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Dungeon World -- The Basics

Mar 3rd, 2014
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  1. DUNGEON WORLD:
  2.  
  3. What is it? A rules-light, fiction-focused system, more geared toward telling an interesting story, rather than worrying about adding which stats to which rolls. Dungeon World focuses on "Moves", rather than ability scores (but those are still present), and doesn't immediately punish you for failing a roll- we're after telling a story, after all!
  4.  
  5. What are Ability Scores? Statistics that define a character's capabilities. D&D veterans will find the six of these very familiar, you've got Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Constitution (CON), Intelligence (INT), Wisdom (WIS), and Charisma (CHA). Depending on how high each stat is, you get a larger bonus (or penalty!) when making a Move that draws on one of these stats. For simplicity, when a score is written out (e.g., "Strength", rather than STR), I'm referring to the score explicitly, and when a score is abbreviated (e.g., STR), I'm referring to the bonus/penalty.
  6.  
  7. THE STATS:
  8. Strength (STR): Physical power. Strength, carrying capacity, and so on.
  9. Dexterity (DEX): Agility. Swiftness, quickness, accuracy, and so on.
  10. Constitution (CON): Toughness. Endurance, hit points, resistances, and so on.
  11. Intelligence (INT): Book-smarts. Memory, stock knowledge, logic, and so on.
  12. Wisdom (WIS): Street-smarts. Willpower, empathy, instinct, and so on.
  13. Charisma (CHA): Force of personality. Geniality, social skills, and so on.
  14.  
  15. What are Modifiers? Depending on how high (or low) your stats are, you get a different modifier, ranging from -3 to +3, corresponding to that number. You add that number to rolls that draw on that stat. When a move tells you to roll+CHA, for example, you roll 2d6, and add your Charisma modifier.
  16.  
  17. 1-3: -3 (Incapable)
  18. 4-5: -2 (Incompetent)
  19. 6-8: -1 (Sub-par)
  20. 9-12: 0 (Average)
  21. 13-15: +1 (Good)
  22. 16-17: +2 (Excellent)
  23. 18: +3 (Masterful)
  24.  
  25. What are Moves? Moves are the basic units of measure for what a character can do. Parleying with the bandit chief is a move. Hacking at the dragon's scaly back is a move. Attempting to pickpocket the corrupt nobleman is a move. And so on. Moves might tell you to do a few things, including...
  26. - "Deal Damage." This means you roll the damage dice for your class. Sometimes your weapon might add to this.
  27. - "Take +1 Forward." Means you take +1 to your next Move roll (not Damage)
  28. - "Take +1 Ongoing." Means you take +1 to your next Move rolls, until the bonus/penalty ends.
  29. - "Gives you hold." 'Hold' is like Move currency, allowing you to spend it on effects.
  30. - "Mark XP." Means you gain 1 XP.
  31. Moves are usually phrased in the form "roll+Modifier". This means you should roll 2d6, and add whatever modifier was specified. 10+ is often a clear success, while anything lower than a 6 is a 'miss'. You might still be able to succeed on a 7 to 9, but at a cost- maybe it wasn't as effective as you thought, or it might end up drawing attention, for example.
  32.  
  33. What is HP? HP represents the amount of damage your character can take. You start with your class's default starting HP, plus Constitution. For example, a Bard (default of 6) with a Constitution of 14 would have 20 HP. When this gets reduced to 0... you'll have to take a gamble against Death to keep living.
  34.  
  35. What is Armor? Armor represents the amount of damage you subtract before it gets to your HP. For example, a character that would normally take 5 damage only loses 4 HP.
  36.  
  37. What are Debilities? Sometimes, hazards might affect your character's abilities, reducing their modifiers by 1. For example, an orc beating the Wizard above the head with its club might give them a concussion, harming their ability to cast spells. Depending on the stat, the debility has a different name. Don't worry about memorizing these.
  38. STR: Weakened
  39. DEX: Shaky
  40. CON: Sick
  41. INT: Stunned
  42. WIS: Confused
  43. CHA: Scarred
  44.  
  45. What is XP? XP, or Experience Points, represents your character's development through facing trials and challenges. Acting according to your character's Alignment, resolving bonds, fighting dangerous foes, all of that is worth XP. Whenever your character earns 7 + current level XP, they level up, allowing them to choose new Moves.
  46.  
  47. What are Bonds? Bonds define the relationship between two characters, usually written in the form "(Character) did (Action), I feel (this way about them)." As the story progresses, relationships change and develop. When it gets to a point where the Bond no longer describes how your character feels about that person, the Bond is "resolved", and you get to mark XP.
  48.  
  49. What is Alignment? Alignment describes your character's morals, or what maxim guides their actions. Unlike D&D, Law/Chaos and Good/Evil are separate alignments, with no axis to speak of- they are separate alignments. If your character fulfills some action in accordance to their alignment, they mark XP.
  50. Lawful: Order, stability, fulfilling promises, upholding justice.
  51. Good: Compassion, service, honesty, generosity, doing the right thing.
  52. Neutral: Discovery, allegiance, vengeance, advancing personal agenda.
  53. Chaotic: Revolution, liberation, freedom, individuality.
  54. Evil: Selfishness, destruction, cruelty, manipulation.
  55.  
