Read a Sitch - on a miss (advice?)

I rather like the way the 2nd Edition rules tell us to "ask anyway" on a miss.

However, there are two things which that could feel a bit uncomfortable in play, and I'd like to ask you how you handle them

The first is simple:

1. When you "ask anyway" on a miss, do you also take +1forward to act on the answer, or not? The text doesn't clarify (but implies that you do). The examples appear not to have been updated from 1st Ed.

For some people, it feels a bit too much like a 7-9, in that case, so we've been thinking that it might be more clearly a miss if the +1forward does not come into play.

2. How do you answer the question?

The first that comes to mind is that the answer can be some extremely bad news. This *feels* right in terms of the conversation, but introduces a funny wrinkle:

* If you then follow up with a move which hinges on that bad news, does the PC take +1forward? That only makes sense if the move doesn't directly address the problem being discussed.

For instance, if I read a sitch and I ask "What should I be on the lookout for?", the logical answer might be, "Plover has been stewing this whole time, and he's finally losing it. He's about to smash your face in."

However, if I am supposed to grant +1forward, then the PC should have an opportunity to avoid this danger, and then it doesn't feel any different than a 7-9 outcome. We asked a question, and now we're back to normal play, except the PC has a +1forward to whatever they decide to do.

On the other hand, if I'm intended to follow up with a "hard" move (like Plover smashing the PC in the face), then the whole process of asking "What should I be on the lookout for?" feels a little bit like a pointless dance. What good did it do for the PC to ask that question, if they couldn't respond to it?

What do you find to be the "best practices" for you at your table? Has this ever come up?

Thanks!

1. They do take +1forward, yes.

2. You're allowed to give them the opportunity to avoid the danger, if you want to. If you don't want to, don't do it.

They can keep the +1forward for any followup action, if there is any, unless you decide to take it away from them, which you're also allowed to do.

Here's how I might do it, this is the kind of thing I do all the time as MC:

"What should I be on the lookout for?"

"You should be on the lookout for Plover, he's been stewing this whole time, and he's finally losing it. In fact it's too late, he jumps on you and smashes you in the face, take 1-harm (ap)! He's on top of you, he's got your arms pinned under his knees, he's going to beat your head in. What do you do? You're acting under fire!"

But, like, letting them ask the question isn't a pointless dance, no matter which way you choose to take it. It's good storytelling. The player gets to be the straight man for you.

-Vincent

Ah, interesting! So that *is* the intended dynamic. It still feels a little "cheap" to me (in your example, the player asking a question effectively did very little for the game, except for generating, as you suggest, a sort of comedic back-and-forth), but I'll try playing it that way.

When you say you might grant the +1forward, or take it away, how do you choose? Is it a principled choosing? If you're teaching someone to play AW, how would you guide them to make that call?

For instance, for the poor PC getting pummeled by Plover, would they take +1forward on their acting under fire roll?

I would tell them the rule, which is, if you want to take it away, do, but otherwise, don't, case by individual case.

If you want to take it away, but you don't, that's weird and you shouldn't do that.

If you don't want to take it away, but you do, that's weird too and you shouldn't do that either.

In my example, I wouldn't, because at this moment I don't want to.

-Vincent

Hmmm. Ok, thanks!

I suppose my approach would be to ask how the information might help them with what they're doing. So, acting under fire... probably not. But if they know what's made Plover angry, and they're going to seduce/manipulate, then it's entirely possible.