Crow’S Flats: SKYFALL

Crow’s Flats is a settlement sitting along the mud delta of the Slops, a slow and
stagnant river which pools at the top of an ancient, half-ruined dam.
This used to be an important place in the Golden Age, I figure: there are all kinds
of structures and buildings, concrete and twisted metal. All kinds of leftover
technology, too: rusted, broken, useless without electricity.

Now it’s a home to refugees from the wastes – been that way for as long as most can
remember. The Bargers were here first, settling in the ruins along the mud delta and
learning how to skin and eat the bony, meter-long mudfish with teeth like fused
blades that come to the surface if you sprinkle some meat or blood in the silt.

Then we built the Furnace: a giant hulking mass of rusted steel plates, rivets the
size of your head, and old pipes pulled from the dam. Some kind of gas comes out of
the ground, deep below, and we burn it in there – I suppose it’s a giant steam
engine of sorts, if you’re the kind to know what that is. The black smoke which
pours into the sky at all hours of the day is how people find us, I figure.
It drives a shaft to a sluice gate in the dam, which slowly drains the mudflats, or
Crow’s Flats would probably be flooded in no time. Just as importantly, it provides
us with food, in a way. We throw everything into it: old clothes, junk, the bodies
of the dead… and use what comes out as fertilizer. In the tunnels underneath, kept
warm by the heat of the Furnace, we grow the black fungus. It’s not great, but it’s
better than eating mudfish every day. Can’t grow much of anything elsewhere –
ground’s rotten and the rain ain’t much better, see – so we have to make do.
Oh, and then there’s the Cistern. In the cliffs just North of the town, there’s some
caves which give access to a giant tank of clean water. Marvelous! You can drink it
without getting sick, just like that. (Though who knows when it will run out?)
At night, the rain comes sometimes: black, inky with fine toner dust.

…something’s wrong.
Every morning you wake up and there’s a voice in your head.

Weird sounds, nonsense syllables, unintelligible. Not like any voice you’ve heard
before. But feels like it’s talking to you. Probably was there, going on and on, the
whole time you were dreaming, I figure.
We all got used to it; once you’re fully awake it fades away, as though it only
really talks to your subconscious mind.
But today – this morning – you wake up and there’s nothing there.
Silence.
Some people said they saw something fall from the sky during the night. That’s news,
I suppose. At least the voice is gone, though. I can’t decide whether it was driving
us all mad or if it was soothing, making us feel less alone. Both at once, maybe.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
The most important people in Crow’s Flats. (Later we’ll add the PCs, of course.)

Ambergrease A tough-as-nails enforcer.

Tip A youth with visions of unseen things.

The Butcher …who comes and goes with mysterious purpose.

Millions A hedonist who was amassed wealth ajingle, like nobody’s business.

Blind-blue A perversion of birth.

Dustwich The only one around who remembers the Golden Age.
Roles
Assign one role to each major NPC. Take turns, with the MC going last.

o The central figure of the Bargers, the largest family in Crow’s Flats.
o The one who controls access to the Cistern, the only clean water around.
o The one who operates and maintains the Furnace.
o Got their hands on pretty much all the weapons, as well as a handful of
vehicles.
o Is the most widely admired, respected, and loved person in Crow’s Flats.
o A major figure in the local cult.

Reputations
What do we know about them?
Take turns, again. Assign at least one to each NPC, and then keep going as you like.

Honourable; true to their word Owns slaves, trades in human lives

A cannibal Has everyone wrapped around their

little finger, somehow
Unusually gifted with “medical
procedures” Grotesque, enormous, misshapen

Untouched, unspoilt by the psychic Stunning, magnetic, desired

maelstrom: a pure soul
Visibly pregnant; to high public
anticipation
No great secret – thinks they should be
running the place
An addict, nearly unhinged

Once you’re done, chat a little: Who’s male, who’s female, who’s concealed or
transgressing? What do they look like? What do you think of them?

Finally, choose playbooks and make characters. They can choose someone from the list
on the previous page, or introduce a brand-new character as their PC.

Some Others
Tum Tum, Gnarly, Fleece, White, Lala, Bill, Crine, Mercer, Preen, Ik, Shan, Isle,
Ula, Joe’s Girl, Dremmer, Balls, Amy, Rufe, Jackabacka, Ba, Mice, Dog head, Hugo,
Roark, Monk, Pierre, Norvell, H, Omie Wise, Corbett, Jeanette, Rum, Peppering,
Matilda, Rothschild, Wisher, Partridge, Brace Win, Bar, Krin, Parcher, Grome,
Foster, Mill, Newton, Tao, Missed, III, Princy, East Harrow, Kettle, Putrid, Last,
Twice, Clarion, Abondo, Mimi, Fianelly, Pellet, Li, Harridan, Rice, Do, Winkle,
Fuse, Abacus, Lansing, Toyota, Russian
Love letters
You saw the meteor fall.
You saw where it went down, a searing streak of fire splitting the black sky. Who
else might have seen it? Not the best night to leave things unattended, but hell.
After a breathless race against an unknown competitor in the dark night, you arrive
at the site as the red dawn breaks.
Roll+cool. On a 10+, you’re in luck: all 3 are true. On a 7-9, choose 2.

