Creating a PbtA Playbook — Driver for Zoo Mafia RPG

Welcome to the Zoo. Today I’m creating the Driver —  another Playbook for Nerdarchy’s first roleplaying game, Zoo Mafia RPG. Our Zoo Mafia RPG Quick Start is now live and available for free through the Zoo Mafia Newsletter. The Quick Start includes four Playbooks for the Button, Grifter, Lookout and Safecracker. We’ve also posted another Playbook here on the website we’ve renamed the Goon. We’ll continue to develop new Playbooks here and then add them for our Patreon supporters in addition to the regular rewards over there. You can become a Patreon supporter and snag the Goon Playbook here.

Go Wild, Do Crime, but Don’t Let the Humans Catch You

Driver Motto: If it moves I can make it go

The first thing to do is consider what a Driver does in Zoo Mafia RPG before creating the Playbook.

• They are experts with vehicles and good at getting their paws on vehicles.
• They don’t need keys make something go.
• They can fix anything they can make go and other things as well.
• They have sharp reflexes and nerves of steel.
• They drive the getaway vehicle.
• They boost vehicles, get rid of vehicles and know where to hide a vehicle.

The next step is to prioritize the stats. Let’s look at those:

• Awareness (Perception or Senses)
• Magnetism (Appeal or Presence)
• Moxie (Grit or Willpower)
• Precision (Accuracy or Focus)
• Sly (Guile or Subtlety)
• Wild (Instinct or Physicality)

Our Driver needs to think and act fast. The Basic Move embodying this aspect is Get Out of a Jam, a Move reliant on Moxie. I think Awareness is also super important to a Driver. Spotting the best routes, vehicles to steal and whether anyone is on to them while waiting in the getaway vehicle is a pretty important part of their skillset.

Let’s assign stat arrays:

• Awareness   +2/ +1/ +2/ 0
• Magnetism  -1/  +1/ -1 / -1
• Moxie          +2/+1/ +1/ +2
• Precision      0/ +1/   0/ +1
• Sly               +1/ 0/   0/ -1
• Wild           -1 / -1 / +1 / +1

Onto our Moves. With all of the Zoo Mafia RPG Playbooks so far I’ve created the Moves from the list of what the archetype does.

Drivers drive and know how to find and use vehicles.

• License to Drive. At the start of a job you can access a vehicle. Roll+ Magnetism: 1-6 You procure a golf cart, bicycle or pedal car. 7-9 You can choose any of the previous vehicles or alternatively a motorcycle, moped, swan boat or other pedal boat, hang glider or hot air balloon. 10+ Whatever the Zookeeper deems possible like a car, access to the zoo’s monorail, motorized watercraft or even aircraft.

Choose two:

• I Don’t Need no Stinking Keys. You can hot wire motorized vehicles. Roll+ Moxie: 1-6 You get the vehicle started and maintain control over it for one scene. Whenever you perform a Move during the scene there is a 50% chance the engine explodes, dealing damage as Hard Move to everyone in the vehicle and rendering it undriveable without repairs. 7-9 You get the vehicle started and maintain control over it for one scene. Whenever you perform a Move during the scene there is a 50% chance the engine fails and renders it undriveable without repairs. 10+ You get the vehicle started and can drive it as much as you want and won’t ever need keys to get it started.
• Grease Monkey. You’ve got a knack for fixing anything mechanical. Roll+ Awareness: 1-6 You fail to get it fixed. 7-9 Your repairs are good enough to keep it going for one scene. 10+ You fix it up good as new.
• Nerves of Steel. You can use Moxie instead of Wild.
• Run ‘Em Down. You know how to use a vehicle as a weapon. You use Moxie instead of Wild when you Bop using a vehicle as a weapon (deals 2 damage). You can Bop other vehicles instead of animals this way and damage can be converted into effects like running another vehicle off the road.
• Bootlegger. You know your way around volatile substance like alcohol and gasoline. Whenever you Bring the Heat when using Molotov Cocktails you use Awareness instead of Precision. You can also Put Your Peepers to Work to gain information about bootlegging and existing bootlegging operations. 1-6 You fail. 7-9 You get two Holds. 10+ You get three Holds.

Equipment

• TOOLS: Mechanic’s tools, Supplies to Make Molotov Cocktails
• ONE SIDEARM OR SHOTGUN: Double-Barrelled Shotgun, Sawed-Off Shotgun, .357 Revolver, Colt M1911a1, Smith And Wesson M&P .38 Special, Smith & Wesson Model 10
• ONE MELEE WEAPON: Baseball Bat wrapped in Barbed Wire, Blackjack, Crowbar, Knife, Knuckle-Duster, Leather Slapper, Sap, Straight Razor, Tire Iron
• A HAT: Banded Fedora, Bowler, Cloche, Hair Clips, Headband, Headpiece, Homburg, Sun Hat, Tiara
• CLOTHING: Double-Breasted Jacket, Flannel Suit, High-Waisted Trousers, Jazz Suit, Knickerbockers, Longer Plus-Fours, Sweater, Vest, Wide-Legged Oxford Bag Pants
• AN ACCESSORY: Driving Gloves, Cigarette Holder, Flask, Pocket Watch, Sunglasses, Suspenders, Wrist Watch

If you want the digital version of the Driver Playbook to go along with your Zoo Mafia RPG Quick Start and the Goon Playbook we’ll post it up over on Patreon very soon. Next up I think I’ll develop a Pickpocket Playbook.

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