Hi Guys, I have a long checkered history with the hobby but I’ve not run DW yet. I picked up the PDF as part of a bundle and got the grim world stuff which I backed to get the Fate version.
Now I’m giving serious consideration to running a few old modules from back in the day and I may give DW a spin.
What’s the community’s best advice for a veteran GM new to DW?
Thanks in advance.
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There’s a great section in the back of the main rulebook about using old modules (http://book.dwgazetteer.com/appendices_conversion.html.) but my two cents – the most important thing is to keep asking questions of the players and be prepared to work off the answers (even if this means chucking out your prep!)
The first thing I’d say is to read Scrape’s Dungeon World Guide: http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=4996.0
The thing that took me a while to wrap my head around (and I’m still doing so, actually) is that DW is not just a different set of mechanics – it’s a different style of game – much more focused on creating fantastic fiction. The mechanics just step in a bit here and there to provide some structure for that. So it may be hard but don’t try to play DW like other classic RPG platforms. 🙂
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Brian and Joe already covered the high points. Be prepared to change direction in the game on a moment’s notice. And be warned, running PbtA games is exhausting !
I found DW the opposite of exhausting. The freedom to do anything you can imagine as long as it fits the fiction was energizing. Everyone was invested even when they weren’t up to bat. Though I can see how this game definetly works out the creativity muscles.
I’m introducing a friend to DW, and I’ve found his biggest hurdle is flipping the mechanics/narrative interaction. He kept asking me if his NPC could do this or that, or what I should roll to accomplish a non-move action. The DW Guide is excellent for straightening out any mental kinks.
I find running DW to be both exhilarating and exhausting. I have found that I only need to run a 2-3 hour game to get the same amount of story in as a 6 hour session of a different game. My heart pounds the whole time!
Ideally read Play Unsafe, or find some other way to learn about the “always say yes” rule of improvising.
And break yourself of the mindset that rolling dice/moves are intended to just reveal a simple yes/no answer. There’s no reason a 6- result can’t mean that you succeeded, but that the OUTCOME is unpleasant.
Always remember to ask your players about the world. It’s that hardest thing for me to remember, and the best part of the game.
Listen to the Walking eye podcast AP of DW – excellent example of play 🙂
Thanks everyone! Eric Farmer I find the exact same things running Fate.
Erik Buchanan Right, the “worked every creative muscle and sinew in your psyche” kind of exhausting. Like actual exercise, you get stronger as you do more.