Frost and Frozen Iron, a Dungeon World story

Game Master SecSeibzehn

I recently got into Dungeon World and just noticed there aren't PbPs for it on the Paizo forums. Is anyone interested in playing it here? I'd DM it.

For those not in the know, Dungeon World is a hack of Apocalypse World, a straight-forward and simplistic roleplaying game. Dungeon World is extremely player-centric. The player's answers to questions formulate the game world as the GM asks them and the players can even start making up lore about the world any time they think it's plausible and possible. The GM doesn't even roll dice, instead only prompting rolls when failure would be interesting and fictionalizing off of that.

This doesn't mean that the players run the game all by themselves, but it does mean that the players are pushing the story and game forward with their actions. The GM does the usual GM description, scene setting and dressing, roleplaying NPCs, monsters, minions, all of the burdens of GMing, but he relies on your rolls to dictate the flow of the game. It's really very interesting when it starts to snowball. The game feels very natural, and very old school.

As for mechanics? Almost everything can be resolved by rolling 2d6 and checking the stat. A 10+ is a success without complication, a 7-9 is a success with complication and a 6- isn't even failure-- it just means that things might get interesting. Moves you take aren't dictated by your mechanical role but by your fictional actions, and the game fully supports this. Choice is a big part of the game-- you may have to choose between drawing attention or exhausting yourself, and depending on if you're fighting a dragon or a town drunk, you may take one or the other. The game is very much fluff-over-crunch.

It's almost entirely free-form. Rolls are made when the fiction calls for it-- you don't charge mechanically and rotely because you need the extra squares of movement, but you charge because that's what your character would do right now, lunging up and smashing the ogre over the head with your warhammer to distract him from chewing on the halfling's head for a minute. And of course, he's got a friend, so when this one goes off shouting with a bleeding, regenerating, ugly head wound, his pal comes darting out of the brush straight towards you. What do you do? Dodge? Well, defy danger with Dex, and if you succeed, you won't have to choose between leaving your weapon or leaving the halfling behind.

And that's the game, pretty much. It runs almost exactly like what I just wrote.

Character classes are all varied, useful, referential and fun. The Bard's Charming and Open allow them to just ask the NPC they're speaking "What do you most desire?" and the DM has to answer truthfully; the Thief's Flexible Morals lets him tell you whatever alignment he wants if anyone detects his alignment; Moves names include "Blot out the Sun", "Smaug's Belly," "Exterminatus," "Shoot First," and "It Goes to Eleven." Making a character is simple and easy and I've literally sprung it on people who aren't roleplayers and they were up and about within an hour, kicking in doors and chasing people down. But there's a richness you can tap there if you're looking for it, and it's in the free-form way the game is handled.

(And if you wanted to make a character? The rules are in the playbooks below, right on the stat line-- assign 16, 15, 13, 12, 9, 8 to your stats, choose a look, choose a name, choose a race and alignment and until we have the entire party you are good to go, level one character.)

All of the classes and mechanics can be found here for free, and all of the playbooks-- character sheets-- can be found here for free as well. I've got the up-to-date PDF version of the game to run with, of course, if interest is piqued, and if people are interested in playing, I have a few bonus playbooks like the Barbarian and Mage I'd share.

So, anyone interested?

Absolutely yes!

I'll be brand new to this, but I'm a 20 year tabletop and LARP veteran . Quite frankly, based on your description and the game itself (and the amazing copy written therein), I'm actually very excited at the prospect. How elegant in its simplicity, yet it accounts for so much! Just enough crunch to get by, and yet also fluff (entirely and easily adaptable fluff) for miles and miles.

Let me know what you need from me to make this awesome thing happen.

Absolutely yes!

I'll be brand new to this, but I'm a 20 year tabletop and LARP veteran . Quite frankly, based on your description and the game itself (and the amazing copy written therein), I'm actually very excited at the prospect. How elegant in its simplicity, yet it accounts for so much! Just enough crunch to get by, and yet also fluff (entirely and easily adaptable fluff) for miles and miles.

