This isn’t so much a custom move as a customisation of an existing move 🙂
I posted more details on the forum, but the short version is I want to make the 7-9 result on the druid’s Shapeshifter move more interesting. To that end, I’m house-ruling the move thus:
On a 7-9, hold 2, but also choose one:
* You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.
* The spirits tire of your demands; take -1 ongoing to Shapeshifter until you spend some time quietly communing with the land.
* Your mind begins to slip; when you attempt to leave this form (for example when you are out of hold), you must defy the danger of forgetting yourself, remaining trapped in this form and acting as a natural animal for a while.
I quite like the first option of drawing unwelcome attention… as well as the more obvious ones of “the monsters decide you’re the biggest threat” or whatever, possibilities abound around the fact that you’re now an animal, and other animals will react accordingly. A mob of smaller birds swooping your eagle form to drive you away from their nests aren’t a real threat to you, but it’s not like you’re just going to kill them – you’re a druid! Not to mention the PepĂ© Le Pew-like possibilities of other animals of the same type treating you as a potential mate or rival (or just reacting to you invading their territory).
The idea behind the last option is that you get to spend your hold and do what you want initially, but once you’re out of hold you need to Defy Danger to remain in control of your rational mind and revert to your normal form. It also covers the case of shifting directly from animal form to animal form, if druids can do that in that game.
Does the proposed house rule look like it would be workable and interesting? Would anyone who has played a druid care to comment?
I also think the Shapeshifter move is lackluster and feel that this is an improvement. The only thing I might do differently is simplify the last option into:
* The animal spirit takes a strong hold on you, and it will take some time or effort to shake its presence and revert back. How this manifests is up to the GM.
Awesome! I wouldn’t require a roll for the last option however. They choose either to lose control or pick another option.
Good call on the last option. I don’t need to spell out how might be resolved – that can happen at the table.
Thanks!
I still have fond memories of my wife’s druid trying to turn into a polar bear. She rolled a six, so she turned into a furry white puff ball and then gradually popped each limb and her head out after a short struggle. It was hilarious.
i second Dion Kurczek .
Maybe you can just add “there is a price for returning human”.
It amy mean – once you come back you keep some characteristics of the animal; you have to stay animal until ___; you have to pay hommage to the animal spirits by____ ; and all that fun jazz.
Frankly, I’d be less inclined to bake this stuff into a move and just keep them in your back pocket as fictional consequences that you as the GM are entitled to utilize. I really dislike it when my Druid spams his Shapeshifter move, so I’m definitely going to incorporate some of these as general 7–9 or Miss results.