GM Tool: Clock & Consequence Pack (Heists, Chases, and Pressure)
Use: Add visible pressure without bookkeeping. Cut through stall, signal stakes, and resolve off‑screen actions.
Clocks
4‑Step Patrol Clock 1 Notice → 2 Approach → 3 Challenge → 4 Arrest.
6‑Step Arcane Wards 1 Sparks → 2 Hum → 3 Shelf shift → 4 Force glyphs → 5 Animated hazards → 6 Alarm.
4‑Step Lockdown 1 Shutters drop → 2 Exits barred → 3 Ward field → 4 Authorities arrive.
How‑To (3 steps):
Put the clock on the table.
Advance on noisy actions, botched rolls, or time passing.
Trigger the listed consequence at each step; don’t skip forward unless fiction demands it.
d12 Heist Complications
1 Guard shift early. 2 Rival shows up late. 3 Missing key appears on wrong cart. 4 Crowd blocks route. 5 Rain makes steps slick. 6 Rumor spreads about “book thieves.” 7 Ward flare shocks a shelf. 8 Clerk asks for a signature. 9 Lantern oil runs low. 10 Cat knocks ledger to floor. 11 Street protest outside. 12 Messenger needs the vault for five minutes.
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