I know Dungeon World is popular around these parts and was hoping you folks might have some insight on how I can deal with an adventure concept problem I’m coming up against.
A little setup for the idea…On the frontier between “The Dark Loam” and the civilized lands to the east sits a small city called Bastion. Bastion, perched atop a high mountain peak, stands as the front lines between the kingdom of Udir and the nightmare beasts beyond. The king of Udir, King Gylbarde “The Griffon”, resides as the sort of commander-in-chief of these defense efforts, but he’s growing old and time is against him. King Gylbarde decides to hold an event called The Great Hunt which he has sent out invitations for to warriors of note across the realm, four of which are my players’ PCs, with the hopes of dealing with the threat (and maybe even finding a successor).
The Great Hunt itself is a team based competition where each participating group draws a random scroll containing the image of a beast of legend that occupies a region of The Dark Loam. The party then has one day to prepare for their journey where they can gather information from the citizens of Bastion, learn about the beast, obtain items to aid them on their journey, etc. At the start of the following day, each team is to set out into the Dark Loam to track and slay their chosen beast. They have one week’s time to complete this objective before they must return with a trophy of their kill. This will repeat for four rounds until a winner is decided.
So that’s what I’ve got so far. The players only know that their characters have been invited to something called The Great Hunt that is taking place in a city called Bastion and that there’s a King Gylbarde involved, but that’s it.
The thing I’m coming up against is how to run this very straight forward adventure while still making it feel like a competition between rival groups of NPCs. One thing I had considered doing was to give my players creative license with what the scroll they’ve chosen depicts. This seemed like a fun way of letting them fight whatever crazy monster they’ve always wanted to and alleviates the burden of having to decide on it myself. The problem I’m finding with that is when I get into how to make the Great Hunt an actual game. I want the rival teams to feel realistic and I need a mechanic for making the results of each round seem random. I suppose I could just work it out in the fiction, but I’m not sure if that’s the right way to go about it.
Anyone have any experience with running something like this? Any advise? I’d also love to hear any suggestions on dealing with big boss battle set pieces, as that will likely end up being the bread and butter of this adventure and I admittedly have very little experience with things like that.
You might just have one monster and focus on the competition rather then the hunt. Start with a hunger games style opening where several competitors try to offer their rivals early. Later you have to protect your trophy from others. Or steel from a more successful team. Have someone propose working together. Ask one of the players if his home town rival is involved in another team. Cheat, lie, betray and beg for mercy. Maybe an npc really needs to win for a good reason. Maybe some of them are here for a different mission. Maybe the hunt itself is not what it appears to be.
You might just have one monster and focus on the competition rather then the hunt. Start with a hunger games style opening where several competitors try to offer their rivals early. Later you have to protect your trophy from others. Or steel from a more successful team. Have someone propose working together. Ask one of the players if his home town rival is involved in another team. Cheat, lie, betray and beg for mercy. Maybe an npc really needs to win for a good reason. Maybe some of them are here for a different mission. Maybe the hunt itself is not what it appears to be.
Those are some great suggestions, thanks Daniel Fowler! I was definitely getting hung up on the idea of the Hunt being more about the Monsters, but I could see this being more interesting while still being able to throw crazy creatures into the mix. Doing it this way saves me the trouble of having to assign some arbitrary points value on each of the monsters and ramps up the drama and excitement between the teams. I’m not sure I trust myself to come up with a bunch of interesting and unique warrior personalities on the spot, but that would probably be prep worth doing.
Those are some great suggestions, thanks Daniel Fowler! I was definitely getting hung up on the idea of the Hunt being more about the Monsters, but I could see this being more interesting while still being able to throw crazy creatures into the mix. Doing it this way saves me the trouble of having to assign some arbitrary points value on each of the monsters and ramps up the drama and excitement between the teams. I’m not sure I trust myself to come up with a bunch of interesting and unique warrior personalities on the spot, but that would probably be prep worth doing.
Really like the idea of giving the players license with the monster scroll, make sure you ask some follow-up questions. You might also look at some of the moves from Monster of the Week or even The Sprawl for ideas for custom moves for legwork, weaknesses, etc.
