I can’t believe we already have 20 episodes of Discern Realities! Here are the time codes for this week’s show:
What Happened Here Recently?
Lugana’s Gambit (00:22)
What Should I Be On the Lookout For?
The One Page Dungeon contest (05:41)
What Here is Not What It Appears to Be?
Using various fiction sources to inspire your NPCs (08:55)
What Here is Useful or Valuable to Me?
Jeremy Strandberg’s Light Fingers move (14:50)
What is About to Happen?
Our comic strip AP featuring Domenico Castafiel (18:36)
Fast friends (19:40)
The infernal infestation (20:11)
A betrayal (21:16)
Say hello to your little friend (22:33)
Links
One Page Dungeons
Awesome! That was so creepy!
I would definitely be interested in hearing the AP and seeing the notes.
Awesome! That was so creepy!
I would definitely be interested in hearing the AP and seeing the notes.
Woo, Gauntlet Portland shout out!
Woo, Gauntlet Portland shout out!
Really looking forward to seeing some Jason Cordova game prep notes.
Really looking forward to seeing some Jason Cordova game prep notes.
A player in my DW game decided he wanted to be an Arena Fighter and something of a celebrity for his prowess in the Arena. I wrote this move for him to do that:
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED
When you fight in the Arena, decide how you will compete. If you will power through your enemies roll+STR, if you will be agile in your fight roll+DEX, if you will be victorious by enduring your wounds roll+CON, if you will outmaneuver your opponent roll+INT, if you will determine your enemies’ weaknesses roll+WIS, if you intend to put on a good show, roll+CHA. Roll three times, you may use a different stat each time. If any of your rolls are 12+ your bout goes into legend, if the majority of your rolls are 10+ you win and gain the attention of one or more useful NPCs, if the majority of your rolls are 7-9 you win, but it is a hard-fought victory. If the majority of your rolls are 6- you lose, and take a debility (shaky, exhausted, scarred, etc).
If you win, you may use your new celebrity status as leverage when you roll Parley. If you lost recently and try to use your celebrity as leverage the person is likely to respond with, “Sure, I know who you are. Didn’t you lose in the Arena the other day?”
If you’re fighting for money, the GM will establish a Purse. Each success you roll in the Arena increases the Purse by 50%. Each roll+CHA also increases the Purse by 50%. If you lose, the GM will decide if you get any of the Purse, but if you do it shouldn’t be more than half the Purse’s original value.
A player in my DW game decided he wanted to be an Arena Fighter and something of a celebrity for his prowess in the Arena. I wrote this move for him to do that:
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED
When you fight in the Arena, decide how you will compete. If you will power through your enemies roll+STR, if you will be agile in your fight roll+DEX, if you will be victorious by enduring your wounds roll+CON, if you will outmaneuver your opponent roll+INT, if you will determine your enemies’ weaknesses roll+WIS, if you intend to put on a good show, roll+CHA. Roll three times, you may use a different stat each time. If any of your rolls are 12+ your bout goes into legend, if the majority of your rolls are 10+ you win and gain the attention of one or more useful NPCs, if the majority of your rolls are 7-9 you win, but it is a hard-fought victory. If the majority of your rolls are 6- you lose, and take a debility (shaky, exhausted, scarred, etc).
If you win, you may use your new celebrity status as leverage when you roll Parley. If you lost recently and try to use your celebrity as leverage the person is likely to respond with, “Sure, I know who you are. Didn’t you lose in the Arena the other day?”
If you’re fighting for money, the GM will establish a Purse. Each success you roll in the Arena increases the Purse by 50%. Each roll+CHA also increases the Purse by 50%. If you lose, the GM will decide if you get any of the Purse, but if you do it shouldn’t be more than half the Purse’s original value.
I’m worrying about my AP now.
I’m worrying about my AP now.
Mark Siwel Coming soon…I’m getting really detailed with the time codes, haha. It’s going to be something like an annotated AP by the time I’m done.
Mark Siwel Coming soon…I’m getting really detailed with the time codes, haha. It’s going to be something like an annotated AP by the time I’m done.
Great episode as usual fellas!
Great episode as usual fellas!
Jason and David, thanks for a great podcast. I have discovered it recently while getting a new DW game off the ground, and it has been super helpful – the specific advice and stealable moves, items and techniques, as well as to just get my head into the DW space again.
