DR Custom Moves Anthology
Months ago, ideas for compiling custom moves were discussed on Discern Realities. Whether posting to the website, a wiki, or a column in Codex… where did this idea end up?
Wondering about this now as I’m looking for a custom move discussed by David LaFreniere that handles mass combat from about EP35. Did anyone write that down?
Here is the move from Ep 38:
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.
Here is the move from Ep 38:
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 put the text of that move in a comment two posts down (in a post by Brandon Fincher). As for DR, yes! We’re producing a deluxe issue of Codex that is essentially a DR Annual that contains all the original things from the first 40 episodes. When it comes out it will be available at the $2 pledge level on our Patreon. It’s still a few months away, but it’s in process.
David put the text of that move in a comment two posts down (in a post by Brandon Fincher). As for DR, yes! We’re producing a deluxe issue of Codex that is essentially a DR Annual that contains all the original things from the first 40 episodes. When it comes out it will be available at the $2 pledge level on our Patreon. It’s still a few months away, but it’s in process.
Thanks, both! Looking forward to the DR Annual.
Here’s the move inspired by David’s that I’m trying to tweak (also x-posted on Reddit). It’s focused on PC interaction with key events during a siege and I was struggling to think about how to set up the “siege dice”:
*CITADEL UNDER SIEGE*
Part I
When the Citadel is under siege and you accept responsibility for its defense, narrate the setup of a personal challenge in detail, and roll +STAT where STAT represents an appropriate Core Attribute that has not been used in a previous challenge.
• on a 10+, the bards sing of your deeds – narrate the outcome of the challenge, describe the boon you receive, and advance the SIEGE DICE by one.
• on a 7-9, your efforts were successful. Narrate the outcome and choose to either receive the boon or advance the SIEGE DICE.
• On a miss, gain one XP and the DM will describe the consequences of your failure to successfully overcome the challenge OR you may swap one of your dice with the SIEGE DICE to secure a more favourable outcome.
Part II
When all of the challenges have been faced, the value of the SIEGE DICE indicates the outcome of the siege:
• on a 6+ the Citadel has been successfully defended; describe the routing of the enemy.
• On a 2-5, the siege breaks with heavy losses on both sides; the result of attrition, etc. For each pip of the SIEGE DICE, choose one friendly NPC who did not survive the siege.
• on a 1- the Citadel has been overrun. Describe your catastrophic failure and the condition of the Citadel and its remaining inhabitants.
reddit.com – Custom Move Workshop? • r/DungeonWorld
Thanks, both! Looking forward to the DR Annual.
Here’s the move inspired by David’s that I’m trying to tweak (also x-posted on Reddit). It’s focused on PC interaction with key events during a siege and I was struggling to think about how to set up the “siege dice”:
*CITADEL UNDER SIEGE*
Part I
When the Citadel is under siege and you accept responsibility for its defense, narrate the setup of a personal challenge in detail, and roll +STAT where STAT represents an appropriate Core Attribute that has not been used in a previous challenge.
• on a 10+, the bards sing of your deeds – narrate the outcome of the challenge, describe the boon you receive, and advance the SIEGE DICE by one.
• on a 7-9, your efforts were successful. Narrate the outcome and choose to either receive the boon or advance the SIEGE DICE.
• On a miss, gain one XP and the DM will describe the consequences of your failure to successfully overcome the challenge OR you may swap one of your dice with the SIEGE DICE to secure a more favourable outcome.
Part II
When all of the challenges have been faced, the value of the SIEGE DICE indicates the outcome of the siege:
• on a 6+ the Citadel has been successfully defended; describe the routing of the enemy.
• On a 2-5, the siege breaks with heavy losses on both sides; the result of attrition, etc. For each pip of the SIEGE DICE, choose one friendly NPC who did not survive the siege.
• on a 1- the Citadel has been overrun. Describe your catastrophic failure and the condition of the Citadel and its remaining inhabitants.
reddit.com – Custom Move Workshop? • r/DungeonWorld
I think your siege move is pretty cool! I love that it has a fixed number actions at 6, so you can control the pacing really well. I’m not so in love with having to use all the stats, but I understand why you did it. I think the attribution of success and failure is very clever, though I might rework it to be more closely like the PBTA 10+ success, 7-9 success but, 6- GM hard move, but that’s just a personal preference thing.
Hey, would it be ok if we talked about this move on a future episode of DR?
I think your siege move is pretty cool! I love that it has a fixed number actions at 6, so you can control the pacing really well. I’m not so in love with having to use all the stats, but I understand why you did it. I think the attribution of success and failure is very clever, though I might rework it to be more closely like the PBTA 10+ success, 7-9 success but, 6- GM hard move, but that’s just a personal preference thing.
Hey, would it be ok if we talked about this move on a future episode of DR?
David LaFreniere thanks for the feedback. I like the idea of making it symmetrical with usual moves (10+, 7-9, 6-) a lot! Not only that, but that makes it easy for the party to roll 2d6+nothing as a Phase 0 move to set up the siege dice – really interesting fictional implications!
I would be beside myself if this were discussed on DR – Just mention of it makes me blush. Love what you and Jason are doing there and happy just to participate as a listener (and Patron).
David LaFreniere thanks for the feedback. I like the idea of making it symmetrical with usual moves (10+, 7-9, 6-) a lot! Not only that, but that makes it easy for the party to roll 2d6+nothing as a Phase 0 move to set up the siege dice – really interesting fictional implications!
I would be beside myself if this were discussed on DR – Just mention of it makes me blush. Love what you and Jason are doing there and happy just to participate as a listener (and Patron).
… about the use of all the stats: this is essentially a Love Letter for my gaming group that gathers once a year to continue a campaign. I want something meaty to re-engage them with the mechanics while also being able to hand wave about 9 months of in-game time. Figure that requiring all the stats will provide enough roles and give the Fighter, Wizard, and Thief their moments in the spotlight.
… about the use of all the stats: this is essentially a Love Letter for my gaming group that gathers once a year to continue a campaign. I want something meaty to re-engage them with the mechanics while also being able to hand wave about 9 months of in-game time. Figure that requiring all the stats will provide enough roles and give the Fighter, Wizard, and Thief their moments in the spotlight.