PbtA Moves as Special Abilities

 Two for Tuesday? That is my goal today. I took a break from writing yesterday. It was a tough day at work, and I just wanted to relax and watch DRX in the LCK. So I am hoping to write a post this morning, as well as, one tonight.

Last night, after I finished watching DRX get trounced by T1, I stumbled across something that got me thinking about using PbtA moves as special abilities.

For the general rule set I am trying to build, I want skills to be very specific. In the end, I want them to be your link to your contacts and supplies. This is of course outside of defining what your character can do and not do. 

On the other hand, I want the Abilities to be a bit more narrow. I had a list of abilities in the Dwindle Class and Ability post, but maybe those abilities need some work.

Blades in the Dark is as close to PbtA as I have come. But what I was reading last night, kinda opened my eyes to the move system. From my understanding, a move needs a trigger, I'm guessing this can be internal and external, and should define what sort of outcome you will create. There was a lot of stuff about the Conversation about the narrative. 

So I did some searching for "Basic Moves" hoping to find a compiled list. I know that part of what makes PbtA cool is the naming and reskinning of moves to fit the playbooks and setting. So I know there is no definitive list, but I wanted a general list of suggestions.

From my searching, I found that the 5 most basic moves are roughly:

• Cause Harm: Wherein you hurt someone or something. I guess it is triggered when you want to break someone or something? I want the treasure. The goblin doesn't want me to have it. I stab the goblin.
• Manipulate: Wherein you cause someone or something to do what you want. Triggered when your wants contradict another's wants. I want to go to the movies, my wife wants to go to the park. I Manipulate her to get her to go.
• Avoid Harm: Wherein you do something physically to avoid being hurt. Triggered when something has the potential to hurt you. The goblin tries to hamstring me. I don't want to be hamstrung. I Avoid Harm to jump away from it's knife.
• Remain Cool: Wherein you steady yourself mentally/emotionally to avoid being manipulated. My director tries to guilt me into working unpaid overtime. I want to get paid for my work. I Remain Cool to have a rational conversation about why I should be compensated somehow for my work.
• Notice: Wherein you are able to get information from the GM. I am sitting on the subway minding my own business. But something seems off. I want to Notice if there is anything amiss. 

So what I am wondering is if these 5 Moves will be enough to create a myriad of Abilities by combining with the Classes from Dwindle, or the Affinities from GoA.

Let's do Classes first. The internet gives me: "PENSIVE HALF-ELF WARLOCK FROM LADY MARIGOLD'S DANCE ACADEMY WHO CARRIES A CRYPTIC TREASURE MAP THEY WON IN A TAVERN BET." Sorry for the shouting. It was the internet.

• Warlock + Cause Harm: I'll call a Heinrich the Imp he will attack my target and cause damage.
• Warlock + Manipulate: I summon Terry, an incubus. He leashes my target making them think they know me.
• Warlock + Avoid Harm: I summon Struddle the Big. He pops up in front of what would cause me harm and takes the blow for me.
• Warlock + Keep Cool: I pull a writhing working from my pocket and eat it. The mild euphoria let's me weather bad vibes.
• Warlock + Notice: I summon Gary the Eye. He has true sight and sends the image to my brain.

That works well. Maybe something more sci-fi. "Rat, he's an energetic Human Rigger from London who takes stupid bets for small amounts of money while on runs.. "

• Rigger + cause harm: I release a bopbot, a little toy looking not that riddles up to the target and explodes.
• Rigger + manipulate: I use my hacking fu to get into any bot's system and cause it to take an action.
• Rigger + Avoid Harm: I have a prototype shield that stops energy attacks.
• Rigger + Keep cool: I have a hormone implant that helps me pumped with adderall and serotonin.
• Rigger + Notice: Scope drone that flies above the scene feeding me details.

Time for my commute.More to come late!