GM Reference Tools

AX.C.14.07 - GM Reference Tools

This section contains the operational reference material GMs use during and after sessions: timing guidance, advanced structural techniques, common pitfalls with concrete solutions, and the full session checklists. These tools assume familiarity with the 5-stage framework (AX.C.14.04) and the prep workflow (AX.C.14.05).

Stage Timing Guide

Session Length: 3–4 Hours

Stage	Duration	Session %
Stage 1: The Test	20–30 min	~15%
Stage 2: The Contemplation	30–45 min	~25%
Stage 3: The Twist	10–20 min	~10%
Stage 4: The Climax	45–60 min	~35%
Stage 5: The Resolution	20–30 min	~15%

Adjusting for Table Preference

Combat-focused group: Reduce Stage 2 to 20 minutes. Expand Stages 1 and 4 with additional combat beats. Keep Stage 3 brief — deliver the revelation during an action scene.

Roleplay-heavy group: Expand Stage 2 to 45 minutes or more. Add NPC depth to Stage 1 before or instead of combat. Make Stage 3 a moral confrontation rather than a reveal. Stage 4 may resolve through negotiation rather than combat.

Puzzle-focused group: Build a complex puzzle into Stage 1 or 2. Include an environmental puzzle element in Stage 4 alongside or instead of combat. Layer investigative elements throughout.

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

Pitfall: Stage 2 Drags

Problem: Players are stuck on a puzzle or not engaging with a social encounter.

Solutions: - Have an NPC provide a hint after a failed roll; the success-with-cost principle from AX.C.14.02 applies here - Allow multiple approaches: brute force, circumvention, negotiation - Introduce time pressure: sound of approaching footsteps, a visible countdown - Accept success with cost: "You solve it, but it takes an hour — the enemy is now alerted"

Pitfall: Twist Doesn't Land

Problem: Players guess the twist early or don't find it consequential.

Solutions: - If guessed early: Confirm it and move forward. The players feel appropriately clever. - If they don't care: Ensure the twist impacts something they are already invested in — an NPC they know, a resource they hold - Prevention: Make the twist affect Stage 4's conditions, not just its fiction

Pitfall: Stage 4 Too Easy or Too Hard

Problem: Encounter balance is off.

Solutions: - Too easy: Reinforcements arrive, the enemy reveals a capability, add an environmental complication - Too hard: Enemy starts wounded or loses a Minion early, an ally arrives, the environment provides unexpected cover - Prevention: Prepare one easier and one harder version of the encounter before the session (see AX.C.14.06)

Pitfall: Stage 5 Feels Flat

Problem: Players disengage after the climax.

Solutions: - Make the hook personal — connect the secondary plot to a PC's history or relationships - Introduce an immediate minor complication that requires a decision before the scene closes - Include a reward element that raises a question players want answered - Give a recurring NPC a moment of genuine reaction to the outcome

Pitfall: Stages Feel Disconnected

Problem: Each stage seems like a separate encounter with no through-line.

Solutions: - Thread at least one recurring actor through all five stages - Use a consistent visual or sensory motif to signal continuity - Ensure the information gathered in Stage 2 directly changes something about Stage 4 - Make Stage 3's twist recontextualize what happened in Stage 1

Advanced Techniques

Parallel Plots

Run two 5-stage adventures simultaneously when the group splits: - Each subgroup advances through their own stages - The GM switches between groups at natural break points - Both groups converge for a combined Stage 4 climax

Nested Adventures

A complete 5-stage adventure serves as a single stage in a larger arc: - Each session is a self-contained adventure - Stage 5 hooks connect sessions into the arc's overarching plot - The arc's climax resolves all accumulated threads; see AX.C.14.08

Player-Driven Stages

Let player choices determine the path through the middle stages: - Stage 1 is fixed — entry and the first obstacle - Players choose between 2–3 distinct paths, each serving as a different Stage 2 or 3 - All paths converge on Stage 4 - Stage 5 surfaces the consequence of whichever path was not taken

Flashback Stages

Stage 2 or 3 takes the form of a flashback to past events: - Players briefly portray NPCs or younger versions of their characters - Decisions made in the flashback affect the current situation - The twist is revealed through direct experience rather than exposition

Competitive Stages

A rival group is pursuing the same objective through the same structure: - The PCs encounter evidence of the rivals' progress at each stage - Stage 4 includes both the primary threat and the rival group - Negotiation or temporary alliance is a genuine option

Extended Skill Challenge

Convert an entire stage into a structured skill challenge: - Define a clear goal and a success/failure track (3 successes before 3 failures) - Each player describes their character's action and rolls the appropriate pool against Threshold 2 - Successes build toward resolution; failures add complications - The result — full success, partial success, or failure — determines starting conditions for the next stage

GM Checklist

Before Session

[ ] Select two plots (primary and secondary) from AX.C.14.04
[ ] Set premise: location, hook, what PCs know at start
[ ] Design Stage 1: challenge type, stats or Thresholds, plot integration
[ ] Design Stage 2: contemplation type, puzzle or choice, information to convey
[ ] Design Stage 3: twist type, surprise element, foreshadowing planted in Stages 1–2
[ ] Design Stage 4: conflict type, stats and environment, objectives
[ ] Design Stage 5: rewards, hook introduction, player choice preserved
[ ] Prepare materials: stat blocks (AX.C.13.03), key NPC notes (AX.C.14.03), reward list
[ ] Review encounter balance: power budget, action economy (AX.C.14.06)
[ ] Prepare adjustment options: easier and harder versions of Stage 4 ready

During Session

[ ] Set the scene clearly at the start of each stage
[ ] Track time; adjust if pacing is off against the timing guide above
[ ] Default to yes when players attempt creative solutions
[ ] Drop foreshadowing of Stage 3 during Stages 1–2
[ ] Pause after Stage 3 to let players discuss and react
[ ] Adjust Stage 4 difficulty if needed using prepared options
[ ] Give Stage 5 its full time — don't rush the resolution
[ ] Note what worked and what didn't

After Session

[ ] Record which plots were used; avoid repeating too soon
[ ] Update world state based on consequences; see AX.C.14.08
[ ] Track the Stage 5 hook as an active world thread
[ ] Adjust encounter difficulty calibration for next session based on how Stage 4 ran
[ ] Update recurring NPC states; see AX.C.14.03
[ ] Award XP: baseline 3 per session, plus milestone awards for arc completion; see AX.C.14.08