Lorebook — Director Mode (Cinematic Controls) (GOLD, Complete)

1. #1DIR: Director Mode Rule (Scenes Are Weapons)selective

   Keys: DIR, SCENE FRAMING, CINEMATIC CONTROLS, DIRECTOR MODE · Secondary: cuts, pacing, tone

   DIRECTOR MODE RULE Every scene must do at least ONE:

   • advance an objective
   • raise pressure
   • reveal a truth
   • change a relationship

   If a scene does none of these, cut it.

   CINEMATIC GRIT Grit is not gore. Grit is consequence, fatigue, and hard choices.

2. #2DIR: Episode Spine (The 6-Beat Structure)selective

   Keys: PACING SPINE, SCENE BEATS, EPISODE STRUCTURE, 6 BEAT · Secondary: cost, cold open, turn, reveal

   EPISODE SPINE (6 BEATS)

   1. COLD OPEN: the hook + pressure preview
   2. BRIEF: objective + constraints + clocks
   3. INSERT: first contact with reality (friction)
   4. TURN: complication / betrayal / clock tick
   5. CLIMAX: choice under pressure
   6. TAG: consequence + next thread seed

   RULE Make the TURN happen earlier than you want. It keeps energy high.

3. #3DIR: Cold Open Library (Pick 1)selective

   Keys: TEASERS, OPENING SCENES, COLD OPEN LIBRARY, COLD OPENS · Secondary: teaser, hook

   COLD OPENS (PICK 1)

   • A body in a place it shouldn’t be.
   • A live feed you weren’t supposed to see.
   • A contact calls, whispering: “They’re here.”
   • A safehouse door is ajar.
   • An audit notice arrives with the wrong date.
   • A Cobra transmission hits an open channel.
   • A journalist texts you a still image: you.
   • A defector knocks—bleeding, smiling.
   • A convoy burns on the horizon.
   • A child witnesses something and doesn’t understand it.

   RULE Cold opens show consequence, not explanation.

4. #4DIR: The 5 Scene Frames (Choose One Per Scene)selective

   Keys: SCENE TYPES, DIRECTOR FRAMES, FRAMING, SCENE FRAMES · Secondary: choice, pressure, reveal

   5 SCENE FRAMES

   1. PRESSURE BOX

   • The environment is a vice. Clocks matter.

   2. MORAL KNIFE

   • A choice hurts either way.

   3. TRUTH HUNT

   • The scene exists to reveal what's real.

   4. RELATIONSHIP BURN

   • Trust shifts; someone breaks.

   5. EDGE DEAL

   • A deal is offered that solves a problem and creates a thread.

   RULE If you don’t pick a frame, the scene will wander.

5. #5DIR: Camera Language (Make It Feel Modern)selective

   Keys: MODERN GRIT, CAMERA LANGUAGE, VISUAL TONE, SHOT LIST · Secondary: wide, handheld, close-up

   CAMERA LANGUAGE (NARRATIVE)

   • HANDHELD: panic, chaos, Dreadnoks, crowds
   • LOCKED WIDE: Cobra professionalism, PMCs, containment
   • CLOSE-UP: moral choice, lies, tells
   • OVERHEAD MAP: containment, cordons, escape routes
   • SILHOUETTE: identity paranoia, Crimson clean work
   • SOUND FIRST: approaching rotors, distant sirens, boots on stairs

   RULE Show fatigue: heavy breathing, shaking hands, quiet afterward.

6. #6DIR: Cut Controls (Hard Cuts, Intercuts, Montages)selective

   Keys: INTERCUT, CUT CONTROLS, HARD CUT, REVEAL, MONTAGE · Secondary: compression, pace

   CUT CONTROLS

   HARD CUT

   • Use when a scene has delivered its punch.
   • Best after a threat line, a gunshot, or a decision.

   INTERCUT

   • Alternate between two problems.
   • Best for ticking clocks faster without adding enemies.

   MONTAGE

   • Compress travel/planning.
   • Pay a small cost: TIME or HEAT shifts.

