I used two clocks in my DW game last night that ended up being very effective.
I used two clocks in my DW game last night that ended up being very effective. I have linked the rules document I sent to the players. I thought some of you would be interested.
This is like the 25th game in the campaign and I am not going to try to fill in too many of the details here, but just to give you some context as to the setup and the rationale for the clocks…
Fancourt is a village that the heroes left to go fight a witch on a mountain. While investigating the witch’s lair they discover that the witch — and others in the village — are aligned with an elder race, the Carcosians, aka the Chimera (interplanetary masses of worms that are into illusion and body horror). The party realizes the town is in danger and try to rush back to save it.
At this point, I handed out some VERY abbreviated stats for their followers and a few key NPCs and handed those over to the PCs. Then I described the twisted Un-Men — pieces of sewn together flesh of men, fish, and local beasts boiling up out of the sewers and attacking the town.
So, I really wanted the PCs to be invested in the town a bit more, so I used the clocks to determine the situation the party would find when they arrive. (I also did not want the NPCs to solve their problem.)
I hope that is enough and not too much info. Hope you find it useful.
The Wise Old Man (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_old_man) is one of my favorite literary archetypes when it is…
The Wise Old Man (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_old_man) is one of my favorite literary archetypes when it is used to imply mystical importance and background in the setting. Good examples are Merlin, Gandolf, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Dr Quest.
Sometimes they are famous and renowned, other times they are in disguise and unassuming. For some reason they are always near the center of important conflicts and help the heroes to get started, understand what is going on and occasionally escape when things get out of hand. They also serve as teachers, mentors, employers and guides. They help introduce characters and the audience to the settings history and important characters. As a GM the Wise Old Man NPC can be a huge help and become a favorite of the party. Just watch out for the temptation to use them as a GM insertion character or a railroading tool. There is a reason Gandolf keeps disappearing and doesn’t just lightning bolt everything in the party’s path.
I created the attached Dungeon World character sheet a while ago, in part as a counter to the Mage class, which at the time I was not a fan off. It was also supposed to be a Low magic setting replacement for the Wizard. I wanted a character whose main purpose was to know things. Insead of casting magic missile, they would solve problems and help the party by explaining historical context or revealing arcane knowledge. Knowing an ancient elven password, or how to speak to horses, or producing a rare powder from your robes can be a very cool way to get past an obstacle and let the party know how resourceful you are. I also wanted to make the ritual move more appealing. Of course there is no reason you could not play this type of character with the stock wizard but I wanted to remove the temptation to burn everything down or charm everyone.
The GM might chose to share extra knowledge of their setting with the Wise Old Man Player or work together with them outside the game to establish history and background but it is not necessary. GMs and players should always work together to establish the setting. The Wise Old Man just has a different, personal, perspective on what is revealed. I have played it a couple times in other players games with great success. I would hesitate to allow one in the same party as a wizard or mage though as I would expect a lot of toes to get stepped on. Let me know what you think and please tell me what happens if you try it out.
The newest episode of Fear of a Black Dragon is here!
The newest episode of Fear of a Black Dragon is here! In this one, Tom and I begin our exploration of the dusty corridors of Masks of Lankhmar. The Expert Delve portion contains a really deep dive into the concept of in medias res and how to use that technique to achieve a number of desirable outcomes at the game table.
The final episode of Children of the Eight-Legged She is here!
The final episode of Children of the Eight-Legged She is here!
Thanks so much to the fabulous players in this series: Fraser Simons Gerrit Reininghaus David LaFreniere and steven watkins. And thanks to Fraser for doing production on this series.
The next series, The Path to Dim Carcosa, is being edited and timecoded right now! As a reminder, you can support We Hunt the Keepers!, as well as get early access to The Path to Dim Carcosa, by making a $2+ pledge on our Patreon:
This is the report from yesterday’s City of Mist game.
This is the report from yesterday’s City of Mist game. Patricia is still side-lined due to me being the GM, and Liza’s player is still out for IRL reasons. It’s doubtful we’ll see her return, but I’m keeping her portrait there just in case.
After getting some basic information last week, this week, they track down one of the other people involved in the fight at the Candlestick, that still leaves the panicky wizard that fireballed them and another they haven’t met yet (but whose name is on the board).
I need 3-5 other players to join me on a journey into the Magical Land of Yeld.
Originally shared by Josh Mannon
I need 3-5 other players to join me on a journey into the Magical Land of Yeld. This is a simple game that requires a lot from its players. The most important thing it requires is commitment, an eagerness to play through till the end and see where the story goes. The second is a willingness to run as well as play, we will all take turns as GM as we help unfold the story. As that is the case it also requires us to be spoiled about where the story is going and yet still face each challenge unsure of the outcome. The final thing it requires of us is to reach back into childhood for the wonder, friendships, and solemnity that only children possess. If you’re willing to take on the task and reap the rewards please leave a message.
Pregunta para Gauntleteros españoles: a quién le interesa Rhapsody of Blood (uno de los libros en la línea Worlds of…
Pregunta para Gauntleteros españoles: a quién le interesa Rhapsody of Blood (uno de los libros en la línea Worlds of Legacy)? Yo estaba pensando dirigir eso en español en Agosto, pero también quería preguntar si hay interés en una campaña en vez de una serie.
Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet actual play and video roundup!
Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet actual play and video roundup! Don’t miss any of the great new APs in the updated playlists and video links below.
– Atitlan Riders: Gauntlet Wild Moto, Gerrit Reininghaus runs for Asher Silberman, Daniel Sojuel, Richard Rogers, and Susanne Vejdemo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou_WYAFdpno
Check out all the great videos on The Gauntlet’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9QoUve1LQHu_feDx0snd4w and don’t forget to subscribe! Check out the playlists to catch up on all your favorite Gauntlet Hangouts games. To support The Gauntlet and Gauntlet Hangouts, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon at https://patreon.com/gauntlet where $7 and up patrons get priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games. Enjoy, and everyone have a great weekend!
To celebrate, I’m catching up on some Star Wars Rebels episodes that I missed and preparing tomorrow’s game of Impulse Drive set in the SW original trilogy timeline.
What are you doing to celebrate Star Wars Day?
(warning – I’m moderating this thread, if you’ve got nothing nice to say, it won’t be on here long)
Yesterday I conducted my first playtests for The Between.
Yesterday I conducted my first playtests for The Between. I am feeling confident; the gameplay has so far matched my expectations in terms of my design goals.
If you’d like to take a look at the game, there is a link at the bottom of this post. A couple of notes:
-This folder does not contain GM-side material, which is a very important component of this game (more important than in most PbtA games). I’m not quite ready to share that stuff.
-The Overscenes document is just a sample of what will ultimately be available in the game in the form of a deck of cards. The document in the folder is just for this current round of playtesting.
-One core playbook, The Explorer, is not being playtested yet and so is not in the folder.
