Hey guys. I posted in the Tavern as well but I’m curious how people handle multiple monsters in Dungeon World. If the pcs are fighting say a group of orcs, do the stats in the book represent the damage and hp for the entire group or for each individual monster in the group maybe?
If the latter if a pc is being attacked by say 3 of the six monsters how do you handle that combat?
As far as just pure damage, roll the largest damage dice represented in the mob, then +2 for the extra monsters in the group.
Depends on who or how the PC is attacking, I usually treat the monsters as separate, or allow something like a big cleave like attack depending on their narration (but exposing them to greater risk in the case of failure. No guts no glory!)
So they could theoretically kill off the big guy straight off, lowering the damage die to the next highest one up, and +1 for the extra monster in the group for the next exchange of blows.
As far as just pure damage, roll the largest damage dice represented in the mob, then +2 for the extra monsters in the group.
Depends on who or how the PC is attacking, I usually treat the monsters as separate, or allow something like a big cleave like attack depending on their narration (but exposing them to greater risk in the case of failure. No guts no glory!)
So they could theoretically kill off the big guy straight off, lowering the damage die to the next highest one up, and +1 for the extra monster in the group for the next exchange of blows.
I don’t really have any solid advice in case you were using tags for the monsters.
I don’t really have any solid advice in case you were using tags for the monsters.
You could do either! For example, if you want to have a mob of kobolds (because those annoying little reptiles always seem to run in packs), you can stat them all up as one horde with group HP, and then give them moves which emphasize their coordinated nature, like “Swarm a vulnerable target”, “Trip people up”, and “Annoyingly harass the enemy”. Once the PCs have depleted their HP, you say that the pack of kobolds is run off, or something.
Alternately, you could definitely treat each one as a different monster, with its own moves, which creates a different dynamic but also works just as well.
The important thing to remember about monsters is that their write-up determines two things: how much damage it takes to kill/defeat them (i.e., their HP), and how they present a threat to the party and provide an opportunity for hard and soft moves (i.e., their move list).
You could do either! For example, if you want to have a mob of kobolds (because those annoying little reptiles always seem to run in packs), you can stat them all up as one horde with group HP, and then give them moves which emphasize their coordinated nature, like “Swarm a vulnerable target”, “Trip people up”, and “Annoyingly harass the enemy”. Once the PCs have depleted their HP, you say that the pack of kobolds is run off, or something.
Alternately, you could definitely treat each one as a different monster, with its own moves, which creates a different dynamic but also works just as well.
The important thing to remember about monsters is that their write-up determines two things: how much damage it takes to kill/defeat them (i.e., their HP), and how they present a threat to the party and provide an opportunity for hard and soft moves (i.e., their move list).
So, my advice is coming from observing the difference between TBH and Dungeon World (DW henceforth). In DW, the monsters get some kind of initiative (a “Move” – soft or hard) any time the players fail or even marginally succeed, so I always just aggregate/separate monsters based on what’s easiest and most dramatic. In D&D/TBH style play monsters move only once per round. This means a party with more members than the monsters tend to be way more powerful and vice versa. In an 8 bodies vs. 2 bodies fight, for instance, the imbalance in turns really add up to a lot of extra damage. (As it should be, some would say.) Thus, I would tend to represent the monsters in groups relative to the party. For a small party I would swarm them and track them in one to three clusters. For a large group, I would divide them up more into individuals to put more story into the fight. It’s more of an art than a science, I guess. 🙂
So, my advice is coming from observing the difference between TBH and Dungeon World (DW henceforth). In DW, the monsters get some kind of initiative (a “Move” – soft or hard) any time the players fail or even marginally succeed, so I always just aggregate/separate monsters based on what’s easiest and most dramatic. In D&D/TBH style play monsters move only once per round. This means a party with more members than the monsters tend to be way more powerful and vice versa. In an 8 bodies vs. 2 bodies fight, for instance, the imbalance in turns really add up to a lot of extra damage. (As it should be, some would say.) Thus, I would tend to represent the monsters in groups relative to the party. For a small party I would swarm them and track them in one to three clusters. For a large group, I would divide them up more into individuals to put more story into the fight. It’s more of an art than a science, I guess. 🙂
Agree with Ray Otus it’s more of an art than a science.
