I see the observe a person and place moves were combined?
What happens if I am in the center of a city and just want to observe the area for potential threats? It no longer works as “Figure someone out” and it is not “investigate a Place of Power” since it is not a place of power. What do my players then do? I think this can be easily solved by saying “Figure someone/something out”.
Also, I am loving the new debt move and the better treatment of factions.
Additionally, for the session intro …. I think the roll should be optional. Maybe they don’t want the help … but that also removes them from ability to fail as well.
If there isn’t a move for a thing, you can always have a conversation about the scene. If I am in the center of the city, can’t I ask you as the MC if there is anything that looks like a potential threat? Then you get to make an MC move.
The Opening Session move is to create instant plot and give protagonists the opportunity to engage in those opportunities. There is no need for them to actually do so, they can avoid the offers/rumours.
I am a fan of the Opening Session move. I am eager to get to playtest these rules next week!
Playing devil’s advocate, Can’t you have the same conversation about people as well? So why have the move at all?
I really think combining the moves was a good idea ….. I just think the title needs to reflect that it can be used for more than just studying people. Studying places or studying objects would be both be beneficial with the exact same move with very slight alterations.
The can avoid the offers, but can they avoid the debt from failing? Some people would rather not have to roll because of the chance of failure.
The move is about trying to puzzle out people, their motivations and interests. It’s reasonable that you might try to do so without the person present, like at someone’s apartment or work, but the move is fundamentally about people, not places.
Mark Diaz Truman, I agree the move now is about Puzzling out people. If that is your intent, then I won’t keep pushing at it. I just feel the move can be just a bit more with some very minimal alterations.
I picture the wizard studying an object before picking it up.
I picture the Aware chasing someone and trying to determine which way they went.
Those may not even be the best examples, but I think slight alterations opens it up.
I think we don’t want it to be more because…
The Wizard should be using Let It Out. The Aware has a new move, Snoop, that gives them a unique set of perceptive abilities. By limiting figure someone out, we open up more space for those other moves.
So looking at an item is “Let It out” and let’s go to anyone but the Aware that is looking around …. they can’t look around?
Tommy Rayburn – I don’t understand? Are you asking if other people “can’t” look around? As Andrew Medeiros said earlier, if someone is looking around without triggering a move, you just give them the information that you think it interesting and relevant. You make a move, just like in Monsterhearts (which has no perception moves at all!)
Looking at an item isn’t Let It Out. When the wizard summons his Truesight and gazes deeply into the mystic connections of the object, that is Let It Out.
Anyone can look around, they don’t need a move for that. They’re asking you to make a move. Expose a secret, put someone in danger, foreshadow trouble, offer an opportunity with a cost…
If they’re looking for something specific, write a custom move. “When you search the office for the hidden safe, roll +Mind. On a hit, you find it and get it open. On a 7-9 choose one: you get out before someone shows, you don’t leave evidence behind.”
I guess I just find Discern Realities from DW or Read a Sitch from AW very very useful moves.
And due to that …. I find this move so close to that, but only about people … not the situation which can be opened up with again, little effort.
I wonder if that’s not deliberate. The fantasy (especially dungeon fantasy) and post-apocalyptic genres are mostly “man vs man” and “man vs. nature”, while modern/urban fantasy seems to be more focused on “man vs man” and “man vs self”.
By taking out the moves like “discern realities” and “read a sitch” and focusing on “figure someone out” you guide players to the essential conflicts that you want the game to focus on.
Or maybe I’m way off. Just musing.
Since I have a WoD background and play my games as such ….. it is mostly man vs situation. Could be a personal play style …..
Thanks peeps for the conversation.