I was browsing through the hacks forums, when I came across this one. I'm very excited about this! I have been waiting for such a game for quite a long time.

I attempted to write for myself a game set in a Shtetl a couple of years ago, but I abandoned this project since I couldn't possibly see how to get the players into the Shtetl mindset. Namely, my problem was one of sources. I will try to elaborate:

There is no lack of stories written about the Shtetl, both by Yiddishists and Hebraists (and to a much lesser extent, in Russian and German language texts). However, all the ones I read were for the most part written by and for the sheyne loyte, the educated, urban middle class. The portrayal of the Shtetl in these works is satricial, and the protagonists presented there are for the most part laughable and unheroic (in the sense that things happen to them instead of them doing things). When semi-serious characters are presented, they don't "do" as much as they "reflect".

What I found, then, was a lack of materials to form interesting player characters. I was wondering if you came across the same problem, and what sources will you be using.

Ok, so the PCs in my current campaign kicked some ass, and ended up with a holding that they decided the PC Chopper should run.
I've statted the holding, but since it was given to him through the fiction and not through advances, the Chopper doesn't have the wealth move to go along with it. What do I do? Do I let him have it for free? Treat the town as though he automatically failed/7-9'd his wealth roll? Make up crises that rise from his ineptitude?

I decided to try my hand at crafting a new playbook. I really want to play this guy, which probably means I'm somewhere in the right direction. I still need help with the LOOK, and with phrasing in general. Maybe the Hx should be changed to make the Wildcard more friendly with the other PCs. If anyone can think of potential problems or improvements, I'd appreciate that too.

Mechanically, the Wildcard can get a roll modifier of between +2 and -2. Combined with stat and help/interfere modifiers, this can mean modifiers of +5 (unfailable) or -6 (unwinnable). Are such modifiers acceptable, or should I try to replace them with something else?

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There is no status quo in Apocalypse World, and there's sure as fuck no certainty. Will you find something to eat for lunch? Will you find a place to sleep tonight? Will your friends and loved ones still be alive when you wake up? Nobody knows. Might as well take a wild guess.

Lucky Charm
Your lucky charm gives you random insight when making difficult or fateful decisions. It is (choose one):
* A coin (worn, shiny, antique, novelty, odd)
* A deck of cards (standard, ornate, tarot, naughty)
* A pair of dice (shiny, heavy, big & fuzzy)

Maybe it has a name like Sally or Truman. You need to have an actual representation of it at the table, readily recognizable and available exclusively for your use.

When you are on a roll, everything goes your way. People come to you with beneficial offers, take shit from you and still leave happy and with empty pockets. Any events that hang on pure chance resolve to your benefit. When relying on a combination of chance and skill, you take +1 ongoing. Good things come your way, and bad things stay away, mostly.

When you are down and out, nothing goes your way. People come to you with problems, and heap them on your shoulders. Anything that can go wrong, does. When relying on any combination of chance and skill, you take -1 ongoing. As long as you are without your lucky charm, you are always down and out.

You are either on a roll or down and out, never in between.

Flipping for it means narrowing your options in a difficult or fateful decision down to two choices, and choosing one at random, at a near 50-50 chance. This could be face or tail, black or red, high (8-12) or low (2-6), or any other way you can quickly think of and explain. Make it simple and consistent, please.
Before flipping for it, declare the stakes at hand:
"Red I take the job, Black you go find someone else".
"Face I kill you, Tail I let you live".
"Better hope I roll high, boyo, or I'm not going to believe that silly story of yours".

After flipping for it, you're free to do whatever. If you follow through on your lucky charm's advice, you take +1 forward and are on a roll. If you defy it, you take -1 forward and you are down and out.


CREATING A WILDCARD
To create your Wildcard, choose name, look, stats, moves, gear, and Hx. Choose in any order you like.

