New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)

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New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« on: March 17, 2014, 12:25:38 PM »
I've made a few divergent choices for my first actually playable AW hack.  Firstly that I've dropped the playbooks because I don't think they fit the setting or the themes of the fiction - instead I've gone with a lifepath approach, with the idea that people are a product of their environment and relationships.  It's still at the unformatted stage and will make no sense if you don't understand AW (other than the character sheet at the end).

Other odd factors - the driving PC engine is meant to be the stress economy, and I've gone with AW:TDA style damage, and an Anti Hammerspace encumberance system (there's meant to be a blank character portrait but that will take time to get the proportions right).  The Read a Person equivalent move is adult only (until midseason) - and adults start with an extra stat and move but level at half rate.

I need to playtest the Stress Economy, and I'm seriously considering grouping the districts and making them less explicit to The Hunger Games.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IZN2EYB5p96fdbIdY5kiRujanNZDgaYZuvX6FGQGIVM/edit

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2014, 01:05:08 PM »
I like what you have done. It seems really nice and simple and still manages to capture the elements of the Games.
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As If

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Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2014, 01:24:01 PM »
Really enjoying reading what you've done here, and I hope to have some AP for these rules soon!  I like the idea of the Stress mechanic, I'm looking forward to playtesting that in particular.

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2014, 09:26:15 PM »
Thanks :D  Always nice to have encouragement - especially from people who want to play and playtest!

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Jeremy

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Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2014, 11:48:02 PM »
At first glance, I really like the Stress economy you have you going.

I think my favorite detail, though, is in the 7-9 result for Help. "Expose yourself to danger, cost, or truth.

Truth. I love it.

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As If

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Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2014, 12:13:41 AM »
I made a playbook.  Letter-sized trifold.  http://asifproductions.com/sites/default/files/PANEM_TEMPLATE.pdf

Can you clarify this rule for me please?  The sentence is a little awkward...
"Children may only take moves from adult careers or being an adult after five advances."

ETA: That should say "Legal sized trifold".
« Last Edit: March 18, 2014, 07:30:13 AM by As If »

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2014, 07:25:18 AM »
At first glance, I really like the Stress economy you have you going.

I think my favorite detail, though, is in the 7-9 result for Help. "Expose yourself to danger, cost, or truth.

Truth. I love it.

Thanks :)  And it's especially interesting given that children don't have Read A Person.

I made a playbook.  Letter-sized trifold.  http://asifproductions.com/sites/default/files/PANEM_TEMPLATE.pdf

Can you clarify this rule for me please?  The sentence is a little awkward...
"Children may only take moves from adult careers or being an adult after five advances."

Thank you :D :D

And you're right - that's awkward wording.  "Children may only take Read Someone or moves from a Job after five advances" is clearer?  And I should probably make it "After someone has achieved five advances"

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As If

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Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2014, 07:39:37 AM »
Cool.. Updated the playbook.  Clear your cache or relaunch your browser to retrieve it.

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2014, 08:53:16 AM »
Cool.. Updated the playbook.  Clear your cache or relaunch your browser to retrieve it.

Thanks :)

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2014, 01:37:56 PM »
Just thought I'd reproduce most of a comment I made on the Storygames forums because I've deliberately buried the lede in the mechanics, and for comments should make it more obvious what I'm doing even if the players aren't always meant to find out.

The core of Hunger Games is about both how people crack but keep going under horrible pressure, and about finding humanity in the midst of truly awful situations.  <em>Panem</em> is intended to do that when played with everyone as Tributes (team play is a much more superficial game and intended in part to bury the intended game that much deeper).

If I've got things right (and I know it'll take fine tuning), the driver to the game is stress. Stress, people breaking down, and how they are pushed and how they crack under pressure. The stress track is meant to look relatively mild and in practice to really break the characters down - but in the opening session they should be used to being able to spend stress almost freely. I might need more teeth behind the pressure valves, but that's where that hook is. Breaking them down (note that the only stat that doesn't take a hit on one is Strong, which is incredibly valuable in the arena but almost useless outside).

The finding humanity in the midst of horrible things has two drivers. First no Tribute can win on their own. That's part of the purpose behind the Pack, and the District 2 Tribute rules. You need allies. Allies in the midst of that, who could cut your throat in your sleep, when the explicit rules say that only one can win. Second, I'm trying to point the game that way by what the Tributes can't do. Tributes explicitly have no access to the "Read another person" move until a long time into the game. There is quite literally no mechanical way for one Tribute to know they can trust another. You have to roleplay it out. (The only exception being the 7-9 Aid Other: Expose yourself to truth). Finally, with two surviving PCs, the Hunger Games end with a cross between Prisoner's Dilemma and chicken.

So we have a game that looks like a PvP game that you can not win by playing pure PvP - so you need to trust another person but have no mechanical ability to do so. Your only possible choice if you are playing to win is to roleplay it out. The humanity. The trust in the midst of the horrible situation. And either the trust to the last, each being willing to die for the other, or the final betrayal.

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2014, 05:04:43 PM »
Tightened things up in response to comments.  Set a Trap I hadn't realised I'd left as physical.  Shoot someone's been replaced with Hunt or Stalk, Fix an Object is gone, and Bonds have been replaced by a trust mechanic that ties in to stress.

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As If

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Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2014, 07:32:44 PM »
Version 0.3 of the playbook is up (clear cache if you already loaded the old one):
http://asifproductions.com/sites/default/files/PANEM_TEMPLATE.pdf

I understand the logic of removing Fix an Object, but now I feel like Crafty needs another Move.  OCD is a harsh mistress.

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2014, 07:40:19 PM »
Thanks :)

If it helps that's where Fix an Object came from - and Crafty is also the stat that underlies Read A Person.

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As If

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Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2014, 10:23:43 PM »
Love the new move "Secure shelter" - and it pleases my OCD to see 2 skills listed next to each stat again. :-)
Version 0.4 of the playbook is up.

Re: New Hack: Panem et Circenses (The Hunger Games)
« Reply #14 on: March 28, 2014, 01:17:04 PM »
Updated significantly including a lot of surrounding text, a first session, cutting the Bonds to their bare essentials, and changing the XP system.