Dungeon The Bard World World (PbtA) [multi... · 2020. 10. 29. · Dungeon World The Bard 1 1...

Dungeon World The Bard

1

1DungeonWorld

Dungeon World is a world of fantas-tic adventure. A world of magic, gods,demons, Good and Evil. Brave heroesventure into the most dangerous cornersof the land in search of gold and glory.

You are those heroes. You go where oth-ers can’t or won’t. You conquer the un-beatable and laugh in the face of Death.There are monstrous things lurking inthe world. Are you ready to face them?

The BardSure, an adventurer’s life is all open roadsand the glory of coin and combat. Thosetales that are told in every farmhand-filled inn have to have some ring of truthto them, don’t they? The songs to inspirepeasantry and royals alike—to soothethe savage beast or drive men to a frenzyhave to come from somewhere.

Enter the Bard. You, with your smoothtongue and quick wit. You teller-of-talesand singer-of-songs. It takes a mereminstrel to retell a thing but a true Bardto live it. Strap on your boots, noble ora-tor. Sharpen that hidden dagger and takeup the call. Someone’s got to be there,fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with thegoons and the thugs and the soon-to-be-heroes. Who better than you to write thetale of your own heroism?

Nobody. Get going.

The ClericThe lands of Dungeon World are a gods-forsaken mess. They’re lousy with thewalking dead, beasts of all sorts, and thevast unnatural spaces between safe andtemple-blessed civilizations. It is a god-less world out there. That’s why it needsyou.

Bringing the glory of your god to theheathens isn’t just in your nature—it’syour calling. It falls to you to prosely-tize with sword and mace and spell. Tocleave deep into the witless heart of thewilds and plant the seed of divinity there.Some say that it is best to keep god closeto your heart. You know that’s rubbish.God lives at the edge of a blade. Show theworld who is lord.

The FighterIt’s a thankless job—living day to day byyour armor and the skill of your arm. Todive heedlessly into danger. They won’tbe playing golden horns for the time youtook that knife to the ribs for them in thebar in Bucksberg. No flock of angels tosing of the time you dragged them, stillscreaming, from the edge of the Pits ofMadness, no.

Forget them.

You do this for the guts and the glory.The scream of battle and the hot hotblood of it. You are a beast of iron.

Your friends may carry blades of forgedsteel but, Fighter, you are steel. Whileyour traveling companions might moanabout their wounds over a campfire inthe wilderness, you bear your scars withpride.

You are the wall—let every dangersmash itself to nothing on you. In theend, you’ll be the last one standing.

The PaladinHell awaits. An eternity of torment infire or ice or whatever best suits thesins of the damned throngs of DungeonWorld. All that stands between the pitsof that grim torture and salvation is you.Holy man, armored war machine, tem-plar of the Good and the Light, right?The Cleric may say his prayers at night tothe gods, dwelling in their heavens. TheFighter may wield his sharp sword in thename of “good” but you know. Only you.

Eyes, hands, and sweet killing blow ofthe gods, you are. Yours is the gift ofrighteousness and virtue. Of justice. Vi-sion, too. A purity of intent that yourcompanions do not have. So guide thesefools, Paladin. Take up your holy causeand bring salvation to the wastrel world.

Vae victis, right?

The RangerThese city-born folk you travel with.Have they heard the call of the wolf? Feltthe winds howl in the bleak deserts of theEast? Have they hunted their prey withthe bow and the knife like you? Hell no.That’s why they need you.

Guide. Hunter. Creature of the wilds.You are these things and more. Your timein the wilderness may have been solitaryuntil now, the call of some greater thing– call it fate if you like, has cast yourlot with these folk. Brave, they may be.Powerful and strong, too. You know thesecrets of the spaces-between, though.

Without you, they’d be lost. Blaze a trailthrough the blood and dark, strider.

The ThiefYou’ve heard them, sitting around thecampfire. Bragging about this battle orthat. About how their gods are smilingon your merry band. You count yourcoins and smile to yourself—this is thethrill above all. You alone know the se-cret of Dungeon World: filthy filthy lu-cre.

Sure, they give you lip for all the timesyou’ve snuck off alone but without you,who among them wouldn’t have beendissected by a flying guillotine or poi-soned straight to death by some an-cient needle-trap? So let them complain.When you’re done with all this delvingyou’ll toast their heroes’ graves.

The Wizard Dungeon World

2

From your castle. Full of gold. You rogue.

The WizardDungeon World has rules. Not the lawsof men or the rule of some petty tyrant.Bigger, better rules. You drop some-thing—it falls. You can’t make some-thing out of nothing. The dead stay dead,right?

Oh, the things we tell ourselves to feelbetter about the long, dark nights.

You’ve spent so very long poring overthose tomes of yours. The experimentsthat nearly drove you mad and all thebotched summonings that endangeredyour very soul. For what? For power.What else is there? Not just the powerof King or Country but the power to boila man’s blood in his veins. To call on thethunder of the sky and the churn of theroiling earth. To shrug off the rules theworld holds so dear.

Let them cast their sidelong glances. Letthem call you “warlock” or “diabolist.”Who among them can hurl fireballs fromtheir eyes?

Yeah. We didn’t think so.

Setting Up Using Dice

3

2Setting Up

To play Dungeon World, you’ll need togather yourself and 2–5 friends. A groupof 4 to 5, including you, is best. Chooseone person to be the GameMaster (here-after: GM). Everyone else will be players,taking the role of the characters in thegame. The players get to say what theircharacters say, think, and do. The GMdescribes everything else in the world.

You can play a single session or stringtogether multiple sessions into a cam-paign. Plan accordingly. Each sessionwill usually be a few hours and you’ll beable to start playing right away withinthe first session.

You’ll need to print some materials. Be-fore you start a new game, print off atleast:

• A few copies of the basic and specialmoves

• One copy of each class sheet• One copy each of the cleric and wiz-

ard spell sheets• One copy of the adventure sheet and

GM moves

Everyone at the table will need some-thing to write with and some six-sideddice. Two dice is the minimum but twodice per player is a good idea.

You’ll also need some specialized dice:four-sided, eight-sided, and ten-sided.One of each is enough but more is better;you won’t have to pass them around somuch.

