Titan World
Titan World
Titan World
Premise
Long ago, the world belonged to humans. Those days vanished, however, when the Titans came. The origins of the Titans remain shrouded in mystery. All we know is that their rise was sudden and brutal, and soon, they were everywhere. Massive and all but indestructible, the Titans sought nothing but to eat humans. And eat they did - before long, humans had been pushed to the brink of extinction. Now this world belongs to the Titans. All that remains of humanity lives in a single nation, surrounded by three enormous walls. The world beyond the walls is a dangerous one, full of ravenous Titans that seek nothing more than to consume human flesh. Behind the walls, humanity is safe - but all it would take is a single breach to plunge humanity into chaos once more. If the first wall were to break, half of humanitys territory would be lost. If the second were to break, what little remained would not be able to support even its own population, let alone the refugees from outside. If the third wall broke, then every last human would surely be devoured. You have just graduated from the military training corps, and been trained in the dangerous craft of fighting Titans. People like you patrol the walls, keep the peace, and go on expeditions beyond the walls to unearth resources and information. You do not know the true horror of battle between man and Titan. But you will. Welcome to Titan World.
*World Terminology
roll+Stat: Roll 2d6 and add your stat to the result. A 10 or higher is a total success, a 7-9 is a qualified success. Hope to avoid rolling 6 or below. Forward: The next time you roll the thing you have Forward on, add or subtract the indicated amount to the roll. So, +1 Forward on Rage means that the next time you roll+Rage, you add one to the result. Ongoing: Until the condition described ends, add or subtract the indicated amount to every roll of the thing you have Ongoing on. So, -1 Ongoing on Agility until you stop and rest means that every Agility roll will be made at a -1 penalty until you stop and rest.
Stats
Agility is skill in moving quickly, evading Titans, and getting into advantageous positions. It is rolled to avoid harm or get into position to strike. Agility is the most important stat for The Natural. Execution is both skill at dispatching enemies and the mental resolve to move in for the killing blow. It is rolled to deliver crippling or fatal attacks against Titans, or for fighting humans. Execution is the most important stat for The Warrior. Awareness is the ability to quickly understand the flow of a situation It is rolled to determine probable sources of serious threat and the best ways to deal with them, as well as anticipate unexpected attacks. Awareness is the most important stat for The Tactician. Discipline is the ability to keep your head when things get seriously dire. It is rolled to avoid panicking in truly horrible situations, and to inspire the same level of stability in others. Discipline is the most important stat for The Leader. Rage is sheer personal drive and hatred of the Titans that plague humanity. It is rolled to break free from hopeless situations where your life is on the line. Rage is the most important stat for The Shifter.
Character Creation
Rookie Character Creation
Assign +2, +1, +1, +0, -1 to your five stats, write down a first name, and go. You dont get a last name until you die or survive the mission. Your Luck begins at 0. Personality and backstory can develop as you play, and youll pick a Playbook and last name once you reach Level 1. Until then, you only have Basic Moves.
Names
First names (female): Alena, Amelia, Ayla, Beatrix, Carina, Christel, Dilara, Elisa, Emma, Evelyn, Flora, Gisela, Gretel, Hannelore, Havva, Ida, Ilse, Jana, Juliana, Katarina, Lara, Magdalene, Marina, Michaela, Nina, Olivia, Petra, Regula, Sara, Sonja, Teresa, Valeska, Zehra, Ziska
First names (male): Adrian, Alexander, Altan, Bertram, Conrad, Dieter, Dirk, Eckhart, Erik, Felix, Gervas, Gregor, Hans, Heinrich, Hugo, Joachim, Julian, Kilian, Lanzo, Leonhard, Levent, Lukas, Markus, Matthias, Nico, Oswald, Reto, Siegfried, Simon, Tobias, Valentin, Walther Last names: Abel, Achilles, Adler, Baumann, Beckert, Brandt, Dieter, Engel, Faust, Frost, Gerhard, Hafner, Hermann, Jaeger, Kaspar, Kaya, Kneller, Krantz, Luther, Martin, Maus, Mueller, Neuman, Peters, Richter, Rose, Samson, Schroeder, Stein, Vann, Voss, Wagner, Waltz, Weiss, Winter
Leveling Up
Every time you survive a mission (what constitutes a mission is up to your GM), your level increases by one, and you gain the following perks: Your Luck is set to 2. If your new Level is 1, pick a Playbook. You gain both Starting Moves for it. If your new Level is at least 2, pick one of these. Each can only be picked once. +1 to Agility. +1 to Execution. +1 to Awareness. +1 to Discipline. +1 to Rage. Gain one Advanced Move from your Playbook. Gain one Advanced Move from your Playbook. Gain one Advanced Move from your Playbook. Gain one Advanced Move from your Playbook. The following additional options are available once you reach Level 6: +1 to any stat (max +3). Luck is set to 3 each level instead of 2. Gain one Starting Move from another Playbook. Gain one Advanced Move from any Playbook you have a Starting Move in.
