So with +DruidWeek coming up, I’d really like some clarification on the shapeshift move.
When my player uses an animal move to attack, does he roll? Or does he just automatically hit and roll damage?
So with +DruidWeek coming up, I’d really like some clarification on the shapeshift move.
So with +DruidWeek coming up, I’d really like some clarification on the shapeshift move.
If you have an animal move that says you attack, spend the hold and you attack (or specifically, do whatever the move says you do. Most monster moves are a bit more detailed than ‘do damage’ after all). Otherwise, roll hack and slash as normal. At least, that’d be my ruling.
That’s the right ruling.
IMO, if the animal does as much damage as you normally would with a weapon, attacking does not cost Hold. You just roll Hack and Slash. Hold is used for special abilities. If the special ability requires a successful hit, such as a bear hug or pounce, the GM could decide that first you roll Hack and Slash, and if you hit the target, THEN you spend the Hold to activate the ability’s special effects. Or the GM may decide that you need to spend the Hold before rolling, and there’s a chance the attack will miss.
I like it. Thanks guys
Animals abilities don’t miss (barring interaction with soft moves and hard moves). If I’m a Druid!Bear and I spend Hold to ‘crush in a bear hug,’ then I don’t roll. It happens! I already rolled, and got Hold for it.
If I, say, ‘swipe with claws’ but that’s not a bear move I have, then I do have to roll.
In the case of “Crush in Bear Hug” how do you decide damage?
Alfred Rudzki IMO, you don’t get to automatically hit with a pounce or bear hug just because it costs Hold. You still need to roll and then if you hit, you can spend the Hold to promote the normal hit into a special move. Doing it like that, the Hold is never wasted, but it also doesn’t automatically work every single time you want either. Other abilities, like flying, are generally unopposed and thus you can just spend Hold.
Tom Miskey and that’s fine, Tom, but Sage and Adam have already answered this several times and it doesn’t require a roll.
Matt Smith, depends on the context. Could the recipient of the harm take it like a champ? Roll damage die. Is the recipient squishy and unimpressive? Maybe they die (or collapse if it’s a skeleton or whatevs)!
Ask questions and be sure everyone has a grasp on the narrative.
Matt Smith Up to the GM, but for me I’d say normal damage plus the target is held in your grip and will take automatic crushing damage (class dmg die) each round until they break free.
What is this round you speak of?
Before all the clarifications we’ve done animal moves just like any player moves: so “summon a wolf pack” would be roll + CHA, on 10+ you summon a pack to your command, 7-9 you have to fight for the leadership first. Now we’re playing by the book: no roll required.
And you know, either way is fine.
It seems that what the move says is just as important as (if not more important than) what the move “does” as far as damage and what not.
In the past I have run this as a mechanical thing: “You can spend 1 hold to ‘Maul and Rend’ so either you can hit automatically, or do full damage. Your choice”
Now, I’m thinking I need to take a much more descriptive approach: “When you shift into a Bear you can feel how easy it is for your new claws to ‘dig deep’ into the dirt below your feet, or your new nose to ‘smell a myriad of smells’, and from the weight of your new body you feel like you can ‘endure almost anything’!
Later… “You want to ‘dig deep’ into Carl the banker to scare him? Cool! Instinct takes over as you rip into the poor little man. The smell of blood, and the movement of your paws feels so right. It’s difficult to ‘scare him’ when all your instincts tell you to eat…Carl stops screaming and goes limp.
What do you do?
Matt Smith that made me chuckle.
It’s easiest to think of the animal form move like your monster moves as a GM. They can just be triggered by saying “i do X and spend my hold to do it”. But remeber, to do it, you have to do it.
“Instantkill” moves are okay in that regard because you can take 2-3 enemies maybe but then you transform back and still have to deal with the rest. There are way stronger things you can do with your animal forms (especially if you keep in mind that you can become fantasy animals too. but more on that next week)