Apocalypse World: Guide to Hard Moves
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I keep seeing some people struggle with this, so here's a handy guide to hard moves in Apocalypse World.When you make a regular MC move, all three:
1. It follows logically from the fiction.
2. It gives the player an opportunity to react.
3. It sets you up for a future harder move.
This means, say what happens but stop before the effect, then ask "What do you do?"
- He swings the chainsaw right at your head. What do you do?
- You sneak into the garage but there's Plover right there, about to notice you any second now. What do you do?
- She stares at you coldly. 'Leave me alone,' she says. What do you do?
When you make a hard MC move, both:
1. It follows logically from the fiction.
2. It's irrevocable.
This means, say what happens, including the effect, then ask "What do you do?"
- The chainsaw bites into your face, spraying chunks of bloody flesh all over the room. 3-harm and make the harm move!
- Plover sees you and starts yelling like mad. Intruder!
- 'Don't come back here again.' She slams the door in your face and you hear the locks click home.
See how that works? The regular move sets up the hard move. The hard move follows through on the threat established by the regular move.
I've seen people struggle with hard moves in the moment. Like, when the dice miss, the MC stares at it like, "Crap! Now I have to invent something! Better make it dangerous and cool! Uh... some ninja... drop out of the ceiling... with poison knives! Grah!"
Don't do that. Instead, when it's time for a hard move, look back at the setup move(s) you made. What was threatened? What was about to happen, before the PC took action? Follow through on that. Bring the effects on screen. Bring the consequences to fruition.
And speaking of consequences, a hard move doesn't automatically equate to severe consequences. The severity of the threat is a separate issue, depending wholly on the fiction as established. The hard move means the consequences, large or small, take full effect now.
It's not about being mean, or punishing a missed roll, or inventing new trouble. It's about giving the fiction its full expression. Setup, follow-through. Action, consequences.
Labels: apocalypse world
The Regiment: Elements
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Paul and I are still working hard on THE REGIMENT. We had planned on a Q1 release originally, but have since decided to take more time with it and do another round of playtesting instead. Here's another teaser PDF for you in the mean time.
FAQ answer: It's an Apocalypse World add-on, not a stand alone game. You might think of it as a specific kind of apocalypse (one in which WWII never ended, and has consumed the globe) with new playbooks and moves to suit. Sort of like an AW playset, in a way.
(UPDATE: There was a typo and one of the moves needed tweaking, so I uploaded a new version of the PDF.)
Labels: apocalypse world, hack, regiment
OPERATION: BLACKBIRD
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
How about some ultra-mod spy action in a Lady Blackbird hack? Here it is, courtesy of Andy Blanchard:OPERATION: BLACKBIRD... the mission name conceived by the nations of the world to combat the evil machinations of the villainous international organization known as B.E.D.L.A.M.
The world's top secret agents have been gathered together to stop B.E.D.L.A.M.'s latest plot to extort the world for its own nefarious ends. They intend to use their newest secret weapon, which they have dubbed the Ultra-Lazer Cannon, to destroy a world landmark every week until their vile demands are met!
WILL THE WORLD'S BEST SECRET AGENTS BE ABLE TO PUT ASIDE THEIR NATURAL DISTRUST AND DISLIKE OF ONE ANOTHER TO STOP THEM?
WILL THEY DESTROY THE ULTRA-LAZER CANNON?
OR WILL THE EVIL CUNNING OF B.E.D.L.A.M. BE MORE THAN THEY CAN HANDLE?
Check it out here!
Labels: hack, lady blackbird