AFTER THE MIND,

THE WORLD AGAIN

A Disco Elysium-inspired murder mystery TTRPG about a
detective and the voices in his head

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Game design, writing, layout: Aster Fialla

Playtesting: Jake Gardner, Malcolm Campbell, Dennis Kearney, Tom Esemplare

With thanks to: Arden Howells, Zoheb Mashiur, Patrick Sinnott, Chris Cook, Dan
whose last name I never learned, and everyone else who gave me thoughts and ideas
about the game whose names I don't remember.

This game is based off of the Powered by the Apocalypse engine by Vincent Baker and
Meguey Baker. It draws heavy game design inspiration from Bluebeard's Bride by
Whitney Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, and Sarah Richardson, as well as Everyone is John by
Michael Sullivan. There are a smattering of other games I list in the GAME
INSPIRATIONS section at the end of this book.

And of course, I have based the game premise off of the world, structure, and
story of Disco Elysium by ZA/UM. They get extra-special thanks!

The fonts used are David Libre and Alegraya Sans Black. Graphics are from Vecteezy
and Pixabay.

asterfialla.com

@pieartsy on social media

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THE BASICS 1
THE PREMISE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••1

SETTING UP TO PLAY •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••2

CHARACTER CREATION 3
THE DETECTIVE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••3

THE FACETS•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••3

INTRODUCTIONS•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••6

The Detective .................................................................................. 7

Intellect ........................................................................................ 8

Psyche......................................................................................... 10

Fysique........................................................................................ 12

Motorics ...................................................................................... 14

MAKING THE MYSTERY 16

COLLABORATIVE MYSTERY ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16

THE NEIGHBORHOOD ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16

THE EVIDENCE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 17

PLAYING THE GAME 20

STAT CHANGES••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20

MOVES ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 22

DETECTIVE MOVES•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24

FACET MOVES •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 27

SOLVING THE MYSTERY 29

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EVIDENCE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 29

DEDUCTIONS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 30

THE DEDUCTION PYRAMID •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 31

STRESS AND CONDITIONS 33

MORE DETAIL 34
PLAYER AGENDAS IN DETAIL 34
THE DETECTIVE’S AGENDA •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34

THE FACETS’ AGENDA •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 35

MOVES IN DETAIL 37
DETECTIVE MOVES IN DETAIL 37
WHICH STAT DO YOU ADD?•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 37

ACT UNDER PRESSURE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 39

BREAK SOMEONE OR SOMETHING ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 41

TAKE STOCK •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 42

MANIPULATE SOMEONE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 47

MAKE A DEDUCTION •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 49

FACET MOVES IN DETAIL 50

DECLARE EVIDENCE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 50

SUGGEST A COURSE OF ACTION •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 51

SABOTAGE A FEATURE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 52

GAME INSPIRATIONS 54
THE BASICS
THE PREMISE
After the Mind, the World Again is a GM-full tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG)
inspired by the premise, setting, and story of Disco Elysium. Five players, including
you, are going to play The Detective and the Facets within him that influence both his
mind and his interactions with the world. Together, you’ll all create, and
simultaneously solve, a murder mystery.

While it’s encouraged that you play Disco Elysium, it’s not required to enjoy this game.

The roleplaying conversation

Boiled down, roleplaying is a conversation between several people who decide what
happens to characters in a fictional world. Everyone gets a chance to contribute, like in
any good conversation, and everyone is a player collaborating to create an engaging
narrative. What makes this a roleplaying game — as opposed to freeform roleplay — are
the rules which mediate the conversation and guide where the narrative goes.

What does GM-full mean?

A GM, or Game Master — sometimes known as a Dungeon Master, Master of
Ceremonies, or myriad other names — is traditionally a player with a special role in the
TTRPG experience. They create the world around each Player Character (PC) and help
resolve actions in both the fiction and the mechanics.

GM-full means that instead of one GM or no GMs, there’s multiple. In this case, there’s
four of them, known as the Facets. Since there’s five players total, having four GMs
means that there’s only one PC: The Detective. The Facets will be sharing the GM role –
that is, creating the world and resolving actions — for The Detective.

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SETTING UP TO PLAY
Gather exactly five players including yourself, no more and no less. Since you have this
book and are gathering the group together, you will be the Facilitator, which means
you’ll be explaining and elaborating on the rules as everyone plays. Hopefully you’ll be
familiar with all or most of the rules in this book before facilitating! If you’re pressed
for time or eager to start, feel free to skip or skim the MORE DETAIL section.

This is intended to be a oneshot – a single adventure that ends when the mystery is
solved. Set aside at least three hours for a single session of play. If the game stretches
past four hours, you can split the game up into multiple sessions.

When you get your group together, walk everyone through CHARACTER CREATION and
MAKING THE MYSTERY. Then feel free to start playing the first scene – you can explain
other rules and mechanics as you go along.

Materials
You’ll need two 6-sided dice, four paperclips, some writing utensils, and printed copies
of the Playbooks and Deduction Pyramid sheet. The paperclips should be clipped to the
The Detective’s Playbook, each at +1 on a Facet’s track.

If you’re playing online, you can find a Google Sheets version of the sheets instead:
Spreadsheet.

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CHARACTER CREATION
There are two types of player roles in the game: The Detective and the Facets. Each has
their own abilities, responsibilities, and Agendas. Agendas act as guidelines and goals
for what your roleplay should look like. More explanation can be found in the PLAYER
AGENDAS IN DETAIL section.

THE DETECTIVE
First, someone should volunteer to play The Detective, preferably the person newest to
TTRPGs. You’ll be the only Player Character: talking to various folks, investigating
objects, taking actions, and ultimately deciding what the truth of the mystery is.

You will play within the body and limitations of The Detective as a single person, and
describe his actions directly. You’re the only one to roll dice in the game, which
happens when you trigger one of The Detective’s Moves.

The Detective’s look and quirks will be collaboratively created once Facets have been
assigned.

The Detective’s Agenda

Your Agenda is your list of overarching goals for playing the game.

1. Explore the world to its fullest.

2. Make the most of your Facets.
3. Play to find out the truth.

THE FACETS
The four remaining players will each pick a Facet playbook: Intellect, Psyche, Fysique,
or Motorics. Since these are GM roles, these players should ideally be comfortable with
GMing games, or at least willing to give it a shot.

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You will play as different Facets of not only The Detective’s mind, but of the
neighborhood, atmosphere, and experiences around him. You’re not bound by any
specific person, place, item, fact, or phenomenon, and can create, describe, and play
as anything in your sphere of influence.

As GMs, the Facets resolve actions made by The Detective and describe the
consequences of Detective Moves. They have a shared set of Facet Moves. Individually,
each Facet has special Principles to follow and GM Moves to make, and is in charge of
declaring certain pieces of Evidence as described in MAKING THE MYSTERY.

Facets never roll dice.

The Facets’ Agenda

The Facets share an Agenda for running the game.

1. Create an intriguing world for The Detective to explore.

2. Highlight the differences between the Facets.
3. Play to find out what happens.

Principles & GM Moves

Principles are the unique paths each Facet player takes to reach the shared Facet
Agenda. Each Facet gets to interpret how to apply their Principles when acting as both
the Detective’s thoughts and as the world around him. Each Facet’s GM Moves are a set
of specific, individual actions that they can take to follow their Principles and chase the
shared Agenda. More information on GM Moves can be found in the FACET MOVES
section.

In the Mind
Each Facet has a distinct personality and biased perspective on the Detective, the other
Facets, and the world. While all of them want to help The Detective solve the murder
mystery, they disagree on how to do so, and will suggest wildly contrasting ideas and
answers.
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In the World
Each Facet has a separate aspect of the surrounding world that they are in charge of
creating and describing for the Detective. This sphere of influence is called their
Domain. Narratively, a Domain represents details that The Detective is more likely to
notice when using that Facet to perceive the world.

Say The Detective is looking at a vehicle, for example. Intellect is more likely to tell The
Detective about the history of the model and its aesthetic design, while Motorics would
likely tell The Detective about the vehicle’s inner workings and how fast it can go.
When observing a person, Psyche might note that they come across as frightened and
cornered, and Fysique may add that they’re tensed and ready to fight.

A specific person, place, or thing in a Domain is called a Feature. While a Facet may
lightly ‘trespass’ on describing details and Features that fall under another Facets’
Domain, the latter Facet gets the final say. Each Facet should endeavor to stick to their
own Domain so that the world can be developed in a more vivid and surprising way.

