Dungeon World is probably the most dynamic and natural feeling setting for an RPG that I’ve ever come across. It’s simple, it’s creative, and it’s explosive.
The entire focus of this setting is the fiction (the story) and the fantastic characters that make that story happen. The mechanics are intended to rise out of the fiction and spur you on into further adventure by introducing complications, rather than determine if you can do what you desire. In fact, as a GM I don’t even roll any dice – instead I prompt you, the players, to roll when failure might present interesting options and build the story according to those successes and quirks.
Don’t worry, it’s not completely free form. As a GM I do everything that would typically be expected of one wearing that cap: setting the scene and mood, providing interesting hooks and dilemmas, roleplaying NPCs and dangerous creatures, and describing the events as they unfold around you. What makes this different is that these things explode out of what you, the adventurers do. It’s got that vintage, old-school aroma.
This is what I mean. Everything that needs to be resolved is performed by rolling 2d6 (with a minor modifier for stats). A result of 10+ is a complete success, a result of 7-9 means you succeed but there’s a complication, and a result of 6 or less means that you jot down a point of experience and I make things interesting. That’s right, even the lowest roll may not mean you fail at the action, it just means things are heating up. Your actions aren’t defined by the mechanics and the roles, those dice rolls instead rise out of the fictional actions to build a dynamic and fantastic encounter.
Example? Certainly!
Say you push over the shaman’s bubbling cauldron, washing out the oncoming horde of gibbering greenskins with the horrendous concoction within. Dealing with unidentified substances, especially at that temperature, is a risky move, but you’re a hearty dwarf and not phased by such things as burns (chemical or physical). You roll a 2d6 to Defy Danger and add a bonus from your constitution (because you’re a brick!).
- 10+ on the results: The wretched mixture washes over the front line of goblins– burning away flesh, blinding eyes, and leaving a stench that wrenches at the very soul. One probably gets bowled over by the cauldron as well.
- 7-9: Maybe you take damage from the heat, or draw the attention of the Troll that’s been swinging your thief around like a club, or maybe you trip and go tumbling behind it toward those that survive.
- 6-: Mark 1 more point of experience! Maybe you dumped the concoction on yourself – causing some serious burns and who knows what kind of abnormalities to your gene pool. Or maybe you succeeded in doing exactly what you wanted, but instead of burning off the front line it seems to be strengthening them, they’re growing larger as muscle expands beneath their flesh and spikes erupt from their backs.
The point of this setting is to let the players really act through their characters. You don’t make the above decision because you have a “Bowling with Cauldrons” feat; or slag your way through a mess of rolls checking the strength needed to push it over, your saves in withstanding the heat, and your aim with improvised weapons. You do it because it’s what your character would do, and it sounds awesome. And you rest assured that whether it works the way you planned it or not, it’s gonna make one hell of a story should you survive to tell it.
All of the mechanics, classes and extra information can be found here for free!
Here also is a Dungeon World Guide that helps try and lead you through common hangups when adapting to this system.
I also have some other options, including some bonus playbooks for alternate classes and rules that I’d share with those playing, but I’ll get into those details next…
About me:
This is only the second game of Dungeon World I’ve GMed. However, I've been the GM of several other PbP games of more standard settings on other sites. I'm still currently running the other Dungeon World game here, and I’m so in love with the system that I question whether I will ever decide to run anything else.
Feel free to check the other game out as well, if it helps give you a feel of how this system runs. Here.
So the setting is going to fit the traditional medieval/Germanic fantasy fare. Much of the inspiration, however, will be coming from the Warhammer Old World. I like so much of the ridiculousness of that setting, and I won’t try to hide that as the source. So prepare for some pretty obvious thefts from that setting.
So then what makes it stand out? This is a world that has not been fully conquered or explored by the good races – there are mysterious and monstrous things everywhere. Because of that, life is ruled by superstition. Magic is wild and feared, and the fantastic creatures that fill the forests around you likely have far more rumor surrounding them than actual fact. Try to imagine a world before every creature you encountered had a stat block with a known list of abilities and weaknesses The world is also rather absurd. I like things to seem larger than life, making use of parodies and tropes, and creating worlds that cater to that.
