New Playbook: The Freaker/Joker

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New Playbook: The Freaker/Joker
« on: July 13, 2011, 11:48:39 AM »
Apocalypse World is not about terror, nor fear, nor pain, sex or death. It's about chaos. It's about whether you will drink with people at the bar, wake up grunchy this morning or tumble on your feet while thinking in crap. It doesn't make sense, and you are the no sense of it. They might look at you with awe or fear, but probably they are thinking about clouds. If you forget the word, remember that the capital is not red, or that you can still workout bee twos. If they gorgle blisteness into your finger, try pushing nameless blocks out of crabs...haha, their eyes are cool when they smell like ladders.

You are a freaker, chaos vessel primus. Good wupty doo.


STATS

Choose one set:
• Cool+1 Hard+1 Hot-1 Sharp=0 Weird+2
• Cool=0 Hard+2 Hot-2 Sharp-1 Weird+2
• Cool+1 Hard-1 Hot0 Sharp+1 Weird+2
• Cool=0 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+1 Weird+2

MOVES
You get the basic moves and Watch the World Burn, then choose 2 others


0 Watch the world burn
: The world walks in a very thin line between order and chaos. When you use this move, you stroke that chord with a chainsaw. Massive discussions, anger, randon explosions and missfire. In the middle of all, you. On a hit or miss, everything is fucked. Roll+ weird. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a miss, the MC choose 1.
. Everyone is harmed by psychic backlash for 1harm ap, full with stromboscopic flashing lights
. Everyone starts arguing and confusion spreads like fire.
. Machinery stops working, corrupt or just blow up.
.In the middle of the fight, friend hurt friend and foe hurt foe.


0 Why so serious?: You may go agro rolling weird instead of hard, but just on situations that you want to intimidate or torture.

0 Dynamite, gundpowder and gasoline: Wherever you need those 'cheap' itens, roll+weird. On a hit, you have them just inside your coat for some unexplicable reason. On a 10+, you have them and receives +1forward when you use them. On a 7-9, you just have them. On a miss, someone might have them instead of you, or they might be exploding somewhere else in your pants...

0 Like a dog chasing cars: Your random errands may bring you to find just what you want. When you are in search of some clue, person or place, roll+weird. On a hit, you find what you wanted. On 10+, hold 1. On 7-9, hold 3.
. You find it after very long time and the misuse of pesky allucinogenic drugs (1harm ap)
. You find it at the cost of angering a lot of people
. You find it at your expenses on plushies and ceramic plastic birds at the cost of 1 barter.

0 To catch me, burn the forest: Wherever someone moves against you, you may choose this move and roll+weird. On 10+, choose 2, on 7-9 choose 1. On a miss, its like if you missed on a Act under Fire.
. They suffer a psychic baclash of 1harm ap
. They must burn a lot of resources to catch you
. They loose footing or grip on what they are holding
. They are afraid, in awe or dismay with your sheer insanity and crazyness.

For the other stuff, looks, names and whatever, make your own.

The inspiration for this character is, obviously, the batman Joker from the movie. But it can be a very strange and secretive character too, unpredictable and obtuse.

This playbook will make your sessions never to go on a stasis, specially if you make the world burn.

Re: New Playbook: The Freaker/Joker
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2011, 08:43:05 AM »
Well, it's clear to see the source of your inspiration!

But I wonder if there are many ways for this character to play out? Enough different angles to take on the character? I also worry that, really, the rest of the party are going to have glum time trying to hack out a little bit of sanctuary in the waste of apocalype world if they have a Freaker along. How do you see the rest of the party getting on with the Freaker?

Oh, and some of the stat lines add up a bit strange. Is that deliberate?

Re: New Playbook: The Freaker/Joker
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2012, 11:58:42 AM »
Well, it's clear to see the source of your inspiration!

But I wonder if there are many ways for this character to play out? Enough different angles to take on the character? I also worry that, really, the rest of the party are going to have glum time trying to hack out a little bit of sanctuary in the waste of apocalype world if they have a Freaker along. How do you see the rest of the party getting on with the Freaker?

Oh, and some of the stat lines add up a bit strange. Is that deliberate?

How many angles does the joker have? From the Clown Prince of crime, mischievous and naive, to the psycho, cold-minded killer from The Dark Knight, there are endless ways to play the Freaker. He can be like a mischievous fairy, doing random things, maybe playing pranks  on people. Or he can be a sociopath. How many ways can you play a Malkavian?

Also, how do I see the part getting with the Freaker: He is a valuable resource. He can find things that would be impossible to find otherwise, he can make enemies pay for their attacks even if they just think on getting their hands on the Freaker. He is a secret weapon that can backfire.

In somesort, he reminds me of the Psykers in Warhammer: Very powerfull and very dangerous to have. They can change the tides of battle and make amazing things. They can also have their heads raped by Enslavers and destroy a whole planet.

The Freaker is a very interesting concept. He can work the same way as 'why would you have a spooky, creepy untrustworthy Brainer in our group'? The same way a Brainer can be helpfull, a Freaker can. The problem is that the Freaker normally gets better results, at a higher cost. It's also interesting how rarely you win with a freaker. It feels like EVERYONE loses something. If a freaker goes all out with "Watch the world burn", it's a pretty cinematic and amazing scene to watch.

Also, 3 new moves for the Freaker:


0 You remind me of my father:
When one PC use moves on you or Hx to disagree with you or fuck with you, hold 1. You may spend your hold at any time to:
. Make him fail strangely and foolishly in the front of everyone he likes
. While in combat the enemies to focus on him
. Make them lose 1 barter in strange circumstances, while you gain one barter.

0 How loyal a hungry dog is...: When confronted with authority, rules or other source of hierarchy, you can express yourself to a mob and make the society crash. On a 10+, hold 3. On a miss, the law turns on you - whatever the law is.

. You can plant a seed of chaos that, although not affecting the city where you are, will spread to other cities. Chaos and uprising might befall the countryside.
. You can challenge the leadership, and now people are searching for other person to obbey.
. You can shake loyal bonds, making people distrust one another
. You can indulge the mob to a riot against the 'law', destroying and pillaging all around.
. You can make one person fanatical towards you, believing all your crazy non-sense

0 I'll make this pencil desapear: Whenever in a tough situation, you can make others suffer so you can escape laughing. People close to you, like other PC's, will suffer for your actions. On 10+, hold 2. On 7-9, hold 1. On a miss, you're acting under fire.
. You escape withouth harm
. Your actions won't bring problems to your party
. Your escapade is done at the cost of your enemy