Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - nomadzophiel

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 11
1
the nerve core / Re: Vincents intentions regarding queer concept
« on: June 30, 2021, 12:33:24 PM »
I know this thread is ancient but something in my real life brought it to my attention again.
Every year, I go to Wasteland Weekend, a post-apocalypse themed festival in California. I run a small operation there and for the last ten years or so, this paragraph has always been in the back of my head when I sit down to design an experience that will be welcoming of the people that usually get passed over by the standard Mad-Max hyper-testosterone aesthetic. I've quoted it to people for years and someone inspired me to finally find the original again so I could share it.

It's our post-apocalypse. What are we going to make of it?

I read a really interesting piece on post-apocalypses and feminism I wish that I could find again. It had looked at a variety of post-apocalypses. In each, had power-based interpersonal hierarchies come to dominate, or had they broken down? And for each, which portion of the audience found it "grim" and "depressing"? The conclusion the piece reported was that straight white dudes tended to find post-apocalypses where power-based interpersonal hierarchies had broken down grim, where, y'know, women and people of color and queer people tended to find the same post-apocalypses optimistic, and considered the post-apocalypses where a dude with a gun or a "pure" vision took control and led with an iron fist to be the grim ones.


2
Apocalypse World / Re: Disciplined Engagement - Quarantine
« on: May 11, 2017, 05:15:51 PM »
S-harm means you're stunned but have taken no real harm. If you have a wound that a real person would go to a field medic or a doctor to look at, you're not stunned. You're harmed. If, after a minute or two, the ringing in your ears dies off, the spots clear from your eyes, you shake you head to clear it and you're basically ok, you were stunned. Using a bomb, a machine gun or a chain whip (from the Battlebabe - hand area) to inflict S-harm is mechanically and fictionally the equivalent of throwing a flashbang or hitting everyone at once with a taser.

3
Apocalypse World / Re: Extended playbooks - yay or nay?
« on: May 11, 2017, 05:08:33 PM »
I don't count the Faceless in any of the following. The Faceless is a weird heavy but not too far outside the basic playbooks.

I feel like the Extended playbooks say more about their world by their very existence than any of the basic ones. Each one brings a big theme that echoes across everything else. I probably wouldn't allow more than two (preferably one) in any game, just as a way of making sure each one's weirdness can get enough screen time. It might be fun to see all of them crash together but I think two is the maximum for me where it's more fun than headache.

The Quarantine brings some information about the before time, some really cool materials, maybe even eventually the cause of everything. Personally, I'd always let a player start with the psi-null Weird, because it implies something about the people of now. The Waterbearer has a place of law and healing in a world of chaos. They both provide a contrast for the players and characters to the rest of the setting.

The Show's ability to crack open the world is so evocative of an entire world to me. The fact that even one person can use music to wield this sort of raw, unrestrained power means you're not in Mad Max land anymore. You're over in the world of Metalocalypse, Six String Samurai and Brutal Legend. The Show brings an epic quality to the table even if his day to day may be more Spinal Tap and that's before ancient death satellites and souls of the dead. He can change an entire town into fanatical hunters. . .or just a hole in the ground. He almost demands a rival rocker - Tim Curry to his Jack Black, Death to his Buddy or vice versa. Imagine a battle scene where, in addition to the normal gangs of gun toting thugs, two rock gods square off on opposite hills, cracking the world.

The News says there's radio. This isn't something that's normally assumed. All of a sudden there's The Media and everyone gets to have an opinion on it and be effected by it. Breaking Now alone is going to have a huge impact on the game. Now the session starts with EVERYONE knowing that Ba and the Rippers are massing in Radon Canyon for a huge assault on the player's home town. . .and Ba knows that everyone knows!

Then you've got the Child Thing of the Maelstrom. He hides in it, he runs from the invisible Terminator Wolves who want him dead. Your threats just got a lot weirder.

