Did i do the right thing here?
I had a scene coming up in our Play by Community.
The adventurers have found themselves in a big entrance hall with a giant, reality warping goo monster and a group of foreign looking attackers shooting that thing with crossbows.
The fighter then goes to do this :
“Wait Wait!” Llyurim catches up to the others. “What are you doing? We don’t even …” she looks at the others for a moment. “You have as little idea what’s going on here, as I, right? So…. ummm” A grin forms on her face. “Shouldn’t we just ask?” Llyurim is about to step forward and shout out, if no one stops her.
“Hey, you there! What the hell do you think you are doing there? Get away from that thing!”
I want to move quite somewhat to the side as to draw a bit of attention away from the rest of the group.
Now my first instinct was. Ouh, he just goes to this on-the-edge/battle crazy bad guys to say hello without any precaution? Golden Opportunity – bang. Eat a crossbowbolt. I deal damage.
What i did instead was being a fan of the character and offered an opportunity to show why he is cool.
My post:
One of the beings turns around in surprise and aims it’s crossbow at you, firing in panic. Normaly i’d say you just take damage but you are THE Fighter. What does that mean anyway? What makes you THE Fighter?
And is it enough to dodge a crossbow bolt like that?
Fighters Response:
Why would I dodge a crossbow bolt, and give away how awesome my reflexes are, when I can just pull my shield up and let it impact there? 😉
What makes me THE FIGHTER is my ability to believe I can FACE situations, where others would RUN AWAY or seek to CIRCUMVENT it. I can conquer my fear – although some doubtlessly envious tongues say, that it is because I act before I think – and I know the way to prevail in this world is to face worthy threats, beat them and earn their wisdom, or return to fight another day, hopefully wiser then.
Being a fighter is not about being the strongest, though. It is just a means to an end: When you are in control, you can protect your friends and allies and you can determine where the darkness in the world is allowed to dwell.
Is this okay to just give the fighter this “free block?” I mean this could be Defy Danger right? this has to be defy danger with a 7-9: you have to show them your awesome reflexes by jumping out of the way. They won’t underestimate you now.
But anyway, the moment is gone.
(he still has to make a When you interact with someone and don’t share a common way of speaking or doing business roll because of what these guys are)
What would you have done in this situation?
I would’ve done less awesome. I swear, if I thought about doing that and my fighter gave me that response, I might’ve cried.
I don’t think you possibly could have done better. Sure, I mean, you could’ve dealt him some damage but instead you had him tell you exactly where you need to prod in the future to have him be motivated, and that’s “control”, apparently what this fighter is all about.
I think you’ve announced future badness. Or whatever the equivalent in DW is. I haven’t played in a while.
thank you Alex. The fighters response was pretty awesome yeah. Good Job Bernd Pressler !
honestly in my own games I would also have never had thought about emphasizing roles like that. It was a totally cool idea to pull off something like that. Thank you, great job Tim Franzke
I think I actually would have declared a Defend move.
standing in defense of what?
of himself!
Is that a thing one could do? Why wouldn’t you always do that?
When you stand in defense of a person, item, or location under attack,
you can’t stand in defense of yourself, not even in DW-court!
yeah, page 64:
“Defending yourself is certainly an option. It amounts to giving up on making attacks and just trying to keep yourself safe.”
Parrying a blow with a shield is most certainly defend (you’re not defying danger, you’re running at it!).
*remind me to read the whole text before i quote it…
Good catch Alessandro Gianni
I never noticed that about the Defend move either, Tim. I learn so much hanging around here. Likely, I would have allowed the free block because it’s awesome and sounds fun, and certainly served the fiction. The key for me was you remembering to ask the question in the first place, which I likely wouldn’t have done. Like I say, I learn so much hanging around here.
to be fair, it’s a play by post game and i have more time to think about what i say.