Dumb Question time. I am really having trouble with some of the monster moves and how to utilize them as a GM when they are brought into play, hoping some of the bright and smart folks in this community can either point me to some discussion that has already taken place or enlighten me so I can get full power of this system.
Take the monster that is being developed in the side bar on pg 225. It has the terrifying tag and the move “show the true face of death”. When do I use this move? Assuming when either someone flubs a roll really bad from one their moves? Or set it up as a soft move, and then when they hand me the opportunity carry though? But how do I use it in the fiction! Do I penalize the players some way like a modifier or something or do I simply describe that they see the true face of death, it causes chills down your spine, you find your body frozen in terror, what do you do? ( nothing? They are frozen in terrors?) or do I turn to another player and ask what they do? Telling them the spirit looks like they are going to be reaching into the first players heart. Or do I offer a consequence like – you see the face of death you can either run away abandoning your comrades and be branded a coward (new bond?) or do you freeze in the face of death to be judged – take a -1 forward for the rest of the scene.
I am struggling with the non damage moves, and the non mess up their weapons or stuff moves. I revert back to putting in modifers and it feels flat like I am not moving the story forward just using up their resources (either HP or stuff or abilities) or just modifying their chances in rolls.
Anyone have some good examples to unlearn what I have learned through 25 years of initiative based trading blows with qewl pewerz mixed in.
“The wraith grips your throat, and your vision dims. A beautiful vista shimmers before you, it’s paradise!” The apparition of eternal happiness beyond the black gates beckons you, urges you to let go of he pain that is life. What do you do?”
“It’s hood falls back, revealing putrid skin tautly pulled across yellow bone. A deathly light gleams from its empty sockets and gaping, jawless maw. Terror chills your spine as you look upon the true face of death, your fate should you fail. You’ll have to overcome your fear before you can even approach it!”
“Your dreams are haunted by spectral images of dead people slowly marching towards a massive, free-standing archway made of obsidian that towers tens of meters into the eerily glowing mist. Next to the gate stands a tall, thin robed figure. As you approach, the hood of it’s robe turns towards you. You see something horrifying in the shadows of the hood; inevitability.”
The non-damage moves give you great non-combat opportunities to make your monsters more than a stat block and really bring them to life – or un-life!
You use monster moves just like normal GM moves. Use them when you get a golden opportunity or when players are looking at you to do something.
Good suggestions from Adrian Thoen. The kinds of terrors he describes are the first things you should think about. The important question is: How scary is the “true face of death” to you? How can you make the players feel your fear?
After you’ve sufficiently scared the players with your evocative storytelling, then you can be as soft or hard as you like with other penalties. A soft setup for something horrible is fitting. A hard move that assigns a Stunned or Shaky or Confused debility also makes sense. I think your rough idea above also works: “Okay PC, you’ve just seen the most horrible thing you can imagine. You can either run for it, swoon, or stand and drool as this creature towers over you in judgment.”