Using DiceWhen talking about dice, dX means adice with X sides (d4, d6, d8, etc.). Anumber before the dice size means "rollthis many and add them together," so2d6 means "roll two six-sided dice andadd them together." Sometimes you’lladd something to the roll, maybe a staticnumber or the result of another roll, addthat to the total. If there’s a "·b" at theend instead of adding them together youtake the best one (’b’ for ’best’), so 2d6·b+1means "roll two six-sided dice and takethe best one and add one to it." A "·w" atthe end means you take the worst result,so 2d6·w means "roll two six-sided diceand take the worst one."

Moves The Flow of Play

4

3The Flowof Play

Playing Dungeon World is a conversa-tion of sorts; I say something, then youreply, maybe someone else chimes in.We talk about the fiction, what’s hap-pening to the characters we imagine andthe world around them. We also talkabout the rules, how they come from andlead back to the fiction. There are noturns or rounds in Dungeon World, noforced order of when people talk, but aconversation means taking turns. Dun-geon World is never a monologue, al-ways a conversation.

The rules shape the conversation. Whilethe GM and the players are having a con-versation the rules and the fiction arehaving a conversation too. The rules af-fect the game when the fiction triggersthem and a rule will always tell you whenit’s meant to trigger.

MovesThe basic unit of rules in Dungeon Worldis the Move . A move looks like this:

When you attack an enemy in melee, roll+Str. On a 10+ you deal your damageto the enemy and avoid their attack. At youroption, you may choose to do +1d6 damagebut expose yourself to the enemy’s attack. Ona 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemyand the enemy makes an attack against you.

Moves are rules that describe when theytrigger and what effect they have. Amove always depends on a fictional ac-tion and always has some fictional effect."Fictional" means that the action and ef-fect come from the shared imaginativespace we’re describing, not from us di-rectly. In the move above, the triggeris "when you attack an enemy in melee."The effect is what follows: a roll to bemade and differing fictional effects basedon the outcome of the roll. Most movesrely on one of a character’s stats whichrepresent the character’s innate abilities.

When a player says their characterdoes something that triggers a movethat move happens and its rules apply.Moves and dealing damage are the onlytimes dice are rolled. The move will tellyou what dice to roll.

The basic rule of moves is: take the ac-tion to gain the effect . To make themechanical aspect of a move happen thecharacter has to do something that trig-gers that move. Likewise, if the characterdoes something that triggers a move themechanical portion happens.

Moves Are IndivisibleA character can’t take the fictional actionthat triggers a move without that moveoccurring. For example, if Isaac tellsthe GM that his character dashes past acrazed, axe-wielding orc to the open door

he makes the Defy Danger move becauseits trigger is "when you act despite animminent threat". Isaac can’t just havehis character run past the orc withoutmaking the Defy Danger move and hecan’t make the Defy Danger move with-out acting despite an imminent threat.The moves and the fiction go hand-in-hand to make up the game. When a moveis made it falls to the GM and players tomake sure that both of these things (fic-tion and rules) happen.

Taking a fictional action that should trig-ger a move and not applying it looks likethis: Ben says "I run past the orc to thedoor," but doesn’t make the Defy Dangermove. In this case, the GM should sug-gest that the move applies: "So you’reDefying the Danger of the crazed orc ashe swings at you?" Ben then has to bea real adventurer and Defy Danger orback off and do something else; he can’ttake action that triggers the move with-out making the move. He can’t "just" runpast the orc without making the movethat applies.

Trying to apply a move without takingthe action that makes the move occurhappens when a player jumps straightto the effects of the move. The Hack andSlash move has damage as one of its ef-fects. Dan can’t just say "I’m Hackingand Slashing! I rolled +Str and got a10, I do 1d8 damage." That doesn’t workbecause his character hasn’t taken anyfictional action. "Hack and Slash" isn’tsomething a character does—it’s a rulethat happens when the character fulfillsits trigger. The GM’s response shouldbe "okay, how do you do that?" or "whatdoes that look like?"

The GM’s questions are there to refinethe action, not to deny it. It’s still a con-versation. The GM asks to make sure theeveryone understands what’s happeningand the moves involved.

Somemovesworkalittledifferently—theyjust provide a bonus all the time. Thesemoves are still saying something fiction-ally and mechanically. They’re sayingsomething the character is or has. Forexample, the Thief move Cautious givesa constant bonus. That’s still a move,it’s just one that’s always happening; theThief is particularly careful when look-ing for signs of traps. Maybe they’velearned their lesson from being caughtin a trap before.

Rolls and ResultsOnce a move applies, it’s time to lookat the effects. Most moves tell you toroll+something. The roll part means totake two d6s, roll them, and add themtogether. The +something part meansto add the modifier associated with thatstat. So, a character with Dex modifier of+2 who launches a Volley rolls two d6s,

The Flow of Play Terminology

5

adds them together, and adds two. Easy.

The result of the roll falls into three cat-egories: a 10+ is a strong hit . A 7–9 is aweak hit . A 6- is a miss .

Strong hits and weak hits are both hits. A hit means the character does whatthey set out to, more or less. A strong hitmeans they do it without much trouble orcomplications. A weak hit means com-plications and unpleasantries. Some-times, a weak hit will mean you need tomake a hard decision about what to donext. The move will always say what todo for a strong and weak hit.

A miss means that the character’s actionis unsuccessful or carries major conse-quences. Unless the move tells you whatto do, all moves work the same on amiss—the GM takes action, doing some-thing dangerous to the characters.

TerminologySome moves use the phrase "deal dam-age ." Dealing damage means you roll thedamage dice for your class and modify itbased on the weapon you were using forthat move. You have to be wielding aweapon to use your class’s damage dice.Default damage without a weapon is 1.

Some moves say "take +1 forward ." Thatmeans to take +1 to your next move roll(not damage). The bonus can be greaterthan +1, or even a penalty, like -1. Therealso might be a condition, such as "take+1 forward to Hack and Slash," in whichcase the bonus applies only to the nexttime you roll Hack and Slash, not anyother move.

Some moves say "take +1 ongoing ." Thatmeans to take +1 to all move rolls (notdamage). The bonus can be larger than+1, or it can be a penalty, like -1. Therealso might be a condition, such as "take+1 ongoing to Volley." An ongoing bonusalso says what causes it to end, like "untilyou dismiss the spell" or "until you atoneto your deity."

Some moves give you hold . Hold iscurrency that allows you to make somechoices later on by spending the hold asthe move describes. Hold is always savedup for the move that generated it; youcan’t spend your hold from Defend onTrap Sense or vice versa.

