Can anyone recommend and link to a discussion here or on another forum that gives advice for creating challenging but not over powered encounters in Dungeon World?
Can anyone recommend and link to a discussion here or on another forum that gives advice for creating challenging…
Can anyone recommend and link to a discussion here or on another forum that gives advice for creating challenging…
In some ways, the encounter should be driven by the fiction. Dungeon World isn’t always “balanced”.
In some ways, the encounter should be driven by the fiction. Dungeon World isn’t always “balanced”.
Chris Shorb The phrase “driven by fiction” is used so often that at this point it has lost all meaning. If the party travels through a forest and they are ambushed by bandits there is no fictional context that would limit the number of bandits or answer the question whether there is a wizard among them who can summon demons or a goblin orkaster who barely understands the spells he is casting.
And even if there was: So the PCs heard rumors of either the huge bandit gang of Dr. Demon Summoner that rule the dark forest or a small group of ragged bandits led by Orkaster “Dogbreath”. Now they have a fictional context. Which of the two would make an interesting encounter? Does it make a difference if you have two level 1 PCs or five level 10s?
Chris Shorb The phrase “driven by fiction” is used so often that at this point it has lost all meaning. If the party travels through a forest and they are ambushed by bandits there is no fictional context that would limit the number of bandits or answer the question whether there is a wizard among them who can summon demons or a goblin orkaster who barely understands the spells he is casting.
And even if there was: So the PCs heard rumors of either the huge bandit gang of Dr. Demon Summoner that rule the dark forest or a small group of ragged bandits led by Orkaster “Dogbreath”. Now they have a fictional context. Which of the two would make an interesting encounter? Does it make a difference if you have two level 1 PCs or five level 10s?
I’d recommend checking out an article online called “A 16 HP Dragon” – it’s on Sage LaTorra’s site & should pop up with a quick search. Also listen to Ep 21 of The Gauntlet Podcast by the same name, which expands on the ideas in the article rather well. The thrust of both is that if you stay quick on your feet as a DM, there is no such thing as an over- or under-powered encounter in Dungeon World. A single goblin could take down a party of level 10 adventurers and a dragon could be ganked by a party of level 1’s – it all depends on the details of what’s happening in the story. Both the article and the podcast were really helpful for me in understanding the flow of DW.
I’d recommend checking out an article online called “A 16 HP Dragon” – it’s on Sage LaTorra’s site & should pop up with a quick search. Also listen to Ep 21 of The Gauntlet Podcast by the same name, which expands on the ideas in the article rather well. The thrust of both is that if you stay quick on your feet as a DM, there is no such thing as an over- or under-powered encounter in Dungeon World. A single goblin could take down a party of level 10 adventurers and a dragon could be ganked by a party of level 1’s – it all depends on the details of what’s happening in the story. Both the article and the podcast were really helpful for me in understanding the flow of DW.
Thanks that helped Horst Wurst
Thanks that helped Horst Wurst
its also driven by the mood and dice. if your players are easily taking apart the bandits then present a stronger threat (the spellcaster, an important npc or a tamed monster. this can also happen on a 6-. aditionaly if you find your players bored with bandits or the fight has gone on for way too long then have them retreat or cause something else to happen (choking gass trap, mass teleport, earthquake). if your bandits are too much for them and the players feel your being a jerk, present a new option. have the bad guy demand their surrender or just start knocking them out. have something else show up to possibly cause a distraction. give the players more to work with. in my experience if you give the players a few mins to think about it they will come up with a plan you might not have thought about. if they start asking for things ” is there a wheelbarrow nearby? could i have picked up that giant black robe from earlier?” then answer yes and watch them win creativly.
its also driven by the mood and dice. if your players are easily taking apart the bandits then present a stronger threat (the spellcaster, an important npc or a tamed monster. this can also happen on a 6-. aditionaly if you find your players bored with bandits or the fight has gone on for way too long then have them retreat or cause something else to happen (choking gass trap, mass teleport, earthquake). if your bandits are too much for them and the players feel your being a jerk, present a new option. have the bad guy demand their surrender or just start knocking them out. have something else show up to possibly cause a distraction. give the players more to work with. in my experience if you give the players a few mins to think about it they will come up with a plan you might not have thought about. if they start asking for things ” is there a wheelbarrow nearby? could i have picked up that giant black robe from earlier?” then answer yes and watch them win creativly.
i also avoid specifying a number of bad guys beyond 3. if there is more then 3 then it is a group mob or a lot of guys. that way you dont have to do as much acounting and you can add or subtract as needed.
i also avoid specifying a number of bad guys beyond 3. if there is more then 3 then it is a group mob or a lot of guys. that way you dont have to do as much acounting and you can add or subtract as needed.
Daniel Fowler the wheelbarrow and the cloak, what you did there, I saw it. 🙂
Daniel Fowler the wheelbarrow and the cloak, what you did there, I saw it. 🙂