4
Apocalypse World / Re: Getting Barter?
« on: January 25, 2017, 03:17:08 AM »
I just started a game playing as The Show (based heavily on Death from Six String Samurai with a touch of Brutal Legend) and while they're powerful, the cost is that they can't really control that power. Your starting rig can give you a gang and a battle vehicle, plus a custom weapon but neither the hot nor cool to really excel with them. You can't maneuver your truck, fire the guns, boss your gang and play music at the same time, either. A lot of those world cracking moves create a new threat that The Show can make suggestions on but doesn't exercise any real control over. Augury and making enemies panic are the only ones that seem like unvarnished benefits. The rest are as likely to hurt allies (or give the MC new moves on a miss) as enemies. Take the rig upgrade where you can be heard for miles and things can get waaaaaaay out of control. The Show is alwaysat ground zero of their chaos and not shielded from it.

I think 1-harm is pretty fair. To use augury, you still have to make a second roll and in battle, 1-harm ap loud to everyone in hearing range is going to leave your allied gangs half dead, and even if only The Show takes harm, he'll have to think carefully about using it again before healing up unless someone has  special healing moves beyond the base Angel Kit. Any other move is as (or more) likely to bite The Show than help.I think it's an interesting mechanic. Your playing moves always work. You're always good enough to channel the power but on a miss the psychic feedback sucks. That's what you get for channeling a power bigger than you are. This may deserve its own thread instead of messing with the barter one.

5
Apocalypse World / Re: 1 question
« on: January 22, 2017, 12:42:14 AM »
It depends a lot on the way the game is set up. By the time my Quarantine was pulling consistent high rolls, it was less a question of success and more a question of not having many good options, or not knowing the long term consequences. Sure, The MITties will help, but they need you to assassinate the rogue psyker. Now you have to choose between shooting an innocent man or pissing off the faction with scary future tech. You can undoubtedly succeed at either, so which is more important? Your ideals or the innocent people in town that will be collateral damage if you start a war? You can get an extra +3 to either choice but it doesn't make it the right choice.

6
Apocalypse World / Re: Brain Relay
« on: January 19, 2017, 07:12:53 PM »
I don't know about unusual. My first thought every time I consider playing a Brainer is "can I tie my relay to the top of a tower in the center of town?" The close tag is a bit trickier. It never occurred to me that it might apply to the Brainer, not the target but that makes a lot of sense. However, since Direct-brain whisper projection is also close and is one of the two moves that the relay would work with, I think the intent for both is more "they must be able to see you/the relay and be within conversation range."

But hell, the Big Ben idea is so creepy and cool, I'd let you do it.  Big Brothers knows your thoughts. Big Brother can plant ideas in your head. We love Big  Brother.

7
Apocalypse World / Re: 1 question
« on: January 19, 2017, 05:28:26 PM »
I think so. It's still pretty easy to stack rolls, Quarantines are built for i, so I'll use that as an example.

a solid non-weird stat line, potentially Cool +3
Read the Sitch for +1
Get help for +1 and give that person XP
Ask someone for advice because you're Eager To Know for +1
and another if it's an Oftener Right Savvyhead. +1
They're both variations in Insight but the "when you do" for both is satisfied by a single conversation. Add in things like Perfect Instincts, Consummate Performer, Reputation and vehicles rules and you  can go right off the chart.

I played this character in my first AW game. Stacking all of that up isn't too difficult. There's a lot of XP or potential XP to encourage other players to help. I'd say I was at +3-4 more often than I was at +5 or 6 but when it matters enough to take the time, it's available. One thing that I noticed is that in the long run, 7-9 results make for much more interesting games than consistent 10+. Having to make tough choices is way more fun to me than having a "you win" button.

At +5, you will never miss a roll entirely. Anything more than this is honestly overkill unless you really need to hit 12+ on your Manipulate roll. You'll get that 12+ about 2/3 of the time.
At +4 you'll fail one time out of 36 and hit a 10+ more than 2/3 of the time.

8
Apocalypse World / Re: Brain Relay
« on: January 19, 2017, 12:56:01 PM »
The definitive interpretation is going to be one that you and your MC agree on.

For me personally, if it's in someone's field of vision, they can see it. It's see not looking at. The up side to some tall, huge relay like Big Ben is that anyone outside within a mile or two who is facing the right direction can see it. The down side is that you can't toss it around the corner in the London Underground or tie it to the back of your car.

Do people know it's your brain relay, even indirectly? Do the people of London avert their eyes from Big Ben because they're afraid of the voice of Big Brother whispering commands in their head?