There are some moves that all the play-ers have access to. These are the Basicand Special moves. Basic moves are thethings that happen often—players willroll these a lot. Special moves are movesthat come up less frequently, but every-one has access to them.

Each class also has some of its ownmoves. Some of these moves are start-ing moves that the class starts with.Others are advanced moves that theplayer may choose as their character

grows.

StatsThe basic stats are:

Strength (Str). The character’s physi-cal force and muscle. Used for moves inmelee combat and breaking things.

Dexterity (Dex). The character’s preci-sion and aim. Used for moves in rangedcombat and avoiding things.

Constitution (Con). The character’shealth and ability to take a beating. Usedfor moves that endure things and surviv-ing dangers.

Intelligence (Int). The character’s ac-cumulated knowledge and logical think-ing. Used for moves that rely on re-membered facts and casting some kindsof spells.

Wisdom (Wis). The character’s keensenses and mental defenses. Used formoves that rely on noticing things andcasting some kinds of spells.

Charisma (Cha). The character’s forceof personality and charm. Used for socialmoves.

Each basic stat has a score from 3 to 18and a modifier from -3 to +3. Whena stat is spelled out (like "Strength") thatrefers to the score, when the three letterabbreviation (like "Str") is used it refersto the modifier. The stat’s modifier de-pends on the stat’s score:Score Modifier1-3 -3

4-5 -2

6-8 -1

9-11 0

12-15 +1

16-17 +2

18 +3

There are also a few special stats:

Bond is how well your character knowsanother character. You use Bond to aidanother character or interfere with theiractions. Bond is about knowledge andnot about how well you get along or howsimilar you are. Bond may also be asym-metrical: the Fighter might know theWizard very well, but the Wizard doesn’tpay much attention to the Fighter. YourBond with someone starts based on yourhistory with them. Each class has start-ing bonds with blanks to fill in names.When you roll+Bond, count the numberof Bonds you have with that person andadd that to the roll.

Level reflects how your character hasgrown. Your character starts at level 1,and may advance all the way to level 10.Your level tracks how far you’ve grown.As you advance in level you gain newmoves.

EquipmentEvery adventurer needs stuff: weapons,spellbooks, armor, holysymbols, and thelike. Each item says what it does. Ingeneral, weapons define the way a char-acter deals damage with it and at whatrange they can do that damage. Armorand shields reduce damage taken. Otheritems have various effects.

Items say what they do through theirtags . A tag is a word or phrase that indi-cates some common ability the item pos-sess. The Messy tag, for example, meansthe weapon does damage in a particularlydevastating way.

All items, unless otherwise noted, aremundane . They’re not magical in anyway. Some items are enchanted—theywork through arcane or divine tricks.These magic items are tougher to get,tougher to destroy, and more powerfulto use.

Characters are limited in how much theycan carry by their Load . Load is deter-mined by class. Carrying items whosetotal weight is more than your loadcauses problems.

Some classes have other specific tools attheir disposal like custom gear or ties topowerful entities or organizations. Therules for these are detailed with eachclass.

Damage and HPDungeon World is a dangerous place inmany ways, not least of which are thephysical perils that await in the forgottenhalls where adventurers explore. Eachcharacter has HP . HP is short for hitpoints; it’s a number which reflects acharacter’s condition. The character’sHP value is determined by their class andConstitution score. Your HP doesn’t au-tomatically go up as you level, but if yourConstitution score changes you updateyour HP as well.

When a character takes damage they re-duce their current HP by that amount. Iftheir current HP falls to zero it meansthey’re dying and must immediatelymake the Last Breath move. HP nevergoes negative; if damage would take acharacter’s HP below zero set it to zeroinstead.

Depending on the outcome of the LastBreath move a character may be stableat 0 HP. Stable means the character won’tget worse on their own but they won’tget better without care or time. If a sta-ble character takes damage they stay at 0HP but must make the Last Breath moveagain immediately.

Armor prevents damage. When you takedamage you subtract your armor fromthe damage dealt.

Advancement The Flow of Play

6

The Cleric is all about healing HP. With-out the Cleric’s healing magics, adven-turers are left at the mercies of ban-dages, poultices, and other crude med-icines, plus the odd healing potion.

HP tracks the assorted bruises and cutsthat accumulate but some wounds godeeper. These are debilities . Debil-ities give you a -1 to your modifier forone stat. They don’t effect the base score(so being Weak won’t effect your Load,just your Str modifier). They’re tougherto heal than HP, your best bet is to getsomewhere safe and spend a few daysresting to get rid of them.

AdvancementAdventurers in Dungeon World growand learn from their experiences. Even-tually, with time and luck, they surviveto level up.

Experience is tracked via XP . Playersmark XP by keeping a tally on their char-acter sheet. When they have XP marksequal to their current level + 7 they areready to level up, but they do not actuallylevel up until they have some downtime(usually in camp or in a nearby village).Gaining a new level means choosing anew move from your class. If your newlevel is 3rd, 6th, or 9th you also get to in-crease one stat by 2, adjusting the modi-fier to reflect the new score.

There are two times when you mark XP:when you roll a miss (6-) and when youmake the End of Session move.

Whenever you roll a miss (a 6 or lower)when making a move you mark XP. Theseare the tough lessons of the adventuringlife.

At the end of each session one of yourBonds may resolve. When a Bond is nolonger applicable it can be resolved if theperson you share that Bond with agrees.When a Bond is resolved you mark XPand write a new bond.

You also look back at your alignmentover the session you just concluded. Ifyou fulfilled your alignment at least oncein the session you’ll get XP.

The End of Session move also has threequestions that all the players answer asa group. For each "yes" answer everyonegains XP.

SessionsA session of Dungeon World is one timeyou sit down to play. A session usuallyruns a few hours and may be a singleadventure or part of a larger campaign.

The first session of a game starts off a lit-tle different. First you’ll need to choosea GM. Once the GM is settled, everyoneelse will need to make characters. Seethe character creation chapter for moreon that.

During character creation, the GM willbe asking questions and making plansfor how to start the game. A game ofDungeon World always starts with ac-tion, either action already underway orimpending.

Such a situation will lead to the charac-ters making moves, which will cause fur-ther moves. Moves lead to more moves.This snowballing action from move tomove is what builds an exciting game.Once a few moves have been made, you’llfind it easy to keep going. The moveswill keep giving you ideas and promptsfor further action which leads to moremoves.

