Bargain Town: Barf Forth Retail Hell

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Bargain Town: Barf Forth Retail Hell
« on: June 22, 2010, 11:24:35 PM »
The Basic Moves:

When you bargain, threaten, seduce or cajole another character, roll + Charm:
Tell them what you want, and offer them something (or offer them not doing something).  For NPCs, on a hit, they'll ask you for something (maybe what you offered, maybe not), and do it if you promise.  On a 10+, you're pretty much free to do whatever you want.  On a 7-9, you need to take some action right now.
For PCs, on a 7-9 choose one of the following.  On a 10+, it's both of them:
*The earn experience if they do it.
*They take -1 forward if they don't do it.

When you do something physically risky, roll + Solid:
On a 10+, you do it, no problem.
On a 7-9, choose 2:
*You do it.
*You don't hurt yourself.
*You don't get in trouble.

When you listen for rumors, roll + Cool:
On a hit, the MC will tell you something new and interesting.  On a 10+, the MC will tell you something specific and useful.

When you read a person, roll + Savvy:
On a 10+, hold 3.  On a 7-9, hold 1.  Spend them during the conversation to ask questions:
*Are you telling the truth?
*What are you really feeling?
*What do you want from me?
*What do you want to do?
*What will it take to get you to ____?

When you read a difficult situation, roll + Savvy:
On a hit, you can ask the MC questions.  If you act on the MC's answer, take +1 forward.  On a 7-9, ask 1, on a 10+, ask 3.
*What is the biggest threat to me?
*What is most vulnerable to me?
*What should I be on the lookout for?
*Where are my threat's really located?
*Who is in control here?
*What is my best way in/out of this situation?

When you try to get another character in trouble, roll + Status:
On a hit, they get in trouble.  On a 7-9, pick one, on a 10+, pick three.
*They suffer great trouble.
*They don't know it was you.
*They know it was you, but blame someone else (MC's call who.)
*You don't catch any trouble yourself.

When you help or interfere with another character, roll + Hx:
On a hit, they take +1 (help) or -2 (interference.)
On a 7-9, you expose yourself to one of the following: Trouble, Drama, Cost, Harm, or Exertion

Special Moves

At the end of each session, choose a character who knows you better than they used to.
That character adds +1 Hx with you.  (And if it resets, earns experience.)

When you suffer harm
, you take -1 ongoing until the harm heals.

When you suffer trouble, roll + Trouble taken:
On a 10+, the MC chooses 2.  On a 7-9, the MC chooses 1.  On a miss, the MC may choose 1, but you take 1 fewer trouble.
*You're flustered, confused, and irritated.
*You lose track of something important.
*You take -1 ongoing for the rest of the day.
*You take -2 forward.
*You miss noticing something important.
*The next person to roll to interfere with you marks experience.

Trouble:
For NPC employees:
1 trouble means a verbal warning with management.
2 trouble means a written warning with management.  We're watching you.
3 trouble means you're fired.

For NPC customers:
1 trouble means no one likes you.
2 trouble means we're kicking you out of the store.
3 trouble means you're banned from the store forever.

For PCs employees:
1 trouble is no big deal.
2 trouble is a meeting with your supervisor to discuss what's going on, and how can we help you improve your behavior?
3 trouble is a verbal warning with management.
4 trouble is a written warning with management.  We're watching you.
5 trouble is your final warning before termination.
6 trouble is immediate termination.

For PC customers:
1 trouble is no big deal.
2 trouble is a refusal to provide service.
3 trouble is please leave the store, sir.
4 trouble is I'm calling the cops, right now.
5 trouble is you're banned from the store.
6 trouble is you're banned from the store, forever, and if I ever see you again, we're calling the cops to take you out of here in handcuffs, mister.

Trouble goes away over time- at the start of each session, everyone loses a point of trouble.

Re: Bargain Town: Barf Forth Retail Hell
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2010, 07:50:19 AM »
Bravo! I think AW's structure has the possibility for some amazing adaptations to settings that aren't the traditional, violence-driven world inhabited by most RPGs... this is a pretty perfect example.

You might find inspiration in Rien du Tout, a classic French film about department store misadventures.

Question: why have PC customers? Most of the media in this genre tends to focus on the employees as besieged by upper management and the consumerist public. It seems strange to have PC customers in a game based in a retail setting.
+++THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Ambition knows no bounds.+++

Rogue Trader: Apocalypse

Re: Bargain Town: Barf Forth Retail Hell
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2010, 11:27:22 AM »
Oh, absolutely, the PCs tend to be the staff themselves, wedged between impossible pressures.  One of the playbooks though is the Regular (think Jay or Silent Bob in Clerks).  If you get fired, you can play your character as a Regular.

Re: Bargain Town: Barf Forth Retail Hell
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2010, 01:49:52 PM »
I really like Trouble, Willow. Nice.

Re: Bargain Town: Barf Forth Retail Hell
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2010, 11:56:17 PM »
This makes my stomach hurt a bit - much like working retail did. I think that means you hit it right on :)