I was looking through the rules for something about how to handle Volley into Melee.

I was looking through the rules for something about how to handle Volley into Melee.

I was looking through the rules for something about how to handle Volley into Melee… Am I overlooking something? I’m guessing 6- means you shot your fellow PC?

6 thoughts on “I was looking through the rules for something about how to handle Volley into Melee.”

  2. 6- could mean the archer shot an ally,  but it doesn’t have to mean that. It depends on the fiction. It could mean the target catches the arrow while charging the archer and then plunges the clothyard shaft into the archer’s shoulder.

  3. Yeah. As usual “Follow the fiction, there doesn’t need to be a specific rules case.”

    Honestly, I’m a little surprised how often this sort of question comes up.  People seem to have a hard time adjusting to a game that doesn’t have a special case rule for everything.

  4. it may be worth pointing out that there are no critical failures; a -6 result is a failure, but not necessarily catastrophically so (unless the fiction makes that a great option!).

    Players get to mark XP on a 6-; give them something to react to and/or learn from.

    Put the shooter into tough spot!:

    You shoot into a melee and roll 6-:

    The enemies have ranged support too, and they take notice of YOU!  Several arrows and a flaming chicken are coming YOUR way, what do you do?

    Put the Ally into a tough spot!:

    Your arrow pierces your ally’s boot; narrowly avoiding skin, but temporarily pinning them in place.  Ally – an axe is coming down, and you’re pinned in place, what do you do?

    Throw a curve ball and see what happens!:

    Your bow string snaps, and whipcords into your face.  1d4 damage, and your eyes are watering.  Hey, do you carry extra bow strings?  (adventuring gear is such a great concept!)

  5. Hard moves also don’t have to be related to the failed roll, but usually there’s a clear path to be had between the two.

    Also, if ever there’s a time that you think “I feel like there should be [a roll / some extra challenge involved] for this,” Defy Danger tends to cover darned near everything that isn’t covered by class moves.

    That said, would I require Defy Danger to shoot into melee all the time? Nah, man, the PCs are the best at what they do in Dungeon World. If you can Volley to split a hangman’s noose, you can Volley to hit some schmuck that’s standing a couple of feet from your besties. Besides, Volley’s less-than-10 consequences are solid and flexible enough that they can handle shooting into melee. Any of the 7-9s could be interpreted as being caused by the chaos of shooting into a fracas.

    Now if it were a special case, like if you were trying to shoot, I dunno, a fire-breathing dragon-squirrel who was climbing all over your friend, all fangs and anger and messing up your hair, then maybe Defy Danger could be added in. For either you or your friend, depending on how you want to play it. Or they could Aid Another to get into a better position. That one’s pretty flexible too.

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