Why?Why play Dungeon World?

First, to see the characters do amazingthings . To see them explore the un-explored, slay the undying, and go fromthe deepest bowels of the world to thehighest peaks of the heavens. To seethem caught up in momentous eventsand grand tragedies.

Second, to see them play off eachother : to stand together as a unitedfront against their foes or to bicker andargue over treasure. To unite and fallapart and reunite again.

Third, because the world still hasso many places to explore . Thereare unlooted tombs and dragon hordesdotting the countryside just waiting forquick-fingered and strong-armed ad-venturers to discover them. That un-explored world has plans of its own. Weplay to see what they are and how they’llchange the lives of our characters.

Character Creation 1. Choose a Class

7

4CharacterCreation

Making Dungeon World characters isquick and easy. You should all createyour first characters together at the be-ginning of your first session. Charactercreation is, just like play, a kind of con-versation—everyone should be there forit. It’s somewhat likely your charactermay die along the way. if they do, noworries, the character creation processhelps you make a new character that fitsinto the group in just a few minutes.

If you’re the GM, your role during char-acter creation is to help everyone, askquestions, and take notes. When a playermakes a choice—particularly for theirBonds—ask them about it. Get moredetail. Think about what these detailsmean.

The GM should also set expectations: theplayers are to play their characters aspeople. Skilled adventurers delving intodangerous places, but real people. TheGM’s role is to play the rest of the worldas a dynamic, changing place.

Some questions commonly come up dur-ing character creation:

Are the characters friends? No, not nec-essarily, but they do work together as ateam for common goals. Their reasonsfor pursuing those goals may be differ-ent, but they generally manage to worktogether.

Are there other Wizards? Not really. Thereare other workers of arcane magic, andthe common folk may call them wizards,but they’re not like you. They don’t havethe same abilities, though they may besimilar. Same goes for any class: there’sonly one Cleric, though there are manywith similar powers of divine servitude.There’s only one Thief, but there are oth-ers that fight from the shadows and stealthings.

What’s coin? Coin’s the currency of therealm. It’s good pretty much every-where. It’ll buy you mundane stuff, likesteel swords and wooden staves, but thespecial stuff, like magic weapons, isn’tfor sale.

Is the GM trying to kill us? Nope. The GMrepresents the world. It’s a dangerousplace, and yeah, you might die. But she’snot trying to kill you.

Most everything you need to createa character you’ll find on the charac-ter sheets. These steps will walk youthrough filling out a character sheet.

1. Choose a ClassLook over the character classes andchoose one that interests you. Everyonechooses a different class; there aren’t twoWizards. If two people want the sameclass, talk it over like adults and com-promise.

I sit down with Paul and Shannon to play agame run by John. I’ve got some cool ideasfor a Wizard, so I mention that would bemy first choice. No one else was thinking ofplaying one, so I take the playbook.

2. Choose a RaceEvery class has a few race options.Choose one. Your race gives you a specialmove.

I like the idea of summoning up Things FromBeyond, so I choose Human, since that givesme a bonus to Summoning spells. I thoughtabout being an Elf, but Shannon’s playingthe Cleric so I don’t think we’ll need moreCleric spells.

3. Choose a NameChoose your character’s name from thelist.

Avon sounds good.

4. Choose LookYour look is your physical appearance.Choose one item from each list.

Haunted eyes sound good, since I’ve seenThings From Beyond. No good Wizard hastime for hair styling, wild hair it is. My robesare strange, and I mention to everyone that Ithink maybe they came from Beyond as partof one of my summonings. No time to eatwith all that magic: thin body.

5. Choose StatsLook over the basic moves and the start-ing moves for your class. Pick out themove that interests you the most: some-thing you’ll be doing a lot, or somethingthat you excel at. Put your 17 in the statfor that move. Look over the list againand pick out the next most importantmove to your character, maybe some-thing that supports your first choice. Putyour 15 in the stat for that move. Repeatthis process for your remaining scores:13, 11, 9, 8.

Alternatively, if everyone wants a lit-tle more randomness then you can rollstats. Roll 3d6 and assign the total to astat—repeat this until you have all yourstats.

If you want something really randomyou can roll for stats in order (Str, Dex,Con, Int, Wis, Cha). If you choose thismethod you get to roll before you chooseyour class.

6. Figure Out Modifiers Character Creation

8

It looks like I need Intelligence to cast spells,which are my thing, so my 17 goes there. TheDefy Danger option for Dexterity looks likesomething I might be doing to dive out ofthe way of a spell, so that gets my 15. A13 Wisdom will help me notice importantdetails (and maybe keep my sanity, based onthe Defy Danger move). Charisma might beuseful is dealing with summoned creaturesso I’ll put my 11 there. Living is always nice,so I put my 9 in Constitution for some extraHP. Strength gets the 8.

6. Figure Out ModifiersNext you need to figure out the modi-fiers for your stats. The modifiers arewhat you use when a move says +Dex or+Cha. You won’t actually use the rawscores much.Score Modifier1-3 -3

4-5 -2

6-8 -1

9-11 0

12-15 +1

16-17 +2

18 +3

7. Set Starting HPYour starting HP is equal to your class’sbase HP+Constitution score.

Base 4 plus 9 con gives me a whopping 13 HP.I guess Summoning takes a toll on the body.

8. Choose Starting MovesSome classes, like the Fighter, havechoices to make as part of one of theirmoves. Make these choices now. TheWizard will need to choose spells fortheir spellbook. Both the Cleric and theWizard will need to choose which spellsthey have prepared to start with.

ASummoningspell isaneasychoice, soItakeContact Spirits. Magic Missile will allowme to deal more damage than my pitiful d4damage dice, so that’s in too. I choose Alarmfor my last spell, since I can think of someinteresting uses for it.

9. Choose AlignmentYour alignment is a few words that de-scribe your character’s moral outlook.These are general and tend to guide yourcharacter’s outlook rather than dictatetheir actions. Usually alignment is a sin-gle term declaring the character’s alle-giance to the forces of good, the hordesof evil, or the path of neutrality between.

The alignments are Good, Evil, and Neu-tral. Some classes may only be certainalignments. Choose your alignment—itgives you more ways to earn XP.

Avon is all about the magical mysteries,which makes the Neutral alignment standout. I’ll go with that one.

