E. Begin Your Adventure
Envision an Inciting Incident
An inciting incident is the problem at the beginning of a story that propels the protagonists into action. Everything up to that point is backstory. It is the inciting incident that begins your campaign.
At this point, you may already have a problem or mission in mind for the start of your campaign. If so, jump to Step 2. Set the Scene to get started.
If not, consider the narrative fodder from the previous exercises.
Truths:
- Selected truths: Which factions, conflicts, or dangers offer an opportunity for adventure?
- Quest starters: Did any of the quest starters associated with your truths jump out at you as inspiration for your adventures?
Character: - Paths: Does your character have any duties, skills, or goals that lend themselves to a quest?
- Backstory: Does your backstory imply an immediate danger or goal that must be dealt with?
- Team: If playing co-op, do you and your allies have any shared or complementary goals?
Region: - Settlements: Are there any settlement aspects, projects, or troubles that create an opportunity for a quest?
- Connection: Based on their role or goal, does your connection need something from you?
- Region trouble: Does the trouble in this region, or some aspect of it, need to be dealt with?
What Makes a Good Inciting Incident?
Consider these suggestions for a compelling initial quest:
- Make it personal: Why is this important to your character? Envision how this connects to your background, skills, and motivations. Most tasks are unworthy of a sworn vow. What makes this different?
- Make it a problem that won’t go away on its own: The threats or forces at the heart of this situation will see it through, even if you ignore them.
- Give it a ticking clock: The problem won’t wait for you. If you don’t act, things will get worse or fall out of reach.
- Up the stakes: If the quest seems too mundane, envision factors that make the inciting incident more interesting or complex.
- Limit the scope: Don’t try to save the world out of the gate. Envision a trouble or goal that seems manageable—something you can overcome in a session or two of play.
Allies and the Inciting Incident
If you are playing with others, you will undertake this quest together as a shared vow. Discuss your ideas for the incident, and consider how the quest fits the nature of your team.
Creating the Inciting Incident as the GM
If you are the GM, you can introduce an inciting incident based on the established setting and character aspects. Or you can moderate the creation of an inciting incident with your players to ensure everyone has a stake in this quest.
Make the Move
To set your quest in motion, as a response to the inciting incident, make this move.
When you swear with chalk to complete a quest, write your vow and give the quest a rank. Then, roll +heart. If you make this vow to a person or community with whom you share a connection, add +1; if you share a bond, add +2.
On a strong hit, you are emboldened and it is clear what you must do next (Ask the Oracle if unsure). Take +2 momentum.
On a weak hit, you are determined but begin your quest with more questions than answers. Take +1 momentum, and envision what you do to find a path forward.
On a miss, you face a significant obstacle before you can begin your quest. Envision what stands in your way (Ask the Oracle if unsure).
Envision the Vow
First, start with the fiction. This is an important moment for your character and your story. You stand at the threshold of new adventures and perils. You are about to bind yourself to a sacred promise. What do you say?
Swearing the Vow with Allies
If you are playing with allies, one of you makes the Swear a Chalk Vow move. Whomever is most connected to this quest, or is at the forefront of the incident, should swear the vow. Other players can make the Aid Your Ally move as a way of representing their own commitment to this quest, but keep in mind that more moves mean more opportunities for failure. For the purposes of starting your campaign, it might be best to focus on the single move and let others portray their actions in the fiction of the scene.
Write the Vow
You and your allies will mark the vow on your vow worksheet or journal. Write the name of the vow and give it a rank. Since this is a starting vow, hopefully dealt with in a session or two of playtime, give it a rank of troublesome or dangerous.