Playbook: The Coot

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Playbook: The Coot
« on: July 21, 2011, 03:50:43 PM »
My first attempt at a playbook. This is a first draft, so I'm really looking for some feedback on how to tighten it up and make it workable. I normally wouldn't try to hack a game before I've even played it, but since I finished the rules and started talking to my players about it, I've had this idea brewing in my brain constantly, and he just needed to come out. Let me know what you think :)

You may note that I've removed some attributes from the custom weapons list, because these folks are a little less likely to be carrying really big, intimidating stuff.


Introducing

The Coot

Nowadays it’s pretty rare you see someone walking around that was alive before it happened. Sure, plenty of folks you meet look to be about a hundred, but it ain’t time that wore them down.

Once in a great while, you may come across an old codger that came by his gray hair the old fashioned way – by living a long time. Most of ‘em are obviously crazy, driven mad by who knows what part of the psychic feedback that rushes in at unguarded moments.  Most of the rest have been crippled by mistakes (made by them or others) when they weren’t spry enough anymore to get out of the way.

But there are a few old-timers that remain nimble and seem to have held onto most of their wits. Along the way they’ve picked up some tricks that keep them breathing in the newly harsh world. It’s likely that they have some memory of the before times, but they aren’t necessarily willing to talk about it. No, they’re just trying to make their way, same as everyone else, relying on what they have and what they can get.

CREATING A COOT

To create your coot, choose name, look, stats, moves, gear, and Hx.

NAME

Jeb, Bent, Dag, Coon, Skiff, Walnut, H.D., Jersey, Fish, Wash, Duke, Dust
Mia, Font, Gin, Anista, Mae, Fox, Amalga, Albany, Carmel, Lake, Noely, Vita

LOOK

Man, woman, wrinkled, dusty

Casual wear, utility wear, worn-out wear, vintage wear, or scrounge wear.

Wrinkled face, wise face, rough face, open face, tired face.

Clear eyes, penetrating eyes, suspicious eyes, sharp eyes, weary eyes, laughing eyes.

Bent body, wiry body, chunky body, slight body, lanky body.

STATS

Choose one set:

  • Cool+2 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird=0
  • Cool+1 Hard+1 Hot=0 Sharp+2 Weird-1
  • Cool+1 Hard=0 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird+1
  • Cool+1 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird+1


BASIC MOVES

You get all the basic moves (see additional rules)

COOT MOVES

You get this 1:

Look Harmless:  when you try to manipulate another player’s character, roll+Hx instead of roll+hot. An NPC, roll+Sharp instead of roll+hot.

And choose 2:

Remembering the Time Before:  when you try to identify, ken, or determine the value of some artifact from the time before (something that most nowadays wouldn’t know from their ass), roll+Sharp.
On a hit, you can ask the MC questions. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7–9, ask 2:
  • Who or what made this?
  • What is its purpose?
  • How do I work it?
  • What’s wrong with this, and might it be fixed?
  • What’s it likely to be worth to someone who can use it?
  • What part or piece of it is most valuable to sell if it can’t be used as intended?

Crazy like a Fox: You get +1 Sharp (Sharp +3).

Play it Like You've Cracked: When you go aggro on a PC, roll+Hx instead of roll+hard. An NPC, roll+Sharp instead of roll+Hard.

Seen it Before: At the beginning of the session, roll+sharp. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7–9, hold 1. At any time, you may spend a hold to take +1 forward on one roll+sharp or one roll+cool.


ADDITIONAL RULES

For some reason or another, whether it’s age, an injury, or something else (you detail), you are either uninterested in sex or simply not able to do it.  If you try and seduce someone, take -1, and figure out what you’re going to do when you can’t follow through on their expectations.
A hidden weapon is just that – a small, easily concealed weapon that will not be found in a quick pat-down, but will in a semi-thorough search.