One of the big tenants of this setting is that the world in which this takes place, and the direction the characters pursue comes out of the adventures rather than being predetermined. We’ll set a few anchor-points as a group before the first adventure starts and let the world and its inhabitants flesh itself out on an as needed/as encountered basis.
Everyone can be creative, you just have to be willing to engage in that. I’ll throw a lot of things into the mix myself as the GM, but there will also be several times that I ask you questions as the players.
Obviously there’s a thrill in mystery and having surprising information sprung on you, but you as players also should have a fingerprint on the world. So beyond the generic setting I establish, the direction of the campaign and the details of the world are still waiting to be defined by the group. So please come in to this with a willingness to be creative!
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So if you’re still interested, here’s what I’d like from you:
It’s what people who are familiar with you call you. Usually it comes from parents or childhood bullies. If there are multiples, designate a primary.
We will not duplicate classes to begin with, you are the only one in that category! There may be other arcane users in the world, but you are “the” wizard.
The 8 core classes can be found at the link above. These are your quintessential fantasy icons, but please feel free to flavor them in any way that you wish. Sometimes clichés are fun, and sometimes they’re fun to break.
There are also several playbooks outside of those original eight. You are welcome to ask about one you have access to, as they can be found around the webs either for free or for a couple bucks. I have several myself, so it may be worthwhile to ask before you purchase it, as I’d be happy to share.
Finally, please don’t feel restricted to these archetypes. If you have a concept, outline that here instead and I’ll work with you to either find a playbook that fits it or maybe throw one together. I want you to play a character you love. Make him or her dynamic, and quirky (quirky doesn’t have to be strange, just distinct).
I’m open to a variety of races. Humans are everywhere as the most abundant race, but there are also several other races that fill this world. But like many other things – I want them to be defined in part by the group. If you wish to be one of these races, then I hope you will help me define them.
As we flesh out a race, I will try to steer it toward something slightly beyond the vanilla fantasy standards. [ooc]Maybe wood elves are somewhat “wooden”, operating more like plants at times that mammals. Maybe dwarves ingest metal,
I’m not looking for a background story, or even an in depth psych evaluation. I just want a strong paragraph or two that really hits the heart of what makes someone love this character. A lot of that background stuff will come to life later.
This is stuff like equipment and move choices if there are alternate options. We’ll work together on this later, so I don’t need much beyond a concept here.
One thing I want to point out is that we will not be using alignment. Alignment always feels a little boxy to me. Most “good” people still have vices. Most “evil” people still care about their families and friends. Instead of alignment we will be using Drives. I’ll explain that further at a later time.
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I like short recruitment periods, because I don’t like choosing between too many options. I’ll wrap it up in a week, taking 4 or 5 concepts that sound fun together.
My plate is full, sadly. I really think PbP would be a wonderful match for Dungeon World, and the game is crazy-fun. Tempted to go for it anyways. I will say that for any one who is reluctant to apply based on system ignorance: apply anyway. It's deliciously simple and easy.
I played a one-off Dungeon World game as a Dashing Hero called Gilder, with a noble steed called Florin. Gilder was a bit of a bumbling idiot, but Florin saved our butts at the end by making a dramatic appearance with perfect timing and distracting a group of cultists long enough for us to make our escape.
I'd love to try the system again. Part of me wants to resurrect Gilder, part of me wants to go Bard. I'll mull it over, and hopefully get back to this in the morning! Sadly, I'm not a very creative person, but I'm enthusiastic!
Kagehiro: Thanks for the endorsement. You're right that it's really simple to figure out, and translates to PBP really well, since you don't bother with initiative order or quite so many checks and tests.
El Ronza: The dashing hero is a fun class, and you're welcome to try the bard if you'd prefer. I'm pretty confident that everyone has more creativity than they think, so I look forward to the opportunity! Let me know what you come up with as a character.
Tomorrow I'll list the class play books it have, in case that helps inspire people too.
