Boarsdraft

Are you:
Pure Wizard? +2 Ambition, -1 Curiosity
Half Mortal? +2 Courage, -1 Ambition
Mortal Born? +2 Curiosity, -1 Courage
Half Wizard? +2 Stalwart, -1 Curiosity

Do you favor:
Madris? +1 Courage, -1 Curiosity
Dracon? +1 Ambition, -1 Stalwart
Risara? +1 Curiosity, -1 Stalwart
Urza? -1 Ambition, + 1 Stalwart

Basic Moves:

Locate:
When you try to find out something within Boarsdraft roll + Curiosity. On a hit you find it before you are needed elsewhere. On a 10+ you discover some new facet of the castle along the way. On a miss you are called away before you can find it. Someone is upset with you.

Investigate:
When you take time investigating a magical mystery roll + Curiosity. On a hit you may ask the GM questions about it. On a 10 ask 3, on a 7-9 ask 1:
 - Who made this?
 - What was it's original purpose?
 - Who made use of it most recently?
 - How do I trigger it?
 - When was it put into place?

Chase:
When you rush through the halls of Boarsdraft to find or lose someone roll + Courage. On a hit you catch or lose them. On a 10+ you do so in a timely manor. On a miss you lose your quarry and the GM may make a Hard Move against you.

Tattle:
When you try to tell an adult about anything that does not fit their preconceptions roll + Courage. On a hit you don't get into trouble for speaking up. On a 10+ they take you seriously enough to look for confirming evidence. On a miss, you are risking detention.

Patrol:
When you wander the halls of Boarsdraft aimlessly roll + Stalwart. On a 10+ your GM will offer you a Golden Opportunity. On a 7-9 you are unbothered in your perambulations. On a miss you open yourself up to a Hard Move.

Defend:
When you stand up for someone take a String on them and then roll + Stalwart. On a hit they don't get hurt or in trouble. On a 10+ you don't get hurt or in trouble either. On a miss you both are hurt, in trouble, or both.

Fight:
When you get into a fight roll + Ambition. On a hit your opponents have to visit the Hospital Wing. On a 10+ you don't get into trouble over it. On a miss you are in the Hospital Wing and in hot water.

Make Friends:
When you make an overtly friendly gesture towards someone roll + Ambition. On a hit they do not suspect you of having ulterior motives. On a 10+ they count you as friend if you give up every String you have on them (friends don't hold things over each other's heads).

Favors:
When you ask someone for a favor and give them a String on you then if they do it they mark XP.

Plot:
When you want a character to show up where you are and you have a String on them, burn that String and if at all conceivable they will show up.

Earn House Points:
When you do something that earns you House Points (HM's call) you earn 1 Popularity.

Lose House Points:
When you do something that looses you House Points (HM's call) you earn -1 Popularity.

Plead:
When you try to get a group to do something that is in their best interest roll + Popularity. On a hit they do what you suggest if you reset your Popularity to zero. On a 10+ if things go well for the group you mark XP. On a miss they don't do what you want but you keep your Popularity.

Learning Magic:
When you attempt to learn a spell tell us about it and then the HM will tell you "You can learn that but..." and then 1-4 of the following:
•  it’s going to take hours/days/weeks/months of work to master;
• first you’ll have to get/understand ___;
• you’re going to need ___ to help you learn it;
• the best you’ll be able to do is a weaker version;
• it is restricted knowledge;
• it’s going to take several/dozens/hundreds of tries;
Once you have done what the HM says then write the spell's name (in your best psudo-latin) on your sheet. Make a note if it is restricted or not.

Casting Magic:
When you declare that you are using a spell you have on your sheet while making another move take +1 to the roll.

Advanced Moves:

Show Off:
When you show off in an attempt to gain popularity roll + Ambition. On a hit increase your Popularity by 1. On a 10+ you didn't injure yourself doing it. On a miss everyone thinks your a showoff and you probably hurt yourself doing it.

Press On:
When you decide to act even though your life may be in danger roll + Courage. On a hit you do what you wanted to do. On a 10+ you are not injured doing it.

When you stand shoulder to shoulder with a friend in battle roll + Stalwart. On a hit you both take +1 forward for as long as you are together. On a 10+ you share any damage that comes at you (1 is ignored, 2 is one each, 3 is one each and so on). On a miss you and your friend stand out and become a focus of the battle.

When you search in ernest for the answer to a question roll + Curiosity. On a hit the HM will tell you the answer. On a 10+ you may ask one follow up question.

Friends:
Every friend you have is a permanent +1 to your Popularity. If you ever take a String on a friend they no longer count as a friend and it may mean you have made an enemy.

Insight:
When you use your friends for insight, ask your followers what they think your best course is, and the HM will tell you. If you pursue that course, take +1 to any rolls you make in the pursuit. If you pursue that course but don’t accomplish your ends, you mark experience.

This is My Gang:
As long as you have friends with you, you count as a gang (the size depends on how many friends you have with you.

I Have Needs:
When you tell your friends that you need something roll + Ambition. On a 10+ they will bring it to you, no strings attached. On a 7-9 they will bring you something close or at least word on where you can find it. On a miss, they find it but there will be a cost to get it. Your HM will tell you what that is.

Lend Me an Ear:
When you tell your friends that you want to speak with someone roll + Curiosity. On a hit they find them and either bring them to you or you to them. On a 10+ the person is predisposed to talk freely.

