Stakes Setting

Stakes setting applies to situations where you are determining the outcome of an entire conflict rather than of an attempt to perform a task.

“Stakes” are the outcome proposed if the person initiating the conflict wins. “Counterstakes” are the outcome if that person doesn’t win.

Good stakes and counterstakes:

Are congruent with the level of the conflict and the characters taking part in it. For example, “There’s an eclipse of the sun” or “the entire army drops dead” would be excessive stakes in most, though not all, circumstances.
Lead to interesting further conflicts regardless of who wins.