10. Choose GearEach class has choices to make for start-ing gear. Keep your Load in mind—itlimits how much you can easily carry.Make sure to total up your armor andnote it on your character sheet.

I’m worried about my HP, so I take armorover books. A dagger sounds about rightfor rituals, I choose that over a staff. It’s atoss up between the healing potion and theantitoxin, but healing wins out. I also endup with some rations.

11. Introduce Your CharacterNow that you know who your characteris, it’s time to introduce them to every-one else. Wait until everyone’s finishedchoosing their name. Then go aroundthe table; each player gets to share theirlook, class and anything else about theircharacter. You can share your alignmentnow or keep it a secret if you prefer.

This is also the time for the GM to askquestions. The GM’s questions shouldhelp establish the relationships betweencharacters ("What do you think aboutthat?") and draw the group into the ad-venture ("Does that mean you’ve metGrundloch before?"). The GM shouldlisten to everything in the descriptionand ask about anything that stands out.Establish where they’re from, who theyare, how they came together, or anythingelse that seems relevant or interesting.

"ThisisAvon, summonerofThingsFromBe-yond! He’s a human wizard with hauntedeyes, wild hair, strange robes, and a thinbody. Like I mentioned before his robes arestrange because they’re literally not of thisworld: they came through as part of a sum-moning ritual."

12. Choose BondsOnce everyone has described their char-acters you can choose your Bonds. Youmust fill in one bond but it’s in your bestinterest to fill in more. For each blankfill in the name of one character. You canuse the same character for more than onestatement.

Once everyone’s filled in their bondsread them out to the group. When a move

has you roll+bonds you’ll count the num-ber of Bonds you have with the characterin question and add that to the roll.

With everyone introduced I choose whichcharacter to list in each Bond, I have Paul’sFighter Gregor and Shannon’s Cleric Brin-ton to choose from. The Bond aboutprophecy sounds fun, so I choose Gregor forit and end up with "Gregor will play an im-portant role in the events to come. I haveforeseen it!" It seems like The Wizard whocontacts Things From Beyond and the Clericmight not see eye to eye, so I add Shannon’scharacter and get "Brinton is woefully mis-informed about the world; I will teach themall that I can." I leave my last Bond blank,I’ll deal with it later. Once everyone is doneI read my Bonds aloud and we all discusswhat this means about why we’re togetherand where we’re going.

Basic Moves Hack and Slash

9

5Basic Moves

Hack and SlashWhen you attack an enemy in melee ,roll+Str. On a 10+ you deal your damageto the enemy and avoid their attack. Atyour option, you may choose to do +1d6damage but expose yourself to the en-emy’s attack. On a 7–9, you deal yourdamage to the enemy and the enemymakes an attack against you.

VolleyWhen you take aim and shoot at anenemy at range , roll+Dex. On a 10+you have a clear shot—deal your dam-age. On a 7–9, choose one (whicheveryou choose you deal your damage):

• You have to move to get the shot plac-ing you in danger of the GM’s choice

• You have to take what you can get:-1d6 damage

• You have to take several shots, reduc-ing your ammo by one.

Defy DangerWhen you act despite an imminentthreat or suffer a calamity , say howyou deal with it and roll. If you do it . . .

• . . . by powering through, +Str• . . . by getting out of the way or acting

fast, +Dex• . . . by enduring, +Con• . . . with quick thinking, +Int• . . . through mental fortitude, +Wis• . . . using charm and social grace,

+Cha

On a 10+, you do what you set out to,the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a7–9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch: theGM will offer you a worse outcome, hardbargain, or ugly choice.

DefendWhen you stand in defense of a per-son, item, or location under attack,roll+Con. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9,hold 1. So long as you stand in defense,when you or the thing you defend is at-tacked you may spend hold, 1 for 1, tochoose an option:

• Redirect an attack from the thing youdefend to yourself

• Halve the attack’s effect or damage• Open up the attacker to an ally giv-

ing that ally +1 forward against theattacker

• Deal damage to the attacker equal toyour level

Spout LoreWhen you consult your accumu-lated knowledge about something

, roll+Int. On a 10+ the GM will tell yousomething interesting and useful aboutthe subject relevant to your situation. Ona 7–9 the GM will only tell you somethinginteresting—it’s on you to make it use-ful. The GM might ask you "How do youknow this?" Tell them the truth, now.

Discern RealitiesWhen you closely study a situationor person , roll+Wis. On a 10+ ask theGM 3 questions from the list below. Ona 7–9 ask 1. Take +1 forward when actingon the answers.

• What happened here recently?• What is about to happen?• What should I be on the lookout for?• What here is useful or valuable to me?• Who’s really in control here?• What here is not what it appears to

be?

ParleyWhen you you have leverage on a GMcharacter and manipulate them ,roll+Cha. Leverage is something theyneed or want. On a hit they ask youfor something and do it if you makethem a promise first. On a 7–9, theyneed some concrete assurance of yourpromise, right now.

Aid or InterfereWhen you help or hinder someoneyou have a Bond with , roll+Bond withthem. On a 10+ they take +1 or -2, yourchoice. On a 7–9 you also expose yourselfto danger, retribution, or cost.

Last Breath Special Moves

10

6SpecialMoves

Last BreathWhen you’re dying you catch a glimpseof what lies beyond the Black Gates ofDeath’s Kingdom (the GM will describeit), then roll (just roll, +nothing—yeah,Death doesn’t care how tough or cool youare). On a 10+ you’re stable. On a 7–9Death will offer you a bargain—take itand stabilize or refuse and pass beyondthe Black Gates into whatever fate awaitsyou. On a miss, you are dead.

EncumbranceWhen you make a move while car-rying weight up to or equal to Load,you’re fine. When you make a movewhile carrying weight equal to load+1 orload+2, you take -1. When you make amove while carrying weight greater thanload+2, you have a choice: drop at least1 weight and roll at -1, or automaticallyfail.

Make CampWhen you settle in to rest consumea ration. If you’re somewhere danger-ous decide the watch order as well. Ifyou have enough XP you may Level Up.When you wake from at least a few un-interrupted hours of sleep heal damageequal to half your max HP.

Take WatchWhen you you’re on watch andsomething approaches the camproll+Wis. On a 10+ you’re able to wakethe camp and prepare a response, thecamp takes +1 forward. On a 7–9 youreact just a moment too late; the campis awake but hasn’t had time to prepare.You have weapons and armor but littleelse. On a miss whatever lurks outsidethe campfire’s light has the drop on you.

