Signature Moves

 

Art

 

Duende

When you make a compelling connection with someone during a performance, roll Art.

On a 6+, gain 3 hold over them. On a 3–5, gain 2.

They can spend your hold over them, a point at a time, by:

• giving you something you want

• acting as your eyes and ears

• fighting to protect you

• doing something you tell them to

 

NPCs can’t act against you while you have hold over them. For PCs, any time you like you can spend your hold so they distract themselves with the thought of you. They’re then acting under pressure.

On a 2-, they hold 2 over you, which they can use in the same way.

 

Fame

When you meet someone new, roll Art.

On a success, they’ve heard of you, and you say what they’ve heard.

On a 6+, you gain Asé too.

On a 2-, they’ve heard of you, but the GM will decide what they’ve heard.

 

Read the Room

When you try to Dar um Jeitinho, you may roll Art instead of Knowing.

 

Saudade

When you give a performance of profound emotion, no one who can see you can do anything but watch and listen. You command their absolute attention. If you choose, you can exempt individual people, if you know their names.

 

Shame the Devil

When you express a telling truth to someone through your art, roll Art. On a 6+, choose 2. On a 3-5, choose 1.

• You gain Asé

• They gain Asé

• They suffer stress

 

 

Business

 

Profit & Loss

If your business is secure and fully under your control, at the beginning of the first scene you call in a session, roll Business.

On a 6+, you gain Wealth and Asé. On a 3–5, you gain Wealth, but choose 1 pressing need. On a 2-, your business is in difficulty of some kind.

 

Patronage

When you are introduced to someone who wishes to make use of your services, roll Business. On a 3+, you attract one or more high-paying customers and gain Wealth. On a 3- 5, choose one of the following. On a 6+, choose three.

• The job is not particularly dangerous.

• The job will not involve imperial entanglements.

• The job pays very well.

• The patron is not withholding information about the job.

 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

When you want to know something about someone who could reasonably be assumed to have visited your place of business, roll Business. On a 6+, ask the GM up to 3 questions from the following. On a 3-5, ask 1:

What have they been doing lately?

What or who do they love best?

Who do they know, like and/or trust?

When and where should I expect to see them next?

 

Workspace

You have a workshop, or similar place for making or repairing things. Choose 3 things your workspace includes, e.g. a dock, a place for growing things, skilled labour, a yard or stock room full of raw materials, a wagon and horse, a forge, paint and canvas, a training yard, leatherworking tools, carpenter’s tools, metalworking tools, a foundry, a bakery.

When you go into your workspace and dedicate yourself to making a thing, improving a thing, or to getting to the bottom of something, roll Making.

On a 6+, choose one. On a 3-5, the GM chooses up to two.

On a 2-, the GM chooses three.

• It will take hours/days/weeks/months of work

• First you’ll have to get/build/fix/figure out something

• You’re going to need someone to help you

• It’s going to cost you a lot of Wealth

• You can only make a poor-quality version

• It’s going to mean exposing yourself (and maybe others) to danger

 

Once you’ve determined these conditions, you can reconsider whether or not to go ahead with the project.

 

 

Capoeira

 

Chamada

When you want to call for a break in the action (in the roda or elsewhere) roll Capoeira or Talking. On a success, people stop to watch and listen to you. On a 6+, choose two from the list. On a 3-5, choose one:

• Everyone in the scene pays attention, not just thoseclosest to you

• You get more than a few seconds to do or say what youwant to

• You’re not open to a surprise attack

• You gain Asé

 

Entre os dedos dos pés

When you fight with a navalha gripped between your toes, its range becomes hand/close.

 

Esquiva

When you try to dodge an attack or other source of danger, roll Capoeira or Moving. On a 6+, choose two. On a 3-5, choose one:

• You gain Asé

• You move away from or towards your opponentwithout additional danger

• You suffer little or no harm

 

Malicia

When you try to Dar um Jeitinho, you may choose to roll Capoeira instead of Knowing.

 

Meia-lua de Frente

When you employ a front crescent kick, roll Capoeira. On a 6+, choose 2.

On a 3-5, choose 1:

• They drop an item they’re holding in one hand

• You gain Asé

• You strike your opponent

 

Rabo de Arraia

When you execute this fast, spinning kick, roll Capoeira. On a 6+, choose 2.

On a 3-5, choose 1:

• You get +1 on your next action against them

• You gain Asé

• You strike your opponent

 

Rasteira

When you attempt to trip an opponent, roll Capoeira.

On a 6+, choose 2. On a 3-5, choose 1:

• You trip your opponent

• You gain Asé

• You strike your opponent

 

Strike or Hurt?

