Montage Task

OOC
AKA: Paragraph Rule
See also: Wheels

During a session, one or more PCs can describe a montage to complete a task, without spending a lot of time at the table.

Overview

Some possible montage tasks are research or manufacturing. Other kinds of tasks are possible (GM's choice).

• A montage task is different than Wheels, which happen during the Launch Sequence and focus on downtime activities between sessions.
• A montage task is also different than full role-played scenes, which take much more time at the table.

Rules

The following rules apply to montage tasks:

1. The OOC goal is creating an interesting montage for everyone to enjoy. The IC reward is the outcome of the task.
2. Any PC can suggest spending some IC time in montages. The leader decides whether the team does so.
3. In order, each PC has a chance to complete a montage task. You can pass.
4. The task must take no more than one hour. (Longer tasks should be wheels.)
5. You must say or read a paragraph to describe what your PC does.
   1. You can write this in advance or you can improvise.
   2. You must create your own paragraph. Aim for 75-250 words.
6. Two or more PCs can work together on a montage task. They can write a paragraph together or write separate paragraphs.
7. The GM may require one or more rolls.
   1. The GM may reward creativity and expressiveness.
   2. The GM may reward specific connections to things like: features of PC's character sheet, intel, materials collected, the setting, etc.
   3. If two or more PCs are working together, they can use the Support action.

Examples

Zee is a Bugbear physician. Here are three examples of paragraphs he might read aloud for a montage task.

Inadequate

Zee creates an antidote to the flying snakes' venom.

Good

Zee remembers the last time the team fought the flying snakes, and he frowns under his bushy brows. He wants to be better prepared. Zee works in his lab to develop an antidote. He uses his Healing skill and his Science skill. His lab bench is neat and orderly, under the soft glow of bioluminescent plants. Zee moves with practiced precision. He sniffs some dried petals experimentally, before adding them to a bubbling solution to distill their essence. With long arms and steady fingers, he measures the other reagents. A timer dings. At last, he has an antidote to try!

Better

Zee remembers the last time the team fought the flying snakes, and he frowns under his bushy brows. He works with quiet urgency, drawing on his expertise in Healing and Science. Zee's hands are steady as he lays out his tools on the lab bench, under the soft glow of bioluminescent plants. He also brings out a preserved poison gland from a small biohazard bag. He carefully harvested the gland from one of the flying snakes after their last battle. Now he uses it to invoke the Law of Contagion. He cuts off a small piece of the gland and drops it into a steaming beaker. Then he prepares the other ingredients. The air is rich with the smells of crushed petals, rare roots, and sharp medicinal extracts as he grinds them all into a fine powder. Zee adds their essence to the bubbling solution. Carefully, carefully, Zee drips some of the solution into a vial of the extracted toxin. The deep amber liquid shifts to a cautious light green. The reaction holds steady! Zee exhales in relief. His thinks of his Code of Honor. Zee isn't just making medicine: he is ensuring that his team survives.