Safecracking in AW? How do I handle it?

I'm hoping to run a game soon. (Poor me found this game much later than a lot of you)

I'm trying to figure out how some scenarios are handled in the game with moves or narration. Combat and conversations are handled pretty firmly in the book. One thing I'm stuck on is something like safecracking. If it's established that there's a safe that's very hard to crack , do I just tell the player that they can't? Seems unfair. "You guys need to find a Saavyhead" or "you heard that some guy named TumTum can open things like this"? Make up a custom move? If neither of those, is it Seize by Force with the NPC safe designer having a standing interfere of -2? That seems far away from the rules since NPCs don't roll and that's granting an auto success to an NPC plus the dude isn't even there. Or are people who are good at seizing by force automatically great at opening safes too?

Thanks for the help

The character knows how to crack a safe?

The character knows how to crack a safe?

Yes or no. I'm not sure. It's a mental exercise for me so I don't start flipping through a book during the session. Obviously a player that has this as a skill probably has a custom move, so I guess the character I would need to figure this out for is one who isn't skilled at opening safes. I'm just wondering if mostly people handle this in narration or just pull a custom move out of their ass for opening a safe without the skill or try to cram an existing move in to the situation.

Well, there's no safe cracker skill in the book. There's no skills at all really. I'm not sure where they picked up the ability to crack safes over the last 50 post apocalyptic years. Where they getting the sweet gear you need to crack safes? Like Diamond bit drills and oh, yeah electricity...or maybe a big lathe powered by a generator?

Suffice it to say, if they're not a savvyhead, good luck. Maybe they can get their hands on enough TNT to blow the thing?

Now, if they were a Savvyhead, they could go into,their workspace to figure shit out and the MC would tell them what it's going to cost in Jingle and time based on their Workspace Move.

I guess what I'm saying is it's not unfair that they're not safe crackers. They're not. I don't know how to crack safes either, but with a big enough car, a strong enough chain and a high enough cliff, I could probably get the thing open. Or they can spread some jingle around looking for someone that can open it quiet like...I hope no one hears about that...

Ok. I guess maybe taking a concrete example might have backfired. I was just trying to use something so that I wouldn't ask a question about how do people do "things" if they're not doing the things that are defined already. What's the best way that MC have found to handle when people move outside the basic moves? Quickly decide if they can or can't and then narrate? Make up a move right there and have them roll on something completely untested? Just find the closest basic move to what they're doing and use that?

As for the diamond bit drills, I don't think those are required. A hammer, chisel and crow bar are all that are usually needed to get in to a typical safe I think. I've taken one to a locksmith before.

The rules have a lot of moves for PC in combat, PC vs PC/NPC manipulation, PC & PC sex, etc. But there's nothing that I feel would resolve a PC vs inanimate object (low tech thing like a safe) skill check. Nothing that could be used to check if a character knows something.

Some things that might come up...

PC vs Inanimate object
 - The scene establishes that they've made it in to a gang leader's office and there's a safe in the corner. The player wants to attempt to open the safe. What is the action that the MC takes that's most effective? Narration / make up a move / etc. I feel like if I tell the player that they can't open it it makes their lives more boring and the book tells me to make their lives not boring.
 - For story purposes, I make the player's car break down in the middle the trip back to the holding. The player wants to attempt fix it on the side of the road.
 - A player has snuck in to an enemy holding. They want to open the gate and are trying to figure out how to work the mechanism and gears used to open it.
Does everything just become acting under fire?

PC knowledge checks and ingenuity
 Scene is established that a player finds a shack in the waste that has a generator running and a ham radio with Morse code coming over it. There's a chart that has letters with dashes and dots next to them.
  - If a player, who hasn't established that they are or are not literate yet, wants to attempt to decode the signal, should we assume that they're literate first? If not, do we just try to narrate via a flashback that the character was taught how to read? Do we make a move that figures it out?
 - If a player is established to be literate, we can safely assume they probably can't decode Morse code. The player wants to attempt to decode the signal.

I don't know how to crack safes either, but with a big enough car, a strong enough chain and a high enough cliff, I could probably get the thing open.

So then in your example, did your MC just narrate you dropping it off a cliff and if that worked or not? Did your MC make a move for you to roll if the cliff worked? If not, what basic move might the MC have used? Or was it something different than those?

