Just read through the rulebook and I’m so pumped to try it out this weekend with my group! I had one question regarding Play Hardball, if someone wouldn’t mind clarifying.
Obviously using the move means you intend violent action if the target doesn’t comply, but does that mean that harm is automatically inflicted on a miss? Or do I then need to make the character roll to Mix It Up?
Thanks in advance!
You are trying to offer your target a hard choice. Normally you’ll be threatening physical violence, but maybe it’s going to be economic violence.
Some times the threat isn’t; “wire me the cash or I put a bullet in your brain.”
Some times it’s; “Sign the release order for my friends or Madam Nakatomi and all her investors pull out of your new Arcology development.”
I’d say they need to mix it up (unless they’ve got the target by the balls.)
On a miss, as is virtually always the case, the GM makes a situationally and dramatically appropriate move.
Maybe the NPC is faster than she looks and gets the draw on the PC first, putting a slug in their chest (Inflict Harm). Maybe the PC suddenly feels the cold metal barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his neck, because he was so focused on this guard that he didn’t see his buddy sneaking up behind (Put Someone in a Spot). Maybe the PC inflicts the harm they were threatening, and as the guard slumps to the floor they hear the alarm go off, because all the guards have heart monitors tied into the security system (Show Them the Barrel of a Gun).
And so on. The PC may or may not inflict harm, and they may or may not get what they wanted, but regardless the situation changes in some way, generally trending towards the complicated, dangerous and exciting.
James Etheridge sorry, I worded my question poorly. However, these are great ideas for a 6- and I’m stealing them.
I was mostly wondering about the 7-9 result where it says, “They attempt to remove you as a threat, but not before suffering the established consequences.” If the established consequence is a gun shot to the temple, I still have them roll Mix It Up, right?
Ray Cox thanks, this is what I was looking for. And thank you for clarifying that it doesn’t always have to be physical violence. Really excited to push this system in interesting directions!
Ah. In that case: I disagree that you need to Mix it Up in order to follow through on your threat; I am of the opinion that what you threatened just happens (provided they don’t pick an option where it doesn’t, of course).
Here’s my reasoning: the choices say that they suffer the consequences, not that they might suffer the consequences, which is what a Mix it Up roll would do. If you need to Mix it Up to follow through on your threat anyway, why is Play Hardball there? You could just as easily play threats out with Fast Talk, and Mix it Up when things don’t go your way, if that were the case. Put another way, if all those options do is trigger another move, they don’t really carry much weight.
I think basically, if you’re not in a position to immediately make good on your threat if they don’t cave (say, if you’re disarmed and surrounded but you’re pretty sure you can swipe that guard’s gun), then you’re not Playing Hardball.
You might be Fast Talking (bluster is an option), or it might just trigger a GM move, like Tell Them the Consequences and Ask (“Frost, the guard thinks you’re blowing smoke, but his gun is still there in his holster; you could totally grab it and make your play, but his buddies are going to get a couple of shots off before you even roll for Mix it Up. What do you do?”).
But yeah, if it’s to the point where you’ve got your gun (or rotary club, or cyberdeck hacked into their life savings or whatever) in their face, and they say “go on, do your worst,” you don’t need to roll to do your worst, because you’re already in a position to do exactly that.
James Etheridge This really helped clarify it for me. Thank you!
I agree with James Etheridge here.
IT says they suffer the established consequences .
They are already established . Otherwise you wouldnt roll for Play hardball