Really like the idea of giving the players license with the monster scroll, make sure you ask some follow-up questions. You might also look at some of the moves from Monster of the Week or even The Sprawl for ideas for custom moves for legwork, weaknesses, etc.
I hadn’t considered MoTW or The Sprawl (which I’m in the process of getting a game off the ground for). Thanks Michael G. Barford
I hadn’t considered MoTW or The Sprawl (which I’m in the process of getting a game off the ground for). Thanks Michael G. Barford
Scott Selvidge Your Monster Hunter CC might be a good fit here?
Brandon Fincher I thinks it’s a super-fun premise. I feel like the really memorable part here is not necessarily going to be the monster (although it may) but rather the relationships between the PCs and the other teams. Come up with some questions that connect up players to other participants in terms of backstory and drama. That’s the money here.
Scott Selvidge Your Monster Hunter CC might be a good fit here?
Brandon Fincher I thinks it’s a super-fun premise. I feel like the really memorable part here is not necessarily going to be the monster (although it may) but rather the relationships between the PCs and the other teams. Come up with some questions that connect up players to other participants in terms of backstory and drama. That’s the money here.
Jason Cordova true. But should I reveal it before it is discussed? Hmmmm.
Jason Cordova true. But should I reveal it before it is discussed? Hmmmm.
Scott Selvidge Ooooooh, yes please.
Scott Selvidge Ooooooh, yes please.
Kingships are normally passed down to a heir. does this king have a heir? legitimate or otherwise? and what do they think about the competition. are they competing? Maybe one of the players?
Kingships are normally passed down to a heir. does this king have a heir? legitimate or otherwise? and what do they think about the competition. are they competing? Maybe one of the players?
Daniel Fowler Sorry if I wasn’t very clear in my initial post, but yeah, he is looking for an heir as he doesn’t currently have one. I’m not sure if want to advertise that right out of the gate or come up with something during the last round of the Hunt. I’m also not real sure how to deal with the fact that there are multiple eligible successors amongst the PCs. Have them fight for it? PVP in Dungeon World sounds…complicated.
Daniel Fowler Sorry if I wasn’t very clear in my initial post, but yeah, he is looking for an heir as he doesn’t currently have one. I’m not sure if want to advertise that right out of the gate or come up with something during the last round of the Hunt. I’m also not real sure how to deal with the fact that there are multiple eligible successors amongst the PCs. Have them fight for it? PVP in Dungeon World sounds…complicated.
Brandon Fincher they may just decide amongst themselves who should take it. Otherwise you could have them accrue points through certain actions during the hunt. Or throw in that old trick of the king disguised as a beggar who asks for help during the fast paced hunt to see who stops to help him. If anyone does.
Brandon Fincher they may just decide amongst themselves who should take it. Otherwise you could have them accrue points through certain actions during the hunt. Or throw in that old trick of the king disguised as a beggar who asks for help during the fast paced hunt to see who stops to help him. If anyone does.
Or just have the big bad show up before it’s an issue. You can’t be king without a kingdom
Or just have the big bad show up before it’s an issue. You can’t be king without a kingdom
Daniel Fowler A good idea! I thought of something like, in the last round all of the monsters are already dead when they find them. Killed by a big, holy crap monster that threatens the whole kingdom. The king decides that whatever team kills it (for narration sake, hopefully your players’ team) will be the winners and based on individual performance the king will choose his heir. Just an idea, it’s not a perfect suggestion by any means.
Daniel Fowler A good idea! I thought of something like, in the last round all of the monsters are already dead when they find them. Killed by a big, holy crap monster that threatens the whole kingdom. The king decides that whatever team kills it (for narration sake, hopefully your players’ team) will be the winners and based on individual performance the king will choose his heir. Just an idea, it’s not a perfect suggestion by any means.
Also Brandon Fincher here is my compendium class Jason Cordova mentioned drive.google.com – Monster Hunter CC.pdf – Google Drive
Also Brandon Fincher here is my compendium class Jason Cordova mentioned drive.google.com – Monster Hunter CC.pdf – Google Drive
Very cool
Very cool
Thanks Scott Selvidge, this is great! Also, thanks Jason Cordova for suggesting it in the first place.
Thanks Scott Selvidge, this is great! Also, thanks Jason Cordova for suggesting it in the first place.