9
Apocalypse World / Re: AP ammo against vehicles and gangs in a hardhold
« on: January 18, 2017, 05:47:59 PM »
I will say that the Gunlugger shadowing the tank, waiting for the driver to take a shit so he can use his sniper rifle is a scene that I want to see. It's still shooting things but it's so much cooler than just "I shoot Ba's gang with my machine gun. They die."

10
Apocalypse World / Re: AP ammo against vehicles and gangs in a hardhold
« on: January 17, 2017, 12:57:59 PM »
My gunlugger has taken the silenced sniper with AP ammo . I know that I can't challenge him directly with NPCs cause he will outright murderbot them which is great . However I do want to bring some challenges that will bring out moves beyond seize by force and sucker someone. So my first thoughts were using vehicles and gangs inside of fortified holds. But since I'm new to system I want to run it by you veterans and see how you interpret AP ammo in these cases.

I don't think the solution is really what you think it is but let's go with your examples first. Here's a couple of solutions.
Ba's stronghold is is a prewar nuclear test observation bunker.
Custom Move: When you are outside Ba's stronghold and Seize By Force of Go Aggro on people inside it, reduce the harm you do by 2-harm.

Also, Ba's got a tank! Not a bus with some steel strapped to it, a motherfucking tank! The tank has  a heavy machine gun  and a FUCKING TANK GUN. The FUCKING TANK GUN is far, loud, messy, armor piercing, area, clumsy, terrifying 5-harm weapon. 
Custom Move: When you seize by force, go aggro etc against the machine gunner, use the regular rules. When you go after the driver and FUCKING TANK GUNner from the outside, reduce the harm done with weapons with the messy or area tag by 2. Weapons without messy or area do no harm.

So that 'solves' your problem but what it really does is create a whole new set of problems. Because if I'm playing the Battlebabe, my new objective is to steal that tank. Once I'm inside it with my 2-harm armor, I'm basically invincible. Or the Gunlugger can take his sniper rifle an shadow the tank on the theory that sooner or later the driver will get out to go to the bathroom. One scene with a lot of rolls that aren't Go Aggro or Seize By Force later, the Gunlugger has a new juggernaut to inflict violence with and you'll have to escalate again.

If you want rolls other than hard based ones to be the solution, come up with problems that can't be solved by hitting them. Murdering Ba still won't make him tell you where Dustwitch is conducting her blood sacrifice ritual with the children of your holding. You can't shoot a drought and make it rain, although I guess you could raid your neighbors for water. Hell, maybe Ba also has a FUCKING NUKE that's wired through some weird psychic shit to blow if he dies.

Custom Move:
When you Go Aggro on Ba, he never caves.
If Ba dies, his entire stronghold and everything for 5 miles around it are irrevocably destroyed. Radioactive fallout rains down for 100 miles in every direction for an entire season.

There's a problem you can't Hard your way out of.

11
Apocalypse World / Re: The Rich Tag
« on: January 16, 2017, 06:22:32 PM »
Yeah, the basic Chopper cost of living doesn't change but keeping the gang at full strength may increase it when the opening presents itself.

12
Apocalypse World / Re: Getting Barter?
« on: January 16, 2017, 02:13:44 PM »
The Show strikes me as being as much of a barter sink as a barter factory. I haven't seen it in action yet but there are so many ways for it to go. First, I have a problem believing that any player isn't going to live the 3-barter lifestyle because. . .dude, I'm The Show! Then they get in a fight with the manager because all of this pandering is getting in the way of their artistic purity.I'm not going to play some commercial crap when I could be cracking open the world! You know, the band should get to live the high life, too. We've got enough to cover that, right? Oh and the Doofwagon needs needs a fill up. We've got enough barter for 200 gallons of gas, right? Hey, I want that necklace made of old circuit boards. Get it for me or I'll be a pain in the ass until I slip the leash. . .
Oh, and now you're in charge of a gang and an Establishment without Leadership or Fingers In Every Pie. Paying for it is you problem. Good luck with that!

13
Apocalypse World / Re: The Rich Tag
« on: January 16, 2017, 01:22:18 PM »
your gang’s self-sufficient, able to provide for itself by raiding and scavenging. It gets +rich.

Rich (cue): outside of battle, the gang always has a little scratch, a little jingle.


