Stakes: verdicts, dice and tracks

Optional game tools for the Controller: say how an action went, let two dice decide, and keep count of the danger.

Verdict. When the hero does something, stamp how it went: “Yes”, “Yes, but…” or “No, and…”. Both of you see the stamp on stage.
Dice. When an action is risky, call a roll and set the odds: bad, even or good. The hero’s next action is settled by two dice plus the odds: 10 or more is yes, 7 to 9 is yes but, 6 or less is no and. The server rolls them, so nobody can fudge them.
Tracks. A named row of 2 to 8 pips: a clock on stage (“The guards wake”) or hearts over someone’s head. Fill the pips as things happen. A full track does nothing by itself: you decide what it means.
Walls. Rooms come with walls the hero can’t walk through. Paint them to open a passage or close one off.

None of it is required. Many stories never roll a die; reach for Stakes when a moment deserves a little risk. All of it shows in the film.

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