Huh, Vx says a miss on lay down fire doesn't draw an MC move! That seems OP to me; I won't hold it against you no matter what you decide to do.
I read it as the player succeeds in something but the MC still makes a move. Although, I skimmed it and that's just how I interpreted it.
5 XP. I'm torn between taking +1hard for my improvement, versus the move You Call This Hot? (act under fire with my hot+2 instead of my cool+0).
The hard makes more sense with what I've been doing this session but the move makes me better-rounded.
(Also considering the Skinner move Hypnotic, but I'll wait and see if we get a real Skinner in here before going that route.)
Interestingly, the supporting moves now have a greater effect and fewer/no downsides. I guess it brings the heat on whoever the spotlight is on, while not penalizing those who try and be good team players
When we have 5xp do we do our improvement right there or wait until a rest?
F*ck resting, this is the apocalypse. You immediately gain the level up benefits 'cause I said so.
Some of the improvements (e.g. gain a holding and wealth move) require narrative support -- it has to make sense in the story that you have it. Other than that...
So, some rulesy questions:
Francis's Combat Veteran move allows him to choose how much harm he inflicts, up to the maximum for his attack, including doing s-harm. Does armor protect one from s-harm? I have to imagine that it does; if so, can I do multiple points of s-harm to get through armor, i.e. shoot someone with a normally 2-harm gun and instead do 2s-harm in order to overcome a target's 1-armor?
Going Aggro: If Francis had a weapon capable of harming the raider, threatened to shoot him unless he ran away, got a 10+ on his roll, and the raider chose to "force his hand and suck it up," would Francis get a free attack on him, or would a normal exchange of attacks ensue?
s-harm doesn't have a number associated with it; the rules aren't explicit about it but logically it must ignore armor in most cases, or it wouldn't be any use at all. A flashbang grenade doesn't care if you're wearing armor.
Going Aggro: free hit if the raider forces your hand, but if they have the means and inclination to fight back, you can't use Go Aggro in the first place; it's Single Combat, Seize By Force, or another battle move. Like, if a raider dropped his gun you could Go Aggro on him.
OK, so for improvements, i have some questions.
If the list has two of the same thing, which is "+1 sharp (max +2)", and i already HAVE +1 sharp (so i could only technically take one of these), what do i do when my only remaining choice is to pick the thing again even though I am at max? This is a far-future worry, just wondering.
also, what does it mean to "advance basic moves"
Good luck to you and your father-in-law, Navarre.
You can't ever take the second +1 sharp; you can take "new playbook" or "retire to safety" when it gets to the point where you'd be forced to -- way in the future.
The basic moves all have an "advanced" form where hitting 12+ does something even better than a 10+. Late game improvements let you advance the basic moves.
Your first 5 improvements have to come from above the line in the improvement options; after that you can pick any of them.
oh, i thought i had to take all of them before going under the line
for my 5xp improvement i picked a hocus move, that increases his weird.
also, if Navarre leaves, who was my highest Hx, can i re-ask the question for someone else to pick it up? just wondering.
also (again), the improvement that says change your character's playbook. how does that work? you just... change what you are?
Sorry to see you go Navarre, hope things work out.
Hey Pallor, I noticed that you're considering the brainer move Unnatural Lust Transfixion: when you try to seduce someone, roll+weird instead of roll+hot.
From the 1st ed book: Notice that this is only for trying to seduce, not for trying to manipulate non-sexually.
If that's not what you're after you may want the hocus move Charismatic: when you try to manipulate someone, roll+weird instead of roll+hot.
also, if Navarre leaves, who was my highest Hx, can i re-ask the question for someone else to pick it up? just wondering.
At the end of each session, Hx numbers get changed a bit, and in the following session, we redo highlights based on the new Hx numbers, so you don't have to do anything now.
also (again), the improvement that says change your character's playbook. how does that work? you just... change what you are?