Alright then, I think I'll resurrect Gilder for this, since I loved playing him so much. Here's all the info you asked for (including crunch, since I have his old character sheet):
Name: Gilder. Rumor persists that this is not his real name, but an alias - is it to escape someone, or something, from his past? To relive the legend of a hero of times gone by? Or is he trying to turn aroud and glorify a cruel nickname?
Class: Gilder is a Dashing Hero, a master of wit, acrobatics, panache, and impeccable timing. The universe seems to want Gilder to succeed, as he may not be the brightest, but the pieces of his plans frequently fall into place.
Race: Gilder is human, allowing him to easily blend into a crowd if he so desires - which he never does.
Personality and appearance: Gilder is a dashing hero, and he knows it. In his mind, the story is his, and his companions are the supporting cast. That said, he values them immensely - just as any lead actor values the varied cast that make him look good, because without them, there wouldn't even be a story.
While witty and charismatic, Gilder... isn't the most perceptive fellow around. True, he's not particularly wise, and he isn't quite as smart as he thinks he is... but hey, when did that ever stop anyone? Never, that's when! He's brave (some would say foolishly so) loyal (fiercely), and painfully honest at times. Much of his wisdom is parroted from legends he recalls, but that doesn't stop him belieiving in it any less.
Gilder is a charmer, and he knows it - he knows how to maneouver sticky situations, physically and diplomatically, and while his carefree, devil-may-care, dust-in-the-wind nature may land him in trouble, he can usually get out of it - usually. Unfortunately for him, he's mde more than a few enemies over the years - heroing tends to not mesh so will with villains, after all. Fortunately for him, it stops him getting bored, so really, he always wins.
Gilder is a tall blond man, with bright eyes, and flowing hair under a fashionable hat - he's never seen without it, aftre all. His clothes (under his shining armour)are ornate and flattering, and his figure is toned and lithe. He always carries his rapier on his hip, a few knives in various places, and always, always, has a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye.
Crunch: STR 13, DEX 16, CON 12, INT 9, WIS 8, CHA 15; Damage: d8; Armor: 1; HP: 20
Equipment: dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight); dueling rapier (close, precise, 1 weight); shining armour (1 weight). Backup weapon: throwing daggers (hand, near, 1 weight), 3 ammo. Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) and a map. A noble steed - Florin, a swift bay stallion with shining tack and a white star on his brow.
Oooooh, I bought the book a bit ago and have been itching for a chance to play DW. Count me in!
I just Googled the Dashing Hero. Hysterical! I'll be rocking a Druid, likely a halfling, details to come over the next day or two.
I loved playing my Dashing Hero. "Plan of Action" is one of the most hilariously awesome abilities I've ever seen.
I'm going to dott for interest. I've mulled over the idea of running a DW PbP game on these boards myself. I really like the Old World and it would be interesting to see how it works out.
I think I may go ahead and dive in. Leaning towards a Northman themed Wizard.
Great! I'm glad to see there's some interest. You never know with new systems.
El Ronza: The character looks great, and everything checks out!
Gyrfalcon: I look forward to it. As a halfling, you'll help define what makes this race unique. I'm sure you there's a lot about 'traditional halflings' that you like, but don't feel like you have to make them traditional, as I'm not assuming they are. As I mentioned in the first posts, I want to find some things that really differentiate non-human races, or even different human cultures. So while you're working on your character concept, I encourage you to play around with some ideas about what makes halflings unique?
Kagehiro: I know how sometimes one ends up in more games than one can handle. A Northman wizard sounds intriguing. As I mentioned to Gyrfalcon, you would then have a hand in detailing what exactly a Northman is, and what sets them apart from other humans.
Here's the alternate playbooks I currently have as well (In addition to the core classes found at the original link):
Again, I'm open to others if you have access to them. These are only the ones I currently can provide.
El Ronza, yes, I literally laughed aloud when I read Plan of Action. It's perfect.
Kagehiro, glad to see you changed your mind, your roleplaying style seems like a great fit for DW!
GM Mogthasir, sounds good to me. This halfling, anyway, is decidedly more feral and predatory than Tolkien's. We can figure out together if that's true of all of them, and I'll think about what else might define halflings here...
