Harold “Hal” Framewright

“We are not doing that again.”

Overview

Harold “Hal” Framewright is the head director at ENDS Studio.

He believes in:

• scripts
• blocking
• emotional beats
• continuity

The universe believes in:

• anvils
• chaos
• ego
• momentum

Hal is the line between those two forces, and it is not a strong line.

Look

Type

The Pro, “The Wise One”

Hal doesn’t dominate scenes, he defines what “normal” is supposed to be.

Signature Ability, Been Here Before

• Once per scene, after rolling a check, Hal may declare that he has seen this situation before and re-roll the entire pool.
• He must take the second result, and this ability may not be used on the same check twice.

Shtick

The Unflappable Straight Man

One-Sentence Identity: “If we just stick to the script, this will work.”

In-Shtick Play:

• Attempting to impose structure on chaos
• Calling out inconsistencies or errors
• Treating absurdity as fixable production issues
• Maintaining composure under impossible conditions

Against-Shtick Play:

• Giving in completely to chaos
• Abandoning responsibility
• Embracing nonsense without resistance

Core Mechanic, Call “Cut!”

Hal can attempt to reset or interrupt scenes.

Call “Cut!”

Activation: Action · Limit: once per scene

Hal attempts to halt the current chaos.

Choose one:

• Soft Reset: End one minor environmental threat, or reduce one major environmental threat by one difficulty step until the end of the next round
• Continuity Check: Force a reroll of one check resolved since Hal’s last turn; the second result stands
• Refocus Scene: Name one immediate objective; the next ally who acts directly toward it gains +2 Boon dice

But:

• The GM gains +1 Chaos Point
• The scene resists in some way (partial compliance, immediate relapse, or escalation)

“That Was Not in the Script”

Activation: Quick Action · Limit: once per scene

When another character does something absurd:

• Hal calls it out
• Gain +1 Boon die on a corrective or stabilizing action

“Again, From the Top”

Activation: Action · Limit: once per session

Hal forces a partial scene reset:

• Rewind a short sequence or undo a recent outcome
• Characters retain memory of what happened
• The world does not fully cooperate

Generate +2 Chaos Points

Production Notes

Activation: Maneuver · Limit: once per scene

Hal references his clipboard:

• Reveal a useful detail about the scene
• Establish a minor truth (“There should be a door here,” “We set this earlier”)

The GM may twist the interpretation

Bit Repertoire

Mark It

Activation: Quick Action · Limit: once per scene Hal marks a key moment for emphasis. Gain +1 Boon die on the next relevant action.

We’re Burning Daylight

Activation: Maneuver · Limit: once per scene Hal pressures the group forward. All allies gain +1 Boon die on their next action, but must act immediately.

Keep It Together

Activation: Action · Limit: once per scene Hal stabilizes an ally. Remove one condition with a duration of 1 round or less from that ally, or reduce one Bane-die penalty affecting that ally by 1 Bane die until the end of the scene.

Cut It Out

Activation: Triggered (Reaction) · Limit: once per round When chaos escalates, Hal attempts to shut it down. Reduce the effect slightly, never completely.

Skills (Suggested)

Hal survives through endurance and awareness, not physicality.

Want

“Make something that works.”

Hal doesn’t need perfection.

He wants:

• a scene that holds together
• a story that makes sense
• one successful take

He rarely gets all three.

Bonds (Examples)

• -1 (Monty): “You are not the main character.”
• +1 (Fridge): “You’re the only one doing your job.”
• -1 (Brock): “Stop moving.”
• -2 (E.V.I.L.): “You are not a system I can shut off.”
• +1 (Ruby): “You’re... trying. That helps.”

Personality

• Dry, deadpan, and quietly frustrated
• Still believes in structure and craft
• Reacts to absurdity with professional language
• Rarely raises his voice, except when shouting “Cut!”
• Running on habit, caffeine, and diminishing hope

Voice

• Flat, controlled tone
• Slight rasp from overuse
• Minimal emotional spikes, until pushed

Catchphrases

• “Cut! ...Cut. ...No, really. Cut.”
• “That was not in the script.”
• “We’re burning daylight.”
• “This is supposed to be a quiet moment.”

Role in ENDS Studio

Hal is:

• Head Director
• Scene coordinator
• The only person trying to maintain narrative coherence

Every morning he prints the day’s shot list. By lunch it is a historical document.

Visual Gags

• Calls “Cut!” as chaos continues behind him
• Clipboard fills with useless notes mid-scene
• Megaphone distorts or echoes absurdly
• Calmly stands still while everything explodes around him

GM Hooks

• Hal’s “perfect scene” is constantly disrupted
• He nearly regains control, briefly
• The cast actually listens to him... once
• He gives up... and things somehow improve
• He starts adapting to chaos instead of resisting it

The Central Irony

Hal believes he is directing a story, and he is, just not the one he wrote.