Love Letters

A love letter is a single-use custom move addressed to a specific PC. Write them as prep; hand them out at the start of a session (or whenever fits).

Love letters are useful for:

• Glossing over downtime
• Resolving individual PC projects
• Filling in periods when a PC was off-camera (a solo trip, a missed session)
• Wrapping up a situation the group doesn't want to play out in detail
• Starting a session with momentum — hard-framing a scene, jumping to the good stuff
• Digging into a PC's backstory or inner thoughts
• Delivering setting info without a one-sided lore dump

You might write one for a single PC (covering their missed session), but often you'll write each PC a letter and run through them in turn.

First, decide what you need the letter to declare as true. Given that, ask:

• What elements do you want the player to define?
• What could go well for the PC?
• What could go poorly?

Love letters don't have triggers. They start "Dear <PC>," followed by as much context as needed (keep it tight). Give specific prompts for details you want the player to author. Decide how you'll pick between results — usually a roll, sometimes a straight choice, sometimes a procedure.

They're an investment. They take time and skill to write, they get used once. But they're powerful tools and writing them is great practice for writing moves in general. Don't stress over polish — a love letter that doesn't land can be clarified in play.

Print the letter, write it on an index card, or send it online. Have the player read aloud and do what it says. Take notes. Make the results matter in future sessions.