In Ep. 20 you talk about using fictional sources. David mentions having read some great fantasy novels lately. I’d love to hear (or read) your recommendations – fantasy or otherwise.
Jason and David, thanks for a great podcast. I have discovered it recently while getting a new DW game off the ground, and it has been super helpful – the specific advice and stealable moves, items and techniques, as well as to just get my head into the DW space again.
In Ep. 20 you talk about using fictional sources. David mentions having read some great fantasy novels lately. I’d love to hear (or read) your recommendations – fantasy or otherwise.
I’m so excited for this annotated AP idea! I’ve been wanting to see something like this for a long time.
I love watching great GMs run stuff for people online, but I’ve always wanted to see like, a split screen view with their notebook/prep area on the side to show what goes on “behind the scenes.”
I know Adam Koebel’s Apocalypse World series on roll20’s youtube channel has something sort of like this, but it really just shows in in-between prep. I’d love to see all the little notes that get written during the actual game.
I’m so excited for this annotated AP idea! I’ve been wanting to see something like this for a long time.
I love watching great GMs run stuff for people online, but I’ve always wanted to see like, a split screen view with their notebook/prep area on the side to show what goes on “behind the scenes.”
I know Adam Koebel’s Apocalypse World series on roll20’s youtube channel has something sort of like this, but it really just shows in in-between prep. I’d love to see all the little notes that get written during the actual game.
John Willson I’m glad you’re enjoying the show! I’ll let David LaFreniere chime-in about his inspirations, but mine is probably a little less of a formal list. I pay really close attention to almost everything I watch or read and try to pick out things I think would be helpful for RPGs, particularly things that would be helpful on the GM side, like narrative tricks I can use.
Here is a post I wrote about the movie The White Ribbon awhile ago, and how it does some cool things with pacing and tone: https://plus.google.com/108530078404383929502/posts/8gYqgWskRDU
John Willson I’m glad you’re enjoying the show! I’ll let David LaFreniere chime-in about his inspirations, but mine is probably a little less of a formal list. I pay really close attention to almost everything I watch or read and try to pick out things I think would be helpful for RPGs, particularly things that would be helpful on the GM side, like narrative tricks I can use.
Here is a post I wrote about the movie The White Ribbon awhile ago, and how it does some cool things with pacing and tone: https://plus.google.com/108530078404383929502/posts/8gYqgWskRDU
John Willson Patrick Rothfus, Scott Lynch, and Brandon Sanderson are who I have been reading lately. I also have seen some good ideas come out of Joe Abercrombie and Robin Hobb. Patrick Rothfuss work is my favorite; I’ve read it 3 times in 3 years and eagerly anticipate his 3rd capstone book for The Kingkiller Chronicles.
John Willson Patrick Rothfus, Scott Lynch, and Brandon Sanderson are who I have been reading lately. I also have seen some good ideas come out of Joe Abercrombie and Robin Hobb. Patrick Rothfuss work is my favorite; I’ve read it 3 times in 3 years and eagerly anticipate his 3rd capstone book for The Kingkiller Chronicles.
Many thanks, gents, I appreciate it! David LaFreniere, I’ll certainly look up those authors. I’m on the hunt for some new reading.
To contribute in kind: I’ve recently discovered Tim Powers (NB: it’s not fantasy tho). All different genres. Declare is my fav so far, but all of his books are pretty great. Best fantasy fiction I’ve read lately has been R. Scott Bakker’s Prince Of Nothing trilogy.
And any gamer will enjoy Iain M. Banks’ sci-fi novel The Player Of Games.
Cheers!
Many thanks, gents, I appreciate it! David LaFreniere, I’ll certainly look up those authors. I’m on the hunt for some new reading.
To contribute in kind: I’ve recently discovered Tim Powers (NB: it’s not fantasy tho). All different genres. Declare is my fav so far, but all of his books are pretty great. Best fantasy fiction I’ve read lately has been R. Scott Bakker’s Prince Of Nothing trilogy.
And any gamer will enjoy Iain M. Banks’ sci-fi novel The Player Of Games.
Cheers!