   REVEAL CUT

   • Show the audience what the characters don’t know.
   • Creates dread and momentum.

   RULE When players stall, cut forward to consequence.

7. #7DIR: Tension Dial (How to Raise Stakes Without More Enemies)selective

   Keys: TENSION DIAL, ESCALATION WITHOUT ENEMIES, RAISE STAKES · Secondary: pressure, clocks, stakes

   TENSION DIAL (PICK 1 TO INCREASE)

   • TIME: window closing, transit leaving, evidence burning
   • POSITION: doors lock, exits vanish, cordons tighten
   • INTEL: cameras identify, proof becomes questionable
   • RELATIONSHIP: handler pressure, betrayal rumor
   • HEAT: sirens, crowd, livestream
   • STRESS: guilt, fatigue, screams, silence

   RULE Escalation should feel inevitable, not arbitrary.

8. #8DIR: The Turn (Mid-Episode Twist Controls)selective

   Keys: COMPLICATION, THE TURN, TWIST CONTROL, MIDPOINT TWIST · Secondary: betrayal, double bind, decoy

   TURN CONTROLS (PICK 1)

   • BETRAYAL: someone is compromised (PARANOIA ticks)
   • DECOY: target isn’t the target
   • JURISDICTION: authority intervenes (LOCKDOWN starts)
   • EXPOSURE: clip goes live (MEDIA starts)
   • SANITIZE: evidence burn begins now
   • MIRROR: rival operative appears with the same objective
   • REFUSAL: the asset refuses extraction
   • COLLATERAL: civilians enter the frame

   RULE The Turn should force a choice, not just add obstacles.

9. #9DIR: Climax Design (Choice Under Pressure)selective

   Keys: CLIMAX DESIGN, FINALE, CHOICE UNDER PRESSURE · Secondary: tradeoffs, edge

   CLIMAX DESIGN A climax is a trade. Pick ONE:

   • Save the asset OR secure the proof
   • Stay quiet OR stop the enemy
   • Win now OR protect the future
   • Truth OR safety
   • Mercy OR certainty

   RULE End the climax on the decision—then show consequence fast.

10. #10DIR: Consequence Cinematography (Aftermath That Hits)selective

    Keys: AFTERMATH, FALLOUT, CONSEQUENCE SCENES, DEBRIEF TONE · Secondary: silence, scar, headline

    AFTERMATH TOOLS

    • THE SILENCE: no music, only breathing and distant sirens.
    • THE STAIN: a small, mundane reminder (blood on cuff, broken phone).
    • THE RECEIPT: a photo, a memo, a headline.
    • THE CALL: handler or loved one, wrong timing.
    • THE LOOK: an NPC who saw what you did.

    RULE Aftermath should take 30–90 seconds of table time. Short, sharp, memorable.

11. #11DIR: Spotlights (Multi-PC Pacing Control)selective

    Keys: SCENE ROTATION, SPOTLIGHTS, PARTY PACING, MULTI PC · Secondary: intercut, cutting

    SPOTLIGHT RULE Rotate focus every 3–7 minutes, or every major decision.

    TOOLS

    • Give each PC one 'Moment' per episode: a skill flex, a moral choice, or a relationship beat.
    • If one player dominates, intercut to someone under pressure.

    RULE Spotlight isn't fairness—it's rhythm.

12. #12DIR: Director Prompts (Type These When You Want Control)selective

    Keys: CINEMATIC PROMPTS, DIRECTOR PROMPTS, DIRECTOR COMMANDS · Secondary: montage, hard cut, intercut, reveal

    DIRECTOR PROMPTS (GM INPUT)

    • HARD CUT TO: [next pressure point]
    • INTERCUT: [scene A] / [scene B]
    • MONTAGE: [what we skip] → COST: [TIME/HEAT]
    • REVEAL: [truth the audience sees]
    • CLOSE-UP ON: [tell, scar, decision]
    • SILENCE: comms drop
    • TAG SCENE: consequence + hook

    RULE Prompts are steering wheels. Use them without apology.

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