The exact details depend on why, story-wise, you're changing playbooks. In general, though:
You keep your stats, Hx, and any moves that are intrinsic to you as a person.
You leave behind anything belonging to your old life -- someone changing from Hardholder to another class gives up their holding and gang, if you're renouncing your Brainer ways maybe you give up the Brainer gear, etc.
You get the new playbook's moves, gear, and other crap, and you take future improvements from the new playbook.
Yes, this is a crazy powerful option.
Regarding the other below-the-line improvements (referred to as the Ungiven Future options in the rulebook):
• When you retire a character, you and the MC work out a sort of "epilogue" for them, then they're out of play. MC doesn't get to hurt them or run them once they've retired. You take a new playbook and start a new character.
• When you create a second character, you play both characters. Your characters don't have Hx with each other, and can't help/interfere with each other.
For both replacement and second characters, I've seen it done where the new character was originally an NPC that players thought was interesting enough to take them over as a PC.
Thanks for the info.
Hmm, Charismatic sounds like more of what i wanted. I can take the brainer +weird move instead of the hocus +weird move and do that one in the future.
How is it crazy powerful to change playbooks? Just the chance to load up on stat increases? Because i'd lose brainer moves.
I've never played a psychotic character before so I'm just running with this as I go along. It's a lot of fun though! Krieg is definitely an influence.
Thanks for the info.
Hmm, Charismatic sounds like more of what i wanted. I can take the brainer +weird move instead of the hocus +weird move and do that one in the future.
How is it crazy powerful to change playbooks? Just the chance to load up on stat increases? Because i'd lose brainer moves.
No, in general you don't lose your moves.
By the way, Pallor the moves you've been making have been awesome (the "take his eyes" especially was a great idea, too bad it didn't work out). I'm playing a Brainer in a face-to-face game, and trying to keep her on the less creepy side, but I think I'm going to have to take the Whisper Projection move after all...
The whisper projection reminds me of the Force Unleashed sith move, convincing storm troopers to attack each other.
That or 40K psyker-esque, which is more thematic given the psychic maelstrom.
Yeah i am loving the class, as soon as i saw it i knew i wanted to play it. If i change playbooks i will go to child-thing. I have some surprises in store as well that i am planning on letting out at certain points.
Mooshy, I have a predicament. Runner has no memory of his family due to amnesia and has made no close friends since his mind wipe 3 years ago so either this mind bug has less effect on him than others OR a memory breaks thru his condition and does urge him to jump? I see fun either way so you can decide which.
Runner, my suggestion? Mother's voice calling, desperate. You still don't know who she is, what she looks like, what happened to you or her -- all you have is this memory of her voice. Preserves the essence of the amnesia mystery while poking just a tiny pinhole through it.
(You don't even have to consciously know it's your mother, or know why you feel compelled to obey, but if you, like, understand the basic concept of mothers, you could guess that's who it is.)
In regards to the big f*cker who's just appeared - can only Volcano see it? And is it approaching me and my turret?
What formatting are folks using to generate those nifty little xp dots which are filling me with 90's WoD nostalgia?
What formatting are folks using to generate those nifty little xp dots which are filling me with 90's WoD nostalgia?
Easiest way to get them is probably to cut-and-paste them.
On a Mac, the Unicode BULLET is option-8, the empty bullet is a little harder to get to but I think it's Unicode's WHITE CIRCLE.
To access weird characters in general on the Mac: System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Keyboard -> [x] Show Keyboard, Emoji, and Symbol Viewers in menu bar, then find the emoji/symbol viewer in the menu bar.
Well this has taken a turn!
And now hopefully back to our scheduled programming...
Want to see how badly i will be killed
I think you're pretty much in the clear, Pallor; hopefully Runner and I opening our brains will clue us in to ignore the "whispers." And hopefully the nearby raiders have no such luck!
I'm assuming that when using the open your brain move, I don't state any intent or purpose unless Mooshy asks?
