Myself, OW, and DS gave AW:DA our first playtest recently.

We were a little confused at the very beginning by the instruction "create a holding," as we weren't sure if this meant a stronghold or something else. Seeing that the stronghold sheet has its own creation mechanics, we eventually settled on creating one and went from there.

What does the stronghold defend?

• A troubled and contentious border.

Who are its enemies?

• Fractious and rebellious free landowners
• hostile clans, never conquered
• The remnants of the former crown's rule

We decide to combine the last two options, deciding that the enemies beyond the river border were the scattered remains of a once great kingdom, shattered by our people ages ago. (We were aiming for ourselves being similar to the Huns for a historical example). Inside our border there were also fractious and rebellious free landowners, but this didn't come to fruition in the session.

What are its fortifications?

• Archers' overlooks
• A hilltop position
• A stone outer wall
• Watch- and signal towers

We decide that the stronghold lay on a hill that was cut through by the river that made up the border. On the river/cliff side, there were various archers' overlooks used to police river traffic and ward off enemies approaching from beyond the border. Watch- and signal towers punctuated the stone wall protecting the stronghold.

What does its armory include?

• Spears
• Hide coats and leather helmets
• Crossbows and a supply of quarrels
• Horses, lances, kite shields

We decide that were preferred to fight by range and reach, and naturally selected spears and crossbows as such. We also have mounted cavalry for when the river has been crossed by our enemies.

Next was the creation of our people.

People
Defined by

• Our descendance from an ancient hero, bound to uphold the borderland.

Again, the huns were somewhat of an inspiration here. We liked that the descendance of this hero (who we didn't flesh out at all) united and brought ruin to the kingdom beyond the river, and that our people swore to uphold the border against any of the tattered remnants of those people.

Numbers
We spent some time looking at the different options here, and were surprised at how small most of them were. After some discussion, we decided to go with something between a clan and a warrior order, hosting 35 souls, 10 households, and 16 warriors

Look Like

• Olive/Bronze skin
• Mixed body types

There was some debate on the body type between short/stocky and tall/willowy. We decided to settle on "mixed" and moved on.

Names and Language
We eventually settled on a Greek origin, specifically calling ourselfs the Cretans.

Stats
+2 war was a no-brainer, followed by 0 wealth and -1 rites

Known For

• Their devotion to law
• Their archers
• Their loyalty to one another
• Their strategy and tactics
• Their towering monuments
• Their craft and skill

We liked the idea that we maintained a law of the border, which seemed appropriate with such a duty centered mentality. Loyalty to one another came next given the tight knit nature of the community. Archers had already been established earlier as a large facet, so we went with that.

We were somewhat confused with the wealth options, as they seemed out of scale with most of the stronghold sizes. We settled on towering monuments, referring to our large stone watchtowers, and our craft and skill, deciding that we make our own weapons and are known for our quality with them. OW mentioned that some of the options from the "known for" lists were a little generic, suggesting options like "stealthy and ambush-y" (my wording, not his) as a war option, and "endless endurance and toughness" as an alternative option to "physical prowess". There was also some confusion on what exactly a "rich land" was.

Seeing how small our stronghold was (OW noted it wasn't really a self-sustaining outpost), we created two additional peoples.

1. The Tavie
A river people who had built up a community, outside of the stronghold wall.

Defined by

• Their cultural life of living on the river

Look Like

• Small, wirey, milky white to peach pink skin, red hair, freckles

Known For

• elaborate cosmology
• vigilance against monsters
• priests and witch doctors
• scouts and stealth
• abundance of food

Language and Names

• Celtic (The Tavie)

Numbers
Souls: 50
Households: 6
Warriors: 8

Stats
Rites 2
War -1
Wealthy 0

We wanted a more spiritual people to counter the militaristic Cretans. We created some of our own "known for" options based off of those present.