Introducing...
Class Druid.
Race Halfling. You sing the healing songs of spring and brook. When you make camp, you and your allies heal +1d6.
Personality and appearance
The way Horn’s matted, messy hair sticks up -- together with his large black-and-gold eyes -- give his face a distinctly owl-like appearance. Horn stands just over three feet tall, with a comfortable belly and broad calloused bare feet. Dressed in rough-made practical leathers, his skin is a ruddy weathered red-brown.
He is guided by the stories, tales, and warnings of the animals about him, and will quickly interrupt a conversation with a two-legged friend when a winged or four-legged one needs his assistance.
While Horn is wise at discerning the truth before him he lives in an eternal present, quickly forgetting the lessons he’s learned, and the good and bad that has befallen him.
He often finds himself humming or whistling a tune without realizing it, and (while he can't always quite carry the tune) he loves to sing around the fire at the end of the day.
Crunch (and the story of his crunch)
STR 15, DEX 13, CON 12, INT 8, WIS 16, CHA 9
Horn’s birth was attended by all the animals of the Great Forest. He was blessed with the wisdom of the great horned owl, the strength and dexterity of the wolf, the charisma and constitution of the stag...and the memory of the squirrel.
Horn looks perfect. I like the character! And halflings as a more feral or natural race could be a great concept.
Great, thanks. I picture a ranger leading people into a dark forest and saying, "Stay alert. There are tales of halflings in the trees here."
I always have trouble choosing between possible character concepts. Right now I'm leaning on putting forward a dwarven barbarian, inspired by the slayers in the old world. His family was rightly accused of something dishonorable in dwarven society (I'm thinking something along the lines of accounting fraud), so he decided to renounce the ways of dwarven society and take up the path of the slayer to bring back honor to his family name.
Gyrfalcon: I like that. I think we can get that feel pretty easily for halflings.
Patrik Ström: Choosing between concepts always seems to be the dilemma. Slayers from the Old World were extremely flavorful, and the barbarian fits it well. If you were to go with this idea, you'd be helping shape dwarves as a race and a culture as well. Don't feel locked into this, however, if you come up with another idea you love more.
Looks like so far we have:
- El Ronza - Gilder, The Dashing Hero
- gyrfalcon - Horn, Druid of the Great Forest
- Kagehiro - Considering a Northman themed Wizard
- Patrik Ström - Considering a Dwarven Slayer (Barbarian)
- mechaPoet - just checking it out so far
I'd love to see the playbooks for the Brute and the Princess if possible! And maybe I can find some interesting multiclass pick-ups between the two.
Now there's an intriguing combination. I've PMed you links to the playbooks. If you like them both, I have little doubt we can figure out some multiclass options.
I'm glad Gilder is to your liking, GM. He's an... interesting fellow. :P
Alrighty, I think I've settled on something.
Name: Karm Twice-Banished (Karm Kolgsunu, Karm Raven-Tongue, Karm Calamity-Cloak, Rìkrǫdd)
Class: Wizard (Seiðmenn)
Race: Human (Hrimlyðr; More commonly known as Hrims, "Rimmers" as a pejorative)
Personality:
Power, blood, greed, and loss. Karm wears a tapestry upon flesh that tells plainly of wrongs recent and ancient, though in a language understood by few and spoken by fewer. A man consumed often struggles against tides he noticed too late.
There are many paths to Power, and many false trails: blade, glory, and wealth—merely transient fetishes for the uninitiated. Blood is the fuel for the pyre of knowledge forbidden. It is Greed that drives the seeker forward, lash relentless as one claws ever higher up a mountain of their own making. Loss reveals truth. There is naught beyond the pursuit but emptiness and despair: power without purpose. Torments myriad overtax a soul unselfish. One is forced to search for a sliver of redemption to a life spent recklessly.
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Crunch:
Str: 12
Dex: 13
Con: 15
Int: 16
Wis: 8
Cha: 9
Karm is old: gnarled and bending to the ravages of time, he is still large and imposing thanks to his Hrim heritage. His left eye is dead and his hearing fails, but his wits remain sharp and honed.
