Category: Dungeon World Tavern

So, I’m trying to wrap my head around designing a move for dungeon delves.

I know, I know, there is a lot of conversations about this in the tavern! Bear with me.

In one of them, we discussed about using the Navigate the Labyrinth move from Jason Cordova, which actually works petty much out of the box.

But what if you want to have specific rooms or specific encounters you wan to play out?

For example, I’m running Tomb of Annihilation and I don’t care about running the dungeons as written nor do I have the intention to use a “classic” method of going room by room and using the map 1-for-1.

That said, I do want to read the material and extract the interesting parts. I’m a big fan of the 5-rooms dungeon principle and so I intend to convert the dungeons into 5 rooms dungeons.

The method I’m trying to use is to name and describe in big lines each of the 5 rooms in my GM book but hand waived the dungeon exploration itself.

So I though about making a move that will simulate the delving itself that happens in-between each “themed” room but I think it needs much more love. It’s kinda meh…

Delve the dungeon

When you delve the dungeon, say how you face one of its many challenges, then roll +STAT.

On a 10+, you overcome the challenge and safely reach the next room.

On a 7-9, you reach the next room but you encounter a guardian or activate a trap along the way.

On a 6-, you can’t find a way to reach the next room for now, plus anything else the GM says.

Not sure who I stole this from, but it dawn to me that the move isn’t only useful when a player comes back after missing a session, but it’s also very good for when the group gets separated and you’re not interested in the minutia plus you don’t want to set one group aside while you resolve the player, then get back, etc.

I’M BACK!

When you reunite with the group after being separated for an extended time, say what happened and roll …

■ … +STR if you fought a monster or escaped imprisonment.

■ … +DEX if you did something secret, stole something, or evaded something.

■ … +CON if you trained under a mentor or acquired help or resources.

■ … +INT if you learned ancient knowledge or invented something.

■ … +WIS if you discovered a secret or had a divine

encounter.

■ … +CHA if you made an ally, learned about a culture, or purchased something of interest or value.

On a 10+, you had a prosperous leave; take +1 Forward and mark XP.

On a 7-9, you attracted trouble or your actions had unintended consequences, the GM will say what.