Chapter 5 The Gamemaster
Challenges and Extended Tests
Nothing is certain in the Secret War and some objectives
may require more work than a single skill test. Disarming
a bomb, disabling a trap, or performing a magical ritual
all require concentration and a concerted effort to achieve.
These instances can be resolved by using challenges or
extended tasks, both involving multiple stages to ensure
success, and taking some time to complete — especially in
dangerous situations.
CHALLENGES
A challenge is a series of skill tests, or even extended
tests (described later), accomplishing a greater goal that
can’t be done with one action. It provides you with a way
to structure a bigger problem, of more or less any size,
depending on the story and the circumstances. You can
structure challenges in a number of ways, based on each
test’s relationship with the other.
LINEAR CHALLENGE
Skill tests in a linear challenge happen one after the
other in a series of rolls. The first test leads to the second,
which leads to the third, and so on. This is a limited way
of structuring a challenge, but it is clear what the player
characters need to do, and the order they have to do it in.
Linear challenges are a good way to add a little depth to a
challenge without the need for a lot of bookkeeping.
GATED CHALLENGE
In a gated challenge, certain tests can only be attempted
once a linked test is completed — unlocking the other.
This provides you with a little more flexibility to structure
a challenge, allowing players to tackle it from a number
of angles before completing it. When building a gated
challenge, you should make a note of the final test that
needs to be completed, and organise the other tests around
it, indicating which tests must be completed before the
players can move onto the others.
GROUP CHALLENGES
When a whole group is attempting a challenge, it’s impor-
tant to remember who is helping and where. If a character
is assisting another, then they can’t help another character
unless there’s been enough time for them to get to the next
test — they can’t be in two places at once! Once a test has
been completed, however, it’s feasible that those charac-
ters are available to work on another, but their attention
must be focused on a single task at a time, even if the
challenge is going on in a confined space. A character who
tries to assist with every test arguably isn’t contributing
enough to any of them to have an impact. Your common
sense is always the best judge of whether characters can
help each other, depending on the circumstances of the
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scene. It may be that completing a test frees them up to
assist with another, and you should always let the story
inform your choice.
TIMED CHALLENGES
Combining time pressure or a deadline with a challenge
can add tension to your scenes and your story, and you
should keep in mind what the consequences are if the time
runs out. When applying time to a challenge, you should
have a clear idea of how long the PCs have, and how long
each skill test takes to complete. A good rule of thumb is
that the time the tests take is the same as how long the
PCs have to complete all the tests — that way, players
can spend Momentum to speed things up, and you can
spend Threat or use complications to slow them down.
Good drama always comes down to the wire — defusing
the bomb is for more exciting for the players if the
counter stops with two seconds left, instead of one-minute
thirty-four.
re arin or a allen e
Players may want to spend some time preparing for one
or more of the skill tests in a challenge by completing
a related test that isn’t specified or using a skill test to
create a truth. That’s not a problem, just use your best
judgement to determine how their actions change the
circumstances of the challenge. If their supplementary
actions relate to a timed challenge, then count the test
against the time limit — too much dithering and prepa-
ration will seriously impact how much time the player
characters have left to complete the challenge!
OPPOSITION
You may wish to present the PCs with some NPC oppo-
sition during the challenge, either on one test or for the
whole challenge. In any case, you should consider what
kind of opposition your NPCs provide, based on what
they’re doing to counter the PCs’ actions:
Disruption increases the difficulty of a skill test
but nothing more, and could come from traps or
preparations the NPCs have made before the PCs get
involved. This works best if your NPCs are resourceful,
or know that the PCs will try to interfere.
Direct Opposition means the skill tests in the
challenge are opposed skill tests, with your NPCs
rolling against the PCs. You can decide which of the
tests are opposed, depending on the circumstances.
Contested Challenges are where your NPCs are
trying to accomplish the same challenge as the PCs,
but not necessarily in the same place or time. If they
 RESISTANCE

Chapter 5 The Gamemaster

are attempting the same test as the PCs, make the
skill test an opposed test. The group that achieves all
If the problem is especially tricky, you may give the test
the skill tests first completes the challenge before the
resistance rating to reduce the characters’ stress rolls. Most
other, which could mean the other group is locked
extended tests have a resistance of 0, just like ordinary
out from completing the challenge altogether. When
characters, but circumstances may warrant giving the stress
it’s a race like this, you should consider what would
track a resistance of 1 or 2, limiting how much stress the
happen should your NPCs complete the challenge
characters can inflict on the track with each test they make.
before the PCs…

