Author: Sean Dunstan

So I have a bunch of work to do and a *World hack to write for a contest and other stuff I need to write. So, of course, I’m thinking about moves for the “Expedition to the Barrier Peaks”-style DW module I’m never going to write. Because I can never work on what I’m supposed to be working on at any given moment.

When you try to figure out how a piece of alien technology works, roll +Int. On a 10+ you gain a Step towards understanding what it does and how it works. On a 7-9, you still gain a Step but the device activates in an unpredictable (and probably dangerous) way. On a 6-, it’s possible that the device breaks, which means you can’t figure out any more Step for it until it’s fixed or you find another one.

Alien objects require a number of Steps to be figured out before you can use them, and you can’t use them effectivly until you’ve figured them all out. Using the device before you’ve figured out all the Steps may be unable to perform actions relevent to that step.

Laser Pistol

Far, 2 piercing, 3-ammo

Initial Impression: It looks kind of like a small crossbow, but without the bow part; I guess it’s a weapon maybe?

Step 1: ZAP Yup, it’s a weapon. Although it seems to work more like a magic wand.

Step 2: Oh, I see, this is the magic power source, because when it slides out the thing stops working. I hope there’s more of these power things around.

3-D Printer

This device creates objects sort of out of thin air!

Initial impression: It’s an open box. There’s a lot of little arms and things in there, and a switch on the front.

Step 1: Hey, when you press the switch, the arms move around and make something out of thin air! Neat, it’s a mug!

Step 2: Oh, I see, there are these tube things leading to this other container of goop. I guess that’s what it’s making the item from? I guess if we find more goop we can pour it in there when it runs out.

Step 3: Look at this, there’s this little flat disc thing that fits into a slot on the front. When I take it out, the box doesn’t work. And there’s a small container full of other discs right here…

Today’s release of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia PDF reminded me of one of my favorite parts of the game: the weapon mastery rules. Fighters in RC D&D could improve their ability with specific weapons, increasing their damage dice and getting extra effects like AC bonuses, knocking opponents for a loop, and so on.

I know I’m a little late for Fighter’s Week, but…

When you defeat a worthy foe with your signature hammer, you may take this move the next time you level up:

Crack the Shell

When you hit a target with a hammer, you can choose to reduce its armor by 1d4 instead of doing your damage.

When you have “Crack the Shell”, you can take any of the following moves when you level up:

Bring the Hammer Down

When you use Crack the Shell, you deal 1d6 damage in addition to reducing the target’s armor.

Everything Looks Like A Nail

When you Bend Bars/Lift Gates using your hammer, you can choose to automatically succeed, but the item is always destroyed beyond repair and it always make a lot of noise.

Ring His Bell

When you successfully hack & slash with your hammer, you can knock the target for a loop in addition to doing your damage, making him unable to act for a few minutes until his head stops ringing.

Earthshaker

When you slam your hammer into the ground, roll +STR. On a 10+, you create a small quake that knocks everyone nearby off their feet. On a 7-9, people are shaken, but still up. Either way, the shockwave still knocks things off shelves, shatters fragile objects, and such.

Groundbreaker

Requires Earthshaker, level 6-10

When you use Earthshaker, spikes erupt from the ground doing 1d6 damage to everyone in the move’s range except yourself. This move tends to be rough on the local environment; walls will crack and ceilings will collapse.

I was recently reminded of the Madness rules I wrote. I think this is the same version I posted before. Maybe someone will catch the easter egg this time!

Madness

Madness is a new stat that measures your slow descent into insanity. Madness starts at 0.

When you are confronted with a scene of true horror, be it monster or event, roll +Wis. On a 10+, you manage to stay in control. On a 7-9, you take -1 ongoing until the source of terror is gone or dealt with. On a 6 or less, you gain a point of Madness and must flee, panic, beg, or fight.

THE EFFECTS OF MADNESS

For every point of Madness you have, you take -1 forward when Defying Danger with WIS, or when you are are confronted with a scene of true horror.

Your Madness Threshold is the highest of your INT or WIS, plus one point each at levels 3, 6, and 9.

Price of Insanity

At the start of the session, if your Madness is above your Madness Threshold, you must perform one of the following:

• Take a Debility to any of your stats, and remove a point of Madness.

• Take a Madness Bond, and remove a point of Madness

• Take a Fear Alignment, and remove a point of Madness

• Reliquish control of your character to the GM and create a new character

CURING MADNESS

You can reduce your Madness pool by performing one of the following tasks:

• A Cleric with the “Destruction of Otherworldly Foes” or “Healing and Restoration” domains can use the following new level 3 spell: Restore The Mind – Remove 1 point of Madness from the target.

• A Paladin can use Lay On Hands to transfer a point of Madness from the target to himself instead of healing damage

• A Paladin can take a Quest to remove a point of Madness from any character

• A Ritual can remove a point of Madness from any character

• Take a Debility to any stat to remove one point of Madness

• Take a Madness Bond or Fear Alignment to remove one point of Madness

MADNESS MOVES

The following options for basic class moves are added to the base playbooks and do not require Madness to take:

NEW BARDIC LORE

• Tales of Terror and Madness

NEW CLERIC DIETY DOMAINS

• The Destruction of Otherworldly Foes

• The Will of the Old Ones

NEW CLERIC PRECEPT

• Your religion spreads like a disease: add Petition: Dive Mad With The Truth

• Your religion fights against the darkness: add Petition: Fearlessness

NEW DRUID DOMAINS

• The Void Between The Stars

• The Forgotten Deeps

NEW PALADIN QUEST BOON

• Immunity to Madness

NEW RANGER COMPANION STRENGTH

• Horrifying

When you have at least one point of Madness, you can take the following moves when you level up. If you take one of these moves, your Madness can never drop below 1.

BARD: Voices In Their Heads – You do not need leverage to Parley with someone, but they know you’re doing something weird to their mind.

CLERIC: Speaker for the Old Ones – You can use Turn Undead on creatures of otherworldly origin. It works as per the normal move, but on a 10+ the creatures come under your unwilling control.

DRUID: Shape of Madness – When you Shapeshift, your damage die increases one step, but you gain the Horrifying tag, no matter what you shift into.

FIGHTER: Fanatic’s Fervor – When you deal damage, it’s always considered “messy” and you deal +Madness damage. However, as long as there are valid targets around (friend or foe) you must Defy Danger with WIS to stop fighting.

PALADIN: But Now I See – You have the following additional option on “I Am The Law”: Drive the target mad for a short time. Your list of available vows when Questing is completely replaced by the following list:

• Violence (forbidden: Allowing enemies to live)

• Hedonism (forbidden: Showing restraint)

• Pestilence (forbidden: Healing the sick)

• Chaos (forbidden: Maintaining a status quo)

RANGER: Symbiote – Your animal companion becomes a literal part of you. It can hide inside your body, and gets +1 Ferocity and the Horrifying tag. Even when hidden, there is an obvious Tell that you’ve got something living inside you, such as a sickly wound that never heals, or something crawling under your skin.

THIEF: The Spaces Between Shadows – When you Defy Danger to go unnoticed, you can take 1 Madness to pass through small cracks or gaps you couldn’t normally pass through, or to fit into small places you shouldn’t be able to fit inside.

WIZARD: Power In Madness – When you roll a 6 or less when Casting a Spell or Spouting Lore, you may take 1 Madness to change it to a 7-9 result.

NEW WIZARD MOVE: Profane Ritual

Requires Ritual, a Madness pool of at least one point

When performing a ritual, you can replace any requirement the GM gives you with one of the following:

• Take a point of Madness

• Sacrifice a living being