2. The Slaves
Slaves of the Cretans

Defined by
Their having broken our laws

Look Like
Mostly the cretans, some Tavie

Known For

• Their patience in suffering
• Their insularity
• Their insatiability for war
• Their craft and skill
• Their superb metalwork

We originally thought that the slaves might have been from the enemy border, but since there was such a deep seeded hatred that had been established, and that "our devotion to law" was something we were known for, we decided that slavers were predominantly those who had broken our laws. When looking at "known for" options, we chose "their insatiability for war," and came up with the notion that those who had been reckless in battle, pillaging and raping when only defense was needed, were arrested and turned into slaves for the stronghold. Again, the wealth options seemed to clash with the scale of the populations in question. We opted for "superb metalwork," noting that the slaves spent much of their time crafting weapons, and hence became quite skilled at the process.

Numbers
Souls: 20
Households: 4
Warriors: 5 (potential)

Stats
Rites 1
War 0
Wealth 1

So, Plausiblefabulist threw down with this great quote in regards to the maelstrom in AW

From my point of view -- also as an author of fiction -- the way the world's psychic maelstrom works in AW begins to repair the decades of ruination that fantasy RPGs since D&D have wreaked on fantasy.

The psychic malestrom is numinous. It is deeply unpredictable. You encounter it at terrible risk; it can change everything, make anything possible, and you have no idea, in advance, how, or what the cost and consequences will be.

In other words, it acts like magic used to act in literature -- how magic acts in Middle-Earth, in Earthsea, in Prydain -- and as the miraculous acts in, for that matter, the Hebrew Bible --  and not how magic and the divine function in fantasy ever since D&D turned them into vending machines that produce precisely predictable effects given precisely predictable inputs.

Harry Potter casts third level spells from page 126 of the Player's Handbook. Ged opened his brain to the world's psychic maelstrom.

That got me thinking about color-first gaming and the specificity of moves like this. Most of AW is very color-specific - it is designed to evoke specific images of apocalypse-ness. The maelstrom is the same, but mechanically it's very open ended. Even augury is very open.

I'm working on a hack right now that involves witchcraft, and I was originally designing the magic to have specific moves (like a spell list) in a desire to evoke a very flavor. I'm sure it really comes down to preference and design intent, but I was wondering what people's thoughts were on possible advantages and/or drawbacks to having something like "magic" being more or less structured.

Hi all,

So I'm making another run at a custom playbook. The idea with the Load-Bearer is kind of the "down in the dirt hero who can't stop taking on other people's burdens." My initial concern is that the moves are a little too straightforward and not "apocalypse-y" enough yet. I'm also curious if this concept sounds like something that would be interesting to play. Anyways, I wanted to put it before ya'll for public scrutiny and peer review. Please toss me your feedback!

---

[/b]

Introduction

There were once these things called productive industry and division of labor and civil rights. Now those things lie in crippled husks among the other dead memories of the golden age. Now we work to just keep ourselves alive. Now we live off our own blood and sweat, our broken backs and calloused feed and gnarled hands and tired hearts. We toil beneath the hot sun and the angry eyes of the maelstrom, always fighting an uphill battle for our lives, our hopes, and our dreams.

Some of us just aren’t cut out for this type of life. But some of us are strong enough to carry others through it.


Stats

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


Moves
(choose 3 or 2 - not sure yet)

No-nonsense: When you read a person, roll+cool instead of roll+sharp.

Atlas: When you take on completely someone’s burdens or cause, mark experience and take +1ongoing with that person until you betray their trust.

Protector: When you fight to defend someone, or drive off an attack against them, you get +1ongoing for the duration of the fight.

Of the people: When you are in a community that you have sweat, fought, and bled for, you get hold 2. Spend your hold 1-for-1 to receive a gift from the people as though they were a Hardholder granting a gift (your MC will decide exactly which options are appropriate given the community). Any time you take on a significant risk or task for the people, add 1 hold.

Take a bullet: As long as you are within hand reach of someone, you can choose to take harm they would have instead taken from an incoming attack.

Unbreakable: Ignore the effect of your first debility, as it is taken or ongoing from this point forward. You still are whatever debility was chosen (shattered, crippled, disfigured, or broken), it just doesn’t keep you from doing what needs to be done anymore.

Special

If you and another character have sex, you may use Atlas even if you don’t have the move.


Your Labor
You are a major cog in your community. Choose 1 or 2 labor jobs that you are involved in:
? Pit Mining (construction/deterioration)
? Smelting (tools/waste)
? Dirt Farming (food/hunger)
? Holding repair (protection/vulnerability)
? Junk Collector (wealth/without needed items)
?
?

