⚡ Flash of Luck
“Of course I planned for this. What kind of amateur do you think I am?”
Heists and infiltrations can grind to a halt when the crew spends hours planning for every contingency — or crash and burn because nobody anticipated one specific detail. Flash of Luck gives players a safety net, letting them spend Luck Points to retcon a past action into existence.
Think of it like a heist movie flashback: the camera cuts to “twelve hours earlier” and you see the character slipping a lockpick behind the bar, or calling in a favor from an old friend. Except here, you’re making it up on the spot.
Optional Rule
Flash of Luck may be too powerful for combat-heavy missions. GMs should only allow it when it adds to the game and doesn’t unbalance the scenario.
⚡ Quick Reference
Flash of Luck At A Glance
Rule Detail Uses Once per Beat, max 3 times per Mission Action cost Standard Action (if used during combat) Mechanic Spend Luck Points → describe a past action → pay eb cost → make required Checks GM veto Always. Impossible or overpowered retcons can be rejected. Failed Check Flashback still happened — you tried but failed. Luck is NOT refunded. Counts against your uses. Can’t afford it If the item/service is unavailable per GM fiat or economy rules, Luck IS refunded.
🎬 How It Works
- Declare — On your turn, announce you’re using Flash of Luck.
- Describe — Tell the table what you did in the past, when it occurred, and how it helps now.
- Spend Luck — Pay the Luck Point cost based on how improbable the retcon is (see table below).
- Pay eb — Spend the appropriate amount of in-game money for whatever you claim to have done.
- Roll — If the past action required a Skill Check, make it now. Passing confirms the retcon; failing means you tried but it didn’t work out.
📊 Flash of Luck Table
| Type | Max eb Spend | Luck Cost | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple — Could have easily happened “on camera” during a previous Beat | 100eb | 2 | You called a Lifepath friend and arranged for them to be in the nightclub you’re infiltrating. You picked up an Air Pistol at a Night Market last session. |
| Unlikely — Could NOT have happened “on camera” during a previous Beat | 500eb | 4 | The security guard you encounter is a regular in your Wednesday night poker game (never mentioned before). You hid an assault rifle behind a cabinet in a club you’ve never visited “on camera.” |
| Improbable — Requires remarkable foreknowledge or incredible luck | 1,000eb | 8 | You were a beta tester for this exact safe model and know its exploit. You once ran into the club owner at a casino where he displayed an exploitable gambling problem. |
⛔ Limitations
- GM has absolute veto. You can’t slip sugar into the gas tank of a car you couldn’t have known would be there. You can’t hide a sniper rifle in a skintight bodysuit.
- Economy rules still apply. If an item can’t be bought at all (per the GM or the economy rules), you can’t Flash it. Luck refunded.
- Failed Checks are final. The flashback happened, but you botched it. No retries. Still counts against your per-Beat and per-Mission limits.
- Once per Beat, three per Mission. Budget your flashbacks carefully.
💡 Tips for Players
- Use it to avoid planning paralysis. Don’t spend 2 hours planning the heist — plan the basics and Flash the rest when surprises hit.
- Start small. A 2-Luck “Simple” retcon (calling a friend, pocketing a tool) solves most problems without feeling broken.
- Coordinate with the crew. Only one Flash per Beat, so make sure you’re not stepping on a teammate’s plan.
💡 Tips for GMs
- Encourage Flash of Luck during heist/infiltration missions — it’s designed to keep the action moving.
- Be liberal with “Simple” retcons (2 Luck) — they add flavor without breaking balance.
- Be strict with “Improbable” retcons (8 Luck) — if a player spends 8 Luck, the payoff should feel earned, but the retcon must be plausible within the fiction.
- Consider restricting Flash of Luck during straight combat missions — it works best when the stakes are about planning and surprise, not raw firepower.
When to Enable Flash of Luck
This rule is designed for heist-style, infiltration, and social missions where planning is part of the fun but over-planning kills momentum:
- ✅ Caper / heist missions (the classic use case)
- ✅ Infiltration and con jobs
- ✅ Social intrigue (galas, Night Markets, corporate events)
- ⚠️ Use cautiously in combat-heavy missions (can feel too powerful)
- ❌ Don’t allow retroactive knowledge of things the PC literally couldn’t know
Veto Guidelines
Always veto if:
- The flashback contradicts established events
- The player couldn’t have known about the thing (e.g., slipping sugar into a car they didn’t know would be in the race)
- The retcon breaks a core challenge of the mission
- Physical impossibility (hiding a sniper rifle in a skintight bodysuit)
Designing Heist Missions with Flash of Luck
- Don’t over-specify security details — leave gaps for players to exploit via flashbacks
- Plan 2–3 critical obstacles that can’t be bypassed by Luck alone (the climactic safe crack, the face-to-face confrontation)
- Let failures be fun — a failed Flash of Luck means the character tried and failed in the past. That’s a story beat!
Integration with Beat Charts
Flash of Luck works best with the Beat Chart System:
- Planning Beat: Players can save their Luck by doing minimal planning, knowing Flash of Luck is available
- Execution Beat: This is where flashbacks shine — “remember when I…” moments
- Complication Beat: A failed flashback IS a complication. Lean into it.
❓ Quick Answers
What if the player can't afford the eb cost?
They can’t use Flash of Luck for that retcon. Their Luck Points are not spent.
Can Flash of Luck bring in NPCs?
Yes — a “Simple” retcon could place a Lifepath contact in the right spot. An “Unlikely” one could create a connection with a stranger. The NPC still acts according to their own motivations.
Does this replace Luck on rolls?
No. Flash of Luck is a separate mechanic from spending Luck to boost a roll. You could theoretically Flash on your turn and still spend Luck to boost a roll on the same turn — but that’s a lot of Luck burned fast.
Can I use it retroactively after failing a roll?
Yes — as long as you haven’t used your Flash for this Beat. Example: You fail a Stealth check and a guard spots you. You Flash to reveal you’d planted a distraction earlier.
🔗 Related Topics
- Money — Economy and item availability
- Skills — Checks required for retconned actions
- The Beat Chart System — Beats and Missions structure
- Expansions — All optional systems
(Source: Tales of the RED: Hope Reborn, pp. 186–187)