So last weekend we played our second session (which I will maybe get time this weekend to write more about), and I made a custom move that my players really liked.
Anyone that plays DW with me probably stop reading right here
Warning: this move is intentionally very swing-y and OP. It’s probably going to be taken away next session or two, maybe replaced with something more toned down… not sure yet.
So we have a Wizard, and he loves to cast spells. This is great because he also is apparently a really bad wizard, and hits a lot of 6-. He found a book in the first session called 1001 Awesome Spells. The first game it didn’t do anything when he read it, but I decided this session that it would become a pivotal object in the game – the bad guys want it. I knew once he knew this he would of course read it. And he did.
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When you read the book, roll+WIS.
– On a 10+, learn a One-Time-Use spell
– On a 7-9, learn a One-Time-Use spell and also take -1 forward to any spell cast
– On a 6-, the next spell you cast will be a hidden One-Time-Use spell
When you finish reading, the pages are blank for 24 hours and/or while any One-Time-Use Spell is in your possession.
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One-Time-Use spells are half of an index card with a spell on it that, when used, either happens immediately or calls for a roll. They sit face down and are drawn when they are learned (to be used later) or when 6- triggers they basically just happen when the next spell is cast. They are meant to be OP and swing-y, which is why there is such a huge cool-down on reading the book. I might tweak the cool-down to be less, because it was so much fun, and I wouldn’t mind just having to deal out super dangerous stuff every time the wizard gets a spell. Oh, and they can be given away to other characters.
Some examples (here is where I expect, if you didn’t have issues with this before, you will now… but I think they are fun):
Extra Sneaky
You steal any one item you can see that can be placed in your bag and place it there, undetected
Insta-Heal
Fully heal a creature that is close to you
Fog
When you read this ancient text, roll+con – a fog covers the area as far as you can see
10+ your enemies can’t see through the fog, but you can
7-9: nobody can see through the fog
6-: nobody can see through the fog and it also does 1D4 damage to everyone
—-
I have a few others but I might remove them / tweak them some more. Now, one thing that can happen is on a 6-, nothing happens until the wizards next roll, at which point he instead draws a One-Time-Use spell and it immediately takes effect. I had to make sure that all of the spells I made would work as instant triggers, but it happened with the first spell he drew and it was great. He role-played it great too – he immediately knew that in character it just appears that nothing happened when he read the book. (I might tweak the move to make this more obvious.) Later, the party were in chains being lead to the castle dungeon and he decided to try to cast invisible or something, but instead got one of these cards. He drew Extra Sneaky, which triggered immediately, and I said that it grabbed the keys off the guard and put them in his pocket. (I then basically said the guards did a really poor job of searching and didn’t find the keys – and then they figured out another way out anyway).
Well, I hope this move is enjoyable. I am new to DW, as are my players, so I expect I made a lot of faux pas with this, but so far so good. Everybody wants one of these things, and I should have realized they would (and should get one too).
It would help to word the move like this:
When you read the book, roll+WIS.
– On a 7+, your learn a One-Time-Use spell;
– On a 7-9, you also take
1 forward to cast a spell;On a 6-, the next spell you cast will be a hidden One-Time-Use spell.
Chris Stone-Bush so instead of 10+, use 7+? That seems weird since afaik DW always uses the format I have, and I personally find it hard to understand with the 7+. Technically that is what it is, but I think following the format is clearer.
As written, all your 7-9 result gives the player is -1 to cast a spell Tom Brooks. Is that all you wanted it to give?
Sorry maybe it does need clarification. It is indeed intended to be “get the one time use spell and also take -1 forward”, but maybe you are right and it is not clear. I think using 7+ instead of 10+ is weird to me, so I might just write it as “7-9: take the spell and -1 going forward.”
If you want the 7-9 result to give both the one time spell and a -1 forward, you need to spell that out, yes.
i should add that Fog is already a spell.
When i had my Cleric recieve a spell scroll from her deity, i had her roll a d8, and each number corresponded to a spell fitting her deity. You could do something similar. What spells has your wizard taken? Maybe you should give them scrolls that contain more powerful versions of them. What spells has your wizard stated that they will NEVER take, or show no interest in? Give them a REALLY powerful version of those spells. Be a fan of the characters and fill their lives with adventure.
Mark Weis good ideas! I guess Fog is a spell (Cloudkill?) Although it will be a while before he gets there.
I will ask about what spells the wizard will take and won’t take. Was trying to also add spells that fit classes we don’t have.