Been a while since I have given any updates on my DW Classes hack. Here is the Blood Mage (inspired by dead man wonderland). Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
Been a while since I have given any updates on my DW Classes hack.
Been a while since I have given any updates on my DW Classes hack.
I just glanced at it, but what jumped out at me as a red flag was that HP were set at 24. Is that a typo?
I set the HP on all of my classes (including core). Note that this is in part because I only use ability modifiers not the score.
I have found that it is a significantly better system to be honest. In my hack you increase a modifier every other level (pretty simple). Having taught DW several times to fresh roleplayer’s it is so much easier to learn, requires less explanation, helps showcase differences between classes better, speeds up character creation, and loses nothing but fiddlyness.
It would make a good Scabmettler class for a Bas-Lag mixover!
I love the core move Blood Weapon; I’ve never seen a class built around temporary weapon creation, and I think it’s such a damn good idea!
What’s the design decision behind 6 core moves? Several seem a bit unfocused to me, which is quite at odds with the cool core Blood Weapon and the well-developed advanced moves.
I reckon Blood Weapon is so good it can expand to include a Vampiric Touch and Let it Flow. If you were to go with this option, you could go with something like:
Blood Weapon: when you deal damage with a blood weapon, you may trade 1d6 damage to heal that damage instead/ you heal the amount of damage you deal on a 10+/ your enemy’s blood replenishes your weapon.
I like the class! Crimson Barrier, Haemoinfusion and Through the Cracks are especially good.
I also agree that 24HP seems really quite high; I’d love to hear a bit more about what the design intent is behind this, as it sounds like you’ve got a fairly coherent plan with the stat removal!
Alternate cool ideas: acid blood, making enemies’ blood clot inside them, making enemies’ blood boil.
Hey James, thanks for the thoughts.
“What’s the design decision behind 6 core moves? “
Mainly because I had too much white space remaining and wanted to fill it in. That area could certainly use some more work, and I was kinda trying out some smaller ideas and seeing what was good. Originally Blood Weapon was a lot more convoluted and less elegant, and when I made the change over to the current version I felt that things were too lacking. I don’t hate the idea of packing bloodletting into the blood weapon move in some form, will think about that.
Which of the starting moves would you say are the weakest?
“I also agree that 24HP seems really quite high; I’d love to hear a bit more about what the design intent is behind this, as it sounds like you’ve got a fairly coherent plan with the stat removal!”
The 24 hp is because the Blood Mage runs really hot. Spending your own HP as a resource constantly adds up pretty fast. That said, after my latest batch of changes that number could lower slightly.
In practice the stat removal has been one of the best changes I have done. I actually had one player who was super against the set HP in theory, but after trying it for one session completely reversed his outlook.
I found that nearly 100% of the time I taught DW to new players I had to explain the HP and stat system. Now I never have to explain it, and the character sheet is that much more effective at telling people how to play their characters. Also the system is just significantly more elegant.
“Alternate cool ideas: acid blood, making enemies’ blood clot inside them, making enemies’ blood boil.”
I especially like the clot idea. Going to think on some of that.
Which advanced moves do you think are the worst?
when I click on the link all i see is a lot of code. How do I see this correctly?
Link should still work. I am using Chrome and it works for me.
I figured it out. Thanks!
Blood weapon destroyed after strike or after end of a combat?
Every Strike.
I reckon the weakest moves are actually a couple of the starting moves; if you moved them to Advanced Moves, I think it’d be fairly difficult to choose one of them over the more awesome stuff like “A Little Goes a Long Way” (which is thematically awesome, love the balance and fictionally terrifying).
Your stat removal sounds really interesting. I’d love to try it in a game or two!
This is a neat idea and mechanically an intriguing approach. Good Job mate.
Thanks! Tweaked the Blood Mage a bit. Any new thoughts?