Clinton Pong – Dungeon World Tavern G+ Archives

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Immolator for the past week, especially if GRRM were the DM.

Someone on reddit posted questions about the Firebender base move… Zuka… No, Zuko Style. I decided to write two little moves that were terrible versions of advanced moves that I wanted your thoughts on. Too powerful? Unbalanced? Removes utility of other moves?

https://www.reddit.com/r/DungeonWorld/comments/43a4h5/zuko_style_question_immolator/

Melisandre stared intently at the bonfire where the heretics screamed in agony. “I command the flames to show me the shape and form of the man is Azor Ahai, the Prince that was Promised, the one who will destroy the Others…” She frowned. Before it had shown her King Stannis with Lightbringer, but now all it showed was snow…

(Lore of Flames with an evil sacrifice for a weak bonus: if you burn an unwilling creature alive, you can ask the creature one question before it dies. The flames will take its form and it will nod, shake its head, gesture/point/pantomime in a meaningful and truthful fashion.)

(Alternately, sacrificing a useful object like a book of maps and saying “I command the flames to point in the direction of the treasure we most desire!” could be a way to get the flames to take form and move as you desire as long as they have fuel…)

Beric Dondarrion stopped dancing the hempen jig long ago. He now dangled loosely from the hangman’s noose tight around his neck. Thoros hiccuped and swiped in the air several times with his burning sword, eventually cutting his companion down to the ground. He took a swig of firebrandy and imbued it with the flames of the Last Rites. He pressed his lips to Beric’s and breathed out with cleansing fire to send him to the Red God. However, to Thoros’ surprise, Beric lurched upwards, stepping back from Death’s Door, somehow imbued by the Last Kiss! Thoros could tell that a part of Beric was consumed as kindling, his second chance at life being fueled by a loss of humanity and a loss of his memories…

(Ogdru Jahad/Burning Bridges move with severe and twisted consequences that the players won’t like: you can save a comrade from Death’s Door but they lose all bonds, all advanced moves, and no longer gain XP.)

Thoughts?

https://www.reddit.com/r/DungeonWorld/comments/43a4h5/zuko_style_question_immolator/

ramblingsofjacobanddelos.com had a One Shot called “the Wall” which took GRRM’s Icy Wall and flipped it over, DW…

ramblingsofjacobanddelos.com had a One Shot called “the Wall” which took GRRM’s Icy Wall and flipped it over, DW style.

Setup: everyone is a criminal, a social reject, or otherwise banished to this desolate outpost that holds back the harsh enemies of Civilization.

Each player answers a question on some story aspect like “what is the Wall made out of?” “What is it defending against?” “Who is the Captain of the Watch?” etc.

Each character has a specific type of bond to each other or different Wall factions, depending on their class.

I really liked it and I’ve been thinking about running it soon. When I dug through my archive, I noted that it was from a blogpost dated 6/3/15… but now its gone!

1) +Delos Adamski, these are the only two posts on it that I can see now…

https://plus.google.com/+DelosAdamski/posts/TsHqk1eGhyr

https://www.reddit.com/r/DungeonWorld/comments/38l4v6/the_wall_a_dungeon_world_quick_startone_shot/

Can you repost it?

2) Has anyone played a reskin of the Wall? How did it go?

https://www.reddit.com/r/DungeonWorld/comments/38l4v6/the_wall_a_dungeon_world_quick_startone_shot/

It’s Day #2 of the Zombie Apocalypse.

It’s Day #2 of the Zombie Apocalypse… and you have survived the night after barricading your group in a home with the acrid stench of a burnt pile of victims still wafting underneath the front door. Tears stream down the paladin’s face but the fighter’s remains resolute. #GiveEveryMonsterLife This is a game reflection and follow up to this post from a few weeks ago. https://plus.google.com/104073087524335945732/posts/2hj9Hj2s9au

Today I ran a “Second Shot” sequel to a one-shot game. The part that was wildly successful came from the reboot character generation session at the beginning for about 30 min or so. I revised a few of my generic zombie-trope breaking questions and I made them more setting specific and incorporated the DM Principle of “Draw maps, leave blanks” by asking a few key questions to the players to generate a richer backstory for the world. My backstory prep started with a rough sketch of Eberron’s Undead Nation Karrnath for a basic storyline and setting… and projected it thousands to millions of years into the future with the question of “What would happen if a nation led by a Lich-God King had fallen to the Silver Flame? http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebwe/20041206a

I had each player pick an index card at the beginning with seed questions like:

— “You were raised in the outskirts of Trendorfell” (the starting steading)

— “Your grandfather bragged about being a descendant of the Hero of Trendor, but you know it’s nonsense. Wait, is it?”

