So does anyone know of a Cyberpunk genre game using the ApW engine?
So does anyone know of a Cyberpunk genre game using the ApW engine? I feel it would suit for exploring the lives of these sorts of characters and the differences between the haves and have-nots. I’m thinking strongly about trying my hand at it myself as a game design exercise.
Would this work in AW
Would this work in AW
What do you think about playing the people in the “antagonist” Hardhold for one session? They where mentioned a few times but no one has a real idea about what these guys are about. Giving us each a view into the life at this hardhold would be interesting as players. The characters would know at least a bit of the stuff going on there and the threat would be clearer in the next session.
Does this defeat one of the principles or is this totally okay?
So sometimes, a hard move should like, really give it to the player.
So sometimes, a hard move should like, really give it to the player. The MC should be looking to resolve the conflict, to end it in one way or another, swiftly and directly. But sometimes, a hard move is just an escalation.
I’ve got to remember that.
Sketch of an economic system
Sketch of an economic system
This is a mercantile system, which replaces barter with four separate abstracted currencies of theoretically equal value: gold, goods, credit and debt. In practice, however, while one credit is worth one gold, and either can pay off one debt or buy one goods, transferring between these different forms is not straightforward. This friction is what (hopefully!) makes the system work in fun ways.
Gold is ready money, coins in gold and silver of recognised weight, purity and value. It is easily transferable into the other forms.
Credit represents money held on account by you with a merchant house or bank. Generally, it is inferior to gold as it is only available where your wherever that merchant has a factor, or the bank a branch. However, it does allow you to transfer funds over long distances safely, and you may be forced to accept credit as part of a bargain when selling goods.
When you deposit gold, gain an equivalent amount of credit and specify the bank or merchant. Spend credit as gold for goods, equipment, or property, or to pay off debt. Pay one credit to transfer credit back into gold.
When you negotiate credit, roll +eloquence. On a 10+, transfer credit to a new merchant or bank. On a 7+, pay one credit to transfer to a new creditor. On a 6-, there is a problem with your letters of credit, your creditor, or your intermediary.
Goods are defined as a specific commodity: highland cattle, bantam chickens, merino wool, wheat, herring, printed breviaries, writing paper, nutmeg, quicksilver, broadcloth, silk, etc. Such goods are characterized by tags (see below), but more importantly, by places of origin or manufacture, where they are available for purchase, and markets in which they might be sold. As an abstraction in the moves for buying and selling goods, you can think of their sources as places in which the goods are in surplus and particular markets as places where it is in demand. Here, follow the fiction and make the trade routes, markets and merchants of the world make sense.
Tags: +exotic (rare or from far away, always in demand in this part of the world), +livestock (living animals, difficult to transport and feed), +perishable (needs to be sold quickly), +fragile (needs to be carefully handled), +shoddy (poor quality, -1 forward to sell) , +superior (good quality, +1 forward to sell). Size Tags: +portable, +bulky. By default it takes a mule to carry one goods. +portable goods can be carried in a pack, +bulky goods a cart.
Examples: sheep or cattle (+livestock, +bulky); wool or grain (+bulky); parrots (+exotic, +livestock); spices (+portable, +exotic); glassware (+fragile, +superior).
When you sell goods at market, roll +cunning. On a hit, you can sell your goods for an equivalent amount of gold, credit or goods. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7+, the MC chooses 3 and offers you a bargain, or you choose 2. On a 6-, trouble!
* You can take your payment in gold, instead of goods or credit.
* You can sell goods even if they aren’t in demand.
* You don’t make a loss (-1 gold, credit, or goods).
* You make a profit (+1 gold, credit, or goods).
When you purchase goods, spend gold equal to the amount of goods and roll +cunning. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7+, choose 2. On a 6-, you make a bad bargain and gain goods that are short weight, defective, or otherwise problematic.
* You obtain the goods of your choice.
* The goods are +superior, +exotic, or +portable.
* The goods are not +bulky, +perishable, +fragile, +livestock, or +shoddy.
* You can buy goods that are not in surplus.
Debt abstracts money owed to a creditor. Specify who you borrowed money from and how much.
When you borrow money, roll +eloquence. On a 10+, you gain debt equal to gold borrowed. On a 7-9, the MC will ask you to put up something as surety appropriate to the debt.
You may pay off your debt to a creditor at any time by spending gold equal to the debt plus one.
When you are in debt, at the beginning of the session roll +debt. On a 6-, everything is fine. On a 7+, interest comes due, pay one gold by the end of the session or increase debt by one. On a 10+, one of your debts comes due by the end of the session, pay it off in full or forfeit your surety and face other action. On a 15+, all your debts come due at once. Good luck!