Gear
Every character starts with the following equipment: Maneuvering Gear. This complex piece of equipment uses gas-powered grappling hooks to allow you to move freely through the air, as long as there are surfaces for you to attach to. You have been trained in its use. Two Titan-slaying swords. Because Titans have extraordinarily tough skin, so only these amazingly sharp special blades - or similarly high-powered ordinance - can harm them. Unfortunately, the downside of these blades is that theyre only good for a few hits before they are blunted. Accordingly, the swords blades are detachable, and youll be carrying around several replacement blades with you.
Further equipment can be provided or found over the course of the game. However, due to the nature of Maneuvering Gear combat, youll want to minimize excess weight in your equipment. Other pieces of equipment: Spare blades. If someone is running low on blades, then you can give them some to keep them in the fight. Spare gas. If someone is running low on gas, then you can refill them if you have a couple of minutes of downtime. Rifle. Deadly for humans, wont kill a Titan but you can shoot out the eyes on a smaller one. Torch. Titans are inactive during the night, so sources of light are important for journeys beyond the walls. Flare gun. Can fire smoke flares of various colors, both to send simple messages over long distances or to dazzle and confuse Titans. Comes with a complement of flares. A person can carry one additional piece of equipment and still freely use Maneuvering Gear. You can carry up to three, but if you have more than one, youll start every operation with the Disadvantage Encumbered. A horse with saddle bags can carry four additional pieces of equipment.
Special Mechanics
Luck
Every time you advance to a new level, your Luck is set to 2. If youre not starting as a Rookie, then your Luck begins at 2 as well. Any time you make a roll, after seeing the result, you can spend 1 Luck to change the roll result to a 12. Any time an ally makes a roll, after seeing the result, you can spend 1 Luck to increase the roll result up to a 7.
Advantages
Some Moves allow you to create Advantages. These advantages persist for as long as they remain present in the fiction, or until they are exploited. When you gain an Advantage, write down what it actually means, fictionally. Depending on the nature of the Advantage, your allies may also be able to exploit it. There are two uses of an exploited Advantage. The first is to favorably change the outcome of a roll - If you exploit an Advantage in the fiction and fail the roll, instead treat the result as a 7-9. If you rolled a 7-9, instead treat it as a 10. If you rolled a 10-11, instead treat it as a 12. The other way is to burn them. Some Moves, such as Strike to Kill, require an Advantage in order to be used. When you use them, the Advantage is used up, and you dont get to use it to improve your roll.
Disadvantages
Some Moves or situations will result in Disadvantages for the character. These disadvantages persist for as long as they remain present in the fiction, or until they are exploited by the GM. There are two ways the GM can exploit a Disadvantage. One is to qualify a success - a roll of 10+ is instead treated as a 7-9. This cant be done if Luck was used on the roll. The other way is to bring it up in the fiction as a new complication for the scene. The results of this can be wide-ranging and potentially devastating - especially if youre trying to flee to safety while you have the Low on Gas Disadvantage...
