Playing with some moves I might need for a game I’m running:
When you are pitted in the arena against an unknown opponent, roll + nothing. 10+ pick 2, 7-9 pick 1:
* They’re not someone you know
* They’re not someone you’re ill-suited to face
* There’s not some reason that you won’t want to beat them
When you make a credible appeal to the Master of the Games, roll + CHA when you roll for who your opponent is.
You like?
The third choice is not only confusing the way it is worded, but puts a character’s opinion of a situation at the mercy of the move. Regardless what happens, the player should always have their agency.
This move feels odd to me, because it’s not something the character is doing or has any influence over whatsoever. It’s instead sortof the Dungeon World equivalent of a Wandering Monster roll. “Let’s randomly determine who your opponent is!” This move has no inherent agency. It’s like “When you fall in a pit, Roll + Dex. On 10+…. etc”
IMHO, this should not be a move, this should just be a decision the GM makes. The character is not taking an action here.
As GM I would just choose the opponent by fiat.
In our last game, the PC’s were confronted with sky pirates. The Bombardier said, “I shoot them!” So I responded “But they are your old high school buddies: Don’t your recognize them?”
So here’s what I think. The guy is in the arena. His life is on the line. His opponent wears a full face helmet. When he is ready to deal the deathblow, the helmet falls off. It is his brother in law. Or the guy who bullied him in school. Or his younger brother. Or an NPC that played a major role in the campaign. Or not.
Make it a GM move: “Reveal an unwelcome truth” Go for maximum emotional impact. Be evil.
That’s my motto. Be a fan of the players… but be evil.
Regular use of wandering monsters (in a old-school D&D style) is just going to be noise in DW. But there’s scope for something like this as a change of style. I was thinking of making an event of it – perhaps putting the move on a card to hand out. If it happens more than once, the players will know it’s coming, and the uncertainty around the dice could be fun.
For the third option, it’s not meant to constrain the PC’s thoughts – it’s a signal to the GM to come up with an opponent that will raise that problem. Perhaps instead “There’s not some reason that beating them would hurt your interests”. (Or perhaps “…that hurting them…”)