Being the Narrator is often a more difficult role than being a regular player. Players only have to say what their Heroes say, think, and do. The Narrator has to describe and decide everything else.

A Narrator’s job can be broken down into these four parts.

Describe the immediate situation around the Heroes at all times. This will be how you start a session and how to get back on track after a break. Add details to your description to bring the scene to life. Instead of “The killer robot shoots an electric bolt at you” consider “As the smell of ozone fills the air, a crackling beam of white hot energy bursts out at you from the extended plasti-steel fingers of the gleaming murder-bot.”. At the same time do not dwell overly on the mundane. As often as possible The Narrator should be providing the Heroes something to react to. After you have described the situation ask “What do you do?”.  Power World is about super heroic action. Portray a situation that demands a super-heroic response. If the Heroes are going to start the game in a more mundane setting, action can be provided by describing a brief  “Teaser”  scene that doesn’t include the Heroes.

Follow the rules, by listening to the Players for Triggers for Player Moves and opportunities to enact Narrator Moves. Be a resource for Player’s understanding of the rules. Do not be shy about getting the Player’s input when an application of the rules is unclear. If rules aren’t your forte you can place this burden of marshaling the rules on another player, while remaining the final arbiter of the rules. If the rules are flubbed, it is generally best to acknowledge the mistake and barrel forward with The Narrative, rather than backtracking to correct.

Make and exploit your preparations.  Power World is meant to be a “low prep” game system, relative to most popular Role Playing Games, where details of The Narrative should emerge as you play rather than be wholly planned in advance. Even so there is still some preparation for the Narrator to do. The Narrator should look to their preparations when making Moves so that The Narrative can emerge as a cohesive thematic story, rather than a series of random events. A Narrator can prepare by:

• create or update Scenarios & Masterplans (detailed below)
• taking notes as you play so The Narrative can remain consistent to what has occurred previous, especially the details of major Antagonists and their plans.
• staying familiar with the Power World Agenda & Principles (detailed below) so The Narrative can maintain a consistent feel throughout your game.
• being inspired by, building upon, and borrowing from other super heroic source material. Comics, books, movies, theatre and even other game systems are all fair game.

Manage your time and bring things to a close. Whether an ongoing story that takes place over several sessions of play or a one-shot that ends after a handful of hours, all play sessions and story lines have ends. More specifically, all good stories have endings.

Throughout a session of play The Narrator needs to be watching the clock planning for the end of the session. Watch your time and aim to end a session of play …

… at the end of a story line or arc.
… on a cliff-hanger, pregnant with possibilities for the next session.
… with loss and defeat. A darkness before the dawn of the next session.

If for some reason the game session is unable to be ended satisfactorily describe a “Stinger” scene (i.e. a post-credits scene) to provide a setup for the next session of play, or some closure.

Agenda

Your agenda makes up the things you aim to do at all times while Narrating a game of Power World:

• Portray a world that needs Heroes
• Fill the Heroes lives with adventure
• Play to find out what happens

Everything you say and do at the table exists to accomplish these three goals and no others. Things that aren’t on this list aren’t your goals. You’re not trying to beat the players or test their ability to solve complex puzzles and traps. You’re not here to give the players a chance to explore your finely crafted setting. You’re not trying to kill the players (though the Villains might be). You’re not here to tell everyone a story, but rather create a story together, in participation with each other.

Your first agenda is to Portray a world that needs Heroes. Power World is all about powerful individuals choosing (and perhaps struggling) to set aside a life of ease their powers may afford them and instead choosing to be responsible for defeating dire threats. Threats that ultimately only the Heroes can defeat. It’s your job to participate in that by showing the Players a world in which only their Heroes can save. Without the Heroes the world would certainly fall into chaos or destruction. It is up to you portray powerful fantastical threats that only the Heroes can defeat. Demonstrate to the Players the powerful nature of these threats and how ineffectual all other authorities are in dealing with them.

Filling the Heroes lives with adventure means working with the players to create a world that’s engaging and dynamic. Heroes are always caught up in some world-threatening danger. Heroes should be in the thick of the action or in the shadow of a looming threat.