When the Hardholder rolls for wealth, roll+cool. On a 10+, add your surplus to the community, regardless of the wealth roll’s result. On a 7-9, you don’t modify the results either way. On a miss, add your labor's want to the community, regardless of the Hardholder’s result.

If no one is playing the Hardholder, use this roll when a weath roll would normally be called for.

I'm a little confused on some of the character service costs. In the book it says that 1-barter will get you:

"an act of murder, extortion, threat or violence executed by a
battlebabe, chopper or gunlugger."

But will also get you

"a week’s employment of a battlebabe or gunlugger as bodyguard,
gang leader, or thug-on-hand."

Assuming that employment or bodyguarding will likely involve violence, threats, and murder, how does this resolve? If I hire a chopper for a week, and he kills someone while protecting me, does he get to charge me an additional barter for each person he kills? Or each act of violence he commits?

Similar things come up with the savvyhead and the angel. If I pay for an Angel to be on call for a month, do I also have to pay for each successful resuscitation that she does within that time frame?

To me, the former option seems like a one time charge, unless I ask for a specific person to be killed or a specific show of force beyond watching my back. The latter option seems multiple charges, in that yes, you pay me to be on call, but you also pay me for the work I do (or at least cover the material expenses).

Thoughts?

Hi all,

I've put together the following character in an attempt to portray a strong but emotional survivor character. Let me know what you think!

--- --- ---
Introducing
The Survivor

A quiet life was never an option. The apocalypse ripped the world apart, and left us with the burnt out husks of the hopes and dreams of the golden age. Now, we struggle: to eat, to hope, to survive. But despite the hardship, the danger, the fear, we somehow find a way to keep ourselves going.

--- --- ---

Creating a Survivor

Name:
Hope, Cave, Maglight, Destiny, Splint, Mountain, Croft, Choice, Wood, Woven, Husk, or Sky

Stats:
Choose 1 set
Cool +2 Hard +1 Hot +0 Sharp +1 Weird -1
Cool +2 Hard +0 Hot +1 Sharp +1 Weird -1
Cool +2 Hard -1 Hot -1 Sharp +2, Weird +0
Cool +2 Hard +1 Hot +0 Sharp -1 Weird +1

Moves:
You get all the basic moves. Choose 2 survivor moves.

Look:
Man, woman, concealed, or ambiguous.

Utility wear, outdoor wear, scrounge wear, tattered wear, or common folk wear.

Weathered face, honest face, kind face, stern face, strong face, scarred face, or striking face.

Distant eyes, fierce eyes, darting eyes, squinting eyes, tired eyes, loving eyes, or tender eyes.

Dirty body, worn body, thin body, firm body, strong body, scarred body, or tall body.

Gear:
You get
•   1 trusted weapon
•   oddments worth 2-barter
•   fashion suitable to your look, including at your option a piece worth 1-armor (you detail)

Trusted Weapon:
•   A climbing axe (2-harm hand hi-tech)
•   9mm (2-harm close loud)
•   machete (3-harm hand messy)
•   crowbar (2-harm hand messy)
•   hunting rifle (2-harm far loud)

Hx
On your turn, tell everyone else to write Hx-1 with you. You’re hard to get close to.

On the other character’s turns, choose both, one, or none.
•   One of them was once there for you when all seemed lost. Give yourself Hx+2 with that person.
•   One of them works for your adversaries, either as a hired hand or a true believer to their cause. Give yourself Hx+1 with that person.
For everyone else, whatever number they tell you, write it next to their character’s name.

