MOVES
Basic Moves: All playbooks have access to these basic moves. They make up the core of gameplay, and are at the heart of Lonely World.
Seize the Moment
When something you want is up for grabs, roll+heart:
10+ you got it. It's yours.
7-9 you flinch, hesitate, or stall. If you still want it, there will be a struggle with a contender, a frustrating chase, or a leap of faith.
on a miss, you missed your chance.
When advanced, 13+ gives whatever you grabbed the +handle tag, like a souvenir, or if it's a person, they become important to you.
Example: Michelle gets back to her apartment to find that Frank has turned into a flesh-eating cadaver. She can take him down easily with her shotgun, but she left it on her dresser on the other side of the room. She says she's going for it because she promised Frank that she wouldn't let him be one of those things. Michelle's player rolls a 9. I ask her how she's moving to the gun, and she says she leaps over the couch. She gets over just fine, but slips on the meat of Paul, who looks like he had his face chewed off by Frank. So now Paul's corpse grabs at her heels, and Frank is sauntering over as well. If she can get away from Paul, she can get the gun and kill them both.
Defend What's Important
When you're under threat, but won't give up what's yours, roll+heart:
10+ deal harm as normal and choose three:
whatever you are fighting for is untouched
you suffer little harm (-1 harm)
you feel stalwart and resolute (heal 1-stress)
you impress or terrify the enemy
you don't stretch or damage your gear
7-9 deal harm as normal or choose two from above
on a miss, your ownership is in question
When advanced, on a 13+ you made your point, and now everybody will know that it's yours and you won't give it up. Anyone who was even thinking about it will let it go.
Example: Rick has been on the road for days with no signs of life anywhere. He stops in at a gas station and finds candy and some supplies to work on his car. Only problem is, some extermination droids use the garage to repair their transports. Rick climbs out from under his car and takes up cover to fire at the droids. He'll fight to the death to defend this place, because it belongs to humanity and not those damn robots! Rick's player rolls a 10. He deals 3-harm from his assault rifle and chooses to keep the gas station unharmed, suffers little harm to his person, and doesn't stretch his gear. 3-harm won't destroy the droids, so Rick plans on this turning into a prolonged fight. He wants to be able to last long enough to make sure they're trashed.
Protect Your Neck
When you're ducking, dodging, blocking, or just trying not to get hurt, roll+meat:
10+ you escape or endure the danger unscathed
7-9 choose two:
you suffer little harm (-1 harm)
you get to a safe place
you're still on your feet
on a miss, you're in a world of hurt
When advanced, on a 13+ you can get everymeat else out too, or you can exclude people by name
Example: Jake is in the basement when the giant ants burst through the floor. They'll tear him to pieces unless he can make it back up the elevator shaft. Jake's player rolls a 7. He chooses to get to a safe place, and he's still on his feet. There's so many giant ants down here that part of the building is going to implode. He gets up the ladder, and the giant ants are buried for now, but he gets knocked on the head by a support beam and takes 2-harm.
Put Your Back Into It
When you exert your physical self on the world, roll+meat:
10+ you make it; no sweat
7-9 you need to pull something extra from somewhere; the MC picks one or two of the following:
spend 1-supply for the intense hunger or thirst produced
get someone to help you
take 1-harm from the strain
keep yourself from losing it
wear out; -1meat until you sleep
on a miss, you stumble, fall, or slip
Example: Tommy has broken into the Kingston's place. Old man Kingston ain't been seen in weeks. Tommy found him in the kitchen, dead from the Squirting Flu. Tommy wants to break open the old man's gun locker before any other looters come by. Tommy's player rolls a 7, and the MC tells him he can get it open, but the pressure of getting it open before Buddy and his attack dogs make it here is freaking Tommy out. He'll collect stress unless he can calm his own ass down, and the effort is exhausting. Tommy helps himself to some warm beer he found in the fridge, which calms his nerves. He makes it out with the guns, and decides to soldier through the woods in the back to clear out before Buddy arrives rather than taking a rest in one of the upstairs bedrooms. This lowers his meat by 2 instead of one because he's tired and a little drunk.