Yes, you should check with your MC. Here are some things that implies to me as a straw-MC:
I'm not going to expect the Chopper to chip in towards the lifestyle cost of the gang or maintenance of their bikes unless he also took one of the drawbacks that brings those concerns back into play like vulnerabilities to breakdown, grounded or obligation. Otherwise that note about a few months maintenance on a vehicle being 1-barter is a hard move (take their stuff) that I have in reserve. 15 bikes take maybe 5 barter a month to maintain. Most of the time it's background detail but when I need something to throw at The Chopper, there it is. Failed that manipulate roll? Rolfball will refuse and remind you that your gang has been going through a lot of parts lately. He's been ok running up a tab so far but now the bill is due before he'll do any more work and it's (1, 3, 5, whatever) barter. Don't have it? Better go get it before the gas tanks are empty.

The gang always has enough stuff around to get a few drinks at the Maestro's Establishment or similar. Without it, they get drinks by going into the bar and clobbering anyone who gets between the and the hooch or by the Chopper either paying or using Fucking Thieves to come up with something valuable.

The key phrase to me is self sufficient. Without that, at least some of the cost of lifestyle and maintenance for 15 violent bastards and their bikes falls to the Chopper.

14
Apocalypse World / Re: Battlebabe Sex Move
« on: January 16, 2017, 12:55:02 AM »
If you go to some of the movie characters who inspired the Battlebabe, I think you see a lot of the result you're getting. The NPCs want to have sex with the Battlebabe because she's (or he but I'm sticking with she) hot but she's also always in control of that decision. The Skinner is the one you want and can have if you've got something to offer. The Battlebabe is the one you want (and there are several moves that can play as sexual tension) but you can't have unless she comes for you. Sexy but asexual is a perfectly valid way to play it.

For a really good example, check out Gail Simone's run on Red Sonja. She's got the classic chain mail bikini, fights with cunning instead of overwhelming force (as opposed to, say, Conan), she's a hunter, not a warrior, is well aware of how sexy she is and clearly has sexual motivations but always, always picks only people who can hold her interest and it's never people in her immediate adventuring group, ie the PCs.

Now, if your campaign places some degree of importance on the PC's having sex, if that's what your group wants, the Battlebabe is great if others in the party are taking playbooks with potentially complicated sex moves. She's the one person the Brainer, Savvyhead, Quarantine and the News can't read (and therefore she has no reason to be afraid of having sex with them), the Driver doesn't have to prove he's not attached to, the semi-hostile Gunlugger and Hocus won't have an easier time hurting later (and vice versa). Sometimes not being complicated means getting laid less often but sometimes it's just refreshing.

15
Apocalypse World / Re: Adventuring in Apocalypse World?
« on: November 24, 2016, 04:56:57 AM »
I think the main downside of this "adventuring" mode is that it takes the characters away from the web of relationships they establish with NPC characters.

Well, you've got the folks in the town of the week. They change often, sure. That's more work for the MC but for the other players it's decidedly a mixed blessing. They don't come in knowing the relationships at play or who's motivated by what. So every attempt to pick up more fuel or supplies requires learning at least some of that from scratch and getting your nose into it. Are they going to be scared of the Brainer? Expect the Hocus to solve their problems as a wandering holy person? Will the PC's have to backtrack to an old business acquaintance who tried to kill them last time because she's the only one who can move their "treasure"?

Check out Firefly for a good mix of drama, relationships and adventuring for a traveling crew. Badger, Mr Miska and Patience are all running characters. The Alliance (Threat Type - Warlord, Dictator) collectively has a relationship of some sort with most of the characters. Steal the treasure is the smallest part of each "session". Can the Skinner talk the locals out of jailing the crew? Are they going to sell the cargo to their dangerous employer now that they know it's medicine or risk his wrath by giving it to people who need it?

Unless you've got an entire party of solo characters like the Battlebabe and the Gunlugger, someone's going to have a gang, or a couple of helpers or a venue or something. Those folks will give you running relationships but also a wild card element in each new town. Do you really want to let the Hardholder's (a ship can be a Hold and a vehicle, right?) small gang (Jayne is Not To Be Fucked With) going off on his own in a new town? What happens when he takes the Alliance's offer to sell out the Angel?

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 11