So I just ran my first session last night, I’m having trouble “letting go” of my powers as GM.

So I just ran my first session last night, I’m having trouble “letting go” of my powers as GM.

So I just ran my first session last night, I’m having trouble “letting go” of my powers as GM. As in, not telling the players to make a check or when to do something. Any tips on just letting the fiction do the work? What do I do wen my players just stop talking and look to me?

Also, when it comes to trying to convince an NPC to do something or bluff them, what should I do? Do I have them roll for parley? Can someone clarify the description of leverage for me?

Sorry for all these questions, I just love the concept of this system and I want to give my players the best time that I can.

10 thoughts on “So I just ran my first session last night, I’m having trouble “letting go” of my powers as GM.”

  1. You might just call for a roll+CHA and interpret the fiction from the results of that roll.  That’s what I did for Bluff checks.  It’s a sort of Defy Danger with Chr.

  2. When players look to you, ask them “what do you do” or make a move, e.g. announce offscreen badness, announce future badness.  Use parley when players want to negotiate or change someone’s mind.  Leverage is anything they can negotiate with, threats, information, etc.  When players try to inflate their leverage, pass as something they’re not, assert an untruth, or otherwise bluff then have them defy danger with CHA. 

  3. The DW guide – a free PDF you’ll find floating around – has excellent advice on all this. Can’t send you the link as I’m queuing in the shop right now 😉

  4. Is it not kosher to say something along the lines of “oh you want to do this? Then make me a roll” instead of waiting for the players to make the moves themselves? I find myself doing that especially for new players (which is 99% of games I’ve run so far).

  5. I find sometimes it helps to mentally identify every move the players make and every move you make. Then you can frame the entire game like a chess match: “They made this move, so I made this move, to which they made that move…”

  6. If the players do something, decide if it triggers a move or not. If not, you get to make your move. Look at your list of moves and pick one. Clothe it in fantastical fiction and images in keeping with your Principles and throw it out there. I wouldn’t ask for a Roll to determine what happens next. That’s the GM’s super power. Just make what happens next happen.

  7. I believe this is the guide others have mentioned. I think it’s required reading. It took me from “I think I can run this, but I’m not sure” to “I can totally do this!”  http://www.dungeon-world.com/dungeon-world-guide/

    Wanting something from an NPC: Leverage is anything the NPC might really want that the PCs are willing to put on the table.  Money. A better job. Freedom. To not be murdered. (The last two work well on prisoners.)  If the PCs offer something the NPC wants, Parley.  If not, consider the fiction, including the NPC’s opinions.  The goblin chief may be completely uninterested in helping the PCs. If it’s not certain, and you can think of how things might go poorly, Defy Danger with CHA. Maybe the goblin chief will help, maybe he’ll become insulted and order the PCs arrested, or maybe someone gunning for the goblin chief will use the opportunity to stage a coup.

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