Outside of the narrative, the Domains are a way for the Facets to split up the load of
creating the Detective’s world, and to highlight the Facets’ differences in perspective.

Note:
A Facet doesn’t have to abruptly halt a description that technically falls under another
Facet’s Domain as that would make for a pretty stuttering game! Each Facet gets final
say on the Features and details of their Domain, but if they don’t protest a description
made by another Facet, then the description stands.

Stats
All Facets start with an associated number called a Stat, which starts at +1 and
fluctuates between -1 and +3 over the course of the game, as seen in the STAT CHANGES
section. A Stat is added to The Detective’s roll when The Detective triggers a Move.
Which Facet’s Stat is added depends on the Detective’s approach, as seen in the MOVES
section.

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INTRODUCTIONS
Answer the questions given in your Playbooks to help develop The Detective and the
Facets.

First, The Detective’s player chooses his name, pronouns, and general gender
presentation. In order, Intellect chooses what his eyes look like, Psyche chooses his
face, and so on. Then everyone goes around again and chooses his personality quirks.
The Detective has final say over selected looks and quirks. Don’t take too long
explaining how these elements cohere into a person — figure it out during play.

Each Facet has their own fill-in-the-blank questions about their biases toward and
against other Facets. You can discuss with the table if you need ideas, but answer with
the mindset that your Facet’s bias is definitely coloring its perception of the dynamic.

At the end, go around the table and briefly describe who — or what — you’re playing for
everyone else.

Note:
While The Detective is referred to with he/him pronouns throughout this rulebook, The
Detective can be any gender with any pronouns in your game. He also doesn’t have to
be a police detective — he could be a private investigator, an intrepid reporter, or a
very, very determined civilian.
THE DETECTIVE
Misir, Bruce, Nancy, Fletcher, Rawlins, Zheng,
Name (Detective)
something else
He/him, she/her, they/them, ze/hir, vae/vem,
Pronouns (Detective)
something else
Man, woman, ambiguous, concealed, genderless,
Presentation (Detective)
transgressive
Shining eyes, thousand-yard stare, crow’s feet eyes,
Eyes (Intellect)
half-lidded eyes, darting eyes
Bloated nose, chiseled jaw, ruddy cheeks, pinched
Face (Psyche)
lips, baby face
Swollen knuckles, tiny hands, spindly fingers,
Hands (Fysique)
calloused palms, manicured nails
Moth-eaten scarf, expensive suit, work uniform,
Style (Motorics)
garish vintage jacket, fedora and trenchcoat
Private detective, news reporter, police detective,
Role (Detective)
insurance adjuster, amateur sleuth, something else
Obscure interest Fine cheeses, ancient myth, car engines, music
(Intellect) theory, birdwatching, something else
Prefers decaf, believes in aliens, hates even numbers,
Odd behavior (Psyche)
daydreams, sweet tooth, something else
Backflips, cooking fugu fish, woodcarving, smoke
Niche skill (Fysique)
rings, basket weaving, something else
Putty knife, fake money, glowstick, dice bag,
Unusual item (Motorics)
charcloth, something else

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 INTELLECT
The Mind
Carefully reviewed facts, meticulously
balanced logic. Your intelligence is the
only thing that’s needed to solve this
murder mystery. It would be an open
and shut case if The Detective would just
listen to you and tell the others to can it.
The World
Thought over action, words words
words, aesthetics & art, nerdy shit,
complicated things, things that get your
mental gears turning, idealistic
collectives.

Evidence: Prior
Why is this fact relevant now? What question does it raise about the crime?

Feature Examples
⁍ Socio-economic theory ⁍ Books & news
⁍ Murals, art pieces ⁍ Board games, “interactive fiction”
⁍ Experiments ⁍ Brainy folks (scholars, nerds)
⁍ Fun facts! ⁍ Psychology
⁍ Symbols ⁍ World history
⁍ Theatre, acting, & lies ⁍ Journals, notes, records

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 Bias

You’re vastly more intelligent than these other bozos, but…

⁍ …_______ refuses to respect your genius. How do they trick The Detective into
disbelieving you?

⁍ …there’s some sort of method to ______’s madness. What’s a time their

nonsense pointed you in the right direction?

Principles

⁍ Depict lore as an ⁍ Keep to internal logic ⁍ Present the world as a

endless rabbit hole and and consistency. puzzle to be solved.
keep digging.

GM Moves

⁍ Reveal a dangerous ⁍ Test their morals, ⁍ Unearth unpleasant

miscalculation. ideologies, and truths.
assumptions.

⁍ Bring history back to ⁍ Put a price on any ⁍ Introduce a

haunt them answers. contradiction or paradox.

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 PSYCHE
The Mind
Empathy, manipulation, premonitions
too. The other Facets may mock your
sensitive heart, but they forget that the
murderer is a person, not a place, thing,
or fact. The term 'crime of passion'
exists for a reason, and oh, oh will they
never forget that!
Evidence: Person of Interest
What about them seems suspicious? How are they acting oddly right now?
Feature Examples
⁍ Cryptids
⁍ Relationship dynamics
⁍ Religion
⁍ Sentimental keepsakes
⁍ Emotional folks (lovers, haters, kids)
⁍ Hierarchy & the pecking order
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The World
Atmospheric mood, living and thriving
things, things that provoke or remember
strong emotion, strange shit,
inexplicably & intangibly real things,
nonsensical things, control over
feelings.
⁍ Animals
⁍ Emotional & social atmosphere
⁍ Supranatural phenomena
⁍ Visions & dreams
⁍ Nature (flowers, trees)
⁍ Poetry
 Bias

Not even you can spare sympathy for these jerks, but...

⁍ ...____ seems to care in their own freakish way about The Detective. What's a
time you both protected him?

⁍ ...____'s behavior is beyond the pale. How do you try to keep them in line?

Principles

⁍ Embrace melodrama ⁍ Make relationships ⁍ Invoke the world's

and vibes. tense and dynamic. wonders and secrets.

GM Moves

⁍ Hold them to past ⁍ Offer conditional ⁍ Tug hard on their

promises. support. heartstrings.

⁍ Manipulate them to ⁍ Give them strange ⁍ Turn the situation

unseen ends. hunches and stranger downright bizarre.
visions.

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 FYSIQUE
The Mind
Power, violence, hypervigilance. You
know what drives someone to murder
better than anyone — the thrill and
terror of wanting life badly enough to
take another life. What do you think
they’ll respect more: babbling, crying,
wringing hands — or a real show of force?
The World
Things that can harm, threatening
things, things that loom over you,
powerful shit, immovable yet breakable
objects, indulgent things, health and the
lack of it.

Evidence: Landmark
What unique role does it play in the neighborhood? What is something currently
locked, hidden, or inaccessible in it?

Feature Examples
⁍ Food ⁍ Drugs & other poisons
⁍ Buildings ⁍ Brawny folks (thugs, weightlifters)
⁍ Weapons ⁍ The City herself
⁍ A good strong state ⁍ War & strategy
⁍ Weather ⁍ Natural disasters
⁍ Imbalanced power dynamics ⁍ Sicknesses

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 Biases

These weaklings are pathetic and you could crush them at any time, but...

⁍ ...____ is even softer than the others. How do you exploit their vulnerability?

⁍ ...at least ____ knows how to have fun. What’s a time you both made The
Detective truly happy?

Principles

⁍ Turn locations into ⁍ Life is nasty, brutish, ⁍ Show them how small
characters in their own and short; show them they are in the scheme of
right. why. things.

GM Moves

⁍ Back them into a ⁍ Remind them of their ⁍ Cause damage or

corner, literally or limits. harm.
figuratively.

⁍ Tempt their worst ⁍ Escalate the situation. ⁍ Rapidly shift the

instincts. environment around
them.

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 MOTORICS
The Mind
Quick on the uptake and on the draw —
you'll catch the murderer while the
other Facets are catching their breath.
Leave them in the dust behind you,
Detective! it's time for a hands-on
approach.
The World
Things that move and think fast, things
with lots of fiddly bits, what you shuffle
in, stylish shit, smooth-cool-suave-slick,
unrestrained & unstoppable forces.

Evidence: Clue
In what peculiar spot did you find it? What about the Clue itself piques your
suspicion?

Feature Examples
⁍ The invisible hand of the market ⁍ Sports
⁍ Dextrous folks (mechanics, dancers) ⁍ Motorcarriages
⁍ Clothes & fashion ⁍ Rumors
⁍ Tools (wrenches, pry bars) ⁍ Mechanical operations
⁍ Disco ⁍ Societal obligations
⁍ Class, social and otherwise ⁍ Planes

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 Biases

You're too hip for these squares, but...

