Handling Failure
You Can Never Go Home
Also called Fail Forward, it is the concept that any Draw is a turning moment in the narrative. Things will progress at the end of the draw, either in favor or against the favor of the characters. What is not allowed to happen is that a failed draw produces no results and returns to the characters to their same situation.
- For example, Jjerick is picking a locked door. She fails and draws a Black Suit. It is not enough that the door should remain locked, something bad has to happen now. This isn’t a simulation, but a turning point in the narrative. Maybe she ran out of time and a guard opens the door. Maybe she snaps her picks in the lock, jamming it; now she needs to figure a new way out. Maybe she does open the lock but it makes such a racquet someone has been alerted. Maybe she opens the lock but slashes her hand taking 1 Hit. Et cetera.
It might be helpful to say things like “You fail BUT something good happens” or “You succeed BUT something bad happens."
Managing Extreme Failure
Character death is tricky. It is recommended that you avoid random and ignoble character death. Failing forward will prevent that from happening for the most part, but if players back themselves into a corner, consider Maims instead of direct death. Giving a character multiple maims instead will not only force them to back off, but provide adequate warning. With that said, a character that cannot learn will at least serve as a warning for others.