The Hard Move

Meghan Dornbrock and I explore the shadow-filled world of The Watch and look at how the move Blow Off Steam gives deep meaning to downtime. This move mechanically helps you reduce Weary and gain Camaraderie, two tracks that determine how strung out or connected your character is. Narratively this move helps give guidance and importance to downtime activities that might otherwise go overlooked. For the GM, we talk about how giving control of the story to the players in these moments can pay off big. 

You can follow Meghan on Twitter at twitter.com/meglish and visit her website at meglish.com 

Content featured in this episode is from The Watch by Anna Kreider and Andrew Medeiros. For more information, visit peachpantspress.com 

Music is by Nick Gravelyn. You can find more of his work at nickgravelyn.com 

You can follow the show on Twitter at twitter.com/thehardmove 

Please consider subscribing to The Hard Move on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice.

Adam West and I get hot and heavy as we discuss the move Turn Someone On from the game Monsterhearts 2. This move is at the core of Monsterhearts gameplay and mechanically powers Strings, the economy of relationships used to power other moves in the game. We also talk about how this move narratively opens up limitless doors to explore teenage sexuality and identity as well as tips for how GMs can support such deep character exploration. 

You can follow Adam on Twitter at twitter.com/hoobuk and check out his actual plays at happyjacks.org 

Content featured in this episode is from the game Monsterhearts 2 by Avery Alder. You can find out more about this game at buriedwithoutceremony.com 

Music is by Nick Gravelyn. You can find more of his work at nickgravelyn.com 

You can follow the show on Twitter at twitter.com/thehardmove

Brie Sheldon and I struggle with our inner beasts as we take a look at both Mind Your Manners and Be Understood from their game Turn. These moves represent how characters handle the instincts of their beast and human selves as they attempt to navigate their everyday lives. Mechanically these moves can contribute to Exposure, leading characters closer to being revealed as shapeshifters and provide a springboard for endless narrative opportunities. We also talk about the GM principles in Turn and how they contribute to addressing character struggles. 

You can follow Brie on Twitter at twitter.com/thoughtygames and visit their website at briecs.com 

Content featured in this episode is from the game Turn by Brie Sheldon. You can learn more and back Turn on Kickstarter at tinyurl.com/TurnKS 

Music is by Nick Gravelyn. You can find more of his work at nickgravelyn.com 

You can follow the show on Twitter at twitter.com/thehardmove 

Please consider subscribing to The Hard Move on iTunes or your podcast platform of choice.

Jason Mills and I get into the move Burn from the Nova Playbook in the game Masks. We talk about the mechanical importance of this move as the only Playbook option for the Nova, how the choices made in this move are critical at driving the Nova’s narrative, and how the GM can grapple with the seemingly infinite possibilities of this move. 

You can follow Jason on Twitter at twitter.com/ItsProbablyOK and find out more about Happy Jacks RPG at happyjacks.org 

Content featured in this episode is from the game Masks by Brendan Conway. You can find out more about this game at magpiegames.com 

Music is by Nick Gravelyn. You can find more of his work at nickgravelyn.com 

You can follow the show on Twitter at twitter.com/thehardmove

Eric Lee and I break down the move Detachable Body Parts from the Constructed playbook in Monster of the Week. We talk about how deceptively simple the mechanics of this move are but how out of hand (or arm, or leg) this can get narratively. We also talk about how a GM can lean into the seemingly limitless power of this move to still create a tense and engaging story. 

You can follow Eric on Twitter at twitter.com/EricLeeeeeee and find out more about Table Tales on Twitter at twitter.com/OurTableTales 

Content featured in this episode is from the game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands. The Constructed Playbook was created by Reid San Filippo. You can find out more about this game at evilhat.com 

Music is by Nick Gravelyn. You can find more of his work at nickgravelyn.com 

You can follow the show on Twitter at twitter.com/thehardmove

Aabria Iyengar and I discuss the move Unleash Your Powers from Masks. We explore what this move means mechanically as a barely controlled burst of superpowers, what it means narratively as teens find untapped power they didn’t know they had, and how it contrasts with the adult move Wield Your Powers. We also talk about how open-ended this move is and some options the GM has to respond to this move. 

You can follow Aabria on Twitter twitter.com/quiddie and find out more about Happy Jacks Podcast at happyjacks.org 

Content featured in this episode is from the game Masks by Brendan Conway. You can find out more about this game at magpiegames.com 

Music is by Nick Gravelyn. You can find more of his work at nickgravelyn.com 

You can follow the show on Twitter twitter.com/TheHardMove