Power World never presumes Heroes actions. Power World portrays a setting in motion—with significant locals threatened by Antagonists, great and small, pursuing their own goals. As the players come into conflict with these Antagonists, action is inevitable. You’ll honestly portray the repercussions of that action. This is how you Play to find out what happens. You’re sharing in the fun of finding out how the Heroes react to and change the world you’re portraying. You’re all participants in a great adventure that’s unfolding. So really, don’t plan too hard. The rules of the game are disruptive to plans, yours and the Heroes. It’s fun to see how things unfold, trust us.

Principles

Your principles are your guides. Often, when it’s time to make a move, you’ll already have an idea of what makes sense. Consider it in light of your principles and go with it, if it fits.

• Address the Heroes, not the Players
• Embrace the cliche
• Follow the Narrative
• Obscure Narrator rules
• Give every Antagonist life
• Ask questions and use the answers
• Clarify
• Be a fan of the Heroes
• Think dangerous
• Begin and end with the Narrative
• Think off-screen, too

Address the Heroes, not the Players – Addressing the Heroes, not the Players, means that you don’t say, “Tony, is Power Fist doing something about that electrified mastodon?” Instead you say, “Power Fist, what are you doing about the electrified mastodon?” Speaking this way keeps the game focused on the Narrative and not on the table. It’s important to the flow of the game, too. If you talk to the Players you may leave out details that are important to what action the Heroes can make. Since Moves are always based on the actions of the Heroes you need to think about what’s happening in terms of those Heroes—not the Players portraying them.

Embrace the Cliché – When setting the Scope for a game you and the Players should have a more specific setting and genre in mind than just “World with Super Heroes”.

Whether you are playing a dark gritty world of vigilantes protecting a neighbourhood or world spanning super group defending against alien threats, these settings will have specific clichés related to them (i.e. the police are often corrupt in a dark gritty world of vigilantes. Alien threats often appear uniform in appearance and behaviour, in contrast to the diversity of humanity, in a Alien Invasion plot). Familiarise yourself with the cliches of your genre and setting. Note the cliches that appeal most to you. Liberally sprinkle examples of these cliches when you contribute to the Narrative. This is a quick and effective way to make the Players feel a part of a fantastical, yet fully realised and familiar world.

Follow the Narrative – When you contribute to the Narrative what you’re actually doing is taking an element of the existing Narrative and bringing it to bear against the Heroes. Your Moves should always follow from the Narrative, building upon what has previously happened. This helps you focus on one aspect of the current situation and do something interesting with it. What’s going on? What makes sense here? When you follow the Narrative it creates a continuity that makes things feel like a compelling story, rather than a random series of events.

Obscure Narrator rules-The Players have to consider the stats and numbers on their own character sheets to help them decide what kind of action they may wish to pursue. This is necessary so that they can know what their Hero is most capable of.

The Players do not need the curtain drawn back on the rules that inform your contributions. There is no quicker way to ruin the immersiveness of Power World than to tell the players about the rules that lead to your contribution to the Narrative. These rules are prompts for you, not details you need to provide.

Never show the Players that you’re picking a Narrator Move from a list. You know the reason city’s Mole Men are dragging Power Fist into the sewers is because you chose “An escape of an Antagonist” and “Unwanted attention” from a list, but you should show it to the Players as a straightforward outcome of their actions, since it is.

Give every Antagonist life- Antagonists are people and super powered beings with their own motivations. Give each Antagonist details that bring it to life: smells, sights, sounds. You should know the motivation, however simple, of every Antagonist. You should endeavor to describe an Antagonist acting according to its motivation whenever possible. Give each Antagonist enough details to make it real, but don’t be precious with it. It’s there to ultimately be defeated by the Heroes. That’s what Heroes do.

Ask questions and use the answers- Part of playing to find out what happens is explicitly not knowing everything, and being curious. If you don’t know something, or you don’t have an idea, ask the Players and use what they say.

The easiest question to use is “What do you do?” Whenever you make a Move, end with “What do you do?” You don’t even have to ask the person you made the move against. Take that chance to shift the focus elsewhere: “Druidia’s Briar Barrier spell is torn apart with a flick of the Dark Mage’s wand. Power Fist, the Briar Barrier was the only thing holding back the seemingly endless wave of Celestial Imps. What are you doing now that it’s gone?”

