World of Dungeons Question
So, I just discovered the World of Dungeons hack by John Harper. It interests me because there are no moves to keep track of. You roll dice “when you attempt something risky or opposed.”
That sounds cool, but I’m wondering how that changes the dynamic of play. Anyone experienced with both can say what that would take away from DW play, or what it would add?
Hmm…I suppose that is a move, isn’t it?
Maybe a good introduction to a Dungeon World campaign. Players can learn at a progressive pace – dice mechanics, health, character abilities, etc., then introduce more.
In my experience, it’s a GREAT intro to DW.
I started off my group with WoD, then I brought the basic moves page (from the DW character playsheets). Once everyone had gotten used to the playstyle and the basic moves I had everyone (re)create characters, and we carried on as we had done.
Oh, we also used DW’s experience from the beginning, as I couldn’t get on with using gold for XP.
As simple as Dungeon World already is, does it really need a “tutorial level?” Seems like you could learn the ins and outs as good or better with all the moves available to you, unless maybe your group is new to roleplaying games in general. Mind you, I haven’t experienced WoD, so take that with a grain of salt.
Still, I wouldn’t start off a Fate game with no aspects to “learn the dice mechanics” either, to draw a comparison (or with one common aspect, to draw a better one).
DW was damn hard when I played it with my wife last night. She’s fairly experienced, I’m very experienced, at roleplaying, but the moves were just confusing. The whole time we’re thinking, “isn’t this just the same rules for any other RPG when you have to go to the dice, but each little thing here is codified?”
Basic/Advanced/GM/Principles/… it’s all very, very much for a new player, or GM, to grasp.
Joe Banner, did you keep skills from WoD when you moved to DW?
I should note that what I’m going to do is play Star Wars using the Star World WoD hack as an introduction to DW. Then, hopefully we’ll move to a full DW fantasy game down the line.
I’m going to have 3 players in the game this weekend for SW.
@James: No, but you could start a Fate game with Fate Accelerated.
It helps a lot to play in a game of DW first before running it. I was lucky enough to play with two very experienced DW GMs. One was Jay Loomis who edited the game. I learned a lot and it made running the game so much easier.
Ryan M. Danks Nope, we started afresh. I should also point out that ‘everyone getting used to the moves’ included the GM (me). WoDu was a good intro for more improv/story-based gameplay done right.
WoD still requires the GM to do all the same things you do in DW, it just doesn’t explicitly describe them in the text. DW’s GM section just codifies a particular style of sandbox-style GMing into explicit moves. If you’ve spent a lot of time running games that way already (I hadn’t, before playing Apocalypse World), it’s super intuitive. If you haven’t, it provides a new set if skills and techniques that you’ll have to spend time practicing. The core thing to remember is that it’s trying to teach you how to be more intentional about things you already kinda know how to do. Also, try playing with other folks who already “get it,” maybe in a low-key Hangouts game. Learning by doing is way easier!
I know, I just haven’t had the opportunity to do so.
Given my experience in freeform games, I think I’ll have an easier time of it if the core moves aren’t so codified. I can make stuff up on the fly, it’s the remembering what I’m allowed to do that gets me all confused. I know it’s supposed to free you up as a GM, but for me it’s very constraining.
I’m going to add moves that have beneficial results for 7-9, such as Discern Realities, Spout Lore and Parley. Those are moves that have specific results and are sufficiently different. Hack and Slash, Volley, Defend, etc. are just variations on the same move: trying something opposed or risky.
I think the hard part for me is remembering moves that are mostly identical, or at least similar.
Sounds good. I’m open all weekend. We could either do WoD or DW.
I think they’re using WoDu as World of Dungeons, because WoD (also) means World of Darkness (by White Wolf).
In my opinion, World of Dungeon gives one step into D&D (talents, weapon damage, skills) and another into DW (in all the awesomeness).