MCing Agenda: Denying Rights?

I think I've put my finger on my confusion regarding Denied Rights, and that's how I'm supposed to approach that element of the game as an MC.

Obviously "deny their rights" is not one of the Agenda listed on the Master of Ceremonies sheet.  However, it's hardly difficult to argue that denying a character's rights is an easy way to make their life eventful.  You could also say that it's part of making things vivid or that you're trying to find out what happens.  There are easily half a dozen places in Principles, Your Moves, and Use Your Moves… that could also qualify.

By contrast, there's "Give the players' characters their due," of course.

With all the other Basic Moves, I read those as flags for where I should push the game.  I should introduce action that the PCs can leap into, warriors they'll need to muster, opposition to win over, single combat to join, and so on and so forth.  All of these things make for that vivid game where the PCs lives are eventful.

What I'm not sure is if I should be aiming to deny the characters' rights.  Is that a button for the GM to push?  Or is it really there for PC-vs-PC interactions?  Or is it a safety net for when events in the story push that way, and we have some recourse to keep us on the right track?

Aha!

No, you should not systematically push the game toward denying their rights. You shouldn't be afraid of denying their rights, you shouldn't systematically avoid it, but you shouldn't pursue it as though it were your job.

My advice would be instead to generally play toward opportunities for them to exercise their rights.

BUT! That's not the rule, it's just my advice.

As MC, by the rules, it's not your job to know or remember which rights they have, or which rights they don't have. You're allowed to know, of course, and you can feel absolutely free to ask, whenever you're curious. Which will likely be often! But it's not your job. You should pay attention to their rights exactly insofar as you find it fun to do so.

If you never once deny a PC a single right, that's okay. If you do it on purpose, or on accident, knowingly or un-, either way, that's fine.

If you basically always deny basically all the PCs basically all of their rights, more or less constantly, that's okay. Intentionally, accidentally, knowingly or un-.

If you intentionally or accidentally single out one PC and deny them their rights with prejudice and cruelty, while intentionally or accidentally treating all the others' rights with respect or even caution, that's okay!

So if, for instance, one of their rights jumps out at you, and inspires you to curiousity of the "I wonder what they would do if someone denied that right?" sort, feel free to pursue it (embodied in NPCs and developing circumstances, of course) to find out!

-Vincent

Thanks, Vincent.  As an MC, some of the Rights make me want to deny them, and some make me want to see the character exercise them.  Like the Smith's right to demand justice from his betters by rolling +Strong -- I like that one so much, I made my own PC in the hopes that I'll get someone to co-MC me just so I can do that.