These are two connected location-based custom moves. I wanted to put a twist on the normal choose one mechanic by making the use of hold mean both a positive and negative. This is a custom travel move for a perilous overland journey across a desert. It’s meant to replace the Undertake a Perilous Journey move in this specific context but still works with Make Camp and Take Watch. I wanted to give the feel of the harsh conditions of the environment but also make space for the players to trade off small set pieces for a shorter travel time.
The Burning Sea:
For a thousand and a thousand years the Ocean Mother Faelin crashed upon the base of craggy Gorgeth, the God Mountain. With each tide, Gorgeth grew taller and more proud. With each summer, the God Mountain would quench Faelin’s eternal thirst with fresh icy waters from its peaks. Then the cataclysm rent them apart, separating them forever, leaving the Burning Sea behind.
Each year, hardy acolytes of Gorgeth shed their fur coats and make a journey across the scorched plains of the Burning Sea. In turn, the lithe and quick followers of Faelin depart the nourishing safety of the coast and make way to the daggered mountain. Each carries an offering purified by the perilous journey; cool waters for Faelin, salty brine for Gorgeth, maintaining the bond between Earth God and Water Goddess that ancient evil had lain asunder.
The journey across the desert between the Coastal Temple of Faelin and the Crags of Gorgeth takes two weeks and requires 2 rations per day. When you stop at the end of each day of travel, roll+CON. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7-9, you choose one and the GM chooses one:
– The terrible heat of the sun burns your flesh, take 1d8 damage or a disability.
– You grow negligent in your desperate trek, lose one mundane object.
– The dehydrating journey grinds you down, consume an extra ration.
– You are too exhausted to take watch.
When you set out on a day of travel, you may describe what you’re doing and then roll+INT, +DEX, or +CON. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1.
Spend hold, 1 for 1, to reduce the travel time by 2 days and then choose one:
– A sandstorm overtakes you, describe how you take shelter.
– Desert bandits waylay you; describe what they want and the penalty for not paying it.
– You stumble onto a monster, describe it.
– Quicksand, describe how you escape.
These are two connected location-based custom moves. I wanted to put a twist on the normal choose one mechanic by making the use of hold mean both a positive and negative. This is a custom travel move for a perilous overland journey across a desert. It’s meant to replace the Undertake a Perilous Journey move in this specific context but still works with Make Camp and Take Watch. I wanted to give the feel of the harsh conditions of the environment but also make space for the players to trade off small set pieces for a shorter travel time.
The Burning Sea:
For a thousand and a thousand years the Ocean Mother Faelin crashed upon the base of craggy Gorgeth, the God Mountain. With each tide, Gorgeth grew taller and more proud. With each summer, the God Mountain would quench Faelin’s eternal thirst with fresh icy waters from its peaks. Then the cataclysm rent them apart, separating them forever, leaving the Burning Sea behind.
Each year, hardy acolytes of Gorgeth shed their fur coats and make a journey across the scorched plains of the Burning Sea. In turn, the lithe and quick followers of Faelin depart the nourishing safety of the coast and make way to the daggered mountain. Each carries an offering purified by the perilous journey; cool waters for Faelin, salty brine for Gorgeth, maintaining the bond between Earth God and Water Goddess that ancient evil had lain asunder.
The journey across the desert between the Coastal Temple of Faelin and the Crags of Gorgeth takes two weeks and requires 2 rations per day. When you stop at the end of each day of travel, roll+CON. On a 10+, choose 1. On a 7-9, you choose one and the GM chooses one:
– The terrible heat of the sun burns your flesh, take 1d8 damage or a disability.
– You grow negligent in your desperate trek, lose one mundane object.
– The dehydrating journey grinds you down, consume an extra ration.
– You are too exhausted to take watch.
When you set out on a day of travel, you may describe what you’re doing and then roll+INT, +DEX, or +CON. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1.
Spend hold, 1 for 1, to reduce the travel time by 2 days and then choose one:
– A sandstorm overtakes you, describe how you take shelter.
– Desert bandits waylay you; describe what they want and the penalty for not paying it.
– You stumble onto a monster, describe it.
– Quicksand, describe how you escape.
David LaFreniere He won’t finish it, he’s too busy making jokes about not finishing it at live D&D games at PAX 😛
David LaFreniere He won’t finish it, he’s too busy making jokes about not finishing it at live D&D games at PAX 😛