Outside the City: Crafting Fronts.

(for some reason, this is my least favorite custom move, thoughts?)

Hey Judd thanks for sharing your work. Just my .02 so take with a grain of salt.

You're right, the move is a bit bland. Probably it really doesn't do anything a simple hard move won't let you do. Make the pc's act under fire to secure passage over the bridge (fire being it's a dangerous, heavily patrolled place) and a failure lets you make a hard move (e.g. some thugs attack, a squid shows, etc.) A lot of custom moves are like that actually, but making moves out of things like this lets the players have some narrative control and my players so far really like stuff like that.

Other problem I have it it's so specific. Is that ferry guy going to show up every time?  Are they going to end up fighting dozens of river squid in the campaign? I don't think squid #2 will be very fun to encounter.

However I like custom moves, they're fun! If you want a custom move for the river I think the problem with this one is that it doesn't give the players any choices as to HOW to cross the river. Maybe they have an idea? Oh, and you forgot the stat part of it.. figure that was just an oversight.

How's this look:

Custom Move:
When you attempt to cross the Hudson without using the the Kip-town bridge, roll+sharp.

10+ awesome you found a way across which will probably work. Is that ferryman Keeler they talk about around today or do you make it across on your own?

7-9 he's not working today so you have find another way across, choose one:
- you lose something important to you but avoid the thugs
- damn! This must be a common crossing, the thugs are right there as you reach the shore
- there really are river squid, holy shit! Deal with it quietly and you might still make the shore undetected
- you were forced to turn back and waste half a day. That bridge looks pretty nice right about now
- Keeler's going to be pissed what you did to his boat

Miss: You make the other shore all right but those thugs have got the drop on you and that squid's out there hoping they throw your bodies in the drink.

I like the Enne countdowns very much, is there any linkage between them? Like, when Enne has 236 cultists doing the Neutron Dance at Death Point, the meltdown begins?

It also makes me think of Frank Sinatra by Cake.  

I feel like the geek-cultists are so awesome that they totally deserve their own Threat writeup, most logically as a Cult.  Maybe they march into villages and forcibly electrify them, or get welcomed in as simple wandering repairmen, in order to infiltrate and taint healthy communities.  

I like Octoscott's ideas for revision, I would also throw in:
a) floating garbage (tree limbs etc.) as a natural water hazard
b) snipers!  If I were the Kipsie, I'd put a sniper in a lookout at popular crossing places; sure you can make it across, but at the risk of being shot to shit along the way.  This also avoids forcing you to run extra gang fights, which might be undesirable.

Thanks for the feedback, folks.  It has all been very helpful.