Symbiosis

You have your diagnosis, you have your tools, it’s time to get to work. In the Symbiosis Phase, you square off against the Monster and attempt to heal their Wounds. Symbiosis is the most different Phase of the three. You still take actions and follow Moves to see what happens, but Symbiosis doesn’t use a Clock to track your progress like the other phases. Instead, you use your skills and abilities to cure the Wounds causing the Monster to go berserk. If you’ve succeeded in the previous phases, you have a ton of help here and you should be able to apply your cures relatively easily, but if you failed the previous phases you can still soothe their pain and fix the problem. It’ll just be a little harder.

Symbiosis Moves

We’re Going Up There?

When you climb around an enormous Monster, roll+FORCE. On a 10+, you get where you need to be, move up one on the control track. On a 7-9, you get stranded halfway there, spend an Ace to move up one on the control track, or lose your footing. On a 6 or below, you fall. Move back one on the Control Track

Retreat

When the tussle gets bad, and you lose Control while at the D4 segment of the Control Track, your squad is forced to retreat. When you retreat, pull back to a safe place and begin a new Synthesis phase. Pick one:

  • Your encounter with the Monster left you with some special insight into the Monster’s abilities or Wounds. Say what it is and gain a Session Ace.
  • The Monster’s infection shifts its Wounds to entirely new ones, and it flees to roost in a completely different biome. Your ground zero view of the mutations means you start the Synthesis phase with a Critical Ace, as if you’d succeeded in a Diagnosis phase.
  • You call for backup, and the Mentor joins you for the rest of the encounter.

Cure

When you try to fix a Wound and you have Control, roll, using the die you’re at on the Control Track. On a 10+, you heal the Monster’s Wound and they lose the abilities that Wound granted them. Reset the Control Track and tell the table something you noticed while applying the cure. On a 7-9, pick one;

  • Heal the Wound, but at great cost—Reset both the players and Monster’s position on the Control track, then advance the Monster two segments
  • The Wound mutates, shifts, or changes, but you’ve seen this before, Advance one on the Control Track
  • Your cure fails, but sets up your team, say how, and give one teammate +1 to their next Move as long as it uses what you set up

If that was the Monster’s final Wound, they are cured. Take a breath, you did it. When you’re ready, and you’ve done all you need to do, Move On.

Get In The Way

When you stand between your allies and a terrible danger, roll+GRIT. On a 10+, you channel the danger away from you and toward the Monster, Push back the Monster on the Control Track. On a 7-9, Push back the Monster on the Control Track, but lose something to protect your friends. Pick one:

  • -1 Supply
  • Lose an Ace
  • Move Back on the Control Track
  • Something precious, valuable, or important to the people of the town is destroyed

Set ‘Em Up

When you use subterfuge, trickery, and subtle action to mislead, trap, confuse, or misdirect the Monster, roll+FINE. On a 10+, the Monster falls for your trick completely, Advance on the Control Track and pick one. On a 7-9, pick one.

  • You set someone up perfectly—give +1 to a teammate, as long as they exploit the situation you created
  • You catch a glimpse of a hidden truth—gain a Session Ace
  • You get a moment to diagnose the Monster’s Wounds, ask the Guide one thing the Monster can do, and one thing it can’t, due to its Wounds

We Go On Three!

When you come up with a plan on the fly, name at least one other team member with a relevant Training or Background and ask them to help out. You and everybody who agrees rolls+STAT. For every 10+. Hold 1. This Hold is shared by the group. Spend Hold on the following options:

  • Advance on the Control Track
  • Rescue a teammate that rolled a 6 or below
  • Push the Monster back on the Control Track
  • Gain a Session Ace
  • Refresh a Critical Ace

On a 7-9, you’re safe, but you botched the plan and lost something important, what was it?

For every 6 or below, The Monster advances on the Control Track and pushes the players one back

Move On

When your work here is finished, pick one from the list below and either ask the Guide where the next job is, or tell them where you’re headed next.

  • Pick a new Move or Upgrade one you already have to its Monster Gift form
  • Pick a new Move or Upgrade one you already have to its Monster Gift form
  • Pick a new Move or Upgrade one you already have to its Monster Gift form
  • Add +1 to one of your Stats
  • Add +1 to one of your Stats
  • Swap the bonuses between two Stats
  • Change a -1 or 0 Stat for a new Background or Training

Reminder that each of the advancement options can only be taken once.