Custom predator lore manifests formally as custom lore moves or informally as conversations you have at the table about what it means to be a predator. Custom lore moves impose restrictions, conditions, and other truths about the predator condition. A nucleus of predator lore is already established in the Basic Moves and Lore Moves sections. The basic moves cover what it means to be a predator. The common lore moves cover aspects of predator lore that frequently occur.
Creating Custom Lore
While a basic framework for lore is provided in the common lore moves, it’s up to you, and much to your benefit, to craft custom lore moves. Customizing predator lore is how you tailor your story to suit your specific take on the predator condition.
Creating custom predator lore isn’t just available when starting a game of Undying. Expand the predator lore as you play, as situations and questions present themselves. Take notes each time you do, or whenever you refine lore already established. If there’s a strong, common understanding at the table, you don’t have to write a formal move for it, but write down enough to remind yourselves of this fact in your game from session to session.
What is a Lore Move?
A lore move is a fact about the predator condition that is written as a move. Lore can be expressed as a move when the following are true:
1. There is a definite and repeatable trigger (cause).
2. There is a tangible and repeatable consequence (effect) that may or may not be variable.
For example, say a predator casts no reflection. Writing this in move format, you could restate this lore as, “When you look at a predator through a mirror, they cast no reflection.” There is a definite and repeatable trigger and a tangible and repeatable consequence. But, do you actually need to write this as a move? You could, but you probably don’t need to.
When You Should Write a Custom Lore Move
Write a lore move when blood, debt, humanity or status are changed in some way as a result of making the move (e.g. “when you do X, spend Y blood”).
You also write a lore move when the trigger is likely to be encountered repeatedly in the fiction and any of the following are true:
1. The consequence is detailed, not intuitive, or hard to remember
2. The consequence is determined through choices made by the player or GM
3. The consequence is determined by the predator’s blood, debt, humanity, or status 4. The lore is central to your story’s theme or mythology
If the lore doesn’t fit with the guidelines for writing a move above, simply make a note of it to remind yourself later. You could easily write a book of lore moves, but there’s really no need.
Writing Strong Lore Moves
Lore moves may be used by predators or prey, unless the move’s description states that it applies exclusively to predators or prey or is otherwise clear in context.
First, focus on the move’s trigger. Start with a clear and concise statement specific to when the move applies. Think about who triggers the move, and be only as specific as necessary. It’s customary to write moves in the second person (“When you…”); but when you need to specify who can use this move, write it in the third person (“When a predator…”). After describing the trigger crisply and accurately, polish the wording. Catchy language evokes powerful style and makes your moves less repetitive.
Next, consider whether blood, debt, humanity, or status factor into the move. Be judicious; not every move needs one of those to tie into it. Blood and debt usually factor in as a cost. If the consequence is harmful, draining, or a manifestation of supernatural prowess, apply a blood cost. Debt doesn’t often factor into lore moves, but apply a debt cost (or reward, in some cases) for moves relating to predator customs – particularly those pertaining to the service of one predator on behalf of another.
Humanity and status usually factor into the consequence as a proportional effect, where higher humanity or status affords more beneficial choices or a greater positive effect. If the consequence is proportional to how human or beast-like the predator is, then apply a sliding scale to the move’s consequence based on the predator’s humanity. If the consequence is proportional to the predator’s standing in the predator community, apply a sliding scale to the move’s consequence based on the predator’s status. A lore move’s consequence could be a change to a predator’s humanity or status, but be wary of how these moves impact game play.
Finally, decide what the consequences of the move are and how to express them. The consequences always advance the story in some way and should be written with inspiring, evocative language. When deciding how to express the move, take a move that works similarly to the one you have in mind and modify it to achieve the desired effect. The simplest approach is: when X, then Y – which should work find for most lore moves. If the consequence is variable or driven by character choice, the approach is: when X, then you choose/may choose up to Y (based on blood, debt, humanity, status, or fictional circumstance)
– choice A, choice B… choice N. All said, avoid the temptation to create overly elaborate moves where a simple move would do, as the simpler moves are the easier to use in play.
Do Other Supernaturals Exist in Your Game?
Are predators alone or are they among a family of monsters? Undying’s default assumption is that predators are alone. If you introduce other supernaturals into the story, those beings should not be protagonists or even familiar to predators. They should be antagonists – threats, moments of upheaval, or dark omens. Create custom lore moves for them just as you would for predators, and use those moves to fulfill their fell purpose.