Let me know what you need from me to make this awesome thing happen.

I'd just go and peruse the classes and try to find the one that you think is your favorite. One thing about Dungeon World is that by being the class, you are THE class. The bard isn't one of many bards and there are higher level bards. In Dungeon World, you are THE bard-- the rest of them are just storytellers and songwriters. This also means that you can't have more than one class at a table, so, keep that in mind.

As far as making this awesome thing happen, I think I'd go ahead with as little as three players, but up to five would be nice to keep the post rate going along smoothly. Posting doesn't need to be overly long or complex, and there should almost always be a "What do you do?" to get into as a player. The game would be a little slower on weekend nights and Mondays, but I'd still be able to post a bit if I strive for it.

This is very, very intriguing. I need to check this out... It sounds absolutely brilliant from your description.

Dotting for interest.

I'm glad this has gotten some attention!

I'm formulating what I'd put down as a first session here, and I think it'd really come down to the players input on what they'd like to see in the campaign.

... Isn't that a bit odd? "GM looking to run a campaign for players, what do you guys want to play?" I should take a note from other PbPs and languorously hash out my setting and such, shouldn't I? Well, for Dungeon World, the first session is used as an improv springboard for the rest of the game, so honestly, I don't know what might come up or be important and it's kind of advised I don't even try to figure it out until it's passed.

Still, a bit on the weird side, huh?

Currently playing (and loving) a Dungeon World game. What sort of posting times/frequency would we be looking at?

... Isn't that a bit odd? "GM looking to run a campaign for players, what do you guys want to play?"

You aren't the only GM I've seen do that. Usually it's more "which AP should I run?", though.

I'd suggest doing something other than the usual 'wander pseudo-medieval Europe killing things in caves and ruins' game. 'Wander a pseudo-medieval European city killing things', perhaps. Or set things entirely underground. Or draw on a different time or culture - Roman? Aztec? Chinese? Arabian? Sumeria? Polynesian?

Currently playing (and loving) a Dungeon World game. What sort of posting times/frequency would we be looking at?

I'm at the mighty UTC -7:00 of Arizona, so between 5:00PM-7:00AM GMT.

Frequency? At least once a day, though I'll be trying to keep up in the thread as much as I can.

It'd be nice if the players were willing to tell me their action and intent before rolling so that I can come through with the "You do get onto the giant's back, but..." complications that makes Dungeon World fun to play. "What do you do?"s will be pretty open, so that multiple people can respond, and I'll just zigzag around that. Of course, if you don't bite within 24 hours then I'll have to NPC you a little to keep you in the action for when you come back.

I'd suggest doing something other than the usual 'wander pseudo-medieval Europe killing things in caves and ruins' game. 'Wander a pseudo-medieval European city killing things', perhaps. Or set things entirely underground. Or draw on a different time or culture - Roman? Aztec? Chinese? Arabian? Sumeria? Polynesian?

I do like city games. Right now the mental images and ideas I'm tossing around include mountains, snow, tundra, frozen forests, that kind of thing... Anybody have an opinion?

Seens interesting, I likr cities but also like any kind of dynamic terrain, absolutely hate the typical forest and cavern =D. Have to take a better look at the rules thogh

I'm torn, as always, between Wizard and Bard. But honestly, I'll gladly play anything and relish the opportunity. I'm really liking the idea of a character who keeps a journal of his exploits, and posting entries for it regularly. Not only would it help everyone recap the game's events, but it'd present great roleplaying and character development opportunities using the good old internal monologue.

I'm torn, as always, between Wizard and Bard. But honestly, I'll gladly play anything and relish the opportunity.

I really like the Bard, and the Wizard is cool too. I like the social aspects of Charming and Open a lot, and the roleplaying opportunities from Bardic Lore, Any Port in a Storm and race/alignment options are all cool. For Wizard, Ritual is one of the coolest abilities that any class gets in my opinion.

I'm really liking the idea of a character who keeps a journal of his exploits, and posting entries for it regularly.

