I need to really understand how fights work :)

Please, help me to be a better keeper :)

Last friday, I tried my luck on Monster of the week with my fellow players.
Well, it could have been worse.

So I need to really understand how fights work .

Here's a little game for MOTW veterans :)
I'll describe one scene that happened during the game and I hope you'll try to translate it in terms of Motw basic moves.
(Actually i've got four scenes to describe, but I'll try my luck with this first one... for starter.)


Case number one :

Following a private photo shooting session with the cheerleader Anna Hoytt, the Mundane Philip Mars reach the third base and beyond on the couch. But something goes wrong.

As she rides Philip, Anna grabs his film camera and slams it on the teenager's face with a lurid roar.
Poor Philip catches the device in extremis before she strikes again.

Philipp struggles and finally throw her down the coach with a kick, tearing the broken camera away from her at the same time.
He seizes a jacket and rushes to the door , stark naked , as Anna's manicured nails misses him by inches. He slams the door and flies into the university corridors without further ado.

Obviously Anna is a minion. she's mind-controlled by some kind of demonic parasite.


Are you inspired ? I've got some more complex cases ;)

Where is your confusion? It seems like a very straightforward situation to me. I'll put in the most obvious moves that I could see using, however there will always be other interpretations that would also work.

As she rides Philip, Anna grabs his film camera and slams it on the teenager's face with a lurid roar.
Poor Philip catches the device in extremis before she strikes again.

If you announced that she picked up the camera and prepared to strike him, you are announcing future badness. If you just said it like that then you might be inflicting harm as established.

Philip is acting under pressure to catch the camera before it hits him.

Philipp struggles and finally throw her down the coach with a kick, tearing the broken camera away from her at the same time.

Seems like this is the result of the act under pressure roll. It could also be kick some ass, if he is really trying to hurt her rather than just get away.

He seizes a jacket and rushes to the door , stark naked , as Anna's manicured nails misses him by inches. He slams the door and flies into the university corridors without further ado.

Could be another move from Philip, possibly the Mundane's Panic Button or the results of the same, or a second, act under pressure.

An answer from the man himself! That's the best I could hope. Thanks :)

That's basically how I managed the scene during my game. Philip was just trying to get away.
Although I struggled a bit with the usual " worse outcome, a hard choice and price to pay". (And I also dealt him way too much harm for the first strike)
In my exemple, I guess that Philip got a 10+ for both Act under pressure.
What would have happened if he got a 7-9 or a miss for those two moves?

Too bad i've got to go, I'd like to describe some other scenes ^^

That's basically how I managed the scene during my game. Philip was just trying to get away.

Cool.

Although I struggled a bit with the usual " worse outcome, a hard choice and price to pay". (And I also dealt him way too much harm for the first strike)

I'll address the last point first: there's no "too much harm" in MotW. Hunters have luck and their moves to mitigate harm, so just inflict as much as it makes sense based on the attack.

If you're struggling to come up with 7-9 act under pressure results, maybe take a moment to consider the options before calling for the move?

Remember, you can always use your keeper (and minion) moves as well. Just because the hunter is acting or reacting, you don't have to always have them make a move.

For example, starting from Philip taking the hit from the camera, you could have said "okay, if you're trying to get away, you can but she might get another hit on you as you run, and you won't have time to get your clothes back". Which is offer an opportunity, maybe with a cost from the Keeper moves list.

Like I said at the beginning - most situations can be interpreted in many different ways. Pay attention to what's happening in the game, that should give you hints about which one makes the most sense.

In my exemple, I guess that Philip got a 10+ for both Act under pressure.
What would have happened if he got a 7-9 or a miss for those two moves?

For a 7-9, a smaller amount of harm maybe? Or maybe he wouldn't have even had time to grab his jacket?

Thanks a lot Mr Sands.
I think I've just understood a few things here :)
I hope you'll be able to help me with some case that I have in mind.
Once i'll be able to post again ;) (i'm slow at typing in english!)

I'm glad it's helpful, and I'm happy to go through more cases when you have time to type them up.

Fantastic ! Here's case numer two !

It involves the wronged Matt Marson and the chosen Masaru dealing with the respectable yet mind-controlled Mrs Brook and Mr Mullins.

Marson , leaving an apartment , is greeted on the treshold by the affable and improbable neighbor Mr Mullins.
The old man simply wish to return to the true owner of the place, the stove he borrowed the day before.
 Lacking of vigilance, Matt extends an hand to to receive the object.
Instead, it is a kitchen knife that the old man stabs in his hand.
Wincing, Matt punches him with a hook and Mullins goes flying  against the wall of the corridor.
At the same time, he hears Mrs Brook rushing to his back , a fork in each hand, roaring.
But Masaru dashes to cover his teamate and stops the harpy with a blow to the ribs using the handle of his katana. She sprawls bent on herself while hers forks are nailed to the floor.
Our two heroes disarm their aggressors .
After an hesitation, seeing the elderlies shaken by frightening jolts, The chosen thrusts his sword trough Mrs Brook's skull. And Matt stabs repeatedly Mr Mullins , although the old man jaw is planted in his collarbone.

