Hi Adrian! I've been looking for a really solid Sci-Fi/ Space Opera TTRPG in the PbtA vein and I am seriously Hooked (no pun intended) with Impulse Drive! It really is a phenomenal game that facilitates my GM (SM) style and evokes all the Space Opera feels I want to evoke in my players! Seriously, well done on a great game! I'm not sure if this is the correct/ best forum for questions- but I couldn't find any other avenue, so I apologize if I'm barking up the wrong tree!
Anyway, I've been reading through it a bunch of times to understand how best to interpret the rules for advancement. As written, the game states that with 5 XP, a player can "Gain a New Archetype Move" and in each Archetype Playbook, I noticed that under each playbook's advanced moves, the trigger is "When you have 5 XP and choose to gain a(n) (Insert Playbook) Move, select on of the below moves to take"
To me, it almost sounds like a player could choose to take a move from an archetype that is not their own; for example, a Warhorse can take "Quickdraw" from the Hound archetype. Overall, I think that is pretty neat- if it was intended. However, aside from the concern of perhaps "taking the vibe of an archetype away from another player with that particular archetype by taking their advanced moves," the more "practical" limitation of this rule interpretation would be that advanced moves that enhance a signature move that a player would not be able to otherwise acquire (like the Tempest's advanced moves, for instance, which enhance their "Oncoming Storm" signature Move).
So I guess my question comes down to: Are players allowed to take advanced moves from other playbook archetypes? Obviously, I'm fine if they cannot- I just want to be able to clarify that for my players once I get a chance to run this game. In the event they can, is it just a matter of not taking moves that enhance signature moves or perhaps something like Dungeon World where taking a multi-class move would apply to a playbook's starting move, such as a Cleric's "Cast a Spell" move would also require the ability to commune with a deity to cast cleric spells and therefore an Impulse Drive Archetype would have to also get the signature move before the advanced move?
Look forward to hearing a reply, awesome work on the game, and I look forward to any new updates you have in mind!
- Sully