There are a pair of Disadvantages that come up a few times and are a bit special: Low on Blades and Low on Gas. What makes these Disadvantages distinct is that they have very specific consequences upon being exploited - you run out of blades or gas. These are fictional consequences, but devastating ones - someone with no blades will be all but unable to harm Titans, and escaping from Titans on foot without the use of Maneuvering Gear is a lifethreatening crisis.
Titans
Humanitys greatest enemy. Titans are massive, humanoid creatures, usually ranging from 3 to 15 meters in height. They have little intelligence, and only one interest - humans. A Titan will ignore any other obstacles to rush towards humans, kill them, and eat them. They dont get any sustenance from this - the act itself of killing and devouring humans seems to be their only motivation.
Killing Titans
Killing a Titan is hard. You cant just leap straight for the kill (unless youre the Warrior or the Shifter, depending on the circumstances). Titans are huge, tough, and fast, and only have one weak point on the back of the neck. Striking them anywhere else may do damage, but theyll regenerate before too long. Under normal circumstances, the only way to kill a Titan is to first injure it, then attack their weak point while its injured. This requires two separate successful uses of Strike to Kill, each of which requires an Advantage to execute. Getting killed by a Titan, however, is all too easy. Make one mistake and your life will be on the line.
Advanced Titans
Not all Titans were created equal. Some Titans are extra large, towering upwards of 15 meters tall. Some have thick armor or increased regeneration speed. Some are Aberrants, moving in bizarre and unpredictable ways. Some even have human-like intelligence. If a Titan has traits or abilities that make it more dangerous than your average Titan, these are represented by Disadvantages. Record each special trait as a party-wide Disadvantage that can be exploited once against anyone trying to attack the Titan. For extra powerful Titans, such as a Titan intended to be a deadly challenge for the entire party by itself, stack the Disadvantage more than once, allowing it to be exploited multiple times. Some types of advanced Titans: Aberrant: Most Titans simple walk towards humans and attack them. Some exhibit stranger, harder-to-predict behavior, such as running, leaping, or crawling quickly on all
fours. These Titans are a major destabilizing force on the battlefield, as its impossible to predict what theyll do next. Armored: Occasionally, a Titan will surface with extra-thick skin, capable of ignoring cannon fire and shattering swords. Attacking at vulnerable points such as joints can help to bring it down. Regenerative: All Titans regenerate damage done to anywhere other than their vulnerable point, but some can do it so quickly that any injury only reveals a brief moment of vulnerability before it recovers completely. Colossal: 3 to 15 meters is the typical range of Titan sizes. Rare larger Titans, upwards of 20-30 meters or even taller, are very difficult to take down, since even with Maneuvering Gear it wont be easy to reach high enough to attack the neck. Intelligent: The most dangerous of all Titans are those with human-like intelligence. Some extremely rare Titans can think, plan, react intelligently, fight with real technique, and even talk. Fighting one without a clear plan is suicide. An intelligent Titan more than likely has a human inside thats controlling it.
Basic Moves
Every character has access to all of these.
Avoid Harm
When you move out of the way of incoming danger, roll+Agility. On a 10+, you escape the threat without harm. On a 7-9, you can escape, but the GM will present you with a Disadvantage or unpleasant choice.
Strike to Kill
When you move in for a devastating strike against a Titan, roll+Execution. You must burn an Advantage to use this move. On a 10+, you damage the Titan. If it was already damaged and you had a clear shot at the neck, it is destroyed. On a 7-9 you damage and possibly destroy the Titan as per 10+, but pick one: You expose yourself to a dangerous and vulnerable situation.
You have a brush with death, and it shakes your resolve. Take -1 ongoing to Execution until you can collect yourself in a safe place for a few minutes. You're running out of blades - you'll need to resupply soon. Take "Low on blades" as a Disadvantage.
Hand to Hand
When you aim to kill or disable a fellow human, roll+Execution. On a 10, you overcome your opponent. On a 7-9, you gain the upper hand, but pick one: Your opponent is injured, but manages to get away. Your victory is hard-earned. Take -1 ongoing to Execution.