⁍ ...____ is so uncool it's almost compelling. How do you try to fix them?

⁍ ...____ slows everyone down with their fumbling. What’s a time you had to pick
up their slack for The Detective’s sake?

Principles

⁍ The world is fast- ⁍ Let them explore all ⁍ Make the sensory
paced, don't let up. the bells and whistles. details of the world vivid
and real.

GM Moves

⁍ Take away their ⁍ Shake up the status ⁍ Assault their senses.

things. quo.

⁍ Draw attention to ⁍ Call collect on their ⁍ Throw a curveball.

something better left debts.
ignored.

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MAKING THE MYSTERY
COLLABORATIVE MYSTERY
The murder mystery isn’t predetermined in this game, neither within the game rules
nor by any player. Rather, you will set up the pieces of the murder mystery via the
crime scene’s initial Evidence, and go from there. As The Detective goes around
exploring the world and declaring more Evidence, a picture will begin to unfold about
what possibly happened.When The Detective decides that he wants to turn a possibility
into a fact, he will create Deductions with the Facets’ help. These Deductions will stack
up into a pyramid, described in THE DEDUCTION PYRAMID section, which eventually
points to the mystery’s actual solution.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Starting with whoever played Disco Elysium most recently, go around in a circle,
answering the following five questions about the neighborhood.

⁍ Why is this neighborhood odd in comparison to others in the area?

⁍ What sights, sounds, or smells make it obvious when one has entered this
neighborhood?
⁍ What’s an open secret within the neighborhood that nobody talks about but
everyone knows?
⁍ Why are the neighborhoods’ residents unhappy about The Detective coming to
investigate?
⁍ What about The Detective seems odd to the residents – or strangely familiar?

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THE EVIDENCE
Next, you will create the Victim, and Evidence in the crime scene. The four types of
Evidence are Landmarks, Clues, Persons of Interest (POI), and Priors.You will regularly
add Evidence throughout the game as the plot progresses using the Move, Declare
Evidence. More details on Evidence can be found in the SOLVING THE MYSTERY
section.

The Victim
The Detective creates and describes the Victim. This is who was murdered. Choose
their name, their former role in the town, and what they look like when you find them
at the crime scene. Do not describe how you think they died, or where they are yet. The
only thing you know for certain is that this wasn’t an accident or suicide – it was indeed
a murder.

Questions: What stands out about the body? How did their murder change the
neighborhood?

⁍ Lely Kortenar, a mercenary with heavy bruises and tattoos covering his naked,
swollen body. His murder sparked more chaos among the dockworkers and
strikebreakers.
⁍ Tannen Steel, a lawyer with balding hair and a navy blue suit, stained brown
with dried blood and puncture wounds. His murder caused his competitor’s
firm, Welles and Brown Law to lose business, due to suspicion of their
involvement.
⁍ Mira Brown, a student at the university of Koenigstein with shattered glasses
and a purple, vomit-soaked dress. Her murder caused the university to shut
down operations for the time being.

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Landmark
Fysique creates a Landmark. The first Landmark you describe will be where The
Detective finds the victim, but other Landmarks can be found anywhere that The
Detective investigates. This is a fixed location where something notable and related to
the crime occurred. Describe where you found the victim within it.

Questions: What unique role does it play in the neighborhood? What is something
currently locked, hidden, or inaccessible in it?

⁍ The backyard to the Whirling-in-Rags, a hostel cafeteria that’s frequented by

dockworkers. Lely was found hanging dead from the tree in the center of the
yard. There’s a locked dumpster nearby.
⁍ A graffiti’d billboard along the water advertising Tannen’s services, generally
considered an eyesore. Tannen was found dead in the grass below it. There is no
ladder up to the billboard’s face.
⁍ The busy laundromat that Mira often frequented, known to have higher class
machines – and higher prices. She was found dead in its shabby bathroom. One
of the washing machine’s doors is jammed shut and can’t be opened.

Clue
Motorics creates and describes a Clue. The first Clue you describe will be something
found at the crime scene, but other Clues can be found anywhere that The Detective
investigates. This is a tangible object that is related to the murder in some currently
indeterminate way. Make it separate from the objects found on the body.

Questions: In what peculiar spot did you find it? What about the Clue itself piques your
suspicion?

⁍ Over a dozen pairs of boot prints in the frozen dirt near the tree. One of the soles
is distinctly flatter than all the others.

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 ⁍ A broken fountain pen with a picture of the Perikarnassian on it, stabbed into
the billboard. The inkwell is missing.
⁍ A pill bottle labeled “PREPTIDE!” with purple liquid in it, perched on the toilet
roll holder. It’s weird to have liquid in a pill bottle.

Person of Interest (POI)

Psyche creates and describes a Person of Interest, aka a POI. The first POI you describe
will be at the crime scene, but other POI can be found anywhere that The Detective
investigates. This is a person who is connected to the victim in some way – a lover, a
parent, a witness, a dealer, a rival, etc. Choose their name and what they look like, as
well as their relationship to the victim.

Questions: What about them seems suspicious? How are they acting oddly right now?

⁍ Cuno, a young delinquent throwing rocks at Lely’s body. He looks belligerent

and clearly high.
⁍ Bill Buckley, a milquetoast-looking employee of Tannen’s at the law firm. He’s
pacing anxiously, with his hands balled into fists.
⁍ Chastity Anders, Mira’s blond, buff fiancée. She’s impatiently drumming her
fingers on one of the dryers.

Prior
Intellect creates prior context, aka a Prior. This is extra knowledge, research, or other
context related to the crime that The Detective learned before arriving at the crime
scene. Each is retroactively defined. In other words, The Detective is not discovering
these during the investigation – he knew them already.

Questions: Why is this fact relevant now? What question does it raise about the crime?

⁍ Lely was contracted to contain a strike by the Dockworker’s Union. Could the
dockworkers be involved in the murder?

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 ⁍ Steel Law Offices recently won a large lawsuit defending Perikarnassian Hospice
against allegations of medical discrimination. How did a pen from their facility
end up at the crime scene?
⁍ Mira was in graduate school for biomedical engineering. How could she not
know about the effects of PREPTIDE! overdose?

PLAYING THE GAME

Start the game with The Detective standing at the crime scene. Each Facet will describe
the scene for him and the Detective will describe what he’s doing. You can all go from
there — exploring the world, declaring Evidence, making Deductions, and seeing where
the mystery actually ends up. Keep your agendas as described in CHARACTER
CREATION in mind, as they will guide and focus your play.

STAT CHANGES
The Facets’ Stats will fluctuate and change over time as the Facets squabble for control
of the narrative details and The Detective’s favor. The default value that every Facet’s
Stat starts at is +1, and fluctuates between -1 and +3 over the course of the game.
Where a Facet’s Stat is at any given time can be tracked on The Detective’s Playbook by
using the paperclips and sliding them along the appropriate tracks.

As a Facet, your Stat goes up or down based on certain conditions:

⁍ When you Suggest a Course of Action to The Detective and he acts on your
suggestion, gain 1 to your Stat.
⁍ When you Sabotage a Feature of another Facet’s Domain, subtract 1 from their
Stat.
⁍ When The Detective chooses your version of events in Make a Deduction, gain 1
to your Stat and subtract 1 from another Facet’s Stat.

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These Moves will be described further on in the MOVES IN DETAIL section.

If a Facet’s Stat would go above +3 or below -1, they give a Condition to The Detective,
which should be related to the Facet being too high or too low. More about Conditions
can be found in the STRESS AND CONDITIONS section. The Facet’s Stat also resets to +1.

Fysique: The cold wind sends shivers up your spine as you see a mysterious,
locked window leading to a previously-hidden area behind Mira’s dorm. It’s
rusty and old, but it won’t open easily. There are cobwebs and a darkness behind
it – it looks like it hasn’t been disturbed for years.
Motorics: And suddenly! With a huge gust of said wind, a stray petanque ball
flies right into the window. I’m Sabotaging a Feature after that failed roll from a
while back. I don’t want to just shatter it, so let’s say the metal frame was dented
and shoved out of place by the ball, and give it the Condition, ‘Cracked Frame’.
The Detective: Whoof. Well, it should be easier to get in now?
Intellect: That means you take a -1 to your Stat too, Fysique…
Fysique: Damn, I already was at -1! That would take me down to -2, so I reset to
+1 and give The Detective a Condition as well. You know what? I think you’re too
paranoid to enter the secret area now, Detective, at least via this method – write
down ‘Paranoid about Petanque’ on your sheet. After all, what if another
petanque ball flies over and hits you in the face?
Motorics: Hmm. That backfired a bit.