Gear (Load 7): "Spellbook" (Seiðr Loom), Dungeon Rations (5), Bag of Books (5), Leather Armor (+1), Staff (close, 2-hand), 3 anti-toxins, 3 healing potions
Kagehiro: That looks great. There's a lot of interesting things in there that I'm excited to find out more about as they come up!
Patrik Ström: I'm sending you another playbook that may suit your concept of a Troll Slayer more accurately than even the barbarian. I recently got the Grim World setting for Dungeon World, and in a lot of ways it has the same dark outlook that Warhammer does. There's a Slayer class playbook that seems a perfect fit for a, well, Slayer.
Agreed, Kagehiro, you've built a lot of rich story potential into that introduction!
BTW, I last played Warhammer Fantasy in 1990 I think, but I enjoyed it at the time and I flipped through my book again last night. Not that we're tied to anything in that story, but I remembered that halflings there tend to live huddled inside human settlements for protection. (I also remembered that -- at least in 1st Ed, which is all I've read/played -- halflings are equal or inferior to elves in *every* stat. Ah, balance!)
Perhaps in our grim setting, many halflings still exist in those protected villages...but as chaos impinges on what's left of civilization perhaps other groups of halflings have gone feral and taken to living in the trees.
Oh and Patrik, those slayer classes were really fun and flavorful. Interested to see what you do with it!
Agreed, Kagehiro, you've built a lot of rich story potential into that introduction!
BTW, I last played Warhammer Fantasy in 1990 I think, but I enjoyed it at the time and I flipped through my book again last night. Not that we're tied to anything in that story, but I remembered that halflings there tend to live huddled inside human settlements for protection. (I also remembered that -- at least in 1st Ed, which is all I've read/played -- halflings are equal or inferior to elves in *every* stat. Ah, balance!)
Perhaps in our grim setting, many halflings still exist in those protected villages...but as chaos impinges on what's left of civilization perhaps other groups of halflings have gone feral and taken to living in the trees.
Oh and Patrik, those slayer classes were really fun and flavorful. Interested to see what you do with it!
I like that idea. And chaos may or may not be an issue in this setting, as I simply intend to borrow quite a bit from the Warhammer Old World. But what's fantastic about Dungeon World is that the setting fleshes out more and more as we discover it.
So yes, I like the idea of more urban halflings sequestered in larger settlements, while many others have gone feral as they've taken to living in the trees. I think there's a lot of interesting things that can come out of that!
Also, since there hasn't been any new interest expressed in over 24 hours, I'd very much like to simply solidify the group that we have here right now.
- El Ronza - Gilder, The Dashing Hero
- gyrfalcon - Horn, Druid of the Great Forest
- Kagehiro - Karm Twice-Banished, Wizard (Seiðmenn)
- Patrik Ström - Considering a Dwarven Slayer (Barbarian/Slayer)
- mechaPoet - Considering a Prince/Princess/Brute
I know some of you are still working out character ideas, and I don't intend to rush that so please take your time. Also, if there's someone that's been working on a character but hasn't said anything yet I'd be fine with adding one more at the maximum if you speak up in the near future.
Otherwise, we can move this conversation to the Discussion tab as everyone finalizes their characters. We'll have a handful of things to figure out as a group before the first adventure starts. I'm excited for this, and for those of you that haven't gotten to play Dungeon World before I think you'll love it!
Ah ah ah! Mogthrasir, you rogue, I didn't know you had fired up another recruitment thread! Would I be too presumptuous in asking for a spot in this one as well? :D
Blah aha, not at all. What are your thoughts?
I am at heart a bit of a munchkin. I like to make as effective a character as possible with what im given, while playing to a theme. I dont go to extremes, but I likes my crunch.
However this just looks too damn interesting to pass up in spite of my nature. I joined a low power game a while back and am having a blast there so lets try taking this a bit further.
I may be looking at the links wrong, but I cant seem to find any class info, or is that supposed to be in the pdf you have to buy?
