What a Tangled Web We Weave
I’m just going over the current draft of Troublemakers again and had a thought about one of the basic moves. Currently, the tell a lie move is an open invitation to create a never-ending pit of lies: if you don’t take the “They drop it for now” option, then you will be asked more questions about the subject, inviting you to create more lies and so on. That’s actually a pretty good model of a child lying to adults, but could be a bit of an issue in play: do you keep rolling to tell a lie until you get a 10+ or a miss?
I’m considering a change to it, whereby on a 10+, they accept your story at face value, but on a 7-9, you have to choose between a) providing some evidence or getting someone to back you up before they believe you or b) you admit that they caught you in a lie but you take -1 trouble for owning up! I like the tempting deal offered there, especially as it could mean betraying the other kids to save your own neck, naturally triggering a falling out with them.
What do other people think?
Hi! This sounds awedome, but I’m afraid i don’t really remember/know the previous versions of the move; could you post the previous version of the move and the new wording you’re thinking of?
The current version:
When you try to conceal the truth or make up an excuse, roll+feels. On a 10+, choose two; on a 7-9, choose either one of the first two:
– They accept your story.
– They drop the subject for now.
– You take -1 trouble.
A draft proposal for the new version:
When you try to conceal the truth or make up an excuse, roll+feels. On a 10+, they accept your story without question; on a 7-9, they doubt your word, so choose one:
– Double down: solemnly swear that you are telling the truth and get another kid to back you up [this option may need a penalty or price]
– Own up: confess the truth right away and take -1 trouble.
James Mullen live it James, so trope appropriate