I’ve run a few play test sessions with FotF 2e and we are really digging it – this is a bunch players who are down with the random nature and willing to play thru whatever I throw at them, so far a great system and really loving all the random tables. Although they are all a little wary b/c the hit point rolls were pretty terrible across the board.
Something that has been throwing me is the simplicity of the fight move I’ve been throwing a dungeon world slant to it rather than the deal damage / trade damage rules as written…. am I on the right track here or should it just be a damage thing?
Also with fight – on a -6 the monster is dealing damage with no return from the player?
The only other thing I’ve had a problem with is the discoveries – but on review I think I need to print off that section of perilous wilds and add it to my notes for reference the next time we hit ‘make a discovery’
Also can luck only be regained with level up?
Not sure where the play testing stands but if there is particular feedback I can give on our sessions that might be helpful let me know!
Hey Ron Thomas! Welcome, and happy to hear it’s going well.
I’m in favor of tweaking moves as you see fit given the needs and wants of your particular style.
The wording on a 7-9 Fight roll is, “you deal damage but suffer the creature’s attack as well,” and the word “attack” is purposely left open to interpretation according to the specific context.
So an orc swinging an axe might just deal damage, but you could rule that it knocks someone’s weapon out of their hands; a tentacle beast might wrap an appendage around someone to immobilize them, and then start to crush them (roll damage) the next time the Judge makes a move; a fire wizard might set the room on fire, etc. It should only be straight-up damage when that’s the most sensible outcome of the situation. getting creative with monster attacks is one of the places where combat can get really interesting.
On that note I should point out that players should be encouraged to get creative and describe their actions freely in combat, and everyone should be on the lookout for other moves to trigger. “Make a Saving Throw” is the stand-in for Dungeon World’s catchall “Defy Danger” move, and its applications are endless. You could try to get around behind the orc (Make a Saving Throw with DEX) in order to strike it from behind (just deal your damage), try to knock it off balance (Saving Throw with STR), etc. etc.
The default for 6- results is “The Judge makes a move.” So again, depending on the context, that could be anything from “the orc cuts off your head!” (hardest move) to “the orc’s axe cuts into you for… 6 damage!” (hard move) to “the orc knocks you down and you find yourself surrounded by four of them!” (softer move).
A few moves incur additional effects on a 6-, mentioned explicitly in their wording. In the iteration on deck I am rewriting all of the moves to include “on a 6-” clauses, just so everything is clear and consistent, especially for people new to PbtA games.
Yeah, the Discoveries bits do depend on using The Perilous Wilds, which I should be more explicit about for playtesters. Sorry about that! In the final version of Freebooters 2e all of the Disocvery and Danger stuff will be folded in, so it can stand alone from The Perilous Wilds.
Correct on Luck — it’s only regained when you Level Up. The only exception is the Thief’s “Lucky Dog” move.
Re: playtesting feedback, I would love to hear about any issues you and your players encounter along the way. These questions are great because they show me areas where things could be more clear. In terms of specific things, if you get a chance to try the new Beasts & Booty guidelines, I would love to hear how that goes.
Jason Lutes Awesome, Thanks for clarifying these points!
I just printed out the new beasts and booty charts for last session – but I used them more to inspire the encounter rather than to specifically build it out in it’s entirety. I basically start fleshing things out after step 3 with AC, HP and tags etc rather than rolling.
I will say using the Beast and Booty charts this way has been very cool for inspiring the encounter and we’ve had a great time with it.
I’ve been a little wary of the full build out for two reasons… the time and rolls involved to fully build it and also the fact that the players are pretty delicate right now so I don’t want to wipe them out in the first couple of sessions. This is our first real trek after surviving the funnel and making level 1.
Next encounter I’ll sit down and have the players roll everything through and see how that looks.
Thanks again – really looking forward to the opportunity to buy the full rule-set when everything wraps up.
Ron Thomas, using the tables as a quick springboard is best practice at the table, imo — too many rolls can certainly bog things down. I plan to include advice to that effect throughout the random generation sections.