Has anybody come up with a simply: DW style chart or method for Wild Surges to go along with the Wild Mage? I feel that the Wild Surge should be more of a custom Move for the GM rather than a chart. It would be more in keeping with the style of the game. I did find the 10,000 Wild Surges but I don’t want to print out 85 pages of stuff for one character. I would like a more coherent document that can be used in the style of DW. Is anybody up for the challenge?
Has anybody come up with a simply: DW style chart or method for Wild Surges to go along with the Wild Mage? I feel…
Has anybody come up with a simply: DW style chart or method for Wild Surges to go along with the Wild Mage? I feel…
I have a bit of a start but not sure how to fill it all out:
Wild Magic Surge Moves
This happens when a Wild Surge happens. A Magical Wild Move is made by the GM, The GM can choose Randomly or Select an appropriate Surge. In a given Game Session each Surge should be unique. I was thinking on 7-9 or on a 12, giving the Wild Mage some Holds to help determine SOME of the below, implying that they have some control over the Wild Surge to channel it into a specific target, area, type, ect. Even then the results should be unpredictable.
Step 1: Determine Target of the Surge
Step 2: Determine Beneficial or Baneful
Step 3: Determine Power
Step 4: Determine what the effect is relating to.
I’d probably do a traveller style d6% table. 36 entries isn’t too huge and it stays with the 2d6 motief
A little bit of self promotion here: A link to the Wild Mage class that I created that he is talking about: https://plus.google.com/102389740777573722946/posts/6Qk5UWsYoXD
I personally would use Michael Phillips suggestion as 36 entries is a pretty good number and I agree with it fitting the 2d6 style. You could even have each of the entries being more vague, tarot card ish even to allow for GM interpretation for each wild surge. I would avoid the “Give a suggestion for this wild surge” type action as that would take out some of the “Wild” factor of the class if you have too much control of it in the moment.
Actually I went another direction. Applying Tags to the spell. I will see if I can post what I have.
Ok, Figured out how to like it while at work:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9OfugTvN6OvY3NVLWxCd3gycXc/view?usp=sharing
I am heading to work soon, but I will definitly take a look at it. I also sent you a Google Hangouts invite.
Here is a Dungeon World Style Wild Magic Surge Table.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9OfugTvN6OvYjNlZUEtcWt4d0U/view?usp=sharing
Looks interesting, could you give an example for how to read / use the chart?
Sure, I will give a few examples: Roll is: 2,5 with 1 on the Unpredictable Die: So the total is a 7. Let’s Start with eh Unpredictable Die: The target of the Surge is the Caster. Now go down to 7 under the 2,5 selection: We automatically have: Either Mind Affecting or Summoning as the effect type. We can choose one of them or have both, in this case we shall do +Mind Affecting. Then we have +Baneful, which means that this is not good for the caster. A Normal Power Lever of magic. Now we have 3 Tags to decide, one needs to be under the Mind Affecting Tags as the main effect. The other two can be under Mind Affecting or others, it is really up to a choice. So I am going to go with +Emotional. The other tags that I am going to choose is +Area and +Reverse. The Line also has the +Unusual Tag so we get to choose one of those: So lets go with +Draining.
Our Tags to the Effect now look like this: +Mind Affecting, +Baneful, +Emotional, +Area, +Reverse, +Draining.
Ok, so Now to Understand it: Description: The spell is cast but the area around the caster, and the caster himself have their minds, specifically emotions, reversed, Happy to Sad, Angry to calm, ect, or we can pick a specific emotion to be reversed, like say hatred to protection. And this is a Draining effect. So, you can apply the Weakened to the Caster and others in the area until the magic wears off.
Now to apply to a situation. The Caster was casting a Fire Hand Spell to damage their opponent. The Spell went off but on the caster is overcome by the magic to be weakened and feels a strong connection to their previous foe, same for the foe towards him. They both were at odds with each other but now they are (Briefly anyway) friends and their former allies are now enemies. This also happens in an Area so those in the area switch sides too. Now, remember this is a Baneful effect so perhaps they will roll Defend against the Fighter’s next attack at their new Friend and take damage meant for them.
Now lets go with the same roll later on and choose differently: The Caster is still the target, Let’s choose Summoning as the effect, +Baneful, +Unusual, +3 Tags. The Primary Tag from Summoning let’s go with +Creature, the others we shall choose is +Dangerous, +Knock Back, and +Delayed. The Unusual Tag we will go with +Vamping.
The Spell Goes off but a short time later the burst of Wild Magic summons a bunch of creatures that knock down the caster and are not attacking the caster, say it summoned a big Vampiric Squirrel. The Squirrel gets under the Mage’s feet and knocks him back and begins attacking. Any successful attack by the Squirrel gains it’s hit points back in the same amount. Say 6 Hit Points. Not sure what a Squirrel has. Now the Delayed can be inturputed another way: the Original Spell was delayed but doing it this way provides some anticipation, The Wild Magic Surge was felt and slowly builds up to do the summoning.
Now for Variety let’s do a different roll: A Rolled 4 on the Unpredictability Die: +Difficulty is the Target. On the other side a double 6 is rolled. So far we have the tags of +Burst of Energy, +Beneficial, +Powerful, +Double, +Blended (we can blend 2 effects into one or take as you like it +Blended comes on a doubles), and +3 Tags. One needs to be on the Burst of Energy list.
So to put it together: +Burst of Energy, +Beneficial, +Difficulty, +Powerful, +Double, +Blended, +Elemental (Ice), +Blasting, +Dispelling.
Merging with the spell, at a target that is causing the party trouble (Target Difficulty) a 2d6 Blasting damage of an Ice Blast that entraps an enemy caster in Ice, it also dispels the Summoning spell he had going, making the summoned tigers that were attacking the fighter go away. So, no more Wizard but Block of Wizard-cicle. All when he was actually trying to heal the rogue with a borrowed healing spell. Oh, the healing spell went off but with the extra beneficial wild magic surge.
As you can see, this can be a 1 roll effect that can be quickly formed and as dangerous or nasty as you are feeling. It can also bring about feelings of good and bad and be really, uh, Wild.
Oh, and I fixed the Chart a bit. I had an extra line of tags given.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9OfugTvN6OvWkstc2N6R0tsLW8/view?usp=sharing
It seems interesting. You will have to let me know if it works efficiently enough in actual play to keep things interesting and going well.
Ok, finally got a chance to test it. It worked great for on the spot improv. A few comments:
1. Easing up on the tags a bit, maybe only one or two tags at the end of it when you start to decide what the effect is.
2. I needed to make it clear that when a spell is cast, I need to know the pips on all of the dice individually, not just the total. For this it is 3 dice: 2 for the Casting and 1 for the Unpredictability.
3. I need to clarify if a Wild Surge alters a spell, or just accompanies the spell. It can go both ways.
4. The Wild Mage Move of “Lightning Never…” is very dangerous. A second Wild Surge Roll for it or simply choose more tags can be made.
5. A Wild Mage in general is a very chaotic game but very FUN. Things can be difficult to keep things under control.
Why do you say the “Lightning Never…” Move is dangerous? You can make it a new wild surge, but that is not the intention for the move. They have to choose to double or not before the wild surge is determined, so they can not copy only beneficial things.