Desperate Rescue
When you pull an ally from the jaws of death, roll+Discipline. On a 10+, you save your ally and escape unharmed. On a 7-9, you save your allys life, but now your own life is in peril in their place. On a 6-, you and your ally are both left in mortal peril.
Escape Death
When you try to escape from mortal peril, roll+Rage. On a 10+, you force your way through and escape from harm. On a 7-9, you escape with your life, but pick one: Take some sort of injury as a Disadvantage. Your will to fight is worn down. Take -1 Ongoing to Rage until you can collect yourself in a safe place for a few minutes. On a 6-, you meet your untimely end.
Playbooks
THE NATURAL
One of the hardest parts of this business is learning your way around Maneuvering Gear. Most trainees need weeks to get from keeping their balance to flying. Not you, though. You're a natural. The moment you put the harness on, you knew that you were made for this. You take to the air like a fish in water. Others maneuver, you dance. Even if every Titan died, even if a new weapon was created that made it obsolete, you wouldn't go back. You may never be truly at home on solid ground - the sky is calling. Look: Light body, athletic body, muscular body or gaunt body Joyful face, young face, naive face or arrogant face Starting Moves: When you take this Playbook, you gain both of these moves.
Acrobatic Stunt
When you perform a reckless and difficult stunt during battle, roll+Agility. Regardless of the result, you gain an Advantage. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one, but you also draw the attention of your enemies, who will make attacking you their next priority. You wind up in a place safely out of reach of any enemies. One Titan is disoriented by your movements, and stops attacking for a moment. The rush of exhilaration gives you +1 Forward to any roll exploiting or burning the Advantage gained from this Move.
Scout Ahead
When you use your Maneuver Gear to scout deep into enemy territory, roll+Agility. On a 10+, you gain information on the number of titans ahead, along with their positions. On a 7-9, you're spotted, and must head back with incomplete information or draw their aggression. Advanced Moves: When you level up, you can pick one of these as your perk.
Break Through
When you use your Maneuver Gear to slip through a large number of Titans, roll+Agility. On a 10+, you come through unharmed on the other side. On a 7-9, pick one:
You misjudge one shot, and hit the ground just short of safety. You overexert yourself moving into position. Take -1 ongoing to Agility until you can get some rest in a safe place. You're running low on gas - you'll need to resupply soon. Take "Low on gas" as a Disadvantage.
Opportunist
When you roll a 12+ on Avoid Harm while fighting a Titan, you can evade into a position to counterattack, gaining an Advantage you can use against the Titan.
Parkour
As long as there are climbable surfaces leading to high enough ground nearby, you can Get Into Position or Strike to Kill even if you dont have working Maneuver Gear.
Lightning Dispatch
When you Strike to Kill, you can roll+Agility instead of +Execution. THE WARRIOR Most trainees, when it comes down to it, have no idea what they're getting into until their first deployment. You can have every technical skill in the world, but in the heat of the moment it can all come to nothing if you're lacking one thing: The resolve to kill. The war against the Titans is a business, and humanity's primary export is murder. You understand this better than anyone. You're not here for the chance to uncover the secrets of the world, or for the chance for fame, or anything else. You're here to kill Titans, and you're going to kill as many as you can. Even your fellow soldiers may be intimidated by you, but that doesn't matter. Your enemy is in front of you, and you're here to make sure it doesn't stay there for long. Look: Scarred body, compact body, overbearing body or intimidating body Hard face, severe face, grim face or war-weary face Starting Moves: When you take this Playbook, you gain both of these moves.
Combat Momentum
When you deal the killing blow to a Titan, you gain an Advantage that you can use against another nearby Titan. Advanced Moves: When you level up, you can pick one of these as your perk.
Intimidate
When you threaten someone to get them to cooperate with your immediate goals, roll+Execution. On a 10+, they submit to the pressure of your dangerous presence and comply. On a 7-9, the GM picks one: They dont help, but they dont actively oppose you, either. They help for now, but will want payback for their humiliation later. They snap and attack recklessly. You can overpower them, but there may be consequences.
Critical Strike
When you roll a 12+ on Strike to Kill, you can instantly kill the Titan.
