PBtA games give GM’s Moves and Fronts (or whatever you call them) that are designed to let you run game sessions that are coherent (things make sense and are genre appropriate) but don’t require a huge amount of preparation.
What PBtA game books explain best how to use the above at the table? Given that I won’t be running heavy PvP games, I don’t think that game would be Apocalypse World.
sub
… why do you think aw must be heavy pvp?
As, well, my experience is different.
No I know nothing about AW, so if that’s the best one, I’ll read it. I just thought that AW as about PVP stuff.
In a general sense, GM moves are mechanically similar from game to game. But they are thematically different for each game.
I’m thinking it would be a good idea to pick the PbtA game you’re interested in running first. As you say you don’t want PvP, either Dungeon World or Monster of the Week sounds like a decent choice.
I have monster of the week so I will look at that.
My guess is if I run enough of that kind of thing I’ll get better at running more improvisational games.
Hey Gary, Adam Koebel does a good vlog about his prep as MC between games of AW. Its really good and explains the whole Fronts / Threats system.
youtube.com – Post-Apocalypse World Ep1 | Roll20 Games Master Series
Thank you Nathan Roberts. I also need a lot of help at taking whatever I have (which is usually a situation which is kind of like a front for traditional games) and turning that into improved but coherent stuff at the table.
Gary Furash
I think that’s just lots and lots of practice mate 😉
But seriously, the moves / fronts are just prompts to give you something to say, so rather than fumbling around when you are caught off guard, you can just look to your list of MC moves and use the descriptor as a guided question to yourself and have something to say.
Frame a scene that involves as many PCs as you can, push for an unstable or threatening situation and always ask ‘What do you do?’
Jason D’Angelo has a fantastic series in which he writes little mini-essays on the design choices behind the game. Well worth a read!
plus.google.com – The Daily Apocalypse
I’ve heard Monster Hearts and Urban Shadows mentioned as having really well written instructions for MCs
Sweet
I have urban shadows.
Monsterhearts is hands down my favorite game regardless of system. But it is almost entirely PvP, which is why I didn’t bring it up.
thanks though.
I find the trick to AW is to get the pc’s to care about the same things (not always directly, sometimes you just link two things different pc’s care about), but in different ways. That way when they’re too separated, you force them to work together by threatening both their cares in the same way, or if they’re too close, drive a wedge by making their wants mutually exclusive.
Apocalypse World (and 2e especially) is really really good at supporting the MC for sandbox play.
Masks and Monster of the Week both do a really good job of describing how to plan a session.
Marshall Brengle is AW 2e out yet to the general public
Gary Furash yep!
Thanks Adam McConnaughey. Would it still be useful if I don’t like PvP that much?
Gary Furash definitely, Apocalypse World doesn’t work very well for PvP anyhow (as i see others have also said lol)
Yeah, I guess I wasn’t clear, that 2 pc’s trying to kill eachother doesn’t work great. I once was in a duel with another pc and it was a long drawn out game of chicken. What works better is the pc’s fucking with eachother’s shit, then coming to uneasy terms when something else is a bigger threat. That said, an in the moment spurt of action works quite well.