Into Darkness: AW setting (add on, not a hack)

Hey all,

I just started up my first game of Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World! I went for a fairly customized setting backdrop for the game, and figured I would post the setting blurb and custom rules here in case anyone is interested or wants to toss out some feedback.

First off, here is the introduction to the setting:

Into Darkness

"It was about 50 years ago. At least, I think. I’m sure some fucker out there is keeping a record, but that fucker sure isn’t me.

Anyways, about 50 years ago, the dark patches started popping up. People called it things, like “meteorological anomalies” or “solar apertures” or some shit. Later, they started calling it “judgment” or the “end of days”, but that was later. First there were only a couple, then more. They started growing. Then people realized that the darkness could hurt them. That’s when people started freaking out.

It’s something in the darkness. Or some things. Or fuck, maybe just the darkness itself. Whatever. It fucks with you, messes with your head, takes you away and does horrible things to you. Sometimes you just die (lucky fuck). Sometimes it makes you do thing, hurt those you love or take away the things that make you human. Sometimes you get strung up, organs hanging out your ears and still beating heart pumping blood to your screaming eyes and tongue-less mouth.

People fell into chaos. The military was sent in, but they weren’t ready. How could they be? Even if they were, it probably wouldn’t have really mattered. The darkness kept spreading, gobbling up more and more of the world. Soon the days started to get shorter and the sun started to fade. People panicked – fucking and stabbing and killing each other just to get their hands on a flashlight or a lantern. They didn’t even think about food – yet. It wasn’t long before telephones and the Internet stopped working, and then people realized just how fucked we were.

So now we live by candlelight, afraid to venture beyond the dying campfires and the draining flashlight batteries that keep the darkness (and what’s in it) at bay. But that’s the fucked up part – the darkness isn’t the most dangerous thing.

No, the real danger lies with your fellows; that weird skinny fuck who keeps biting his nails till they bleed; that creep ass priest who keeps offering confession for sexual favors; that gang down the road that makes you pay taxes for your charcoal and batteries; that big, angry looking dude who keeps staring at you whenever you clean out your rifle – these are the fuckers you need to worry about.

But I mean, we’re alive at least. That’s something right? Hope for a better future and all that shit. Wait, hold on a sec – this guys trying to lift my canned peaches – I gotta go beat this fuckers ass real quick…"

So naturally, a world like this has a particular feel that could use some custom rules. So, here's what I came up for it!

Peripheral Darkness Rules

Light Sources
Sprinting through the dark without a light source for a short distance: -3
A lit match, candle, or lighter: -2
A weak flashlight, or makeshift torch: -1
Some Christmas lights, a handful of light sticks, or a few small light bulbs: +0
Gas or kerosene lantern, strong flashlight, or well-made torch: +1
Electric Lantern, flare, or heavy-duty flashlight: +2
A large, bonfire-sized flame: +3
Aid of a Spotlight: +4

Take -1 for every 2 people you are trying to shelter in your light

Custom Moves:
Entering the Darkness
Whenever you have to enter the darkness, roll + Light source
• On a 10+, you made it to your destination safely.
• On a 7-9, the darkness creeps in. The MC chooses 1
    o The experience leaves you shaken; -1 ongoing until the next dawn
    o The darkness reshapes your path; you arrive later than you wanted to
    o The path becomes rugged and dangerous; take 1 harm (ap)
    o Whispers get in your head: the darkness takes 1 hold against you
• On a miss, things get bad. Something bad happens and the darkness takes 2 hold against you.

Take Hold of Your Soul
When the darkness has hold on you and wants to influence your actions, it can spend a hold and try to take hold of your soul.  To resist, Roll +cool.
• On a 10+, you’re fine, for now. The darkness loses its spend hold.
• On a 7-9, I tell you what to do. If you do it, mark experience. If you don’t, you’re acting under fire from brain weirdness.
• On a miss, you come to some time later; having done whatever the darkness wanted you to do.

Custom Character Moves:
Weird, twisted mind: When the darkness tries to take hold of your soul, roll +weird instead of roll +cool
Get out of my FUCKING HEAD: When the darkness tries to take hold of your soul, roll +hard instead of roll +cool
Wait, I can beat this: When the darkness tries to take hold of your soul, roll +sharp instead of roll +cool.
The Pleasures of Sin: If you ever act with the darkness instead of against it, roll +hot. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1.
• You get away clean – nobody knows it was you who did that horrible thing.
• You relish the experience utterly. Mark experience.
• The act leaves you feeling refreshed. Gain +1 ongoing until the next dawn.

(thus far, my idea for the custom character moves was to have them be available to any character as part of character advancement.)

I also created a single sheet moves page for the darkness rules above. You can download it at http://www.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/1/4/14148728/peripheral_darkness_rules.docx if your interested.

That's pretty much it. I just wanted to share how much fun I've had in just the first session, share the setting idea with others in case anyone thinks it would be fun to run/play, and open myself up for feedback on the setting/design elements.

-Jamil
http://brainstreamgames.weebly.com/

Very interesting.

I'd say "Aid of a spotlight" is overpowered, remember someone's got to track you with it because it doesn't move with you like e.g. a torch. Maybe following someone with a light could be a move?

Simon Hibbs

Maybe following someone with a light could be a move?

Ooo, I like this idea. What about this:

If you aid with a spotlight, make an enter the darkness roll, but instead of the person entering rolling +light, the spotlight user rolled +sharp? Also, on a 7-9 here, your interfering with the darkness exposes you to it (the darkness takes 1 hold against you).

Actually this would make an interesting actual Apocalypse World hack, where the World's Psychic Maelstrom manifests physically at night. You could mine the movie Pitch Black for ideas - not setting ideas, but scenes and NPC interactions in that kind of environment.

Simon Hibbs

So what kind of threat is the darkness?

Actually this would make an interesting actual Apocalypse World hack, where the World's Psychic Maelstrom manifests physically at night.

Shucks, thanks Simon!

You could mine the movie Pitch Black for ideas - not setting ideas, but scenes and NPC interactions in that kind of environment

Pitch Black was definitely part of my inspiration.

As was the Flash Game "Snow Drift"
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/599586

As well as "The Darkness"
http://www.2kgames.com/thedarkness/

And the movie "Darkness Falls"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282209/

So what kind of threat is the darkness?

I kind of left this one up in the air. I really liked the idea of the psychic maelstrom being a hostile entity or force, so this is me playing with that idea. I guess for me, the darkness is the treat of madness (the darkness taking hold of you), the power of isolation (being unable to travel safely), and (if you'll pardon me) our inborn fear of the dark.

Its also kind of like the threat in the Nightmare on Elm st movies - the overwhelming power of inevitability. Everybody has to sleep eventually, and much in the same vein, you can't keep out the darkness forever. Eventually, the firewood burns up, the batteries run out, and your left in the dark.