I was re-reading portions of Dungeon World in prep for a game I’m running for Extra Life and I hit on a great idea.
There are times when character’s competence might work against them. At those times, Roll + STAT becomes Roll – STAT instead.
Two examples that come to mind:
* That Which Man Is Not Meant To Know. Comprehension of an awful truth threatens your sanity.
* I Don’t Know My Own Strength. You didn’t meant to hit ’em that hard, but you did anyway.
I think this is a nice alternative to a Defy Danger roll under the right circumstances. Though I’m sure there are games (Lovecraftian horror) where you might use it more liberally.
I don’t like it, personally; it feels way too much like a gotcha when I have invested in competence. Like the polar opposite of being a fan of the characters.
I’d do it under the circumstances that it automatically grants you an experience point when it happens.
Maybe less appropriate for a pulp setting, great for horror. The experience award is a nice touch.
Only for gritty games, perhaps with Lovecraftian vibe, but nothing else.
I kind of agree with Jerry Sköld, but feel it could work really well if you only ever use it once. Then the shock value would be amazing.
I agree that the hack is of very limited use but, one of these days, it’s just going to make sense in the fiction and, I hope, I will remember that I had the thought.
It is possible that springing the such a subversion of expectation on unsuspecting players could alienate them. Good communication beforehand is key. If you’re playing a Lovecraft game, make the madness move known well in advance. If it’s a more standard game. Perhaps have some fun with a move where the hireling stumbles through traps that should have killed them outright.
Couldn’t these just be the consequences of a failed roll? Good idea for failure, though, fits right in with “turn the move back on them.” I especially like the first one for a failed “spout lore.”
Stacey Holiday Absolutely, there’s nothing here that couldn’t be re-framed to fit the traditional moves.
It’s an aesthetic choice to emphasize something different or wrong in the fiction. It makes explicit that the character’s competence is driving the fiction forward in an unusual way. That, I think, is why I got so excited about the hack in the first place.
If the Wizard comprehends “That Which Man Is Not Meant To Know” as a result of a successful die roll (10+), there’s really no hook for the GM to make a move against them. By flipping the modifier to make competence a hindrance, we restore that expectation (granted, at the expense of another).
Also, the Wizard might feel picked on if the GM make a move against them for a successful check. By re-framing this as a player move, it can be shared in advance and be seen to apply equally to all classes. It’s (probably) no more unfair than any Defy Danger check where not everyone has the same high bonus in the same stat.
I guess I don’t understand how this would actually work. If the “move” is “That Which Man is Not Meant to Know” – and the PC gets a 10+ (probably because they have +0)….do they understand it or not?
Off the cuff…
When you read a book of forbidden or arcane knowledge ROLL – INT:
10+: The meaning of the text eludes you. At least the pictures are interesting.
7-9: You glean a hint of a disturbing truth. You suspect that something fundamental to your reality is not as it seems, but you can’t put your finger on it.
6-: You comprehend the awful truth and your sanity cracks under the weight of the revelation.
If I had more time, I would list a bunch of potential story-themed consequences that fit the fiction of the genre. The player would pick one or two on a 7-9 and more (or all of them) on a 6-.
Here, success is defined by not suffering the horrible consequences of shattering your world-view.
Ah, that makes a lot more sense. I think it would be great for a cursed item. Your example reminds me of the Elder Scroll, except that also leaves open the possibility of both reading, comprehending and not going insane. If there was a way to work in the possibility of understanding and avoiding the danger, it would be perfect.
I suppose that depends on the type of genre that you are running. If you run something inspired by Lovecraft, understanding this sort of material nearly always results in mental instability. When it doesn’t, there’s still social ramifications–especially if you choose to talk about it. In fact, I could see one of the consequences as forming a new bond to drive RP.