Well, we’re about to have a couple characters reach level 10, which is GREAT! But they’re going to accomplish it in less than a year of in-game (fictional) time. That just seems…fast…I mean, I know we roll a lot of fails, but still… Anyhoo, it feels rather rushed, reaching the pinnacle, assuming they don’t die in the next couple adventures. I guess it’s DW and this doesn’t matter, but I feel like I’d like slower progression. Or is this a “my problem” thing, and I shouldn’t worry about that?
Well, we’re about to have a couple characters reach level 10, which is GREAT!
Well, we’re about to have a couple characters reach level 10, which is GREAT!
I think that’s a “your problem” thing. I actually prefer shorter game arcs, and definitely have never had a D&D campaign where players actually hit level 20, so it’s refreshing to be able to do it.
That said, their retirement could be a passing of the torch on to an apprentice, child, or foundling they are protecting. When all the characters reach level 10 and big important arcs are wrapped up, why not find out how they retire, where they are in 10 years, and who is taking their place? I think that’d be super cool.
If you want characters to take more in-character time ‘growing up,’ then adjusting the XP mechanics isn’t going to cut it. That’s just going to change the out of character time required, which will probably frustrate players without addressing the underlying cause: significant chunks of time only pass when adventures aren’t happening, and Dungeon World is a game primarily about adventures happening. Progression is always going to be narratively fast unless you change the narrative.
So, if you want that slower pace, the only real way to do it is to insert more downtime and time skips into the campaign. Tell them that a few months go by in relative quiet after their latest quest and ask what they do with the time. Give the Wizard a Ritual that takes months to complete and ask what everyone else does in the meantime. Point out the Bolster move, or make a custom move for downtime actions. Play out short scenes during the time skip as appropriate.
I noticed Adam has been doing, “cut to a few weeks later” in his games – i’m sure that would help, each time there is some resolution of a front or drama.
Actually its when they reach level 11 technically is when they have to retire and Im guessing getting xp at 10 is bastard hard so you probably have quite a few sessions left before that.
I think part of this is the travel times. Nothing is an extremely long distance away, so their perilous journeys are a week or so, based on the hex map and travel system we use. The thing about levelling so quickly is having to force the acceleration of the fronts to fit the process, if I want the current party to play the capstone event. We are already laying down various prospects for continuation, but there’s a great deal of player-driven threads, including one that involves a possible overthrow, which, by the time the current PC gets around to moving that forward, he’ll be past retirement time. Now, the whole “revolt” thing can still go forward with his PC being a higher level, behind the scenes mover and shaker, but it loses the satisfaction of him personally offing the dude who’s offended everyone. Even so, there’s nothing says the bad guy would fall from power easily. So far, he seems one step ahead of them, thanks to his advisers, more so than him.
In any case, I brought this up partly because the player expressed a concern with not being able to accomplish certain goals before their character might be retired. Our fronts have spiraled into some grand intrigue, so, from a campaign standpoint, there’s a lot of story to be mined here. Best bet is probably to just see what happens, as the rules say, and go from there. I sort of like them having a nemesis they just despise, and am actually plotting a means where they might just side with him against a common foe. Of course, that’s up to them, but I have some stuff in place, so…we’ll see.
Don’t forget there is that third option where they are a different class but the same characters so technically can continue the characters story stuff.
And this could be great what about the last battle they do makes them a different class and a lot weaker then they remember?
The Stonetop setting actually advances slower, requiring more XP to level up at higher levels. That might help. I can’t remember the exact formula…6+(2xlevel)?
Forgot about the class switch. That would be interesting, and might actually work, considering the big event I have planned.
Slower XP might be an interesting idea, too.
I don’t recall anything about a character becoming weaker from going to another class. In fact, I believe they keep everything stat-wise and a few moves that are important to them. Then you level up normally. Yeah they get pretty high stats, but they’re a veteran hero. They deserve it! I had a player go from Bard to Dashing Hero and we did it this way. He was level 8 or so I believe in Dashing Hero when we ended the campaign. He became a deity of Music and Revelry at the end of it. Man I loved his character! I’m going to miss him. Rest in Godhood, Feynriel.
Scott Selvidge Just read it and you are right there. But still it seems weird you would keep all your stats since I thought one of the reasons they wouldn’t allow a character to go above 10 is because the stats mean that failure and moves just become a bit to boringly easy.
He did succeed a lot, but it just meant he leveled up a lot slower than everyone else who had made new characters. He did fail though, and when he did it was always bad. I made sure I was harder on him than the others. Maybe not directly, but he knew something was always waiting for him after a failed roll. 🙂
You can also continuing advancing using Compendium Classes, just fyi.