Montage Challenge House Rules

Core Philosophy Change

Heroes always succeed at the montage's overall goal. The montage determines how well they succeed; not whether they do. If you're crossing the fey forest, you'll make it through. The question is whether you emerge unscathed or covered in thorns with a mortgage on your true names.

Threats & Opportunities (Replaces RAW Challenges)

Instead of a unified challenge list with success/failure thresholds, challenges are split into two types:

• Threats: Bad things that will happen if unaddressed. Unresolved Threats automatically trigger their Outcome at the montage's end.

• Opportunities: Optional chances for extra benefits. Players can also propose their own.

Each challenge has a stated Outcome: the specific consequence (Threat) or reward (Opportunity) at stake. Outcomes can be mechanical (lose a Recovery, gain a treasure) or purely narrative (embarrass yourself in front of your crush).

Structure: Fixed 2-Round Format

Montages run exactly 2 rounds (no success/failure threshold tracking).

Each round:

1. Each hero picks one challenge. Multiple heroes cannot pick the same challenge, but a hero can assist another hero's test instead of picking their own.

2. The Director resolves all attempts (in any order).

Between rounds: Unresolved Threats and remaining Opportunities carry forward. The Director may introduce new Threats or Opportunities in round 2, reacting to the players or deploying a planned twist.

After round 2: The montage ends. Unaddressed Threats trigger. Secured Opportunities pay out.

The Montage Challenge Test

Auto-success: The Director can grant automatic success (no roll) if a hero's abilities, expendable resources, called-in favors, or a clever solution directly address the challenge.

Resolved Challenge Handling

• Threat removed on success: The party avoids its Outcome.

• Opportunity on success: Benefits apply immediately or at montage's end, as appropriate. The Director decides whether a successful Opportunity is removed or remains available in round 2.

• Failed challenges: Can be reattempted in round 2 (unless using the One Chance variant).

Victories

Based on Threat count vs. party size, not overall pass/fail:

Designing a Montage

Total challenges (Threats + Opportunities) should be roughly equal to or slightly more than the number of party members. Come up with a specific Outcome for each.

Common Threat Outcomes

Arrive Late · Get Found Out · Lose a Recovery · Lose a Treasure · Loss of (NPC) Life · Make Enemies

Common Opportunity Outcomes

Arrive Early · Earn a Favor · Extra Renown · Gain a Treasure · Hero Token · Make Friends · Misdirect Enemies · Valuable Intel

Combat-Shaping Outcomes (Threats or Opportunities)

Bonus Recovery · Change Terrain (barricades/traps) · Condition on First Round · Easier/Harder Encounter · Elemental Weakness · Extra Heroic Resource or Malice · Gain Allies · Get an Item · New Attack Angle · Reveal Danger · Surprise