Playbook: Faceless

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2010, 07:48:58 PM »
Nice! I would have just said that, y'know, wearing a mask was something a Battlebabe or Gunlugger or Hardholder or whatever did, part of their fashion... but there's definitely some cool ideas here. My one quibble is... Pit Bull as a special move you only get to use once? On death, no less? I mean, yeah, it's a powerful deterrent up until then, but I don't know if I would ever take it. I guess it could appeal to some people, though. Some other ideas for moves!

As One: Attempts by other PCs to seize your mask by force, or to get you to remove or give away your mask by going aggro or seduction/manipulation, are at -2. NPCs will never succeed at unmasking you against your will unless you are completely at their mercy.

Juggernaut: Take -2 on all "when you suffer harm" rolls.

The Unexpected: When someone sees you unmasked for the first time, they take S-harm, in addition to any other effects.

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2010, 10:20:57 PM »
Another idea that just came to me trying to "fix" Pit Bull in my head:

Pit Bull: Whenever you take a debility, name the person you hold most responsible. Take +1 ongoing to all rolls versus them, forever. (All rolls with them directly as a target count, of course. Rolls against their family and friends, minions, or property may count, in the MC's judgment. MCs, remember your job is to make Apocalypse World seem real and keep the characters' lives interesting, not deny the PCs bonuses.)

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2010, 10:24:38 PM »
Those are cool, Ben. I really like The Unexpected and the new Pit Bull, especially.

Juggernaut is a move I can see being stolen for a lot of things.

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2010, 10:39:31 PM »
Thanks! I was considering calling "The Unexpected" something like "Especially Horrifying", but then I thought that you could shock people by how ordinary you were behind the mask, too, after everyone was expecting something shocking and monstrous, so renamed it to as is. And S-harm is a mechanic that doesn't get enough love. (One of these days I have to play an Angel just for that stun gun. Although I guess an Operator, Savvyhead, or Hardholder could have one too? Hmm.)

And yeah, Juggernaut came to me the moment I say the "when you suffer harm" move. It'd work well as an optional Gunlugger move, or a Battlebabe one if you retweaked the color to "Roll With It" or "Flowing Defense" or something.

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2010, 01:48:27 AM »
Bret, I'm sold! I am totally convinced this is a cool and interesting character type to bring into an AW game. Sorry for the initial skepticism :)

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Bret

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2010, 08:29:24 AM »
Thanks you guys. And thanks Ben for the moves. I'm definitely not in love with some of the ones I've written (I think Man Mountain is gonna go) and will swap them around.

I get that Pit Bull, as it exists, is a one-shot move. What I was trying to pack into it was moments like Darth Vader pitching the Emperor over the side of the bridge or Marv in Sin City crushing that priest guy with his bare hands before getting hauled off to the electric chair. Perhaps it'd be best, though, to leave moments like that to the rules as written.

I'll edit the initial post and swap things around when I have some time.
Tupacalypse World

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Bret

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2010, 09:18:29 AM »
Looks like I can't edit the initial post! So here's this:



The Faceless


Why does he wear a mask? Maybe it's because his fake face, the one underneath the mask, didn't do a good enough job showing how powerful, cold-hearted, and fucking monstrous he was. So he had to put on a new one. This one doesn't smile, doesn't wince. It's stone like his fists and his soul.


Creating a Faceless

To create your faceless, choose name, look, stats, moves, gear, and Hx.


Name

Hunk, Tor, Ork, Doule, Big Fucker, Blag, Mega, Dent, Crudhammer, Deg, Frog, Summint, Trench, Zuto, Kray, Momo, Gigg, Meat, Stomp, or Playboy.


Look

Man, woman, concealed, or transgressing.

Casual wear, fetish-bondage wear, showy armor, scrounged armor.

Hard eyes, blank eyes, merciless eyes, dead eyes, or calculating eyes.

Huge body, muscular body, tall gangly body, wiry body, or obese body.


Stats

Choose one set:

Cool+1, Hard+2, Hot-1, Sharp=+1, Weird=0
Cool=0, Hard+2, Hot+1, Sharp-1, Weird+1
Cool=0, Hard+2, Hot-1, Sharp+2, Weird-1
Cool+1, Hard+2, Hot-1, Sharp=0, Weird+1


Basic Moves

You get all the basic moves.


Faceless Moves

Choose 3:

Pit Bull

Whenever you take a debility, name the person you hold most responsible. Take +1 ongoing to all rolls versus them, forever. (All rolls with them directly as a target count, of course. Rolls against their family and friends, minions, or property may count, in the MC's judgment. MCs, remember your job is to make Apocalypse World seem real and keep the characters' lives interesting, not deny the PCs bonuses.)

Rasputin

Shot, stabbed, and poisoned, you just keep coming. When you are being scary as fuck and coming at someone, you get +1-armor. You still get shot and stabbed, bleeding just doesn't bother you that much anymore.

Juggernaut

Take -2 on all "when you suffer harm" rolls.

Oh yeah!

Use +hard to smash your way through scenery to get to or away from something. 10+, the scenery moved or smashed and you get what you want. On a 7-9 you get what you want and smash or move the scenery, but take 1-harm (ap), are disoriented and under fire in follow-up actions, leave something behind, or take something with you. Think smashing through walls or pushing through burned out husks of cars.

Scent of Blood

At the beginning of a session, roll +weird. On a 10+ hold 1+1. On a 7-9 hold 1. At any time, you or the MC can spend your hold to have you at the scene of a battle (a real battle, not intimate violence between a couple people). On a miss, the MC holds 1, and can spend it to have you there and pinned down.

