stveje
2020-06-04, 12:55 PM
I've had the idea for an Apocalypse World-style game for a long time. At first, my concept was a vague "AW but epic fantasy à la LotR and OotS" which was hard to translate into anything concrete or useful. Eventually I had an epiphany of what it was I was actually looking for: not epic fantasy, at least not necessarily, but a certain kind of story that we all know and which exists in many genres.
I've been sitting on this for way too long, never getting much further. I could keep tweaking and trying to finish it on my own, but I think it's time to get some outside help in fleshing it out. I'm pretty happy with my overall vision, but the details need fine-tuning and expanding, and I need at least a few more playbooks.
Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
DARK TIMES
Call For Desperate Acts of Heroism
Apocalypse World, but instead of the post-apocalypse it's the apocalypse itself.
First Principles
Everything must flow from first principles. The stories we aim to tell with this game may be very different, but they share certain defining characteristics. They are the great heroic epics like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or even the last book of Harry Potter — stories where a small group of unlikely heroes defy overwhelming odds to save the world from a Great Evil — or the zombie horror genre, where a small group of survivors face ever-present danger and swiftly dwindling hope that a cure may be found. Our stories are as likely to end in despair and defeat as in epic victory; what's important is the struggle itself.
Thus, our five core principles:
There is a single great Enemy. While the heroes may have to face many challenges and many foes along the way, there is a single constant threat looming over their lives which affects all of them and which cannot be ignored. It may be an enemy in the traditional sense or something more nebulous, but it and its effects upon the world are (or will soon become) undeniable, and it must be overcome if there is to be any hope of a brighter future, or even a future at all. It is the single driving force of the entire story, a constant imperative to move fast, and to move hard.
The Enemy is overwhelming. No one can stand face-to-face against the Enemy or the full strength of its forces for long. Even the greatest armies can only hope to buy themselves and their allies some time: a short reprieve or a desperate chance to act. No true or lasting victory can come from facing the Enemy or its forces upon the battlefield.
The Enemy is everywhere. Nowhere is safe for long, and no one should think themselves beneath the Enemy's notice. As the saying goes, you can run but you cannot hide. Even the strongest fortress must fall before a concerted attack by the Enemy, and even the most well-hidden sanctuary must become known in time. Staying on the move is not just sound advice, it is the only hope you have of staying alive in the long run.
Victory only comes through sacrifice is a consequence of the second principle. It means that, if the heroes lost nothing to gain their victory, the Enemy was never a real threat to begin with. Embrace loss and sacrifice along the way. Accept it as the price of your victory.
Time is short. If nothing is done, before long the Enemy will be victorious, and all hope will be well and truly lost. Whatever is to be done, it must be done now, while there is still time. Desperate acts, with only a fool's hope of success, may be called for.
Basic Moves
Make Your Stand: When the final hour has arrived and the horn is blown, when you stand before the enemy and do not flee, roll+Fate. You may always Give your Life in Battle to get the results of a 12+, even if you have not advanced this move. On a hit you hold your ground just long enough, creating an opportunity or an opening for someone else, or you push the Enemy back for a short reprieve. On a 7-9, you face a Trial as the battle takes its toll.
On a miss, your forces suffer a Blow.
Advanced: On a 12+, the Enemy's forces suffer a Blow.
Fall Back: You can run, but you cannot hide. When you fall back or run away from the enemy, roll+Fate. On a hit, pick one:
You buy yourself some time: a short reprieve or a chance to prepare.
You lead the Enemy away from others.
On a 10+, you take +1 forward: you cannot run forever, but at least now you're prepared for what you must face.
Advanced: On a 12+, turns out you really can hide, at least this once: The Enemy passes you by, none the wiser.
Play with Fire: When you play with fire, expect someone to get burnt. When you attempt something dangerous and heroic, or when you dig in to endure the fire, roll+Fate. On a 10+, you do it, and no one gets burnt. On a 7-9, you do it, but someone gets burnt and faces a Trial for it. If someone other than you gets burnt for your act of daring, they know who to blame. If it's another PC, they take +1 Hx with you.
Advanced: Not only do you do it without getting burnt, an enemy of your choice gets to feel the fire instead.
Lash Out: When you lash out at someone with violence or threats of violence, roll+Might. On a hit, you may give them the option to cave and do as you want. If you don't, or if they refuse, immediately exchange harm.
On a 7–9, they may instead choose one:
Get the hell out of your way.
Barricade themselves securely in.