Advancements
__ Hard +1
__ Hard +1
__ Hot +1
__ Hot +1
__ Sharp +1
__ Get a new survivor move
__ Get a new survivor move
__ Get an angel kit (cf) with a capacity of 2
__ Get a move from another playbook
__ Get a move from another playbook

--- --- ---

Journey
You life has always been a series of trials and struggles, driven forward by a larger purpose. This may be a life you choose, or one that has chosen you, but for better or worse, it is a part of who you are. Choose 1 purpose around which your life revolves, and detail:
•   Protection of someone vulnerable
•   Protection of a community
•   Seeking of secrets or relics
•   Hunting of a person or group
•   Serving a lord or master

Adversaries
There are others who wish to interfere with your journey. Choose 2 or 3 for your opposition and detail:
•   They are widespread – numbering in the hundreds in total
•   They are vicious – willing to harm those close to you without pause
•   They are mad – tied to and driven by the world’s psychic maelstrom
•   They are trusted – many will view you as the wrongdoer
•   They are feared – few will aid you against them

If at any point your journey ends – is lost, won, burnt out, or collapsed – pick a new journey or change your character type (providing the advancement is available to you).

--- --- ---

Survivor Moves (Choose 2):

Inner strength: When your survival or the survival of someone imperative to your purpose is at stake, you get +1 to your roll. Note that this move only works when a failure means life or death, not for injuries or other consequences that might lead up to such a situation.

Unwavering: Ignore the effects of your first debility, when it is taken or henceforth for one already chosen.

There’s always a way: When you must enter or exit a place to fulfill or continue on your journey, roll+sharp. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 3. On a miss, choose 3, and take -1forward.
•   The way is harmful – take 1harm (ap)
•   The way is treacherous – you are acting under fire
•   The way is loud – whomever blocks your path will know of your movement
•   The way is costly – you must spend 1 barter to bribe or negotiate your path

Will to live: As long as you are not actively bound or otherwise unable to tend to yourself, wounds at 10:00 or 11:00 automatically stabilize. Acting under fire rolls may still be called for strenuous movement or the like, at risk of further injuring yourself.

Resourceful: When you need to fashion a simple tool or supply, and have time and reasonable materials at your disposal, roll+cool. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7-9, choose 3.
•   It will last for more than one use
•   It takes a long time to put together
•   It isn’t quite what you need, but close
•   The search and process leaves you worn down (take -1forward)
On a miss, there is nothing nearby that can be fashioned into what you need, and your search has brought unwanted attention to you.

Only human: When you bear your soul – your suffering, your fears, your unmet dreams - to a close friend or lover, you and they mark experience. This can only be done once per person.

Survivor Special:
When you and another character have sex, they may (their choice) join or become a part of your purpose (your choice). You also get +1 or -1forward, also their choice.

So, I know that the details are for the player and MC to work out, which I am totally on board with. I also know that AW is not designed for "Balance" per se, focusing more on style of play than mechanical equilibrium. So with those things said, I was seeking some clarification on the following observation.

For the "Change your character type" advancement option, it states "Leaves behind everything belonging to her old life." As mentioned, I like that the player and MC work out the details themselves, but after having been playing for a little while, it seems like what is left behind has some major disparities between playbooks. The hardholder, chopper, and driver all have character focuses that are very external, so it makes sense that these things would be left behind as the character took on a new life. Other characters, like the Brainer, Battlebabe, and Skinner, have very internal focuses. Since the player "Keeps everything belonging to her intrinsic self. Her stats, including Hx, her moves, her improvements, all for sure. Many other things too." it seems like some A) there is little to leave behind, and B) that these characters simply get more out of this advancement option than the outwardly focused characters. Is this just how things roll, or am I missing something in the essence of this advancement that would effect more intrinsic characters?

Hi all,

  So my player's spooky weird Savvyhead was kidnapped by slavers, but after acing a weird roll, got adopted as the slaver's dark sacred idol instead of being sold off with the rubbish (or much, much worse). Her main captor turned owner, Snake Bait, commissioned her to finish fine tuning a special tool intended for mind-controlling rebellious slaves. This dentists chair/computer/surgical-device hybrid is known as the Brain Cage.

Here's how it works:
When you want to use the brain cage to take apart someone’s mind, roll+weird. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend hold to pick an option off of the list below.

• Take something away from them that made them who they were.
• Put something inside them that becomes part of who they are.
• Make them commit a single act (this works as though you scored a 10+ on a seduce or manipulate, without any promise).
• Keep them from remembering what you did to them.

On a miss, still hold 1, but they break free during the process, and fight back or run, according to their nature.


Thoughts/Feedback? Sufficiently creepy and violating?