Where a move description says ‘strike your opponent’, you have a choice. That can mean to simply hit them with a kick or other blow, dealing them harm. But you might also want to simply mark where the blow would have landed, demonstrating your skill or superiority.

 

Capoeira or Fighting?

The skill of Capoeira may be used as a substitute for Fighting: another strong ability to spend in a scene. It may also be used instead of Moving for acrobatics or dodging, instead of Art for singing or playing instruments associated with capoeira, Knowing for capoeira matters, &c.

 

 

 

Community

 

Fingers in Every Pie

When you put out word that you want something (or someone), roll Talking. On a 6+, it shows up. On a 3-5, people do their best but you may have to make do with a close approximation.

 

The Good Listener

You can question any NPC resident in your neighbourhood about anything they know, even their darkest secrets; roll Talking. On a 6+, they tell you everything they know. On a 3-5, choose 1.

• They tell you everything they know as a favour to you; now you owe them.

• They point you towards someone who knows more; add +1 to your next Talking roll involving that person.

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Pillar of the Community

When you use your position to claim authority or hide behind the law, roll Talking. On a 6+, your opponent must either submit or strike back at you immediately. On a 3-5, choose 1:

• They submit without reservation.

• You don’t suffer stress.

• You don’t make a bad impression on bystanders.

 

Rabble-rousing

When you address a mob, roll Talking. On a 6+, gain 3 points of hold over them. On a 3–5, gain 1.

Spend your hold 1 for 1 to make the mob:

• bring people or things forward and deliver them.

• unite and fight for you.

• travel en masse to a location of your choice.

• go quietly back to their lives.

 

On a 2-, the mob turns on you.

 

Word on the Street

When you find something out by listening to or recalling local gossip, you may choose one extra result.

 

 

Connections

 

Friends in High Places

Put out the word that you want something – could be a person, too –

and roll Talking. On a 6+, it shows up for you, like magic. On a 3-5, your

people do their best and come up with something close but not quite what you wanted.

 

Friends in Low Places

You have malta connections who will do stuff for you. When you ask them to carry out a task, roll Talking. On a 6+, it gets done but choose 1. On a 3-5, choose 2.

• You’re seen associating with a known criminal.

• They need cash up front – spend Wealth.

• People know you were behind it.

• You get out of your depth in the bad part of town – suffer harm.

 

I Know People

When you want to know something about someone important, roll Talking. On a success, you can ask the GM questions.

On a 6+, ask 3. On a 3-5, ask 1:

• How are they doing? What are they up to?

• What or who do they love best?

• Who do they know, like and/or trust?

• When next should I expect to see them?

• How could I get to them, physically or emotionally?

 

Convincing

You are skilled at getting others to do things for you. Once per episode, when you convince a player’s character to do something for you, they roll +1 on actions related to doing it. If they succeed, gain Asé.

 

Famous

Your reputation precedes you. Unless you disguise yourself, you may be recognised by any people you meet. If someone recognises you, you can roll +1 when acting against them, but they’ll tell people that they met you. Both you and the GM can declare that someone recognises you.

 

 

 

Gang

 

Leader of the Pack

You have a group of tough guys under your command. When you try to impose your will on your gang, roll Authority. On a 6+, they do what you want, no problem. On a 3–5, choose one:

• They don’t do what you want.

• They demand a reward.

• You have to make an example of one of them.

•  

Hard Bastard

You have two “Beaten Up” boxes on your harm track. If both are ticked, when you remove stress you can remove both ticks at the same time.

 

Handy with my Fists

You don’t need a weapon to mess someone up; you do 2 harm unarmed.

 

Yes, Boss

When you suffer stress or harm rather than disobey orders, gain Asé.

 

Count the Takings

You run some kind of racket in the bairro (specify what it is). If your territory is secure and your rule unchallenged, at the beginning of the session, roll Authority.

On a 6+, you gain Wealth. On a 3-5, you gain Wealth but a threat has emerged that you must resolve before you can use this action again.

On a 2-, no Wealth: just the threat.

 

 

Hustling

 

Do the Hustle

You have a number of rackets on the go. When you first take this move, you have 2 rackets going. At the start of each episode, choose one or more of your rackets, describe what each job is, and roll Sneaking.

 

On a 6+, you profit from each of your jobs. On a 3-5, one of them goes wrong and you profit from the rest. Each job you profit from gives you 1 Wealth. On a 2-, everything’s gone wrong. When any job goes wrong, you must resolve the situation before you can use this move again.

When you first take this move, choose two rackets:

• Numbers: You run the jogo do bicho lottery around the neighbourhood. Gone wrong: Someone’s out of pocket and blames you.

• Theft: You have a small crew who perform minor local robberies.

Gone wrong: They robbed the wrong guy.

• Surveillance: You have a small network of informants who report goings on; you then sell that information.

