Stupid Question: Unlike D&D, STR is not added to damage in Dungeon World, yes? Or did I miss something?
Assuming I’m correct, what do people think about a class feature for an artifically-boosted character that allows him to do that? It’d be a class-based modification of Hack and Slash, and possibly Volley for muscle-powered weapons.
Too powerful? Too wimpy?
You are correct. You don’t add STR to damage in DW. On it’s own, a class feature that adds STR to damage sounds kinda boring.
There are, however, advanced Moves that add dice or fixed bonuses to damage.
Christopher Stone-Bush That’s fair. I may add some sort of “amazing feats of strength” move as well. Still cogitating.
The game’s conventional method of buffing one PC’s damage is by bringing in a hireling warrior, which is almost the same, mechanically, as what you’re proposing. I like hirelings A LOT though because they can also A. contribute to the fiction, B. act as meat-shields, and C. step up as full-fledged PCs when their employer comes to a bad end.
Without getting too deep in the details of the particular setting I’m working on, there would be interesting fiction consequences to a 6- for this type of character.
Actually making it a move sounds like a really good idea to me. Just make it a full move like “Massive Smash” including what the specific downsides are for botches and partial success.
In fact, this seems so obvious to me, that I wonder if it either already exists somewhere, or if it has been tried and discarded previously as being problematic for some reason.
I actually agree with Mike Holmes. I can’t think of any playbook that has used this idea, yet I don’t see anything particularly wrong with it. It doesn’t have a great fictional aspect, but not all moves do. It feels like a totally appropriate way to utilize the stat in a different way.
I could see it used in something like H&S, where you can choose to add your STR bonus in damage for a cost. Maybe, as an advanced move, when you roll 10+ on a H&S, add 1d6 and your STR modifier but open yourself up to an attack. Primitive, but would work for a fighter/warrior class.
I would like it more if it were an option as part of another move, such as:
* Add your STR to the damage
* Move your opponent into a dangerous spot
* Knock your opponent to the ground
… and maybe some more options
“Overwhelming Strength: When you make a brutal charge or mighty strike, roll+str. On a hit, choose 2; on a 10+, choose 3 instead.
* You deal your damage
* You deal damage equal to your str modifier
* You frighten or dismay your enemies
* You knock your target down or back
* You don’t overextend yourself, unbalance yourself, or leave yourself surrounded”
Just a draft?
Alexander Davis Awesome first draft! I’ll likely fork something off of this.
I think as a specialized move, not replacing hack and slash for everyone, it’s mostly okay, there is still downside but it offers quite a benefit (good for an exclusive move)
Yeah, it’s intended as an exclusive move for a class that can pump up its strength to inhuman levels under certain circumstances.
Kirt Dankmyer, some ideas: the move always takes -1 forward? Next attack directed at most wounded member of the party? Damage to a piece of equipment?
Philipp Pötz I can’t think of an instance of a character “overextend yourself, unbalance yourself, or leave yourself surrounded” and it not leaving them open to an attack, I think that’s a reasonable implicit situation… it’s slightly tighter than the wording of HnS, which just means the fiction is more limited, but in this case I’d almost always hit with some move…
Though, it is strictly better than HnS, in the sense that you can on 7-9 choose to avoid danger and deal damage, which is actually about the same as 10+ on HnS. I think this is more fictionally limited but that depends on the strictness of your DM.
Here’s another attempt…
“Overwhelming Strength: When you make a brutal charge or mighty strike using a heavy melee weapon, roll+str. On a hit, choose one. On a 10+, instead choose up to 3.
* You deal your damage
* You deal damage equal to your str modifier (don’t choose this unless you already chose to do your damage)
* You frighten or dismay your enemies
* You knock your target down or back
* You don’t overextend yourself, unbalance yourself, or leave yourself surrounded”
(The fictional trigger is even more strict, it avoids some weird behavior with damage (earlier one, you could choose do do str damage, which sometimes is safer than just doing your normal damage (no roll)), on a 7-9 it’s par for HnS in terms of danger (you’ll almost always suffer some danger) but more flexible (you can shove or scare someone instead of damage), and a bit better than HnS on a 10+)
Or, if you want to be silly!
“Overwhelming Strength: When you make a brutal charge or terrible blow with a melee weapon, roll+wis. On a hit, do your damage+str and choose one. On a 10+, do your damage+str and, if you choose one, knock your enemy down or back.
* You overextend yourself, unbalance yourself, or leave yourself surrounded
* You underestimate your own strength and break, damage, or disrupt something you’d rather not
* You push yourself too hard (-1-forward)
* You’ve gotta catch your breath and recover for a few seconds
On a miss, your strength is out of your control or your anger is too much to handle; say how you do something you shouldn’t.”
I figure those would be good 6- options, yeah.
Yeah, you could pair some downside as mentioned by Michael Barry
One good idea for an advanced move:
“Shattering Blow: When you use overwhelming strength, you may choose an additional option (even on a miss). If you do, your weapon breaks immediately afterward.”
Alternative structure…
“Massive Strike ( ) ( ) ( ): Whenever you make a melee attack, you may fill one circle and choose one of:
* add +str to your damage dealt
* knock an opponent back or down
* frighten or dismay your opponents
* impress or encourage your allies
* break or crush something in the way of your attacks
When you’ve filled all the circles, clear them and the MC will choose one:
* you’ve pushed your body too far, and you take 1d4 damage (ignores armor)
* you’re winded and need to rest for at least a few minutes before you can do anything strenuous
* you’re exhausted and take -1 to all physical actions until you get a good sleep”
You can massage for various circle values and effects on each list, but this maintains the benefits of the above while also providing downsides, and also an interesting move structure which could lead to additional ideas…
And, my brain can’t stop making ideas:
“Rage-Fueled Strength: When you let your anger and temper get the better of you and do something rash or get yourself in trouble, take +str-forward to damage with a melee weapon.”
Heh. This is less about rage and more about body-altering substances. 🙂
Sure, Kirt Dankmyer , just throwing ideas out there…
You could have a resource-spending move then, hm…
“When you chug your growth potions, roll and add 1 per potion you drink (max +3). On a hit, hold 1. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 12+, hold 3 and (… downside from potions). Spend your hold in a fight to…
* when you deal damage with a muscle-powered weapon, add +str
* option 2
* option 3″
Again, massage specifics to match your concept.
Sounds workable. More ideas are always good.
If this is a character who temporarily pumps their strength to hulk-smash levels, I’d go with hold-and-spend. Hold 3 (?) MIGHT. While you hold MIGHT, your attacks are forceful, messy, and dangerous. Spend 1 MIGHT to perform a feat of tremendous strength, such as:
– sending someone or thing flying
– shatter something big and/or tough (a gate, a boulder, the enemy’s front line, etc)
– uproot scenery (trees, wagons, doors)
– add 2d4+STR to a damage roll
I have some players who would love these moves; good stuff, guys!