When you GM Dungeon World and a player triggers a custom move, do you read the custom move to the player before…

When you GM Dungeon World and a player triggers a custom move, do you read the custom move to the player before…

When you GM Dungeon World and a player triggers a custom move, do you read the custom move to the player before rolling (or otherwise clue the player in to what is coming if/when they trigger(ed) the move)?

10 thoughts on “When you GM Dungeon World and a player triggers a custom move, do you read the custom move to the player before…”

  1. I usually read them the full move beforehand, unless the fiction demands discovery (a magic item they’ve just uncovered, for instance). That said, I always give them control and ask what they think should happen.

  3. The best part about moves is that they fully inform the reader of the possible risks of an action.

    In almost any roleplaying game, the players should know the risks of a thing before undertaking it. Otherwise they feel cheated: “eh it’s just a small rat, I’ll pick it up.” / “Ok it bites you, take…. 97 damage” / “wtf?!”

    So tell them of the potential risks. The easiest way to do this is to show them the move. “Oh you want to cross the rickity bridge? Boom, move“

  4. Sometimes the custom move is made at the table, and then it’s usually a collaborate effort and fully transparent. If it’s a custom move I’ve made before play, I feel inclined to read the full move to them, or/and have a printout of the move that I give to them.

  5. Forgot to mention that I’m playing with newb to DW, so reading the whole move confuses them more than anything else ATM, especially because they are coming from D&D. That might change once they acquire enough confidence in the system.

  6. Addramyr Palinor you can author them to be read, killing much of the lingo.

    When you read this move, roll 2d6+INT. If you roll a 10 or above, it makes complete sense. If you roll 7-9, ask the GM about the part that confuses you. If you roll a 6 or under, just look at the GM in confusion, they’ll help you out.

  8. In theory I’m all about sharing the entire move with the players.

    In practice, though, I find it much easier to tell them the trigger and what to roll (let them back out if they want) and then read them the results of their roll. I’ll give them more info up front if they want, but they generally don’t care.

    This is mostly because I play almost exclusively face-to-face, and find that a non-trivial barrier to sharing the full text is that I just don’t have it printed out. And I don’t want to print it out, cuz it’s like the size of an index card and it seems like a waste.

    (Exception: love-letters, those I print out or email. But they’re different. They’re letters, right?)

    My players generally trust me to handle the rules side of things and are on game for almost any adversity I throw at them, so it works out okay.

    If I was running online, though? Yeah, I’d just send everyone the full text in the chat or otherwise share it with them.

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