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MOVES
Sometimes The Detective might trigger a Move. Moves are triggered when The
Detective takes an action that fits the Move’s trigger, which is the bold text of the
Move. At no other time should Moves be made or dice be rolled. A more detailed
description of the Moves can be found in the MOVES IN DETAIL section.

Triggers are fulfilled in the fiction by The Detective as a character, so the guiding
principle for Moves is if you do it, you do it.

This means that when The Detective fulfills a Move’s trigger, then the Move must be
made. If he’s trying to wheedle a character into helping him, he’s Manipulating
Someone. Regardless of whether he realized or intended it to be a Move initially, he
must roll dice, and follow the description of the Move.

The Facets should point out when The Detective has triggered a Move, and hold him
true to it. They can let him revise his action to avoid the Move’s trigger if he wants, but
he can’t decline to roll if he’s still fulfilling the trigger.

That also means that if The Detective wants to do the Move, Manipulate Someone, he
can’t just say “I’m manipulating them” and pull out the dice to see the result. He has to
describe what he’s doing in the fiction to fulfill the trigger first.

The Facets should ensure that The Detective has fulfilled the trigger in the fiction. If he
names a Move without a corresponding action, they should ask him what he’s doing to
fulfill it. If he seems stuck or at a loss, that’s a perfect time for one or more of them to
Suggest a Course of Action, which is a Facet Move.

Fysique: The flames rapidly climb the walls of the library, its cheap foundations
succumbing to the fire all-too-quickly.
Psyche: A man with cracked glasses and blistering hands is sobbing, pointing to
the second floor of the building.
Intellect: You know that’s where all the rare books are, the irreplaceable ones. A
group of people hold the man’s clothing so he can’t run back inside.

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 Motorics: And the fire trucks are nowhere to be seen yet...
The Detective: Shit, this looks real bad. I’m gonna Take Stock.
Psyche: Ok, what are you doing?
The Detective: Oh, right. I clamber up onto the statue nearby to try and get a
good look inside.
The Detective will consider whether the approach he takes is Intellect-based, Psyche-
based, Fysique-based, or Motorics-based, and roll 2d6 + the appropriate Facet’s Stat.
Then, the given Facet will describe the consequences of the roll. If the result is a 6 or
less, things usually get worse. On a 7-9 he succeeds, but there is a cost or complication.
On a 10+, things generally turn out well. 6- results are called misses, and 7+ results are
called hits.

The Detective: I’m gonna run past the alley gunfire to get into a better position
to shoot.
Fysique: Hold on, this sounds dangerous and high-stakes! Are you Acting under
Pressure?
The Detective: I guess I am. What Stat should I roll?
Motorics: You’re trying to run fast and dodge the bullets right? Sounds like my
Domain.
Fysique: Hey! I brought it up because I think he’s trying to power past his fear
and pain. I think this is my Domain.
The Detective: Sorry Fysique, I think Motorics makes more sense here. Motorics,
you have a +2…so it looks like I got an 8 total.
Motorics: Ok, since that’s a partial success, how about this: You can run past
them just fine, but only if you leave your satchel behind – it’s heavy and will slow
you down.
The Detective: It has all the evidence I collected in it, I can’t lose it! I guess I’ll
stay here and think of another plan.

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Note:
Just because there’s no Move for something, doesn’t mean The Detective can’t do it in
the fiction! For example, if The Detective wants to lie through his teeth for shits and
giggles — in other words, he’s not triggering any Moves — he can just lie. However, it
must make sense in the fiction regardless: The Detective can’t rip a building from its
foundations with his bare hands or anything!

DETECTIVE MOVES
Act Under Pressure
When The Detective acts under pressure, roll 2d6 plus the Stat of the Facet he’s
trying to act with.

On a 10+, he succeeds at what he set out to do.

On a 7-9, he flinches, stalls, or hesitates. The Facet whose Stat he used will offer one of
the following options to him and describe what it means in the situation. Then he will
decide whether to go through with it.

⁍ His success has collateral damage.

⁍ There’s a sacrifice he has to make to succeed.
⁍ Succeeding puts him in a worse spot than he’d planned for.

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Break Someone or Something
When The Detective attacks a threat in order to break it, roll 2d6 plus the Stat of the
Facet he’s trying to attack with.

On a hit, both sides first exchange Stress as established. On a 7-9, The Detective then
chooses one from this list. On a 10+, The Detective chooses two.

⁍ Gain something useful from the threat.

⁍ Suffer less Stress (-1 Stress to The Detective)
⁍ Inflict terrible Stress (+1 Stress to them)
⁍ Force the threat to change its behavior, trajectory, or target.
⁍ Take definite control of it for now.

Take Stock
When The Detective takes stock in a tense moment, roll 2d6 plus the Stat of the Facet
The Detective’s trying to take stock with.

On a 10+, The Detective holds 3. On a 7-9, The Detective holds 2. Over the course of the
scene, he can spend his Hold, one-for-one, to ask questions of the Facet whose stat he
used. The Facet will answer truthfully.

The Detective can ask any from this list no matter which Facet he asks:

⁍ What here is the biggest threat to ____?

⁍ What’s a vulnerability I can take advantage of?
If asking Intellect, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ What do I already know about this?

⁍ What’s the ultimate goal here?
⁍ What is about to happen?

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If asking Psyche, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ How am I expected to act right now?

⁍ How can I get someone here to ____?
⁍ What’s the hidden power dynamic at play here?
If asking Fysique, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ How can I take back control?

⁍ Where is my true enemy, really?
⁍ What here is in the greatest danger?
If asking Motorics, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ What here can I use to ____?

⁍ What appears out of place?
⁍ What’s my best way in or out?

Manipulate Someone
When The Detective manipulates a reluctant person with promises or threats, say
what he’s trying to manipulate them to do, and give them a good reason. Then, roll 2d6
plus the Stat of the Facet he’s trying to manipulate them with.

On a 10+, they’ll do it with little protest unless his reason proves false.

On a 7-9, the Facet whose Stat he used will pick one.

⁍ They want concrete, upfront proof of The Detective’s words.

⁍ They want an additional favor done for them first.
⁍ They make a counter-offer or challenge.

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Make a Deduction
When The Detective decides two pieces of Evidence or Deductions are connected,
name them, and ask the Facets why they’re connected. Each Facet with an idea states
their version of events. Whichever one The Detective picks is definitively true. The
Facet whose version was picked adds 1 to their Stat, and tells another Facet to subtract
1 from their stat.

FACET MOVES
Declare Evidence
When The Detective asks a Facet how a Feature is tied to the murder, the Facet he
asked declares it as Evidence.

⁍ If you’re Intellect, declare a Prior. Why is this fact relevant now? What question
does it raise about the crime?
⁍ If you’re Psyche, declare a POI. What about them seems suspicious? How are they
acting oddly right now?
⁍ If you’re Fysique, declare a Landmark. What unique role does it play in the
neighborhood? What is something currently locked, hidden, or inaccessible in it?
⁍ If you’re Motorics, declare a Clue. Where did you find it? What about it piques
your suspicion?

Suggest a Course of Action

When The Detective seems stuck on what to do and turns to the Facets for advice,
any and all Facets can suggest a course of action to him. Each Facet with an idea tells
him what they want him to do and why it’s the best action to take. The Detective must
pick a course of action offered by one of the Facets and immediately act on it. The
selected Facet adds 1 to their Stat.

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Sabotage a Feature
If The Detective misses a roll using your Stat, you may choose to hold one. When
another Facet’s Feature is vulnerable to your Domain, you can spend one hold per
scene to sabotage that Feature. Describe how it’s vulnerable to you, and inflict a
Condition on it. As well, subtract 1 from that Feature’s Stat.

GM Moves
The shared Facet Moves along with the GM Moves induce a sort of “play your game and
GM it too” situation for the Facets. The shared Moves let each Facet engage with the
fiction like a player does, describing the actions and dialogue of a single…entity, let’s
say, and watching those interactions bounce about among every player.