Always very cool to have someone who wants to recap around! :)

I wouldn't mind trying out the Barbarian, myself. I've been itching to Get My Viking On for a while, and it sounds like you were leaning towards a northern feel for the initial setting.

I wouldn't mind trying out the Barbarian, myself. I've been itching to Get My Viking On for a while, and it sounds like you were leaning towards a northern feel for the initial setting.

Speaking of barbarians:

Here's the Barbarian, for perusal by forum-goers...

and

The Artificer and The Mage for further perusal.

I know that there are a ton of custom classes for DW, so the Barbarian might be somewhere else as well-- if you're thinking of a different barbarian, not the one that was written by the DW team as a kickstarter goal, then that's probably fine too. : )

This sounds a lot like a system I've played a couple times and enjoyed and I'm always looking to try out new rules light systems. I'll read over the rules you linked to and get back to you.

Definitely want to try it though.

also interested. Would like to play some kinda weird shapeshifer, so maybe a version of the druid?
As for themes/setting, the frozen forest and tundra and mountains and snow seems very "winter is coming" to me...maybe some in the midst of some kind of apocalyptic ice age?

Titan -- my PbP plate is groaning from the load right now (on another forum) but I just want to say "Excellent choice" and I hope this comes together.

For others, DW is an incredible game, it blends a lot of the "old school" (things like player agency, not compulsive die-result tables that link to other sub-tables that link to other sub-sub-tables) with the attitudes and mechanics of the new Story Game crowd.

Ahem:

1) Choose Your Class: Bard!
2) Choose Your Race: Human
3) Choose Your Name: Edwyn
4) Choose Your Look: Knowing Eyes, Stylish Cap, Traveling Clothes, Well-fed Body
5) Choose Your Stats:
Charisma 16 (+2)
Dexterity 15 (+1)
Intelligence 13 (+1)
Constitution 12 (0)
Wisdom 9 (0)
Strength 8 (-1)
6) Determine Modifiers (done above)
7) Determine Max HP: 6+12 Con = 18 HP
8) Choose Starting Moves: Bardic Lore (A Bestiary of Creatures Unusual)
9) Choose Alignment: Neutral
10) Choose Gear: My father's mandolin, repaired; Leather armor; Dueling rapier; Adventuring gear
I'll save the introduction and choosing bonds for later, if that's okay.

From my initial reading of the rules, paladin stuck out at me. I'm not really a paladin guy in Pathfinder, but I'd like to try it here. Are there set deities in this world?

For others, DW is an incredible game, it blends a lot of the "old school" (things like player agency, not compulsive die-result tables that link to other sub-tables that link to other sub-sub-tables) with the attitudes and mechanics of the new Story Game crowd.

And here I thought "old school" meant killing PCs with intricate deathtraps, GM vs player thinking, etc. :)

From my initial reading of the rules, paladin stuck out at me. I'm not really a paladin guy in Pathfinder, but I'd like to try it here. Are there set deities in this world?

I'd say no. From the Cleric: "You serve and worship some deity or power which grants you spells. Give your god a name (maybe Helferth, Sucellus, Zorica or Krugon the Bleak) and choose your deity’s domain." I question if there's even a world to discuss, since we haven't really begun building it.

From my initial reading of the rules, paladin stuck out at me. I'm not really a paladin guy in Pathfinder, but I'd like to try it here. Are there set deities in this world?

Speaking from personal experience and by no means trying to steal Titan's thunder, I think the system itself for DW encourages you to create your own deity to follow. Then again, Titan may have some preconceived pantheon.

Also, on a completely different note: /wave Rasso!

*Or: what Ben said.

Here's my guy.

