Playbook: The Gladiator

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Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #15 on: September 15, 2011, 06:34:10 PM »
Thoughts on the update:

Torrid: Big improvement.  Simpler, seems more balanced, and fits the theme.  Might want to indicate if it's max +2, max +3 or max +4 (not recommended, but could be).

You have a couple of really colourful weird moves, but only one statline has a non-negative weird, and you don't even have +1 weird (max +2) in your advancement scheme.  That's . . . well, weird.

Show-off: might want to amend it to 'a bystander is watching'.  You're showing off to an audience, not your opponent, after all.

The world's a stage: why can't they back off?  I'd interpret it as turning tail and bailing town, but the concept's the same.  While I'm not sure what to replace it with, s-harm indirectly doesn't seem that much of a deterrent.  I fail to see what they lose by choosing to suck it up each time (unless they just happen to be doing something else important at the time).

Arena clown: This one is interesting, but, I dunno, seems 'off' somehow.  Partly, I think it doesn't quite fit the tone of the rest (which are the moves of someone who's a show-off, but serious), and partly the 7-9s are *nasty*, at least when it's a PC who can choose which result.  I'm not sure I'd describe it as a horrible move, but I can say for certain I'd never take it, so something's missing.

Special: so, it's either an orgy or nothing.  Suits the concept, and will result in nothing but trouble.  I like it, but +1 forward may not be enough of a carrot to incentivise the character into walk into that much trouble willingly, which would be a shame, but on the other hand, you don't want to make the move too complex.
Also, doesn't seem to be a difference between a hard and a soft hit.  Maybe make a hard hit better, so as to provide the bigger carrot.
Also, you don't specify a maximum + for the roll.  Is this deliberate, or do you want to specify max +3 or something.  Maybe after that, they add to the intensity of the effect?
Regardless, a huge, huge improvement.

Is there a reason there's no +1 cool/sharp (max +2) - both are very useful for a combat character, and at least give the character the option of not taking 'Show Off' or 'Tactical Mind'.

Frenzy (weird) and Reputation (Cool) are strange choices to have for a character who can't improve either stat beyond their starting values (max +1).  Don't get me wrong, they fit the concept, but they can't get the stats to back them up.

I think some indication of what +community should do would be helpful.  The only thing I can think of would be on a 7-9 result, taking it would mean that at least the more destructive fallouts are not self-inflicted, but what would it mean on a 10+?

You have +1 overburden, but it's not mentioned elsewhere.  Typo?  (should just be +overburden?).

Fallout: +litter.  I know this is a positive choice, but for a fallout this mild, you might as well not take it.  Honestly, simply having fallout: litter is good enough on it's own, as it gives you a 'safe' fallout option on a 7-9, but that's really kind of lame.  I'd either change it to fallout:thrown debris (take (1-2)-harm area) or remove the fallout option entirely and just have them throw pretties.

Do you intend for 'inability to deal' to result in mass suicides, or something, because that's how I read it.  Cool if so, just want to be clear that's what you mean.

And that's it for the moment.  I like a lot of the changes here, a big improvement over your first draft.  Keep it up!

Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #16 on: September 15, 2011, 09:20:03 PM »
Heya! Thanks for the continued critique.

On the weird moves: I think Moment of Clarity works as the weird-supernatural-move that isn't optimized for the character. I dunno about Arena Clown. It intensely amused me when I imagined it and I have been flip-flopping on including it after ward.

On show-off: For NPCs, you're going to assume that they're going to be shocked and dropping the ball on what they're doing. For PCs, they're assumed to be having other more important things to worry about when you like kill an ostrich with their name on it in the thunderdome.

Special: Its not necessarily an orgy! A nice, quiet, threesome between friends would provide more than statistically average chance of getting a bonus instead of weirding out all of your buddies because you're manic.

I'm not sure what to do about Frenzy and Reputation. Minus the stat, they both work really well for the character. They're both away from the character's competent stats, and not in the obviously-other way that Moment of Clarity is. It would make sense to me that the character would Frenzy and have Reputation in a Hard way. Would it make sense to say "You get these moves, but you roll Hard". Would that be not lame? Would it be technically better if I just wrote up new Moves that were basically the same, but with Hard?

Also, those results were written before I was aware there was a little section in the book that said what those sorts of things mean. I thought it was like "Oh, +1 disease, I know what that looks like." I kind of want to cover the problems when people decide its cool to give you gifts. Like they're not just leaving a bunch of crap lying around next to all the other Apocalyptic crap. I mean the door step to your Gladiatorshack is covered in junk your promoter said you liked. And people throw arrowheads at you because they heard you collect them, but seriously those are sharp.

