Thief’s flexible morals and imperfect knowledge.
The flexible morals move is fascinating to me, because of the implications that it gives all the other players and the GM imperfect knowledge about the thief. I love the idea that either nothing can tell what the thief’s real alignment is, or that the thief just changes their morality to the currently most convenient.
Examples of flexible morals being used in interesting ways:
Paladin “I am dubious of the thief’s motivations. What alignment are they?”
GM “thief?”
Thief “oh, I’m good of course! You can trust me buddy!”
GM “the cursed bow glows with a ruby malice, only someone truly evil may wield it.”
Thief “I shall bear this burden, it shall not blacken my already black soul.”
GM “the silver angel stands before you at the gates of heaven. It says that only those who carry law in their hearts may enter. Cleric, you’re lawful, right?”
Thief “I’m lawful too, let me pass!”
GM “end of session move! Who met the conditions of their alignment or drive??”
Thief “I recall when I tricked the goblin town into thinking the bard stole their crown, and since my alignment is…. Evil, I’ll take an XP.”
That last one doesn’t fit the trigger of flexible morals, so I’m not sure that’s a legal use of the move.
True, Alfred Rudzki in order for it to be legal, the GM would need to ask the thief what their alignment is for the purpose of marking XP.
mmm I don’t think so. The thief has an alignment. If in game someone tries to detect it, then the player of the thief can tell them wathever he pleases. But if it’s the GM asking, as in the person around the table that plays as a GM, not a NPC… then the player should tell the GM the true alignment of the thief. And of course the GM is not asking on the behalf of some NPCs, so in the game world, still no one knows. But at the “table level” of narrative, the thief only marks experience in one way when it comes to alignment: following it, like everyone else.
hat’s certainly one interpretation, but the name of the move, ‘flexible morals’ seems to suggest that the thief changes their morality to suit their situation.
I was thinking about that the other day.
If the thief can lie his/her aligment, why not lie to get the 1xp from alignment at the end of the session? It doesn’t seem so much to me, and the fun factor might be a good trade.
Maybe create an advanced move for that?
That’s the correct interpretation, I’d say, because the name of the move is mostly irrelevant. The triggering text says “when someone tries to detect your alignment…” No one is detecting alignment when XP is being handed out, since players award XP themselves following the End of Session questionnaire.
I wouldn’t judge a move by its name, but by its description 😉
One thing though, it’s not DM who hands out XP for the session result. It’s something player does on his own.