I separate the PC's goal in the scene from the outcome of the action. Success means their goal progresses. If they fail, they may still succeed in what they were doing, but they need another step to achieve the goal. Fail forward means that the GM points to that step.

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Example: PC is trying to picklock a box with a key they need inside. A normal failure: they open the box, and it is emppy. Fail forward: regardless of whether they opened the box, someone suddenly rushes from behind the curtain and out of the room (we can assume they took the key earlier).

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Always a fan of this approach. Flat failure means nothing is happening, which is frustrating, and feels like a waste of time. Ideally, failure should be as interesting for the players as success - either raising the stakes, or changing the nature of the challenge.

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The best failures are the ones that make everyone at the table sit up and go, “oh no, that’s much worse.”

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As an example off the top of my head? Character tries to pick a lock, but fails to beat the DC. Here's several options; 1) It opens, but the tool is stuck and can't be easily removed. 2) It gets the attention of someone inside who comes to investigate. 3) They get it open, but make too much noise.

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