Well, my idea worked!  In fact, it couldn’t have gone better!

Well, my idea worked!  In fact, it couldn’t have gone better!  

We played a one shot of DW last weekend for a friend’s birthday.  I found a few images and set them up to rotate through as we talked a little about DW (first time for several players).  Then,  before we selected characters I let them choose which picture was most compelling to them.  The one here is the one they decided on. 

It was a great game — dodging cultists and a demon of decay in order to rescue the Arc of Purity.  Little did they know their Paladin would have to make the ultimate sacrifice to power the Arc, but if they didn’t get it the hordes of undead coming from the North would all but destroy the world.  In the end, Vander the Paladin’s soul became Seraphim Vander, while his body lay mummified in the Arc, destroying undead with it’s purity.  

All of the background was made up on the fly, asking questions… Why are you here?  What do you have to do?  Who sent you?  What happens if you fail?  What happens if you succeed? 

I’ve run D&D5 and 13th Age with these guys, but I keep coming back to DW.  I don’t ever feel like I’m fighting the rules to tell a great story.