Scope Things Out
When you want to see what's going on or what's ahead of you, roll+brain:
10+ ask the MC three questions about this place:
how safe am I?
is there anything useful or valuable?
what happened here recently?
how stable is this place?
what's the best way in/out/past/through?
what kind of trail am I leaving?
7-9 ask two
on a miss, you don't notice something important, dangerous, or valuable
When advanced, on a 13+ also, you see a good opportunity for what you want or need most
Example: Jason finds a stockroom that hasn't been ransacked. Before he can make a serious effort to dig through this place, he wants to give it a careful walk-through. He can spare the time, he figures, and is thinking about holing up for a few days. He rolls and gets an 11. He gets to ask three questions about the stockroom. The MC must answer them truthfully. Jason wants to know is he safe in here? The MC tells him he's pretty safe. There's no immediate threats, and the structure is intact. Then Jason wants to know if there's anything good that jumps out at him as he scans the place. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't. The MC lets him know about the pallet of bottled water in the corner. Finally, Jason wants to know how stable is this? The MC says that all is well as long as the ravenous postules in the parking lot don't know he's there.
Look For Bars
In some places, in using the right tools, you can still access the signal. The signal is what remains of the global information infrastructure. Connection is spotty and many sites don't function. When you use a device like a cell phone or computer to try to access the signal, roll+brain. If you're looking for something specific, let the MC know.
10+ you learn something interesting about the current situation or get a useful answer to your question.
7-9 you get a vague idea about whatever, but the connection is slow or fails entirely.
Example: Alex needs to remove a bullet from the leg of her dear friend Katie. She doesn't know how, but she's pretty sure she knows where to look on her smartphone. She rolls a 9, and gets a video a medical student had uploaded. Her bars are too few, so the video constantly needs to buffer. Alex figures she got the point and goes in with some tweezers to get that bullet out.
Commit a Violence
When you move to hurt someone with physical force, roll+blood:
10+ you can deal harm as normal, plus choose three:
you hit whatever you were aiming at, dead on
you hurt them more than you expected, +1 harm
you cripple them, either just for a little while or forever
you impress, +1Hx, or shock, -1Hx, someone watching
they either hit you for less, which would be -1harm, or maybe not at all
7-9 you inflict full harm, or half harm and one from above.
on a miss, they get you instead and you're at their mercy.
When advanced, on a 13+, pick four from the list above and one of them is twice as good.
Example: Three Bloody Mummies have broken down the door to the cabin where Sean and Sara were staying. Sean fires at them with his hunting rifle. He rolls a 10, and does 3-harm to them. He gets to pick three from the list, and decides he wants to hurt them more, shooting them in their moaning dry faces, and he wants to impress Sara by protecting her. He kills off two of them, but the third bites him on his chest, causing 2-harm. Sara has new respect for Sean and helps get the mummy on the floor where they can stomp its head in together.
Take This Shit Over
When you make a serious violent effort to seize a lot of ground, roll+blood:
10+ you conquer, but first the MC will tell you what it's going to take:
first, you'll have to kill or capture someone specific
they have some crazy shit you weren't expecting
you'll need a lot of help
luck is not on your side
the fighting is dirty, brutal, and bloody
it's going to cost a fuckton of supplies
they hurt someone dear to you
The MC might just say one or two, but no more than four.
7-9 you can take it, but it will cost you greatly. The MC picks one or two from above and also one or two of these:
a fire starts; or if there is already one, it spreads
the scenery is damaged or destroyed
innocent bystanders are hurt or killed
something truly terrible appears
they fuck you up bad, son
it costs you something you love
You can also try to surrender or retreat, but it won't be good for your people.
On a miss, decide now if you press forward or retreat. Either way, it will be a chaotic, bloody mess.
