Author: Juniper Jazz

I’m changing the End of Session questions for my new campaign that starts tonight.

• Did we make a new friend?

• Did we share a meal with somebody?

• Did we explore an old or forgotten place — big or small?

I want to emphasize a sort of everyday texture to the world, where the post-apocalyptic remains of a forgotten world feel lived in, or where the PCs can feel that exploring the flooded ruins of a library is worth it without being compensated. Along with some careful class selection, I think this could go a long way toward giving the game a bit more of a heartwarming tone.

How have y’all changed the end of session move in your own campaigns? What sort of effect did you intend? Did you achieve that?

Does anybody have any tips for playing DW with a horror edge?

I just gave my party’s megalomaniacal, science obsessed, half-Fae Artificer a giant robot pilot compendium class.

THE HEAVEN RIDER

The next time you take an advance you may take this move.

Break Through the Roof!

Congratulations on aquiring a giant robot! It’s a bit of a “fixer-upper” though. Choose two customizations from the list.

Co-pilot(there is a separate cockpit for an additional pilot)

Adaptable(your giant robot can adapt to many different environments. Name two.)

Flight enabled(decribe the method of propulsion)

Signature weapon(+2 damage)

Enormous!(it is the size of a building)

Fortified(+2 armor)

Modular(your giant robot can be taken apart for easier transport)

After you take this move, you have access to the following advanced moves:

Super Attack!

You have activated your robot’s ultimate attack. Pick three from the list to name it. Each time you use it call its name. If you do not choose a range tag then it defaults to hand.

Mega(+forceful)

Giga(+messy)

Ultimate(+deafening)

Limit(+unweildly, +1d6 damage)

Break(+restraining)

Exploding(+hot)

Cutter(+uncontrolled, +2 piercing)

Rolling(+uncontrolled, +1d8 damage)

Cosmic(+area)

Shatter(+devastaing)

Shining(+bright)

Heart(+1 piercing)

Burning(+hot)

Power(+devastating)

Fist(hand)

Kick(foot)

Beam(near)

Halo(+holy)

Name:

Further Customized

Choose another item from the list of customizations.

Lead the Way

When you die you may pass this compendium class on to another player.

I’m writing a class called The Princess and it’s still a work in progress. What do you think of it so far?

The Princess is in the Dorothy Gale or Nia Teppelin mold, with a bit of Zuko and Xena in there for good measure. They’re more of a social class, not even support in fights but rather gathering resources and armies so that they don’t even have to support. This is a class that is all about making friends and changing minds.

NAME

Ariel, Odette, Ran, Toph, Dorothy, Belle, Terra, Kory, Rose, Jade, Serenity, River, Calliope, Gabrielle, Mai, Nia, Yoko

LOOK

Soft Eyes, Sparkling Eyes, or Sharp Eyes

Hooded Head, Long Hair, or Bobbed Hair

Ornate Clothes, Regal Clothes, or Common Clothes

Chubby Body, Willowy Body, or Angular Body

DRIVE

Finding your way home.

Help somebody to find their place.

Righting a wrong.

Help somebody weak to surpass their own limits.

Banished Heir.

Pass up a chance to redeem yourself or to go home.

BACKGROUND

A poor kingdom

When you prove your worth to a group of naysayers carry one forward to your next action.

A large kingdom

You have been sent to many cities on diplomatic missions from your country. When you enter a new city tell the GM one unique cultural fact about it.

A warring kingdom

Your kingdom’s strongholds are spread throughout the country. Whenever you come to them they will provide shelter.

BONDS

________ is a former subject of my kingdom.

________ does not believe in themself. I hope to change that.

I have seen ________ in my dreams.

I have seen ________ in my nightmares.

DAMAGE: d6

GEAR

Your Load is 5+Str. You have dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight). Choose your armament:

Rapier (close, +1 piercing, one-handed, 1 weight)

Short sword (Close, +1 damage, 1 weight)

Ornate bow (Near, 1 weight) and quiver of arrows (5 ammo, 1 weight)

Choose your defense:

Cloth armor (1 weight, 1 armor)

Dungeon rations (1 weight) and healing potion

Choose your accessory:

Ornate jewelry (1 weight, valuable)

Adventuring gear

Looking glass (1 weight)

Silk robes (1 weight)

STARTING MOVES

Kick Logic to the Curb! (the tags are meant to be synthesized into a cohesive, positive whole. The positive or more feminine tags are meant to defy the darker or more masculine concepts when the two combine. You could, however, have a darker Princesss with Duty and Sacrifice or something like that.)