1) Choose Your Class: Paladin!
2) Choose Your Race: Human
3) Choose Your Name: Lucius Augustus Luxor
4) Choose Your Look: Fiery Eyes, Bald, Worn Holy Symbol, Thin Body
5) Choose Your Stats:
Charisma 16 (+2)
Strength 15 (+1)
Constitution 13 (+1)
Intelligence 12 (0)
Dexterity 9 (0)
Wisdom 8 (-1)
6) Determine Modifiers (done above)
7) Determine Max HP: 10+13 Con = 23 HP
8) Choose Starting Moves: What Evil is Here?, Lay On Hands, Armored
9) Choose Alignment: Lawful
10) Choose Gear: (Load 28), dungeon rations, scale armor, longsword and shield, symbol of faith (to be decided), adventuring gear

Need to know the other players and more about the setting to finish.

Possible Inspiration #1

Possible Inspiration #2

Edit: Guess I'll start thinking about a deity then.

Wanted to go with a more viking theme than what was presented (as far as the Naming went).

Name: Thorgrim Bonebreaker
Look: Tormented eyes; Mighty Thews; Unmarred by decoration; Scraps
Str: 15 (+1)
Dex: 12 (+0)
Con: 16 (+2)
Int: 9 (+0)
Wis: 8 (-1)
Cha: 13 (+1)

Damage: d10
Armor: 1
HP: 24
Alignment: Chaotic
Race: Human

Starting Moves:
Unencumbered, Unharmed: So long as you are below your Load and neither wear armor nor carry a shield, take +1 armor.
Herculean Appetites: Conquest; Fame and glory
The Upper Hand: take +1 ongoing to last breath rolls...
Musclebound: While you wield a weapon it gains the forceful and messy tags.
What Are You Waiting For?: When you cry out a challenge to your enemies, roll+CON...

Gear: Load is 23.

Something I might add to the general post and in regards to the gameplay: you don't earn XP in this game by killing a certain CR of enemy. You gain XP by failing at rolls (6 or fewer on the dice results) and adhering to stipulations as presented on your character sheet (fulfilling Bonds with other creatures, following your alignment guidelines, discovering more about the world, finding rare items of importance, etc.)

That does bring me to a question, however, in regards to the usual end-of-session breakdown where XP is doled out - are we going to do allotted time installments to handle that (like, maybe once every week we consider that a "session") or did you have something else in mind?

Hey Kage! (didn't say hi back before >>*)

Why do we all have different amounts of starting moves? Did I miss something?

Nah, the classes are very different and thematic (in a very generic fantasy sense, in most cases; which is fine!). It's a very narrative-driven game, though I will admit that the Barbarian has a large amount of things available to them, apparently.

So basically I can kick ass, and heal?

Nice! Super excited to see the thread blow up a little. Give me time to get home and check it out-- I'm at one of my face-to-face games right now and can't give it the read it deserves.

We might even be able to kick in and start pretty soon, but let me wait to see if more interest rolls up.

Additional possible character inspiration art.

Are we going to do allotted time installments to handle that (like, maybe once every week we consider that a "session") or did you have something else in mind?

I was going to consider scene collections as sessions-- say the group crosses over a small desert, fights some bandits and then finds an oasis. I might consider that a scene collection and hand out XP then. Maybe the group looks for clues to the whereabouts of a thieves' guild and meets a bunch of colorful locals in the process before getting jumped in an alley-- that might be a scene collection. Not a week in real-life, but when enough time's passed in-game that I think I should ask the End of Session questions and reasonably have all three answered.

Are there set deities in this world?

That's a good question. I figure there's a couple, and once you have yours I'll outline the others to fill in a small pantheon of three or four for our game. What god do you think your character might follow?

So basically I can kick ass, and heal?

The paladin is very good at that. Really good-- and so is the bard. The party right now is "Kick ass and (be) heal(ed)."

I looked through and everything seems groovy. If you guys don't mind, I'd appreciate a breakdown of your characters in a Paizo alias so we can get things moving along. I'm thinking that we should be starting Q&A about the setting by Sunday and moving along into the game sometime around the middle of the week or before the weekend next week. During the Q&A, we'll determine Bonds and introduce characters as well. I won't have a lot of time until Sunday night to really sit down and post, however.