If they have all the time and tools they need, let them do it.

If time or tools might be an issue, your move is to tell them the possible consequences and ask. "Well, you'll have to devote yourself to it for the rest of the day, you won't be able to join the overnight crew. Do you want to?" Or "well, you won't be able to open it at all unless you beg, borrow, buy or steal the tools from Jackabacka. Or somebody else if you know somebody else. What's your plan?"

And of course if they're under definite, concrete pressure, have them act under fire.

-Vincent

As an addendum to telling the consequences and asking, you can give them an opportunity with or without a cost.  By which I mean give them the chance to use another move to open the safe.  Grab the guy who owns it, threaten to take a monkey wrench to his face if he doesn't open it.  Seduce or manipulate him into opening it in your presence so you can see the combo, etc.

It's ok to say, "you can't do this here and now," so long as you give them an idea of the conditions under which they can do it.

Ok. I guess maybe taking a concrete example might have backfired.

Concrete examples are always best, but the answer is more about the philosophy of the game than on the particulars of opening safes. The characters are people in a situation, not a collection of moves. How do people open safes? As Vincent indicated, the answer depends on what resources are available to them and what pressures they're under. There isn't going to be single answer to this question. It depends on the fiction and relies on the MC's Agenda and Principles.

It's not PC v inanimate object, it's what does the fiction dictate? What resources does the PC have? What pressures is the PC under? You don't give them a percentage chance for success. You maybe say to the Gunlugger, "You can definitely kick the gate open. You're Not to be Fucked With after all, but it's going to create quite a stir (tell them the consequences and ask)." Or you say to the Operator, "the gate is pretty tough (reveal an unwelcome truth). Maybe you can work a deal with Lima to open it. He's good with gadgets. But, you don't have a lot of time. Maybe you can talk your way in? I don't know. What do you do? (put someone on the spot)." You can say to the Savvyhead, "It's a pretty tricky mechanism, but you're The Savvyhead. You got this! (respond with intermittent reward)" Of course, if their best friend Squirrel is on the inside about to be killed, maybe they're Acting Under Fire trying to get it open quick and quiet like. And if nothing particularly important is riding on it, you can just say "Awesome, you get through the gate when around the corner comes RiffRaff and he's wearing that coat you gave to Pinks yesterday (reveal an unwelcome truth). What do you do?"

It's not PC knowledge checks and ingenuity. Tell the Gunlugger "There's some kind of code here. You're not sure what it is (reveal an unwelcome truth), but you bet Jackabacka would know. He knows everything (offer an opportunity with or without cost)." Or, if you want, ask him "There's some code here, tell me, how did your character learn Morse Code?" (Ask questions, then build on the answers).

If you want to reward characters with skill-like moves, you're more then welcomed to. Just don't set them up like a skill roll from dungeons and dragons. Look at the scene it creates and go with that. So if you had one PC that was really good at safe-cracking, and wanted that sort of break-in ability... let them take a move for it, or give all the players something spicy and character specific like that.

example
Break-in Specialist: when you are faced with a high security something somethin and you break in all fast and sneaky like, roll+sharp. On a hit, you're in. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7–9, choose 2.
– you don't need a lot of time to do it
– your entrance didn't draw any attention
– you don't leave anything behind
  (could be a trace of them, what they did, what they took, that B&E occurred, etc)
– you find something you didn't expect, an opportunity, some information, a treasure.

If it's just them and the safe, and all the other narrative pieces are set, it just comes down to. If they can do it, they do it. Remember, just because they have the move doesn't mean if triggers whenever they like. If they don't have the tools to break in, then you cant fulfill the moves trigger and it just doesn't happen.

There is no PC vs Object. Knowledge is in the concept, talk it out with the player find out what they know, what they do. All moves are about how the people around the things interact with the character.

The most important thing to decide when you're looking at this for your game is to know the SCOPE of the game. If someone breaking into security is something you can skip over (because that is what the move does) then go for it. Use moves like this to let the character feel awesome about being an infiltrator and make the REAL challenge about what happens once they're inside, or when they're trying to get out. If you're game is about a bunch of thieves breaking into places, then DO NOT make a move like the one above. That'll make everyone feel like they have to have it, or otherwise, enable the move to pull the player through the challenges you wanted to run through the group more acutely.