This sounds like a good time to adopt David LaFreniere’s mass battle move. Essentially, you’d track each time the players pass or fail a roll and add or subtract 1 for that.
At the end of the session, take the net and have players go around describing how things went for their competitors. If it was overall positive for the party, ask them to narrate how things went poorly for the competitors. If it was negative ask them to narrate how the competitors surged ahead.
This sounds like a good time to adopt David LaFreniere’s mass battle move. Essentially, you’d track each time the players pass or fail a roll and add or subtract 1 for that.
At the end of the session, take the net and have players go around describing how things went for their competitors. If it was overall positive for the party, ask them to narrate how things went poorly for the competitors. If it was negative ask them to narrate how the competitors surged ahead.
River Williamson Oh man, I really like that. Feels very fitting with the spirit of Dungeon World where your success/failure determines moves that can be made against the players. Thanks for this!
River Williamson Oh man, I really like that. Feels very fitting with the spirit of Dungeon World where your success/failure determines moves that can be made against the players. Thanks for this!
It’s all David LaFreniere
It’s all David LaFreniere
Nice! I hope you like how it works! Do you need the text of the move or do you have it? It sounds like you have a cool idea worked out
Nice! I hope you like how it works! Do you need the text of the move or do you have it? It sounds like you have a cool idea worked out
David LaFreniere If you have something detailed I would love to see it.
David LaFreniere If you have something detailed I would love to see it.
This is from ep 38 of Discern Realities, so If you want to hear it discussed, you can check that episode out. Here is the text:
Listening to the most recent +1 Forward with Rich Rogers and Davide Pignedoli has me thinking there might be a way of taking something Davide does in City of Judas to facilitate a large scale conflict and the swingy-ness of a large scale conflict: have your players throw a d6 into the middle of the table, starting with a number facing up. We will call this d6 the “battle die.” The higher the number, the more advantaged the players are, and the closer they are to winning the conflict at the outset. Then, have the players describe what they are doing, engaging the normal DW moves. Anytime that will trigger a move in which the players engage with the large scale conflict, layer this custom move over the top of the move they are doing.
When you make a move that may help in the large scale conflict, in addition to an 10+ results, describe how the battle is going in your favor and advance the battle die by one. On a 6-, you may swap a result from your d6 for the battle die if it will boost your result to 7-9. If you do so, the GM will describe how something in the battle is going against your forces.
When the GM makes a hard move conflicting with the player’s large scale conflict, the GM may additionally reduce the battle die by one.
If the battle die would ever be forced to exceed 6, your forces have won! Describe how your forces have won the day. If the battle die would ever be reduced below 1, you have failed, the GM will describe what this day has cost you and your forces.
This is from ep 38 of Discern Realities, so If you want to hear it discussed, you can check that episode out. Here is the text:
Listening to the most recent +1 Forward with Rich Rogers and Davide Pignedoli has me thinking there might be a way of taking something Davide does in City of Judas to facilitate a large scale conflict and the swingy-ness of a large scale conflict: have your players throw a d6 into the middle of the table, starting with a number facing up. We will call this d6 the “battle die.” The higher the number, the more advantaged the players are, and the closer they are to winning the conflict at the outset. Then, have the players describe what they are doing, engaging the normal DW moves. Anytime that will trigger a move in which the players engage with the large scale conflict, layer this custom move over the top of the move they are doing.
When you make a move that may help in the large scale conflict, in addition to an 10+ results, describe how the battle is going in your favor and advance the battle die by one. On a 6-, you may swap a result from your d6 for the battle die if it will boost your result to 7-9. If you do so, the GM will describe how something in the battle is going against your forces.
When the GM makes a hard move conflicting with the player’s large scale conflict, the GM may additionally reduce the battle die by one.
If the battle die would ever be forced to exceed 6, your forces have won! Describe how your forces have won the day. If the battle die would ever be reduced below 1, you have failed, the GM will describe what this day has cost you and your forces.
David LaFreniere I’m current on Discern Realities, but I’m afraid I sometimes listen to the show while multitasking, so this may have slipped my mind. Thanks for the refresher!
David LaFreniere I’m current on Discern Realities, but I’m afraid I sometimes listen to the show while multitasking, so this may have slipped my mind. Thanks for the refresher!