Rogue

Play a rogue if you want internal struggle with subterfuge and an external scheme to undermine a Puppet Master.

Style and grace

When you fight with style and grace ask:

Can you move unconstrained?
Are you weilding nimble weaponry?
Are you lighter and quicker than them?

Roll 1d6 for each 'yes' and choose 1 for each hit:

Inflict precise harm
Impress, frighten, or confuse them
Create and opportunity for escape
Avoid suffering harm
Avoid a tough spot
Avoid a turn for the worse

Sneak attack

When you attack from obscurity ask:

Is your target unaware of your presense?
Are you able to wait for the best opportunity?
Did you have plenty of time to prepare?

Roll 1d6 for each 'yes' and choose 1 for each hit:

Inflict any possible harm
Impress, frighten, or stun them
Incapasitate them

Risk ideas:

Suffer harm
Get caught and recognized

Roguish charm

When you seduce, bluff, manipulate or lie roll with +1 die.

Mark

When you (Comprehend)[../common-moves.md#comprehend] you may spend a hit on:

Who here is hiding wealth?
Who here is keeping juicy secrets?
Who here is aware of me?

Let your curiosity about the questions in the following acts pull you towards their answers. Don't decide on the answers, play to find them out. Let the table know what questions you're curious about. If you find it helpful, write the current questions you want to focus on on note cards and keep them available for the rest of the table to reference.

Remember all the other PCs have their own similar questions. Cultivate curiosity about theirs. Play to find out the answer to theirs as well. If there is a question about another character you are particularly curious about let them know but be careful not to impose on their character arc.

Feel free to write your own questions where you are inspired. These are drawn from classic archetypes as a framework but go for the arc you're interested in.

When you complete each of acts 1-4, gain a move from your Path.

The enemy

The archetypal enemy of the Rogue is the Puppet Master. A tyrant who manipulates others through subterfuge and lies for power. (editors note: Maybe there is a threats, or monster manual type section with this information)

Act One:

Focus: Understanding your home or mundane life and your place within it. (note to self: are these MC moves?)

Answer 4 to move to Act Two.

What makes your home seem small?
How do your caregivers or colleagues react to your lying?
What naive misconception do you have about subterfuge?
What about your home is unfulfilling?
What about your home keeps you complacent?

Act Two:

Focus: Disruption of your home or mundane life by a Puppet Master. Create it as a world anchor.

Answer 4 to move to Act Three.

What inner conflict do you have over manipulation?
What happens that you can't ignore or abide?
What conflict do you try to avoid and why do you fail?
How does a puppet master threaten your home and what status quo do they prey on?
What draws you away from home and what scheme must you execute before you return?

Act Three:

Focus: Difficulties that challenge your sense of identity. Struggles that force personal growth.

Answer 4 to move on to Act Four.

What scheme surprisingly fails?
Who questions your motives and how do you challenge them?
What failures cause self reflection?
What challenges expose your potential for purpose, parasitism, and violation?
What mistake forces you to reflect on your villainous inclinations?

Act Four:

Focus: The seemingly insurmountable internal struggle with subterfuge and to undermine the Puppet Master.

Answer 4 to move to The Climax

How does your plan to undermine the puppet master take you even further into the wider unknown world?
What false victory do you have against the puppet master and how do you discover that you haven't won?
How do you struggle to undermine the puppet master?
What value or belief do you betray for a desperate false victory?
How is the false victory hollow and how does it ruin your aims?
What fruitless lie causes self reflection?

The Climax:

Focus: Crossing an inexorable threshold to undermine the puppet master or be defeated

Answer this, win or lose, to move on to Act Five

How do you finally, once and for all, execute your scheme?

Act Five:

Focus: The lessons you learned about subterfuge and understanding who you really are deep down

Answer all of the following