Undertake a Perilous JourneyWhen you travel through hostile terri-tory, choose one member of the party toact as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, andone to be quartermaster (the same char-acter cannot have two jobs). If you don’thave enough party members or choosenot to assign a job, treat that job as ifit had rolled a 6. Each character with ajob to do rolls+Wis. On a 10+ the quar-termaster reduces the number of rationsrequired by one. On a 10+ the trailblazerreduces the amount of time it takes toreach your destination (the GM will sayby how much). On a 10+ the scout willspot any trouble quick enough to let youget the drop on it. On a 7–9 each rolesperforms their job as expected: the nor-mal number of rations are consumed, thejourney takes about as long as expected,no one gets the drop on you but you don’tget the drop on them either.

Level UpWhen you have downtime (hours ordays) and XP equal to (or greaterthan) your current level + 7 , subtractyour current level +7 from your XP, in-crease your level by 1, and choose a newadvanced move from your class. If youare the Wizard, you also get to add a newspell to your spellbook.

If your new level is 3, 6, or 9, you alsoget to increase a stat by 2. Increase thebase score of the stat of your choice by2, adjust the modifier to reflect the newscore. Changing your Constitution in-creases your maximum and current HP.Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.

End of SessionWhen you reach the end of a session, choose one your bonds that you feel isresolved (completely explored, no longerrelevant, or otherwise). Ask the player ofthe character you have the bond with ifthey agree. If they do, mark XP and writea new bond with whomever you wish.

Once bonds have been updated look atyour alignment. If you fulfilled thatalignment at least once this session,mark XP. Then answer these three ques-tions as a group:

• Did we learn something new and im-portant about the world?

• Did we overcome a notable monsteror enemy?

• Did we loot a memorable treasure?

For each "yes" answer everyone marksXP.

CarouseWhen you return triumphant andthrow a big party , spend 100 coin androll + extra 100s of coin spent. On a 10+choose 3. On a 7–9 choose 1. On a miss,you still choose one, but things get reallyout of hand.

• You befriend a useful NPC• You hear rumors of an opportunity• You gain useful information• You are not entangled, ensorcelled,

or tricked

SupplyWhen you go to buy something withgold on hand , if it’s something read-ily available in the settlement you’re in,you can buy it at market price. If it’ssomething special, beyond what’s usu-ally available here, or non-mundane,roll+Cha. On a 10+ you find what you’relooking for at a fair price. On a 7–9 you’llhave to pay more or settle for somethingsimilar.

Special Moves Recover

11

RecoverWhen you do nothing but rest incomfort and safety after a day of restyou recover all your HP. After three daysof rest you remove one debility of yourchoice. If you’re under the care of ahealer (magical or otherwise) you heala debility for every two days of rest in-stead.

RecruitWhen you put out word that you’relooking to hire help , roll. If you makeit known . . .

• . . . that your pay is generous, take +1• . . . what you’re setting out to do, take

+1• . . . that they’ll get a share of whatever

you find, take +1

If you have a useful reputation aroundthese parts take an additional +1. On a10+ you’ve got your pick of a numberof skilled applicants, your choice whoyou hire, no penalty for not taking themalong. On a 7–9 you’ll have to settlefor someone close or turn them away.On a miss someone influential and ill-suited declares they’d like to come along(a foolhardy youth, a loose-cannon, or aveiled enemy, for example), bring themand take the consequences or turn themaway. If you turn away applicants youtake -1 forward to Recruit.

Outstanding WarrantsWhen you return to a civilized placein which you’ve caused trouble be-fore , roll+Cha. On a hit, word hasspread of your deeds and everyone rec-ognizes you. On a 7–9, that, and, the GMchooses a complication:

• The local constabulary has a warrantout for your arrest

• Someone has put a price on your head• Someone important to you has been

put in a bad spot as a result of youractions

BolsterWhen you spend your leisure timein study, meditation, or hard prac-tice, you gain preparation. If you pre-pare for a week or two, 1 preparation.If you prepare for a month or longer,3 preparation. When your preparationpays off spend 1 preparation for +1 to anyroll. You can only spend one preparationper roll.

Names The Bard

12

7The Bard

Sure, an adventurer’s life is all open roadsand the glory of coin and combat. Thosetales that are told in every farmhand-filled inn have to have some ring of truthto them, don’t they? The songs to inspirepeasantry and royals alike—to soothethe savage beast or drive men to a frenzyhave to come from somewhere.

Enter the Bard. You, with your smoothtongue and quick wit. You teller-of-talesand singer-of-songs. It takes a mereminstrel to retell a thing but a true Bardto live it. Strap on your boots, noble ora-tor. Sharpen that hidden dagger and takeup the call. Someone’s got to be there,fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with thegoons and the thugs and the soon-to-be-heroes. Who better than you to write thetale of your own heroism?

Nobody. Get going.

NamesElf : Astrafel, Daelwyn, Feliana, Damarra,Sistranalle, Pendrell, Melliandre, Dagoliir

Human : Baldric, Leena, Dunwick,Willem, Edwyn, Florian, Seraphine,Quorra, Charlotte, Lily, Ramonde, Cas-sandra

LookChoose one for each:

KnowingEyes, FieryEyes, orJoyous Eyes

Fancy Hair, Wild Hair, or Stylish Cap

Finery, Traveling Clothes, or PoorClothes

Fit Body, Well-fed Body, or Thin Body

StatsAssign these scores to your stats:

17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)

You start with 6+Constitution HP.

Your base damage is d6.

Starting MovesChoose a racial move:

ElfWhen you enter an important location(your call) you can ask the GM for onefact from the history of that location.

HumanWhen you first enter a civilized settle-ment someone who respects the customof hospitality to minstrels will take youin as their guest.You start with these moves:

Arcane Art (Cha)When you weave a performance into abasic spell, choose an ally and an effect:

• Heal 1d8 damage• +1d4 forward to damage• Their mind is shaken clear of one en-

chantment• The next time the target is Aided, on

a hit they get +2 instead of +1

Then roll+Cha. On a hit, the ally gets theselected effect. On a 7-9, you also drawunwanted attention or your magic rever-berates to other targets affecting them aswell, GM’s choice.

