I move across the battlefield.
 * I kick over the tavern table.
 * I put on my camouflaged cloak.
 * I flash a warm smile at the guard.
 * My muscles ache from the long march.
 * Blood drips down my arm.
 * A dragon roars in the distance.
 * The soldier wears a green tunic and a silver helmet.
 * My sword shines in the light of the campfire.

Bad Tales
Bad Tales have a significant, negative impact on the story for one of the players. Think of Bad Tales as moments in the story when things take a dramatic turn for the worse. The GM is in charge of telling Bad Tales. Here are a few examples:
 * The dragon bites you.
 * You get lost while exploring the forest.
 * You step on a pressure plate, triggering a trap.
 * Your request offends the locals.
 * Your wound becomes infected.

Gameplay Sequence
Gameplay is divided into turns. When it’s your turn, you have a chance to tell Tales.

The turn order is roughly as follows: GM → Player 1 → GM → Player 2 → GM → Player 3, etc. Continue this process until each player has had a turn. Then, start the process over again.

It’s up to the players to decide their turn order. However, it might make sense for the GM to specifically call for a specific player to act. For example, if a monster is charging at a player’s character, then it makes sense for that player to take the next turn. Otherwise, it’s generally easiest to go clockwise around the gaming table with the GM taking a turn in between each player.

On Player Turns:
"Tell at least 1 Neutral Tale, preferably more. If you attempt something risky, the GM will tell you to roll dice (more on that later). Depending on the roll, you can tell 1 and only 1 Good Tale."

On GM Turns:
"Tell at least 1 Neutral Tale, preferably more. Depending on the player’s roll from the previous turn, you can tell 1 and only 1 Bad Tale."

On your turn, you can tell as many Neutral Tales as is logical. For example, opening a door is a common example of a Neutral Tale. If your turn only lasts a few seconds of in-game time, then you can open as many doors as is logical during that time.

Risks and Rolling Dice
Every story has dramatic moments when the hero could triumph or fail. These moments are called Risks. When a player encounters a Risk, they roll dice to determine the outcome. The dice rolling process is as follows:

Step 1: A player’s character does something risky
If a PC does something risky on their turn, the GM tells that player to roll a stat. There are 4 stats: You can read more about the stats in Chapter 5. For now, all you need to know is that each stat has a number that typically ranges from -1 to +3.
 * Brawn when you’re strong and powerful.
 * Finesse when you’re quick and agile.
 * Mind when you’re observant and clever.
 * Spirit when you’re charming and courageous.

Here are a few examples of risky actions:
 * I attack the dragon with my sword.
 * I dive out of the way of the boulder.
 * I climb the castle wall.
 * I search the forest for tracks.
 * I try to seduce the guild leader.
 * I convince the guard to let us pass.

Step 2: The player rolls 3d20
The player rolls three twenty-sided dice (abbreviated 3d20). The player selects the die with the middle value. For example, a roll of 1, 10, and 20 would use 10.

Step 3: The player adds the appropriate stat
The player adds the appropriate stat to the selected die. For example, suppose you have +1 Spirit and roll 1, 10, and 20. You add +1 to the roll of 10 to get a final result of 11.

Step 4: Check for 8+ or 13-
If the result is 8 or higher (8+), the player can tell a Good Tale. If the result is 13 or lower (13-), the GM can tell a Bad Tale on the GM’s next turn. These two values overlap, which means that a Good AND Bad Tale happen on a result of 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13.

The GM Never Rolls Dice
The story focuses on the players, so they’re the only ones who roll dice. The GM gets to tell Bad Tales based on the players’ rolls.

4 Rules for Telling Tales
All Tales must follow these four basic rules.

Rule 1: Be Logical
Tale must be reasonable and logical. Everyone has to adhere to the laws of physics and common sense. Of course, things like magic might bend the rules, so what’s considered logical changes based on context.

Rule 2: The GM Can Veto
It’s the GM’s job to make sure that everything is fair and reasonable. The GM can veto a Tale, but this should generally be avoided as much as possible. If the GM vetoes more than once or twice a session, then something is wrong; either the players are being unreasonable, or the GM is being too strict. A vetoed player can tell a different Tale instead.

