1. Notes

The Nerd

The Inner World

The Nerd

Description

Your thing: choose a subject taught at your school to be your thing.

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Your weapon: an eldritch-looking knife, a gnarled staff, or a mysterious crystal orb


Stats

At character creation, choose one spread:


 Charm Cool Brains Brawn
The Geek +1 +0 +2 -1
The Freak -1 +1 +2 +0

Moves

Start with Weave Reality and Unnerving Aura, and choose one additional move:

Weave Reality

You can manipulate the reality of the inner world on some fundamental level. Choose one element you can control: Flames, Storms, Metal, Shadows, Gravity, Time, Machines.

When you weave your chosen element of the inner world to your will, describe what you're trying to achieve and roll +Brains.

On a 7-9, choose 1. On a 10+, choose 2. You can choose the same effect multiple times.

  • Inflict 1 harm
  • Create an obstacle for an enemy
  • Overcome an obstacle
  • Affect a handful of targets instead of just one
  • The effect lasts for the whole scene (if selected twice lasts the whole episode, if selected three times it's permanent)

Regardless of the result, you can weave a thread of darkness into your effect to choose one additional option from the list. Your form becomes subtly twisted until the end of the next episode. When you exit the inner world, your body undergoes a similar but more subtle change. Describe what's different. If someone is watching when you do this, they may choose to remove a string you have on them as they see you for the monster you turn into.

Unnerving Aura

You have an air of unnatural power around that sets you apart in the inner world. All the locals can instantly tell that you possess mystic powers beyond their comprehension.

When you try to sway an NPC, your subtle power sets them on edge. Take +1 if you're trying to sway them with threats, or -1 if you're trying to sway them with honesty.

Wizard's Tower

You managed to carve out a corner of the inner world to be your private sanctuary. It's not very different from a node of evil, except it belongs to you and you can control its nature and appearance.

Choose a passphrase. Anyone who speaks it is teleported to your sanctuary. Speaking it again returns them to their previous location. You can change the password at any time while inside.

Choose two features of your sanctuary: a grand library, ghostly servants and lavish food, a method to scry on the outer world, a method to scry on the inner world, incredible fortifications.

Blood Magic

When you Weave Reality, you can use the life force of a living being to empower your weave. Expend a string on a nearby ally to drain a bit of their energy. They mark a condition, and you can choose 1 more from the list in Weave Reality. The other character doesn't have to agree to this, but you must get their player's consent.

Discombobulate

When you analyze an enemy's fighting style, roll +Brains. On a 7-9 hold 1, on a 10+ hold 2. Spend hold to:

  • Give an ally +1 to a roll against that enemy
  • Avoid the opponent's attack
  • Choose one extra option when you weave reality against them (and only them)

Know-it-all

You may not know everything about everything, but you're pretty darn close. Choose two extra things - one related to the outer world, and one to the inner world. These can be any field of study or lore.

You can replace either of these things by taking a few days to read up on the new subject (but you can't change the primary thing you got from your playbook).


Social Circle: Geek Squad

Your friends are misfits, outcasts, and all those generally treated as losers. Archetypes can include math freak, history expert, hardcore gamer, boardgame master, or total slob.

Once per episode, when dealing with a topic that you're way out of your depth in, describe a conversation you recently had with a member of your circle who's an expert on the topic. Add it to your thing until the end of the episode.

Additionally, you always have influence of the teacher that teaches your primary thing. If you don't have a string on them at the start of an episode, gain a string on them.

Recovery

Decompression - Gotta get this down! You can decompress through acing an exam, taking a day off to sit in the library and read a book, or binge a whole documentary series.

Lash Out - Only I can fix this! You fucked up, and only you are smart enough to fix this. Describe how you think you directly caused whatever mess you're currently in, then skip class for a couple of days while you come up with a plan to fix it all. Afterwards, clear your conditions and choose another player character and describe your plan to them, then ask if they promise to try it next time.

  • If they give you their word, gain a string on them as you hold them to their word.
  • If they refuse to commit, mark a condition as your confidence shatters, and they gain a string on you as you commit to gaining their respect.


Advancement

Whenever you get to 5 experience, clear your experience and choose one. When you mark your 2nd and 4th advancements, increase one stat by +1.

  • Choose another element you can control with Weave Reality. If you have or later gain a Wizard's Tower, it gains an extra feature.
  • Take another Nerd move
  • Take another Nerd move
  • Take a move from any playbook
  • Take a move from any playbook