Right now as far as concepts, I definitely think that going with the "apocalyptic ice age" theme, maybe the place you're in right now is suffering over some sort of unnatural chill weather. I'm thinking frost giants, a big underground dwarven city, thieves' guilds and nobility, frozen forests... it's definitely evolving. I know that Kagehiro would probably love for me to run with the viking theme, so I think I'm going to run with that a bit-- but I also don't want to make you in your element, as part of being a barbarian is being an outsider...

Well, food for thought.

Beardknot of Ingvar the Gruesome (slayer of Thorgrim's father)

Awesome. Who was Ingvar, why was he gruesome, how did you kill him and why did he kill your father? Raises good questions-- stuff we'll ask once I hammer out my setting this weekend.

Lucius Augustus Luxor

Liking that a lot. Raises the question-- where exactly are you from? Is it anywhere near here? How did you get out to the place you're in? More questions for this weekend.

Bardic Lore (A Bestiary of Creatures Unusual)

Tons of opportunity there for fictionalizing.

The idea for Uqalik is that he's a shaman of a people who are roughly equivalent to the Inuit. I've stated him up as both a druid and a ranger - I'd prefer to play him as a druid (who wouldn't want at-will shape-shifting?), but shrodingerscat called it first, so I'll defer to him if need be.

Xotoq is sort of the backup plan if Uqalik doesn't fit with the group or setting. There are so many ridiculous things fighters can do in this game with fists and I'd love to do them all. (Glowing, ornate, serrated fists. Fists with reach. Fists with vision-giving spirits. Forging magic into your fists.) It's like building an anime character.

This looks very interesting, but I'm finding that the first link (to the rules) is broken. Or the site is down. is it hosted anywhere else?

It looks like the group currently consists of a Bard, Paladin, and Barbarian (I think)? If there's still room I'd love to join as a Druid. I'm probably unclear on a few rules, but I'll post my submission after this post.

Edit: Nevermind, it seems like two people have already laid dibs on Druid. That's a bummer, but my backup is a Wizard.

Here's my Wizard. I chose a new name instead of one from the list. I hope that's alright.

I only touched on the areas that required choice.

Actually, I've had a slight rethink:

Name: Erland Abel
Look: Fiery eyes; Styled Hair; Worn holy Symbol; Fit Body

Appearance 1

Appearance 2

Stats:
Str: 16 (+2)
Dex: 12 (+0)
Con: 15 (+1)
Int: 9 (+0)
Wis: 8 (-1)
Cha: 13 (+1)

Damage: d10+1
Armor: 3
HP: 25

Alignment: Good (Endanger yourself to protect someone weaker than you)
Race: Human (When you pray for guidance, even for a moment, and ask,
“What here is evil?” the GM will tell you, honestly.)

Starting Moves:
Lay on Hands - When you touch someone, skin to skin, and pray for their well-being, roll+CHA. On a 10+ you heal 1d8 damage or remove one disease. On a 7–9, they are healed, but the damage or disease is transferred to you.

Armored - You ignore the clumsy tag on armor you wear.

I am the Law - When you give an NPC an order based on your divine
authority, roll+Cha. On a 7+, they choose one:

• Do what you say
• Back away cautiously, then flee
• Attack you
On a 10+, you also take +1 forward against them. On a miss, they do as they please and you take -1 forward against them.

Gear:
Load=28
Dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight)
Scale armor (2 armor, 3 weight)
Carved wooden fist on leather thong, Symbol of Cronar (0 weight)
Long sword (close, +1 damage, 1 weight)
Shield (+1 armor, 2 weight)
Adventuring gear (1 weight)

Going with a norse feel as well. Will write up some info on Cronar (my deity) shortly.

Alias

Actually, I'm going to duck out of this game. My enthusiasm waned a LOT when I realized that I couldn't go druid and I don't think I would really be a good addition to the group at this point.

If this ever pops up again I'd love to join in, though! I hope you guys have fun.

Actually, I'm going to duck out of this game. My enthusiasm waned a LOT when I realized that I couldn't go druid and I don't think I would really be a good addition to the group at this point.