When the number of enemies gets high (say, a swarm of goblins), I think that changes the fundamental nature of the encounter. While it may be a combat onscreen, it might be better handled at the table via abstraction. I would usually have it be Defy Danger, or whatever makes sense based on how the players narrate dealing with it.
With smaller groups, I agree with much of what has been said here.
Agree with Ray Otus it’s more of an art than a science.
When the number of enemies gets high (say, a swarm of goblins), I think that changes the fundamental nature of the encounter. While it may be a combat onscreen, it might be better handled at the table via abstraction. I would usually have it be Defy Danger, or whatever makes sense based on how the players narrate dealing with it.
With smaller groups, I agree with much of what has been said here.
Thanks guys. I ran my first game last night and it went well. I am totally in love with dungeon world after having only played it once and run it once.
Thanks guys. I ran my first game last night and it went well. I am totally in love with dungeon world after having only played it once and run it once.
Chalice In Chains Awesome!
Chalice In Chains Awesome!
The horde tag has me a bit off kilter right now. Is a Kobold 3 HP horde a mob of 30 HP if there are 10? Also doing 7 points to the mob would kill 2 kobolds and damage a third. Right?
The only reason j am hung up on this is that the horde tag appears to do nothing if this isn’t true…
The horde tag has me a bit off kilter right now. Is a Kobold 3 HP horde a mob of 30 HP if there are 10? Also doing 7 points to the mob would kill 2 kobolds and damage a third. Right?
The only reason j am hung up on this is that the horde tag appears to do nothing if this isn’t true…
Rich Glover this is what I’m thinking.
Rich Glover this is what I’m thinking.
Rich Glover: I would say that, rather than being so precise, the horde tag means that there’s a whole lotta kobolds. The GM narrates kobolds falling as seems appropriate, based on what the players are doing and based on their results. (And in battle, it’s not like you can get a 100% accurate headcount anyhow, which is something that folks tend to forget.)
The horde tag also means that the GM’s moves need to take that into consideration. Players can’t engage a horde in the same way that they would engage a single opponent: if one of the players says something like “I engage a kobold in combat”, the GM should tell them the consequences. That is, since there’s a horde of kobolds, they don’t abide by the rules of mano-a-mano combat. The GM would be perfectly within their rights to say something like “Okay, but if you’re only paying attention to that one, you leave yourself open to a number of other kobolds, and you’ll take damage.”
(Adjust according to how gritty/pulpy the game is, of course. The GM could easily soften up their moves in a pulpier game, because heroes taking on mobs of enemies is a thing that happens there.)
Rich Glover: I would say that, rather than being so precise, the horde tag means that there’s a whole lotta kobolds. The GM narrates kobolds falling as seems appropriate, based on what the players are doing and based on their results. (And in battle, it’s not like you can get a 100% accurate headcount anyhow, which is something that folks tend to forget.)
The horde tag also means that the GM’s moves need to take that into consideration. Players can’t engage a horde in the same way that they would engage a single opponent: if one of the players says something like “I engage a kobold in combat”, the GM should tell them the consequences. That is, since there’s a horde of kobolds, they don’t abide by the rules of mano-a-mano combat. The GM would be perfectly within their rights to say something like “Okay, but if you’re only paying attention to that one, you leave yourself open to a number of other kobolds, and you’ll take damage.”
(Adjust according to how gritty/pulpy the game is, of course. The GM could easily soften up their moves in a pulpier game, because heroes taking on mobs of enemies is a thing that happens there.)
That’s a really great answer. Thanks Andy Hauge
That’s a really great answer. Thanks Andy Hauge