GEAR

You get:

  • 1 custom weapon
  • 1 ancient firearm
  • 1 hidden weapon
  • Oddments worth 1-barter
  • Fashion suitable to your look, including at your option a piece worth 1-armor (you detail)

Custom firearms

Base (choose 1):
• handgun (2-harm close reload loud)
• shotgun (3-harm close reload messy)
• rifle (2-harm far reload loud)

Options (choose 2):
• ornate (+valuable)
• antique (+valuable)
• semiautomatic (-reload)
• 3-round burst (close/far)
• silenced (-loud)
• ap ammo (+ap)
• scoped (+far, or +1harm at far)

Custom hand weapons

Base (choose 1):
• staff (1-harm hand area)
• haft (1-harm hand)
• handle (1-harm hand)

Options (choose 2):
• ornate (+valuable)
• antique (+valuable)
• head (+1harm)
• spikes (+1harm)
• blade (+1harm)
• long blade* (+2harm)
• blades* (+2harm)
*counts as 2 options

Ancient firearms

Base (choose 1):

  • handgun (2-harm close reload loud)
  • shotgun (3-harm close reload messy)
  • rifle (2-harm far reload loud)

Options (choose 1):
  • Mysterious(+valuable)
  • Hi-tech(+valuable)
  • Semiautomatic (-reload)

Penalty (choose 1):

  • Unreliable: at the beginning of each session, roll+sharp. On a 10+, you’re lucky, no penalty this time. On a 7-9, hold +1, on a miss, hold +2. The MC can spend one of these hold at any time to have the weapon malfunction instead of fire, requiring a reload.
  • Hard to find ammo: at the beginning of each session, roll+sharp. On a 10+, you’ve got plenty of ammo for now. On a 7-9, you have enough ammo for one firefight/battle. On a miss, you’ve got jack for ammo this time around.

Hidden Weapon (choose 1):

  • snubnose revolver (1-harm close reload)
  • scalpel (3-harm intimate hi-tech)
  • hidden dagger (2-harm hand)

COOT IMPROVEMENT

Whenever you roll a highlighted stat, and whenever you reset your Hx with someone, mark an experience circle. When you mark the 5th, improve and erase.
Each time you improve, choose one of the following. Check it off; you can’t choose it again.

__ get +1cool (max cool+2)
__ get +1hard (max hard+2)
__ get +1sharp (max sharp+2)
__ get a new coot move
__ get a new coot move
__ get the operator move “Eye on the door




Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2011, 05:28:07 PM »
It's weird that 'nerdy old dude' gets this intricate custom weaponry thing.

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2011, 05:39:07 PM »
It's weird that 'nerdy old dude' gets this intricate custom weaponry thing.

I wasn't sure about that either. I kind of figured if you've been around long enough, you have had time to find just the weapon to suite you, as well as having an old piece that you hang onto out of nostalgia, even if it doesn't always work great.

What would you replace it with?

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2011, 09:10:58 PM »
Some of this I like alot (the sex move made me laugh hard), some not as much, but the biggest thing that hits me is that I think Remembering the Time Before and Look Harmless should change places. For me, Remembering the Time Before is the core of this character, and it should be a given, not an option.
The Dead Flag Blues - Godspeed You Black Emperor! This is my Apocalypse World theme song.

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2011, 09:35:49 PM »
I wasn't sure about that either. I kind of figured if you've been around long enough, you have had time to find just the weapon to suite you, as well as having an old piece that you hang onto out of nostalgia, even if it doesn't always work great.

What I'd do is have these two notional weapons be the -same weapon- and call it 'a weapon that suits you best' and then just give you a list of prebuilt weapons.

The character may well have customized it but that doesn't mean you need to spend all this word count and brainshare on it.

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2011, 09:43:48 PM »
Great ideas! Thanks, I'm going to switch the moves as suggested and play a bit with the weapons idea to see how it comes out.

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2011, 09:31:11 AM »
What's with the fourth stat line?  It looks like it's just the third stat line, but with one less Hard.

Also, the advancement options should probably be expanded, and "Get +1 Sharp (Max Sharp+2)" is useless, since the character already has Sharp+2.  If you meant to make that Max +3, it would work, but none of the other characters have both a move and an advancement option to get them to +3 in their core stat.

Also, if you take all your improvements, you'll have all the Coot moves.  Apart from the Chopper and the Hardholder, who start with all their moves, no other book can get all of its moves.  I think this is to provide variation to characters using the book so they don't all look the same after a long game.  Maybe instead of "Take eye on the door" you could make a version of eye on the door based on Sharp?  I've wanted that to exist for a while.

