Category: Urban Shadows RPG: Discussion

I feel like I’m doing Start of Session moves incorrectly.

I feel like I’m doing Start of Session moves incorrectly.

I feel like I’m doing Start of Session moves incorrectly.

We just played session 8 last week. The first few times it was great because it gave us lots of new characters, interesting threads to pull on, and gave everyone some space to inform the other players what interested them about the world and the system.

Later, it got frustrating because everyone felt they had to bring in NEW people and NEW threads. When we agreed that we shouldn’t expand, but should try and contract (focus on existing characters and threats) things got a little better — until we got to weird territory where, in the middle of the arc, it’s suddenly, “OH YEAH, that enemy owes me a debt!” It felt like a clumsy kind of retcon.

We’re at cross-purposes with the move as we understand it: don’t expand, but try not to make unlikely debts in the middle of the game.

Our resolution, until the current set of threats have lightened up a bit, is to not do SoS… but I still want my players to mark Faction for advancement.

Any advice?

I don’t have the rule book, but I will likely be a player in a pbf for Urban Shadows soon and looking over the…

I don’t have the rule book, but I will likely be a player in a pbf for Urban Shadows soon and looking over the…

I don’t have the rule book, but I will likely be a player in a pbf for Urban Shadows soon and looking over the playbooks I did not see much detail for creating the specific mythology around the various archetypes and supernatural creatures. Granted this is to give a lot of leeway and creativity, but under the Vamp it indicates that they need to feed – how often does this need to be? Is it usually lethal (it seemed to imply that in the playbook)? 

Are there any rules or suggestions on how a vamp or a wolf (or any of the other archetypes) create more of their kind?

This is in regards to Hunter custom weapons tag.

This is in regards to Hunter custom weapons tag.

This is in regards to Hunter custom weapons tag.  The reputation tag (hand weapons), what exactly does it do?  (I mean, other than make it recognizable to others) does said reputation give it special powers?  I mean, fictionally I can make a weapon that has a reputation, but why take the reputation tag over the other ones?  I’ll give you some context for why I ask,

I’m making a hunter who has a weapon that is a petrified wooden stake that is supposedly made from the wood of the cross Jesus was crucified on, it’s named Eustice  I was thinking for the tags Enchantment (+anchored), Blessed (+plus blessed), and because I took the well stocked hunter move i’m thinking of adding fame (+reputation) having a reputation for slaying evil (vampires and demons) since..ya know…petrified wood from the cross… Thanks in advance for feedback and Idea’s! 

The Wizard’s intimacy move!

The Wizard’s intimacy move!

The Wizard’s intimacy move! I’m hoping you guys will help me unpack it a little bit, I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around it.

Let me set the stage a bit.  Our Fae, from the Court of Bacchanalian, has a stalker- some guy who’s got the wrong idea and giving her all kinds of unwelcome attention and gifts and what not.  

During the course of the game, Urban Shadowy things happened, my Wizard got attacked by a vampire, like you do, and took a wound.

In another scene The Fae used Nature’s Caress to heal the Wizard’s harm, and no simple touch would do! The Fae chose to deliver the caress with a kiss, which we decided triggered our intimacy moves.

In this moment, the Wizard discovered that he did care about the Fae! and so, from now until the Fae gets some intimacy somewhere else, they have -1 ongoing to Escape. 

Enter our stalker a few scenes later.  If the situation gets out of hand, and the Fae wants to take advantage of an opening and bug out… they are going to have a harder time then they would otherwise.

What does that look like in the fiction? What is it about being intimate with a Wizard that makes it harder to get out of trouble?

From the Wizard’s point of view I can maybe see it pushing the trope that the Wizard would be better off alone and not caring about anybody! Everyone he cares about ends up in trouble they can’t get out of.  On the other hand, I’m having a little trouble imagining the mechanism that causes this? What has it looked like in your games? 

We just had our first game session last Saturday.

We just had our first game session last Saturday.

We just had our first game session last Saturday. It was my first time GMing a AWE game and the group’s first contact with the system as well (most of them never even heard of it at all). They all liked US, the Debt system and all the intrigue and inter-faction play, but almost all of them hated the character sheets (the archetype playbooks + the basic moves sheet). I just printed them to two pages, front and back. Did I do it right? Or should I have them printed or folded somehow different? How do you handle that in your games?

Does this book have everything I need to play or do I have to have the apocalypse world book as well?

Does this book have everything I need to play or do I have to have the apocalypse world book as well?

Does this book have everything I need to play or do I have to have the apocalypse world book as well?

I’m seriously thinking this might have to be my next purchase.

I’m seriously thinking this might have to be my next purchase.

I’m seriously thinking this might have to be my next purchase. Can I basically replicate world of darkness but with the awesome apocalypse engine? If so this might be perfect for me.