EXTENDED TESTS RESOLVING EXTENDED TESTS

Whenever a character passes a skill test to overcome the
Extended tests are used to represent problems that take
extended task, they also roll Challenge Dice ( ) to inflict
more time and effort to complete than just a simple skill
stress, just as they would with an attack. The base a
test. They use the same mechanism as characters taking
character rolls is 4 with bonus from the applicable
stress and injuries in combat, except these injuries are
attribute. If the character is using the right tools or has
called breakthroughs.
another advantage, you could give their either the
Piercing or Vicious effects.
STRESS TRACK
If 5 stress is inflicted in one go, or the test’s stress track
Each extended test has a stress track, just like a character,
is filled, then one or more breakthroughs are achieved.
and a number of breakthroughs that must be made before
Before that point, individual breakthroughs can have one
the extended test is complete. The stress track represents
of the following effects, at your discretion.
how much work must be put in to resolve the problem,
ranging in size from 5 to 20, while the breakthroughs
Difficulty Reduction: Any remaining skill tests made
represent the tasks that need to be completed.
to overcome the problem are reduced in difficulty by 1.

BREAKTHROUGHS Resistance Reduction: The stress track’s resistance is

The breakthroughs needed to complete the extended test
can be thought of the key solutions to a difficult problem.
Depending on the scale of the problem, the number
of breakthroughs required is called the magnitude —
between 1 and 5. When the characters have made enough
breakthroughs, they’ve passed the extended test.
reduced by 2.
Challenge Dice Increase: From now on, Challenge
Dice roll made against the problem gains +1 .
Establish a Truth: A new truth is established, reducing
or increasing the difficulty of skill tests, or making
them possible or impossible.

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 USING EXTENDED TESTS
Chapter 5 The Gamemaster

Extended tests are intended to present a larger problem,
when the pressure is on or the characters involved are in
danger — otherwise, a challenge is more suited to repre-
sent a larger problem made up of smaller skill tests. One
of the following conditions should always apply when you
use an extended task, depending on the situation:
Combat: The extended test takes place during an
action scene. Skill tests to overcome the extended test
must be attempted on a character’s turn as a major
action, and the rest of the combat rages on around
any characters working on task. The extended test
may even be an objective for the action scene as a
whole — the scene concludes when the extended test
is completed.
Costly: The extended test is dangerous or costly to
attempt. A failed skill test may impose some manner of
cost, such as stress or other problems, making it unwise
to spend too long working on the problem — common
to rituals or occult research.
Constant Danger: The environment in which the
extended test is taking place is dangerous. Perhaps it
occurs inside a building that’s collapsing or on fire, or
in an area currently being shelled by artillery. There
may be some persistent hazard like mustard gas. The
hazard inflicts some stress or is a truth that gets worse
with every skill test attempted; alternatively, there’s a
risk of some dangerous event with each attempt.
Countdown: The extended test is on a timer and
exceeding the time limit either makes further progress
impossible, or is catastrophic. You choose how much
time the characters have, and how long each attempted
skill test takes; Momentum can be spent to reduce this
time, and complications can increase it, as discussed in
Timed Challenges, p.132.
o es a
Section M special forces have forced their way into the
control room of a secret Nachtwölfe rocket base and
while his comrades hold off the Nachtwölfe reinforce-
ments. Private Dan Gregg rapidly inspects the control
panels. A modified V2 rocket sits ominously on its launch
pad, fuelled and on a five-minute countdown to launch,
ready to deliver a payload of Mythos horrors on unsus-
pecting Allied forces.
Sweat beading on his forehead, Gregg desperately sets
about trying to disarm the rocket’s launch sequence. The
GM decides this involves an extended test with a stress
track of 10. Gregg is unfamiliar with the technology, and,
as a result, the GM makes skill tests difficulty 1, with a
resistance of 1, and a magnitude (or number of break-
throughs required) of 3. The GM also states that each
attempt at a breakthrough will take 60 seconds.
Stress:           (10)
Resistance: 1
Breakthroughs:    (3)
Skill Test: Reason + Engineering (Electronics) with a
difficulty of 1.
Gregg has a Reason of 10, an Engineering skill of 4 and
a focus in Electronics, all of which are directly relevant
to this extended task. Gregg attempts the skill test with
a target score of 14, rolling a 2, 11, 15 and 18 for three
successes, so he passes with flying colours, and uses
the two Momentum to halve the time the test takes.
Gregg then rolls 6 , 4 as a base and +2 because
his Reason is 10. He scores a total of 7 stress. The test’s
resistance reduces that by 1, so Gregg gets enough to
earn that vital first breakthrough.