The GM Moves are a little different. They’re specific, individual actions that each Facet
can take from a GM standpoint to create intriguing challenges for the other players, all
while following separate Principles and chasing the shared Agenda. Unlike The
Detective’s Moves and the general Facet Moves, these don’t have to be explicitly named
when used, and are more of a repertoire of tricks you can pull out to complicate the
world. You’re not limited to this repertoire, but if you’re stuck on what you can
contribute to the narrative, look at what’s happening in the fiction at the moment and
choose the Move that makes sense.

You can make these GM Moves on the The Detective and other Facets whenever it
makes sense to, such as when as a Move is the reasonable consequence to an action, or
you see a good opportunity to mess with someone. However, there are certain
situations when you always make some kind of GM Move, either from your list or
inspired by it:

⁍ As a consequence when The Detective misses a roll (6-) using your Stat.
⁍ When there’s a lull in the game and you have the lowest Stat.

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SOLVING THE MYSTERY
EVIDENCE
While narrative details create the world, a piece of Evidence is a detail that The
Detective deems relevant to the murder, directly or not. It’s up to the Facets to describe
how it’s relevant. As mentioned in Making the Mystery, the types of Evidence are
Landmarks, Priors, POI, or Clues. Declared Evidence can be Features described
previously that The Detective’s seeing in a new light, or new Features as he comes upon
them.

Declaring Evidence as often as reasonably possible gives you more things to use when
The Detective decides to Make a Deduction. As well, it helps shape the story –
something as innocent as a colored pencil or a random shopkeep becomes suspicious
when declared as Evidence connected to the murder. More details about Evidence are
described under the Declare Evidence Move.

⁍ In The Detective’s previous conversations with Klaasje, a mysterious dancer at

the Whirling-in-Rags, she mentioned Lely frequently, though many of her facts
seemed to contradict. Psyche decides now that this makes her a POI. She seems
strangely bored as you pepper her with questions.
⁍ The Detective stumbles across a paper shredder in the Hospice with some
documents in it. Motorics decides immediately this is a Clue, finding it odd that
the documents weren’t fully shredded.

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DEDUCTIONS
Soon you will accumulate many different pieces of Evidence with potential connections
between them, but no concretely stated truths about the murder. This is where Making
a Deduction comes in. To Make a Deduction, The Detective will declare that two pieces
of Evidence are actually connected. Then he will ask the Facets about the nature of the
connection.

Each Facet with an idea will state their version of events, and whichever version makes
the most sense to The Detective is definitively true. Write it down.

More details about Deductions can be found in the Make a Deduction Move description.

The Detective: I think the dried may bells and Klaasje are connected and have
something to do with the murder. I’m going to Make a Deduction about why.
Facets, do you have any ideas?
Motorics: Hmm, I think Klaasje used the may bells’ aroma to cover up the faint
scent of poison.
Psyche: Actually, she was given the may bells by someone who was jealous of her
relationship with Lely.
Fysique: No, no, wherever the may bells came from is where she hid her forged
documents, and they stuck to her clothing when she came back.
Intellect: Wait, may bells were symbols of the communist revolution, right? She
must’ve kept them because she’s a key figure in The Return.
The Detective: Oooh, all of these are great, but I think Psyche’s makes most
sense right now.
Psyche: Alright, I’ll take that increase, making my 0 a +1. Phew. Motorics – you
have a +3 to your Stat, you can stand the hit. Take -1.
Motorics: Dammit!
After you create two or more Deductions, you can start linking Deductions to one
another when you Make a Deduction.

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THE DEDUCTION PYRAMID
The Deduction Pyramid has four tiers and three rules.

Tiers
Tier 4
Consists of Evidence. You need to Declare at least eight pieces of Evidence to solve the
murder, though you’re encouraged to have more – that gives you more options to
deduce from.

Tier 3
Consists of Minor Deductions, things that don’t directly incriminate a specific person or
describe the method of death. Examples include: false alibis, secret alliances,
wrongdoing on the victim’s part, forged evidence, collateral damage.

Tier 2
Consists of Major Deductions. These do directly point to specific people or the method
of death. Examples include: the murder weapon, secret grudges and motives, location
of death, time of death.

Tier 1
The actual solution: Who killed the victim and how? When at least two Major
Deductions are made and the solution seems obvious, everyone should, as a group,
describe how all of the previously found Evidence and Deductions lead to this ultimate
answer. You can wrap up the game at this point.

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Rules
1. Once you Make a Deduction about two pieces of Evidence/existing Deductions,
you can’t connect them with anything else (for example: if you already
connected the Perikarnassian Pen to the Hospice shredder, you cannot connect
either with any other Evidence in future Make a Deduction Moves).
2. Deductions can only be made within the same tier – Evidence only connects with
Evidence, Minor Deductions only connect with other Minor Deductions, etc.
3. The level of deduction made must match the appropriate tier. For example, You
can’t Make a Deduction about two pieces of Evidence and immediately Deduce
what the murder weapon was (that would be more of a Tier 2 Major Deduction!).

Tier 1 - murder solution

Tier 2 - major deductions

Tier 3 - minor deductions

Tier 4 - Evidence

32
STRESS AND
CONDITIONS
When significantly harmed emotionally, mentally, or physically, The Detective can
suffer Stress. When The Detective has suffered five Stress, he either dies or gives up on
being a Detective.

To avoid taking Stress, The Detective can choose to take a Condition instead, which
nullifies all Stress he would’ve taken from an attack or other injury. Facets also give
Conditions to The Detective once their Stat goes over +3 or below -1 and resets.

A Condition is lasting emotional, mental, or physical damage that hinders the

Detective’s ability to move through the world or solve the mystery. It negatively affects
him until narratively healed or resolved in the fiction. When The Detective is making a
Move and his Condition would negatively affect his action, he subtracts 1 from his roll.

When significantly hurt by Break Someone or Something or through narrative events,

another person or object can suffer Stress. Most people and objects can take four stress
by default – Facets can adjust this amount in specific instances as narratively
appropriate. When a Facet decides to Sabotage a Feature of another Facet, that Feature
can take Conditions as well.

There’s no definitive list of Conditions that can be taken – you’ll be creating your own.
Ideally they’re specific descriptions, and are likely to affect Moves sometimes but not
every time. Some example Conditions for people and objects: Drunken Slurring,
Stripped Wires, Can’t Shoot Straight, 2nd-degree Burns, Cryptid Crazy, Cracked
Plastic, Right Leg Limp, Punctured Tires, Haunted by the Past, Rain-Smeared Words.

33
MORE DETAIL
PLAYER AGENDAS IN
DETAIL
THE DETECTIVE’S AGENDA
Explore the world to its fullest.
Explore every nook and crevice of this world, every shadowy curiosity and peculiarity
to poke at. You have four GMs who are all eager to supply you with reasons, answers,
and even more questions. The more you ask, the more interesting details will be
developed. The more concrete and rich the setting becomes, the more throughlines
and connections can be drawn to point to the mystery’s solution. Don’t be afraid of
hogging the spotlight or asking too much – you’re the only player character, after all.

Make the most of your Facets.

The Facets are your GMs, absolutely, but they’re characters too. They will vie for your
attention and boldly assert their own versions of the truth. It’s up to you to decide who
to listen to at a given moment, and remember that whatever you decide will become
the truth. This is especially the case in the Make a Deduction Move, but also manifests
in what details you pay attention to outside of Moves, and where your focus shifts based
on the Facets’ descriptions.

If you’re stuck, ask for their opinions or help – they’ll be all too eager to give their take.
As well, remember to share the love – each Facet has a unique perspective and the game
is stronger if they can all contribute.

34
Play to find out the truth.
As the player character and The Detective, you might be convinced from the get-go that
you know who the murderer is. You may be tempted to follow that idea like a
bloodhound on a scent, cherry-picking only the Evidence and Deductions which
support your theory. While this would be successful in solving the murder – you are the
final arbiter of the mystery’s truth, after all – it’s not all that collaborative.

Instead of picking the Deduction that makes the most logical sense every time, pick the
one that most intrigues or surprises you. Good mystery stories have twists and turns
after all – the killer is almost never the first, most obvious choice. Let yourself be
surprised by what the Facets introduce and be invested in finding out the truth, not
forcing it.

THE FACETS’ AGENDA

Create an intriguing world for The Detective to
explore.
An intriguing world has visceral details, surprising reveals, and tricky challenges.
What’s more interesting: a witness who spills the beans as soon as The Detective
approaches, or whose secrets are tucked between their teeth like cyanide pills? Build off
of other Facets’ supplied details to add flesh and color to the neighborhood, and the
mystery. Make things difficult – conflict is interesting.

