Quick question — how much do you actually use the standard Dungeon Moves (“Change the environment”, “Point to a looming threat”, …), as opposed to just getting by with the basic GM moves?
Quick question — how much do you actually use the standard Dungeon Moves (“Change the environment”, “Point to a…
Quick question — how much do you actually use the standard Dungeon Moves (“Change the environment”, “Point to a…
For the most part Dungeon Moves are just examples of the application of GM Moves in a specific context (the Dungeon).
Point to a looming Thread is Show signs of an approaching threat
Introduce a new faction or type of creature most of the times is a specific way of using Reveal an unwelcome truth
Use a threat from an existing faction or type of creature is Use a monster, danger, or location move
Make them backtrack is another example of Reveal an unwelcome truth
Present riches at a price is Offer an opportunity, with or without cost
Present a challenge to one of the characters can be either Put someone in a spot or Show a downside to their class, race, or equipment applied to everybody else
Change the environment is probably the_new_ move there but only if you read it as an aesthetic change. Depending on the nature of the change it could easily be unwelcome truth again or offer an opportunity.
Also I just realized that most GM moves are actually Reveal an unwelcome truth
“I sometimes use the Dungeon Moves”, but it’s pretty rare that they come up. Much more useful to me is an evocative dungeon map with some notes scribbled on the same page.
yup, pretty much both these comments.
Thanks all, for both votes and comments. The vote was pretty clear — people are using them, but only sometimes, and thus much less than they are using the more generic GM moves.
(It would have been more informative if I’d been more specific about the options e.g. “never/some sessions/just about every session”)
Late to the party, but…
I agree with Stefano Casella that most of the dungeon moves are basically rehashes/specific instances of the standard GM moves.
But, that doesn’t necessarily make them bad or not valuable. Monster moves, danger moves… they’re all basically just more-specific versions of the standard set. Even the standard set are largely permutations of each other.
The value that the more-specific sets of moves provide is that they provide more specific inspiration. When exploring a dungeon, or cave, or any other dangerous location, “Make them backtrack” is more immediately evocative and directly usable than “Present an unwelcome truth.”
With that said, I personally have changed to using this list for Dungeon/Exploration Moves:
• Change the environment
• Provide a choice of paths
• Bar the way; make them backtrack
• Hint at more than meets the eye
• Present a discovery
• Point to a looming danger
• Introduce a danger, person, or faction
• Offer riches at a price
• Have them Struggle as One (which is a group Defy Danger move)
I find these more evocative and useful than the ones presented in the core DW book.
Jeremy Strandberg yes – GM move sets are as much generative/provocative as they are constraining… maybe more.
I’ll try using your list next time I run.