• You got here first, with a little time to spare.

• You’re not alone: you brought a) an NPC of your choice, b) a PC of your choice
(with their permission), or c) your gang or followers with you. Say who or
which it is.
• You didn’t just fuck off, hare-brained. You locked the door behind you or left
someone you trust in charge: you’ve got things under control, and your enemies
won’t be able to make a move against you in your absence.
On a miss, choose 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.
Love,
Your MC

For the last few weeks, you’ve been doing your best to infiltrate someone’s inner circle.
Pick a character – a PC, NPC, or group of your choice. Have you managed to get close
to them, find some info, or dig your claws into them? Roll+sharp or roll+hot, your
choice which.
On a 10+, choose 3 from the list below. On a 7-9, choose 2.

• You seized an opportunity to get to them. You can make a move of your choice
from your playbook (including your Special, if you wish) against them, as
though you’d rolled 10+.
• You got some serious intelligence; the ins and outs, where they are, and what
they’re doing. Ask 3 questions from the “read a charged situation” list about
how they are set up.
• Someone close to them is terrified of you, in love with you, or owes you big
time (your choice).
• No one knows what you’ve been up to: it’s not public knowledge.

On a miss, choose 1 anyway, but they got you, somehow: as the game starts, you’re at
their mercy or in a bad spot, acting under fire.
Love,
Your MC
Someone’s out to kill you.
I’ve got a few questions for you.
Who is it? (Pick one of the major players in Crow’s Flats.)
What did you do to end up in this situation, anyway?
Do you think you can handle it, or are you shitting your pants just about now?
In either case, there are a few complications. Roll+cool or roll+sharp, your call.

On a 10+, choose 1 complication from the list below. On a 7-9, choose 2. On a miss,
choose 3.

• Most people around seem to think you deserve it. They’re unlikely to help.
• You are particularly vulnerable them right now, and they’re likely to take
advantage. How are you vulnerable or exposed?
• There is a person who is more dear to you than your own skin. Who is it? Well,
it looks bad: your enemy has just found out about them and where they are.
• Your enemy’s reach is long: you’re pretty sure they’ve turned some people
among your allies or lieutenants, so you can’t trust any of them right now.
Love,
Your MC

Something has gone terribly wrong, and… who’s gonna fix it? You, apparently.
Look at the major players of Crow’s Flats, and what they control, guard, or operate.
For one of these, the worst possible thing has just gone down. Tell us:

• How has it gone wrong? Someone murdered, something got blown up, or what?
• Who’s losing their shit about it? Everyone, or are some celebrating, instead?
• Who’s dead, as a result? Who’s about to die, if no one acts?
Can you handle this? Roll+cool. If you’ve been vocally and loudly promising to every
soul in Crow’s Flats that you’ve got this under control, say so (and make sure
everyone hears). If so, you’re prepared: tell the MC and she’ll give you a d6.
On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 2.

• You know who’s responsible for this, and where to find them.
• You acted fast: you’re right where you need to be, in the nick of time.
• You’ve got the parts, tools, supplies, or people you need on hand.
• Another major player in Crow’s Flats has pledged their support to you.
• The coast is clear: no third party’s actively trying to stop you.
On a miss, choose 2 anyway, but then, also: pick two you didn’t choose and tell us
why those are problems beyond your reckoning, enough to scare someone shitless.
Love,
Your MC
MCing SKYFAll
What’s really going on? It’s a bit mysterious. Ask yourself some questions, and
leave many unanswered as you go into play.

After the first session, start writing up threats and consider what the answers to
some of these questions might be.

Some Basic Ideas

The meteor is a satellite, fallen from orbit. Aboard are the remains of long-dead
astronauts or aliens, and one recently live one, in a medical pod (an auto-surgeon).
The crash finally killed it, or, if not, opening the pod will.

There is also a reactor, powered with glass tubes of a strange and noxious black
fluid, thick as ink. It’s not terribly stable; broken or overloaded, it could
explode as well as contaminate everything around for miles.

Either might be transportable. The reactor could power dormant technology, replace
the function of the Furnace, or activate water filtration systems on top of the mesa
which houses the Cistern.

The pod, on the other hand, is clearly a god-send. People will quickly learn (or
start to believe) that it has the potential to make someone possessing it immortal.
Everyone powerful will want it after that.

Unlike some AW settings, not everyone walks around armed to the teeth. Firearms are
fairly rare and ammunition is expensive - more likely common folks aiming to fight
might carry around a tire iron or a machete.

