Going to start work on the compendium classes for Dungeon Kingdom, but would be keen to hear what kinds of classes people would actually be interested in playing before I start.
So…
If you could hold any position of power in a fantasy society, what would it be? You needn’t pick a government position, as there are many kinds of power and authority. Spiritual, mercantile, necromantic, judicial… go crazy.
Be as ambitious or restrained as you desire, and feel free to assume any level of technological development, magical or otherwise. So long as it fits your personal definition of what has a place in Dungeon World, it’s fine.
Have you considered working with Class Warfare specialties instead? IF you can start your character as a Merchant or Guard Captain it is much more likely that you will continue with that path.
An alternative would be to allow progression in such “station Compendium Classes” without requiring buying moves. That would allow you to continue improving the “power” of your character through core moves. Your job would advance if you do certain stuff. IF you want to more Guard Captain moves then you need to work at improving the ranks and gear and training of your people in the fiction.
(I made a Tavern owner and an Academic Researcher compendium class if you are looking for further input)
The advancement mechanic I’m going with for the first draft is that each character gets a compendium class for free, and that they buy new moves for it via Contribution Points, basically a separate kind of XP that they earn by helping the kingdom in various ways. That way, they can start as a Merchant or Guard Captain or what have you as you describe, and they also advance organically like you describe while still having the mechanics there so it’s not completely fictional handwaving. And also so they don’t have to choose between spending their XP on being better at their core class or being better at kingdom-related stuff.
Using them as Class Warfare specialties would be another way of doing it, but I think that would be more something to do if people wanted to cherry-pick the classes without using the kingdom rules.
I would still harvest the ideas in there.
Also the Inverse World captain trade mechanic (that I like more then the trader in CW)
I’m definitely looking at some of the specialties in there, especially the ones from the adventurer chapter. I’ll take the Inverse World recommendation under advisement as well, thanks.
Bishop, for orderly religion (with Good = Actually tries to help people and provides counterbalance to the King etc, Evil = Corrupt, works hand in glove with despotic regime) and then Heretic for chaotic religion (with Good = restoration of True Faith and overthrow of corruption, Evil = cynical manipulation of fanatical army)
2nd Assistant Undersecretary of the Association of Underground Sewer Pipes, Cisterns and Well Cleaners, Maintenance Workers, and Polishers. Basically the guy who actually controls or influences everyone who understands/controls all the underground passages and ways.
Ie Petty Bureaucrat.