I’ve been thinking about a more explicit move for sneaking and stealth, so here’s my first pass at it. This could either be a new basic move for everybody, or a starting or advanced move for stealth classes.
Sneak
When you use stealth to traverse dangerous territory, roll+Dex. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend hold, 1 for 1, on the following.
You find an opportunity to sneak past an obstacle unobserved.
You find a hidden way or an alternate route.
You have an opportunity to take someone by surprise.
That one is great!
This might very well be the best pass at a stealth move I’ve seen for DW.
I like this a lot. I’d probably make it an advanced Thief move.
Perfect!
Ran my first DW session last night. We did some critiquing at the end, and one of the players specifically commented at the lack of a stealth move. I was thinking of writing something up since it seems like a reasonably common thing to try.
Not sure about this being a spend/hold move versus this just being a pick 3/1 — for many situations it seems like an immediate action instead of something you could carry forward.
The second two options seem like they allow the player to create/narrate setting elements, which is fine in a game where players do that a lot, but not so good in a game where the GM has a prepared environment. For comparison, I would go with something like this:
Spend your hold 1-for-1 to remain undetected, if at all possible, while
you take an action, including:
· You cover your tracks.
· You get close to someone or something.
· You hide or conceal yourself.
· You infiltrate a secure location.
· You snatch, pocket, or conceal an item.
If you reveal yourself, you lose any remaining hold. On a miss, you’re caught in the act, in a bad position.
Alex Wilson You could also use a moves like this:
When you infiltrate a place by stealth, roll+DEX. On a 10+,
both. On a 7–9, choose 1:
• you get in
• you go unnoticed
On a miss, neither.
isn’t the second option linking directly into “Draw Maps, leave blanks” ?
Johnstone Metzger those are some good points about the options I included, and probably speaks more to the types of game I run and the amount of prep I do. (Read: zero prep)
The options you include look pretty good! I was thinking of something about covering your tracks or losing someone who’s noticed you.
Yeah, the DW community has gotten large enough that there is a whole spectrum of playstyles now, which is pretty cool.
Interesting Bear Swarm Podcast discussion on stealth recently. I think the key issue is how these moves interact with the other party members: do they get to sneak too? Hold could be a cool way to cover this, but need to clarify ‘You’.
Tagging: Rob Justice
Why the need for a Stealth move, when Defy Danger seems to fit the bill?
DD+Dex does the job, but something more explicit could evoke the concepts of Stealth more potently and consistently. A lot of moves are just more explicit versions of Defy Danger.
You need stealth moves in order to focus game-play on stealth. With defy danger, it goes to whomever has high DEX and feels pretty arbitrary. By contrast, why is there hack n slash when you can just use defy danger? Same thing: it makes those elements stand out and become mini-games of their own, essentially.
I guess I still don’t see it as something my games need, given that D&D certainly doesn’t focus on or around stealth, while hacking and slashing certainly is a huge element of the source material.
Sure, depends on the game. And the designer, too! I’ve written a few stealth moves for AW, but it’s never really come up in any of the games I’ve played of it.
Some cool ideas here! I quite like the Alex Wilson’s “new basic move” approach; at least for games where stealthy infiltration is a constant theme.
Johnstone Metzger created a nice one, but I’d like to infuse Adrian Thoen’s “cover your tracks” idea:
SNEAK
When you attempt to avoid an obstacle by stealth, roll+DEX. On a 10+,
all three. On a 7–9, choose 2:
• you get past the obstacle
• you go unnoticed
• you cover your tracks
What’s nice is that on a 7-9 the player can opt to a) be noticed and have to (likely) deal with the problem immediately… b) leave tracks and potentially have a bigger problem down the road, or c) remain hidden, but have to find a different way past the obstacle.
I also changed the wording so that it doesn’t suggest only sneaking into places.
IMHO losing someone who’s noticed you would be a separate move.
Stefan Grambart funny you should say that!
I ended up stealing a lot from Johnstone Metzger ‘s version of the sneak move but changed some of it. We all seem to have our preferred language, and the implications it carries.
Sneak
When you move stealthily through dangerous or hostile territory, roll+Dex. *On a 10+, hold 3. *On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your hold 1-for-1 to remain undetected, if at all possible, while you take an action, including:
You cover your tracks.
You get close to someone or something.
You hide or conceal yourself.
You snatch, pocket, or conceal an item.
If you reveal yourself, you lose any remaining hold.
Here’s something I’d written up while thinking of stealth video games like metal gear and assassins creed
The Chase
When you encounter an obstacle while engaged in a high speed pursuit or race, roll+Dex to circumvent the obstacle, or roll+Str to power through it. *On a 10+, you increase speed, choose 1. *on a 7-9, you maintain distance, or your position.
You increase your lead.
You decrease their lead.
Why not something a little bit simpler? Would something like this work?
Sneak
When you use stealth to traverse dangerous territory, roll+Dex.
On a 10+: You move toward your target unseen
On a 7-9: Choose one of the following
Your target sees you but no one else.
Your target does not see you but someone does.
You remain where you are undetected but loose sight of your target.
Julien Dumas that could be a good stalk move about hunting your prey.
Stalker
When you use stealth to hunt your prey, roll+Dex. *On a 10+, both. *On a 7-9, choose one:
* You get closer to your target
* You remain undiscovered