Clarify- Before responding to the Heroes actions it is often good to clarify. In a game that exists mostly in the minds of the players, it is easy to lose track of even the most obvious details. If the Heroes take an action that appear to not consider an obvious consequence take a moment to clarify and maker sure the Player is aware of any obvious consequences to the action they are about to take.

Be a fan of the Heroes- Think of the Heroes as protagonists in a story you might see on TV. Cheer for their victories and lament their defeats. You’re not here to push them in any particular direction, merely to participate in a narration that features them and their action.

Think dangerous- Everything in the world is a target. You’re thinking like an evil overlord: no single life is worth anything and there is nothing sacrosanct. Everything can be put in danger, everything can be destroyed. Nothing you create is ever protected. Whenever your eye falls on something you’ve created, think how it can be put in danger, fall apart or crumble. The world changes. Without the Heroes intervention, it changes for the worse.

Begin and end with the Narrative- Everything you and the Players do in Power World comes from and leads to the Narrative. When the Players make a Move, they Narrate an action to trigger it, apply the rules, and get an effect which details are then Narrated. When you make a Move it should also always come from the Narrative.

Think off-screen too- Just because you’re a fan of the Heroes doesn’t mean everything happens right in front of them. Sometimes your best Move is in the next room, or another part of the city, or even back at the Heroes base. Make your move elsewhere and show its repercussions when plausible in the Narrative.

Scenarios & Master Plans

Power World is meant to be a low preparation game. The majority of your time should be spent playing Power World with friends. You may be able to go into a game with nothing but your thoughts on what dangers are going to require the Heroes attention next, writing down the details, for future reference, as they come up in play. That said, a little written preparation before game can go a long way to creating a continuity of story, making the Heroes world feel real and alive.

Preparing a couple of Antagonist & Hazards, Scenarios, and Master Plans provides a Narrator the means to organize their thoughts on what may oppose the players in the upcoming game session. Preparing in this way both keeps a Narrator organized and provides inspiration for present and future mayhem.

When you “Play to find out what happens” you do not want to prepare too much ahead of time. When you “Think dangerous” you do not want to get overly attached to any Antagonist, Master Plan, or Scenario you’ve prepared.

Scenarios

A Scenario is an outline for conflict that the Heroes may be involved in. Your first game will likely start with a single scenario. After the first game, it is helpful to have 2 to 3 Scenarios on hand to prepare for further adventure and game sessions. A scenario may be associated with an Antagonist’s Master Plan.

A Scenario consists of a:

• Title – A short name for the scenario, for reference
• Portents – A description of what, and how, the Heroes are  most likely to know about the upcoming conflict the scenario provides. The Heroes might know nothing of the upcoming conflict.
• Setup – A brief description of the initial state of danger and the next likely escalation of that danger.
• Synergy – Note which Heroes, if any’s, Motivation will have the opportunity to be demonstrated due to the nature of the scenario.
• Antagonists & Hazards –List the Antagonists & Hazards involved in this scenario.
• Trigger – A brief description of how the Heroes are most likely to encounter the scenario. Do they encounter it if they investigate a specific location? Do they hear about it on the news? Does trouble seek the heroes out? Is there a specific timeline for the scenario to occur?
• Calamity– A Scenario may be triggered, but not pursued by the Heroes. This always results in Calamity. Here is where you put a brief description of how the calamity plays out if the Heroes do not pursue it? 
• Results – A record of how the Scenario actually played out.

Master Plans

A Master Plan is an outline for the long term diabolical plan of action of a Villain or group of Villains.

A Master Plan consists of:

• Title– A short name for the Master plan. For reference
• Masterminds– The Villain, or Villains, who have the plan.
• Goal – A short description of the goals of the Masterminds to enact the plan. The Goals should align with the Motivations of the Villains.
• Scenarios – A list of Scenario Titles listed in the order they are likely to play out. You do not have to come up with all the Scenarios to list here all at once. One or two will do, adding more between game sessions, after a Scenario or two has been triggered. A Scenario that has already been triggered can retroactively be assigned to being a part of a Master Plan.
• Calamity– What likely happens if the Master Plan is not foiled by the Heroes. The Result does not have to be the same as the Goal of the Masterminds, even villainous geniuses don’t always get what they want, but the result should make the Heroes world more dangerous.

