Hey guys. I’m in the infant stages of running my very first campaign [and my first time playing DW, to boot]. I’ve decided to introduce a drug made from coalesced and crystallized raw magic. The idea is that it causes vivid waking dreams, hallucinations, and any number of other effects that could reasonably come from snorting magic like cocaine.
In any event, I’ve tried to model it with a custom move. This is my first time trying this sort of thing; I thought i’d take it to you guys for critique and suggestions as I’m sure there are a number of ways this could be improved. Thanks, guys.
When you ingest glamour roll 2d6 + Con. *on a 10+ pick 2 from below *7-9, pick 1. Either way, you experience vivid hallucinations and your high lasts about an hour.
* You don’t take -1 to INT, CHA, or WIS [DM choice] until you take Glamour again
* You take +1 ongoing to any rolls that use WIS until the Glamour wears off.
* The vivid hallucinations you’re experiencing provide a glimpse of things to come. hold (2) and spend one for one to take +1 to defy danger.
I believe the first option is almost a non-option. Taking -1 to all rolls of a stat is pretty bad. Especially if you end up in a situation, where you will not be able to acquire more “juice” to relieve yourself of the penalty.
The third however is great! It has a clearly narrative effect that WILL be useful to the player. When looking over the moves from the core book, you will see that all moves has an in-built narrative effect. Your first two effects lack this somewhat.
The idea is solid though, a really great idea 🙂
The drug should have a central fictional benefit – the reason people take it to begin with. Is it the precognition? Is it the heightened senses? Is it a potent analgesic? Does it protect you from magic? Does it let you cast a spell as though you were a wizard of one level higher?
Maybe the drug effects everyone differently. In that case, there’s a move for the first time you take the drug and the result is the effect of the drug thereafter. Maybe there’s a list of primary- and side-effects. Then when you take the drug there’s another move that gives you the primary on a 10+ or the primary and side effect on a 7-9.
Solid points. And thanks for the guidance. Okay, so it looks like option three is a keeper. So maybe I can mold the other two around that model.
I did want at least one option that incentivized use (a penalty option) and another bonus option.
Narratively, I envisioned glamour as a mind expanding drug, along the same lines as peyote. In this case, I considered the idea that snorting crystalized raw magic would alter a persons perception; something akin to touching the astral plane briefly. Maybe you see dead loved ones. Maybe you start to smell other wizards. Maybe you can (or think you can) speak to spells.
Actually, maybe I can use a few of those. But I’m still teasing out a penalty for an addiction type mechanic. Any thoughts?
You could include a “You do not strengthen your addiction” option, instead of a penalty? You should have some tags that describes various levels of addiction in that case though.
Remember; the most important thing when designing a move is to give it a fictive effect, not necessarily a mechanic one. Being addicted might not even have rules, except it can get very hard focusing if it isn’t sated once in a while, or withdrawel symptons.
You could actually make a move that is triggered by “when your character suffers from withdrawel”.
Yeah, a “dealing with the withdrawal” or “drug cravings” type move sounds pretty cool. You could make it 2d6 + days without drug or something, with assorted nasty effects (maybe you dampen/drain nearby magic, or parts of you glow and spark randomly, or something).
Ok, I felt the groove, so I’ve already whipped up a modification. I like the idea of dealing with withdrawal separately (thanks Kasper Brohus and Mikhail Gordin), but I think I can cross that bridge when I get to it. Hopefully this is an overall improvement:
Glamour: a potent drug made from crystallized raw magic. Ground up and further refined by any number of seedy fellows, Glamour has recently become quite popular with the wealthy, the eccentric, and the Wizarding community. Each dose comes in a small glass vial. Don’t mind the odd glow, that just means its fresh. Now do you want it, or don’t you?
When you ingest Glamour roll 2d6 + Con. *on a 10+ pick 2 from below *7-9, pick 1. Either way, you experience vivid hallucinations and the high lasts about an hour.
– Well, that was…pretty damn good, actually. In fact, a person could really develop a problem with this Glamour stuff. But not me. You avoid addiction. This time.
– Glamour expands your senses out beyond the veil. So what if no one else sees? Wait, what do you mean spells can’t talk? *Hold (1)* For the next hour, you can spend one for one to Parley with an ongoing magical effect you encounter and convince it to end. You are considered to have leverage. [Magical items so affected will become magical again after some time]
– The vivid hallucinations you’re experiencing provide a glimpse of things to come. hold (2) and spend one for one to take +1 to defy danger.
I love the talk to magic. (I hear spells are real jerks)
Me too. Parleying with magical effects is a nice one. I suppose you have leverage because of the drug?
Kasper Brohus Exactly; I thought giving leverage would would fit here. And thanks again for all the feedback, everyone. I think this is much improved for your suggestions. Cheers!