Bardic LoreChoose an area of expertise:

• On Spells and Magicks• The Dead and Undead• Grand Histories of the Known World• A Bestiary of Creatures Unusual• The Planar Spheres• Legends of Heroes Past• Gods and Their Servants

When you first encounter an importantcreature, location, or item (your call) cov-ered by your Bardic Lore you can askthe GM any one question about it, theGM will answer truthfully. The GM maythen ask you what tale, song, or legendyou heard that information in.

Charming and OpenWhen you speak frankly with someone,you can ask their player a question fromthe list below. If they answer it truthfullythey then get to ask you a question fromthe list below.

• Whom do you serve?• What do you wish I would do?• How can I get you to

?• What are you really feeling right

now?• What do you most desire?

A Port in the StormWhen you return to a civilized settle-ment you’ve visited before, tell the GMwhen you were last here. They’ll tell youhow its changed since then.

AlignmentChoose an alignment:

GoodPerform your art to aid someone else

NeutralAvoid a conflict or defuse a tense situa-tion

The Bard Gear

13

ChaoticSpur others to significant and unplanneddecisive action

GearYour Load is 5+Str. You have dungeonrations (5 uses, 1 weight). Choose oneinstrument:

• Your father’s mandolin, repaired• A fine lute, a gift from a noble• The pipes with which you courted

your first love• A stolen horn• A fiddle, never before played• A songbook in a forgotten tongue

Choose your clothing:

• Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight)• Ostentatious clothes

Choose your armament:

• Dueling rapier (Close, Precise, 2weight)

• Worn bow (Near, 2 weight), bundle ofarrows (3 ammo, 1 weight), and shortsword (Close, 1 weight)

Choose one:

• Adventuring Gear (1 weight)• Bandages (0 weight)• Halfling pipeleaf (1 weight)• 3 coin

BondsFill in the name of one of your compan-ions in at least one:

This is not my first adventure with

.

I sang stories of

long before I ever met them in person.

is often the butt of my jokes.

I am writing a ballad about the adven-tures of

.

trusted me with a secret.

does not trust me, and for good reason.

Advanced MovesWhen you gain a level from 2-5,choose from these moves.

Healing SongWhen you heal with Arcane Art, you heal+1d8 damage.

Vicious CacophonyWhen you grant bonus damage with Ar-cane Art, you grant an extra +1d4 dam-age.

It Goes To ElevenWhen you unleash a crazed performance(a righteous lute solo, mighty brass blast,confusing interpretive dance) choose atarget who can hear you and roll+Cha.On a 10+ the target flails in confusiondealing its damage to a creature of yourchoosing. On a 7–9 it deals its damage,but then takes +1d4 damage ongoing asthe music invigorates it.

Metal HurlantWhen you shout with great force or playa shattering note choose a target androll+Con. On a hit the target takes 2d6damage and is deafened for a few min-utes. On a 7–9 it’s out of control: the GMwill choose an additional target nearby.

A Little Help From My FriendsWhen you successfully Aid someone youtake +1 forward as well.

Eldritch TonesWhen you use Arcane Art, you choosetwo effects instead of one.

Duelist’s ParryWhen you Hack and Slash, you take +1armor forward.

BamboozleWhen you Parley with someone, on a hityou also take +1 forward with them.

Multiclass DabblerGet one move from another class. Treatyour level as one lower for choosing themove.

Multiclass InitiateGet one move from another class. Treatyour level as one lower for choosing themove.When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

Healing ChorusReplaces: Healing Song

When you heal with Arcane Art, you heal+2d8 damage.

Vicious BlastReplaces: Vicious Cacophony

When you grant bonus damage with Ar-cane Art, you grant an extra +1d4 dam-age.

Unforgettable FaceWhen you meet someone you’ve met be-fore (your call) after some time apart youtake +1 forward against them.

Reputation (Cha)When you first meet someone who’sheard songs about you, roll+Cha. On a10+, tell the GM two things they’ve heardabout you. On a 7-9, tell the GM one thingthey’ve heard, and the GM tells you onething.

Eldritch ChordReplaces: Eldritch Tones

When you use Arcane Art, you choosetwo effects. You also get to choose one ofthose effects to double.

An Ear For MagicWhen you hear an enemy cast a spell theGM will tell you the name of the spell andits effects. Take +1 forward when actingon the answers.

DeviousWhen you use Charming and Open youmay also ask "How are you vulnerableto me?" Your subject may not ask thisquestion of you.

Advanced Moves The Bard

14

Duelist’s BlockReplaces: Duelist’s Parry

When you Hack and Slash, you take +2armor forward.

ConReplaces: Bamboozle

When you Parley with someone, on a hityou also take +1 forward with them andget to ask their player one question whichthey must answer truthfully.

Multiclass MasterGet one move from another class. Treatyour level as one lower for choosing themove.

The Cleric Names

15

8The Cleric

The lands of Dungeon World are a gods-forsaken mess. They’re lousy with thewalking dead, beasts of all sorts, and thevast unnatural spaces between safe andtemple-blessed civilizations. It is a god-less world out there. That’s why it needsyou.

Bringing the glory of your god to theheathens isn’t just in your nature—it’syour calling. It falls to you to prosely-tize with sword and mace and spell. Tocleave deep into the witless heart of thewilds and plant the seed of divinity there.Some say that it is best to keep god closeto your heart. You know that’s rubbish.God lives at the edge of a blade. Show theworld who is lord.

NamesDwarf : Durga, Aelfar, Gerda, Rur-gosh, Bjorn, Drummond, Helga, Siggrun,Freya

Human : Wesley, Brinton, Jon, Sara,Hawthorn, Elise, Clarke, Lenore, Piotr,Dahlia, Carmine


Kind Eyes, Sharp Eyes, or Sad Eyes

Tonsure, Strange Hair, or Bald

Flowing Robes, Habit, or Common Garb

ThinBody, KnobbyBody, orFlabby Body


17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)




DwarfYou are one with stone. When you Com-mune you are also granted a special ver-sion of Words of the Unspeaking whichonly works on stone as a Rote.

