After two months away from the game a few of us are getting together to revive our last Apocalypse World game. I’ve decided that two months have passed in the game world as well, which means the local trading post has had it’s threat countdown filled and the whole place went to hell in a handbasket. A custom move I came up with for returning characters is
Look For Old Friends: when you look for an old contact while you’re in town describe who you’re looking for and why, then roll+sharp.
On a 10+, they’re still alive and you find them (or know where they are).
On a 7-9, choose 1:
• you don’t find them but you learn that they’re still alive somewhere
• you find their body/grave
On a miss, you have no idea where they are or if they’re still alive, and somebody (not necessarily a good or bad person) notices your interest.
–
Given that they’re attached to this NPCs those 7-9s could generate loads of drama!
I feel like just finding their grave isn’t enough information. Maybe, if they pick that option, also ask them how they died, or what’s written on the tombstone?
‘…and whoever buried them’ maybe?
Perhaps:
On a 7-9:
You find them, but their interests have become inimical to yours. Why, and how?
Kevin Farnworth Those are questions for the players to ask, not me.
I guess. I just like making the players answer all the tough questions, especially the questions that are going to come up a few times. It’s easier and more entertaining for me. Though I guess this does lead into a sitch that can be read…
Or a brain that can be opened
I (only just now) thought I would do a follow-up to this for those of you who commented/subbed. Only one player tried to look for old friends and he rolled a 9, he chose “you don’t find them but you learn that they’re still alive somewhere” – at the time I placed the NPC, a tailor, north of town so the players would have to negotiate or fight their way past a tribe of cannibals to get to where the NPC was hiding. Another player managed to inadvertently trick another gang of thugs into fighting the cannibals but then the tailor was forgotten about once the fighting died down.
Next time I use this move I will change the 7-9 result to:
• you don’t know where they are, but you know they’re alive and safe
• you know exactly where they are, but they might be dead if you don’t get there soon