Encounters and Conflicts

Duskara is not a combat-focused game, but conflicts—physical, social, or environmental—are inevitable. This section provides structure for resolving meaningful confrontations. 
 Conflict Types 
 Physical Confrontation 
 Direct action between characters or against hostile forces. 
 Examples: 
 
 Defending a settlement from claim-jumpers 
 Escaping a collapsing cavern 
 Subduing a panicked storm-beast 
 
 Resolution: 
 
 Frame as closed questions: "Can I disarm the rival before they sabotage the turbine?" 
 Apply relevant Tags (combat Skills, environmental factors, opponent's abilities) 
 Interpret outcomes narratively, not as hit points 
 
 Social Confrontation 
 Persuasion, negotiation, deception, or manipulation. 
 Examples: 
 
 Convincing the Council to fund an expedition 
 Negotiating water rights between settlements 
 Deceiving a rival about the location of a salvage site 
 
 Resolution: 
 
 Frame as closed questions: "Can I persuade the Archivists to grant me access to restricted data?" 
 Apply relevant Tags (social Skills, Relationships, Nemesis opposition) 
 Consider long-term consequences of outcomes 
 
 Environmental Confrontation 
 Surviving or overcoming natural hazards. 
 Examples: 
 
 Navigating a superstorm 
 Surviving a thermal surge on the day side 
 Escaping a collapsing tunnel 
 
 Resolution: 
 
 Frame as closed questions: "Can we reach shelter before the superstorm hits?" 
 Apply environmental zone modifiers and hazard Tags 
 Use psychic abilities where appropriate 
 
 Opposition Strength 
 When facing sapient opposition, their strength is represented by adding Risk Dice: 
 Minor Opposition: +1 Risk Die 
 
 Inexperienced rivals 
 Small-scale threats 
 Routine challenges 
 
 Moderate Opposition: +2 Risk Dice 
 
 Skilled opponents 
 Organized groups 
 Significant hazards 
 
 Major Opposition: +3 Risk Dice 
 
 Legendary figures 
 Elite forces 
 Catastrophic threats 
 
 NPCs may also have their own Tags (Concept, Skills, Gear) that add additional Risk Dice when relevant. 
 Creatures and Native Life 
 Duskara's native life has adapted to the planet's extreme conditions. Most creatures are not hostile, but they can be dangerous when threatened or when their territories overlap with human activity. 
 See the Creatures and Enemies section for specific examples. 
 Zoom In vs. Zoom Out in Conflicts 
 Zoom Out: Resolve the entire confrontation with a single question. 
 
 "Do we drive off the claim-jumpers and secure the mining site?" 
 Fast resolution, emphasizes outcome over details 
 Best for conflicts where specifics aren't crucial 
 
 Zoom In: Break the confrontation into multiple questions. 
 
 "Can I identify their leader?" 
 "Do I convince the leader to negotiate?" 
 "Can I disarm the hostile faction member?" 
 Detailed, tense, allows for tactical decisions 
 Best for climactic or complex confrontations 
 
 Choose based on narrative importance and player engagement. 
 Example Conflict 
 Situation: The characters are defending their settlement's water reclamation station from saboteurs hired by a rival settlement. 
 Approach: Zoom In (multiple questions for tension) 
 Question 1: "Can I spot the saboteurs before they reach the pumps?" 
 
 Dice Pool: 1 Action Die + Chance Die (Perception Skill, high vantage point) - Risk Die (darkness, saboteurs are experienced) 
 Result: "Yes, but..." → You spot them, but they see you too and split up 
 
 Question 2: "Can I intercept the one heading for the main control panel?" 
 
 Dice Pool: 1 Action Die + Chance Dice (athleticism, knowledge of station layout) - Risk Dice (saboteur's evasion skill, low light) 
 Result: "No, but..." → You don't catch them, but you trigger the alarm, alerting the settlement 
 
 Question 3: "Can I talk the saboteur down before they complete their mission?" 
 
 Dice Pool: 1 Action Die + Chance Dice (Relationship with rival settlement, appeals to shared values) - Risk Dice (saboteur's loyalty to employer, time pressure) 
 Result: "Yes, and..." → The saboteur stands down, and reveals who hired them 
 
 Consequences 
 Conflicts should have lasting impacts: 
 Physical: Conditions (Injured, Exhausted), gear damage, environmental changes
 Social: Relationship shifts, reputation changes, new alliances or Nemeses
 Environmental: Structural damage to settlements, resource status degradation, ecological disruption