Apocalypse World: Love Letters

Originally published February 24, 2014

Apocalypse World has this concept of between session actions, or moves, called Love Letters. These are ways for the players and the game master (or MC) to determine what happened during stretches of downtime and set up action for current session. Here are a few examples from the space based game I co-MC'd.

Hunting a Thief

During the previous session, the Maestro'D discovered that someone stole a dangerous fruit from her safe while everyone was distracted. Now they've been stuck in a ship together for a few weeks with some new people (and their pet). She's used that time to investigate who among her carnival staff was responsible:

Roll +hard. On a 10+ pick 1. On a 7-9 pick 2. On a miss all 3.

• You know who took the fruit and someone got hurt.
• Wayward is pissed with you for suspecting someone from the carnival of stealing.
• The freakshow performers have been spending a lot of time in the Den and refuse to talk to the rest of the crew about it.

Oh yeah and Daily is allergic to cats. He's been miserable for the last two weeks.

This showed how the Maestro'D was losing control of her crew. I favored Hard rather than Hot because she wasn't so much convincing people to confess as strong arming them (as established the previous session).

On the Alien World

At one point we introduced a couple new characters as people retired characters or took second ones all at once. For one of them, a native of the alien world of Everette, I created a possible lead in for her:

Roll +Sharp. On a 10+ pick 1. On a 7-9 pick 2. On a miss all 3.

• A Kikamora has been tracking your group for a week. What does this predator look like?
• The psychic wilderness has drunk in your secrets and learned about your weakest member, Tanya Grisha. What makes her vulnerable?
• Vikenti Aristarkh, one of your warriors is overly fond of the vices of civilized life. He is looking forward to drinking, gambling, and wenching.

I had hoped to get the player to give us some hooks for potential problems later. In the end we had another of the co-MCs write up a love letter instead.

The Breakup

Leading off the first letter, the Maestro'D learned that freakshow was worshiping a mutant goat. interestingly she herself joined the cult. Of course cults cause all sorts of strife.

Dear Switch,

It seemed like a good idea at the time. The Beast with Two Heads is bound to attract a lot of people to the Carnival. Spectacle is what you sell. Heck attendance at the gatherings has swelled in the last two weeks and you haven't reached Megaton yet. In addition to the freakshow crew, you have seen Wayward, Chic, Daff, and possibly some of Katya's tribe members there.

Unfortunately not everyone agrees with the turn the Carnival is taking. Maybe they don't understand or maybe what they see scares them. Narnia and Nestor in particular seem to dislike this "religion" as they call it. They warn the beast is unnatural and that you should stop the gatherings.

Roll +hot to keep the family together. On a 10+ pick 1. On a 7-9 pick 2. On a miss all 3.

• Nestor loses it when he learns Night took Kittens to one of the gatherings. He beats him up pretty bad (Night takes 1-harm). Tensions are high.
• The Beast with Two Heads informs you and the others that someone has been embezzling ticket proceeds. Choose 1: Daily, Nestor, Hopeful.
• Chainsaw, Shatterglass, Skins, and Algor confront Nestor about his opposition to the new "show'. Things escalate and they leave him bleeding on the floor.

This ended up leading a major breakup of the carnival staff as Nestor was found embezzling and then getting nearly killed by the cult. It was enough to cause the Maestro'D to exile them.

What fun love letters have you used? Have they changed the session in interesting ways?