Quick Questions

The ranger, in their Command move.  When you work with your animal companion on something it's trained in ...

"…and someone interferes with you, add its instinct to your roll"

Surely that's "add its instinct to their roll"?

if you are working with your animal and it's helping you, its bonus should always be in your favor. Right? "Istinct" isn't strictly something that gives you a disadvantage, even if you choose weaknesses based on it. With a higher istinct, you are trading in more weaknesses in exchange of being more capable of getting over whoever should have been your ally. That evokes something! Like, an even more lone-wolf ranger than usual, who's used to do everything by himself (and his faithful companion).

It's worth to clarify that by "interferes" is meant only when the move "aid or interfere" is triggered by another pc.

No, it just doesn't make sense.  "Interfere" is something some another PC rolls against you, it's not something you roll.  So how could you add instinct to your roll?

Also, I think instinct actually is supposed to be generally negative.  Compare these two stat lines for companions:

• Ferocity +2, Cunning +1, 1 Armor, Instinct +1
• Ferocity +3, Cunning +1, 1 Armor, Instinct +2

High instinct indicates that your companion is less tamed, more difficult to control.  It's just like the Driver's cars in Apocalypse World (when someone interferes with you, they add your car's Weakness to their roll).

At least, if that's not the intention, then other stuff is wrong instead.  In any case, something's wrong!  Probably just a typographical error, but still.

well, to be interfered with you have to roll something in the first place! However, I humbly retreat and wait eagerly for an official answer.

Mm.  That would mean that if you took that second stat line, your companion makes you immune to interference, and you also get the best Ferocity available, which doesn't sound right at all.

Yeah, I think your companion adds Ferocity to your roll, then you subtract for the other player's successful Interfere. And you narrate your dog growling at them or jumping in their path or whatever,not course.

I don't see a problem with a Stat line that counteracts Interfere, if that's what the player chooses.

I think you're confusing Ferocity and Instinct, Scrape.

Anyway, that would make it a strictly "better" option.  Compare those two stat lines I posted above.  Apocalypse engine games aren't obsessed with game balance, I'll grant you, but it seems really fishy to figure that one animal companion would be just like another animal companion, except that half of its stats are simply better.

Plus, again, it's an identical format to the Apocalypse World driver.

But, sure.  Let's wait and see.

The way it's supposed to work is that the animal is acting instinctively, and making it easier to mess with you.  It is supposed to add to the roll of the person Interfering with you.

FIXING IT.

well, my ranger is NOT gonna be happy about this :D

@skinnyghost: now that's funny, that's totally not what I was picturing hahaha

It's pretty unclear, to be fair.  We'll clear it up!

The fighter has to choose between different "skins" for his signature weapon.

A typical longsword that you can buy has +1 damage. If i take Longsword as my option, do i get the +1 damage or is this just for bought weapons?

Do Scent of Blood and Merciless stack? If yes then how? Do i really roll 1d10 + 2d4 or
2d4*b ?

Is there any reason i should take Scent of Blood before Merciless?

The way it's supposed to work is that the animal is acting instinctively, and making it easier to mess with you.  It is supposed to add to the roll of the person Interfering with you.

FIXING IT.

Ok so your Companion's flaw will be shown only when someone wants to mess with you AND that person is a player?
Uhm.. I really don't like this feature, Cleric and Paladin have more bounds and the GM can put them in a spot with ease, while with this fix you cannot use the Ranger's Companion to do so.

The fighter has to choose between different "skins" for his signature weapon.

A typical longsword that you can buy has +1 damage. If i take Longsword as my option, do i get the +1 damage or is this just for bought weapons?

From what I understand, your signature weapon only has the benefits you give it. So "Just for bought weapons" is my call.

Do Scent of Blood and Merciless stack? If yes then how? Do i really roll 1d10 + 2d4 or
2d4*b ?

Is there any reason i should take Scent of Blood before Merciless?

Yes, 1d10+2d4, and "probably not", but I'm sure there are edge cases.

well, if you're a good, jedi-knight style fighter with maybe some cleric/wizard/paladin/druid multiclass, "merciless" is not what you really want to end up being.

@rino
Istinct comes into play when you sum it to another player's interfere roll. The companion's weaknesses are totally another matter, and they come into play all the time, just like its strenghts.