I'm assuming that when using the open your brain move, I don't state any intent or purpose unless Mooshy asks?
According to the move, "the MC tells you something new and interesting about the current situation". In practice I find it helps to be specific about what part of the current situation the PC is interested in; the worst that happens is the MC ignores that.
I'm assuming that when using the open your brain move, I don't state any intent or purpose unless Mooshy asks?According to the move, "the MC tells you something new and interesting about the current situation". In practice I find it helps to be specific about what part of the current situation the PC is interested in; the worst that happens is the MC ignores that.
Good point. Ok, Mooshy: Francis's main source of consternation at the moment is where are my orders coming from? I figure I'll write the 1-harm ap from Pallor into my opened brain post.
Anybody know of a site where I could legally acquire a pdf of the Apocalypse World 1st ed rules? I'm really liking the ideas behind the system and general setting, and am impatient for the 2nd ed release.
Sorry, post coming soon.
Sorry, post coming soon.
No worries, it's a weekend!
I haven't acted because I'm not sure entirely what I can do with Bessie at the moment - it all depends on the big stomper who's on his way.
Anybody know of a site where I could legally acquire a pdf of the Apocalypse World 1st ed rules? I'm really liking the ideas behind the system and general setting, and am impatient for the 2nd ed release.
How's your Spanish? DriveThruRPG seems to have the Spanish edition pdf, but I think the 1e English version is off the market currently.
Sorry, post coming soon.
may have gotten eaten
It is dark here. Mooshy is likely to have been eaten by a grue.
My son has a way of commanding my every waking moment on the weekends, because I'm the only one looking after him. Sorry guys, back now! :)
Seriously man, don't worry about it! Family comes first!
Regarding the game, I feel like I'm cheapskating it by doing the same move twice, but I feel like this thematically makes sense. Vonya wants to be a bigger, harder b*stard than this thing, so he's holding his ground.
Not at all. The moves are very broad by design, so it's not uncommon to make a roll using the same stat multiple times. Combat is fast and furious in AW, so it commonly should only take a few rounds for an average combat encounter to be resolved.
Sorry, won't be able to post up 'til morning, but Francis is understandably a little sluggish.
Sorry for the delay. Got to my computer later than I expected.
Do the rules allow for using socially moves on other PCs, like seduce/manipulate and go aggro, or are players in complete control of how their characters react to such a situation?
Any word on the results of my coolness check?
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Do the rules allow for using socially moves on other PCs, like seduce/manipulate and go aggro, or are players in complete control of how their characters react to such a situation?
Yes to both, actually. The moves can be used against PCs, but they're carefully designed to maintain player agency.
For Seduce/Manipulate, there's separate language for use against PCs.
For PCs: on a 10+, both. On a 7–9, choose 1:
• If they go along with you, they mark experience.
• If they refuse, erase one of their stat highlights for the remainder of the session.
These options are sometimes referred to as "the carrot" and "the stick". You can see that the targeted character retains their agency completely; they can do whatever they want, but they have a game mechanical incentive to go along with the manipulation. Chief used this on Scarlet to bribe her into not starting fights while she's out on her run -- if she's a good girl, she gets an XP.
For Go Aggro, all the hit results give the target a choice. For NPCs, the MC makes that choice, and for PCs, the target's player makes that choice.
On a 10+, they have to choose:
• Force your hand and suck it up.
• Cave and do what you want.
On a 7–9, they can choose 1 of the above, or 1 of the following:
• Get the hell out of your way.
• Barricade themselves securely in.
• Give you something they think you want, or tell you what you want to hear.
• Back o calmly, hands where you can see.
So, depending on the result, some of the player's agency is taken away -- they have to choose from the list -- but they do get some say in their reaction.
Thanks, Chief! I overlooked that separate PC section for seduce/manipulate; probably something to do with trying to read a pdf on my phone.