35
Highlight the differences between the Facets.
As a Facet, you are playing two roles simultaneously.

First, you are a GM for the world and mechanics of the game: you call for Moves and
adjudicate the results, help move your singular player around the settings and
characters, and paint its myriad details and obstacles for him. The reason there are four
of you in this regard is to create a more vivid, unexpected world. When building off of
existing descriptions and Features, add twists and surprising aspects that are uniquely
within your Domain without directly contradicting the established fiction.

Second, while you’re not the traditional example of a player character, you are playing
a character, a voice, a personality inside The Detective’s mind. You are encouraged to
describe the world from wildly biased perspectives, bicker with the other Facets, and
even use moves like Sabotage a Feature on each others’ Domains when you get the
chance. When Suggesting a Course of Action or helping The Detective Make a
Deduction, feel free to contradict the others as much as you want – let The Detective
decide what to do and the truth is. Just think about it – if you were all in agreement the
whole time, then having four of you would be, frankly, overly-redundant.

Don’t be redundant.

Play to find out what happens.

As a GM, you might be tempted to plan out the murder or the twists and turns of the
plot, and to steer The Detective in ways that move him along that plot track. You may
even, out of game, feel like the other GMs are getting in the way of your genius ideas
with their meddling. However, while your Facet character will have these biases,
remember out of game that this is a collaborative mystery and world. Let yourself be
surprised by what each of the other players, both Detective and Facet, bring to the
table. Even one step ahead is too many steps ahead – embrace the fact that there will
always be a wrench in your works, and invest yourself in finding out what happens, not
predetermining it.

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MOVES IN DETAIL
DETECTIVE MOVES IN
DETAIL
WHICH STAT DO YOU ADD?
In this game, The Detective’s player chooses what Facet’s skills they think he’s relying
on to succeed, and roll 2d6 + that Facet’s Stat. This means that The Detective might roll
Take Stock with Intellect’s Stat at one point, and Psyche’s Stat at another.

His player should choose based on what skills The Detective is relying on. If that's
unclear, go by the motivations he’s driven by.

Roll 2d6 + Intellect’s Stat when...

...The Detective relies on his knowledge, analytical abilities, and way with words.

Finding the weak point in an enemy’s armor. Outsmarting his opponent in a

philosophical debate. Researching an esoteric topic. Twisting the truth.
...The Detective is motivated by things like ideology, facts, or sense.

“C’mon, where’s your communist spirit?” “Well that doesn’t make sense at all.”
“But the instructions said something different.”

37
Roll 2d6 + Psyche’s Stat when...
...The Detective relies on his emotional control, understanding of social dynamics, and
intuition.

Tugging their heartstrings. Receiving supranatural visions. Reading the room.

Compelling someone to obey.
...The Detective is motivated by things like sympathy, passion, or hope.

“I just feel bad for them, you know?” “I want things to heal again.” “I hate their
fucking guts.”

Roll 2d6 + Fysique’s Stat when...

...The Detective relies on his raw power, intimacy with the physical, and bodily
fortitude.

Throwing a mean punch. Riding the pyrholidon high. Sprinting with a broken
rib. Feeling the thrum of the city.
...The Detective is motivated by things like strength, hedonism, or pain.

“You dare say that to me?” “Sex, drugs, and rock and roll, babe!” “Just make the
hurt go away.”

Roll 2d6 + Motorics’ Stat when...

...The Detective relies on his sharp observation, body coordination, and dexterous
manipulation.

Manipulating a complex device. Hearing whispers through the door. Spotting an

oddity in their words or mannerisms. Busting a move on the dance floor.
...The Detective is motivated by things like curiosity, habit, or flair.

“Sorry, I couldn't resist.” “Ok now you’ve piqued my interest.” “Oh yeah? Well
watch this!”

38
ACT UNDER PRESSURE
When The Detective acts under pressure, roll 2d6 plus the Stat of the Facet he’s
trying to act with.

On a 10+, he succeeds at what he set out to do.

On a 7-9, he flinches, stalls, or hesitates. The Facet whose Stat he used will offer one of
the following options to him and describe what it means in the situation. Then he will
decide whether to go through with it.

⁍ His success has collateral damage.

⁍ There’s a sacrifice he has to make to succeed.
⁍ Succeeding puts him in a worse spot than he’d planned for.

Advice to the Facets

“Pressure” is anything that demands higher discipline, resolve, precision, or care to
avoid things going sideways. It could be pressure to beat the clock, avoid gunfire, hide
from notice, balance something fragile, etc. When The Detective does something that
seems to demand a roll, but no one’s sure what it should be, double-check if he’s Acting
Under Pressure.

No matter what result The Detective gets on his roll, remember to change the situation
in a meaningful and interesting way. He shouldn’t be able to spam the move over and
over again to try and succeed – if he has that luxury, either the scenario didn’t change
enough in response to his actions, or he wasn’t under that much pressure in the first
place.

Remember that a 7-9 is still a hit, albeit a complicated one. Don’t undermine the action
or lessen its effect – The Detective does succeed, and now you get to explore the
ramifications.

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Options description
The Detective’s success has collateral damage means as a consequence of his action, his
environment and the people around him are hurt or at least endangered. It could be
structural damage to an object or place, people scattering in fright or confusion,
sparking mistrust and resentment in witnesses, etc. Whatever it is, it doesn’t damage
himself or defeat the purpose of his action – if he was trying to catch an escaping
suspect by motorcarriage, the collateral damage shouldn’t be that he runs them over.
How about running over a broken bottle and puncturing the tires?

There’s a sacrifice The Detective has to make to succeed means that to get what he
wants, The Detective has to pay a price first. It could be taking Stress to himself,
someone else getting hurt, leaving something behind, etc. Whatever it is, it’s
important to him and hard to give up – losing money or tare is probably not a sacrifice.
How about losing his gun?

Succeeding puts The Detective in a worse spot than he’d planned for means that The
Detective’s actions place him at an unexpected disadvantage. It could be the enemies
hear him coming and have time to prepare, he breaks into the facility and the door
locks behind him, he gets the device running but now it won’t turn off, etc. Whatever it
is, it’s a different bad situation than he was in before – if he was sprinting to avoid
gunfire in a shootout, being surprised by a lone gunman in the alley is the same kind of
bad. How about being surprised by the hidden trap in the alley that he recklessly ran
over?

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BREAK SOMEONE OR
SOMETHING
When The Detective attacks a threat in order to break it, roll 2d6 plus the Stat of the
Facet he’s trying to attack with.

On a hit, both sides first exchange Stress as established. On a 7-9, The Detective then
chooses one from this list. On a 10+, The Detective chooses two.

⁍ Gain something useful from the threat.

⁍ Suffer less Stress (-1 Stress to The Detective)
⁍ Inflict terrible Stress (+1 Stress to them)
⁍ Force the threat to change its behavior, trajectory, or target.
⁍ Take definite control of it for now.

Advice to the Facets

Breaking Someone or Something is violent and straightforward – The Detective is
mainly acting with the intent to cause damage and harm.

If The Detective is trying to trick a person with his volleys, carefully dismantling
something to figure out how it works, or his actual goal is to defend something against
its attack, then the Move doesn’t apply. If the person or object isn’t all that dangerous
and can’t inflict Stress back, then they’re not a threat, and the Move doesn’t apply. If
he’s incapable of attacking it – maybe it’s impervious, impassive, or too far away, the
Move doesn’t apply.

When The Detective uses this Move on a character, he doesn’t have to inflict Stress
physically. He can also attack them emotionally or mentally, such as driving holes into
their belief system or insulting them viciously. However, characters can inflict the
same intangible Stress on him, even when he’s attempting to punch them in the face.

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Options description
As established means what was established in the fiction. By default, each side inflicts 1
Stress on the other. If, for example, The Detective is using cruel words to attack while
his opponent is using a baseball bat, the exchange might involve the opponent taking 1
Stress and The Detective taking 2 Stress.

Gain something useful from the threat means The Detective can gain something
physical or conceptual from the threat that’s useful now or later. When he gains it,
they can no longer use it to their advantage. This is a good thing when he’s otherwise
trying to pulverize it. He could gain blackmail material, a rare metal component, the
high ground against an enemy, or their knife.

Force the threat to change its behavior, trajectory, or target means The Detective has
forced the threat’s immediate goals or path to change. If it’s a person, maybe they’re
re-evaluating their decision to return his attacks. If it’s an object, maybe its course was
diverted or its functions twisted.