Design Question
Design Question
Handler Playbook (sorry for Spamming the channel with my stuff)
I am still thinking about my Idea of the Handler, bascially a dude with a big scary monster that he can kinda control.
I think he doesn’t really need more moves then a way to control his monster and maybe one more. Kind of like a Hardholder or Chopper.
The two problems i have right now are monster creation and monster control.
My first instinct about the creation was to create a few lists that you can choose from, like a Hardholder builds his Hold. Bodyform and a few features. All this choices would also include an instinct/impulse that the monster would follow. To be really scarry i think you need 3 or 4 instincts.
The list right now looks like this
—
Choose a basic kind of body
* Lizard I instinct : to hoard
* Mammal I instinct : to mate
* Mutated mess I instinct: to shatter sanity
* humanoid I instinct : to get away
* insectoid I instinct : to mate
In battle it counts as a 2 harm small gang
Give it two additional abilities
* Fire breath 3 harm close, area, fire I impulse: To destroy
* Immens strengh and claws 3 harm hand, messy I instinct : to show power
* More than animal cunning I instinct : to corrupt
* It’s heavily armored 2 armor I instinct : to rest
* It’s gigantic +1 armor I instinct : to destroy whole buildings
* It has wings/can burrow or has other unique movement modes I instinct : to get away
* It can carnouflage itself I instinct : to scare
* Uses psychic powers to destroy your mind 2 harm ap quiet I instinct :
* Is grows strange diseases ridden fungus on his skin mechanical stuff I instinct : to infest
* It’s extremy sleek and agile I instinct : to get away
* Can carry a ton of stuff I instinct : to rest
–
The list isn’t so cool and not all of the instincts are that memorable.
Some abilities also might be cool but would lead to more or less the same instincts.
Right now you can pick your cool stuff but you have to take the downsides that come with it or you pick your poison and have a beast that is not as cool. I kind of like this. Giving people the ability to choose instincts for themselves would take away some of the animalness of the beast and lead to strange things. Also people could just take the “harmless” instincts but still build a killer monster.
I am also not sure how may abilities you should get. Are there any cool things i am missing or better instincts i could use?
to be continued
Who of you has played with homebrewed Playbooks and how was the experience?
Who of you has played with homebrewed Playbooks and how was the experience?
How do you deal with playbook extentions (or Micro Playbooks) like the Wurm, Devoted or Catalyst?
Do you put them on the table right away or do you have to “explore” some of them through In-Game actions like you would a compendium Class in DW?
So i was thinking about School in Monsterhearts.
So i was thinking about School in Monsterhearts. I allways felt that the actual going to school has very few mechanical stuff or general help in the text.
Then it hit me.
1. There is no moves about writing tests, but there are moves you can use on your teacher. You can manipulate her or turn him on (and then he can be monstrous) or even lash at him with violence. Those are all not good ideas in general but it could work. You can use strings against them in general.
You can maybe gaze into the Abyss during a test (good luck on a miss)
2. School has still so many cool moments you can use. Alone project work is amazing. Okay, maybe one guy can work with his favourite partner but Amy (PC) really wanted to work with Juliet (NPC) but Juliet is working with Claus now (who Amy has a crush on) the only people without partners are
Fathma (keeps to herself, is not cool but knows a lot) Herman (he is fat and smelly but an okay guy maybe) and Joey (violent, lazy, bad-boy-cool) What do you do?
Also class work where the teacher assigns you random partners.
3. A really simple move
When you do someones homework for them, gain a string on them
Maybe another move for
When you give your homework arround for people to copy
School is in Monsterhearts, you just don’t get what you want easily.
It’s weird how Hocus’s are either hard and sharp or hot and cool.
It’s weird how Hocus’s are either hard and sharp or hot and cool.
Would you say it’s worth it to take Merciless and another +1 harm move with a Brainer to get a 3 harm mind Go-Aggro…
Would you say it’s worth it to take Merciless and another +1 harm move with a Brainer to get a 3 harm mind Go-Aggro with Brain-Whisper-Projection?
It’s the closest thing you can get to remote “mind control” i have found.
Let’s say you’ve got a Hardholder who rolls their Wealth move and gets a 10+ and then proceeds to completely avoid…
Let’s say you’ve got a Hardholder who rolls their Wealth move and gets a 10+ and then proceeds to completely avoid getting involved in any conflict for the session. Or maybe a Savvyhead who hides away into their workshop, not building anything but not doing anything either. Or any character really, who might have secured a place to sleep and just stays in their shelter for their session. Are you obligated to force conflict onto them? Would letting them waste the session do nothing (and focus on other PCs) be preferable? How would you handle it?