— “You know someone from the inner sanctum of Trendor. Who is it?”

— “Everyone talks about how pious and pure Trendorfell is as ancient site of power, but people often forget about __(rival city) too!”

— “The last time you were in Trendorfell, you barely escaped”

— “You meant to take the Pilgrim’s Path, but you never quite got around to it…”

From this, I asked questions about everyone’s character which planted the key plot element seeds.

The bard’s father was a town innskeep; his father bequeathed a magical lute to him and his nanny/barmaid was a halfling barmaid named Esmerelda (who of course became the first zombie with a face they knew). The ranger came from an abandoned town named Aquabog that was a “swamp” all the way across the country (the player pointed at a blank area on the Eberron map that was the Talenta Plains and since it was unmarked, he asked me ‘is this swamp?’ and I said ‘Sure, of course! And it used to be like the Shire, before it became the Bogs of Blood.’) This turned out to be a key part of the storyline as the ranger’s elven homelands (a millenia ago) marched upon the Evil undead nation from “Aquabog” to “Trendorfell”(Eberron’s Vulyar to Atur) and the Hero of Trendor paid the ultimate sacrifice to rid the world of the Accursed ones. The elven wizard was on the lamb after becoming “The Wizard” solely by stealing level 20 arcane secrets from his evil master. A bounty hunter was on his tail, but was stymied by the fact that the wanted posters basically looked like the Sun God had committed a crime. The cleric was a priest of Woodmorning (which had started off as a silly pun off of the poorly named elven wizard Morningwood, who was identical in appearance to his moniker).

I used the Pilgrim’s Path move I made from #ClericWeek to good effect for heavy-handed plot-reveal of key visions and to provide cryptic blessings that would push along successes on very important rolls to defeat the undead menace.

https://plus.google.com/104073087524335945732/posts/7HwkKgLV94p

I had the group choose between the starting town locations of the Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestickmaker, which would set the plot along a combat/weapons vs people/protection/resources vs legends/lore route which unbeknownst to them, worked wonderfully. After picking the Candleshop/Library as their starting point, they proceeded to avoid zombie combat as much as possible and a lot of time was spent on the mystery of the Zombie plague and the ritual that the wizard would need to complete in order to reverse the curse. (Spoilers, the curse is spread by a Vampire Lord and can’t be reversed… the zombie apocalypse can be stopped only by basically burning a huge pyre of eldritch brambles at the center of the town which burns with an “unseen flame” and basically microwaves everyone in the area and the death curse can be controlled only by being inflicted onto a pious cleric who becomes the new Vampire lord and chooses a different path.)

Key lessons: in media res is AWESOME for story building (allows for ret-cons galore), being curious and asking carefully crafted leading questions can really push along your story arc and you can fill in all the gaps with a web of character-hooks.

There were a ton of other satisfying character denouement moments, like “Elan the Bard” being rescued by his father ominously clad in full plate, beating out a Pied Piper rhythm to mesmerize the zombies and lead them away… but I digress.

Dungeon World Rocks!!!!

I wanted to contribute to the #Spellslingerweek but the best that I could come up with was an alternative to the…

I wanted to contribute to the #Spellslingerweek but the best that I could come up with was an alternative to the Magic Wand. Hopefully someone with more experience can make it fit the setting and style.

Magic Wand (tag: far)

Magic Rod (tag: close, reach, blast cone)

Instead of a precise spell shot, the rod emits a blast of unfocused magic at nearby objects, friends and foes alike. Be careful where you point that thing!