Rule 3: You Can’t Negate
A Good Tale can’t prevent a Bad Tale, and vice versa. This is typically only relevant on results between 8 and 13. You can’t say, “My Good Tale is that the GM can’t tell a Bad Tale.” This is boring because nothing happens.

Rule 4: Use the Rolling Player’s Perspective
Use the rolling player’s perspective to determine what’s Good, Neutral, or Bad. For example, suppose that the PCs disagree about what to do with a captured villain. The paladin wants the villain to stand trial, while the rogue wants to assassinate the villain. The paladin attempts to convince the locals to arrest the villain and rolls the dice. On an 8+, the paladin can use the Good Tale to say that the locals arrest the villain, even though the rogue considers this to be Bad.

When a player rolls 13- and creates a Bad Tale, the GM is encouraged (but not required) to make that Bad Tale affect that player.

Deciding Risks
The GM’s most important job is deciding which Neutral Tales count as Risks. Use these guidelines:

It’s a Risk and requires a Good Tale if:

 * Something is at stake.
 * It’s risky and/or dangerous.
 * It’s dramatic, exciting, or interesting.
 * It imposes the player’s will on something else.
 * Succeeding could significantly help the player, and failing could significantly hurt the player.

It’s not a Risk and requires a Neutral Tale if:
• It’s mostly descriptive.
 * It’s a mundane activity like cooking or walking.
 * It doesn’t make things significantly better or worse.
 * It’s something that the PC does “on the way” to a more important action, like running to a dragon (unimportant) to hit it with a sword (important).

The Same Action Can Require Different Tales
The same action might require different Tales depending on the situation. For example, suppose that one of the players is playing a druid with the following trait:

Mixed Results
A mixed result occurs when a player rolls between 8 and 13, which means that a Good Tale and a Bad Tale happen. Typically, this means that the action has some sort of consequence associated with it, or that something bad happens immediately afterward. In the above example of the druid sealing the door, suppose that the player rolled a 10 for a mixed result. The player uses the Good Tale to seal the door. The GM could use the Bad Tale in any number of ways:
 * The door is sealed, but if you want it to stay sealed you need to continuously focus your magic on it.
 * You seal the door... but it looks like a few zombies were already in the cabin!
 * As soon as you seal the door, you feel a blade against your back and hear, “Who the hell are you?! Get out, now!”

Increasing and Decreasing Rolls
Not all rolls are equal. Tavern Tales uses the increase/decrease system for extremely easy/difficult rolls.

Increased Rolls
If an action is extremely easy, increase the roll. Increased rolls use the highest d20. For example, an increased roll of 3, 9, and 17 would use 17. Example: Shooting a house with an arrow.

Decreased Rolls
If an action is extremely difficult, decrease the roll. Decreased rolls use the lowest d20. For example, a decreased roll of 3, 9, and 17 would use 3. Example: Shooting a fly with an arrow.

Multiple increases and decreases cancel out. If you increase a roll twice and decrease it once, then the final roll is increased once.

Treat rolls increased twice or more as 20, 20, 20.

Treat rolls decreased twice or more as 1, 1, 1.

Bolstering
If you’re bolstered, you can spend your bolster to increase a roll to do something specific. Examples: Bolstering typically comes from traits or extensive preparation. For example, suppose that your group needs to pass through a dangerous jungle. The group’s bard purchases a map of the jungle, so the GM says that the bard is bolstered to explore the jungle.
 * You’re bolstered to fight a dragon.
 * You’re bolstered to get out of trouble.
 * You’re bolstered to break into the fortress.
 * You’re bolstered to explore the cave.
 * You’re bolstered to understand magic.

Expiring Bolsters
Bolsters eventually expire. Typically, you lose unspent bolsters after you miss your opportunity to use them. For example, suppose that you’re bolstered to navigate the jungle. If you pass through the jungle without using your bolster, you’ve missed your chance. You lose that bolster.

Bolstered NPCs
NPCs never roll dice, so they can’t increase their rolls. Instead, NPCs can spend their bolsters to make players decrease a roll. For example, if a monster has “You’re bolstered to fight,” then the GM could spend it to make a player decrease a combat roll involving that monster.

Previous Chapter: ← Getting Started | System Rules | Next Chapter: Challenges →