Narrator Moves

Set the Scope & Facets

When conceiving of the setting of your game, before Hero Creation, set the Scope & Facets.

Describe What is Happening Right Now

When the Players and the Player’s Moves look to you to describe what is happening describe what is happening  right now. The description should be  a reaction to the Player’s efforts, successes and failures. This description should always be in context to what happened immediately previous and fulfill any requirements of you, The Narrator, for any currently unresolved Player Moves. Endeavor to describe the results of a failed Roll  as an unavoidable, immediate, adverse consequence (not necessarily directed towards the Hero who last acted). This would include, but not be limited to:

• Causing Injury and applying IP
• Impeding the Hero
• An escape or recovery of an Antagonist
• Unwanted destruction of property and resources
• Debilitation
• An introduction of a new Threat
• Putting the innocent in jeopardy
• Leveraging a Limit or Vulnerability
• Unwanted attention
• Losing time for that which is time sensitive
• Reaching their goals last
• The revelation of the bad results from good intentions

Acknowledge the Challenge

When a Hero makes a Move that appears to be the beginning step of resolving a Challenge. Note down the Conflicts, it’s Difficulty, and begin to track the Challenge’s Successes and Failures. Make it clear in the Narrative when the Heroes are on the brink of successfully resolving the Challenge.

Empower the Threat

When an Antagonist attains greater power. Describe any new Antagonists Features the greater powers might provide.  If the Antagonist is considered to be an overall greater threat, adjust their Threat Level accordingly.

Overwhelm The Hero

When a Hero is acting against more than one target, or dealing with multiple hazards, apply a -1 penalty or a -2 penalty if dealing with more than two targets or hazards. Should the Hero be injured from multiple hazards or targets they will only receive 2 IP, regardless of the number of hazards or targets being dealt with or if those hazards or targets are Deadly.

Acknowledge Serendipity/Misfortune

When the details of a scene (outside of what is already accounted for on the Hero’s character sheet) would provide some advantage/disadvantage apply a Forward of 1/-1 to all applicable Rolls. If there are multiple details apply a Forward of 2/-2.

Portents of Doom

Set up Heroes for future conflict. When The Narrative does not allow for an immediate adverse outcome for a Hero, after failing a Roll choose one:

• The Hero misjudges or is misinformed about a situation. The Narrator describes this misunderstanding/misinformation
• The player must describe a detail about their hero that could be used against them (i.e. Where their base is. Who their parents are. What is their secret identity.). Note it down.
• The Narrator records an Antagonist that knows a detail about a hero that can be used against them. Note how the Antagonist knows this detail.
• An Antagonists agenda is moved forward outside the notice of the Heroes. Note down the the current state of the Antagonists plans.

Fade to Black

When all the Heroes in a scene have lost all agency to contribute to The Narrative (As they have  either been completely defeated by an Antagonist, succumbed to a Hazard, or both) end the scene.

If the scene ends in a situation that is injuriously hazardous or there remains an Antagonist, who is bent on the Heroes destruction, then have the susceptible Heroes make Deus Ex Machina Rolls.

Start a new scene offering either a chance for escape, recovery, or a saviour to the remaining Heroes.

If some of the Heroes remain aware of their surroundings provide a short description on how they came from one scene to the next.

Time Jump

When there is no clear conflicts for the Heroes to resolve and the Players are at a loss as to what to do next, move the Narrative forward in time to when a new threat or conflict becomes apparent.

Encounter Peers

When the Heroes equally formidable allies:

…first enter a battle scene, describe how they turn the tides of battle to the Heroes favour.

…fight alongside the heroes, describe their allies successes. An allies success will never resolve a battle. If those successes provide an advantage to a Heroes actions Acknowledge Serendipity. If the Heroes suffer a negative outcome apply a negative outcome to the ally instead.

…fight alone, describe their allies failures as they lead to their inevitable defeat.