Im toying with ideas, but think id like to play an elf, since I like the race but it never quite aligns with my builds in Pathfinder.
I always liked the idea of imperialistic elves, very much acting like borderline nazi germany. Basically elves who have taken the classic haughty attitude and distain for other race to the next level.
The character himself would very much have that aspect to him, but being an exile for reasons to be determined, he has had decades to learn to not act like all the other elves, mostly so he can get by.
Basically elves would often be villains, and my character would probably have a hard time socially when his race is discovered.
Think you could send me the Trickster playbook?
I am at heart a bit of a munchkin. I like to make as effective a character as possible with what im given, while playing to a theme. I dont go to extremes, but I likes my crunch.However this just looks too damn interesting to pass up in spite of my nature. I joined a low power game a while back and am having a blast there so lets try taking this a bit further.
I may be looking at the links wrong, but I cant seem to find any class info, or is that supposed to be in the pdf you have to buy?
Im toying with ideas, but think id like to play an elf, since I like the race but it never quite aligns with my builds in Pathfinder.
I always liked the idea of imperialistic elves, very much acting like borderline nazi germany. Basically elves who have taken the classic haughty attitude and distain for other race to the next level.
The character himself would very much have that aspect to him, but being an exile for reasons to be determined, he has had decades to learn to not act like all the other elves, mostly so he can get by.
Basically elves would often be villains, and my character would probably have a hard time socially when his race is discovered.
If you're interested, you could still get in. But 7 players is my full capacity... I just can't keep track of more than that. On the linked page look under the "classes" tab for the 6 or so core playbooks. I like that elf idea, it's an interesting take and should play out well.
And GM Frogfoot or Numeo, I'm on my iPad at the moment so I'll try to send ya a pm with the link. It's a variation on the rogue with more focus on the social manipulation.
That's the impression I got. Will there be space for those talents to shine? I know that for example, in my current DW campaign, social skills aren't very important or prioritized. It depends on the setting skeleton you have in mind.
Yes, there should be good opportunity for a social character to shine!
Given the racial background, I think the Pirate might be a good fit, but Id like to see it first. I think you mentioned being able to send people class info?
I took a look at the Necromancer playbook and it looks like so much fun. With Mogthrasir's okay, I'll be playing one. I'd like to have personal history with one of the other PCs, as my character is the type of person to know that relationships are important to shield oneself from the hatred normally associated with his profession. I think the Slayer character or the exiled Wizard would make the most sense, or perhaps I could be an associate of the Pirate's..but on the other hand, it'd be interesting also to have prior assocation with someone more "pure", like the prince or the druid, or even the dashing hero - so long as the dashing hero doesn't mind being associated with someone mildly "villainous."
I don't intend to play an evil Necromancer. Think of his personality like an old great-uncle with a really sick sense of humor, and really gross habits and hobbies. He's more likely to play a practical joke on someone (especially with a hexed body part) than murder or horrify them. I'm imagining someone like Rasputin from the Anastasia movie, if anyone's seen that. Maybe with a little bit of the Chamberlain from the Dark Crystal. mmmmMMMMMMmmmm!
Haven't decided on my adventuring motivations yet. I think it's going to be shaped somewhat by whomever volunteers to have prior association with me. I'd be happy to have prior association with more than one other PC as well.
Well, assuming I get in the game, my Pirate Elf (Or ranger if pirate turns out to be a bad fit) could certainly have some history with him. It would be one of those grudging respect deals, where he honestly cant stand the necromancer, but he is one of the few who have been willing to see past the whole elf thing and help him in the past.
Expect alot of dramatic sighing and eye rolling at your character.
Expect alot of dramatic sighing and eye rolling at your character.
I bite my thumb at you, sir! Or I would, if it wouldn't break off in my teeth...
Alright, we're capped at seven then :). I've sent you guys the playbooks you need, I hope. Let me know if something's missing or not working as planned.
Also, you guys should jump over to the discussion thread to write up your characters. The other five have a jump on you, and I'm still trying to figure out how you'll play into the first adventure. But I'm pretty sure you'll be outside of the room, since 7 people crammed into that place is a little much.