Take definite control of it for now means that The Detective has dominated the threat at
present. If it’s a person, maybe they’ve cowed and surrendered (or are at least acting
like it), or maybe he’s captured them. If it’s an object, maybe he’s hacked into it to
wrest control, or is behind the levers.

TAKE STOCK
When The Detective takes stock in a tense moment, roll 2d6 plus the Stat of the Facet
The Detective’s trying to take stock with.

On a 10+, The Detective holds 3. On a 7-9, The Detective holds 2. Over the course of the
scene, he can spend his Hold, one-for-one, to ask questions of the Facet whose stat he
used. The Facet will answer truthfully.

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 To Take Stock, the moment must be tense and suspenseful – maybe The Detective
suspects something fishy with a person’s alibi, or someone is escalating tensions with
him. Maybe the hint of chaos and violence is on the horizon, or it’s already arrived and
he needs to figure out how to proceed. (If this were a video game or movie, maybe
there are low vibrato strings on the soundtrack). He can’t trigger the Move if there’s no
uncertainty in the situation.

Maybe you’ll already have an idea of the answers to these questions before The
Detective asks you, or maybe you won’t. Either way, you should supply an answer to a
question he’s asked, and commit to it in the fiction once it’s said – remember that your
answers are the truth.

Try to show the answer in the fiction instead of just telling The Detective directly,
though you can clarify what it means if he seems confused as to what you’re implying.
It’s the difference between “You’re expected to act with etiquette and politeness” and
“You can see them squinting at every movement you make, giving a curt nod and smile
when you lift your pinkie finger from the teacup”.

If you give an answer like ‘nothing’ or ‘no one’, make sure that ups the tension, not
lowers it. If there’s no biggest threat – or no threat at all, then maybe he shouldn’t be
rolling. But if there’s no vulnerability to take advantage of on an existing threat, then
he might be in some serious trouble.

Taking Stock requires some amount of time to pass in the fiction. The Detective may be
left vulnerable when he pauses to calculate what’s going on, even for a breath. As well,
something must shift significantly in the narrative for him to be able to Take Stock of
the same person or situation again – maybe a downpour forces everyone in the fight to
take cover, or a POI reveals their secret identity as an Innocence.

Note:
If The Detective asks a question that’s not on the list, you can choose whether to answer
or not.

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The Detective can ask any from this list no matter which Facet he asks:

⁍ What here is the biggest threat to ____?

⁍ What’s a vulnerability I can take advantage of?
If asking Intellect, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ What do I already know about this?

⁍ What’s the ultimate goal here?
⁍ What is about to happen?
If asking Psyche, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ How am I expected to act right now?

⁍ How can I get someone here to ____?
⁍ What’s the hidden power dynamic at play here?
If asking Fysique, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ How can I take back control?

⁍ Where is my true enemy, really?
⁍ What here is in the greatest danger?
If asking Motorics, he may also ask from this list:

⁍ What here can I use to ____?

⁍ What appears out of place?
⁍ What’s my best way in or out?

Advice to the Facets

Taking Stock means The Detective is taking a moment to evaluate what’s happening
and look for important details in the person or situation. This can be of a person, place,
or situation.

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Options description
General questions
What here is the biggest threat to ____? lets The Detective prioritize dangers and
threats in the area. He should ask what he’s concerned about it threatening – maybe he
wants to know what the biggest threat to himself would be, or the biggest threat to an
item or civilians.

What’s a vulnerability I can take advantage of? means The Detective is asking about
what here is most vulnerable to his own skill, abilities, or resources. Maybe it’s a
sensitive topic that he can bring up to press someone’s buttons, or a hard-to-spot
button he can press to shut the machine off.

If The Detective is asking Intellect

What do I already know about this? means The Detective is searching his knowledge
banks for useful information and context about this scenario. Maybe it’s knowing
someone’s profession or relationship history, or the history of the building he’s
standing in.

What’s the ultimate goal here? means The Detective wants to know why events are
happening the way they are – if there’s a method to the madness. Are they taking a
hostage to simply gain loads of cash, or is there some grander scheme in place?

What is about to happen? might be obvious – maybe the civilian is about to get stabbed,
the POI is about to lash out at you, or the beam is about to fall. It could be unexpected
though – the civilian is about to make a run for it, the POI is about to lash out at your
partner, or the beam is about to catch fire. Hopefully The Detective has a chance to
interfere – otherwise, the events usually play out as you described.

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If The Detective is asking Psyche
How am I expected to act here? means there’s some audience around – mundane or not
– that expects him to act a certain way. If they don’t know about it now, they may learn
about it later, and judge accordingly. When there’s a crime happening, the RCM should
stop it, right? If he’s been graciously invited into a sanctum, there’s some level of
decorum he should follow, yes? Of course, that doesn’t mean he has to follow the
expectation.

How can I get someone here to ____? means The Detective is turning to people to aid
him, whether they know it or not. This can apply to a person he’s Taking Stock of, such
as asking how he can get them to back down, pay him money, or confess. It can also
mean someone doing tasks for him, such as clearing an escape route, sweet-talking, or
pulling a lever. If they’re reluctant, The Detective might try triggering the Manipulate
Someone Move.

What’s the hidden power dynamic at play here? means The Detective is getting a read
on non-obvious social, political, or relationship dynamics that involve imbalances of
power. Maybe the lovely dame is playing you like the cheap kazoo you are, the two
lovers are in an abusive relationship, or the bickering Precinct falls unquestioningly in
line under a quirk of the Lieutenant’s eyebrow.

If The Detective is asking Fysique

How can I take back control? means The Detective is wondering how to command and
dominate the scenario at hand, or at least keep it from spinning further into chaos.
Maybe it’s clamping the machine’s claws together like his life depends on it, yelling
loudly for a crowd to shut up, or threatening violence so the mocking teenagers take
him seriously.

Where is my true enemy, really? means The Detective’s asking if there’s someone or
something he should actually be targeting. Is the fight before him a distraction while
the robber sneaks in through the back? Is the babbling person trying to stall while the
bomb timer ticks down?

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What here is in the greatest danger? tells The Detective what needs protection the
most, and can alert him to the target or focus of a threat’s attention. Maybe the sniper
rifle is aimed at the civilian, or maybe it’s aimed at the stained glass window far behind
them.

If The Detective is asking Motorics

What here can I use to _____? is The Detective looking around for useful tools or pieces
of the surroundings to accomplish some purpose. Maybe it’s a precarious piece of scrap
metal that can trap the murderer under it, grisly evidence to frighten a witness, or
bandages to heal his stab wound.

What appears out of place? is a suspicious discrepancy in the scenario. Maybe it’s a
contradiction in their alibi, an oddly tilted book in the bookcase, or an unnatural
silence.

What’s my best way in or out? is looking for paths to worm into, or escape routes to
squeeze out of. It can be literal or metaphorical. Maybe it’s a rarely-guarded alley
entrance, a fake identity that the study circle trusts, or a convenient excuse to leave
the uncomfortable meeting.

MANIPULATE SOMEONE
When The Detective manipulates a reluctant person with promises or threats, say
what he’s trying to manipulate them to do, and give them a good reason. Then, roll 2d6
plus the Stat of the Facet he’s trying to manipulate them with.

On a 10+, they’ll do it with little protest unless his reason proves false.

On a 7-9, the Facet whose Stat he used will pick one.

⁍ They want concrete, upfront proof of The Detective’s words.

⁍ They want an additional favor done for them first.
⁍ They make a counter-offer or challenge.

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Advice to the Facets
The Detective straightforwardly asking someone for something isn’t trying to
Manipulate Someone. If they agree with him already, then they’re not reluctant, and
the Move doesn’t trigger. To Manipulate Someone, The Detective should be promising
something or threatening them with a good reason – something they really want, or
something they really want to avoid. If they don’t care, then the Move doesn’t trigger.

The Detective is free to lie to the character he’s trying to manipulate, and his promises
or threats might be as empty as a September sky. However, he should tell the Facets
what he actually wants the person to do, no matter what he says to their face. For
example, he might be promising a huge stack of reál to someone and asking them to
betray their political ideals – but actually he wants them to refuse and get more
entrenched in their beliefs. Now that’s manipulative.

Options description
They’ll do it with little protest unless The Detective’s reason proves false means they
agree to do what he says with minimal grumbling. However, if they’re given reason to
believe his words were untrue, they might not react happily. This may be through
actions or words that show the promises or threats he made were reneged on, or never
true in the first place.

