Notes:

-To clarify up front, because noir is a broad enough genre to encompass a multitude of
interpretations, this game is more Double Indemnity than it is Sin City.

-This is intended to be a minimalist/abstracted PbtA hack, with no health/damage track, no

inventory, wealth tracked as a binary condition rather than a fixed number, and little-to-no
mechanical character advancement.

-Violence, even fatal violence, is extremely easy to inflict, but also extremely difficult to
commit without incurring lasting repercussions.

-This is a game about doomed individuals whose character flaws are inexorably pushing them
towards self-destruction. The only way for any of them to “win” is to stop playing.
Noir World

Stats: +Cunning, +Smooth, +Raw, +Violent

At character creation, assign scores +2, +1, +0, or -1 (one of each) to your stats.

Basic Moves:

Go Unnoticed (+Cunning)
Look for Answers (+Cunning)
Read Their Hand (+Smooth)
Wrap Around Your Finger (+Smooth)
Push (+Raw)
Tough it Out (+Raw)
Send a Message (+Violent)

Playbooks: The Eye, the Badge, the Devil, the Lamb, the Enforcer, the Scene, the Big Shot,
the Small-Timer

---

Concepts:

Advantage & Disadvantage: When you roll at an advantage, roll three six-sided dice instead
of two, then take the highest two scores.

When you roll at a disadvantage, roll three six-sided dice instead of two, then take the lowest
two scores.

If you'd somehow get an advantage and a disadvantage to the same roll, they cancel each
other out. Multiple advantages/disadvantages do not stack with each other; it's never more
than three dice.

Broke & Loaded: Your material wealth falls into one of two categories: Broke or Loaded.

Being Broke doesn't necessarily mean you're destitute, but you'll be struggling to scrape
together enough for anything beyond the basic necessities. When you're Loaded, you've got
money to throw around. It's typically enough to last until the next session, but you can go
Broke making a particularly extravagant purchase.

Each playbook has a move to get Loaded at the start of a session, but you can also manage it
yourself through your actions during the game.

Unless your playbook specifies otherwise, there are no safe/legal ways to get Loaded.

How much cash you've accumulated by getting Loaded is irrelevant. Indulging your Vice for a
session will burn through it. If you were capable of planning ahead for a comfortable future,
you wouldn't be a character in this game.
Vice: Your character has a Vice; choose it when you create them. (Obvious choices include
booze, drugs, gambling, and dames. But nothing's stopping you from thinking outside the
box.)

When you're Loaded, you can go Broke to indulge your Vice, sating you for the rest of the
session. If you begin a session without having indulged your Vice, you roll at a disadvantage
until you do.

(As you may notice, the drawback of failing to indulge your Vice is an entirely mechanical
effect. Almost as if you'd be just fine as long as you gave up and stopped playing the game.
This is not unintentional.)

Putting Up A Fight: Being capable of putting up a fight is entirely relative. If you're

outnumbered or outgunned (i.e, they've got a knife and you've got nothing, or they've got a
gun and you've got a knife) you can't put up a fight. Some moves will give you more options.

If you try to attack somebody whom you'd be incapable of putting up a fight against, then
baring any mitigating circumstances (catching them by surprise, knowing how to exploit the
surrounding area), it's hopeless. Don't bother to roll.

Strings: When you have a String against somebody, you can spend it to:
-Find one of their usual hangouts, or somebody who knows them.
-Give yourself advantage to your next roll against them.
-Give them disadvantage to their next roll.

---

Basic Moves

Go Unnoticed
When you do something you don't want to be seen, roll +Cunning. On a miss, choose one.
On a 7-9, choose two. On a 10+, you get all three:
-You get what you're after.
-You're not caught in the act.
-The evidence doesn't point back to you.

Look for Answers

When you carefully examine an area, roll +Cunning. On a hit, you may ask up to 3 questions
from the list. On a 7-9, the MC chooses a consequence, perhaps wasted time or unwanted
attention.
-What happened here?
-What is out of place here?
-What here is useful/valuable?
-What here is dangerous?
-What is being concealed?
-What's another way in/out?
-At the MC's discretion, ask another question that you could plausibly discern through
investigation.
Read Their Hand
When you observe somebody you're interacting with, roll +Smooth.
Hit or miss, you may ask their player a question from the list below; if they agree to answer
truthfully, they can ask you a question from the same list, which you must also answer
truthfully.

