Ask Questions! ("Get the ball rolling" edition)

Rather than necro'ing this thread, which I love dearly, I'd like to share here a few "get the ball rolling" questions I came up with to use when I draw a blank during the first session (coming up this Sunday), and solicit similar general questions from you, gentle readers.

"When you wake up, what's the first thing you think about?"

"What does your place look like? What do you display there? Who gave it to you and why?"

"What's unusual about your morning [or any] routine?"

"What do you seek out purely from habit? Who do you get it from?"

"Who reminds you of [the abstract thing we're talking about]?"

OK, so what are some of your favorite general-purpose questions?

Replying to a thread only a month old doesn't count as a necro, right? Well, I'm starting up a group of AW newbies tonight, and here are the very general, playbook-specific questions I've been kicking around.


Angel: Where do you keep your stash? Do you ever need to transport it? Where'd you even get it? Who wants better access to it?

Battlebabe: You used to work for __________, right? Doing what, again – body guarding, gladiator shit, something like that? Why don't you do that anymore?

Brainer: This is some high-tech shit – you get it scavenging, or did you have to pull it off some poor dead bastard? You think anybody wants it for themselves, or wants it back?

Chopper: So who do you trust most in your gang – maybe Dog Head or Rum? I hear you used to trust __________ more – what happened there?

Driver: Nice ride – where'd you get it? Who do you rely on to keep it gassed up? When's the last time the back seat's seen any action?

Gunlugger: I hear you had to kill Zuzu a bit ago, am I right? Why's __________ still upset about it? Do you give a shit?

Hardholder: Did you start this holding, or take charge of it? Who used to be in charge or helped you start it? Who's your lieutenant?

Hocus: Why do these people follow you around, anyway? You could have your pick of the sweetest ass among these followers of yours – do you? If so, who, how many? If not, why the hell not?

Operator: (Any PCs volunteering to be on his/her crew? Then...) What's your obligation gig? Who's the most trusted NPC on your crew, and what'd they do to earn it? Who's been bugging you for work, and why won't you hire them?

Savvyhead: Who taught you this shit? They still alive? Who do rely on for tools, parts, power?

Skinner: Where do you perform? Who's your biggest fan?

I like these very much.

When I ran these by my group of newbies, I realized that some of my questions suggested above offer better connections to NPCs and better fodder for threats than others. I think it's especially important to establish meaningful relationships for Gunluggers so they don't just become isolated murder machines. How that went with my newbie Gunlugger:

MC: I hear you had to kill Zuzu a bit ago, am I right?
GL: Yup. It was just business, nothing personal.
MC: Oh yeah? What, did you like Zuzu?
GL: Well, he taught me everything I know, but we were on opposite sides of a job.
MC: Gotcha. So why's Brace Win still upset about it?
GL: Well, now he's gotta find a new bodyguard.
MC: And do you give a shit?
GL: Nah.
MC: There is someone whose opinion you do give a shit about, though, right?
GL: Yeah, A.T.
MC: Why's that?
GL: She's Zuzu's widow.

At this point everyone in the room was cracking up, gasping, freaking out, and the Gunlugger's player shouted in laughter and terror, "I don't know when to stop!" That seemed the right place to stop.

Yeah, that's fantastic. That's how I pray every game of AW will go.

One of my favorite ones (for any playbook) is "who do you rely on the most?"

EDIT: I mused more about provocative questions over on this thread.