Examples

Talespinner: You open the door to the tavern, dim light cast over a series of low tables and an overall rough-looking crowd. Before you can approach the bar and ask about the Twisted Blade, a large woman approaches you, flanked by two others, all of them wearing weapons on their hips. She tells you, "sorry but looks like you're not on the list, so you've got 5 seconds to get out of here before we cause some trouble." The situation's a bit tense, but you've handled worse; the difficulty for actions this Round is 12.

Browndog: I've got a good one for this, so I'll Spotlight. I take three steps forward, grinning, and toss my fur cloak off my shoulder, revealing one of my biceps. It should be pretty clear to the rest of the party that I'm getting ready to flex on this ruffian. Not threatening or being too imposing, just showing that we're not people they should mess with, and maybe we can politely convince them to scoot along.

Beornhard: "Same old plan, eh?" Beornhard mutters under his breath. Thankfully, he knows just a spell for this occasion... or rather, it moved up to the front of his study queue once he realized he was going to be stuck with this group for the time being. Staying behind his friends, especially the big lady up front, he gestures subtly and whispers faint invocations, weaving a MIGHTY PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT ENCHANTMENT on Browndog. Her muscles will practically burst that armor, thanks to this arcane power. Oh, and uh, that's a Support of course.

Ashley: Dimly lit tavern, eh? I do like the sound of that... so I'll follow Beornhard's lead and fade a bit into the background, but use it as cover to slip under the cover of darkness and sneak around a little. Those thugs have drinks sitting around? I'm going to find one, a nice mug of something, and pose myself maybe 10 feet away from the group. I want to wait for a quiet, tense moment, then maybe make a little noise - take a nice drink from the mug, clunk it on the table, something like that - so they snap their heads around and suddenly realize I slipped away from them that easily. Really play up the idea that they underestimated us, Support Browndog by chipping away their confidence.

Jackal: Jackal's still a bit worn out from the scuffle with the Five Eye Priesthood; you can only burn so much of a church down before you gotta take a breather. This is NOT what she wanted, she grouses, as she wearily leans against the doorframe and takes a big swig from the flask she keeps in her cloak. Err, the one full of rum, not the... more flammable ones. Just Catching Her Breath this time, but getting a bit of extra Spirit from her Vice. That work fine?

Talespinner: Absolutely, sounds like everything is sorted out. Go ahead and give me those flips; and Ashley, thanks to taking advantage of the dim tavern, you'll get a Good Circumstance to yours.

Beornhard: Good, well with my mighty Magic Use of 5 and a flip of... 7, that's exactly a 12. It'll do I suppose, that's a Success.

Ashley: Awesome! I'll go then... Stealth is at 4, and I flipped a... 4 and a 11, so that's a 15 total. Excelled!

Jackal: Don't look at me, I'm still drinking to cope with what you people put me through.

Browndog: Alright, got 3 extra Good Lucks to flip with it sounds like; one from Beornhard's Succeeding, and two from Ashley's Excelling. Strength of 5, naturally, and flips of... 6, 2, and a 9. Still a 14, not great but it's a solid Success.

Talespinner: Definitely enough to handle things. You all see the ruffians' looks of irritation turn to hesitation as Browndog stands to her full height, and especially once they realize how easily Ashley slipped their notice. Browndog, the effort will take 2 Willpower from you, and of course the 3 Spirit for Spotlighting, but that looks like all the mental energy it takes to cow these folk into submission.

However, your relief is short-lived. It looks like they're mostly dissuaded from bothering you, but one of the people in the back seems to just get more agitated and pushes past the woman in front. As he confronts you, he angrily explains...

Talespinner: ...as the ruffian pushes past his friends and angrily confronts you, he says "Listen, we're sick of being ignored by you mercs or whatever you are. Don't care what cool guild you're part of, or whose payroll you're on, you don't know anything about our problems or our pub. Now get out of here before things get ugly." It does look like you've gotten his friends to stay out of this, which is probably progress, but this guy isn't really having it. Difficulty is 12 like before, though.

Ashley: Okay, this guy clearly isn't listening, and frankly I've had it, so I'll lead this one. You know I've got a bit of a temper... so I'll sigh, slip into the shadow around here a bit, and see if I can't get behind this guy without him noticing. Just need a quick moment of distraction so I can bonk him over the head with the nice, heavy mug I got my hands on. And I'll collect a little Spirit, thanks to my Rage Aspect.

Jackal: Well, seeing that Ashley is in one of her moods again, Jackal's got no choice but to help make sure this wraps up nice and easy, otherwise we'll be here all day. After Ashley starts creeping around, Jackal puts her flask back in her cloak and, in the process, conveniently jostles a couple of her grenades. Not the explodey kind, but the flashbangs; just enough to make a little flash of light to throw this guy's vision off so he won't see Ashley.

Beornhard: "Ah, friend, you've got it all wrong!" Now, this thug has exactly the right idea, Beornhard is from a very prestigious wizarding academy and loves talking about it. That said, Beornhard also learned long ago that people don't really like hearing about it, especially... well, peasants like this. But that's what the party is going for, he supposes, so he leans into the details: "I might be a three-ribbon graduate of the vaunted Marvin's Mansion of Magical Might, but trust me, I have a full understanding of the situation here!" ... And you know what? To give it the added effect, keep this guy distracted, Beornhard won't bother to hide his disdain for simple-minded folk like this; quite the contrary, he'll give his best smug, look-down-his-nose expression at the guy. Get a bit back from his Distaste Aspect, you know?

Browndog: You know, I think everyone's got this sorted pretty well. I'll keep my same stance, looking imposing, but let others take the forefront. Same idea as last round, kind of, but not trying to stand out quite as much, but also keeping this guy's attention a bit. Does that fit?

Talespinner: Sure, I don't see a problem there. Ashley, since this guy's kind of seen your trick before, you won't get Good Circumstance to sneak around, but you don't get any penalties either.

Browndog: Strength of 5, flip of... 3. Looks like no luck there, hopefully I at least look cool.

Beornhard: Beornhard has an Academics of 4, but has Good Circumstance from his Dazzling Droning Discourse. Flips of 8 and 1, exactly 12 again. Guess it'll do.

Jackal: Jackal DEFINITELY wants to get this over with, so I'll spend 1 Spirit to get a Good Luck on this. Practical Lore of 4 for the grenades, thanks to Grenadier... flipped a 10 and an 11, total of 15, easy Excellence.

Ashley: Well that's 3 Good Lucks from my friends, plus an extra from my Assassin Technique since I'm sneak attacking this guy. Still using Stealth of 4, flipping... 1, 5, 13, 10. Total of 17, that's gotta sting.

Talespinner: He doesn't even see you coming, thanks to the party's distractions, and the conk to the head puts him to sleep pretty much immediately. Mark down the Spirit as usual, but Ashley you'll only lose 1 Stamina to pull that off.

Now, the question is whether or not that little scene will make your real mission harder...

Talespinner: ...with that out of the way, you step into the tavern proper. Your contact just said to find some information on 'the gray hammer', whoever that might be, but that they were supposed to be here somewhere. You hear a few chuckles from

Browndog:

Ashley:

Beornhard:

Jackal:

Talespinner:

Browndog:

Ashley:

Beornhard:

Jackal: