Hey folks, i’ve an interesting situation.
I’m introducing my brother to Dungeon World and we created his first character, a Halfling Thief, which is fine and all, but the funny thing happened when I started asking about these character’s background: my brother decided that his character is also a baker, that makes cakes and sell them to get by (when not adventuring).
Personally, I liked his idea, a lot. Giving this character a mundane job made it much more believable, you know, you just can’t be a full-time, treasure-hunting murder hobo for the rest of your life, right?
The thing is, should I make a custom move about making cakes? Or maybe a compendium class that would allow him to make poisoned or magic desserts and whatnot.
Any suggestions?
You could look at two moves from Apocalypse World as inspiration: “Just give me a motive” from the Maestro’D playbook, and “Artful and Gracious” from the Skinner playbook.
He doesn’t even need a compendium class. Thief has the poisoner move right on his sheet. If he can bake delicious cakes, just that much easier to get the mark to eat poison!
Also fits with the whole job thing of AW too. I can’t recall the names but it’s “earning your keep” in Fallen Empires.
I would do any downtime baking under the Bolster move. Giving him a +1 forward in interactions when he serves food.
Perhaps the Gourmand from the original Compendium (from which we get the term “compendium class”), Finer Things?
https://goo.gl/NYI16C
Jeremy Strandberg
Wow never seen that before.. interesting
Nope, it is just part of the story. Giving him special moves would make it feel like an adventuring skill, whereas the charm of it is that it is mundane.
Ivan Vaghi What he said.
You do not need moves to make great stories. The important thing is to interrogate the clues your player gives you to find the whole story.
He can bake the best cakes, he does not need to roll for it. Where did he learn the craft?
He has a few people working for him, that he is responsible for. Who are they, by name? Which of his employees is special to him? Why?
He has a home base that will be threatened when he gets in conflict with powerful persons, as all good thieves eventually do. Where is this bakery? Describe the town or neighbourhood. What makes it unique? What will he be prepared to give up in order to protect it?
He has an honest day job. Why is he also a thief? Greed? Revenge? Intrigue? Or does he just use the bakery as a front for his operation?
When you know all these things, decide what is most precious to him, then put it in jeopardy. When evil strikes close to home, it becomes personal. If the character is personally invested in the conflict, the player will be invested in the character.
A back story grounded in a specific place with specific characters can be one of the most powerful drivers of you DW story.
How’s this?
You can bake the best cakes. When you try to impress the high and mighty with your culinary skills, roll +CHA (or DEX, but I like CHA here).
On a 10+, they are impressed mightily. Ask for a reasonable boon, and it will be given.
On a 7-9, ask for a boon. However, choose one reaction:
• They find your food revolting, but are too polite to tell you.
• They find your food pedestrian, and pity you.
• They enjoy your food, but find something unsanitary about it.
And choose one consequence:
• The boon is much smaller than intended.
• You reputation is bruised. Take -1 forward on the next CHA-based roll.
• You draw unwelcome attention.
Tomer Gurantz That’s awesome! I think I want to make a full Playbook because of this discussion.
Check out the Gourmand compendium class.
I really like these personal touches. I feel that they don’t always need Moves. Just role-play it. If the player wants to bring in his baking with the use of his class or with Other Moves, great! You might give him a +1 for it or some other type of bonus. You could have him bake a poisoned tart, like suggested prior, and then decide that the tart is 1 Hold for the poison Move. This keeps the rules as is and gives some utility but when something is meant to be role-played you just role play it. If the Player is asking for something specific, then you can ask quesitons right back and ask HIM how it would work, allow a roll or just decide that it works. Keep the conversation going, keep the role playing in the game and not divulge into roll playing. Heck, AD&D 2nd Ed, did have “Secondary Skills” but kept most stuff to Weapon Proficiencys and Non-Weapon Proficiencys. You brought your own roleplaying and didn’t need anything else game mechanically. Given that DW is a nod or a harken back to that earlier day and age, just Keep it Roleplaying and then decide later if it merits a game mechanic.