Magic Staff (tag: far, almost as far as the eye can see, pierce 2, precise, clumsy)

This unwieldy weapon needs to be held up, and rested against your cheek to properly sight your target down its rune covered haft. When aimed carefully though, a spell shot from your staff can travel long distances, punch through thin walls and hit enemies under flimsy cover! Some are even reputed to punch through thick walls or operate under complete silence.

#GiveEveryMonsterLife

(Pick a monster and describe an “in medias res” scenario with player-generated monster trope twists.)

Give Every Monster Life: Zombies

It’s day number two of the undead apocalypse. You have survived the night after barricading your group in a home with the acrid stench of a burnt pile of victims still wafting underneath the front door. Tears stream down the paladin’s face but the fighter’s remains resolute. Ranger, you startle suddenly at the break of dawn by your animal companion and the thief motions silently to a fight outside. A baby is crying. You peek between the boards of your makeshift shelter and see the mother screaming, holding a holy symbol of your order, Cleric. The father is wielding a pitchfork and fighting off a horde of 10 zombies, on the verge of being overwhelmed in an alley across the street. Wizard, you detect a distinctive feature on the father similar to others before they succumb to the zombie plague. Bard, one of the figures looks familiar but you can’t make out if they are living or dead.

Fighter: You had to make a hard choice last night, but you made the right decision even though the rest of the party looks at you now with wary eyes. What did you do?

Paladin: You carry a heavy burden and a guilty secret about something that happened last night. What is making you question yourself or your faith?

Cleric: You suspect that the victims of the zombies aren’t sought out for mere brains or flesh of the living. What is the reason why these zombies hunt and kill the living?

Thief: You have discovered that these zombies don’t die from a beheading or a strike through the brains. What is the key weakness of these shambling undead?

Wizard: You are developing a theory why some people are turning into zombies but others are not. One thing is certain, their bite does NOT cause an infection. You could confirm your theory, but you need just one thing… what event/component/object/clue do you need to determine the cause of the zombie outbreak?

Ranger: Your animal companion is able to detect who is a zombie and who is not, which sometimes isn’t as apparent as you would like. How does your AC tell the difference?

Bard: Civilization as you know it is rapidly crumbling, and in a zombie-eat-world scenario, small bands form and break alliances as needed for survival. Your quick thinking and leadership has helped you form a cohesive band, but you need to rescue a key person/group to solidify your base. Where do you think they are and why are they important?

The Pilgrim’s Path #ClericWeek

For some, the divine path leads to enlightenment and is paved with good deeds but for others, it may be a path to power paved with blood and suffering. Your path is your own… and who knows which divine being will answer your call?

You follow in footsteps of a holy leader and meditate on their lessons. When you arrive at a holy site and offer a heartfelt prayer, roll +Wis, or +Bond with a divine figure.

On a 10+, Pick 3.

On a 7-9, Pick 1.

On a 6-, the player chooses one: pain, retribution or cost.

1) A cryptic message from the divine is whispered in your ear to gain ++1 Forward when you act on this information. (This stacks with +1 bonuses from Aid, Bless, Preparation or other enhancing moves.)

2) An intense vision briefly overwhelms your senses. An upcoming grim portent and its impending doom is briefly revealed to you.

3) You do not need to pay tribute with a small but meaningful sacrifice

4) You do not attract unwanted attention from a deity in opposition to your beliefs.

After reading Tim Franzke ‘s Battleshaper which is a class that takes advantage of tags, it made me think about a…

After reading Tim Franzke ‘s Battleshaper which is a class that takes advantage of tags, it made me think about a mechanic from the Fate system (that I read about in Dresden World.)

Are DW Tags similar to one-word Fate Aspects that you invoke or compel?

Tinker Alchemist, extraordinaire!

Or at least, that’s what I’m hoping I’ll be, assuming that I survive this week’s adventure where I am currently separated from my party, pinned against a dying elf by an arrow that shot us both (by our ranger) and at one HP in the middle of the night, a few hours run from a Wild Elf settlement in the trees.

Here’s my question. What sort of Alchemy poisons have you all concocted?

As far as I can tell, poisons are meant to be debuffs that affect an enemy/NPC, rather than potions that the party drinks.

