Originally shared by Gherhartd Sildoenfein
Thinking about making a custom replacement for the new Seduce or manipulate move in AW2. The option “if they refuse, erase one of their stat highlights for the remainder of the session” just won’t work with me. Not saying it is a bad rule, only that it hits a spot where I am completely numb.
SEDUCE OR MANIPULATE
When you try to seduce or manipulate someone, tell them what you want and roll+hot. For NPCs (…). For PCs: on a 10+ both. On a 7-9, choose 1:
• if they do it, they mark experience
• if they refuse, erase one of their stat highlights for the remainder of the session
What they do then is up to them.
(…)
The symmetry of the design is nice: gain XP or loose a way to gain them. It strikes harder on the negative, the corresponding gain would be to highlight one more stat or to double-highlight one of your highlights.
But XP don’t work with me, worse, they mess with me.
I can always go with the v1 move :
For PCs: on a 10+, both. On a
7–9, choose 1:
• if they do it, they mark experience
• if they refuse, it’s acting under fire
Although it isn’t always easy to imagine what the fire will be, it can slow the game’s flow a bit.
So I am searching for other, easier options.
On a 10+ hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. You can spend 1, right now, to ask their player 1 question:
• what’s your character really feeling?
• what does your character intend to do?
Or,
At your will, no matter the circumstances, you can spend your hold 1 for 1 to:
• they take -1 right now
• you get +1 against them later
This sure ain’t easy.
Hmm. It isn’t clear to me if you dislike marking experience or dislike the acting under fire.
If experience is important to the players you could always have:
on a 10+ if they do they mark experience if they don’t you do.
on a 7-9 they mark experience anyway and if they don’t you do.
But I could see that causing a lot of propositions to generate XP opportunities.
Maybe …
On a 10+ if they accept you both take +1 forward
On a 7-9 only they take +1 forward.
Could have a corresponding -1 forward for refusing.
Act Under Fire doesn’t really bother me, but it is sometimes a bit hard to find a good danger, and good 7-9 results.
But I am kind of blind to xp, I can’t care about them or sometimes they just annoy me. Strongly tied to stats highlights, of course.
I don’t feel like a characters who succesfully manipulate / seduces another PC should get a bonus it they already get what they ask for.
For people that DO care about XP it is also weird that erasing a highlight becomes less and less impactful/powerful the closer you are to the end of the session.