LEVEL UP

PCs can't Level Up "in the field." They need to head home. If they accumulate more XP than they need to Level Up, encourage them to Burn Brightly whenever they can—the rest of their expedition will go more smoothly.

"A quiet stretch of time" usually means a few days with no crises or adventures or significant risks. But don't be a stickler; if everyone has enough XP and they get just one quiet night before heading back out, let them Level Up. And if a session ends at home, any PC who gets enough XP from the End of Session move should Level Up between sessions, even if the session ended on a cliffhanger.

If a PC has enough XP to Level Up twice, then they Level Up twice right away. No need to wait for another quiet stretch of time.

Like any move, if you do it, you have to do it. Players can't delay Leveling Up in order to, say, Burn Brightly on a Seasons Change roll. But with that said, players will sometimes need to ponder their choice of new moves. That's fine! They can't delay Leveling Up to game the system, but they can take time to think. Encourage them to pick before the next session. But if they're stumped, they can pick a new move during play.

Players can pick any move from their playbook whose requirements they meet. They don't need to ask permission or justify their choice. If their pick asserts a fictional change (like the Seeker taking Initiate of Secret Arts and getting a sacred pouch), ask the player what that looks like and how that happened—not as a challenge, but to clarify the fiction.

If a player wants a move from another playbook, but doesn't have an option that explicitly allows it, they're welcome to pitch the idea to the table. If everyone (not just you) agrees, okay. But consider whether the choice makes sense for their character, whether it creates a weird rules interaction, whether it infringes on another PC's niche, etc.

A move that requires a specific playbook is never available to other playbooks. No one but the Heavy can take Dangerous, and no one but the Would-be Hero can have Potential for Greatness.

Players can take a move that requires a certain level as they achieve that level. For example, they can take Superior Stat when they Level Up to level 6.

If a move replaces a different move, then it requires the one it replaces. If a player takes such a move, they lose the original move and any benefits it conferred.

There's no maximum level, but you might find that players start to run out of playbook moves that they're interested in taking. If that happens, encourage them to browse unused playbooks for moves that might make sense, and have them pitch them to the group. Or, if you have the time and inclination, create a playbook insert that expands their list of potential playbook moves.

The last step is for players to review their Instinct and Appearance, and to change them if they no longer feel right. To be clear, players can change these things at pretty much any time it makes sense for them to do so. The Level Up move just provides a formal reminder to consider doing so.

After killing the hagr and rescuing Rhianna's crew, the PCs stagger back to the logging camp. They set a watch order and settle in, and we end the session.

Caradoc is currently level 5. After the End of Session move, he's got 16 XP just enough to Level Up. "Yeah, but," I say, "this isn't home and it certainly isn't a stretch of downtime. You'll need to get back to Stonetop before you Level Up."

The PCs wrap things up at the logging camp. We play out their return home and a few follow-up scenes. Then we shift to downtime. Everyone has enough XP to Level Up, so we do that now.

Blodwen is level 5 with 19 XP. She loses 16 XP (5 x 2, +6), leaving her at level 6 with 3 XP. For her new move, she takes "Suck the Poison Out" (a move that "Requires level 6+"). Level 6 is an even number, so she also increases the max Stock of her sacred pouch by 1 (it's now 6). She's happy with her instinct ("Preservation"), but she changes her appearance from "fresh faced" to "hale and hearty." The past year of adventures and hardship have scoured some of the softness from her.