All that being said, I like this book a lot.  I think Sharp-based books are cool, and I can see having a lot of fun with this type of character.

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2011, 12:46:34 PM »
Ok, this is version 2. I've implemented a number of the changes that have been suggested. Thanks to Gerald C, Shreyas, and Nuclear Bob for the input!

Changes in this version:
Adjusted stat lines so they all add up to +2 total
Swapped "Harmless" and "Remembering..." as required and optional moves
Simplified gear selection significantly
Changed "unreliable" and "rare-ammo" to gear tags
Added new move "Spot an Out"
Fixed a couple stats on things
Modified advancement options. Seems like there should be more, but I'm not sure where I want to take those. Being able to choose from other playbooks at will seems out of place for this character, being sort of old and set in his ways.


Introducing

The Coot

Nowadays it’s pretty rare you see someone walking around that was alive before it happened. Sure, plenty of folks you meet look to be about a hundred, but it ain’t time that wore them down.

Once in a great while, you may come across an old codger that came by his gray hair the old fashioned way – by living a long time. Most of ‘em are obviously crazy, driven mad by who knows what part of the psychic feedback that rushes in at unguarded moments.  Most of the rest have been crippled by mistakes (made by them or others) when they weren’t spry enough anymore to get out of the way.

But there are a few old-timers that remain nimble and seem to have held onto most of their wits. Along the way they’ve picked up some tricks that keep them breathing in the newly harsh world. It’s likely that they have some memory of the before times, but they aren’t necessarily willing to talk about it. No, they’re just trying to make their way, same as everyone else, relying on what they have and what they can get.

CREATING A COOT

To create your coot, choose name, look, stats, moves, gear, and Hx.

NAME

Jeb, Bent, Dag, Coon, Skiff, Walnut, H.D., Jersey, Fish, Wash, Duke, Dust
Mia, Font, Gin, Anista, Mae, Fox, Amalga, Albany, Carmel, Lake, Noely, Vita

LOOK

Man, woman, wrinkled, dusty

Casual wear, utility wear, worn-out wear, vintage wear, or scrounge wear.

Wrinkled face, wise face, rough face, open face, tired face.

Clear eyes, penetrating eyes, suspicious eyes, sharp eyes, weary eyes, laughing eyes.

Bent body, wiry body, chunky body, slight body, lanky body.

STATS

Choose one set:

  • Cool+2 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird=0
  • Cool+1 Hard=0 Hot=0 Sharp+2 Weird-1
  • Cool+1 Hard=0 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird=0
  • Cool+1 Hard-1 Hot-1 Sharp+2 Weird+1


BASIC MOVES

You get all the basic moves (see additional rules)

COOT MOVES

You get this 1:

Remembering the Time Before:  when you try to identify, ken, or determine the value of some artifact from the time before (something that most nowadays wouldn’t know from their ass), roll+Sharp.
On a hit, you can ask the MC questions. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7–9, ask 2:
  • Who or what made this?
  • What is its purpose?
  • How do I work it?
  • What’s wrong with this, and might it be fixed?
  • What’s it likely to be worth to someone who can use it?
  • What part or piece of it is most valuable to sell if it can’t be used as intended?

And choose 2:

Looks Harmless Enough:  when you try to manipulate another player’s character, roll+Hx instead of roll+hot. An NPC, roll+Sharp instead of roll+hot.

Crazy like a Fox: You get +1 Sharp (Sharp +3).

Play it Like You've Cracked: When you go aggro on a PC, roll+Hx instead of roll+hard. An NPC, roll+Sharp instead of roll+Hard.

Seen it Before: At the beginning of the session, roll+sharp. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7–9, hold 1. At any time, you may spend a hold to take +1 forward on one roll+cool.

Spot an Out: Name your escape route and roll+sharp. On a 10+ you’re gone. On a 7–9, you can go or stay, but if you go it costs you: leave something behind, or take something with you, the MC will tell you what. On a miss, you’re caught vulnerable, half in and half out.

ADDITIONAL RULES

For some reason or another, whether it’s age, an injury, or something else (you detail), you are either uninterested in sex or simply not able to do it.  If you try and seduce someone, take -1, and figure out what you’re going to do when you can’t follow through on their expectations.
A hidden weapon is just that – a small, easily concealed weapon that will not be found in a quick pat-down, but will in a semi-thorough search.

