Custom Moves in the Eternal Winter

Hiya

I'm working on Custom Moves for me and my group's ongoing campaign in a Gothenburg stuck in an eternal winter (read more about it Here if you want to). I want to make the ice and snow a real threat for my players, and I really think that Custom Moves is one good way to achieve that. I didn't find a thread were you could discuss Custom Moves, so I started this one in hopes of getting constructive critique (and maybe new ideas, or maybe that cool winter move that you've made up?)

Right now I'm working on a custom move for the risk of getting frostbitten right now. Please let me know what you think:


When you’re out in the snow for too long without proper clothing, roll+hard. On a 10+, you’re freezing like crazy but you don’t have to add segments on the Freeze Clock. On a 7-9, add 1 segment. On a miss, add 2.

The MC may ask players (as a move) to re-roll this move if they don’t find warmth in time.

Freeze Clock

1- Exposed body parts are cold and feel numb.
2- Exposed body parts are very cold and feel like they’re burning.
3- Exposed body parts are fucking cold and it’s difficult to use them or think properly. Doing this anyways means acting under fire.
4- Exposed body parts are suffering from frostnip and are turning white, red and yellow. 1-harm and acting under fire when straining yourself.
5- Exposed body parts are suffering from frostbite and are turning blue with a marble-like appearance. 1-harm and acting under fire when straining under fire.
6- Exposed body parts are suffering from deep frostbite and are turning purple and black. 2-harm and acting under fire to stay conscious.

You run a high risk of getting gangrene if not treated properly after 12 o’clock (on the Freeze Clock). This may, in turn, cold mean amputation or death.

I think as written, you'd need to roll dice quite a bit before it kicks in that hey, you guys should put your frickin' mittens on.

I'm wondering if you would be better served by
7-9: gives you 1-harm
Miss: gives you 2-harm
+ Oh hey and this is what exposure looks like according to how much harm they've taken.
With the When you Suffer Harm move adding in the potential to fuck up what you were doing at the moment. (Choose complications that are appropriate. More Losing track of things and unconsciousness, Less losing your footing)

Also, are you thinking harm would be AP? I'd be inclined to say that the Harm isn't AP. I don't imagine getting too Exposed in my badass trash-can devil armor, or my Hocus creep-god invisible armor.

How about this:

When you're out in a snowstorm (i.e. only roll once between encounters), roll+hard. On a 10+, you're fucking freezing but of you keep moving, you can probably make it. On a 7-9, you're wearing down, add 1 to your frostbite clock. On a miss, the cold is too much for you: Add 1 to your frostbite clock and take 1-harm for each segment on the frostbite clock.

When you get back inside and warmed up sufficiently, erase all the ticks on your frostbite clock. If you go back outside right away, though, touch luck.

If you're totally unprepared to be out in a snowstorm, wearing all the wrong clothes and shit, take -2 to your roll, as if you're being interfered with. 'Cause you are, dumbass.

The MC may add a tick to your frostbite clock, or make you suffer harm equal to your frostbite clock as the result of missing other moves performed in a snowstorm, as appropriate to the situation.

If the characters aren't trying to travel though an actual storm, though, just call for acting under fire a bit more often, for the dangerous conditions, and hand out 1-harm from the cold every once in a while when they miss rolls out in the freezing cold.

Two very good suggestions, thank you!

I want to keep the Freeze Clock, I think it's a nice way of reminding my players about the winter and the constant threat of hypothermia. But I agree that it takes too many rolls before anything "happens". Just rolling once per exposure should be enough.

I like your suggestion Johnstone, but I'm worried that it's too easy to heal yourself. If you're heading out in a snowstorm it should be a race against the clock. It's getting colder and colder and harder and harder to move. 1-harm for each segment on the clock is cool, but the character needs to head outside a lot before it starts getting dangerous.

I've been thinking about everything that's been said in this thread, and maybe this could be something:

You make this move (roll hard) when you're exposed to extreme cold under a longer period of time (snowstorm, spending the night outside etc.)

10+: Add nothing
7-9: Add 1 segment and 1 harm or 2 segments and no harm
Miss: It's worse than you thought - You're at 10 o'clock

The MC may also add segments to a characters Freeze Clock. He may do this if the character fails a move while out in the cold or if the fiction demands it in any way.

This makes the move a bit more dangerous, but I don't know how balanced it is.