Advanced: On a 12+, they cave and do as you want, or they face a Trial.
Take Hold: When you try to take or keep hold of something by force, roll+Might. On a hit, you seize or hold on to it. On a 10+, it's your choice whether to exchange harm or not. On a 7-9, exchange harm.
Advanced: On a 12+, you also impress, dismay, or frighten them, regardless of whether harm was exchanged.
Make Believe: When you try to Make Someone Believe something, whether through trickery, illusion, lies, or simply speaking the truth, roll+Wiles. On a 10+, they believe it, but their reaction is their own. On a 7-9, they need some concrete assurance, corroboration, or evidence before they believe it.
Advanced: On a 12+, if an NPC, they not only believe you, they react exactly how you want.
Pull Strings: When you Pull Strings to get something you want, first specify what those strings are, then roll+Wiles. You may spend Barter one for one to add to your roll, for a maximum total of +3. On a 10+, it's yours. On a 7-9, the MC chooses one:
It will cost you one Barter, in addition to any you already spent.
You can have it, but it comes with strings of its own attached.
You don't get it, but you find someone who can help you get it.
You can get something pretty close, but not quite.
Advanced: On a 12+, you get more than you asked for.
Study Another: When you take time to Study Another, roll+Wiles. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
Is the character telling the truth?
What is the character really feeling?
What does the character intend to do?
What does the character wish I'd do?
How could I get the character to ___?
On a miss, ask 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.
Advanced: On a 12+, you also learn a secret from them.
Sniff the Air: When you stop to Sniff the Air, roll+Instinct. On a hit, you can ask the MC questions. Whenever you act on one of the MC's answers, take +1. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
How close is the Enemy?
Where's my best escape route / way in / way past?
Which enemy is most vulnerable?
Which enemy is the biggest threat right now?
What should I be on the lookout for?
Who's in control here?
On a miss, ask 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.
Advanced: On a 12+, you can ask a single question of your own.
Go to Ground: When you Go to Ground, roll+Instinct. On a hit, you've gone to ground and are safe, for the night. You cannot leave until morning or stay any longer than that lest the Enemy finds you. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose one.
The Darkness whispers its secrets to you. It may be confusing and alarming.
You can still watch and hear what's happening outside.
You can re-emerge in a different place altogether.
You can bring others in and out with you.
You alleviate a Trial you are facing.
Advanced: On a 12+, you find something or someone in the Dark ...
Peripheral Moves
Help or Interfere: When you help or interfere with someone who's making a roll, roll+Hx with them. On a 10+, they take +2 (help) or -2 (interfere) to their roll. On a 7–9, they take +1 (help) or -1 (interfere) to their roll.
Exchanging Harm: When two parties come to blows, each compares their Harm to the other's Armor. If the Harm is greater, the defender suffers harm: a difference of 1 is minor injury, not serious enough to be a Trial but bad enough to be felt by the character (roleplay as you like); on a 2-3 difference, the character faces a Trial, or an existing Trial worsens; on a 4+ difference, they suffer an immediate Blow.
Whether or not a character suffers harm, the MC can optionally pick one:
It seems worse to you than it really is.
You lose your footing.
You lose your grip on something you're holding.
You lose track of someone or something you're attending to.
You miss noticing something important.
Trials and Blows
Throughout the story, characters may face Trials and suffer Blows. These help to drive the story and create interesting and meaningful consequences to your actions. They replace the usual tracking of Harm.
A Trial is something the character must face, endure, and overcome beyond the current scene. Moment-to-moment changes of fortune within a scene are not Trials. Though it can be overcome, a Trial will likely leave lasting scars that may haunt the character for the rest of their life. The alternative to overcoming a Trial is to succumb or give up.
If a character fails to overcome their Trial, or if certain dramatic scenes turn irrevocably bad, they may suffer a Blow. A Blow is immediate and permanent, a done deal: you lose a battle, there's no changing that, no going back, you can only endeavor to win the next one, provided you live.
In telling our stories, we aren't concerned with details like hit points and damage. When Frodo gets stabbed by the Morgul blade, we aren't concerned with bookkeeping the exact amount of damage he takes, or how much it heals over time. We're only interested in the story of the trial he faces, the pain he endures, his struggle against the evil spreading within his blood, and the lasting effects the ordeal has on him.
If it isn't big enough to be a story, or important enough to tell that story, it isn't worth keeping track of. Your character can get wounded in a fight, but it isn't always worth dwelling on too long. Sometimes your character just grits their teeth and moves on with the real story.