GEAR

You get:

  • 1 Old gun that Suits You
  • 1 Skinning Knife in a sheath (2-harm hand valuable)
  • 1 hidden weapon
  • Oddments worth 1-barter
  • Fashion suitable to your look, including at your option a piece worth 1-armor (you detail)

An Old Gun that Suits You (choose 1):

Engraved Smith & Wesson Schofield (3-harm close reload loud valuable)
Chrome Desert Eagle (3-harm close loud valuable rare-ammo)
Sig Sauer P226 with Silencer (2-harm close unreliable)
Sawed-off 870 Super Mag (3-harm close messy valuable)

Additional Firearm Tags
  • unreliable (mechanical, constraint): at the beginning of each session, roll+sharp. On a 10+, you’re lucky, no penalty this time. On a 7-9, hold +1, on a miss, hold +2. The MC can spend one of these hold at any time to have the weapon malfunction instead of fire, requiring a reload.
  • rare-ammo (mechanical, constraint): at the beginning of each session, roll+sharp. On a 10+, you’ve got plenty of ammo for now. On a 7-9, you have enough ammo for one firefight/battle. On a miss, you’ve got jack for ammo this time around.

Hidden Weapon (choose 1):

  • snubnose revolver (2-harm close loud reload)
  • scalpel (3-harm intimate hi-tech)
  • hidden dagger (2-harm hand)

COOT IMPROVEMENT

Whenever you roll a highlighted stat, and whenever you reset your Hx with someone, mark an experience circle. When you mark the 5th, improve and erase.
Each time you improve, choose one of the following. Check it off; you can’t choose it again.

__ get +1cool (max cool+2)
__ get +1hard (max hard+2)
__ get +1hard (max hard+2)
__ get +1weird (max weird+2)
__ get a new coot move
__ get a new coot move
__ get 2 gigs (detail) and moonlighting

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2011, 10:29:21 PM »
I've created a tri-fold version of my playbook for anyone that wants to try it out. It includes the latest updates and tweaks, and has additional details like HX info.

Please let me know if you see any problems with it, or if you like it, etc :)


http://www.mediafire.com/file/7rzq6gsk7n9qntm/AW-Playbook-Coot.pdf

*

Chroma

  • 259
Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2011, 10:51:32 PM »
LOOK

Man, woman, wrinkled, dusty

Since that first line of look is usually associated with gender appearances, I'm not sure how "wrinkled" and "dusty" apply there; for an old-timer I could see "indeterminate" or "ambiguous", but those two seem to apply to skin condition and clothing.

What do you mean by them?
"If you get shot enough times, your body will actually build up immunity to bullets. The real trick lies in surviving the first dozen or so..."
-- Pope Nag, RPG.net - UNKNOWN ARMIES

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2011, 11:37:10 PM »
LOOK

Man, woman, wrinkled, dusty

What do you mean by them?

I think of those as equivalents to ambiguous or indeterminent, but in a wrinkled or dusty way. Like imagine a person so wrinkled that you can't really tell by looking what sex they are.

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2011, 09:35:23 AM »
I totally get that. And maybe this person is only 60, but has been exposed to so much that now they are old beyond memory.

*

Chroma

  • 259
Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2011, 12:08:53 PM »
I think of those as equivalents to ambiguous or indeterminent, but in a wrinkled or dusty way. Like imagine a person so wrinkled that you can't really tell by looking what sex they are.

Well, you've got "wrinkled face", and, yes, wrinkles could conceal gender, but it doesn't seem like enough... if you want a more evocative word, how about "withered".
"If you get shot enough times, your body will actually build up immunity to bullets. The real trick lies in surviving the first dozen or so..."
-- Pope Nag, RPG.net - UNKNOWN ARMIES

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2011, 12:29:34 PM »

Well, you've got "wrinkled face", and, yes, wrinkles could conceal gender, but it doesn't seem like enough... if you want a more evocative word, how about "withered".

Ooh I like that! Thanks, I'll update it. :)

Re: Playbook: The Coot
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2011, 01:02:22 PM »
"Withered" is what I used for the Hermit (: