I’ve got a tempter demon in a mystery I’m working on, and I just created this move for when the hunters might meet him. I think it should lead to some cool revelations and conversation. What do you think?
When Arkeensoleth reads your desires against your will, tell the other players what desire, fear, or secret of your soul you want to keep hidden from his prying eyes. Roll+Weird. On a 10+, say no more; your secret is safe and you feel strong. You get +1forward on your next roll against Arkeensoleth. On a 7-9, the Keeper will ask you one question about your secret, answer it. Arkeensoleth knows only the most general direction of your pain and desires. On a 6-, each other player, including the Keeper can ask you one question about your secret. You feel naked before him. You get -1ongoing in your future dealings with Arkeensoleth. Prepare for the worst.
I like the idea of sharing with the other players. Promotes roleplaying. I have been in too many games where every player has a “dark secret”, and spends time sitting there brooding and pausing meaningfully with a tragic expression on, while the rest of the group usually ignores them. Usually because they’re doing the same thing. I like the move a lot!
I agree–what good is a dark secret if you’re the only one who knows it?!
An intriguing move! I particularly like the collaboration that lets all of the other players contribute to establishing the target PC’s secret.
Logistically, the trigger may be problematic – it feels like the trigger shouldn’t be the demon reading the PC’s desires against their will, but more in line with: When you resist Arkeensoleth’s intrusions into your desires,… – This would make the PC the active agent to trigger this move.
If the PC doesn’t resist, the move isn’t triggered. If the PC does resist, the move is triggered, and perhaps we can ask the player what it looks like to resist the demon’s invasive reading.
Finally, the ongoing penalty as a miss result runs two risks:
* 1) Could this penalty stack if the PC and demon interact frequently? The move doesn’t limit itself to only the first time the demon reads the unwilling PC (or the PC resists, as i proposed). Stacking ongoing penalties could get out of hand easily.
* 2) Ongoing penalties are sometimes the least interesting option. In this case, the PC has missed, and the demon specifically learned 1 or more things about a dark secret. Perhaps forgo the penalty, and instead:
On a miss, each other player, including the Keeper can ask you one question about your secret. You feel naked before him. Arkeensoleth will immediately begin to twist and turn your desires against you. Prepare for the worst.
edit: i never did learn how to format in google+!
You are absolutely right about the trigger; I will reword it to make the actions of the PCs the triggering element.
Your concerns about the ongoing penalty are totally fair. In my head, the demon will only attempt the read once, so the stacking is not an issue. I like the ongoing penalty because it suggests that you are on tilt in all your dealings with the demon, knowing that he’s seen you at your most vulnerable. Therefore, whether you are going in to fight him physically or attempt a big magic banishing spell, that vulnerability is still at the forefront of your mind.
As far as taking advantage of the information gained, that’s what the hard move granted by the miss is all about!
Thanks, Andrew!