As long as you're both willing to answer, you may ask as many questions as you like.

On a 10+, you may also ask them one question for free, which they must answer truthfully.
On a miss, they may also ask you one question for free, which you must answer truthfully.
-How are you feeling right now?
-Are you telling the truth?
-What do you intend to do?
-What do you want me to do?
-What motive would convince you to ---?
-At the MC's discretion, ask another question that you could plausibly discern from nonverbal
communication.

Wrap Around Your Finger

When you convince someone to take a specific course of action, roll +Smooth. You must still
provide them with a plausible motive: possibly a material reward, or appeal an ideal they
value, like justice or pride.

On a 10+, they choose one:

-Do as you asked.
-Reject you, but not without a crucial moment's hesitation, or lingering doubts. You take a
String on them.

On a 7-9, they may choose either of the 10+ options, or one of these:
-Offer a compromise.
-Ask for more proof/assurance of the proposed motive.
-Put off their decision to another time.
-Defer responsibility to somebody else.

On a miss, your argument stands on its merits alone, and your tone hasn't done you any
favors.

Push
When you push beyond your limits with extraordinary determination, roll +Raw. On a hit, it
works. On a 9 or below, the MC tells you what you needed to give up to make it work. On a
miss, it wasn't worth the price it cost you.
Tough it Out
When you're taking a lot of punishment and try to keep going, roll +Raw. On a 10+, choose
two. on a 7-9, choose one:

-You'll make a full recovery, and faster than most.

-You keep going right now, but you're battered (physically or mentally) until you have time to
crash. (If the MC can't think of anything more creative, you make your rolls at a
disadvantage.)
-The near death experience provides hallucinatory insight into your dilemma. Ask the MC one
question from the Look for Answers move, about any scene you've been in recently or the
situation in general.

On a miss, you succumb. If succumbing means death, you can hold it together just long
enough to pursue your choice: confession, redemption, or revenge.

Send a Message
When you inflict bodily harm upon somebody, roll +Violent. If they're capable of defending
themselves, subtract their Raw or Violent (whichever is higher) from your roll. (If they're an
NPC, then at the MC's discretion, subtract between 1 to 3 from your roll.)

On a miss, they're able to elude you, or if they're capable of defending themselves, they give
as good as they got, and you're both going to be licking your wounds.

On a hit, they're in bad shape, and you've sent your message. On a 7-9, you may also choose
one. On a 10+, choose two.

-They're completely at your mercy, and can be interrogated, abducted, or executed.

-You don't go too far. You remain in control of how much violence you inflict, and upon whom.
-If you've been careful, you aren't seen by any witnesses, and the evidence doesn't point back
to you.
Playbooks

The Eye

Strings
-You know their types. Take a String on everyone.
-A past case put you on the trail of somebody, but nothing you found on them could stick.
They get a String on you.
-Somebody risked themselves to help you once, and you're still enough of a sap that that
means something to you. Anybody who begins with at least one String on your pal can erase
a String on them, and gain a String on you.

Loaded Move
You're Loaded when clients pay you to look into things. Not every client, just the sort who've
got good reason for not going to the police. When you're on that kinda case, at the beginning
of each session, roll +Smooth.

On a 10+, they're satisfied you're getting results.

On a 7-9, you'll need to take some extra risks to keep them happy.
On a miss, at best they won't or can't pay right now, and at worse, they're setting you up for a
fall.

Choose two moves:

Investigator
When you Look for Answers, you may ask 1 additional question, hit or miss.

Hard-Boiled
You get +1 Raw.

Contacts
You've got connections with an ear to just about anywhere and anyone in the city. When you
check up with one of your contacts for info, roll +Cunning or +Smooth

If you roll +Cunning, nobody else finds out that you've been asking around.
If you roll +Smooth, you don't have to burn any bridges or owe any favors to get the info.

