Objectives

Objectives are goals to strive towards. Objectives look like tasks, plans, or long-term projects that are not easily resolved. They are a reflection of what Legends are trying to do. Beyond giving guidance for the Legends’s actions, Objectives serve as a helpful tool for the Monitor to direct the game, creating new obstacles and threats for the Legends to overcome.

Objectives are chosen for Legends by players. Objectives are chosen during any mode of play. They may even change over time as situations or character motivations change.

When choosing Objectives, make sure that they are achievable, because failing to achieve them has consequences that the Monitor will enact. The consequence for failure should be laid out when the Objective is chosen. This consequence may change over time as conditions of the narrative change, but they should typically be known by the players, if not the Legends.

When an Objective is chosen, it is given traits by the Monitor. In assigning these traits, players are provided with a sense of how the Objectives are accomplished, and how quickly they must be dealt with. For more, see OBJECTIVE TRAITS.

Additionally, when an Objective is chosen, it is assigned a difficulty. The difficulty directly corresponds to the reward given for completing the objective or the penalty or consequences for failing to achieve an Objective. For more, see OBJECTIVE DIFFICULTY.

Many Activities use Objectives to track progress towards a long-term goal; Activities that use Objectives have the [Objective] trait. The progress being made towards or against achieving an objective varies based on its difficulty; the more difficult an objective is, the more difficult it is to make progress. For more, see PROGRESS TRACKERS.

OBJECTIVE TRAITS

[immaterial] Immaterial objectives are based on ideas or accomplishments that cannot be easily measured, but a sense that they have been accomplished can still be achieved. They are typically based on ideals or rely on persuading other people to join a cause or accept something, such as persuading a colony’s population to rise up in rebellion or to bring peace to a sector.

[material] Material Objectives are ones based on a goal’s physicality. A [material] Objective can be failed if it is no longer possible to achieve due to material conditions changing, such as a hostage your Legend vows to rescue dying or when the fortress your Legend must defend being overrun.

[timely] Timely Objectives have a strict time limit that the Objective must be achieved in. A [timely] Objective can be failed if your Legend does not complete the Objective quick enough, such as failing to defuse a bomb in time, or the failure to cut off an advancing army before they can sack a city.

OBJECTIVE DIFFICULTY

Objectives vary in difficulty based on how hard they are to accomplish or achieve. There are five different classifications for difficulty that scale from Simple to Legendary.

Choosing an appropriate difficulty is best done via a conversation with the Monitor, using the descriptions below for guidelines.

Additionally, some Activities have a minimum objective difficulty; anything less than that difficulty likely does not warrant an objective on its own.

SIMPLE

• clear-cut, straightforward
• easy to achieve
• stakes are minor and seemingly inconsequential
• the focus of a single scene

BASIC

• most common objective difficulty
• offers some challenge while still handily achievable.
• stakes can result in injury or minor property damage
• newsworthy
• the focus of a few scenes

CHALLENGING

• requires moderate effort to achieve
• stakes can result in death or major property damage
• worthy of ongoing news coverage
• the focus of a whole game session, episode or several long scenes

MONUMENTAL

• require an extreme amount of effort, manpower, and other resources
• The fate of many is at stake
• likely to make history
• the focus of several sessions or episodes.

LEGENDARY

• greatest, most difficult objectives to fulfill.
• often the work of large factions due to the effort, manpower, and other resources that it requires to complete them
• stakes of thousands or millions of fates
• Effects will be studied in history books for centuries to come.
• the focus of a whole campaign or season

PROGRESS TRACKERS

Objectives are tracked using a Progress Tracker. A progress tracker has a number of segments in it that correspond to the difficulty of the Objective. It is usually obvious when progress has been made. Some examples are provided:

• Success on tests made as part of Activities (double the progress made for Crits)
• Moving forward quickly and decisively
• Gaining key allies or equipment

MAKING PROGRESS

Segments of the Progress Tracker are filled when the Monitor believes that progress has been made. An Objective is considered completed when all segments of the Progress Tracker have been filled in.

LOSING PROGRESS

Segments of the Progress Tracker are erased or taken away when the Monitor believes that progress has been lost. It is usually obvious when progress has been lost. Some examples are provided.

• Failure on tests made as part of Activities (double the progress lost on Fumbles)
• Taking too much time or waffling
• Losing key allies or equipment

TESTING PROGRESS

A Monitor may introduce consequences or rewards for a Fumble or Crit that occur in the pursuit of Objectives by using the Progress Tracker to do a Progress Test, a special kind of test in which the Monitor rolls the die listed for the Objective’s Legend Skill Reward. For a progress test, roll the die listed for the Objective’s Legend Skill Reward.

Progress Test Test the die listed for the Objective’s Legend Skill Reward versus the number of segments on the Progress Tracker

Crit: the result is equal to the amount of progress made. As success, but a helpful twist, a way around an obstacle, or a new opportunity opens up
Success: the result is under the amount of progress made. The objective is considered complete.
Failure: the result is over the amount of progress made. The objective is considered failed. Choose one:

• Double Down - The objective is not failed, only changed. Increase the difficulty of the objective by one step, name a new objective, and drive on.
• Give Up - Make an Objective Failure Stability Test
  Fumble: the result is equal to the maximum amount of progress. As failure, but an unhelpful twist, obstacle or threat. Make an Objective Failure Stability Test, resolving the outcome automatically as a Failure.

For example, Legends are defending a city from invasion, a Challenging objective, and have filled in 4 segments of progress out of a possible 6. They make a progress test, rolling a d6. The roll would be interpreted as below: 1-3: Success. The invaders are repelled from the city in a retreat. They may regroup and try again later, but the Legends have bought some time for the citizens and city leadership.
4: Crit. The enemies have been routed, all killed, or surrender
5: Failure. The city is overrun. Legends must choose to Double Down and keep on fighting, or Give Up and surrender, retreat, or find another way to fight.
6: Fumble. The city is overrun. Legends are captured by the enemy, disarmed, and placed into a detention area.

OBJECTIVES FAILURE

Objectives can be failed a few different ways. Progress tracker would go negative from lost progress (for timely objectives) Declared abandoned by a Legend Conditions change that make an objective no longer possible (for material objectives)

Objective traits can be helpful for the Monitor to know when they have been achieved or failed. The consequences for failure will likely be obvious, depending on the Objective.

Regardless of traits and progress, all Objectives can be failed when a Legend declares them to be abandoned; a Legend can always choose to abandon an Objective, at which point the Objective is considered failed.

Failing most Objectives calls for a Stability Test, but failure is not the end.

OBJECTIVE COMPLETION REWARDS

Upon completion of an Objective, all Legends that contributed to that Objective earn points in their Legend skill rating. The amount received is based on the Objective’s difficulty. See the OBJECTIVE TABLE below.

OBJECTIVES FAILURE

Objectives can be failed a few different ways. Regardless of traits and progress, all Objectives can be failed when a Legend declares them to be abandoned.

Objective traits can be helpful for the Monitor to know when they have been achieved or failed. The consequences for failure will likely be obvious, depending on the Objective.

A Legend can always choose to abandon an Objective, at which point the Objective is considered failed.

Failing most Objectives calls for a Stability Test, but failure is not the end.

OVERLAPPING OBJECTIVES

Objectives are often steps towards achieving other, larger Objectives. For example, completing the Challenging Objective “Defend a city from an attack” or “Evacuate civilians before the orbital bombardment” may play a larger part in a Monumental Objective of “Stop the invaders from taking the planet.”