# Core GM Principles

**1. Telegraph Risk:** Always tell players what they're risking before they roll. "If you fail, the superstorm will catch you before you reach shelter—that's 1 stress per hour exposed."

**2. Fail Forward:** Failure shouldn't stop the story. Complications create new challenges: "You don't find water, but you notice tracks leading deeper into the ruins. Something else is looking for water too."

**3. Respect Resources:** Water, food, energy, and psychic stamina matter. Track them lightly but consistently. When players catch their breath, introduce resource-related complications.

**4. Make Duskara Feel Alive:** The wind never stops. The sky never changes. Settlements depend on each other. Actions have consequences across the twilight belt.

**5. Say Yes, Then Complicate:** Players want to attempt something cool? Let them try. Use checks for risky actions, then introduce complications on partial successes.