Community means that your fan base looks at each other and feels like they're a part of something. It means they (generally) don't rip each other off. It means they (generally) only sell each other their untainted supply. It means they (generally) make up after fist fights.

I'm not sure I should specify what +inability to deal means very much. I think your answer is totally appropriate sometimes. I think its totally inappropriate other times. How I'd label it would have to give people the room to make the right call on that.

Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #17 on: September 16, 2011, 03:20:07 AM »
So, what happens if you're fucking one person and they like just how too-much you are?

(really, that's the thing that gets me about sex moves, they tend to assume too much about the person who's going to be playing the book or the person/people they're going to be fucking)

Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #18 on: September 16, 2011, 08:02:20 PM »
Allison:

Maybe it being too much and them liking it is a hit result!

Maybe it's a failed result! They like it they're just not useful for anything immediately afterward!

Sex is weird like that, especially when it generates a vague mechanical result with a small bit of possible fiction as the result of a die roll.

Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #19 on: October 05, 2011, 05:01:11 AM »
I'm gonna drop Arena Clown.

Change the advancement options:

Remove: Reputation/Artful and Gracious

Add: Get followers (Detail) and fortunes
and
Get an Establishment (Detail) and Fingers in Every Pie

I'm probably gonna tinker with the Fans surplus's abit. Also going to drop the Gifts one, I think Finger in Every Pie'd do that better.

I found a picture for the cover. I'm gonna try to assemble a PDF soon.

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Ariel

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Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #20 on: October 06, 2011, 01:29:59 AM »
Hey if you want the pic all AW-ified, I can do that real easy!

Just let me know!

Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #21 on: October 06, 2011, 09:54:37 PM »
That would be great Nathan! Can you message me your email?

I've been thinking that 'Gladiator' is a less optimal title because its pretty generic. I like the aspect of the other playbook titles in that you read them and you think 'What exactly is that about?'. I'm not actually good with coming up with names, but I was thinking something along the lines of:
- The Headliner
- The Spectacle

Also creating yet another name list:
Crocodile, Matador, Slug, Captain Bloody Hands, Felon, Dandy, Seller, Pyramid, Endless Or Prime

Peaches, Molly, Marlene, Garbo, Medusa, Obsession, Glitter Bitch, 2-faced, Trooper,  Celeb, Ada Loveless Or Diva

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Chroma

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Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #22 on: October 07, 2011, 09:27:55 AM »
- The Spectacle

I quite like this playbook name!

My suggestions:

The Contender
The Slugger

I'd then put "Gladiator" in the list of actual name choices.
"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 Gladiator
« Reply #23 on: October 12, 2011, 06:26:07 PM »
I decided to go with The Spectacle.

I made a tri-fold PDF. I'll give it to anyone who:

A) Is in a AW game this week, and will make it available as a character choice. Tell me about it if anyone uses it.

B) Sends me any of the weirder AW playbooks that I don't have already: J.Walton's expansions, the Heralds of hell other than the Horseman, the Marmot

C) Follows through on a charming social good project. I think these things are a little silly. I encourage silliness.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2011, 08:08:19 PM by evilseanbot »

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Chroma

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Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #24 on: October 12, 2011, 06:51:23 PM »
B) Sends me any of the weirder AW playbooks that I don't have already: J.Walton's expansions, the heralds of hell, the Marmot

Email sent.
"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

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Ariel

  • 330
Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #25 on: October 12, 2011, 10:55:49 PM »
I guess you could trade me too for it.

But I've got all that other tradesy stuff already.

So, it'd have to original content of some variety.

Or the Grotesque. I'll trade it for the Grotesque.

Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #26 on: October 19, 2011, 09:31:44 PM »
Preview for people interested


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Chroma

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Re: Playbook: The Gladiator
« Reply #27 on: November 15, 2011, 10:56:51 PM »
Preview for people interested

One of my players picked The Spectacle as her new character... woohoo!

Rockabilly, wields a mace and a chain lasso and screamed, "LOOK AT ME, MUTHAFUKKAS!" to charge across a battlefield and take out a sniper using her "Show Off" move... was pretty sweet.  *laugh*

I think the Feral Kid in the game is falling for her...
"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 Gladiator
« Reply #28 on: November 19, 2011, 11:31:40 PM »
Sounds awesome!

What kind of Fans/Arena did Rockabilly pick? (I kind of want them to level up to Psychobilly at some point)

As far as I'm aware you have the first Spectacle in play (I made it an option at my AW game, no one's taken it yet, one person's taken "The World's a Stage" as another playbooks move but hasn't used it yet) Any comments on it from that experience?