On a 10+, it's a juicy lead, and points you directly to hard evidence.
On a 7-9, you'll learn rumors and hearsay, which might point you in the right direction.

Veteran
You were in the War. You are always capable of putting up a fight, but your combat training
isn't the only thing that's stuck with you. Together with the MC, work out one or two seemingly
mundane, commonplace things (noises, smells, specific phrases) that trigger traumatic
flashbacks.
When you are exposed to a reminder of your trauma, roll +Raw.

On a 10+, you hold it together.

On a 7-9, take -1 ongoing to every stat except Violent until the memory has passed.
On a miss, you have to get away right now, or it starts becoming hard to tell what's real
anymore.

Student of Human Nature

When you Look for Answers, you may also ask questions from the Read Their Hand move,
about somebody who's been here recently, or who's left behind evidence. You may still ask no
more than 3 questions total.

Only Thing Keeping You Sane

If you've indulged your Vice in the last hour, you have advantage on your next +Cunning roll.

On the Trail
You can spend a String on somebody to know where they are and how to reach them, even if
they're deep in hiding.

---

The Devil

Strings
-If anybody begins the game with you as their Vice (see your Loaded move below), gain two
Strings on them.
-Somebody knew you back when you were still innocent. They begin with three Strings on
you.

Loaded Move
At any time, other characters can select you as their Vice. If the game's already begun, this
replaces their existing Vice. When they go Broke by indulging their Vice, you get Loaded.

There is no limit to how many characters can have you as their Vice, though that doesn't
mean they won't be jealous.

Characters do not need your permission to fixate on you as their Vice. Once somebody
selects you as their Vice, there is no way for them to get over you, with the possible exception
of your death.

You have +3 Smooth. Choose one move:

Femme Fatale
When you Wrap Around Your Finger, sex is always a valid motive.

Duplicitous
When somebody asks you a question from the Read Their Hand move, you can lie. They
aren't obliged to believe you, so try to make your lies convincing.

Gilded Cage
You are entitled to a sizable amount of cash, but your access to it is controlled by a guardian:
possibly a spouse, parent, or executor. You're always Loaded, but when you spend this
money extravagantly (this includes indulging your Vice for a session), roll +Cunning.
On a 10+, everything's fine.
On a 7-9, your guardian starts looking into your private life.
On a miss, you're cut off until you make it back into their good graces.

Irresistible
You can spend a String on somebody to leave a lasting impression. They can't get you of their
head until they see you again.

---

The Enforcer

Strings
-Ask the other players if they've ever seen someone die violently. If they have, they gain a
String on you. If they haven't, they erase a String on you, if they already have one.

Loaded Move
You're Loaded when you forcefully impose the will of your employers. At the beginning of
each session, roll +Raw.
On a 10+, everything's running smooth.
On a 7-9, you did things that made enemies, or that will come back to haunt you.
On a miss, something went wrong. Either you went too far, or not far enough.

You have +3 Violent. Something is profoundly wrong with you; if it weren't, you wouldn't be so
good at your job. Choose one of these two moves:

Unforgettable
You have a distinct, not easily-concealable disfigurement. Describe it, and its origins
(birthmark, from the War, from your current line of work). You roll the Go Unnoticed move at a
disadvantage, and evidence pointing back to you is much likelier to stick.

Neuroses
There is something mundane and commonplace that you can't stand; such as a piece of
music, a type of fashion, or a mannerism. You can come up with a Freudian reason for it if
you want, but nobody else is compelled to believe you or sympathize with you.
When exposed to your trigger, roll +Raw.
On a 10+, you endure, grudgingly.
On a 7-9, take -1 ongoing to every stat except Violent until it's passed.
On a miss, you must extinguish the source of your discomfort, as quickly and directly as
possible.

And choose one move:

Fueled by Rage
When you Push, you can roll +Violent instead of +Raw.

Prizefighter
As long as you are within arm's reach of your foes, you are capable of putting up a fight (and,
consequently, of Sending a Message).
Stalker
You can spend a String on somebody to make them incapable of defending themselves the
next time you use the Rough 'Em Up move against them.

