Hello, everyone,

I'm running my first game of AW and introducing it to some people. One person has played it a bunch of times before, so to keep him interested, I wanted to create a new playbook for him.

My favorite part of AW is the maelstrom and how flexible you can be with what it can do, so I wanted to create a character that is heavily influenced by it. Please tell me what you think!

The Conduit

During the Golden Age, the world was full of content people. The apocalypse did something about that. Now most people are living in their dusty little corners of the torn world, terrified every day that the psychic maelstrom gnawing at the edges of thought will someday take over.

And then there's you. You're more than happy to accommodate the maelstrom.

Playbook Ability: Link
During character creation, pick two powers to have access to below.

The Conduit is more attuned to the world's psychic maelstrom than other people. The maelstrom's link with the Conduit almost makes it seem like a living abomination that wants to contort the world around it into chaos, and the Conduit is the lucky individual that is privy to this unwavering hunger for entropy.

Because of this partnership, the maelstrom will sometimes act to preserve the Conduit when he's in danger.

Whenever the Conduit opens his brain to the maelstrom and the maelstrom implies that it wants a certain thing changed in the world, the Conduit can work to make that change real. If he succeeds, he receives 1 hold with the maelstrom. He can spend his hold, 1 for 1, to:

• become invisible while stationary, but only for maybe a minute
• stun one person in sight for a moment or so
• make one person believe a total lie, at least for a little while
• see what should not be seen
• cause a small amount of telekinetic force that will probably be easy to control

The Conduit can only have a maximum of 3 hold at one time. If the Conduit has 0 hold, he can still trigger one of the above effects he has access to, but he will be reduced to -1 hold. At -1 hold, the Conduit owes the maelstrom, which will make it quite clear what he will have to do to make up for the deficit.

Moves
(x) Harbinger: at the beginning of the session, roll +weird. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Whenever you miss a roll, you can spend your hold, 1 for 1, by:

• causing a nearby NPC to fall unconscious
• causing a nearby NPC to panic
• breaking an object in sight
• drawing attention to something else

All effects are caused by unseen forces and not necessarily attributed to you. On a miss, the MC holds 3 with the same conditions.

( ) Anything can change: when you roll a 6 or 9, you may add 1 to the total and take 1-harm (ap).

( ) Window to chaos: when you make bodily contact with someone and open their brain to the maelstrom, roll +weird. On a 10+, you create the vision they see from the maelstrom. On a 7-9, the MC creates the vision, but you can change one detail. On a miss, treat it as if you both opened your brains to the psychic maelstrom and missed the roll.

( ) Waste note: when someone near you dies and you want to preserve their consciousness in the maelstrom, roll +weird. On a hit, you succeed, and you may consult that person when you successfully open your brain anytime in the future. On a 10+, you take +1 forward when acting on their advice. On a miss, remnants of that person's consciousness and dying emotions linger where they died.

( ) Purpose displaced: while you are acting on behalf of the maelstrom, you get +1armor.

( ) Ungrounded: you get +1weird (weird+3).

Conduit Special
When you and another person have sex, treat it as if you used Window to chaos and rolled a 10+.

Creating a Conduit
Name
Think of your own name.

Stats
Choose one set:

• Cool+1 Hard=0 Hot+1 Sharp-1 Weird+2
• Cool-1 Hard=0 Hot+2 Sharp=0 Weird+2
• Cool-1 Hard+2 Hot+1 Sharp-1 Weird+2
• Cool+1 Hard+1 Hot-1 Sharp=0 Weird+2

HX
On your turn, choose 1, 2, or 3.

• Choose the character that you think the maelstrom finds most acceptable. Tell that player Hx+2.
• One of them refused to take your advice at a crucial moment. Tell that player Hx-1.
• Choose the one you think is the most open-minded. Tell that player Hx+1.

Tell everyone else Hx-1. You're a bit unusual.

On the others' turns:

• Oh yes, the maelstrom must have that one. Whatever number they tell you, ignore it and write Hx+3.
• Everyone else, write whatever number they tell you next to their character's name.

Advancement

• get +1cool (max cool+2)
• get +1hard (max hard+2)
• get +1hot (max hot+2)
• get a new Link power
• get a new Link power
• get Followers (detail) and Fortunes
• get a new Conduit move
• get a new Conduit move
• get a move from another playbook
• get a move from another playbook

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