Advancing character moves

Better than taking away the ability to advance your basic moves, would be adding the ability to advance your character moves. I wish that were practical.

Oh, I do that all the time, in hacks and special playbooks. How is it unpractical? It can be a lot of work, I guess, over a spread of different playbooks. But, man, is it a hella sweet way of things.

- AD

Fair! You can read "I wish that were practical" as "too bad I'm lazy."

In my ideal world, MCs would advance character moves case-by-case, I think, in their games. Without going back and looking into it, my sense is that it'd be pretty easy for some moves and very difficult for others, just depending on the details of the move.

I woulda done it just like this (and probably will, next time I run AW), either as playbook advancement choices or ungiven future choices, "Advance a playbook move. Ask your MC what this looks like. (MCs, look to advanced fuckery for advice, inspiration, and examples.)".

And then, in advanced fuckery, I'd do just that - building on the advice for custom moves, give advice for advanced playbook moves and a handful of examples, maybe 1 or 2 per playbook.

But I didn't write the book, no.

And, a-yep, it's easy for some moves and hard for others. I expect it'd be worked out case by case.

I'll post examples when I get a chance, for those who might want to use the idea.

Angel Advanced Moves

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Sixth Sense: When you open your brain to the world’s psychic maelstrom, on a hit, ask one and get the normal result:

• What happened here, before the apocalypse?
• What's about to happen here?
• How is the maelstrom strong here?

Touched by Death: Whenever someone in your care dies, mark down their name. Their spirit or ghost is with you (maybe just in your head, maybe actually there). You can talk to them whenever you want, conjuring up a vision of them or just their voice. If you can make moves against them, roll+weird in place of anything else.

Battlebabe Advanced Moves

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Special: If you and another character have sex, nullify the other character’s sex move and write down their name. Whatever it is, it just doesn’t happen. The next time you and another character have sex, you may scratch off a name you've written and use their sex move instead of your own.

Visions of Death: On a 12+, pick a number one to three. Name that many people who’ll die and that many who’ll live.

Brainer Advanced Moves

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Deep Brain Scan: Hold+1, even on a miss (on a miss, still suffer the normal results of a miss but hold the 1; on anything else, hold the normal amount +1).
Direct-Brain Whisper Projection: When you go aggro using your mind, act as though you'd advanced go aggro, even if you haven't (that is, add the 12+ result). If you have advanced go aggro, on a 10+, if they force your hand, kill them outright (don't kill a PC, but do mark all but their last harm circle and it's acting under fire for them to do anything but lay there in pain and suffering).

(Some are way simple, just nice little bonuses, like these two... others are complex or strange. I'm okay with that.)

Chopper Advanced Moves

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Pack Alpha: On a 12+, as a 10+, but also one of your gang becomes an ally (only an NPC!) as per seduce or manipulate on a 12+.
Fucking Thieves: Always treat your result as one segment higher (a miss as a 7-9, a 7-9 is a 10+). A 10+ is just the same, but take +1-forward using the thing you're asking for.

Driver Advanced Moves

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A No Shit Driver: When behind the wheel, treat all your basic moves as advanced.

Collector: When you need a car and fast, roll+weird. On a hit, one of your many cars shows up, explained or no. On a 10+, it's just the one you need right here and now.

Gunlugger Advanced Moves

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Battle-Hardened: When you act under fire, on a 10+, take +1-hard forward.

NOT TO BE FUCKED WITH: in battle, you count as a gang (3-harm gang large), with armor according to the circumstances.

Where is the line between "MC makes as hard of a move as he wants on a miss" and player control of their character's actions?

If the floor is unstable, and someone is taking a minute to look at it, why make them roll?  Apocalypse World isn't Dungeon World, so if folks take time to examine stuff, give them the obvious info. 

(Less obvious info, base it on what the character knows - "Shit, you're a gun lugger, you get the mechanical parts, but the wires?  Better get the Savvyhead to look at this.")

But having just played a campaign where we had a few "Read A Sitch" misses not result in hard moves, here's my take when it does happen -

1. Turn the questions around on the player.  If there's no NPCs currently present, they show up shortly and take advantage of those answers.

2. "You're poking at it to test the stability.  You scramble up at it goes collapsing shaking the whole damn city block.  So much for the quiet approach."

Have them do something smart, you can even give them the info, the question is what kind of hassle do they incur in the process?  Did they lose equipment, break something, did their gun fall into the floor below and it'll be some sketchy climbing to fish it back out?   Did they give away their position?  Will they have to go the long way around?

Assume the characters are smart, and bad shit happens still.

Chris

NOT TO BE FUCKED WITH: in battle, you count as a gang (3-harm gang large), with armor according to the circumstances.

I think 3-harm gang medium would be plenty, but then again, I have done some insane shit even with the move as written. (Really, you want to break the game? Take your well-built mass-seize gunlugger and a measly submachine gun and add indomitable. Bam, armies are now your bitch.)

Quote

Where is the line between "MC makes as hard of a move as he wants on a miss" and player control of their character's actions?

If the floor is unstable, and someone is taking a minute to look at it, why make them roll?  Apocalypse World isn't Dungeon World, so if folks take time to examine stuff, give them the obvious info. 

(Less obvious info, base it on what the character knows - "Shit, you're a gun lugger, you get the mechanical parts, but the wires?  Better get the Savvyhead to look at this.")

But having just played a campaign where we had a few "Read A Sitch" misses not result in hard moves, here's my take when it does happen -

1. Turn the questions around on the player.  If there's no NPCs currently present, they show up shortly and take advantage of those answers.

2. "You're poking at it to test the stability.  You scramble up at it goes collapsing shaking the whole damn city block.  So much for the quiet approach."

Have them do something smart, you can even give them the info, the question is what kind of hassle do they incur in the process?  Did they lose equipment, break something, did their gun fall into the floor below and it'll be some sketchy climbing to fish it back out?   Did they give away their position?  Will they have to go the long way around?

Assume the characters are smart, and bad shit happens still.

Chris

Hi, Chris. I think somehow this got posted in the wrong thread!

Thanks,

- Alex