Summary
Stress is a renewable resource that allows players to gain advantages, improve their effectiveness, or mitigate consequences. As Stress accumulates, characters move closer to lasting psychological change through Trauma.
Design Purpose
Stress gives players control over risk while ensuring that extraordinary success always comes with a cost.
Problems Solved
- Prevents players from being completely dependent on dice rolls.
- Encourages proactive and daring play.
- Creates a cost for exceptional performance.
- Connects short-term success to long-term character development.
Core Loop
Characters gain Stress by pushing themselves, assisting allies, or resisting consequences. When the Stress track fills, the character gains Trauma and clears their Stress.
Player Decision
How much future stability am I willing to sacrifice for success right now?
Narrative Effect
Stress encourages characters to take risks, survive dangerous situations, and push beyond normal limits. Over time, accumulated Trauma changes who the character becomes.
Strengths
- Creates a strong risk-versus-reward dynamic.
- Encourages bold action instead of cautious play.
- Produces memorable character arcs.
- Gives players meaningful agency over outcomes.
Weaknesses
- Can become an optimization exercise.
- Requires careful balancing of recovery mechanics.
- Players may repeatedly use Stress in similar ways.
- New players may struggle to judge when spending Stress is worthwhile.
Variations
- Shared group stress pools.
- Stress that causes immediate complications.
- Stress that represents corruption, exhaustion, or emotional instability.
- Stress that cannot be easily recovered.
Related Patterns
- Consequence Mitigation
- Resistance Rolls
- Flashbacks
- Push-Your-Luck
- Resource Attrition
- Character Transformation
- Meta-Currency
Examples
Pattern Definition
A Pressure Resource is a renewable resource that players spend to gain advantages or avoid consequences, while accumulating long-term costs that eventually force character change.