Just wrapped up a single-session game that was a blast. I didn’t have much time to prep, so I quickly browsed a bunch of free stuff online and went with a mashup of Dyson Logos’ “Challenge of the Frog God” and Ramsey Hong’s “Something Happened at the Temple Near Glourm” (a winner of the 2013 one-page dungeon contest), which worked great, with just a little on-the-fly re-theming of the temple to make it Frog God friendly. The party consisted of a Barbarian, Thief, Ranger, Warlock, and Bard.
High points: Really, Priscilla the Barbarian was like an endless mountain range of high points, but if I had to choose one for her and spread the love a little, I would go with:
* An aballid (I didn’t know either) lurches up Priscilla’s sword and into her mouth, and begins to drown her, but Priscillia decides to swallow it whole and rolls a 12 when she defies danger using CON to do so. There was a moment of hesitation before the player made this choice, and it became the choice that defined Priscilla’s behavior for the rest of the session, to everyone’s delight.
* The bard keeps singing songs about how great and mighty Priscilla was, giving her +1D4 damage at every opportunity, continuing to sing regardless of what was coming at her, including the Frog God’s colossal iron bludgeon (which knocks her clear across the room).
* Accosted by a victim of his pickpocketing, the thief sticks a finger coated with goldenroot into the thug’s mouth, which makes him a trusted ally in the thug’s eyes. They proceed to have a long, nostalgic conversation about growing up together on the waterfront.
* After betraying the party and attempting to turn them into sacrifices to the Frog God, the Warlock is caught and killed by the Ranger’s swamp bear companion. He rolls an 8 for his last breath, and Death offers him a bargain: forsake his patron and give up the dark arts to live, or pass through the Black Gates. He chooses the Gates.
In other words, I heart Dungeon World. Thanks for the fun game, Sage and Adam!
You should be thanking yourself and your players. They made the mechanics. You made the game.
Not that they aren’t awesome and didn’t do a great job writing those rules and bits of advice and instruction!
Well, I am pretty awesome, but Joseph Le May has the right of it – this one is all you folks.
Yep, what Adam said! I like to think of the rules as another person at the table. Which, yeah, are important. If you invited some jerk to the table it could really mess with the game. And if you invite a great person it could make the session better. But they’re just one person out of several at the table, don’t give them all the credit!
Have fun looking at your DW book and seeing some kind of Adam+Sage chimera.
Have fun looking at your DW book and seeing some kind of Adam+Sage chimera.
Then Defy Danger. The Danger is; you go insane.
His beard is SOOO FUCKING GINGERYYYBLAARAGAJDVVFJDOJFHDONMJICICHHDBD 84&($(“,”$/$8!!
Sorry about that. Rolled snake eyes.