Hi guys, remember this move? “Last Breath: When you’re dying you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the Black Gates of Death’s Kingdom (the GM will describe it). Then roll (just roll, +nothing—yeah, Death doesn’t care how tough or cool you are). ✴On a 10+, you’ve cheated Death—you’re in a bad spot but you’re still alive. ✴On a 7–9, Death himself will offer you a bargain. Take it and stabilize or refuse and pass beyond the Black Gates into whatever fate awaits you. ✴On 6-, your fate is sealed. You’re marked as Death’s own and you’ll cross the threshold soon. The GM will tell you when.” QUESTION: Can you give me ideas on bargains for the 7-9 result?
Hi guys, remember this move?
Hi guys, remember this move?
I feel like it would be very specific to the character in question, so it’d be hard to give good ideas.
A really interesting one I was given once, when playing a Cleric, was to stop serving my god (Sanguinous the Peaceful), and convert to follow Death instead. I’m not very good at playing a devoted Cleric, so I took it. Admittedly that character died later in that very session anyway, but it definitely worked as a bargain.
One idea, perhaps too simplistic: take the thing that the character does best or most often, and ask them to either give that up, or do it only in service of something that doesn’t come naturally to them.
For instance, ask the Thief to give up thieving. Or, ask the Wizard to only use magic if it causes someone pain.
Character agrees to become a totem for death. If they accept, everyone in their vicinity takes -1 ongoing on Last Breath rolls. 🙂
In Tony Reyes’ DW game, our half-Elf Ranger — out to slay the human Red Army that was committing war crimes against the elven people — died in personal combat with the Red Army’s champion. Death offered to return him to life, if he gave up on his vendetta with the Red Army.
Needless to say, the Ranger is well and truly dead.
Did I get that right, Tony?
The character must agree to do one (or better, 3) act(s) in the future when Death requests it. Leave it hanging and vague… And yes, it could be killing one or more persons. Or not. Disobeying will result in immediate death and torture in the afterlife.
I offered a Ranger life in exchange for his Animal Companion and he took it. Forever after Death was Heralded by a Large Black Wolf.
Episode 17 of the Discern Realities podcast covers the 7-9 roll really well. Essentially try to not be a punishment (i.e. taking something away like a pet or an ability) but a fictionally painful choice. Naturally, that will be really dependent on the character and the ongoing story you and the party are telling. They go over some very cool examples.
http://discernrealities.libsyn.com/episode-17
discernrealities.libsyn.com – Discern Realities: Episode 17
Gave a bard the offer once that he could come back, but had to sing death’s praises in every town he visited forevermore. He fully adopted the “Herald of Death” thing, awesomely.
Death takes someone else in exchange. Upon returning home after finishing their adventure, they discover that one of their parents has died very suddenly, and with no explanation.
I think the best one I came up with was with my wizard character who throughout the game wanted to find her Mother. Near the end Death saud you can survive but the Mothers soul(she was dead) was his so she could never be resurrected. Very tough choice for the wizard.
Another one i quite liked with the same characters was.the druid was always protecting the wizard so her choice is that she couldn’t protect the wizard anymore she had to.let what would happen happen.
Yeah the move is pretty great!
K,ok
You are right Alfred Rudzki! Death offered our Ranger to put aside his primary motivation. Our ranger took a swing at death. 🙂
I’d recommend using the character’s motivations or bonds as inspiration. They’ll probably give you a good idea as to what a “hard bargain” is for that character.
If you can’t think of anything at that moment, don’t sweat it. Death returns the hero to life with the warning that, “Soon I shall require something of you.”
Settle a balance. Death requests you slay a powerful undead who has cheated Death.
I’m sorry? What most people put here as examples are signs of really bad GM’ing. Putting up a deal for the departed, that turns everything that the PC has done, against them; or making them deals that YOU KNOW won’t take, is just bad storytelling.
Well, you’re bargaining for your life, not some fish at the market. At the same point, it is a mixed success, not a failure. It shouldn’t be a trivial bargain to accept OR reject. Which is why the specifics of the character are important.
One idea, particularly if the player is averse to violence/killing:
Enforce a soul tax.
They must regularly kill something sentient for death to gather a soul. If they fail to, death appears to them in their sleep and will enact some punishment at death’s discretion.
Thanks for your ideas. Here are some of my bargains: one asked a pc to return as a brain eating creature (zombi), other time death asked the pc to give up his power (9 levels of wizard) returned him to level 1 and created a dark copy of the character with the other levels of power and items. The character was told if he slayed the dark copy he would be restored.
Another time death asked the character to come back to the duel and finish the enemy, to do this death ganted a limitless Grit power, and the character will die after doing his glorious revenge.
One time Death asked the pc to entertain her. He did not succeed.
I see now that my ideas may seem boring or bizarre but yours are similar in spirit so I’ll mark GM XP and go on. You are a great help!