THE TACTICIAN
Not everybody shines brightest on the front lines. There's much more to this war than how fast you can move or how many Titans you've killed. Attacking the Titans head-on is eventually going to be suicide, no matter how good you might be. You know better than anyone that this war is going to be won or lost by the flow of information. You've been tasked with coming up with The Plan. No matter how large or small the scale of a conflict, there always has to be a plan, or you're all just running to your deaths. Which encounters to avoid, how to approach the ones you can't, how to make sure everyone's talents are being used to their full extent - it's all on your shoulders. Your burden is heavy and your responsibilities are great, but few soldiers have more trust and support from their allies than a damn good tactician.
Look: Small body, fragile body, awkward body or lean body Calculating face, nervous face, serious face, disinterested face Starting Moves: When you take this Playbook, you gain both of these moves.
Spot an Opening
When you watch for the right moment to strike, roll+Awareness. On a 10+, one nearby ally gains an Advantage they can use against the enemy. On a 7-9, they gain an Advantage, but its only temporary - theyll have to recklessly strike right away to exploit it or it will disappear. Advanced Moves: When you level up, you can pick one of these as your perk.
Battlefield Intuition
When you Assess the Situation, you can ask one additional question on a 7+.
Appeal to Command
When you explain your plan to a commander, roll+Awareness. On a 10+, you can ask for whatever resources you require for the operation, and youll get them. On a 7-9, Command will either want some proof of the validity of your plan or add some additional objective before theyll approve your resources.
When you coordinate with another team before an operation, roll+Awareness. On a 10+, gain 2 Hold. On a 7-9, gain 1 Hold. You may spend 1 Hold to have the other team arrive for support at a critical moment during the operation.
THE LEADER The war against the Titans is brutal and unforgiving. Surrounded by death and chaos, it's easy for a soldier to forget what it is they're fighting to protect. That's why every team needs someone like you - to remind them. When all hope is lost, you become a beacon of hope. When panic sets in, you become a pillar of support. You're the heart of the team, a ray of light reminding your allies that there's always something to fight for, and a dedicated ally to all, dead set on getting everybody home alive, no matter what it takes. Look: Tall body, beautiful body, handsome body or weathered body Kind face, inspiring face, open face or confident face Starting Moves: When you take this Playbook, you gain both of these moves.
Heroic Rescue
When you perform a Desperate Rescue, the ally is always saved, and the usual results are replaced with the following: On a 10+, you rescue your ally and escape unharmed.. On a 7-9, you dont escape unharmed, but you at least survive. Take some sort of injury as a Disadvantage. On a 6-, you fall into mortal peril just as you get them out of it.
We Stand as One
When you deliver an inspiring speech to a group before an operation, each person who listens to you gains +1 Forward to their first roll during the operation. Advanced Moves: When you level up, you can pick one of these as your perk.
Match My Timing
When you attack alongside an ally with perfect timing, roll+Discipline. On a 10+, you both gain an Advantage you can use against the Titan, and the ally gets +1 Forward to their next attack against it. On a 7-9, only your ally gains an Advantage, but they still get +1 Forward.
Combat Medic
When you apply medical care to an injured ally during a moment of downtime, roll+Discipline. On a 10+, remove one Disadvantage relating to physical injury from the ally. On a 7-9, the fix is only a temporary one - the Disadvantage is gone, but may resurface later.
Commands Favorite
When you complete a mission, you gain the Advantage Reputation. You can burn this Advantage to ask Command for a favor or additional information or resources, and they will provide it.
THE SHIFTER
You never quite felt like you were the same as the people around you, and now you finally know why. After all, they're only human. Nobody knows what shifters truly are. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, and they're too rare to be easily studied. All that is certain is their abilities: You can change between human and Titan at will. Titan shifters are the most powerful and dangerous weapons of humanity. The only force we have that can truly fight the Titans on their own terms. With fists that can topple buildings and a body that can stop cannon fire, you are a manifestation of humanity's hatred of their eternal foe. Your only impulse is to kill. Just hope, for all our sakes, that you can hold on to enough of your humanity to only kill your enemies. Look: Huge body, strong body, unassuming body or angular body Suspicious face, hate-filled face, unreadable face, bleak face Skinless titan, hideous titan, sleek titan or steam-covered titan Starting Moves: When you take this Playbook, you gain both of these moves.