Choose two tags which represent your most deeply held beliefs:

Love

Peace

Possibility

Hope

Fear

Duty

Sacrifice

Entropy

Honor

Glory

Power

When you invoke these beliefs in a rousing speech roll + CHA. On a hit hold 3. On a 7-9 hold 2. Spend 1 hold to ask a friendly NPC to do one impossible thing and they will attempt it. Spend 1 hold to gain leverage over an NPC. Spend 1 hold to roll + CHA rather than + Bonds to aid or interfere.

Inspiring Grace (really not sure of the wording in this first sentence)

When you show an NPC another way, roll + CHA. On a hit they follow your example, but in a way that makes sense to them. On a 7-9 they are not sure, but they are moved by your gesture. You have leverage over them.

Speak From the Heart (based on a move from the Inverse World class, The Lantern, I’ll probably change it up later)

When another player comes to you seeking advice, tell them what you think is their best course of action. If they act on your advice, they take +1 forward. At the end of the session, if at least one player who acted on your advice actually benefitted from it in the end, you mark XP.

Gentle Touch

When you touch someone, skin to skin, and pray for their well-being , roll+CHA. On a 10+ you heal 1d8 damage or remove one disease. On a 7-9, they are healed, but the damage or disease is transferred to you.

Regality and Grace

Your voice and presence are particularly arresting. You have no trouble making yourself heard over chatter, crowds, or other loud noise.

ADVANCED MOVES (more coming soon)

UNICORN (“UNICORN” is written in calligraphic letters and all caps)

You have a UNICORN. Choose one from each list and tell the GM their name.

First name:

Brandy(+1d4 damage)

Marigold(heal +1d6 with Gentle Touch)

Azalea(add messy when in melee)

Middle Name:

Rowena(chatterbox)

Helga(accident prone)

Heavenly(self obsessed)

Last Name:

Diamond(arresting gaze)

Nostrils(well connected)

Rarity(telepathic)

Prophetic Dreams (shamelessly stolen and adapted from Monsterhearts)

When you lay down to sleep roll +WIS. On a 10+ choose one: the visions are lucid and detailed; the visions show you what you must do, and you carry 1 forward to doing it. On a 7-9 choose one: the visions are confusing and alarming; the visions are lucid and detailed but the GM gets to make a hard move.

They also have two multi-class moves. One for the Fighter and one for the Thief or Wizard.

So I’ve DMed a few Dungeon World one shots and I really like the game. It brings forth the good stuff about the dungeon fantasy genre, the stuff I see from the outside and say “Oh, that’s neat!”, and wraps it in an Apocalypse Worldy coating of awesome. It’s a great, focused adventure game with a ton of neat stuff. It’s probably going to be my go-to adventure game from now on.

However, I’m not really grokking the whole Dungeon premise. I come from a solidly story-gaming background, the first game I ever GMed was Fate. I’ve only ever touched D&D once, and that was 3rd edition — the system ended up scaring me away from touching the genre ever again, until now.

I don’t know if I’m not asking enough questions, or what, but the first session dungeon — all of my games have been one-shots, sadly — almost always turns into a white room scenario. I make up monsters on the spot, we have a few cool action scenes, and so on. It’s fun but kind of hollow, and the genre is so outside of my comfort zone that I don’t really know how to handle it, where NPCs fit in, what would be adequate motivation for the PCs to be banding together on these epic quests in the first place. Which is where I’m stumbling, because I thrive in character focused, high action settings. But I can’t quite see the whole picture and I can’t see where the character focus goes.

It’s all so new and I’m stumbling, really tripping up, for the first time in my gaming life. I love and engage with about half the game, the Apocalypse World half. I want to meet with the Dungeons & Dragons half, but the problem is I don’t know where that half is coming from.

Please help me out here. What fiction should I read or watch? What are the core reasons for playing in the dungeon fantasy genre? What is your advice for meeting the high action with a character focus? Or for new Dungeon Masters in the first place?

How can I get the genre?