Unlocking arcana

To unlock their mysteries, many arcana (especially minor arcana) ask the PCs to invest significant time and effort. They have requirements like, "spend a few weeks deciphering the glyphs," or, "acquire the special ingredients," or "risk lasting harm to your physique and health."

Give players opportunities to pursue these requirements. When there's downtime, ask if they want to work on unlocking any arcana. If they're unsure how to do so, give them suggestions. Maybe they can Know Things about it, or Trade & Barter for what they need, or Make a Plan.

Establish which requirement the PC is working on and how they're going about it. Begin and end with the fiction. Ask what this looks like. Where and when are they doing it? Who is involved?

Also, bring it home. Ask what chores they're neglecting or who they get to cover for them. Think about how NPCs in the village react. Who might be affected, or put at risk, or confront the PC? Use your homefront threats and moves here.

Frame scenes as needed, to resolve PC moves or play out the tensions described above. Or, frame scenes that you or the players think would be fun and interesting.

When an arcanum's requirement says that they "risk __," it almost certainly involves Defying Danger. Maybe you put them in a spot, and ask, "What do you do?". Or maybe you stay zoomed out and ask how they deal with the risk at a high level, using their approach to decide what stat they should roll and what the possible outcomes might be.

Even if you resolve a risk at a zoomed-out level, you might still zoom in on a 7-9 or a 6- to play out the consequences. But you don't have to. Plenty of consequences or costs work at a zoomed-out level, too. Maybe it just takes longer. Or maybe they wake up some long-dormant Green Lord bioweapon, a new affliction threat, but one that doesn't become relevant until the next season. Let things breathe.

Whatever approach you take to handling a risky requirement, respect the outcomes! Follow the rules—don't fudge or ignore the results. Be a fan of the characters, and give them the full benefit from their moves and their rolls. But also, let things burn. If the PCs risk something and get a 6-, or even a 7-9, there should be real costs or consequences.

Caradoc brings Vahid to examine the halfburied plaque. They're not in any immediate danger, and this is exactly the kind of thing Vahid studies, so I just give him the minor arcanum card.

I'd previously warned Caradoc of a large beast in the area, so they try (and fail) to dig the plaque up quietly. Caradoc has to fight a beznpol. but they do dig up the plaque and get it home. They've met the arcanum's first requirement.

Vahid spends his remaining free time that autumn laying wards on the Ringwall. But towards the end of winter (after a bear hunt), Vahid turns his attention towards the plaque.

"Can I decipher the runes?" he asks. We agree that he's Knowing Things (with advantage, because of Polyglot), and he gets a 10+. He can read them just fine! He marks off the second requirement.

The next requirement is, "it'll take a few weeks of study." I don't think this will cause much disruption (it's winter), but I still ask him what he lets slide. "I stop going to the public house for story time with the kids," he says. Oh no! I frame a scene where Nia (Blodwen's niece) comes to check on him. It's very cute.

The last requirement is, "you risk harm to your voice, your hearing, and/or your neighbors as you practice." I ask Vahid how he deals with this. He's trudging out to the Old Wall each day, practicing away from town ("Yes, in the snow, I hate it"). He then casts "Thunderous Bellow" (or tries to) a few times each day, until he masters it.

We agree that he's Defying Danger with CON. On a 10+, I'll say that he gets it after a few days, with nothing worse than a hoarse voice and ringing ears. On a 6-, I think he'll unlock the arcanum but I'll hurt someone–little Nia, who sneaks out to see what Vahid's up to and ends up partly deafened by a bellow.

But Vahid gets an 8, so I offer him a choice between a cost and a lesser success. "You can cast the spell," I tell him, "But to truly master it, you'll need to cast it so many times that you permanently harm your voice. Like, all raspy and prone to coughing fits. Your singing voice will be shot. Or you can stop early. You'll be able to use Thunderous Bellow, but you'll have disadvantage and the dangerous tag. What do you do?" He hems and haws a bit, but ultimately opts to keep his voice intact—for now.