Tag: Wynand Louw

On writing moves:

On writing moves:

On writing moves:

Some moves are purely mathematical: When you do x, roll+y and on 10+ take z 

(Ok the x is a fictional trigger and not maths, but y and z are.)

Other moves dictate fiction:

When you do x, roll+y and on 10+ you mother in law comes screaming out of the house with her broom and eleven cats and charges the villian.

My gut feeling is that moves should change the direction of the fiction without dictating the fiction. In other words: They are triggered in the fiction (“When you”) and then drastically determine the direction of the fiction (Roll+y) but they should not tell the story itself. The story should be a continuation of the fiction that triggered it.

I find it difficult to put into practice. For one, purely mathematical moves look boring on paper. 

Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

One of my group members came up with the idea of move combo’s that produce more than the sum of the individual moves.

One of my group members came up with the idea of move combo’s that produce more than the sum of the individual moves.

One of my group members came up with the idea of move combo’s that produce more than the sum of the individual moves. We immediately rewrote some of the Sea Dog playbook moves to test the idea. (The first draft Animal Companion move was slightly boring, so that got an overhauled anyway.)

1) Animal Companion

You have an almost supernatural connection with a loyal parrot or monkey. You can’t talk to it per se but it always acts as you wish it to. 

When your parrot distracts your enemy and you roll 12+ on Hack and Slash, take +1d4 damage.

When your monkey picks a pocket or steals a small object, Roll+Cha

10+ He gets away with it

7-9: He succeeds in taking it but the GM chooses one.

He draws attention to you.

He gets the wrong item, although it is not totally useless.

He gets chased and disappears for the rest of the day.

2) Lady Killer / Black Widow

When you parley with someone of the opposite sex and it fits the fiction,  take +1

If you have the monkey as animal companion, you are allowed to reroll a failed Parley move once. (Describe why)

3) Insult Fighting (Cha)

When you utter a grievous insult to your opponent or his mother. (Somewhat intelligent humanoids only). If the GM thinks your insult is funny, original or deserving of recognition, take +1.

Roll+Cha

10+: Take +1 and +1d4 damage forward against that opponent

7-9: Take +1 forward against that opponent

6-: Your opponent makes the perfect comeback and takes +1d4 damage forward against you.

You may insult an opponent or his mother only once.

If you have a parrot as Animal Companion, your parrot gets to insult your opponent or his mother as well.

OK, a philosophical question

OK, a philosophical question

OK, a philosophical question

DW is all about the fiction – yet it has number-mechanisms. 

A PC has 9 stats. A monster has three. We roll dice according to those stats and the dice define the outcomes. We change the story according to the die roll results. 

So: What is the minimum in mechanics (as in die rolls) necessary to make DW work?

Reason I ask: I get the idea that people see die rolls and statistics in conflict with the fiction, as is often seen in conversations of tags (fiction) vs statistics(mechanics). 

As I see it: The fiction is a tree that starts at the trunk and can follow myriads of branches to the very tips. Branching happens in three ways: The GM chooses, the players choose, or the dice choose. 

No GM choices? Can’t work in an RPG. (OK it works in Fiasco)

No player choices? Then there is no game.

No dice? Boring – all is predictable.

So, how do you see the balance between tags and numbers? Are you an “I do it all by tags in the fiction!” or an  “At night, we roll DICE!” person?

Beta Version of The Sea Dog playbook.

Beta Version of The Sea Dog playbook.

Beta Version of The Sea Dog playbook.

Please note that it is dependent on the Ship rules I posted, and also the Mob Fight rules that I posted as some of the moves interact with those rules.

I tried to make all the moves at least partly usable outside of the ship’s environment, except Helmsman and Master Helmsman, which are prerequisites for becoming qualified as a captain. 

But then, what is the use of being a sea dog if you are not part of a ships crew?

I’ve always wanted to fight in large gangs against other gangs, but it was very difficult in most role playing…

I’ve always wanted to fight in large gangs against other gangs, but it was very difficult in most role playing…

I’ve always wanted to fight in large gangs against other gangs, but it was very difficult in most role playing systems. Mainly because those systems are simulations. The last battle simulation we had in Pathfinder was an utterly boring exercise in book keeping. We did stuff to increase statistics on a spread sheet and then had the battle based on that. There was too much mathematics and very little story attached to it. 

Because Dungeon World is not a simulation I believe it is easy to create a mechanic that will support compelling story telling. This is my go at hacking Mob Fights into Dungeon World.

I would really like feedback, and if anyone is interested enough to play test it, it would be fantastic!

Thanks!