Norman

You seek the advice of your mask. Roll +weird to see what it directs you to do. On a 10+ mark experience and take a +1 if you  do as your mask wishes. On a 7-9, take a +1 if you do what it wants and act under fire if you don't. On a miss, it has its own agenda and act under fire if you don't follow it.

As One

Attempts by other PCs to seize your mask by force, or to get you to remove or give away your mask by going aggro or seduction/manipulation, are at -2. NPCs will never succeed at unmasking you against your will unless you are completely at their mercy.


Gear

You get:
- 1 no-nonsense weapon
- fashion suitable to your look, including at your option a piece worth 1 or 2-armor (you detail
- oddments worth 1 barter

No-nonsense weapons (choose 1):
- magnum (3-harm close reload loud)
- smg (2-harm close area loud)
- sawed off (3-harm close reload messy)
- crowbar or club or bat (2-harm hand messy)
- machete or axe (3-harm hand messy)


Mask

Unmasked, you are (choose 2):
- Vulnerable. Whenever you suffer harm, you suffer +1harm.
- Grotesque. Every PC who sees you goes immediately to Hx+3 with you.
- Afraid. You take -1 ongoing until you cover your face again.
- Irresolute. When you inflict harm, inflict -1harm.
- Ashamed. You can't make any character moves that call for a roll.
- Powerless. Lose access to all your non-basic moves.

You also get:

The Unexpected. When someone sees you unmasked for the first time, they take S-harm, in addition to any other effects.

Choose its type: sports mask, gas mask, combat helmet, hood, balaclava, carved mask, fetish mask.

Choose its look: dusty, battered, painted, stained, or cracked.


Hx

Everyone introduces their character by name, look, and outlook.

List the other character's names.

Go around again for Hx. On your turn:
- One of the characters helped you do something terrible once. Tell that player Hx+2.
Tell everyone else Hx+1.

On the others' turns, choose one or both:
- One of them was once kind and unafraid towards you. Ignore what they tell you and write Hx+3.
- You think one of them is pretty. Add +1 to whatever number they tell you.

At the end, find the character with the highest Hx on your sheet. Ask that player which of your stats is most interesting and highlight it. The MC will have you highlight a second stat too.


Faceless Special

If you and another character have sex, you hold 1. If they get into shit, either you or they can spend it and you are there.


Faceless Improvement

Whenever you roll a highlighted stat, and whenever you reset your Hx with someone, mark an experience circle. When you mark the 5th, improve and erase.

Each time you improve, choose one of the following. Check it off, you can't choose it again.
__ get +1hot (max +2)
__ get +1sharp (max +2)
__ get +1weird (max +2)
__ get a new faceless move
__ get a new faceless move
__ get 2 gigs (detail) and moonlighting
__ get a gang (detail) and pack alpha
__ get a move from another playbook
__ get a move from another playbook


Barter

If you're charging someone wealthy for your services, 1-barter is the going rate for one act of murder, extortion, or other violence; one week's employment as bodyguard or gang leader; one month's employment as thug-on-hand; one threat delivered; one convoy guarded through hostile territory; one month's physical labor requiring your strength and size.
Tupacalypse World

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2010, 11:05:33 AM »
I miss the original Pit Bull a bit, that was Darth Vader-cool. Couldn't it be a free move that doesn't take the place of any of the more useful ones? I don't think it's overpowered, since it only gets used when the character leaves play.

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Bret

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #23 on: June 24, 2010, 11:07:24 AM »
Maybe it could be an extra to go along with the new Pitbull? Like you get both. I don't think that would be ridiculously powerful since in both cases you're taking some serious bad for the bennies.
Tupacalypse World

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2010, 05:33:44 PM »
Well, the way I could see it going down would be:

"Okay, the emperor unleashes force lightning on you. That's, uh, 3-harm AP. What does that put you at?"

"Dead. Damn! I guess I'm taking broken to go along with my disfigured. And then seizing his ass by force! I lunge at him, full of hate and spite! And the need to save my son, I guess."

"You know that'll cause him to fight back, right? Even if you choose take little harm, that'll kill you. Again."

"Well, if I get definite hold, I can take him down the shaft with me, yeah?"

"Sweet, roll it, and don't forget your now +2 bonus."

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Ariel

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2010, 02:34:51 AM »
Add:

Beastly +1hard (max +3)

And I think it's balanced and ready to go!

This is hot!

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Bret

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #26 on: June 25, 2010, 11:28:39 AM »
Oh, yes. He definitely needs a move like that. Thanks Nathan! I'll reassamble. Maybe eventually we can get an official-looking playbook together for him (or her) too.
Tupacalypse World

Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #27 on: June 25, 2010, 11:35:07 AM »
Bret - IF YOU ARE THE SAME BRET AT NERDNYC

We should totally include this playbook as an option in the upcoming game.

If nobody picks it, then I will. And then you can dedicate a plaza to me or something.
"I don't care what Wilson says." -- some slanderous bastard on the internet

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Bret

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #28 on: June 25, 2010, 11:42:12 AM »
I thought you knew it was me this whole time!

I would be tentatively willing to do that. Though I am virtually neurotic about playing games by-the-book, no hacks, etc. on my very first ever campaign of something.
Tupacalypse World

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lumpley

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Re: Playbook: Faceless
« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2010, 11:50:03 AM »
Hey Bret, I'm looking for a limited-edition character playbook to bring to GenCon, like early adopters get the Maestro D'. Would you be willing to let me illustrate the faceless book, lay it out, print it, and give it away to people? You'd get full credit, of course, and I'd send you some copies, and you'd be in charge of distributing the PDFs or keeping them secret or whatever you choose.

What do you think?

-Vincent