So one of my players is a cleric and literally every time his spell fails he chooses unwanted attention. Its getting very difficult to keep upping his stakes as he is amazingly unlucky with his rolls.
Anyone got any advice
So one of my players is a cleric and literally every time his spell fails he chooses unwanted attention.
So one of my players is a cleric and literally every time his spell fails he chooses unwanted attention.
Maybe his god or his church now think he is a heretic. Maybe a powerful enemy of his deity is watching him to fall.
Well, get him unwanted attention, and make it really unwanted.
It can get difficult to come up with GM moves when the players are rolling particularly poorly. But the “unwanted attention” really depends on what’s going on in the current scene. If there wasn’t danger around the Cleric, the player probably wouldn’t be rolling.
Start up one of those delightful Countdown Clock o’ Doom thingies called Deity Disapproval, with results ranging from “Vague Omen of Divine Annoyance” all the way to “No more special powers for you until you sacrifice your firstborn, scrub”. How many steps are between those results and what they consist of I leave entirely to your discretion.
I had the same issue with a Wizard, and eventually created a countdown clock labelled “unwanted attention”.
It didn’t stop that player from choosing the option, but made it add tension to the game, and gave me time to think of an appropriate result.
Vasiliy Shapovalov the thing is he isn’t doing anything heretical. His god is a god of cooking and he is devoutly following his religion . it feels cheap to punish him for the aspect he is roleplaying the best cos of a mechanical choice he’s making . 🙁
I am that player. Unwanted attention is the best for making scenes more complicated. Casting a spell while sneaking across town? Unwanted attention! Turning the rogue invisible so she can infiltrate a compound? Unwanted attention helps me provide a distraction as I lead the guards on a merry chase
Since your player’s right here, ask him to help find a solution. Maybe it becomes his job to suggest an unwanted attention (you still have veto power).
Oh yeah, right. This is a PBtA game. Ask your players what happens when they fail. (Also works super well in Starwars, Edge of the Empire.)
In my case I would use the countdown clock as unwanted attention from an opposing religion/dark forces of raw food/suhi.
God of Cooking? Have a ritual that requires preparing fugu (puffer fish).
Ask the player. I also will add a tick box to the impending doom. When and if the PCs get to a confrontation, the bad guys know what they did in any “unwanted attention” moment. This can lead to a lot of preparation on the part of the bad guys, as they are fully aware of what the PCs can do and have put counter measures in place.
Maybe consider a recurring nemesis – someone or something that develops an interest in him and can be justified as appearing repeatedly. Establish why in the story and give it a motivation that it wants something from the character that the character is not wiling to provide – but it can’t just boil down to a fight if it’s going to be a repeat event.
The Horseman of Famine probably has a pre-existing grudge. A culinary muse that shows up with annoyingly “helpful” suggestions and a liberal use of his spice weasel at the wrong times. A cannibal spirit that tempts him with power for just a few small dietary changes. Angry spirits of animals and vegetables, crying for vengeance.
It doesn’t have to be related to his faith, just something that he’s done.
You can start from very far, and telling your players a cool cut-scene in which a glowing eye arise from the deeps of an (till now) unknown cave. The eye stares beyond, in the wizard direction.
Now, every time he chooses that option, you can build-up your new Danger, adding enemies, plotting etc. When you feel ready, start sending some extra minion in the shape of lumpy demons with a single, glowing eye.
Now the wizard can start to make some serious questions… What they want from him? Is it time to search for that cave? etc. etc.
Men, I love Dungeon World system.
Matthew Brown I don’t see it as a punishment, but more of making Michael’s choice matter.
Divine theme has all kinds of possible unwanted attention developments, gods and demons are all about unwanted attention.
Remember, any move that has multiple options? It is a love letter to the GM. It is your player’s way of saying “this is the sort of thing I wish you would do to my character to make her interesting.”
MERP had an unwanted attention mechanic, as well. Put a dark elder god in your universe who is sworn enemies of the player’s god. Anytime Shantak the Despicable notices the PC casting spells, the stakes go from sending out scouts to track down the PC, to bands of cultists waylaying him, to army units in the Dark One’s control being shifted to find him, to elite assassins dispatched to come back with his head. Have him receive warnings, dreams, omens and portents from his god. Hell, you could run a whole campaign based around three bad rolls in a row!
Dylan Knight these suggestions are REALLY awesome for a cooking-devoted cleric without veering into silliness too much. Props to you!
Sounds like there are plenty of opportunities to get creative with that kind of character. Unfortunately, I must count myself among the GMs whose holy PCs are devoted to the ever popular “God of battle/war/fighting/whatever-lets-me-hit-stuff-the-most. 🙂
It uh… Doesn’t matter ….he got smushed….
Alas! The attention was… too much.
Actually yeah lol.