The Wrangler Rewrite Help
The lovely Regine Bernhardt decided to play a Wrangler in a game of Apocalypse World so I decided it is finally the time to update this playbook. Johnstone Metzger made some awesome points about it here: http://www.story-games.com/forums/discussion/18311/apocalypse-world-writing-playbooks/p2 once but I was too lazy to fix it.
So. The quick and easy thing would be to bring the Wrangler statline on par with the Driver. Reduce one stat at each thing by 1.
Also adding your packs bonuses to hard/combat moves is probably a bad idea. I don’t know why I did that. The father of that move from Dungeon World doesn’t do that either. To fix that I should probably just define how you use your pack as a weapon.
When you go aggro or seize by force with your animals you don’t get better at doing that. You can just use them instead of your fists or guns. So I guess they are 2 harm with the possibility of area?
Maybe add a move to make you fight as a gang with them? Is that too Gunlugger?
There were complains about the Primal Howl move but I don’t quite remember or understand what the problem is/was.
I really really like the option of giving the Wrangler a Herd to tend to as a Gig but it reads bad as an advancement. I mean look at it. No hate for Patrick Henry Downs who did the layout but it just sticks out sore. There must be a better way to do this. Maybe just as a move? If I do it like that and add the gang move I probably have to many.
Any other input people have on this? Just first thoughts.
You could just go with 2 moves, and a pack of dogs that works like a weapon but you don’t have to be there (your dogs take the harm for you). That would probably be the simplest way to do it, maybe. And have herd as a gig automatically, not as an advance. Maybe your pack fighting like a gang could be an advance or a move.
Have you looked at the 2e stuff yet? Or tried using them at all? The rules for driver (and the hardholder’s gang) are way more simplified now.
No pigs as animals? (Or Porcine to fit the list)
Can always be mutants, I suppose.
Addin the ferocity to combat roles isn’t all that interesting if hard allready is the best stat. Just makes sucess all but a given. If Hard was lower or ferocity had to replace Hard. Would make your character more dependent on their animals. The way Command works now the pack can help you out with almost any roll anyways, but you can still do very well without them.
I might have more thoughts later. But this is what I noticed at the first read.
Johnstone Metzger I have the 2E playbooks but haven’t looked at them in a while.
Sub. Also, a reminder… I need to search for that 2nd edition…
The answers the desire I’ve had to play a Nigerian Hyena Man in AW.
Instead of “herd,” why not “ranch?”
Philipp Neitzel Narrative options written into playbooks are almost always suggestions. There’s nothing there that says you can’t have porcupines or pigs, or even elephants. As long as it doesn’t break the already established fiction.
I know.
Ranch is a great idea!
How would I word that then?
This is what I’d do if I was going to approach the playbook with an all-new writeup
I’d have the Pack and Ranch both be under Gear
I’d probably change the way packs are written up. Remove command and well trained entirely. Replace ferocity with training, and flip the numbers between training/instincts. The higher training is the more your pack can be brought to heel and the less likely they are to run wild. Packs should probably just start with 3 weaknesses, and the worst stat block gives 2 weaknesses.
Looking at the moves again – and keep in mind I’m not too familiar with the 2e stuff since it’s not in playtest mode yet – I would rewrite pack alpha to be more specifically used with wild animals, then just associate the move with the ranch somehow.
Obedience Training: when you unleash your pack against an enemy, roll+hard, add your pack’s instincts. Unless you are at your ranch, there you add your pack’s training. On a 10+, all 3.
On a 7–9, choose 1:
• they attack who you want and how you want
• they don’t run wild
• they’re weakness isn’t exposed
On a miss, an animal in your pack turns on you or one of your friends, if they are not brought to heel the entire pack may turn on you next.
Maybe the wrangler starts with one other move, a heel beast! sort of move, good for controlling the pack in non-combat and bringing them down from combat, and then the extra moves become things that you can only get through improvements.
Just thoughts… I’d have to sit down and work out exactly what a ranch is, because in my mind that’s not going to be anything like a hold or a Maestro’d’s business but it’s going to have narrative choices associated with it.
Sub
Hi. As an MC that’s running a game with a Wrangler playbook, I’m having a bit of a hard time interpreting some of the items in it. For example the Primal Howl move. Very problematic. Issues:
If it is a physical scream, and not psychic, how does the effect differentiate between friend or foe? It specifically says it only affects enemies.
Also there’s no rolling for the move so the Wrangler automatically goes aggro, with no chance of failure. This can potentially be used in every encounter where enemies have to choose to run away or take s-harm. The main rule book describes NPCs suffering s-harm are disabled. I’ve interpreted this to mean that the PCs will get a bonus if they take action against the affected NPCs, but I have the feeling that the original intent of s-harm is to knock out the NPC. This is obviously problematic because it gives the player the power to steamroll through almost any encounter.
Lastly, what is to stop the player from continually spamming the move? Thus the NPCs continue to take s-harm.
I think the move could work with some revisions:
Either it affects friends too or add a psychic element to it.
Instead of s-harm, NPCs that do not run away are stunned for a few seconds. Giving the character, and friends, a chance to do some action without an immediate response, or if they attack, to gain a +1 to the seize by force move.
Acknowledge that NPCs can become immune to the move for some time after suffering the effects of the howl.
Oh you still need to roll for Primal Howl, just like that one Brainer move. Need to check wording of that is confusing.
Well that makes sense. I think maybe the wording should be changed. Sounded to us like it was automatic.
Primal Howl 2.0
If you howl or scream at them like a terrible beast and they don’t know you are there, roll+hard.
On a hit, everyone of them chooses 1
– wait here, maybe the beast hasn’t spotted them
– get quickly away from the terrible beast
– barricade themselves in so that the beast can’t get to them
– go hunt it down
On a 10+ you take +1 forward for dealing with them.
Wording might be better if less poetic. I am tired but needed to write it down.
New Stat lines:
C / Ha / Ho / Sh / Weird
+0 / +2 / +1 / -1 / +0
+2 / +2 / +1 / -1 / -2
+0 / +2 / +0 / +1 / -1
+1 / +2 / -1 / -2 / +1
They all even out to +2 instead of +3.
The second one is the really worldy one, the last one has the chances for major weird but I still don’t think a Wrangler should start with +2s in weird.
Black Wings
an expanded Playbook because I was just super inspired.
When your animals are a flock of Ravens, Crows or similar corvusy birds you may take these moves as additional Wrangler Moves or Moves from other playbooks.
Dark Wings Dark Words
Your birds are trained to deliver messages to whomever you want, as long as you know their typical location.
A Murder of Ravens
When someone kills one of your birds in your presence, they take 1 Ψ-harm (psi harm). When someone kills one of your birds and you are not there, you immediately know they are dead and where they died.
Bunch of Thieving Magpies
When you search your bird’s nests for something, roll+hard. It has to be something small enough to fit and shiny enough for them to steal.
On a 10+, one of them happens to have stolen the thing, or close enough.
On a 7–9, one of them happens to have stolen something pretty close, but probably worthless or damaged.
On a miss, you find exactly what you need and they know who has taken it.
Hugin and Munin (this one I am not sure about specifically yet)
When you send out your birds to find out where someone is, roll+Weird.
On a hit they return after a while and tell you. On a 10+ you may ask one question about their past and your birds will answer you.
For searching birds maybe: When you send your birds to find someone or something, roll+weird. On a 10+, they lead you to it. On a 7-9, they circle around it like crows in mourning, for everyone to see. On a miss, something finds you instead.