Hey everybody — core rules question. When a character takes the “change playbooks” advance, I know they’re supposed to transfer all their advances below the line.
Are they allowed to, then, keep taking advances below the line, or do they need to take five above-line advances on their new playbook first?
EDIT: For an example: If I switch playbooks, can I take an adult move immediately (since I’ve already unlocked “below the line advances”), or do I need to take five advances in the new playbook first?
The corebook says, “Use the advancement track on your new playbook, but transfer any marks you’ve made below the line—those advances don’t ‘refresh’ when you change playbooks,” which doesn’t seem to point to an answer either way.
I can see an argument in favor of either, and nothing seems obvious or natural. I asked my GM, and he suggested that I check in with you all.
I look at it this way, your playbook isn’t your character class and changing playbooks isn’t similar to switching to another class. Your playbook is your character’s struggle or core anxiety. A Transformed is no longer a Transformed if they are not bothered by their appearance, for example. With this in mind, I personally think that players should get rid of the moves that highlight the struggles of their previous playbook. Like “Wish I could be ” on the Transformed because by changing playbooks they already got over their body change by either accepting it or returning back to a human form, for example.
Irven Manalo that makes sense but isn’t the question I meant to ask.
For an example: If I switch playbooks, can I take an adult move immediately (since I’ve already unlocked “below the line advances”), or do I need to take five advances in the new playbook first?
Well we are not sure of this too, but I understand that when you change playbook, all advancements of the new playbook are allowed, except for those that was marked
I would make them take 5 above the line advances before taking any advances in their new playbook. Reasoning would be along what Irven stated. I think they’d need time getting use to their new schtick before hitting the advanced state no matter what they did in their old playbook.
When you change playbook, it’s not the same than be a new masks. You may have some Labels already locked or a lot of adults don’t have influence over you. That’s because you are not and novice in this of be a hero, there is a lot of road on the way but you are more close than before to be just like you should be. Then from my point of view there is no reasons to not take above the line advancements like adults move and so.
Honestly, I would tend to think that “change playbooks” is likely intended to be a “last pick”, or such and it is assumed that you would have already taken some of the other below the line advancements. (I.e. have already unlocked an adult move or two.)
I’d let them. Your player put a lot of time into their char!
We make players take 5 above. The above the lines are unique to playbooks while the below are the same. If you’re in a new playbook, picking above the line makes you dabble in your new role.
Generally speaking I’d say they need to take some above-lines again to take a new below-line: The change in playbooks is a big drastic upheaval in your life, and getting to the kind of mental and social stability those advances represent is going to take time. Depending on the pace of the campaign though, I might dial it back from 5 to 3 or even 1-2, since they’ve ‘been through this before’. Honestly, it’s the kind of thing best handled case-by-case.
Sean Riedinger this is a super clever compromise that i think understands the spirit of the rules super well