Category: The Dungeon World Tavern: Magic Items

Selkie Skin Magic item – roll or not roll?

Recently my players visited the Shrine of the sea goddess ( https://plus.google.com/101199869016634749008/posts/QVJZPv58n85 ), and stared into the deep abyss. A lot of GM hold was gained. (Se the custom move in link)

As a concequence the halfling thief Thalda was compelled by the abyss to steal the shrine-keeper Sigyn Volvas seal skin cloak. This is a magic item inspired by “Billy Bones and his nautical nonpareils”, a selkie skin. We ended the session as they were about to be attacked by sea serpents, and I might invoke one hold to get the thief to wrap the cloak around her and dive into the water – placing her in a dangerous position but also revealing the cloaks power to turn you into a seal.

This is a potentially quite powerful magic item, and as described it just turns you into a seal: “When you wrap yourself in the selkie skin, you turn

into a seal for as long as you stay in salt water.”

Is this fine, or should I make a custom move with a roll, with 7-9 being something like “it only lasts a little while” or “you embrace your new form a little too much”?

Current gut feeling: save those for the inevitable Defy Dangers involved in misusing this item in creative ways.

Spurred by a very nice discussion with Brian Holland​​, I’ve reinterpreted a magic item from the classic Paizo-module Crown of the Kobold King for Dungeon World. For the more details and two cool firebased undead by Briand Holland, see the original post: https://plus.google.com/101824580455031797035/posts/BLV1Gr4h7AP

Soul chain of the Forge Spurned

A forge spurned is a undead dwarf, cursed by their dark gods to toil forever in undeath untill they can bind enough souls in their chain to buy their freedom. There is never enough souls.

This heavy chain of shimmering warm metal is studded with small spikes and moves of it’s own accord. It has 30 large black iron links, one for each soul that is bound to it, as well as several smaller chains like roots or tendrils. Anyone may claim the soul chain as their own, and it willingly serves it’s new master. It wraps around the wielders hands and torso gently, almost lovingly, and will strike out at anyone threatening it’s new master.

At first, the soul chain gives +1 armor as it protects your uncovered skin. In addition, the soul chain will attack as you command it. If you use it to hack and slash, roll you damage die twice and take the better result. If attacking on it’s own it does d8 damage.

Anyone claiming the chain starts down the path of the forge spurned. The GM can use these as hard moves.

Path of the Forge Spurned

*The chain grows spikes, embedding itself in your flesh. It stings, but feels so good! Your skin feels warm to the touch. Pain no longer affects you, and as a result you reduce all damage you take by 1.

*Your eyes begin to smolder like coal, and your skin starts to smoke slightly. You can now see into the etheral plane. All ghosts and other ethereal beings are visible to you, and you can interact with them as if they where flesh. In the far distance, you can see a red glow.

*Your skin ripples and moves as large velts move across your skin. The velts feel hard to the touch. All your orifices are pouring out smoke. The chain now gives +2 armor. You can see the red glow come closer in the ethereal plane, and hear a raging fire in the distance.

*Chains erupt painfully from your skin, your hair and beard erupt in fire. If you do not have a beard, one will be provided. The transpossesion is complete, as the forge spurned erupts from within you, your body is burned away and your soul is bound to the ethereal plane as a ghost.

https://plus.google.com/101824580455031797035/posts/BLV1Gr4h7AP

Magic dagger ideas?

I just had my first session in my first campaign, and we’re all really psyched. But man, coming up with fresh ideas can be hard. One of my players is playing a bard (alternative version) who’s collecting stories and legends. In the first session he chased off some ship wreckers and acquired a dagger. We’ve established that it once belonged to the infamous privateer Jongeir Korp, who sold his soul to dark forces to escape a storm. Obviously a weapon like this isn’t just a dagger! But I’m struggling to come up with some cool powers for this dagger. Any ideas?