Playbooks
The Sovereign (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24544993&postcount=2)
The Wizard (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24544994&postcount=3)
I've been sitting on this for way too long, never getting much further. I could keep tweaking and trying to finish it on my own, but I think it's time to get some outside help in fleshing it out. I'm pretty happy with my overall vision, but the details need fine-tuning and expanding, and I need at least a few more playbooks.
Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
DARK TIMES
Call For Desperate Acts of Heroism
Apocalypse World, but instead of the post-apocalypse it's the apocalypse itself.
First Principles
Everything must flow from first principles. The stories we aim to tell with this game may be very different, but they share certain defining characteristics. They are the great heroic epics like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or even the last book of Harry Potter — stories where a small group of unlikely heroes defy overwhelming odds to save the world from a Great Evil — or the zombie horror genre, where a small group of survivors face ever-present danger and swiftly dwindling hope that a cure may be found. Our stories are as likely to end in despair and defeat as in epic victory; what's important is the struggle itself.
Thus, our five core principles:
There is a single great Enemy. While the heroes may have to face many challenges and many foes along the way, there is a single constant threat looming over their lives which affects all of them and which cannot be ignored. It may be an enemy in the traditional sense or something more nebulous, but it and its effects upon the world are (or will soon become) undeniable, and it must be overcome if there is to be any hope of a brighter future, or even a future at all. It is the single driving force of the entire story, a constant imperative to move fast, and to move hard.
The Enemy is overwhelming. No one can stand face-to-face against the Enemy or the full strength of its forces for long. Even the greatest armies can only hope to buy themselves and their allies some time: a short reprieve or a desperate chance to act. No true or lasting victory can come from facing the Enemy or its forces upon the battlefield.
The Enemy is everywhere. Nowhere is safe for long, and no one should think themselves beneath the Enemy's notice. As the saying goes, you can run but you cannot hide. Even the strongest fortress must fall before a concerted attack by the Enemy, and even the most well-hidden sanctuary must become known in time. Staying on the move is not just sound advice, it is the only hope you have of staying alive in the long run.
Victory only comes through sacrifice is a consequence of the second principle. It means that, if the heroes lost nothing to gain their victory, the Enemy was never a real threat to begin with. Embrace loss and sacrifice along the way. Accept it as the price of your victory.
Time is short. If nothing is done, before long the Enemy will be victorious, and all hope will be well and truly lost. Whatever is to be done, it must be done now, while there is still time. Desperate acts, with only a fool's hope of success, may be called for.
Basic Moves
Make Your Stand: When the final hour has arrived and the horn is blown, when you stand before the enemy and do not flee, roll+Fate. You may always Give your Life in Battle to get the results of a 12+, even if you have not advanced this move. On a hit you hold your ground just long enough, creating an opportunity or an opening for someone else, or you push the Enemy back for a short reprieve. On a 7-9, you face a Trial as the battle takes its toll.
On a miss, your forces suffer a Blow.
Advanced: On a 12+, the Enemy's forces suffer a Blow.
Fall Back: You can run, but you cannot hide. When you fall back or run away from the enemy, roll+Fate. On a hit, pick one:
You buy yourself some time: a short reprieve or a chance to prepare.
You lead the Enemy away from others.
On a 10+, you take +1 forward: you cannot run forever, but at least now you're prepared for what you must face.
Advanced: On a 12+, turns out you really can hide, at least this once: The Enemy passes you by, none the wiser.
Play with Fire: When you play with fire, expect someone to get burnt. When you attempt something dangerous and heroic, or when you dig in to endure the fire, roll+Fate. On a 10+, you do it, and no one gets burnt. On a 7-9, you do it, but someone gets burnt and faces a Trial for it. If someone other than you gets burnt for your act of daring, they know who to blame. If it's another PC, they take +1 Hx with you.
Advanced: Not only do you do it without getting burnt, an enemy of your choice gets to feel the fire instead.
Lash Out: When you lash out at someone with violence or threats of violence, roll+Might. On a hit, you may give them the option to cave and do as you want. If you don't, or if they refuse, immediately exchange harm.
On a 7–9, they may instead choose one:
Get the hell out of your way.
Barricade themselves securely in.
Advanced: On a 12+, they cave and do as you want, or they face a Trial.
Take Hold: When you try to take or keep hold of something by force, roll+Might. On a hit, you seize or hold on to it. On a 10+, it's your choice whether to exchange harm or not. On a 7-9, exchange harm.