Will to Power
Your sophomoric understanding of Nietzsche, Ayn Rand, or the like informs you that you are
beholden to no one. When you expound on your worldview to somebody, roll +Smooth.
On a hit, they won't benefit from any Strings they spend on you in this scene.
On a 10+, they also lose a String they have on you.
On a miss, they gain a String on you.

---

The Badge

Strings
-Somebody else was a cop once, or made a try at it. You gain a String on each other.
-Somebody did time in the big house thanks to you. They get two Strings on you.

Loaded Move
You're Loaded when you look the other way and let the machine keep on running, and take a
cut for your troubles. Unless you've gone clean, at the beginning of each session, roll
+Cunning.
On a 10+, it's great.
On a 7-9, people with ethics are starting to ask questions.
On a miss, it's getting hot, and you know the trail's going to lead back to you.

Choose two moves:

Authority
Most people don't actually understand their legal rights, or how far your authority stretches.
When you flash your badge and tell somebody you're acting in the line of duty, roll +Smooth.
On a 10+, they believe you.
On a 7-9, they believe you for now, but it'll fall apart under scrutiny later.
On a miss, they know how the law really works.

Mislabeled
When you make evidence or testimonies conveniently disappear, roll +Cunning. If the
evidence implicated somebody else, you also gain a String on them.
On a 10+, no one's the wiser.
On a 7-9, it's clear foul play was involved, but as long as you covered your tracks, you're in
the clear.
On a miss, the trail will eventually lead back to you.

Jackbooted Thug
You get +1 Violent.
Good Cop, Bad Cop
When you've got somebody with a contrasting personality assisting you in an interrogation,
then when you roll the Read Their Hand move against your suspect, you can ask one more
question for free, hit or miss.

Usual Suspects
You can spend a String on somebody to have a valid excuse for them to be brought in for
questioning, at least for a couple hours.

---

The Big Shot

Strings
-If any of the other players work for you, gain a String against them. If they've stuck by you
since back when you were small time, they also gain a String on you.
-Select the character you consider the greatest possible threat to you. Gain two Strings on
them.

Loaded Move
You're always Loaded, but certain operations need to keep moving to stay that way. At the
beginning of each session, roll +Cunning.
On a 10+, you're in control.
On a 7-9, challenges to your authority are emerging.
On a miss, you've got a target on your back, and it'd be an awful good idea to lie low for a
while.

Choose two moves:

Everybody's Got a Price

As long as you're in power and not lying low, you can make anyone Loaded, at no notable
cost to you. If they accept, you gain a String on them.

Fall Guy
When evidence against you is piling up, you can position one of your subordinates to be
implicated in your place. You do not need their cooperation to do this.
Afterwards, roll +Smooth to mollify your organization.
On a 10+, they accept that it was necessary.
On a 7-9, there's lingering tensions.
On a miss, be prepared for betrayal.

Keeping Tabs
When you or your subordinates keep somebody under observation, roll +Cunning.
On a hit, you discover a vulnerability; perhaps a secret they want to stay hidden, or somebody
special to them whom they can't always protect.
On a 7-9, they know they've been watched, and what you've learned.
Legitimate
You have the law in your corner, ready to take your side against any rivals on the streets. As
long as the facade holds, you roll your Loaded move at an advantage. Evidence against you
is less likely to stick, but if it does, the fall is going to be even harder.

All the Angles

You get +1 Cunning.

---

The Scene

Strings
-Sooner or later, everybody stops by. Gain a String on all the other players.
-If any of the other players work at the Scene, you gain a String on each other.
-Somebody is helping you stay afloat, or gave you a break when you were starting out and
struggling. They get a String on you.

Loaded Move
You're a key part of the Scene, be it as the owner, manager, barman, bouncer, star attraction,
or anything else. You're Loaded when the Scene's running smoothly, but the Scene's
beholden to men of power and authority to keep running. At the beginning of each session
that the Scene's in business, roll +Smooth:

On a 10+, they're satisfied with a cut off the top.

On a 7-9, you'll need to do something special for your end of the bargain. Keep an eye on
somebody, make sure somebody does or doesn't get in on a certain night, maybe something
worse.
On a miss, the Scene's tangled up in power plays that should be none of your business, and
you're the one getting screwed over.