Relationship Mapping
Before playing, the MC needs to make a relationship map for the factions/NPCs, and
make it messy. Combining that with the NPCs the players end up creating for you will
make for an unstable and unpredictable situation. You’ll be able to then explore the
implications all together once you start playing.

Some examples, for inspiration (or to use, straight up):

* Some major NPC is secretly part of the cult, and doesn’t want it known.

* Someone was recently killed at the Cistern, and thrown in the water. That someone
was also an important relative, child, or lover of a major NPC. If they find out,
they will not hold back when it comes to retribution.

* Whoever is running the Furnace is addicted to psychic mind-fuckery being provided

to them by Blind-blue. If they stop seeing Blind-blue, they will go into withdrawal
and die.
* The Butcher is providing ammo to whoever has most of the weapons. A group of
people are pulling pipes out of the Furnace under the Butcher’s orders and smelting
them down to make cartridges. Of course, they're sabotaging the Furnace in the
process - it may be on the verge of breakdown.

* The Bargers want all weapons dismantled or buried under ground, and not allowed
into Crow’s Flats anymore. Some of them are training to fight with sharpened wooden
stakes. Of course, the smartest among them have their own hidden stash of arms, and
are collecting more when the opportunity strikes. If they succeed, their takeover
will be unstoppable.

Introducing the PCs

Once you’re ready to start, ask the players what their characters think of the NPCs.
Have a good chat about it, and get their emotional and visceral reactions to each.
Whom do they fear, hate, or despise? Why? Whom do they care for?
Whom do they depend on, and what for? Who’s the most likely source of trouble?

Think about all the recent events and developments which have been described so far.
Could any of them be linked to (or blamed for) the fall of satellite? Anything
related to the maelstrom is a particularly good bet; look for opportunities to learn
more about any such potential events or decisions of the recent past, and take
mental note. This will be a fruitful thing to build on later.

Sometimes, it can be good to ask, “Did this happen recently, by any chance? In
particular, could it have happened last night, just before the Thing fell out of the
sky?”

Finally, ask them how the fall of the meteor either a) threatens their current life,
position, or plans, or b) inspires them with hope for change. This is key – allow
each player a lot of leeway to be creative or to address the question in some
orthogonal or non-obvious fashion, but pay close attention. Your game starts here!

Now, have them each choose a Love Letter, read them aloud, and use them to
demonstrate how to roll dice and how a move in Apocalypse World works. This will
introduce them to the game and give them some starting trouble to worry about or
opportunities to jump on.

Not all the Love Letters need to be in play; feel free to omit ones no player wants,
or if you have 5+ players. In particular, some characters with start-of-session
moves may not need one. Let each player decide, or talk it over with the group.

When a player reads out their Love Letter, ask those without one:

• “So, who wants to be involved (and, here, mention the basic gist of the
letter)? Who’s helping this character? Who’s otherwise implicated? Who’s
trying to stop them, or working behind the scenes against them?

(On the subsequent pages, some alternative rules and references follow, for playtest. Feel free to
ignore them and use Apocalypse World’s standard rules; they’re not necessary to play this starter set.)
The players’ dicE
Whenever you make a roll, you get a die from a stat or rating you’re using (e.g.
roll+cool means to roll, adding in the die associated with that stat). When you
create your character, assign dice to stats as follows:

• Your best stat gets a d8. (This is the stat that normally always gets a +2.)
• Your two other strong stats each get a d6.
• Choose one stat to be rather unexceptional: assign it a d4.
• Choose one stat as your weakness. It doesn’t get a die at all. (When you use
it, you’ll only roll two dice, in other words.)

For things like a Fortunes roll, spending an Angel’s kit’s stock, Hx, and improving
stats, use the following guidelines:

negative (-1 or -2) no dice

=0 d4
+1 d6
+2 d8
+3 d10

The exception to the rule – as usual, because she’s special – is the Battlebabe. For
her stats, tell her this:

• You’re the coolest, no questions asked: your cool gets a d10.

• You’re hot, of course: Your hot gets a d6.
• For the other stats, assign a d6 and a d4. Do not assign your d6 to your hard.
The remaining stat doesn’t get a die at all.
• Are you extra hot? You can reduce another stat by one die size to bump your
hot up to a d8, if you wish.

The MC’s diE

MC, whenever a player is making a roll, you’re responsible for assigning them a
third die. This die represents their circumstances, and can be used to make the
world a little more nuanced. Are they in a good position to be making this move?

• No. “You’re unprepared, unequipped, or at some painful disadvantage.” No dice.

• Yes. “You have the basics necessary to meet this challenge.” Give them a d4.
• Yes, and. “Yes, and you have some advantage beyond the usual: you have just
the right tool for the job, you’ve taken time to prepare yourself, or you’re
positioned unusually well.” Give them a d6.
• Yes, completely. “Yes, and you have made sure everything is perfectly in place
specifically for this action.” Give them a d8.

