Got be a player in a Monsterhearts game today and it was so much fun.
Got be a player in a Monsterhearts game today and it was so much fun. I’m playing a constructed Ghoul who hungers for chaos and fear. In my mind he’s like the original Frankenstein’s Monster, intelligent and calculating. It was a 5 hour session and damn it was fun. So many rich story hooks born out of this first session, I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Love Letter for my game tomorrow.
Love Letter for my game tomorrow. I’m working on making it a one-shot that’s con-friendly and whatnot. I’ll put the whole thing up, notes and AP and all, next week. It’s for three to four players, who have just entered a town at the end of a long journey, one they’ve made for different reasons. Below is one love letter for one player, with multiple playbook options. They’re all like that.
The Hope
What’s up?
Just to end the suspense, yes, they’re still after you. You’re running out of options. Here are the ones you’ve got left:
The Touchstone – So slavers, huh? It’s always goddamned slavers, or mutants, or cannibals or some fucking thing. And you said something, or did something, you always do. It’s just not right, it never is and you know, know, know, that stepping in isn’t going to make the goddamned slightest bit of fucking difference, but there you go. So first, tell me what happened between you and the slavers and why they’re after you. Then fill out your sheet like normal. And then finally, talk to me about the move below.
The Solace – The Work of the shepherd is long work, and lonely. There’s no time for sleep and only the room you can carve out for yourself and your flock. You make your stand and you say, not here, not these. But there are so many hours and only one of you. First, tell me about the wolves, the ones closing in and tell me how they stole your friends, your family away from you. Second, make your character just like normal. And third, talk to me about the move below.
The Hocus – IT tells us, and we speak. IT moves us, and we follow. IT takes from us, and we thank. First, tell me why the Maelstrom, whatever the fuck that is, took your followers, whole and entire, and replaced them with the ravening horde that shares their faces. Second, make your character just like normal, followers and all. Then tell me about this branch of your faith, the one waiting to receive you in the unlikeliest of places, here at the End of the Line. And finally, talk to me about the move below.
The Lamb –
So you picked up a straggler, of course you did. Give me a roll+hot.
On a ten, pick two. On a 7-9, pick one.
– they’re able to walk.
– they’re able to defend themselves.
– you don’t love them.
Thanks, and thanks for playing. It’s great to have you.
Chris, your MC
Sent the AW core NPC name list through Sean Puckett’s word mint.
Sent the AW core NPC name list through Sean Puckett’s word mint.
PELLION PUTRIM WHIN PARK
WINCY HARK FIANELL WISSED
JAKABACK PUTRIN THRIN PRID
MERROME PELLS PARROW FLEEN
PRING BARID GROW KRING
MISE THRID SHACKA CHAZZA
CLARRA PARKER MISAGE ROTHSCHER
EXITE GNAETT PARRE THRIDGE
DUSTWICE CLARK JENARK MILDA
FOSTWICE PEPPERRE RICARROW CHITTUM
ABONS DOGHET PIERCHER BILLION
DOGHER DUSTER DREEN PRIDAN
CRIDAN DUSE GNARK MERROW
MERCHIN CORVELL FUSTER HARROME
CHACE BRACKA CRIN CHILLY
KETTE FUSTWICE KRIDGE RICARRE
NORBETT PRINKLE PRINE BRACK
RICARK ABONK WISAGE MILLET
PELL ROARCHER PARTRIN BARK
PRIDGE PRIN FLET GNARCHER
DREECE SHAN SHACE MATILD
PIERID CHACKA ENOUGO MONDO
PUTRING CHILL MICARK BILDA
BILLY MILLY MILLEEN PEPPERRA
MERID PELLY MILLS FUSTWICH
I’ve played enough games of AW that it takes too long to process each session what names are associate with what NPCs. But didn’t want to abandon the name list entirely.
Someone, take this and use it for a playbook!
Someone, take this and use it for a playbook!
Barter.
Help me with an overly-optimistic Hardholder!
Help me with an overly-optimistic Hardholder!
Vincent Baker made an interesting post not too long ago about what kind of player chooses to be a hardholder (http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=5823“>link).
Well, sure enough, I now have one of those types. A serious and tough, but civilized and optimistic hardholder. He collects books about governance and laws, reads John Locke, and has taught himself how to play chess, but also isn’t afraid to shoot someone in the head if they try to do something he considers a problem in his society.
He looks with great interest at the “erase an option from your holding” improvement. He wants to improve the life of his people. His plan is to organize an outing to explore nearby lands and find other holds to trade with. Sure enough, he chose for his gang to be “well-disciplined”.
Enough said, right? You get it. He wants power so he can make everything better for everyone, build an efficient society under his rule.
Of course, I throw some bad news at him: he can’t have everything under control, there’s bad stuff going on. Of course, this frustrates him as a character (who wants to have everything under control). But it also frustrates him a bit as a player: looking at how the dice and the system works, he asks me, “How can this ever get better? It seems like we’ll just be spinning our wheels round and round.”
He learns in this session that there are rumours going around the holding that “he will be replaced soon by a new hardholder”. He wants to know if this is “kosher”, asking me if, as MC, I’m allowed to put something like that into play even though he didn’t roll a miss on his Wealth roll. “Is my rule contested now? It sounds like it’s going to be. Can you do that without me missing this roll?”
I can tell he wants to settle things “at home” so he can set out to conquer new lands, explore new territory, and trade with other holdings.
[A partially-related question: how do you use the Wealth move when the hardholder is traveling outside the holding? Roll it each session, anyway? Never roll it? Roll it in secret, and tell the hardholder the outcome when he comes home? Roll it each time the hardholder comes back home?]
Now, just to make it clear:
This is not an “asking for help in desperation” kind of post. I’m having fun, the hardholder is having fun. If we stop having fun, that’s something to deal with at the social level.
But I’d love to hear if you have any clever thoughts on how I might handle this hardholder (and this player) as the MC of the game. I don’t particularly feel that I can stick to the principles (especially “make apocalypse world seem real”, and the fronts I have written up, never mind the Wealth move) and, at the same time, ignore or sweep the problems in the hardhold under the rug. But I also want to be a fan of the player character, and give him a chance to spread his wings and do some exploring, if that’s what he was hoping for with this game.
Suggest tips, tricks, moves, and/or fronts! I look forward to your thoughts.
How would you handle this, for maximum fun? How would you take advantage of this dynamic?
First draft of Russian Apoclaypse World cover.
First draft of Russian Apoclaypse World cover.
Anyone looking for a player for a G+ Hangout game of either Apocalypse World or Monsterhearts?
Anyone looking for a player for a G+ Hangout game of either Apocalypse World or Monsterhearts? My local crew have been really busy and I haven’t gotten the chance to do much gaming lately.
I’m in the eastern time zone.
I don’t think I really understand the Solace playbook. Any thoughts?
I don’t think I really understand the Solace playbook. Any thoughts?
Special Moves: Sometimes the characters have sex with an NPC, but their special move only seems to give any effect…
Special Moves: Sometimes the characters have sex with an NPC, but their special move only seems to give any effect if the other participant is a PC…
Does anyone (other than me) sometimes wish the special moves kicked in when a PC has sex with an NPC also? Has anyone made any modifications to the special moves to facilitate this? What would be the effect?
