Author: Scott Diehl

Holy shit, you guys…

Barbarian is down to 2 hp and has just botched a roll charging into a room full of two clockwork constructs.

Me: OK, they both point their arms at you and their fists detach and fly towards you at high velocity. What do you do?

Ranger: I take aim at one of the fists and try to deflect it.

Me: Sounds like a called shot. Roll +dex.

Ranger: 11!

Me: Your arrow hits the fist in just the right spot to deflect it past the Barbarian. Barbarian: there is one more fist flying towards you. What do you do?

Barbarian: I punch the fist!

Me: Roll defy danger + str.

Barbarian: Uhh, 4.

Me: Oh wait… don’t you think you’re indulging your appetite for destruction:?

Barbarian: Hell yeah! (rolls d8 + d6): 12!

Me: Your fist makes contact with the constructs as it flies towards you. There is a loud thunderclap, and suddenly you feel the spray of a million iron filings across your body and face as the pulverized construct fists explodes on impact.

How much does a GM typically rely on turning questions around on PCs to dictate the game world? For example, if they want to know why those halflings are stalking them, should I make something up or ask them why the halflings would be doing so?

How about on a move like spout lore where it says that the GM will tell you the information — if they spout lore to answer “Which God are these orcs worshipping at that altar”, when it’s something I don’t have planned, can I just ask the player to make up whatever they want?

Basically how do you know when to make something up yourself or ask the player to make it up for you?

GMed a first session last night and got stumped a couple of times. In particular, how do you handle misses on moves like Spout Lore? I tended to use “reveal an unwelcome truth” or “show signs of an approaching threat” and add a new dangerous element that they recalled was connected to the situation. Not many of the other GM moves seem to apply when the character hasn’t done much but think and maybe consult some books. And the outcome still feels somewhat like a success for the character, since they recalled something useful… in the sense that they know about a danger that didn’t exist before.

What other things should I be considering?

I was wondering if the creators (or anyone else) could comment on the process that went in to choosing 2d6 instead of d20 as the main mechanism. I’ve got a lot of affection for the d20 (as I’m sure many here do), so it pains me to leave it so neglected. I understand that the probabilities work out very differently for the two rolling methods (in particular, modifiers being nonlinear and offering diminishing returns) — is this the main reason to go with 2d6, or are there others? Has anybody explored using d20 with any success?

Just snagged the last copy at “I’m Bored” in Middleton, WI. Just in time for the blizzard. Thanks for the heads up!