In the official digital package for Dungeon World, there is a compendium class that already deals with issues that arise from one-on-one play. It is the Bearer class, and I cannot stress enough how severely, astoundingly underrated it is for enhancing that form of play.
There’s a recent discussion on Reddit about one-on-one DW play (one GM, one player). Typically in these discussions, there’re a lot of speculation and theory-crafting, with two common threads:
• DW cannot be played one-on-one
• Try The Legacy Weapon Playbook
I ran several one-on-one sessions myself and did a lot of research into one-on-one play. It works, and without any tweaks to the official materials. It is true that DW is not designed for one-on-one play, but its rules are robust enough to support it. I’ve learned a lot about DW from doing one-on-one sessions, and one of my best experiences was actually from a one-on-one session.
I bought and tried The Legacy Weapon Playbook, and in actual play, I found that its rules interfere too much with the pacing of the game. There’s too much setup and its mechanics are clunky and cumbersome. However, the true value of this playbook is that it attempts to solve problems that arise from extended one-on-one DW play. The reasonings behind its designs are very insightful.
What’s amazing is that, whether by design or accidentally, the official Bearer compendium class already combats these one-on-one issues.
• The most obvious problem is Bonds. As there are no other players to make bonds with, you have to instead do it with Hirelings or NPCs. A favorite alternative is to add bonds with a talking weapon, and that is exactly what the Bearer class is about. In fact, it’s actually written (Whosoever Holdeth) that you have to make bonds with your talking weapon.
• The second problem is death. Because there are no other characters, death is especially troublesome for one-on-one play. One of the moves (Bound For Life) for the Bearer class has a solution: when you take Last Breath, you can instead take a permanent debility of the weapon’s choice. This allows the player’s character to avoid dying, but still suffer a potentially serious consequence, all using official material.
• The third problem is the lack of move variety. Now, this is where the Bearer class is still lacking, but it does provide a lot of healing and alternative ways of gaining information about a situation. This is really where Hirelings come in because their purpose is already to fill gaps in party roles.
Having said all that, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t buy The Legacy Weapon Playbook. It worked pretty well for some people. However, people shouldn’t be ignoring the Bearer compendium class either, as it deals with many of the same problems. I’ve had some awesome one-on-one DW sessions, and it is definitely a viable way to play DW if you know what you’re doing.
Where does one find the Bearer Compendium Class?
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If you buy Dungeon World on DriveThruRPG it’s included.
Bearer CC Class by Fred Hicks
When you embrace the fate of carrying an intelligent weapon, the next time you level up you may choose to gain this move: Whosoever Holdeth
You are bonded to your weapon. Write a new bond with your weapon. From now on, when you write new bonds, you may write them with your weapon instead of a player character. Your weapon cannot
leave your possession. Your weapon will make its desires known to you in a manner befitting its construction and purpose.
When you accomplish something your weapon desires, it bestows boons on you—chooses as many different boons as you have bonds with your weapon:
The weapon restores your health: heal 3d6 HP
The weapon grants you knowledge, the GM will describe it
The weapon bestows insight, mark XP
The weapon does not intrude on you, for a time
If your weapon resists your actions, take -bonds with that weapon to any rolls made for that action.
If you have the move whosoever holdeth, these count as class moves for you; you can choose from them when you level up:
Hunger
Add your bonds with your weapon to any damage you deal with your weapon.
All That Power
When you roll a 12+ while wielding your weapon you gain some insight into the origin, history, or purpose of your weapon. The GM will describe it.
Its Name Is Dread
When you use your weapon (including its history and reputation) for leverage, you can parley with+bonds with your weapon instead of +Cha.
Bound for Life
When you would take your last breath while wielding your weapon you instead have a choice: give up your weapon and take your last breath, or take a permanent debility of the weapon’s choice as it returns you to life
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Maybe slam the two CCs together? Use the weapon to compensate for some of the weaknesses in the sole PC, maybe by giving the weapon more variety in its moves.