In Perseverance, conflicts are about more than just gunfights and survival. Power is won and lost in negotiations, threats, and cunning gambits. A well-placed word can change a town’s future, and a single misstep can turn a quiet heist into a death sentence.

This second part of our series explores two different types of conflicts: a social showdown between a ruthless corporate enforcer and desperate miners, and a high-risk infiltration into a corporate warehouse.

These examples follow the QuestWorlds Sequence structure, using the rules from the QuestWorlds Core Rulebook to handle escalating risks, complications, and the ever-present danger of failure.

Example 3: Breaking the Union

Framing the Contest

The air in the barracks was thick with dust and tension. The miners of Iron Mesa had been meeting in secret for weeks, whispering about forming a union – a dangerous idea on a world where corporations held all the power.

Tonight, they finally made their stand.

Dane Calder stepped through the doorway, his boots grinding against the metal floor. He didn’t have to announce himself – the low murmur of voices died instantly.

His corporate security badge gleamed, but it was the heavy pistol on his hip that really caught the eye.

He glanced around at the gathered miners. Hard men and women, faces lined with exhaustion, eyes burning with quiet defiance. The ringleaders stood near the front – stubborn old-timers and young hotheads who hadn’t learned to be afraid yet.

Calder sighed, rolling his shoulders.

"Gotta say, I’m disappointed."

Silence. No one moved.

"I thought you lot were smart enough to know when to quit."

He stepped forward, slow and deliberate, eyes scanning the crowd like a predator sizing up prey.

"I get it. Long days. Bad pay. Makes a man start thinking he’s owed something. But here’s the thing..."

He rested a hand on his gunbelt.

"You start talking about unions, and suddenly folks start getting... unlucky."

He let that hang in the air.

"Faulty mining gear. Cave-ins. Bad accidents. And when that happens, well..." He shrugged. "Company don’t pay for funerals."

The miners stared back, the weight of the threat sinking in. Fear, anger, uncertainty – all playing across their faces.

Calder knew the moment was balanced on a knife’s edge. He just had to push hard enough to make them fold.

The Stakes

• Victory: The miners back down, abandoning their efforts out of fear. Calder ensures corporate control remains unchallenged.
• Zero-Degree Victory (Victory at a Price): The miners pretend to back down, but continue organizing in secret. Calder senses something is off, but he can’t prove it.
• Zero-Degree Defeat (Defeat with a Boon): The miners refuse to back down, but Calder manages to turn one of the leaders against the others, planting distrust within their ranks.
• Defeat: The miners stand firm, and someone – maybe a leader, maybe a reckless young miner—calls Calder’s bluff, turning the crowd against him.

The Roll & Outcome

Calder uses Corporate Intimidation (5M2) as his ability.
The GM sets the resistance at 10M, since these miners have had enough and aren’t easily scared.

Narrating the Outcome

The silence stretched, heavy as a storm cloud.

Then – one of the older miners, Reyes, let out a slow breath.

"You made your point."

A few others shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other. One by one, nervous murmurs spread through the room.

Calder watched them carefully.

The old-timers knew how this worked. Back down, keep your head down, and survive another day.

But the younger ones? He caught a flicker of something dangerous in their eyes – not fear. Rage.

They’d learn the hard way, he figured.

For now, they’d play along. But Calder knew better than to assume this was over.

Example 4: The Heist at Perseverance Metals

Framing the Sequence

Raya "Wraith" Solano sits in a dimly lit backroom at The Rusted Coin, a seedy bar near Fallpoint’s industrial district. Her contact, a nervous off-worlder with too much money and not enough patience, slides a data chip across the table.

"I don’t care how you do it—I just need the damn prototype before Perseverance Metals ships it off-world."

Raya twirls the chip between her fingers, unimpressed.

"Double the price. It's a corporate warehouse, not some backwater supply shed. Security will be tight."

The client hesitates – but nods.

She pockets the chip. Time to get to work.

The Goal

Raya must infiltrate Perseverance Metals' high-security warehouse, locate the prototype, break into the safe, and get out without being caught.

The Sequence Structure

This Sequence will have four phases, each representing a critical part of the infiltration:

1. Entry – Getting inside without raising an alarm.
2. Navigation – Finding the correct storage room.
3. Safecracking – Opening the secured vault.
4. Escape – Getting out before security locks down.

The final outcome will depend on how well Raya performs across all phases.

Phase 1: Entry (Avoiding Guards & Security Measures)

Obstacle: Perseverance Metals employs armed patrols, motion sensors, and automated security systems. Raya must find a way in without triggering an alarm.

Raya chooses Stealth & Infiltration (10M2). The GM sets the resistance at 5M, representing corporate security.

✅ Victory – Raya silently bypasses security, slipping through a side access panel without detection.

Phase 2: Navigation (Finding the Correct Room in the Warehouse)

Obstacle: The warehouse is massive, filled with identical storage units, patrolling guards, and security drones scanning for intruders. Raya must locate the prototype's storage unit quickly.

She uses Black Market Intelligence (5M2) – she's done jobs like this before and knows how corporations tag high-value items.
The GM sets the resistance at 10M, as the prototype is deliberately hidden.

⚠️ Zero-Degree Victory – Raya finds the right storage unit, but a security drone briefly scans the area – she must stay completely still for 30 seconds, wasting precious time.

Phase 3: Safecracking (Breaking into the Vault)

Obstacle: The prototype is locked in a high-security safe, protected by biometric scanners and encrypted locks.

Raya uses Tech Sabotage & Security Breach (10M).
The GM sets the resistance at 10M2, as this is top-tier corporate security and Raya has lost time and she has to open the safe quickly.

⚠️ Zero-Degree Defeat – Raya breaks the biometric scanner but trips a silent alarm. She grabs the prototype, but security is now on alert.

Phase 4: Escape (Avoiding Detection and Getting Out Alive)

Obstacle: The alarm has been triggered, and Perseverance Metals’ security forces are mobilizing. If she’s caught, it won’t end well.

Raya uses Fast Thinking & Escape Plans (5M2).
The GM sets the resistance at 5M2, since guards are actively searching.

⚠️ Zero-Degree Victory: Raya narrowly escapes, but the security cameras of Perseverance Metals have several not too blurly images of her...

Final Outcome: Mixed Success (But She Got the Prototype!)

• Entry – ✅ Flawless infiltration.
• Navigation – ⚠️ Lost some time avoiding a drone.
• Safecracking – ⚠️ Silent alarm tripped – security now on alert.
• Escape – ⚠️ Narrowly evaded capture and got out with the goods – she is now actively searched by the company.

Outcome: Raya succeeds, but now has Perseverance Metals actively hunting for the thief.

Narrating the Outcome

Raya sprinted through the underground access tunnel, heart pounding as she emerged into the cold night air of Fallpoint’s industrial sector. She checked the prototype in her pack – intact.

Her comm beeped. The client.

"Got it. You’re lucky – you just made some powerful enemies."

A chuckle.

"Then they’ll have to get in line."

She cut the comm and disappeared into the neon-lit streets.

The job was done – but the real trouble was just beginning.

Conclusion

These examples show how QuestWorlds handles different types of conflicts:

• Gunfights are fast and deadly.
• Survival challenges push characters to their limits.
• Social conflicts are tense and strategic.
• Heists and infiltrations use the Sequence system for high-stakes storytelling.

In Perseverance, every conflict has consequences. What’s your next move?