The Maestro D' and Barter

In some sense fingers in every pie is analogous to the peripheral barter move of making it known that you want a thing and dropping jingle to speed it on its way, except that it doesn't cost you any barter to do it. In some sense, it is nothing more than a slightly more complicated stat-substitution move.

But the interesting (and often overlooked) thing about both moves is that neither actually explicitly says that the item comes to you for free. Just that it comes to you with or without strings attached (and I would argue that "available for a fair price" counts as "without strings attached"). Fictionally, I interpret this as the money that you are spending to "get the word out," to essentially advertise that you are looking for a specific thing. It's resources you spend to keep peoples' attention focused on your wants rather than (or in addition to) their own. And if it's a 1-barter item I might let it slide and ignore the cost depending on the fictional situation (essentially rolling the purchase price into the advertising cost). But for valuable or hi-tech or fictionally important items? Dropping jingle (or having connections and community good-will as represented buy the Maestro D's move) just gets you an introduction.

What is intriguing about fingers in every pie is that it's people trying to please you that make this happen. This implies that in some sense the loyalty of your employees or customers has a tangible worth. Or that your reputation within the community is such that people see a benefit in trying to keep you happy over and above mere "jingle."

In my campaign, our Maestro D' used fingers in every pie to put the word out that he needed a gun (there had been some trouble in the establishment of late and things had gotten dicey). Since a basic weapon is a 1-barter item, one of his employees (he's not even sure who) scrounged up a loose pistol, no questions asked, no payment required. It just showed up one day. It seemed fictionally appropriate, largely because his employees understand that protecting the establishment means continued employment. But if he made it known that he wanted a case of pristine violation gloves still in the original factory packaging? Sure, one of your people might know someone who knows someone and might even make an introduction. But that kind of tech isn't going to show up in your establishment for free regardless of what you roll+hot.

Munin, on page one of this discussion, Vincent explicitly says that things obtained via Fingers don't cost Barter unless you get a 7-9 and a barter cost is the "strings attached".

I don't find much to argue with in the rest of what you're all saying. Why do you think the Maestro should be unique in this respect, though? If the game is best when the Maestro doesn't get barter from running her establishment, why wouldn't the game be improved if the Angel and Savvyhead didn't get barter for being on-call or the Brainer didn't get barter for being a "kept Brainer" or the Gunlugger didn't get barter for hiring out as a thug-on-hand? Does this all hinge on the absence of a line on the Maestro playbook saying what the going rate for your services is? Or if that line were present, would you be in favor of removing it?

(Also, Fingers is an optional move, meaning that only some Maestro characters have non-barter ways of getting stuff they want. If it were mandatory it would be clear why the Maestro was different, but the Finger-less Maestro is simply worse than all other characters at getting material things she wants and that doesn't seem sensible to me.)

Munin, on page one of this discussion, Vincent explicitly says that things obtained via Fingers don't cost Barter unless you get a 7-9 and a barter cost is the "strings attached".

While I appreciate his response, I think it's a little bit of a simplification. Also, strings don't come into play unless you miss. But if the Maestro D' says, "Ya know, I think I'd like to have me a fully functional Abrams tank," and rolls+hot to the tune of an 11, the MC is left with a choice - does he follow the fiction or be a fan of the character? That's why I said that for basic items I tend to run it at no cost. But more valuable stuff requires more fictional interaction.

I don't find much to argue with in the rest of what you're all saying. Why do you think the Maestro should be unique in this respect, though?

Because the nature of the Maestro's establishment can vary so widely. Absent tying a barter amount to each type of business (and modifying it for each type of atmosphere), it's hard to know what costs what. It's also highly dependent on the fiction of a particular game. If alcohol is a very rare commodity in your world, it's more valuable than in one where alcohol is plentiful. Also, is your establishment huge and bustling, or small and intimate? Because of all these fictional considerations, it's not really conducive to creating a list of relative worths. So it's described as covering its own costs, and anything over and above that is up the the player and the MC to figure out.

At least that's how I interpret it.

if the Maestro D' says, "Ya know, I think I'd like to have me a fully functional Abrams tank," and rolls+hot to the tune of an 11, the MC is left with a choice - does he follow the fiction or be a fan of the character?

This is where I would make more fiction follow after the event. 
1. The tank arrives.  One of your people pulled an amazing stunt to get it.
2. The next day, hot on its trail, comes an armed group of angry strangers who want their tank back.
or
2. The tank attracts the attention of  a local asshole you would have preferred it didn't.
or
2. The tank has something inside it which is going to lead to more trouble.
etc.

It's not a "string attached" because it isn't part of any negotiation for the tank.  But something does follow.  You can't expect a tank to move across the landscape without angering its previous owners or attracting some sort of attention.

I see those as strings, but I think this kind of interpretation is why so many of the rules in AW are left intentionally vague - they give lots of room for the MC to introduce dramatic elements to the game.

Oh definitely! Give that man a tank. What's the worst that can happen?

@munin, put it this way: If I pre-planned such an event, I might consider it plotting, which is a no-no.  If I telegraphed it to the players as a warning of some kind, I would consider it a string.  But if I just leave myself with the assumption that you can't move a tank without attracting trouble, then all I have to do is wait for my next MC move and think about my Fronts & NPCs.  And now there's a big-ass tank in that consideration.

Sure. Clearly I did not reach far enough in my hyperbole. I only meant to illustrate that there are times when being a fan of the characters is at odds with following the fiction and making the world seem real. If the Maestro D' can ask for literally anything with a reasonable expectation that someone will just give it to him, then that has its own set of ramifications that your table might want to think about. In that case this question of "how much barter does the establishment generate" is the least of your worries.

Theoretically, sure, the Maestro D' could just conjuring things up using that move until he'd built himself the Wehrmacht; the things running counter to that are the social pressure not to be a dick, and the MC's principles of being true to his prep.  I don't think any of the AW play books is completely dick-proof but a few of them, like the Hoarder and this one, are especially abusable. 

Theoretically, sure, the Maestro D' could just conjuring things up using that move until he'd built himself the Wehrmacht; the things running counter to that are the social pressure not to be a dick, and the MC's principles of being true to his prep.  I don't think any of the AW play books is completely dick-proof but a few of them, like the Hoarder and this one, are especially abusable.

In both AW and DW forums, the concept of an abusable move comes up over and over and over. The answer is always the same: a couple of hard moves off of 6- rolls solves the problem.

Plus, being a fan of a character doesn't mean he gets anything he wants.

But a tank? Definitely!

Thank you. ^_^

I think, for me at least, asking for a working tank is like asking for an alien blaster. Sure, everyone wants to find you one, because being on the Maestro D's short list for the next party is a good place to be. Thing is, it just doesn't exist, at least as far as anyone knows. Now if Balls shows up with a ray gun or the local warlord rolls out a tank, the Maestro D' can say she wants that particular item. Then it comes with its own consequences when Mox comes rolling into town with a tank gunning full speed to stay ahead of the previous owner's enforcer gang. Or even ok, yeah, its yours for now. No one knows who stole it and gave it to you. Of course, if the owner finds out you've got it. . . well, that's the hard move for a missed roll.

I think giving him a tank is a hard move all by itself ;)  I mean, people can't ignore that shit.

I think giving him a tank is a hard move all by itself ;)  I mean, people can't ignore that shit.

Good point. There was actually an episode of MASH all about this -- some general parks his tank next to hospital, and the doctors are frantic to get it moved or blown up or something because it's drawing all kind of attention to them.