MacGuffin

MacGuffins are things—objects, places, even secrets—that stir up conflict. A MacGuffin might have power to cause trouble itself, or it could simply be something valuable that gets people fighting over it.

If there's a thing in your game that you think is a source of trouble, it's probably a MacGuffin.

When choosing an instinct for a MacGuffin, focus on how it causes trouble rather than what it does. The aetherium weather vane adjusts the weather, but it's a threat because others covet it.