After re-listening to John Harper’s chats with various folks on his One Seven Design podcasts, it struck me that a…

After re-listening to John Harper’s chats with various folks on his One Seven Design podcasts, it struck me that a rather simple conversational tool I was not explicitly calling out when playing / teaching the game was the concept of establishing initiative (either for the players or the GM). It’s subtly mentioned in the text a few times, particularly on p.5 under the ‘back and forth of the conversation’. The concept is outlined in determining player action, and in particular mention to the GM making moves or establishing consequences to be dealt with. It determines many things; whether you are reactive (losing the initiative) or pro-active, dealing with consequence or establishing fiction through action.

On reflection though, its more than that: its rather a powerful mechanical parameter that deserves being identified as the reason a certain mechanical path is being taken. SO much so, that when the Motes lost their initiative last night on a 1-3 engagement roll on their infiltration score into the underworld depths of the Leviathan temple, Drav’s player asked if he could gather information on how best to seize back the Initiative ‘resource’ from the daemonspawn…

I think I may even have a token, a measure of power perhaps, something we can slide across the table to those in control of the sitch – you now have the initiative – use it wisely. A loaded nerf crossbow may just be the ticket!