NAME
King, Queen, Dame, Jack, Knave, Ace, Dagger, Cups, Snake Eyes, Boxcar, Loaded, Crimp, Baccarat, Holdout, Martingale, Poker, En Prison, La Partage, Sweepstakes, Hold'em, Crazy Eight

Bellagio, Mirage, Palace, Circus, Caesar, Royale, Riviera, Palazzio, Desert, Rancho, Vegas, Reno

LOOK
Man, woman, ambigious or transgressing

Luxe wear, elegant wear, vintage wear or scrounge wear

Emm.. gambly face. Or something (needs more!)

Twitchy eyes, crazy eyes, squinting eyes, hungry eyes (needs more!)

Stocky body, stout body, lean body, gorgeous body (something else?)

STATS
* Cool+2 Hard-1 Hot=0 Sharp+2 Weird=0
* Cool+1 Hard=0 Hot+1 Sharp+2 Weird-1
* Cool-1 Hard+1 Hot=0 Sharp+2 Weird+1
* Cool=0 Hard-1 Hot+2 Sharp+2 Weird=0

MOVES
You get all the basic moves. You get Lady Luck, and then choose a second wildcard move.

GEAR
You get:
* Your lucky charm (detail)
* 1 small, practical weapon.
* Oddments or debt worth 4 barter (flip for it).
* Fashion suitable to your look.

HX
Everyone introduces their characters by name, look and outlook. Take your turn. List the other characters’ names.

Go around again for Hx. On your turn, choose 1, 2 or all 3:
* One of them frequents your favorite gambling spot. Tell that player Hx+3.
* One of them you owe something that you can't possibly repay. Tell that player Hx+2.
* One of them tried to get you to change your ways. Tell that player Hx-2.
Tell everyone else Hx=0.

On the others’ turns, choose 1 or both:
* One of them owes you something. Whatever number they tell you, instead write +1.
* One of them you got to have. Whatever number they tell you, instead write +2.

Everyone else, write whatever number they tell you next to their character's name.

Wildcard special:
When you and another character have sex and you're on a roll, they take +1 forward, and they get 3-hold which they can spend 1 for 1 to make you flip for it.
When you and another character have sex and you're down and out, they take -1 ongoing until you're on a roll again.

IMPROVEMENT:
__ get +1 cool (max +2)
__ get +1 hard (max +2)
__ get +1 hot (max +2)
__ get +1 weird (max +2)
__ get a new wildcard move
__ get a new wildcard move
__ get followers (detail) and fortunes
__ get a holding (detail) and wealth
__ get a move from another playbook
__ get a move from another playbook


WILDCARD MOVES:
(X) Lady Luck: At the beginning of the session, roll+Sharp. On 10+, you're on a roll. You've got 2, maybe 3 barter worth of newly-acquired valuables (detail with MC), and the MC holds 3. On 7-9, you can either choose to take the 10+ result, but your family, your friends, your work or your dreams suffer; or you can take the 6- result. Either way, MC holds 1. On a miss, you're down and out. Your oddments and gear put together are worth no more than 2, maybe 3 barter (the rest is probably pawned pawned at Sharpie's). You also have a crushing debt, an unwanted job or an unsavory obligation.
During the session, the MC may use her hold 1 for 1 to make you flip for it.

( ) Good for it: When you give someone a promise or an IOU worth 1-barter, it counts as manipulating them and rolling 10+.

( ) Cheating Death: When you take a debilitating or lethal blow, you may flip for it to avoid harm.

( ) Loaded Dice: Once per session, you may defy the will of your lucky charm with no adverse effects. This does not work in conjunction with Cheating Death.

( ) Ace up the Sleeve: When you try to hide something important or valuable, roll+Sharp. On 10+, all three. On 7-9, choose two:
* It will remain unchaned and unharmed.
* Nobody else knows where it is hidden.
* You can get it back with little trouble.

( ) Changing Fortunes: When you are down and out, you may publically reveal a secret or secretly betray a friend to be on a roll again.

( ) Poker Face: If you can see their face, you get +1 when rolling to read a person. When another player tries to read you and you interfere, it automatically counts as you rolling 10+.