If this ever pops up again I'd love to join in, though! I hope you guys have fun.

Sad to see you go, but such is life. Hope to see you 'round these parts again soon!

Cronar!

I like that a lot. The re-think has been pretty good for your character, and Ulf Gormundr is a great jumping point for appearance. I know exactly who I want to set Cronar up against in this game's pantheon-- I'll save it for now and post up my campaign setting ideas all at once sometime tomorrow or much later tonight, when I fitz up a name for the game and make this the official "recruitment" thread.

The idea for Uqalik is that he's a shaman of a people who are roughly equivalent to the Inuit. I've stated him up as both a druid and a ranger - I'd prefer to play him as a druid (who wouldn't want at-will shape-shifting?), but shrodingerscat called it first, so I'll defer to him if need be.

Xotoq is sort of the backup plan if Uqalik doesn't fit...

Liking both Uqalik and Xotoq, but Uqalik a lot more-- both versions. He fits in well with the theme of the group we have going on right now, and I'm glad everyone's really bought into the northern feel for the game.

As far as other characters, I'm probably going to call it on other submissions fairly soon. I'd love to get six, but seven would be pushing it. Consider everyone who applied right now "in", per se, and we'll see what else attention we get by Monday morning when I'm finally free to sit down and hash out the game.

One last thing to leave here:

Just can't resist this soundtrack...

I'll try and have my submission up soon!

If it closes without me, I'll just have to keep my eye open for the next one.

Yeah, watching History channel's new Vikings show (which is awesome) made me have to change. That and I'd much rather worship a Thor/Hercules/Erastil/Gorum/Kord ripoff than some stupid LG sun god or something.

For those interested in playing, I have the discussion thread going on-- ask questions and I'll answer them, answer questions and we can discuss them, that kind of thing. Questions are pretty important, as it reminds me of things you guys think about that I don't and helps you get a better picture of what I'm thinking of.

Name: Catharina, "Sparrow", Falk
Class: Thief
Look: Criminal Eyes, Messy Hair, Dark Clothes, Lithe Body
Appearance

Stats:
Str: 8 (-1)
Dex: 16 (+2)
Con: 9 (+0)
Int: 12 (+0)
Wis: 15 (+1)
Cha: 13 (+1)

Damage: d8
HP: 15

Alignment: Neutral (Avoid detection or infiltrate a location)
Race: Human (You are a professional. When you spout lore or discern realities about criminal activities, take +1.)

Starting Moves

Load:17 max,
Armor: 1

Name: Catharina, "Sparrow", Falk

Class: Thief

Very neat. Thief is one of my favorite classes because it can add a lot of fun to dungeon crawling just by being part of the group.

If you don't mind moseying over to the discussion tab, it'd be good to get some Q&A and bonds written out.

I can't remember if I expressed interest before or after you closed recruitment, Titan, could you give me a list of who's in right now, and what there characters are?

I can't remember if I expressed interest before or after you closed recruitment, Titan, could you give me a list of who's in right now, and what there characters are?

Kagehiro's Thorgrim Sigurdson, Barbarian of the North

Nessa Oranar's Catharina "Sparrow" Falk, Pickpocket Supreme

Bearded Ben's Uqalik the Angakkuq, Druid of the Frozen North

DM Jelani's Erland Cronarson, Paladin of Cronar

Drake Somerset's Edwyn Doyle, Bard from Foreign Lands

shrodingerscat wrote:

I can't remember if I expressed interest before or after you closed recruitment, Titan, could you give me a list of who's in right now, and what there characters are?

Kagehiro's Thorgrim Sigurdson, Barbarian of the North

Nessa Oranar's Catharina "Sparrow" Falk, Pickpocket Supreme

Bearded Ben's Uqalik the Angakkuq, Druid of the Frozen North

DM Jelani's Erland Cronarson, Paladin of Cronar

Drake Somerset's Edwyn Doyle, Bard from Foreign Lands

Thanks for the update. Looks like you've already got a druid. Have fun folks!