Author: Patrick Joannisse

I have a game tomorrow and the last 2 sessions have been easy for the players. I’d like to test them a little. Last game I increased the number of opponents and the range (by giving some crossbows) but the next one I’d like to have one mighty opponent. I have no idea how to increase the level of difficulty. I’m from a D&D background where you can simply increase the AC and the damage and you’ll get something…

Yesterday for the second game I pushed the challenge a little for my now second level characters. Last game the opponents were mostly melee and rushing but this time we had mounted fighters with spears, crossbow men and a dark hooded mage throwing fireballs at them. The night was intense and awesome.

I don’t know for you guys, but running Dungeon World made me realize I may have played RPGs wrong my whole life..Dungeon World is the first game in which as a GM I don’t feel like an evil psychiatrist trying various adventure experiment on my players…I don’t feel like I force situations on them and then watch and see how they find a way out. For the first time in my gaming life I play an RPG with the feeling of being part of the story my players ARE creating. From now on I’ll try to play every game like this..

First game was yesterday. I came with no prep at all and the players immediately started telling me how they were on their way back to the city after completing a quest for the King. They looked at me asking for something interested so I burned the city with their reward in it. A dragon was flying in circle over the city and when the players got within the walls they discovered knights with shields with a dragon symbol on it. “This is the Order of the Dragon Wing” said one of my player (I had no idea what she was talking about, but it was awesome). A Spout lore later we discovered this Order is ruled by long bloodline of Dragon tamers who can control Dragons by touching them. The whole game was fresh and exciting from a D&D and Pathfinder background. The flow was so natural and good. Usually in combat my players wait for their turn by reading stuff on their laptop or going out for a smoke but here, no time for that. Everyone liked it. Long live Dungeon World. My new favorite game.

I have my first game tomorrow and I have no idea how to start the game. What was your initial situation on your first game of Dungeon World?