I like that Break-in Specialist move.  For my offering, perhaps you could take a cue from Eye on the Door?

Eye on the Other Door

When you need to get in somewhere that's guarded or secured, name your approach and roll+sharp.  On a 10+ you make it, and no-one's the wiser.  On a 7-9 you can do it but there's a cost: you raise suspicions or leave evidence behind.  On a 6- you're caught in the act.

Apart from that, I must merely echo the wise opinions given above.  Personally I wouldn't worry about such things (can I crack a safe?  Can I read?) unless it becomes important in the game somehow.  And if I decide I'm capable of something as a player, and my gaming group (mainly the MC but the other players get a say) agree that my explanation is decent and makes sense in the context of what we've established about the world and characters, then on we go.

I find it helpful to remember that you're interested in the CONSEQUENCES of failure, not the odds of failure. Figure, "what's the worst that can happen here? What can go wrong? How would that look?" And then make up a "custom move" on the spot, using the most relevant Stat.

So like, if someone's climbing a wall just to climb it, just think about whether or not the wall is climbable and tell 'em how long it will take. If they're being chased, or trying to remain unseen, or there's some other undesirable result, then AH-HA, suddenly they're Under Fire and a move is being triggered.

Side Note: you mentioned "making a player's car break down for story reasons." To me, this is a hard move of some sort and should be the result of a bad roll or a previously-given consequence: "you can try to drive out there, but you know that car is junk, right?" Or "the car is junk and it starts smoking, if you wanna keep pushing it you'll be acting under fire..." Putting Them In a Spot is an MC move, so make sure it's your "turn" to make it.

Consequences Not Odds: Yes!

In situations like this, I will often look down at my notes (subtle hint), and then ask the player "How long are you prepared to keep fiddling with the safe if nothing happens?"

This question clues them in to the fact (true or not) that someone/something may be coming at some point, or that time is of the essence in ways they may not yet realize.  It's a type of foreshadowing, which makes their life not boring.  To me this feels like a more "in-game" response than "It will take you all day" or "It will take you six hours" - because if they don't have an actual move (and they've never seen anyone else do it), I figure they don't actually know how long the job will take.  They have to make a judgment call, and it puts them on the spot.

That's some excellent presentation advice. If the character straight up has a move, like the Savvyhead is busting the safe, then she's entitled to know how long because the move says so. Otherwise, yeah, it's all "consequences and asking."

"Safecracking in AW? How do I handle it?"

Short answer: You don't, - the players do!

Plenty of excellent advise abounds in this thread, I'm just adding that nothing needs be "fair" or "balanced" in AW. So you've described the safe in Dremmer's office? The players and consequently their characters want to open it? Let them find a way.

Maybe they find a savvy-head? Maybe they seduce/manipulate Dremmer's daughter? Maybe they steal it with a tow-truck and toss it down the cliffs... a few times? Maybe they open their brain about the safe in Dremmers office? Maybe they go aggro on Dremmer (while they hold off his crew)?

Maybe their efforts inspire you to make a custom move?

when you try to open the safe in Dremmer's office tell what you hope is in there and roll+sharp

on a hit, it's open - on 10+ choose 1, on 7-9 choose 2:

you've hurt yourself on a trap (2harm), what you hoped was in there is (unbroken), it's taken a horrible amount of time,

on a miss - you and everyone with you take 4harm from the boobytrap


Let the player's act, the MC referee and and make moves while aiming to make the PCs lives not-boring and Aopcalypse World seem real/believable. I once let a PC bleed to death while the Hocus was discussing cult doctrine two feet away. (announced two times, first when they were getting back "you're bleeding out next scene - and then in the scene where she's unconcious: "the bloodclock will be moved to 12:00 this scene). The player didn't want to take a disability for a boring scene and opted to die, even looked at a couple of other playbooks. I described to the Hocus that while she argued cult philosophy the Faceless looked extremely pale, almost with a blue shine. I reminded them that you can be revived at 12:00 and really didn't know what they'd do. Maybe act under fire to get the medic? They traveled back in time, as they've already done before - and found a several years younger Trench without her mask. A partial success ensured that Nor-, eh ...the mask came with them.