I am having a hard time understanding how to create an adventure for Dungeon World using the stuff from the book.

22 thoughts on “I am having a hard time understanding how to create an adventure for Dungeon World using the stuff from the book.”

1. In general; don’t sit down with something preplanned. The “First Session” chapter has all the information you need. Ask questions like crazy and use that to build the adventure. 

   Here are 2 guides that will help you with that:

   This is about how you can set up to the world and get you started: 

   https://drive.google.com/open?id=1w9J802SnXhaAVrTlHHAXiAMlZMuQSRXNi1n8A3gZ2bo 

   This is about what to include depending on what classes you have in play: 

   https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8Fi3-pCFSAOUjlJZHJmaFlYbzQ

2. I don’t know of any videos or podcasts, but here’s a few things from around the web.

   Here’s a link to a descent explanation: https://redboxvancouver.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/writing-dungeon-world-adventures-some-tips/

   Here’s a link to an explain and an adventure sheet: http://www.finemessgames.com/DWsupplements/dungeonstarters

   Here’s a good sample of pre-made starters: http://dragonsinmyhouse.blogspot.com/2014/01/dungeon-world-adventure-starters.html

   Good Luck!

3. This article by David Guyll may be of help: http://daegames.blogspot.com/2014/05/dungeon-world-when-you-format-adventure.html

4. For one shots, I usually just use something cool that comes up from character’s backstories. Last game I ran, they mentioned they had a hireling that died in some crypt, and I had him turn out to be a ghoul that was terrorizing them.

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6. My personal process (albeit for a campaign rather than a one shot) was to set up a very vague plot and then let the players fill in all the details.

   Specifically for our podcast we did a lot of world building at the same time as character creation and the set up of the first adventure was basically “You’re adventurers near this town, some nearby ruins have recently been unearthed and things are coming out of them.”

   If you are so inclined Episode 1 and 2 of this podcast give a good idea of how our game got started: http://fumblepodcast.com/podcast/episode-001-dungeon-world/

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9. The struggle at first is to not do too much.  I second Kay Strock suggestion of the dungeon starters.  I ran DW at a long con (16 hours of the same game over the weekend) and all I had at the start was a 1 page dungeon starter.  We also recorded the experience if you want to take a listen.  http://rastlinie.podbean.com/e/mentally-un-table-adventures-058/

10. One of the authors has a bunch of actual play on Roll20 up on YouTube. They’re good to get the flow of the game, and pretty entertaining as far as AP goes.

11. Thanks guys.

12. This is the first starter I ran and I keep coming back to it. I wish I knew who to attribute it to because it’s awesome, and they dererve the props. This one is just questions, but the format totally works for me. https://www.dropbox.com/s/n1vk3e537ekhvhw/Shipwreck.jpg?dl=0

13. When I’ve run DW one shots, I’ve just asked the players.

    Do character creation and Bonds, and then say “ok, do you guys have any ideas for an scenario?”. Use their ideas, reincorporate, let them be proactive.

    Write it all down, then take a 5 minute break and come up with some ideas: 1 or 2 big main “actor” representing some big opposition, maybe some general NPC names and descriptions.

    Example off the cuff:

    A: “I kinda want something with like samurai in it”

    B: “That’d be kinda cool, but I had vikings in my head. Maybe like… samurai types in an arctic snow culture?”

    C: “Oh yeah and we can fight trolls!”

    A: “Awesome. Maybe there’s black powder weapons too?”

    B&C: “YEAH!”

    So then I’d go through and sketch out a rough setting – the People of Kasku live in a cold world where snow is on the ground all but one month a year. They fish and trap for sustenance while telling stories and traveling for pasttimes. They are all trained in basic self defense, having a long standing conflict with the trolls of the eastern forests. Some among them take the mantle of the Samursk – warriors so devoted to defending the people that they forego families of their own and pledge themselves to the conflict.

    Then I’d probably just make a bullet list of cool ideas or images I had:

    – a bloody katana sticking out of the snow, a dead samursk covered in a drift

    – a giant troll slowly standing so his shoulder extended above the tree line

    – a young couple seeking a place to fool around goes missing in the northern woods. troll tracks are seen

    – etc

14. Joshua Faller I have seen Itme JP run DW and watched some actual plays.

15. I second El Cubil de omiK, John Aegard’s doc is the best take on getting started I’ve seen. The second best stuff, and only because it doesn’t really explain itself much, is Marshall Miller’s Dungeon Starters at http://www.finemessgames.com. 

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19. Joshua Faller pretty sure that starter is from Dirk Detweiler Leichty.  

    And while I haven’t had cause to use it, I agree that it’s the bomb.

20. My bit to add is that when approaching from a traditional RPG perspective, think less about a plot or even a concrete location and more brainstorm up ideas for NPCs, monsters, baddies (grouping those into fronts) and cool locations. Maybe also scenes or descriptions that really speak to you.

    Then pull on those as you need when you run. Players will give you opportunities – take them. They’re also going to give you ideas – run with them.

    But if you want to prep, definitely prep a general tool box, not the detailed dungeon map itself.

21. Thanks guys.

22. /sub

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