Editing Unwritten: System Reference Document/Running the Game (section)

===Great Success!===

Sometimes, a PC is going to roll far in excess of the difficulty, getting a lot of shifts on the roll. Some of the basic actions already have a built-in effect for rolling really well, like getting free invokes on an Advantage action.

For others, it’s not so clear. What’s happens when you get a lot of shifts on a roll? You want to make sure those results have some kind of meaning and reflect how competent the PC’s are.

Here are a few choice options.

* Go Gonzo with the Narration: It’s important to celebrate a great roll with a suitable narration of over the top success. Let the success affect something else, in addition to what the PC was going for, and bring the player into the process of selling it by prompting them to make up cool details. “Three extra shifts on that attempt to get past the lock — tell me, is anyone ever going to be able to lock that crypt again?”
* Add an Aspect: You can express additional effects of a good roll by placing an aspect on the PC or on the scene, essentially letting them an advantage for free. “So your action to chat up the ResEng succeeded with four shifts. She’ll let you into the DRC library, and she’ll also act as Available Backup if you should need some help later.”
* Reducing Time: If it’s important to get something done fast, then you can use extra shifts to decrease the time that it takes to do an action.