When a player rolls a failure (1-3) or a partial success (4-5) on an action roll, they have one chance to reduce or avoid the negative consequences that result. After the GM explains the consequences, the player who just rolled can choose to resist.

By default, resisting a consequence takes 6 stress. To lower the stress taken, the player makes a resistance roll.

<aside> <img src="/icons/die3_gray.svg" alt="/icons/die3_gray.svg" width="40px" /> To make a resistance roll:

1. The player says they’d like to resist.
2. The GM says which attribute they’ll resist with:
   • Insight for mental consequences
   • Prowess for physical consequences
   • Resolve for social or magical consequences
3. The player rolls 1D for each dot marked down that attribute’s leftmost column. The single highest result counts.
4. The player can choose to take 6 stress, minus that single highest result, to resist the consequence. For example:
   • Rolling a 4 would mean 2 stress to resist.
   • Rolling a 6 would mean 0 stress. </aside>

Resisting is optional. If the player accepts, they take stress and get a reduced consequence. If their roll was too low and the stress cost too high, they can decide not to resist after all. In that case, the GM describes the original consequence occurring.

Generally, choosing to resist reduces a consequence. 2 segments filled on the “bomb explodes” clock will reduce to 1, or the guard who would’ve raised the alarm instead tries to deal with a PC intruder by himself. Sometimes, a consequence is mild enough that reducing it allows the PC to avoid it entirely. The minor harm from an incoming punch, for example, might reduce to no harm as the PC dodges the blow.

Because PCs can reduce or totally avoid consequences, the GM should dish out fairly severe consequences on failed action rolls. However:

• This only applies to action rolls, as only the consequences of action rolls can be resisted.
• “Severe” does not mean “unfair”. The GM should always root for the PCs.

<aside> <img src="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" alt="/icons/pencil_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Notes on resistance rolls:

• Only the player whose roll incurred the consequence can roll to resist it.
• A player can only resist any given consequence once; a resisted consequence can’t be reduced further.
• Only the consequences of action rolls can be resisted. Players can’t roll to resist the outcomes of fortune rolls or anything that happens outside a job.
• Like fortune rolls, no dice are added/subtracted on resistance rolls. PCs can’t push, take devil’s bargains, or assist. The GM can’t declare a disadvantage or subtract dice for level disparity. Harm penalties don’t apply. The only dice rolled are for a single PC attribute.
• A PC can’t resist a consequence if they can’t mark the full stress required after their roll.
• The GM & the player should describe how the PC resists the consequence. They might catch themselves, quickly redirect, dodge, counter, power through, invent a clever ruse, pull out a special tool, or any number of other evasions. </aside>

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