They want concrete, upfront proof of The Detective’s words first. The character doesn’t
entirely believe what The Detective’s saying, and needs The Detective to demonstrate it
then and there. If The Detective promised something like money or power, they want it
– or at least some tangible marker of it – now. If he had threatened something like
retaliation or violence, they’re trying to call his bluff. More words aren’t enough here –
they need tangible objects or action.

They need an additional favor done for them first. This is the sort of ‘Fetch Quest’
option – they’ll do it if he gets them an item, or he does a task for them, or otherwise
does what they request. The character now has the upper hand on manipulation – but
they do intend to do what he wanted, after their task is fulfilled.

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They make a counter-offer or challenge. The character may believe The Detective’s
being honest, but is trying to bargain with or one-up him. If he promises them ✤200 to
do what he wants, they promise him ✤300 to do what they want (which might be to
get off their back). If he threatens to punch them in the face, they pull out their brass
knuckles and dare him to try.

MAKE A DEDUCTION
When The Detective decides two pieces of Evidence or Deductions are connected,
name them, and ask the Facets why they’re connected. Each Facet with an idea states
their version of events. Whichever one The Detective picks is definitively true. The
Facet whose version was picked adds 1 to their Stat, and tells another Facet to subtract
1 from their stat.

Advice to the Facets

Ideally your version of the Deduction is surprising, bringing a new element or twist to
the mystery. It’s one thing to say something like “Chastity Anders takes prescription
PREPTIDE!”, and another to say “Chastity Anders bought back-alley PREPTIDE! that
was unknowingly cut with pyrholidon”.

Just like with the Facet Move, Suggesting a Course of Action, the Facets should make
sure their versions are sufficiently different from each other. The Detective must
choose from one of the versions given – he can’t pick some other fifth option.

This move is also one of the two ways to intentionally decrease another Facet’s Stat (the
other way being to Sabotage a Feature). This seems obviously undesirable at first – why
wouldn’t you want The Detective to have the highest Stats possible so he can succeed at
all of his moves? But if another Facet's Stat is higher than your own, wouldn't The
Detective be inclined to use their Stat instead of yours? Their incorrect perception of
the world rather than your accurate and thus superior one? That won't do at all.

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To speak more plainly, part of the fun of the game is the push and pull between the
bickering Facets. Having the Stats oscillate gives The Detective a mechanical reason to
use all of the Facets at various points. As well, knocking down another Facet's Stat
down a peg can stave off the narrative penalty incurred when a Stat goes over +3 as
described in the STAT CHANGES section.

FACET MOVES IN DETAIL

DECLARE EVIDENCE
When The Detective asks a Facet how a Feature is tied to the murder, the Facet he
asked declares it as Evidence.

⁍ If you’re Intellect, declare a Prior. Why is this fact relevant now? What question
does it raise about the crime?
⁍ If you’re Psyche, declare a POI. What about them seems suspicious? How are they
acting oddly right now?
⁍ If you’re Fysique, declare a Landmark. What unique role does it play in the
neighborhood? What is something currently locked, hidden, or inaccessible in it?
⁍ If you’re Motorics, declare a Clue. Where did you find it? What about it piques
your suspicion?

Advice to the Facets

Declaring Evidence highlights to the other players that you want this Feature explored
over time, even if you don’t know how it connects to the murder now. Answer the
questions attached to the Evidence, and make sure to write them down.

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 Don’t feel the need to make the pieces of Evidence obviously connected to each other at
this point! Follow what you feel would be intriguing to make significant to the murder.
Random, seemingly disjointed clues can be connected later on as you explore the game
and the world, and when you Make a Deduction.

Note:
Individual pieces of Evidence still can be harmed by Sabotage a Feature or Break
Someone or Something. This does not remove them from the list of Evidence for the
purposes of Make a Deduction.

SUGGEST A COURSE OF
ACTION
When The Detective seems stuck on what to do and turns to the Facets for advice,
any and all Facets can suggest a course of action to him. Each Facet with an idea tells
him what they want him to do and why it’s the best action to take. The Detective must
pick a course of action offered by one of the Facets and immediately act on it. The
selected Facet adds 1 to their Stat.

Advice to the Facets

Remember that, as Facets, you’re not just the world around The Detective – you’re also
the voices in his head. You can affect his perception of the world, and influence how he
decides to interact with it – though ultimately the choice is up to him.

The Facets can give suggestions and help regardless, but that doesn’t change any stats
around. This move only triggers whee The Detective explicitly asks the Facets for help.
You should suggest active choices that change the environment around The Detective.
“Don’t listen to them!” is not Suggesting a Course of Action. Try something like “Walk
off while flipping them the double bird!” or “Slam the door in their face!” instead. This
may lead to a Move being triggered, depending on the scenario.

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Pointing out that a Move is being triggered once The Detective has already made an
action is not Suggesting a Course of Action. Neither is giving advice on what option The
Detective should take after triggering a Move – those options are usually about
exploring the consequences of his actions, or The Detective gaining more information.

When you Suggest a Course of Action to The Detective, make sure it’s sufficiently
different from what any other Facets suggest. If another Facet steals your idea before
you can speak, change your idea – you don’t want to look like you agree with them, do
you? Explain why your suggestion is the best one, and optionally why all the other
Facets’ suggestions are terrible, awful ideas.

Even if The Detective smiles and nods and says “Yeah Psyche, you’re right!”, the Facets
should clarify with him that he needs to take action in the world around him to back it
up. If it matches your suggestion, then add 1 to your Stat. This only applies to one Facet
per triggering of this Move.

SABOTAGE A FEATURE
If The Detective misses a roll using your Stat, you may choose to hold one. When
another Facet’s Feature is vulnerable to your Domain, you can spend one hold per
scene to sabotage that Feature. Describe how it’s vulnerable to you, and inflict a
Condition on it. As well, subtract 1 from that Feature’s Stat.

Advice to the Facets

As Facets, you have Domains you can control, and Features within them that you can
describe for Harry to explore and interact with. Your Domains are vast, but not
impervious. Sabotage a Feature is the move that uses this fact to highlight the
squabbling between the Facets as they vie for The Detective’s attention. It also
encourages placing obstacles in The Detective’s way so that it’s not a cakewalk for
them.

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Hold one basically means that you gain a point, or ‘hold’, that you can expend to use
this move. You should keep track of how many holds you have on your Playbook sheet,
as they can stack. You can have as many holds at once as there are failures rolled with
your Stat, although you can only spend one per scene.

Vulnerable to your Domain means there’s a dramatic opportunity for you, specifically,
to fuck with the other Facet’s Feature. Maybe the Feature is a scrap of paper left out in
the elements, and your Domain is weather. Dramatic opportunities are often ‘you know
it when you see it’ situations, but some hints that the moment is now may be: When
there is a natural conclusion that you want to disrupt, when a sharp swerve would be
more exciting and you’re uniquely poised to enact it, or when a weak spot is too
tempting to pass up.

When inflicting conditions on Features, try to complicate their existence without

destroying it. A character who has the condition ‘Holding Onto Life by a Thread’ is
more interesting than one who has the condition ‘ Dead as a Doornail’.

This is a proactive move, so be sure to pay attention and be poised to jump on dramatic
opportunities. You can have as many holds at once as there are failures rolled with your
Stat, but you can only spend one per scene. As well, please remember that this isn’t a
move meant to punish or bully your fellow GMs out of game, but rather up the dramatic
tension in game!

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GAME INSPIRATIONS
Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)

⁍ Most obviously! Facets, the flavor of the game examples, and the premise of
multiple voices inside a detective’s head.
i’m sorry did you say street magic (Caro Asercion)

⁍ Divvying up of Evidence
Polaris: Chivalric Tragedy at Utmost North (P. H. Lee), Dream Askew (Avery Alder),
and Dirty Secrets (Seth Ben-Ezra)

⁍ “Multiple GMs” handling different narrative aspects and adjudication

⁍ Mystery creation (Dirty Secrets)
Erstwhile (yes this is my own video game, what of it)

⁍ The Deduction Pyramid

Everyone is John (Michael Sullivan) and Bluebeard’s Bride (Whitney Beltrán, Marissa
Kelly, and Sarah Richardson)

⁍ Multiplicity of voices, adversarial jockeying within a single person

FATE Accelerated (Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue) and Blades in the Dark (John Harper)

⁍ Approaches and Actions instead of specific stats tied to moves

Various other PbtA games – special shoutouts to Apocalypse World (Vincent Baker and
Meguey Baker) and Masks (Brendan Conway)

⁍ Cribbed various moves, instructions, mechanics, and wordings

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