Stress: X X X X X X     (10)
CONSEQUENCE TRACKS
Breakthroughs: X   (3)
Just as extended tests represent problems to overcome,
you can use the same mechanics to represent conse-
With such a successful start, the GM rules that Gregg
quences that need to be avoided.
now understands the controls, and removes the 1
resistance as he aims to make the remaining two break-
A consequence track is structured exactly the same way
throughs. However, the clock is ticking and Gregg now
as an extended test, but instead of breakthroughs it has
only has four and a half minutes until the V2 launches.
setbacks. It has a stress track from 5-20, representing
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Gregg flexes his fingers
how far the situation can be pushed before it begins to
and peers at the circuit boards as he makes ready for his
deteriorate. When characters meet the conditions for the
next attempt.
consequence — like a complication on certain skill tests,

“
a failed skill test, or performing certain actions — then
you roll Challenge Dice and inflict stress to the conse-
Every action has its consequences...
quence track. Like extended tests, the base roll is 4 ,
with more added at your discretion. If the consequence is
especially stable, or difficult to affect, it may also have a
resistance to reflect this.

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 Chapter 5 The Gamemaster
A consequence can escalate because of players’ actions, or
it might represent an impending change to the scene, like Example Consequence: Stealth
a crumbling ruin, or the alertness of a patrol. The more
Some brave Majestic agents are attempting to infiltrate
setbacks the players trigger, the harder the circumstances
a Nazi-occupied town to meet with a resistance contact.
become for them. A consequence could even run parallel
The gamemaster decides that the guard patrols and
to an extended test — successful skill tests help overcome
sentries make for an interesting consequence.
the extended test, while failed tests feed into a conse-
quence track instead.
They decide that the consequence has 15 stress overall,
and there are 3 setbacks. Once all three setbacks have
For each setback, decide the effect each one has, both
happened, then the heroes are discovered and must
for the story and mechanically. This is likely to be one
either talk or fight their way out. The town is fairly calm,
of the following:
and the guards aren’t expecting trouble, so there’s a
resistance of 2.
Uncertainty: Some skill tests suffer +1 complication
range per setback.
The GM decides that any failed Stealth test causes a
Difficulty: Skill tests related to the consequence stress roll against the consequence. The base damage
increase in difficulty by +1 per setback. roll is 4 , and it gains the Piercing 1 effect if any compli-
cations are suffered on the failed test.
Instability: The consequence’s resistance is reduced
by 2, or the damage roll made against it increases by
Setback 1 — “Hast du das gehört?”: The
+1 or gains an effect like Piercing or Vicious.
first setback shakes the guards out of their
Escalation: Each setback generates 2 Threat, either complacency, reducing the resistance to 0.
used immediately or soon after to escalate the scene,
Setback 2 — “Ich bin sicher, dass dort draußen
such as with reinforcements.
jemand ist…”: The second setback puts the
Truths: Each setback has a cumulative effect on the guards on alert, adding +1 to the difficulty of any
scene, in the form of a complication, or a truth for further Stealth tests.
the enemy.
Setback 3 — “Achtung! Identifiziert Euch!”: The
Event: Each setback signals a specific event, such as the third setback, as noted above, means the Majestic
arrival or departure of specific individuals, a change in agents have been discovered!
enemy tactics, or a new instance of damage or danger.

Using Truths
Truths form a framework to help you describe a scene, Make an activity possible where it wouldn’t normally
highlighting the key things that affect the characters’
Make an activity impossible where it would normally
actions in some way. Truths are a versatile tool, and a
be possible
useful way to establish situations and environments that
characters can be confronted with.
In general, +1 and – 1 difficulty will be the most
commonly-used effects of a truth, but they are far from the
In the simplest terms, a truth is a description of something
only ones. You can use a truth to justify various bonuses
that influences game mechanics. Truths always describe
and penalties as the situation demands — these might be
things that are factual about a situation, location, or
extra weapon effects, bonus Challenge Dice to attacks, an
character, and in turn, if the thing that a truth describes
increased complication range, heightened consequences,
stops being true, the truth changes as well. Truths aren’t
and similar effects. For example, if an enemy has a truth
inherently advantageous or problematic, but they have the
that describes a weakness in its armour, you could grant
potential to be either or both of those things. They help
an attacker the Piercing 2 damage effect on their attacks.
you define what is or isn’t possible in a scene and deter-
mine how difficult some things are to accomplish.
The use of narrative permissions — deciding whether
an activity is possible or not — is also useful, particu-
Truths can:
larly as those permissions can be temporary. Removing
Make an activity easier (-1 difficulty on a skill test) a truth that makes a skill test impossible or creating one
that makes the impossible possible are good ways to
Make an activity harder (+1 difficulty on a skill test,
handle abstract or unusual approaches to problem-solving
or require a skill test where success would normally
mechanically. They can help players and GMs alike add
be automatic)
extra impact to unfolding events.

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