Advanced: On a 12+, you also impress, dismay, or frighten them, regardless of whether harm was exchanged.
Make Believe: When you try to Make Someone Believe something, whether through trickery, illusion, lies, or simply speaking the truth, roll+Wiles. On a 10+, they believe it, but their reaction is their own. On a 7-9, they need some concrete assurance, corroboration, or evidence before they believe it.
Advanced: On a 12+, if an NPC, they not only believe you, they react exactly how you want.
Pull Strings: When you Pull Strings to get something you want, first specify what those strings are, then roll+Wiles. You may spend Barter one for one to add to your roll, for a maximum total of +3. On a 10+, it's yours. On a 7-9, the MC chooses one:
It will cost you one Barter, in addition to any you already spent.
You can have it, but it comes with strings of its own attached.
You don't get it, but you find someone who can help you get it.
You can get something pretty close, but not quite.
Advanced: On a 12+, you get more than you asked for.
Study Another: When you take time to Study Another, roll+Wiles. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
Is the character telling the truth?
What is the character really feeling?
What does the character intend to do?
What does the character wish I'd do?
How could I get the character to ___?
On a miss, ask 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.
Advanced: On a 12+, you also learn a secret from them.
Sniff the Air: When you stop to Sniff the Air, roll+Instinct. On a hit, you can ask the MC questions. Whenever you act on one of the MC's answers, take +1. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
How close is the Enemy?
Where's my best escape route / way in / way past?
Which enemy is most vulnerable?
Which enemy is the biggest threat right now?
What should I be on the lookout for?
Who's in control here?
On a miss, ask 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.
Advanced: On a 12+, you can ask a single question of your own.
Go to Ground: When you Go to Ground, roll+Instinct. On a hit, you've gone to ground and are safe, for the night. You cannot leave until morning or stay any longer than that lest the Enemy finds you. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose one.
The Darkness whispers its secrets to you. It may be confusing and alarming.
You can still watch and hear what's happening outside.
You can re-emerge in a different place altogether.
You can bring others in and out with you.
You alleviate a Trial you are facing.
Advanced: On a 12+, you find something or someone in the Dark ...
Peripheral Moves
Help or Interfere: When you help or interfere with someone who's making a roll, roll+Hx with them. On a 10+, they take +2 (help) or -2 (interfere) to their roll. On a 7–9, they take +1 (help) or -1 (interfere) to their roll.
Exchanging Harm: When two parties come to blows, each compares their Harm to the other's Armor. If the Harm is greater, the defender suffers harm: a difference of 1 is minor injury, not serious enough to be a Trial but bad enough to be felt by the character (roleplay as you like); on a 2-3 difference, the character faces a Trial, or an existing Trial worsens; on a 4+ difference, they suffer an immediate Blow.
Whether or not a character suffers harm, the MC can optionally pick one:
It seems worse to you than it really is.
You lose your footing.
You lose your grip on something you're holding.
You lose track of someone or something you're attending to.
You miss noticing something important.
Trials and Blows
Throughout the story, characters may face Trials and suffer Blows. These help to drive the story and create interesting and meaningful consequences to your actions. They replace the usual tracking of Harm.
A Trial is something the character must face, endure, and overcome beyond the current scene. Moment-to-moment changes of fortune within a scene are not Trials. Though it can be overcome, a Trial will likely leave lasting scars that may haunt the character for the rest of their life. The alternative to overcoming a Trial is to succumb or give up.
If a character fails to overcome their Trial, or if certain dramatic scenes turn irrevocably bad, they may suffer a Blow. A Blow is immediate and permanent, a done deal: you lose a battle, there's no changing that, no going back, you can only endeavor to win the next one, provided you live.
In telling our stories, we aren't concerned with details like hit points and damage. When Frodo gets stabbed by the Morgul blade, we aren't concerned with bookkeeping the exact amount of damage he takes, or how much it heals over time. We're only interested in the story of the trial he faces, the pain he endures, his struggle against the evil spreading within his blood, and the lasting effects the ordeal has on him.
If it isn't big enough to be a story, or important enough to tell that story, it isn't worth keeping track of. Your character can get wounded in a fight, but it isn't always worth dwelling on too long. Sometimes your character just grits their teeth and moves on with the real story.
Playbooks
The Sovereign (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24544993&postcount=2)
The Wizard (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24544994&postcount=3)