You get this move:

Loose Tongues
Whenever somebody indulges their Vice at the Scene (and if the Scene isn't the best place in
town for most Vices to be sated, you're doing something wrong), you may ask them a
question from the Read Their Hand move, without needing to roll.

Choose one move:

Play the Crowd

You get +1 Smooth.

I Know Just the Guy

When you try to get in touch with (or hook up somebody else with) a person with a specialized
expertise or a particular ware, roll +Cunning.
On a 10+, you were right on the money.
On a 7-9, there's complications; either they're not a perfect fit, or there's strings attached to
their deal.
On a miss, you'll have to make do with a second-rater.

My Way or the Highway

If somebody has a Vice that can be indulged at the Scene, you can spend a String on them to
prevent them from being able to indulge their Vice anywhere in town, until you decide
otherwise.

Everybody's Pal
You know how to get folks to give you the benefit of the doubt. You can roll +Smooth instead
of +Cunning to Go Unnoticed.

---

The Small-Timer

Strings
-There's somebody you're trying to impress, who could be your ticket into the big league. Give
them two Strings on you.
-Somebody told you you'd never amount to anything. Take a String on them.

Loaded Move
You get Loaded by pulling off jobs, but you're at the bottom of the pecking order, and get the
table scraps. While you're trying to claw your way up in the world, at the beginning of each
session, roll +Cunning.
On a miss, choose one. On a 7-9, choose two. On a 10+, you get all three:
-You get Loaded.
-The law isn't onto you.
-You haven't stepped on the toes of any of the big shots; they're happy with you, and their cut
from your job.

Choose two moves:

Weasel
You can squirm your way out of almost anything. When you Tough it Out, you may roll
+Cunning instead of +Raw.

Casing the Joint

After you've asked questions from the Look for Answers move, you may roll at an advantage
on your next move that capitalizes on what you learned.

It's a Sure Thing

When you tell somebody about your plans and ambitions, you may give them a String on you.
If you're in trouble, they can spend that String to immediately show up, ready and prepared to
save your bacon.
They are not compelled to arrive and help you, and if they refuse, they keep the String you
gave them. Find better friends.
Young and Hungry
When you're Broke and haven't sated your Vice this session, you roll at an advantage on any
moves that you roll +Violent.

Vulture
When somebody rolls a miss in your presence (or otherwise screw up, if they're an NPC),
choose one:
-If you immediately attempt the same thing they failed at, you roll at an advantage.
-If you immediately make a move against them, you roll at an advantage.

---

The Lamb

Strings
-You're an obvious mark. Everyone gets a String on you.
-You knew somebody before they were corrupted. You begin with three Strings on them.

Loaded Move
You don't have a Vice, and you don't have a Loaded move, or any set means of getting
Loaded. If you manage to get Loaded during the game, roll +Raw.
On a 10+, you resist temptation.
On a 7-9, you go Broke sampling decadence, but you're not hooked (yet).
On a miss, you gain a Vice.

You get this move:

Down the Rabbit Hole

Whenever you roll a miss, you gain a point of "experience". Keep track of it.

For every five points, you must replace one of your moves from the Lamb playbook with a
new move from any other playbook, provided you develop a plausible explanation for it in the
game (i.e., many of the Badge's moves make no sense unless you're associated with law
enforcement).

Once you've replaced all your other moves from the Lamb playbook, you must use your next
five experience points to replace Down the Rabbit Hole with a playbook's Loaded move, after
which you no longer gain any more experience.

Choose two moves:

I Believe In You
You can spend a String on somebody to let them make their next roll at an advantage.

What You're Doing is Wrong

When you Wrap Around Your Finger, basic human decency is always a valid motive.
Angel of Mercy
When somebody rolls to Tough it Out while in your care, you may give them a String on you to
enable them to choose 1 additional option, hit or miss.

You're Better Than This

At the beginning of a session, choose one character you've spent time around. For the rest of
the session or until you say otherwise, when they're with you they suffer no penalties from
having failed to sate their Vice.