One thing I especially like about the +1 Forward podcast is the question “what is your favourite move [that you created]”. I’m not a very experienced PBTA player, though I’ve read several games and am delighted by the way a single move change alter the whole game mechanics.
What is your favourite move (from which game) and why?
My favorite move is Convince/Sway/Negotiate moves, when you do it against a PC.
You keep your agency, but get rewarded if you do it. It solves a problem around social “attacks” among PCs that has been the elephant in the room since forever.
The fortune-telling/oracle move in The Warren.
Everyone writes a single word on a piece of paper and then the oracle has to interpret all of and the GM has to make it happen in some way.
It’s great because everyone gets to create and influence something, the oracle gets to be in the spotlight, the gm is given guidance on where to go next, it’s unpredictable, and it shows that PbtA moves don’t always have to be holds or rolls.
I love the corruption system in Urban Shadows, with the Wizard’s corruption trigger move probably being my favorite: Mark corruption when you make a deal with someone dark and powerful. It’s even better because this playbook has no “retire to safety” option. It’s a small thing, but it really hands you the character on a platter, and encapsulates the feel of the genre: You will be playing someone who has so many avenues to power, but if you take them, there will be no turning back.
Cc: Richard Rogers
Never noticed the Wizard has no retire option until you pointed it out!
Maybe because I’ve been reading through it, but the engagement roll from Blades in the Dark. I’ve taken that idea into every other game I run. Get to the action, figure out what the plan was when it matters.