Gone wrong: Someone acts on bad info.

• Deliveries: People hire you to transport things.

Gone wrong: The delivery never arrives.

• Brokering deals: You arrange for the right people to meet each other. Gone wrong: the deal that you arranged turns sour.

• The short con: You pull confidence tricks on the rich, the new to town, or ideally both.

Gone wrong: You’ve been rumbled.

• Prostitution: You run a stable of prostitutes or are one yourself.

Gone wrong: Something has happened to bring business to a halt.89

 

Human Resources

When you hire someone to do a job, and they succeed, you both gain Asé.

 

Escape Route

When you decide to Dar um Jeitinho, roll Sneaking instead of Knowing.

 

Papers, Please

When you falsify documentation, roll Making.

On a success, you forge the documents required.

On a 3-5, choose one drawback:

• The forgeries are perfect but costly; -1 Wealth.

• They won’t fool anyone for long; they only work once.

• They attract attention from the law, now or later.

 

The Power of Street Knowledge

When you try to overtake someone by using shortcuts, roll Moving. If you succeed, you get to your destination first.

On a 6+, choose 2. On a 3-5, choose 1.

• You arrive more than a minute before them.

• You suffer no harm en route.

• They suffer stress.

• You gain Asé.

 

 

Quayside

 

A Buyer’s Market

When you sell cargo, roll Talking. On a 6+, you can sell it for its true value; gain Wealth. On a 3-5, gain Wealth but choose one.

• There’s little interest; you have to spend a week before you can shift the merchandise.

• The cargo is illicit or stolen.

• You know someone who’ll take it off your hands but now you owe them a favour.

 

Old Salt’s Yarns

When you seek to mollify or entertain a group, roll Talking. On a 6+ gain 3 hold over them, on a 3-5 gain 1 hold. Spend your hold a point at a time to make the audience:

• be happy and forget about a specific care that you name

• go quietly to their beds or homes

• reveal to you what they know about a topic of your choice

 

On a 2- they turn against you.

 

In Every Port

You can easily find things out when far away in distant lands, or use news and information from far away when you want to find something out close to home.

 

Master of my Fate

You own a seagoing vessel. Define your vessel’s seaworthiness as a number between 0 and 3. When you’re on your boat or ship, add its seaworthiness to all procedural rolls.

At the beginning of each session, you must spend Wealth on your vessel’s upkeep equal to its seaworthiness. If you go into minus numbers, you’re in debt.

 

Captain of my Soul

You have a crew of sailors, stevedores or other labourers. When you try to impose your will on your crew, roll Authority. On a 6+, all three. On a 3–5, choose one:

They do what you want.

They don’t demand something in return.

You don’t have to make an example of one of them.

 

Roll Out the Barrel

When you cut loose and go carousing without regard to other concerns, like work tomorrow morning, gain Asé

 

Wealth

 

Blue Blood

You are a member of the aristocracy. You have invitations to all the best parties.When you use your family name instead of spending money, roll Talking or Wealthy.

On a 6+, spend 1 fewer Wealth than you would normally have to.

On a 3-5, save 1 Wealth and the GM chooses 1:

• Word gets back to your family.

• Word gets back to someone else’s family.

• You suffer embarrassment.

 

Grease the Wheels

When you Dar um Jeitinho or Find Something Out, you may roll Wealthy instead of Knowing.

 

Inherited Wealth

You have a relatively steady income, provided you keep its source in good condition. At the beginning of each episode, provided your source of wealth has no pressing need held over from last time out, roll Wealthy.

On a 6+, gain Wealth. On a 3-5 gain Wealth and choose one pressing need – for example:

• You have to convince an older relative (your Aunt Agatha?) that you’re not a wastrel.

• An unruly cousin is foisted on you and you have to take care of them.

• You have got engaged, possibly by accident, to what your family considers an inappropriate match. They will give you no more money till you call off the wedding.

On a 2-, the GM chooses a pressing need and you gain no Wealth.

 

Money is no Object

When you make known that you want something and spend dinheiro to speed it on its way, roll Wealthy +Wealth spent (maximum +3). It has to be a thing you could legitimately get this way. On a 6+ it comes to you, no strings attached. On a 3–5 it comes to you, or something pretty close to what you wanted.

 

Rebellious

When you receive good advice or instruction but act on your own instincts instead, gain Asé.

 

Used to the Finer Things

When you go into a city’s bustling market, looking for some particular thing to buy, and it’s not obvious whether you should be able to just go buy one like that, roll Wealthy. On a 6+, yes, you can just go buy it like that. On a 3–5, the GM chooses one of the following:

• It costs more than you’d expect.

• It’s available, but only if you meet this guy who knows a guy.

• You can only get an inferior version or a near approximation of what you actually want