Stand Up:
When you want a policy, staff appointment, or some other facet of the way the school is run to change scratch through Popularity and tell us what you do to force the change.

LOVE THIS.

Some thoughts: 
For stats, like the basic approach. Maybe it needs to be personalized, though? Like, maybe reduce the +2s from origin to be +1s, and let them add +1 to one stat of their choice?

The stat names aren't parallel--Stalwart is an adjective while the others are nouns. Also, Stalwart & Courage are too close.  I'd recommend changing to: Ambitious, Bold, Curious, Stalwart.

"Tattle" seems off, name-wise.  "Tattle" implies finking someone out, telling on someone, throwing them under a bus.  I think such a move should exist, with +Ambitious.

The move currently labelled "Tattle" is good, and should be there as written, but I think it needs a better name.  "Speak Truth" isn't quite right, but something along those lines.

Patrol seems a little weird to me. Is Stalwart supposed to be steady/cool/brave? Or true/honest/a good friend?  If the former, it's too close to Courage.  If the latter, I don't see how it works with "wander the halls of Boarsdraft aimlessly."

Make Friends: if you're rolling +Ambitious, that implies that you're attempting to make friends for personal gain (despite the "give up all your strings" part).  Doesn't feel right to me.  Could be a +Stalwart roll (if you interpret Stalwart as being the "true & good" stat).  Or a +Popularity roll.  Or a +resource spent roll.  But honestly, I think "making friends" might be what the game is actually about, and thus shouldn't have a basic move associated with it.

Possible alternative to Make Friends would be something like Read a Person rolling +Ambitious, with questions like "What would please them?" and "How are they insecure?" and "How could I get them to ___?"  (I don't think kids at Boarsdraft should be able to ask if people are lying, at least not right away)

For Learn Magic... maybe make it a +Curiosity roll. On a 10+, you pick one and the GM may pick another. On a 7-9, you pick one and the GM may pick two. On a miss, the GM picks two, three, or four.

For casting magic, maybe it should be "When you declare that you are using a spell you have your sheet to make a move, make that move at +1."  Maybe.

More Strings!

LOVE THIS.

Some thoughts: 
For stats, like the basic approach. Maybe it needs to be personalized, though? Like, maybe reduce the +2s from origin to be +1s, and let them add +1 to one stat of their choice?

Thats a good call. I think that is what I will go with, thanks!

The stat names aren't parallel--Stalwart is an adjective while the others are nouns. Also, Stalwart & Courage are too close.  I'd recommend changing to: Ambitious, Bold, Curious, Stalwart.

Stalwart came out of me trying to pare down the stats to four. I had the Hufflepuff-like abilities split up between Patient and Loyal. The best word I could find that mixes the ideas of patience and loyalty was Stalwart. I think there is enough distinction between Courage, which I perceive as active, and Stalwart, which I perceive as more passive.

"Tattle" seems off, name-wise.  "Tattle" implies finking someone out, telling on someone, throwing them under a bus.  I think such a move should exist, with +Ambitious.

The move currently labelled "Tattle" is good, and should be there as written, but I think it needs a better name.  "Speak Truth" isn't quite right, but something along those lines.

Tattle is a bit of a perspective shift. This is how the adults perceive the action. Truth to Power could work I suppose.

Patrol seems a little weird to me. Is Stalwart supposed to be steady/cool/brave? Or true/honest/a good friend?  If the former, it's too close to Courage.  If the latter, I don't see how it works with "wander the halls of Boarsdraft aimlessly."

Patrolling works in conjunction with my view of Stalwart as a more passive stat. You are not exactly looking actively for trouble but you are there when the shit goes down.

Make Friends: if you're rolling +Ambitious, that implies that you're attempting to make friends for personal gain (despite the "give up all your strings" part).  Doesn't feel right to me.  Could be a +Stalwart roll (if you interpret Stalwart as being the "true & good" stat).  Or a +Popularity roll.  Or a +resource spent roll.  But honestly, I think "making friends" might be what the game is actually about, and thus shouldn't have a basic move associated with it.

Making Friends is associated with the Friends Advanced Move which turns your friends into a permanent bonus to your Popularity which allows you to move groups well without having to build up your Popularity each time. It is a calculated maneuver and hence Ambitious.

Possible alternative to Make Friends would be something like Read a Person rolling +Ambitious, with questions like "What would please them?" and "How are they insecure?" and "How could I get them to ___?"  (I don't think kids at Boarsdraft should be able to ask if people are lying, at least not right away)

I think I may make this the other core Ambition move and move Make Friends to Advanced Moves.

For Learn Magic... maybe make it a +Curiosity roll. On a 10+, you pick one and the GM may pick another. On a 7-9, you pick one and the GM may pick two. On a miss, the GM picks two, three, or four.

I am torn here. I like the neutral position that everyone who is magical can learn magic. I also like setting the difficulty of learning a given bit of magic squarely in the GM's hands. I'll keep it the way it is for now but if you playtest, feel free to use your version and report on it. It may solve a problem I'm not seeing yet.

For casting magic, maybe it should be "When you declare that you are using a spell you have your sheet to make a move, make that move at +1."  Maybe.

I'll have to reread that, that was my intent though I also want to allow players to pile on spells for multiple +s.

More Strings!

This is something I really do need to work on. Strings, Popularity, and Friends need to do more and balance each other in a way.