Oil of Tagit ~= Sleep spell

Bloodweed = Damage/Time

Goldenroot = Charm (anything, includes beast & monsters!)

Serpent’s Tears = best of (dX roll)

On reddit, a poster suggested using tags for inspiration. Here’s my own take on that idea.

“messy” = Datura’s Sludge (applied) induces vomiting and expulsion of all other bodily fluids

“slow/awkward/clumsy” = Poppysap (touch) completely numbs the target of all tactile sensation, giving all objects they carry the slow, awkward or clumsy tag, your choice

“dangerous” = Devilshroom (touch) alters the targets perception so they cannot distinguish safety from danger and all objects they use have the dangerous tag i.e. grab the wrong end of their own sword, they choke while drinking from a wineskin, etc.

Other ideas, but seem bland :

similar to Poppysap above, but removing another sense (sight, smell, hearing) instead

similar to Devilshroom above, but adds hallucinatory stimuli, fear, paranoia

similar to Goldenroot: Belladonna’s Bloom (applied) +1 ongoing to all Parley rolls with target

Misc ideas I thought of, but rejected:

-Iocaine powder for instadeath (nice shoutout, but envenom lets you bypass the ingested restriction.)

-Serpent’s blood allows for damage rerolls, what about poisons that allow HacknSlash or Defy Danger rerolls? (i.e. rolling 3d6 and taking the best two)… may be too overpowered.

-tacking on debilities doesn’t translate as well towards NPC/enemies.

-any poison that feels good and then makes you addicted (maybe for another styled game that’s not loosely based on medieval fantasy)

-any poison that causes arrhythmia, coma or seizures (congrats, you removed them from the fight…yawn)

“Aid Another Exploit”: I ran a DW game at the PAXEast convention for my friends last week and after hearing about…

“Aid Another Exploit”: I ran a DW game at the PAXEast convention for my friends last week and after hearing about the rules system and the XP generation, they came up with an easy way to generate XP. It stemmed from the fact that the Aid/Interfere basic move doesn’t note what happens on a 6-…

Aid or Interfere

When you help or hinder someone , roll+bond with them.

✴On a 10+, they take +1 or -2 to their roll, your choice.

✴On a 7–9, they still get a modifier, but you also expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost.

Initially, I was running the game more dice-based to have them get familiar with their basic and special moves (I started the game with a Grim Portent of a nearby mountain erupting Mt St Helen’s style and I had them pick three of their six party members to Undertake a Perilous Journey to the nearest steading of Trendorfell.). The three non-participatory party members decided that they wanted to Aid the trailblazer (who failed his roll with a 5.). One of them succeeded with a 7,, but the other two failed.I think he picked “danger” since the situation didn’t seem immediately threatening.

By a strict reading of the Aid, they felt that a 6- would be “low risk, high reward” since the only stated outcomes were “success or modified-success+danger/retribution/cost.”

However, I saw it as a golden opportunity to have some GM moves happen offscreen. They didn’t arrive in time for a bandit ambush on a merchant caravan or the subsequent twist (a second ambush by zombies!) as they slogged their way though the ashen landscape. A subsequent earthquake and aftershocks weakened the bridge that the caravan would placed on was dangerously damaged to the point of near collapse. The monsters (zombies from Trendorfell, recently turned as a result of the earthquake breaking open a tomb of a long-forgotten plague) would be alerted to their presence and strategically placed for another ambush…

This all happened in the first few rolls of the game while they were going around the table, describing their characters to each other and their bonds.

However, because the three failures were silent, they felt encouraged to continue Aiding each other for all of their near misses (5 or 9 rolls). My initial DM instinct was to make up how they were aiding the character, but later on in the combat I remembered the principle of “Ask questions and Use the answers” and threw the Aid mechanic back at them: “ok, so how are you helping him?”

This led to some hilarity as Élan the Bard kept flubbing his Aid rolls to others (how fitting is that?!?) and when the bridge collapsed with half the party standing on it holding some zombies at bay, when he threw a rope at the falling party members, his feet were tangled up in the other end and he ended up falling in as well.

I think they started to realize at the end that any opportunity to roll dice and fail is an opportunity for the GM to make the character’s lives worse (but hey, more XP!)