Titan Transformation
When you focus on your goal and draw your own blood, roll+Rage. On a 10+, You become a Titan, and gain 3 Hold. While you are transformed, you are many times larger and stronger than normal. Most events that would kill you will instead
revert you back to your human form. This transformation lasts until you dismiss it, but using it for extended periods or multiple times in a row is exhausting. On a 7-9+, You become a Titan and gain 2 Hold, but choose one: You go berserk, temporarily losing your human intelligence and lashing out at everything around you. Your allies will have to help you recover your mind. Your body only partially forms, leaving you with less than the usual number of limbs to work with. Your over-the-top transformation draws the attention of every Titan in the area. You may spend 1 Hold to: Ignore any damage an attack from a Titan would do to you. Perform an incredible feat of physical strength. Strike to Kill without requiring an Advantage, automatically killing the Titan on a successful hit.
Regeneration
When you take a couple minutes to rest as a human, in safety or otherwise, remove all Disadvantages related to mental or physical trauma. Advanced Moves: When you level up, you can pick one of these as your perk.
Titans Strength
When youre transformed, you can Avoid Harm using Rage instead of Agility.
Burning Cloud
When you revert back from a Titan into a human, you may emit a huge cloud of scalding steam. This wont harm you, but any other humans and smaller Titans will be repelled, and the steam provides enough visual cover for you to escape.
Deafening Roar
When you let out a titanic roar at an incoming Titan, roll+Rage. On a 10+, the Titan turns and runs, and you gain an Advantage against it. On a 7-9, the Titan attacks you above all other threats, and you gain an Advantage against it.
Aberrant Form
Pick one of the following: Your Titan body is covered in thick armor. Your Titan body is abnormally huge. Your Titan body regenerates at an incredible speed. Your Titan body can move with a speed and grace rivaling a human. Whatever your choice, you gain it as an Advantage whenever you transform. You cannot change your choice later.
GM Agenda
Show the best and the worst of the world. Raise the stakes constantly. Play to find out what happens.
GM Principles
Begin and end with the fiction. Follow every glimpse of despair with a glimpse of hope. Follow every glimpse of hope with a glimpse of despair. Let nothing worthwhile be easy. Reward desperate plans with a chance at great success. Show that nothing is guaranteed. Make every Titan memorable.
Player Agenda
Risk everything for victory. Value your allies above yourself. Uncover the secrets of the world.
GM Moves
Reveal a new complication
The partys actions are causing enough commotion to draw more Titans to the scene of the action. One of the Titans youre fighting turns out to be an Aberrant - wild and unpredictable instead of focused and single-minded. A nearby group of allies signal that they need your help. Youve run out of gas before you could escape the swarm of Titans. And so on.
Inflict a Disadvantage
If a failure - or partial success - creates an unfortunate situation for a specific character, it can often easily be represented by a Disadvantage. Ask them to write it down, then take advantage of it later to make their life difficult.
Exploit a Disadvantage
Once a Disadvantage is in place, you can expend it at any time, as long as you keep the effect true to the fiction. This can either turn a 10+ result (that didnt use a point of Luck) into a 7-9 result, or can be used to reveal a new complication.
Unless the party has access to replacement equipment, be sparing with this one. It can functionally cripple a character, or leave them for dead.
Inspirations
The setting and core concept is lifted wholesale from the ongoing manga Attack on Titan, by Hajime Isayama. The core engine is, of course, taken from Apocalypse World and its spinoffs. The Advancement system is very similar to Apocalypse World, with a bit of modification. The Luck mechanic is approximately lifted from *World hack Monster of the Week. The Advantage/Disadvantage system draws heavily from FATE Core, but with a lot of changes to integrate it into the system. The third GM Agenda and first GM Principle were taken from Apocalypse World, as they seemed essential.