In practice, use this sparingly, to highlight special circumstances. For the vast
majority of rolls, just tell them to grab the d4, every time.
MAKING A ROLL
When you make a move which requires a roll, you get the following:

• Your basic die, always: a d6.

• The die from the stat you’re using.
• Ask the MC if you get one more die (it will usually be a d4).
Roll them all and add together the two highest.

MARKING EXPERIENCE
You mark experience every time on the following happens:

• You make a move and you roll a miss.

• You make a move using a highlighted stat.
• You are asked to increase your Hx beyond a d10 (see the Hx Reset move).

SEIZE BY FORCE (A battle move)

When you seize something by force, exchange blows with your enemy, but first
roll+hard. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7–9, choose 2, and your enemy chooses 1 against
you. On a miss, choose 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.

• You inflict terrible harm.

• You suffer little harm.
• You take definite and undeniable control of it.
• You impress, dismay, or frighten your enemy.

Variations
• To assault a secure position … you can choose to force your way in.
• To hold on to something … you can choose to keep definite hold of it.
• To fight your way free … you can choose to win free and get away.
• To defend someone … you can choose to protect them from harm.

THE HARM MOVES (if using visceral harm)

When you get hurt, the MC will ask you to make one of the harm moves. You get:

• Your basic die, as always (a d6) and a die from the MC, as usual. PCs are
tough, though: the MC will almost always give you a d6, unlike other moves.
• If you’re wearing armor, add its rating if it seems like it would help: a d6
for light armor or a d8 for serious armor.
Roll them together and take the best two, as usual.

The Harm Clock Countdown

Everyone’s luck runs out sooner or later. Mark one segment of the clock to:

• Reroll one die on a harm move roll.

• Take a moment to grit your teeth, tourniquet a wound, and pull yourself
together: you can ignore that harm effect from now on.
 The Harm Move (if you’re using the standard harm rules)
When you suffer harm, you get the following:
• One basic die, as always: a d6.
• Are you wearing armor? d4 if none, d6 for regular armor, a d8 for heavy
armor.
• The MC will give you a third die: a d8 if your enemy can only inflict 0-
harm, a d6 if it’s 1-harm, a d4 if it’s 2-harm, and no dice at all if it’s
3-harm or more.
Convert the results so the harm move is a normal player-facing move: a 10+ is now
a miss, and vice-versa.

THE Hx RESET MOVE

When your Hx with someone is a d10, and you are called on to increase it further,
reset it to a d4, instead. When this happens, you learn something. First, you mark
experience. Second, tell that player to consult the following move:
When someone resets their Hx with you, choose one:

• Tell them a secret about yourself.

• Tell them how you are vulnerable.
• Tell them what you really think of something they care deeply about.

NPC Harm
These guidelines may help the MC interpret harm suffered by NPCs; they are carefully
aligned with the standard AW rules, but made to feel more like a “move” within the
Apocalypse World ethos. It’s intended for the MC, not the players, to use.
When an NPC suffers harm, read through this list, from the top down. If it’s not too
serious (or 1-harm), choose one. If it’s potentially deadly (or 2-harm), choose two.
If it’s gruesome (or 3+-harm), choose three. Make each subsequent choice worse than
the previous (i.e. further down the list).

When a move says the harm is better or worse, choose one more or one fewer,
accordingly.
• They cede something to you, submit, or flee.
• The are knocked back or knocked down.
• They are a bloody mess.
• They suffer a lasting wound.
• They are incapacitated by pain or injury.
• They will die without immediate medical attention.
• They are killed on the spot.

Example 1: Keeler hits Parcher in the face (not too serious; normally 1-harm). The
MC decides that Parcher is “knocked down”.
Example 2: Keeler opens up on Tum Tum with a submachine gun (potentially deadly, or
2-harm) and chooses to inflict terrible harm. The MC must make three choices, so she
says Tum Tum is “a bloody mess”, “incapacitated by pain”, and “will die without
immediate medical attention”.
Gangs and Harm
A more narrative approach to gang harm. Details to come later.
• The gang is shaken, frightened, or stopped in its tracks
• The gang suffers a few minor casualties
• The gang suffers dramatic casualties; few remaining
• The gang is separated, scattered, or breaks formation
• The gang loses their leader or leadership

On a "hit" from a worthwhile foe (maybe a 7-9 on a battle move), the MC chooses one
effect for the gang. On a strong hit (like "inflict terrible harm", or from a larger
gang, or on a 10+ from a battle move of some kind), the MC chooses two effects. Once
an effect is applied, it's no longer available: you must pick a different one next
time.

Some moves (or maybe even a really high roll, or an advanced move) allow a player to
choose the option or options, instead.