Just picked this up and it will be my first Powered by the Apocalypse game. So far, I think it’ll be the game that really sells me on the system…I’ve got way too many games on the table to try out right now.
Just picked this up and it will be my first Powered by the Apocalypse game.
Just picked this up and it will be my first Powered by the Apocalypse game.
I hope you like it Trung Bui! If you have questions, there are a lot of people to give answers here.
(Removed comment posted in wrong thread!)
Hamish Cameron Appreciate it. Believe me, this will not be my first RPG that I have played, but I feel like the setting definitely reflected the use of the system a little better.
If it’s helpful: the “if you will be the MC” on page 4 was very helpful for me. I consider myself an experienced GM, DM, MC, whatever. But this was my first PbtA game. For me, at least, I’ve had to break a lot of my GM paradigms about how much control over the world I have since using these systems you actually give narrative control over to the players when certain triggers are met. That’s been the hard thing for me, learning when and how to make moves while simultaneously honoring the agenda and principles.
IMO the PbtA system is as much a rulebook on “How to be a good GM” as it is an actual game system. Good luck, I’m one session of play deep and still trying to figure it out but we are having a riot.
I’m interested in the system, that’s for sure. I was kind of skeptical about the sort of “board game” feel with the defined Move sets and such, but I think The Sprawl kind of made everything click for me for understanding it. It feels like it’s a very “reactionary” story driven game. Where the MC has the job in mind and the players attempt to complete it and the MC attempts to throw in the crazy to make it compelling and exciting.
Exactly. I know what you mean though by the board game feel with taking turns making moves. Once you get it down though and create a flow with your players it feels less like that and more like traditional role playing. I explained everything to my players but after we got going they didn’t sit there thinking: ‘oh he’s making a move right now’. As long as you make your move but don’t “speak it’s name” or announce things like: let me look at what moves I can make. The players will most likely be distracted by hard choices you’ve already given them, rather than “I wonder what move he made or is making?”
I guess the only thing I was confused about was the countdown clock. So if someone is at 1500 and takes 4 harm, do they fill up 4 total segments?
If you take 4 harm, you fill in four unfilled segments. So if you are already on 1500, you would go to 2300. I hope you have a medic!
Ok, that’s what I originally thought. Thanks for the clarification!