So what do you think ? Which moves ? Can you even conclude the minion's stats ?
You see, those two were not a major threat. And yet, with  a 10+ on a kick some ass move, the wronged suffered some several harm 'as established'.
How could our heroes have guessed the nature of their foes and the way to cure them?

Instead, it is a kitchen knife that the old man stabs in his hand.

The minion move sudden attack of uncontrolled violence.

Wincing, Matt punches him with a hook and Mullins goes flying  against the wall of the corridor.

This could be kick some ass or just inflict harm as established. The first would apply if Mullins is still attacking back, the second if he's not (for whatever reason - e.g. maybe Matt is too fast).

At the same time, he hears Mrs Brook rushing to his back , a fork in each hand, roaring.

This seems like you announced future badness

But Masaru dashes to cover his teamate and stops the harpy with a blow to the ribs using the handle of his katana. She sprawls bent on herself while hers forks are nailed to the floor.

This seems like a defend someone which went well.

So what do you think ? Which moves ? Can you even conclude the minion's stats ?
You see, those two were not a major threat. And yet, with  a 10+ on a kick some ass move, the wronged suffered some several harm 'as established'.

I cannot conclude the minion stats, although I guess they'd be essentially normal humans who where under mind control.

Yes, even on a good hit on kick some ass, a hunter will take harm. If they want to avoid that then they need to arrange things so that it is established that no harm could affect them. In this case, shooting the second minion before she got into range with her forks could have worked.

How could our heroes have guessed the nature of their foes and the way to cure them?

Well, it doesn't sound like they stopped to investigate at all! In general, when the hunters start investigating, consider what they are doing and think generously about how that could discover any of the significant details about your minions or monster.

Some ideas:
- the mind control might leave some clue on the body (e.g. a scar, a strange smell, etc).
- the mind controlled people might have looked different when attacking (e.g. strange coloured eyes, a spooky aura, etc).
- checking out the apartments of the minions might show that they are perfectly normal houses, except maybe not tidied or normally lived-in since the mind control began.
- use magic to interrogate a spirit or look into the past. (This is a good one to suggest when the hunters seem stumped!)

I see. I need to wake up to the idea that , sometimes  a move doesn't need a roll like in AW. An action, some harm ... happens, just like that, because it makes sense in the fiction.
Thanks , I feel smarter now^^

How could our heroes have guessed the nature of their foes and the way to cure them?

I meant, before, or during the fight.
But that's obviously 'Read A Bad Situation '. Although the players didn't try to figure it out at first^^ They just fought back!

Ok, maybe I'll dig up with another case later ! Thanks.

 

I see. I need to wake up to the idea that , sometimes  a move doesn't need a roll like in AW. An action, some harm ... happens, just like that, because it makes sense in the fiction.
Thanks , I feel smarter now^^

Well, that harm happening is still a move - it's right there on the Keeper moves list.

But you shouldn't always call for kick some ass just because a hunter is trying to hurt something - that move is for when the hunter and foe are exchanging blows, and both are exposed to danger.

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How could our heroes have guessed the nature of their foes and the way to cure them?

I meant, before, or during the fight.
But that's obviously 'Read A Bad Situation '. Although the players didn't try to figure it out at first^^ They just fought back!

Oh, yes. read a bad situation is also applicable here.

For the notice Mr Sands.
We just had a MOTW game and it went much better that time :)

Although some players were stacking up way much Xp than some others.

Excellent!

Don't worry about XP gains being different - it's pretty normal. If you are concerned, make sure to highlight stats that will be rolled a lot for the hunters who have been left behind. You may also want to suggest that they look for opportunities to roll their highlighted ratings and use moves that provide experience.

I can do this ;)

Well,something else is bothering me you see...

In our team there's a Professionnal, s Spooky a Mundane and an Expert.
And the expert is actually shinning way brighter than the other hunters.
(Well he's also the one stacking up xp)
Actually he's 'better at everything'
He is the one who figures the answers (He's got the knowledge, the books, and the 'so called' laptop full of datas)
Well in that case it's also a matter of taking the initiative. The other players should try their luck and improvise something plausible to support their discovery.

He's also the one who kicks ass most of the time. (He often acts first, because the other players lacks initiative) But he's also the one with the best gear. Due to frantic Armory moves. Weapons? Armor? Of course, i've got everything!

You know that , if I was playing with them as a hunter, I'd be incredibly jealous of that guy ^^

One thing you can do if one player is dominating the spotlight is direct your "what do you do?" at a particular person, rather than the group as a whole.

One thing you can do if one player is dominating the spotlight is direct your "what do you do?" at a particular person, rather than the group as a whole.

I actually did this the day after. I kept a close track of every moves rolled so I could focus on characters that trailed behind.
And this time everyone was able to shine :)