When advanced, on a 13+ not only to you get what you were fighting for, but choose one from below:
all of your NPCs follow their order to the letter, and no one fucks up
you score some extra supplies; really good stuff
the enemy is completely at your mercy, including their leaders
the battle scores you points with someone important (your call)
Example: The Red Martians have constructed a platform near the town of Wilford. It looks like they're building war machines. Mr. Salem can't allow that. These Martians have to go. Mr. Salem rolls a 10, and the MC tells him what it's going to take to get rid of the Martians. He'll need a lot of help, in this case, the seven men and women who make up his estate security. It's going to cost most of their ammo, and the Martians have a robot with heat rays and spiked treads. They won't be able to take over the platform with that thing still running.
Example: Tim located a nest of Blood Junkies sleeping in the attic while searching for food. It's the middle of the day, so they'll be stuck in the house for a few more hours. Tim wants to pry the boards off the windows in the attic to let in the light and exterminate those creeps. He rolls an 8. Tim is unlucky here, and wakes them up when he steps on a protruding nail. Although he keeps himself from screaming, the fresh blood stirs them. The MC tells him he can probably pry the boards off before they tear him open. Probably. Tim wants to go through with it. He smashes open the windows and the sunlight burns up any of the Blood Junkies it hits. They burst into flames, and the fire catches on the walls. Now the six or seven that are still in the dark are fully awake, and they bite Tim on his neck, back, and shoulders, trying to let loose that sweet blood.
Ask a Huge Favor
When you want someone to do something for you and it's kind of a big deal, roll+face:
10+ If an NPC, they'll do it and may ask for something in return. If a PC, they can choose to do it, and if they do, they mark experience. If they don't, then they get -1Hx with you.
7-9 If an NPC, they'll do it only if you do something for them first. If a PC, they can choose to do it and mark experience. Otherwise they can walk.
On a miss, an NPC isn't happy you even asked, and a PC can ask you for a favor instead with the same conditions as if they hit a 10+.
Example: Tommy cut his leg open on a fence and can't go out tonight to search for fuel. He asks Becca, a friendly NPC, to go in his place. Tommy rolls a 10, so Becca says she'll do it. Tommy starts to thank her, and she interrupts by adding a caveat. He has to go out on thursday with Creepy Walden, an NPC who is always trying to touch people.
Feed Them Some Bullshit
When you want someone to believe your story, which may or may not be true, roll+face:
10+ If an NPC, they'll be pretty much convinced. A PC can put his faith in you or remain skeptical. Either way you get +1Hx with them.
7-9 They aren't totally convinced. PCs can choose not to believe you and if they do that you get -1Hx with them.
on a miss, they don't believe you and may go off to find out on their own. PCs can see the real truth and get +1Hx with you. They can also ask you a question about the current situation and you have to answer truthfully.
Example: Ralphie wants to know what Caitlin and Lemar, an NPC, have been doing while everyone else was defending the camp. Caitlin doesn't want Ralphie to know that they were romping through an abandoned bedding store together. She lies and says they got lost in the woods. Ralphie can see the bullshit in her eyes. He doesn't know what they were doing, but they certainly weren't in the woods. Caitlin gets -1Hx with Ralphie. Getting caught in a lie makes her less close to Ralphie and opens up a vulnerability.
Confront Over an Issue
When a disagreement comes to a head and you want to resolve it with real talk, roll+Hx:
10+ the truth comes out, laid bare, for all to see. Nobody here can tell a lie until the issue is resolved. Anyone trying to change the subject is -1. Also, if it's interrupted, it's not over yet.
7-9 The conversation is filled with half-truths and misdirection. Anyone trying to change the subject is +1forward. If it's interrupted, it's over for now.
on a miss, the first character to initiate violence or sex is +1 to do so.
Helping someone out
When someone is rolling for something and you want to aid them, roll+Hx:
10+ they get +1forward to whatever they're doing.
7-9 they get the +1forward, but you also endanger someone.
on a miss, you ruin it for everybody
Interfere
When you need to put a stop to whatever they're doing, roll+Hx:
10+ pick two:
you can talk to them first. Make it quick.
you can bar the path.
you can remove 1-stress from them.
you can delay it for just a little while.
7-9 pick one from above
on a miss, you fall on your face