BARTER
Barter comes and goes: either you have it now, or you'll have it later, so no worries. 1-barter is what you might expect to gain from a successful night of low-stakes gambling, a week of working a system or a scam, or a month of honest work as a croupier or a pit boss.

Hi all,

I'm running a series of short games as part of a larger event. The event is Greek mythology themed, somewhat inspired by Agon. The PCs are all heroes, out to gain glory and honour for themselves and their patron gods, preferably at the expense of other heroes and other gods. Players get a character sheet with some fluff, and play 2-3 short games with different GMs.

Since there are no consistent mechanics, most GMs use some sort of simple task resolution mechanic. I did, too, last time I GMed in a similar event. Since then, I came to know and love AW, and I think I can squeeze more fun out of a 90 minute game if I implement basic moves. There are no stats, and I'm not going to assign any.

I also want as few moves as possible. I condensed the basic AW moves into five moves. The problem is that I'm not sure I'll get to give it a test before the event.
So, please ignore the phrasing, and assume the language is easily understood. How do you think it will affect the game? Can I use even fewer basic moves (like removing going into battle)? Should I?

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Roll the dice when you assist or hinder another hero. On 6+, they get +1 or -2, your choice. On 6-8, you expose yourself to danger, shame or cost.

Roll the dice when you try to manipulate with brute force or smooth tongue. On 9+, your will is Law even among the gods. Your opponent must either fulfil your wishes, defy the gods or receive a blow that will immediately kill any non-heroic mortal. On 6-8, your word is Law among mortals. Your opponent must fulfil your wishes, offer you a bargain or flee and cower before your might.

Roll the dice when you act in spite of danger. On 9+, the Moirae are pleased with your heroics. On 6-8, the Moirae will offer you a bargain - you can either take it and succeed, or refuse it and fail.

Roll the dice when you gauge someone or something. On 6-8, ask one question. On 9+, ask three. When acting on an answer, add +1 to your roll.
-Is it false or truthful?
-What is its true nature?
-What about it deserves my full attention?
-What controls it? Who is it loyal to?
-What will happen to/with it if I do nothing?
-How can I get glory out of it?
-What about it might bring shame to another hero?
-What is the best way to approach it / get past it / get away from it?

Roll the dice when you go into battle. On 9+, Ares grants you might and fortitude, choose 4. On 6-8, you must rely on your heroism alone, choose 2.
-You get something important (object, person, position, information).
-Nothing important to you is harmed or damaged.
-You keep your opponents at bay.
-You strike fear into the hearts of your opponents.
-You fight courageously, bringing glory to you and your patron god.
-Your comrades fight in a manner that brings them shame or ridicule.

If any of my players is reading this, please go read something else instead.


Ok, so in my game clean water is a big issue, and the entire economy of the nomads and rovers is based on water-purification tablets: 1-barter is the going rate for a large handful.

One of my threats is a crooked warlord who attempts to make some easy money by inserting fake tablets into the circulation. He does this through a local goods broker who is on friendly terms with the PCs, so I gave him the following custom move:

When you trade for tablets with Petrarch, roll +sharp. On a 10+, the pay is kosher. On a 7-9, your pay includes a couple of fake tablets, but most of it is fine.

When do I reveal the move to the player? I guess my prep demands that when they trade some goods for tablets I'll say something like "you probably don't know it yet, but some fake tablets have entered the circulation". But should I present them with the move at the beginning of the session, the first time they trade with Petrarch or only after they concluded their trade with Petrarch? Or maybe the custom move is phrased wrong, and there's a better way to do it?

Hi all,

It looks like I managed to sell my regular group on AW. The only problem is that we've grown accustomed to switching GMs every session, letting everyone have their turn at fleshing out the NPCs, threads and hooks left by the previous GM.

Can this work in AW as well? has anyone tried it?

On a semi-related note, can AW create more episodic campaign, with PCs moving from place to place each session and threats taking a more general nature?