Unwritten: System Reference Document/System Glossary

Action

An attempt to accomplish something that meets opposition and may or may not succeed. There are four types of action: Overcome, Advantage, Discover, and Oppose.

Active Opposition

Resistance to an action by an active entity, represented by an Oppose action which the character must exceed on a roll.

Advantage

A benefit received from a successful Advantage action, such as a new situation aspect or free invokes.

Advantage action

An action where a character creates something to help them, such as an aspect or free invokes on an aspect.

Aspect

A phrase that describes an important detail. Aspects are true, and can be justification for decisions and actions. Aspects can be invoked or compelled, as well.

Boost

A temporary bonus that can be used like an aspect with a free invoke. Boosts go away as soon as they are used.

Challenge

A sequence of events in a scene where many actions are happening at once.

Chapter

A series of sessions that contain coherent narrative.

Character aspect

An aspect attached to a particular character

Compel

The gamemaster can offer a compel of an aspect to require that the aspect be a source of complication for the character. The player can accept the compel and get a fate point, or pay a fate point to refuse a compel.

Conceding

In response to a dangerous action, a player may concede the action. The opponent succeeds the action and the PC is overwhelmed, but the character’s player decides how the PC is overwhelmed.

Consequence

A character aspect that represents a lasting impediment for the character.

Contest

A series of exchanges in a scene in which characters compete to gather points of progress toward a mutually exclusive goal.

Create Advantage

An Advantage action that can create a new aspect.

Dangerous Action

An action where a character would be overwhelmed as a result of fumble.

Declare

To create a detail in the story.

Deduction

A sequence in a scene in which players propose facts to be used in deciding on a truth of a mystery or unknown.

Detail

Any specific narrative piece of information.

Discover Action

An action where a character can ask questions about something.

Excel

To exceed the opposition of a roll by 3 shifts or more. Excelling indicates a higher degree of success.

Exchange

One turn of a contest in which all sides involved have a chance to make progess toward their goal.

Fate point

A point used by players and the gamemaster to pay for invokes, pay off compels, declare details, or activate certain stunts.

First Look

The first round of an investigation, where all obvious details are provided to the investigating characters.

Free invocation

An advantage attached to a particular action that can be spent to invoke that aspect. Free invocations are gained from an Advantage action. Also ‘free invoke’.

High Concept

A character aspect that described the primary concept or nature of a character.

Hint

An option to request that the gamemaster reveal an important detail. Hints are gained by excelling at Discover actions.

Interlude

A scene composed of actions that characters do ‘off-stage’, that is, not in real-time roleplaying.

Investigation

A sequence in a scene where characters work togther and use Discover actions to investigate clues and find out information.

Invocation

Using an aspect for a bonus or other helpful effect. Can be triggered by paying a fate point or a free invocation. Also ‘invoke’.

Issue

An important theme or situation in game creation that describes what the characters will be dealing with. Issues can be current issues or impending issues.

Journey Aspect

A character aspect that describes important details, separate from a character’s high concept.

Journey Roll

A roll made between sessions that reflects efforts that a character is doing ‘off-stage’.

Justification

An aspect can provide justification for making choices that the aspect affects, such as the need (or lack of need) for action rolls, the existence of story details, etc.

Ladder

The table of values used to measure skill levels and difficulties, Each ‘rung’ on the Ladder has a name and a value (e,g, Good (+3)).

Milestone

An event between sessions where the growth and change of a character are considered.

Oppose action

An action performed by a character in active opposition to another action.

Opposition

The resistance to an action that the roll much exceed. Opposition is either active or passive.

Overcome Action

A catch-all action describing an attempt to accomplish a goal by overcoming opposition.

Overwhelmed

An overwhelmed character is removed from the current scene.

Passive Opposition

A static value on the Ladder that represents the value a roll must exceed in order to be successful.

Progress

Points toward a specific goal, gained in a contest.

Recovering Consequence

A consequece that has been addressed by an action and will disappear over time.

Refresh

When fate points are refilled up to the character’s refresh level. Refreshes happen at the beginning of a session.

Refresh level

The amount of fate points a character refreshes to.

Reserved Aspect

A situation that is set aside to be used in a later scene.

Resource

A stunt that describes a location, gadget, or contact that a character has access to.

Result

The value of a roll after opposition is subtracted.

Roll

A roll of the dice in which the value of the dice is added to a skill and then compared to opposition.

Sacrifice

To choose a consequence in exchange for fate points.

Scene

A coherent bit of narrative.

Shift

A level of value in a dice roll. Shifts correspond to ‘shifting’ a value up and down the Ladder.

Situation aspect

An aspect that applies only to the situation or scene at hand.

Skill

An ability that a character uses in a roll. Skills are rated on the Ladder.

Story Arc

A series of chapters that form an overall narrative.

Stunt

A special ability or rules exception attached to a particular character.

Succeed

To exceed the opposition on a roll. When exceeding the opposition by 3 or more shifts, the action excels.

Take Advantage

An Advantage action where a character gains free invokes on an existing aspect.

Tie

To exactly match the opposition on a roll (i.e. a result of 0).