Fundamentally, the encounter is where all the elements pull together and the players have the opportunity to take decisive action that has a tangible effect on the plot.

1. Read-Aloud This is what the game master will read when the encounter begins. This is a good way of letting the characters know that an encounter has officially begun. 2. Characters Involved (Who) Who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys? Are there uninvolved parties present? Who might become aware of the encounter and how might they respond? 3. Events (What) What signals the start of the encounter? What's going to happen during this encounter? What signals the end of the encounter? 4. Location (Where) Where does this encounter occur? What are the environmental conditions (day/night, sunny/rainy/snowing/foggy, etc)? What sights, smells, and sounds are occurring? 5. Plot Dependency (When) What events trigger this encounter to occur? What events must happen before this encounter occurs? What events would prevent this encounter from occurring? 6. Purpose (Why) Who knows about the encounter before it happens and who initiates it? What are each character's motives during the encounter?

1. Leads Primarily, leads are reasons that would propel the characters into the encounter. But they can also just be the basic information about the encounter (setting, other characters involved, etc) that characters receive before the encounter begins. This is important to note because sometimes players invent their own leads. 2. Exits This should try to cover all the ways to resolve the encounter. 3. Useful Skills Other than those used to exit the encounter, this lists how other skills can be useful. 4. Conclusion This answers how the different resolutions affect the direction of the plot and future encounters.