Hello guys!
I have a doubt about a right move to use … let me explain:
Lux is a heroine who has the power to manipulate the light, in particular in her power profile marked as “difficult” she chooses the abilty to create a laser beam.
During the game session, Lux finds herself trapped with two boys during a fire on the second floor of a building. No way to get to the exit of the room, so she decides to use her laser beam to create a way out on the floor, for her and the boys. She wants to save them, of course. the flames grow fast … What is the right move that is activated? Personally I think it’s a danger Defy roll on Protect stat … is a correct interpretation of fiction? I know, Defy danger is a move to direct threats to the character, but in this case can be considered “extended” in order to also protect the two boys, rolling on Protect?
I hope I was clear.
Daniele Di Rubbo Luigi Briganti Luca Maiorani I think you may be interested 😉
As I said formerly, in that particular situation, I would say Lux is defying danger with Investigate. Maybe I’m wrong and it is a serve and protect instead, but I would stay with defy danger because, in my opinion, Lux is not really shielding those people from harm at her own expense. She’s simply finding a way out, despite an imminent danger.
P.S. Could it be an aid or interfere?
If I remember well, bonds are kind of “fluid”. You can assume you have a bond at a value of 0, if you had to roll+bonds with someone not listed between your bonds.
It really depends on what’s happening in the fiction. Remember – moves only trigger when you do what is written in their description. Without really having any context in terms of who this character is, how important the boys are, and what she’s done with her powers before.
Also, you never roll Defy Danger unless there’s a clear, imminent danger that is about to befall the character right now. If the EIC calls for Defy Danger because there’s a lot of tension in the scene right now, they need to say what the danger being defied is. It’s not a move to direct threats to the character. If she fails is the laser going to make the fire worse? Let me give you some situations in here to hopefully clarify how different moves might trigger – it’s why clarifying the fiction is so important.
Defy Danger
EIC: Ok, Lux, so you get into the lab and a bunch of planks of wood on fire dramatically crash to the floor behind you, sealing off the way you came in. You quickly realize the only way out is this other door. You’re not sure where it leads, but it’s also locked, unfortunately. The fire is spreading and you it suddenly spreads out all across the room. What do you do?
Lux: I’ve got to get through that door before the fire spreads. Can I emit a whole bunch of light, and then try to focus it onto one point to blast down the door before the fire gets to us?
EIC: Sure! Ok, we know you can do that since it’s on your profile, so no worries there. But we also know it’s hard and takes time to do that, so I’m going to have you Defy Danger, with the danger being you can’t do it before the flames and the smoke stop you from getting through. Sound good?
Lux: Yeah, ok. That sounds good to me. Let me roll to Defy Danger. [Alternatively: I don’t know, it’s hard, but it only took me a couple seconds last time. I bet I could do it. (In which case, if the EIC agrees, she just does it and the narrative moves on)]
Serve and Protect
EIC: Ok, Lux, so you get into the lab and a bunch of planks of wood on fire dramatically crash to the floor behind you, sealing off the way you came in. You quickly realize the only way out is this other door. You’re not sure where it leads, but it’s also locked, unfortunately. The fire is spreading and you it suddenly spreads out all across the room, it looks like it’s going to engulf the two boys unless you do something quickly! What do you do?
Lux: Oh no! I’m going to jump in front of them and throw up one of my light shields!
EIC: Oh cool! Yeah, that’ll work. That sounds like it’s a Serve and Protect to me. What do you think?
Lux: Yeah, I think so too, I’ll roll that.
Aid or Interfere
EIC: Ok, Lux, so you get into the lab and a bunch of planks of wood on fire dramatically crash to the floor behind you, sealing off the way you came in. You quickly realize the only way out is this other door. You’re not sure where it leads, but it’s also locked, unfortunately. The fire is spreading and you it suddenly spreads out all across the room, it looks like it’s about to engulf the two boys, one of whom is our man Billy. Billy, what do you do? The flames are almost on you!
Billy’s player: I’m going to use my powers to soak up the heat!
Lux: Oh, maybe I can use my powers to try and help push back the flames, too?
EIC: Sure, well why don’t you roll to help him out so when he rolls he could get a bonus. You’ve got a bond with him, right?
Lux: Just one, but yeah I could do that. I definitely want to help him out, so I’ll do that. (Even if she doesn’t have a Bond she can still roll it, she just won’t get a bonus)
Ok, very clear! Many thanks Kyle 🙂
Saverio Iacono, I was thinking maybe you could clarify the situation of Lux in your game, so we can understand which move you should have triggered, if any. 😉
Sure Daniele Di Rubbo! Lux in my game was acting exclusively for escape in that phase. Yeah, the guys were the reason for his presence in that situation, but the priority was the escape route and the flames were threatening all. so it was definitely interpretable as a defy danger and because of how she had described a certain concentration was needed, the real danger was the ability to exercise its power in a reasonable time to get them all to safety. Anyway, we need to clarify much better “who does what” for a better use of the system. More clear action in game more clear what is the triggered Move 😉
Just out of curiosity, what stat did Lux’s player roll?
Uhm in that situation she rolled nothing, because I didn’t find the right thing to do, so she simply get the escape route with her laser beam. Now I think that she needed to roll a defy danger on maneuver!
Ok, and why do you think her action fell back into the definition of Maneuver?