For years and years I’ve wanted to do more with underwater setting and play.
For years and years I’ve wanted to do more with underwater setting and play. The Cerulean Seas campaign line kicked me into action, and I’m finding Dungeon World congenial for writing it up in. If you don’t mind, from time to time I’ll toss in a bit of Beneath the Waves, my working title for this pet project. This one is a set of in-character answers to the key questions, “What are the big stories of the setting?”
#BeneathTheWaves
In the real world, they often make firebreaks to defend against fire: a strip that’s cleared of everything…
In the real world, they often make firebreaks to defend against fire: a strip that’s cleared of everything flammable, whether it’s buildings, trees, or whatever.
In realms being invaded by the city of Dis, and whether other supernatural threats loom, they make felbreaks. A felbreak is a strip of land (or sea) cleared of everything known to provide nourishment to demonic, eldritch, and otherwise preternatural invaders: people and creatures to sacrifice, empowering relics and magical artifacts, etc. Felfighters remove curses, lay ghosts to rest, and encourage people to not perform divinations in or for the felbreak.
Sometimes it works! A DW front involving an advancing unnatural threat can be stymied by a successful felbreak, pushed aside like a classic vampire held at bay by the upheld cross or ward of a true-believing vampire hunter. The threat may turn, or retreat, or dissolve.
Sometimes it doesn’t work. Fire can leap across too-narrow or insufficiently-thorough firebreaks. Unnatural forces can stream over, under, or through a weak felbreak. Then it’s the defenders’ turn to fall back.
Here’s a second draft of my mentalist class, renamed the Mindweaver.
Here’s a second draft of my mentalist class, renamed the Mindweaver. Much thanks to the folks who provided commentary and perspectives that led me to a better realization of just what it is I’m trying to do here.
There’s one area of play where I really lack confidence in my judgments and would like to see some examples, and…
There’s one area of play where I really lack confidence in my judgments and would like to see some examples, and that’s the open-ended rituals – stuff like the Wizard’s Ritual move, and counterparts in various other playbooks. Would some of you please write up examples of what conditions you’ve set, and how you feel they worked in play?
I’ve got the first draft of my Psion class ready for comment, I think.
I’ve got the first draft of my Psion class ready for comment, I think. Inspirations for this include fantasy and sci-fantasy authors like Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Katherine Kurtz, and comic-book psychics back to Claremont/Cockrum X-Men and Levitz/Sherman Legion of Super-Heroes.
What I’m least certain about right now is the damage done by damage-doing moves. I’ve been testing it out and it seems to do okay, but I am sure there are things I’m missing. Be gentle, but be clear, so I can make it better.
A thought struck me while looking at discussion of something else…in Dungeon World (and the other *World games)…
A thought struck me while looking at discussion of something else…in Dungeon World (and the other *World games) you can get the functional equivalent racial stat penalties with racial moves.
If you’re from one of the small humanoid species, for instance, you have to do the Now It Fits move on newly acquired weapons and armor or carry forward a penalty on using them, and you get a bonus on that move if you have access to really good tools, a proper workshop, or someone with experience doing it. In other words, being one of those species means a short social scene every so often, with the chance for interesting complications.
Likewise if, say, you come from a species that takes a Charisma penalty in d20 rules for being arrogant bastards. Your move is something like I Bring No Sneer, and you use it in response to provocation to show your willingness to treat others as equals.
As Joel Robinson used to say, what do you think, sirs?
Into every life a little stupidity must fall.
Into every life a little stupidity must fall. Here’s some of mine. I’ve been enjoying Jacob Randolph’s alternative playbooks, but I can’t tell: is the Mage supposed to use the Wizard spell list, or free-form it?
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/108623/Dungeon-World-Alternative-Playbooks
It occurs to me that the fantasy Savage Worlds plot point campaigns could work nicely for Dungeon World play.
It occurs to me that the fantasy Savage Worlds plot point campaigns could work nicely for Dungeon World play.