  56. ---
  57.  
  58. BASIC MOVES: All characters have these, regardless of class. It's helpful to have this list on hand.
  59.  
  60. Hack and Slash: when you attack an enemy in melee, roll+STR. On a 10+, you deal damage and avoid attack. At your option, you may choose to give yourself a +1d6 damage bonus, but expose yourself to the enemy's attack. On a 7-9, you deal your damage, but the enemy makes an attack against you.
  61.  
  62. Volley: When you attack an enemy at range, roll+DEX. On a 10+, you have a clear shot, and deal your damage. On a 7-9, deal your damage, but choose one.
  63. - You have to move to get the shot, placing you in danger of the GM's choice
  64. - Your shot doesn't exactly hit its mark, reducing damage by 1d6
  65. - You have to take more than one shot, reducing ammo by 1.
  66.  
  67. Defy Danger: When you act despite an imminent threat, or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll, adding the corresponding modifier. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, avoiding the threat. On a 7-9, you stumble: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or difficult choice.
  68. ...by powering through, roll+STR.
  69. ...by getting out of the way, or acting fast, roll+DEX.
  70. ...by enduring, roll+CON
  71. ...with quick thinking, roll+INT
  72. ...through mental fortitude, roll+WIS
  73. ...using charm and social grace, roll+CHA.
  74.  
  75. Defend: When you stand in defense of something/someone, roll+CONN. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. So long as you stand in defense, when you, or the object of your defense is attacked, you may spend hold, 1-for-1, on the following:
  76. - Redirect an attack from the object of your defense to yourself
  77. - Halve the attack's effect or damage
  78. - Open up the attacker to an ally, giving them +1 forward against the attacker
  79. - Deal damage to the attacker equal to your level
  80.  
  81. Spout Lore: When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+INT. On a 10+, you will learn something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. On a 7-9+, you'll learn something interesting, and it's on you to make it useful. The GM may ask "how do you know this?"
  82.  
  83. Discern Realities: When you closely study a situation or person, roll+WIS. On a 10+, ask the GM three questions from below. On a 7-9, ask one. Take +1 forward when making a Move, acting on the answers.
  84. -What happened here recently?
  85. -What is about to happen?
  86. -What should I be on the lookout for?
  87. -What here is useful or valuable to me?
  88. -Who's really in control here?
  89. -What here is not what it appears to be?
  90.  
  91. Parley: When you have leverage on a GM character and manipulate them, roll+CHA. "Leverage" is defined here as something they need or want. On a 10+, they ask you for something and do the request, provide you promise to do what they asked. On a 7-9, they need some concrete assurance of that promise, right now.
  92.  
  93. Aid/Interfere: When you help or hinder someone you have a Bond with, roll+Bond with them. On a 10+, they take +1 or -2, your choice. On a 7-9, you expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost.
  94.  
  95. ---
  96.  
  97. SPECIAL MOVES: (situational.)
  98.  
  99. Last Breath: When your HP hits 0, roll, with no modifiers. On a 10+, you've cheated Death. You're unconscious, and in a bad way, but you live. On a 7-9, Death will offer a bargain. Take it and live, or accept your fate. On a miss, well.
  100.  
  101. Encumbrance: When you make a move carrying weight up to, or equal to Load, you're fine. At weight = Load+1, or Load+2, you take -1. Greater than Load+2, you have a choice: drop at least 1 weight and roll at -1, or automatically fail.
  102.  
  103. Make Camp: When you settle in to rest, consume a ration. If you're somewhere dangerous, decide how you and the others will take watch. If you have enough XP, level up. If you've managed at least a few hours of sleep, heal damage equal to half your total HP.
  104.  
  105. Take Watch: When you're on watch, and something approaches the camp, roll+WIS. On a 10+, you're able to wake the camp and prepare a response, allowing the party to take +1 forward. On a 7-9, the camp is awake, but you haven't prepared- you have weapons and armor, but little else. On a miss, whatever it was gets the drop on you.
  106.  
  107. Undertake a Perilous Journey: When you venture through hostile territory, choose one member to act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster. The same party member cannot hold two roles. If you're missing a job, treat it as a miss. Each person with a job rolls+WIS.
  108. - Quartermaster: on a 10+, number of rations reduced by 1.
  109. - Trailblazer: on a 10+, travel time is reduced.
  110. - Scout: on a 10+, you get the drop on any trouble ahead.
  111. On a 7-9, they do their jobs as expected, with no advantages or disadvantages.
  112.  
  113. End of Session: Mark XP in the following order.
  114. - Choose a bond that you feel is resolved (fully explored, no longer relevant, etc), and mark XP.
  115. - If you fulfilled your alignment at least once, mark XP.
  116. - Answer the following three questions as a group. For each 'yes', everyone marks XP.
  117. - Did we learn anything new or important about the world?
  118. - Did we overcome a powerful monster or enemy?
  119. - Did we loot a memorable treasure?
  120.  
  121. ---
  122.  
  123. Did you get all that? If not, don't worry. You can always refer back to this later. In fact, I recommend it. Let's move onto making your character. (http://pastebin.com/bm6Dr1um)
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