← SHIFT  ·  PLAYBOOK 1 OF 2
The DRIVER
You and the machine understand each other. Most people drive a car. You have a conversation with it.
PERSONNEL FILE
STAT: SHIFT
PRIMARY: +2
ACCESS: OPEN
The Driver  ·  FILE SHIFT
The DRIVER
PRIMARY: SHIFT
HERO / ANTI-HERO / VILLAIN
You and the machine understand each other. Most people drive a car. You have a conversation with it.
FLOORED▼

When you push your vehicle past its rated limits to close distance or escape, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: You're there, or they're not. Clean, controlled, no complications.
  • 7–9: You get there but the GM picks a complication.
CONTROLLED DRIFT▼

When you use a slide, spin, or drift to reposition in a tight space or shed a pursuer, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: Perfect execution. New position, pursuer lost or blocked, vehicle unharmed.
  • 7–9: You pull it off but the GM picks a complication.
THREAD THE NEEDLE▼

When you drive through a space that your vehicle shouldn't fit, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: You're through clean. Whatever was behind you isn't.
  • 7–9: You make it but the GM picks a complication.
PICKUP▼

When you pull alongside someone at speed and extract them into the vehicle, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: They're in, door closed, accelerating before they've processed what happened.
  • 7–9: They're in but the GM picks a complication.
READ THE ROAD▼

When you assess a driving situation — traffic, pursuit, terrain, route options — roll +Intuition.

  • 10+: Ask the GM three: What's the fastest route? Where are they trying to push us? What are they going to do next? Is there an ambush ahead? What's the vehicle's weak point?
  • 7–9: Ask one.
RAMMING SPEED▼

When you use your vehicle as a weapon against another vehicle or large target, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: Deal 3 harm to the target. Your vehicle takes 1 harm.
  • 7–9: Deal 2 harm. Your vehicle takes 2 harm.
BOOTLEGGER▼

When you need to reverse direction instantly at speed, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: Clean reversal. Same speed, exact direction you want.
  • 7–9: Reversal complete but the GM picks a complication.
KNOW THE STREETS▼

You always know a route — escape, approach, intercept, patrol bypass. No roll for any city you've spent a week in. Unfamiliar city, roll +Smarts.

  • 10+: The perfect route, plus three ways it could go wrong.
  • 7–9: A good route. One complication you didn't anticipate.
PURSUIT▼

When you chase down a target vehicle, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: You have them. They cannot escape this scene without a consequence.
  • 7–9: You close the gap. They must make a hard choice or you'll have them.
EVASION▼

When you break a pursuit, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: Clean escape. They have no idea where you went.
  • 7–9: Out of immediate danger but the GM picks a complication.
STUNT DRIVER▼

When you perform a vehicular stunt that should be impossible — rooftop driving, jumping a gap, two wheels — roll +Shift.

  • 10+: Executed perfectly. Looks intentional.
  • 7–9: Executed. Does not look intentional.
CRASH LANDING▼

When your vehicle is disabled or destroyed, roll +Tough.

  • 10+: Everyone walks out. You chose every variable. Vehicle is totaled but nobody is hurt.
  • 7–9: Everyone survives. Each occupant takes 1 harm.
UNDER THE HOOD▼

When you have access to a vehicle and time to work on it, roll +Smarts.

  • 10+: Add one temporary modification from the modifications list for this mission.
  • 7–9: Add the modification but the GM picks a complication with the installation.
IMPROVISED WEAPON▼

When you use a tool, car part, or piece of machinery as a weapon in hand-to-hand, roll +Smarts.

  • 10+: Deal 2 harm and the improvised nature of it catches them off guard — they can't immediately counter.
  • 7–9: Deal 1 harm. The GM picks a complication.
ROLLING COVER▼

When you position your vehicle to shield teammates from incoming fire, roll +Tough.

  • 10+: Full cover for the scene. The vehicle absorbs all ranged harm directed at anyone inside or adjacent.
  • 7–9: Cover for this exchange. Vehicle takes 2 harm.
INTERCEPT▼

When you cut off a target vehicle or person on foot, roll +Shift.

  • 10+: They stop or crash. You control the position entirely.
  • 7–9: You block their path but the GM picks a complication.
DEAD RECKONING▼

When you drive blind — no GPS, no landmarks, hostile territory, zero visibility — roll +Intuition.

  • 10+: You know exactly where you are and where you're going.
  • 7–9: Roughly right. You arrive close but the GM picks a complication.
PATROL▼

Between scenes you've covered the area. Ask the GM two questions about the mission location — access points, vehicle staging, patrol routes, civilian traffic. They must answer honestly.

