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The Faceless playbook of Apocalypse World (both 1e and 2e limited playbooks) states the following:

The Unexpected: when someone sees you unmasked for the first time, they take s-harm, in addition to anything else that happens.

Does that apply only to the moment of unmasking, or seeing the Faceless without the mask in general? I think the former makes more sense in the narrative, but feel the latter is a more natural interpretation of the wording.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I see the conflict -- "unmasked" could be read either as a verb or an adjective here ("see you have your masked remove" vs "see you without your mask"). \$\endgroup\$
    – doppelgreener
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 12:17

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I am in favour of reading it as "whenever somebody sees you without your mask on and recognizes you".

Mechanically, because the next feature reads

Unmasked, you are (choose 2): Vulnerable...Grotesque...Afraid...Irresolute..Ashamed...Powerless

Which implies two possible states: mask on / mask off. And equates "Unmasked" with the "while the mask is off".

Narratively, that makes as much sense. Whenever someone realizes what the Faceless really looks like, that changes their perspective. Witnessing the act of taking the mask off is not required unless the Faceless can convincingly pass for somebody else without it.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I disagree with it making more sense narratively - the Faceless is a masked rogue, who tend to leave double lifes in fiction. Private life with the mask off, public life with the mask on. I thought the s-harm was supposed to emulate the shock of seeing that the masked vigilante was actually a billionaire playboy, as seen in Batman franchise from time to time. \$\endgroup\$
    – kviiri
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 14:54
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    \$\begingroup\$ Well, no, the Faceless is a scary-as-f@#$ chainsaw-massacring maniac who you also live with in a tight post-apocalyptic community. When you see how he looks as a 'mortal' person, rather than the primal spawn of horror, you are going to be shocked. I have doubts that it changes when you simply walk on him, still recognizable with his chainsaw and bloody armour, without the mask on and not witness him taking the mask off. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nox
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 14:59
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    \$\begingroup\$ @kviiri No, the Faceless is not a masked vigilante playbook in any interpretation. Their mask is their real face, as far as they are concerned, and don't take it off. They don't have a double life, they have just one. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 15:12
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    \$\begingroup\$ For me, it is obviously implied that having the mask on is a normal state of the Faceless playbook, since he starts suffering some mostly psychological drawbacks when he takes it off. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nox
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 15:14
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    \$\begingroup\$ Here's some background on the playbook: “I noticed a lack of a playbook for huge monsters wearing masks like the Humungus or Blaster…” \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Commented Oct 3, 2016 at 15:15

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