It’s like every time I play and/or read the AW book I gain a deeper appreciation of what’s going on.
At our session on Wednesday night, they missed a roll and I glanced down at the relevant threat’s (warlord) moves and picked out
‘Make a show of discipline’
For me it moved what was a great scene already to pure gold and now they’re worried about this guy in a way they weren’t really before
For what had (on my first reading at least) seemed like a very fluffy move to make; or even that the list of threat-specific MC moves themselves was kind of extraneous – I’m totally digging it now!
Awesome! Thanks!
What was the show of discipline?
Mostly I’ve used it when the PCs are in the power of the warlord explicitly–NPCs running the place they live or the like. One time it spawned an Affliction (in essence) by coming down on what had been done.
I’m with Tim, I want to hear the story!
OK, here goes, but a little bit of context first:
The group’s hold is a river boat and Miss Roberta (hardholder) recently bought off the tribute they owed to Jackson in Moon Creek. So the reception they got there was going to be frostier than usual anyway.
Meanwhile there’s a cult out there giving out these doohickeys, which attach to peoples’ brain when they open it. Tai (savvyhead) has come up with a process to detect those who’ve already been affected and remove it.
So the river boat (the Rosa Lee) has docked at Moon Creek and its bustling market is open for business as usual. There’s a big crowd buying, drinking, gambling and whoring. Sweeney (operator) has gathered a crowd and encouraged people to step forward and be tested, and now the two who tested positive aren’t so keen to go below into Tai’s workshop to have it removed.
Into this fractious scene storms Jackson along with some of his gangs – they brush right past security and Doberman shouts out that everyone shut the fuck up and stand down. Everyone can tell that Jackson is annoyed as hell, but Tai keeps talking about what’s he’s planning so Jackson grabs Doberman’s should and says straight to Tai
-Keep talking and Dobie here’ll put you down
(to which the hatchetman grins and cocks his AK).
Everyone falls silent, the Rosa Lee’s crew are looking to Miss Roberta for a signal, they’re hoping nothing breaks out, because if it does they’re surely all dead. The customers from Moon Creek look like they just want to get home
-Everyone who doesn’t belong here, get the fuck off this boat. Everyone else, you’re closed for business tonight. You…
He points at Miss Roberta on the top deck
-are coming to visit me tomorrow morning
(Miss Roberta has not left the ship for anything in 11 sessions)
As everyone else files off, Jackson looks around one last time.
-Bullshit
And he turns around and leads his gang back off the Rosa Lee.