THE MACHINE AND I▼

(1/session)

Declare that you and your vehicle are in sync. For one scene, all vehicle rolls automatically succeed on 7+ with no complications. On 6-, the vehicle takes harm instead of failing.

UPGRADE▼

(between missions)

When you have downtime and access to parts, add one permanent modification to your vehicle from the modifications list. No roll required, but it takes a full session of downtime.

PERSONAL ASSESSMENT
  • FaceAlert, scanning. Always knowing where the exits are.
  • BodyStill when still, decisive when moving. Economy of motion.
  • StylePractical. Nothing that catches on a gear shift or a door handle.
  • PresenceMakes passengers feel safe or terrified. Often both.
  • VehicleName and describe your primary vehicle: make, look, one modification that matters to you personally, and one thing it can do that it shouldn't be able to. ---
ORIGIN
  • You drove something out of somewhere it had no business coming out of. The people in that car owe you everything. Some of them know it.
  • Racing. Legal or otherwise. You stopped caring about the distinction somewhere around year three.
  • You were trained for this. By whom and toward what purpose is a longer story than you're telling right now.
  • You picked up a stranger once. The drive that followed changed everything. You've been moving since.
  • You've been running from something since you were old enough to reach the pedals. You got very good at it.
GEAR & EQUIPMENT

Your vehicle — describe it fully: base type, what it looks like, and choose three modifications from the list below:

Modifications:

  • Reinforced chassis (+1 armor to vehicle, takes 1 more hit before disabled)
  • Concealed weapons mount (front or rear, 2 harm, requires a roll to use in motion)
  • Smuggling compartment (undetectable without a full mechanical inspection)
  • Engine work (top speed significantly increased, +1 forward on pursuit/escape rolls)
  • Surveillance package (cameras, scanners, police band, live feed to a remote device)
  • EMP shielding (vehicle immune to electronic interference and disabling attacks)
  • Ejection or escape system (passengers can exit safely at speed)

THE CATCH — choose one:

  • Loud — it announces itself. No stealth approaches, no quiet extractions.
  • Conspicuous — it turns heads. You will be remembered and described.
  • Thirsty — burns fuel fast. Long hauls or high-speed chases burn through your reserves.
  • Temperamental — cold starts, hot weather, hard stops. Take -1 forward on the first roll of any mission until it warms up.
  • Old Plates — someone is looking for this vehicle. The GM may introduce that complication once per mission.
  • One of a Kind — no replacement parts. When the vehicle takes harm, repairs require time and a roll.
  • Big — crowds, alleys, parking structures are all problems. Anywhere a smaller vehicle could go, you cannot.
  • Hot — stolen, wanted, or associated with something. Law enforcement will act on sight.
  • Sentimental — you will not abandon it. Ever. The GM knows this.

Choose one personal item:

  • Police scanner (always know what's coming before it gets there)
  • Spike strip (deployable, blows tires on pursuing vehicles)
  • Toolkit (field repair without a Smarts roll for standard damage)
KNOWN ASSOCIATES / CONNECTIONS
They've been in the vehicle when things went wrong and you got them out. Ask them: do they trust your driving, or just you?
You drove something to them once that changed the entire situation. Ask them: do they know how close it was?
They've asked you where you learned to drive like this. Tell them what you said. Ask: did they believe it?
You've driven away from something together that neither of you have discussed since. Ask them: are you ready to talk about it?
They're the person you'd call if the vehicle was gone and you needed to disappear. Ask them: do they know that?
You've picked them up somewhere they had no business being at 3am. Ask them: did you ask questions?
They've ridden shotgun long enough to know when you're worried by how you drive. Ask them: what does that look like?
You've taken a hit to the vehicle to keep them safe inside it. Ask them: do they know what that cost the car?
They've been the one to find you when the vehicle finally gave out. Ask them: what state were you in?
You know a route that only makes sense if you're running from something specific. Ask them: have they ever asked you what?

YOUR STATS

Your primary stat is SHIFT: +2

Distribute the following among your remaining 9 stats:

+1+1 00 00 -1-1 -2

Improvements (every 5 XP)

  • Take a new Driver move
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Add +1 to Shift (max +3)
  • Add +1 to Intuition (max +3)
  • Add +1 to Agility (max +3)
  • Add 1 to your harm track maximum
  • Add one permanent modification to your vehicle
  • Gain a second vehicle of a completely different type

Advanced Improvements (every 5 level-ups)

  • Ghost Protocol: Your vehicle cannot be tracked, surveilled, or identified by any electronic or conventional means. Permanent.
  • The Perfect Run: Once per campaign, declare a drive that cannot fail. Every roll succeeds. The GM may still make hard moves on the world around you, but you get where you're going.
  • Change playbook: You've grown into someone different.
  • Retire: You parked it for the last time. Tell the table where, and whether you left the keys in it.