HumanYour faith is diverse. Choose one Wizardspell. You can cast and be granted thatspell as if it was a Cleric spell.You start with these moves:

DeityYou serve and worship some deity orpower which grants you spells. Giveyour god a name (maybe Helferth, Su-cellus, or Zorica) and choose your deity’sdomain:

• Healing and Restoration

• Bloody Conquest• Civilization• Knowledge and Hidden Things• The Downtrodden and Forgotten• What Lies Beneath

Choose one precept of your religion:

• Your religion preaches the sanctity ofsuffering, add Petition: Suffering

• Your religion is cultish and insular,add Petition: Gaining Secrets

• Your religion has important sacrifi-cial rites, add Petition: Offering

• Your religion believes in trial by com-bat, add Petition: Personal Victory

Divine GuidanceWhen you fulfill your religion’s peti-tion your deity grants you some usefulknowledge or boon related to their do-main. The GM will tell you what.

Turn UndeadWhen you hold your holy symbol aloftand pray aloud for protection, roll+Wis.On a hit so long as you continue to prayand brandish your holy symbol no un-dead may come within reach of you. Ona 10+ intelligent undead are momentar-ily dazed by the radiance of your god andmindless undead flee. If you move ag-gressively towards an undead creaturewhile Turning them it breaks the effectsand they are able to act as normal. Intel-ligent undead, vampires and so on, maystill find ways to harry you from afar.They’re clever like that.

CommuneWhen you spend uninterrupted time (anhour or so) in quiet communion withyour deity, you lose any spells alreadygranted to you and are granted new spellsof your choice whose total levels don’texceed your own+1. You also prepareyour rotes; they don’t count against yourlimit. You can’t prepare spells that arehigher level than you.

Cast a SpellWhen you unleash a spell granted to youby your deity, roll+Wis. On a 10+, thespell is successfully cast and your deitydoes not revoke the spell, so you may castit again. On a 7-9, the spell is cast, butchoose one:

• You draw unwelcome attention orput yourself in a spot (the GM willdescribe it).

• Your casting distances you from yourdeity—take -1 ongoing to Cast a Spelluntil you Commune.

• After you cast it, the spell is revokedby your deity. You cannot cast thespell again until you Commune and

Alignment The Cleric

16

have it granted to you.


GoodEndanger yourself to heal another

LawfulEndanger yourself following the pre-cepts of your church or god

EvilHarm another to prove the superiority ofyour church or god

GearYour Load is 7+Str. You carry dungeonrations (1 weight, 5 uses) and some sym-bol of the divine, describe it (weight 0).Choose your defenses:

• Chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight)• Shield (+1 armor, 2 weight)

Choose your armament:

• Warhammer (Close, 1 weight)• Mace (Close, 1 weight)• Staff (Close, Two-handed, 1 weight)

and bandages

Choose one:

• Adventuring gear (1 weight) and dun-geon rations (1 weight)

• Healing potion (1 weight)


has insulted my deity; I do not trustthem.

is a good and faithful person; I trustthem implicitly.

is in constant danger, I will keep themsafe.

I am working on converting

to my faith.

Advanced Moves

When you gain a level from 2-5,choose from these moves.

Chosen OneChoose one spell. You are granted thatspell as if it was one level lower.

InvigorateWhen you heal someone they take +2damage forward.

The Scales of Life and DeathWhen someone takes their Last Breathin your presence they take +1 to the roll.

SerenityYou are able to divide your power effec-tively. When you cast a spell you ignorethe first -1 penalty from ongoing spells.

First AidCure Light Wounds does not countagainst your limit of granted spells.

Divine InterventionWhen you Commune you get 1 hold andlose any hold you already had. Spendthat hold when you or an ally takes dam-age to call on your deity, they intervenein an appropriate idiom (a sudden gustof wind, a lucky slip, a burst of light) andnegate the damage.

PenitentWhen you take damage and embrace thepain, you may take +1d4 damage (ignor-ing armor). If you do, take +1 forward toCast a Spell.

EmpowerWhen you Cast a Spell, on a 10+ you havethe option of choosing from the 7-9 list.If you do, you may choose one of theseeffects as well:

• The spell’s effects are doubled• The spell’s targets are doubled

Orison for GuidanceWhen you sacrifice something of valueto your deity and pray for guidance yourdeity tells you what it would have you do.If you do it, mark experience.

Divine ProtectionWhen you wear no armor or shield youget 2 armor.

Devoted HealerWhen you heal someone else of damage,heal +your level damage.

When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

AnointedRequires: Chosen One

Choose one spell. You are granted thatspell as if it was one level lower.

ViciousRequires: Inquisitor

When you do damage with a spell, youdeal +1d4 damage.

ReaperWhen you take time after a conflict todedicate your victory to your deity anddeal with the dead, take +1 forward.

ProvidenceReplaces: Serenity

You ignore the -1 penalty from two spellsyou maintain.

Greater First AidRequires: First Aid

Cure Moderate Wounds does not countagainst your limit of granted spells.

Divine InvincibilityReplaces: Divine Intervention

When you Commune you get 2 hold andlose any hold you already had. Spendthat hold when you or an ally takes dam-age to call on your deity, they intervenein an appropriate idiom (a sudden gustof wind, a lucky slip, a burst of light) andnegate the damage.

MartyrReplaces: Penitent

When you take damage and embrace thepain, you may take +1d4 damage (ignor-ing armor). If you do, take +1 forwardto Cast a Spell and add your level to anydamage done or healed by the spell.

The Cleric Advanced Moves

17

Divine ArmorReplaces: Divine Protection

When you wear no armor or shield youget 3 armor.

Greater EmpowerReplaces: Empower

When you Cast a Spell, on a 10-11 youhave the option of choosing from the 7-9list. If you do, you may choose one ofthese effects as well. On a 12+ you get tochoose one of these effects for free.


Multiclass DabblerGet one move from another class. Treatyour level as one lower for choosing themove.

Rotes Cleric Spells

18

9Cleric Spells

RotesLight RoteAn item you touch glows with divinelight, about as bright as a torch. It givesoff no heat or sound and requires no fuelbut is otherwise like a mundane torch.You have complete control of the colorof the flame. The spell lasts as long as itis in your presence.

Sanctify RoteFood or water you hold in your handswhile you cast this spell is consecratedby your deity. In addition to now beingholy or unholy the affected substance ispurified of any mundane spoilage.

Guidance RoteThe symbol of your deity appears beforeyou and gestures towards the directionor course of action your deity would haveyou take then disappears. The messageis through gesture only; your communi-cation through this spell is severely lim-ited.

1st Level SpellsBless Level 1 OngoingYou deity smiles on the target in com-bat. They take +1 ongoing so long as bat-tle continues and they stand and fight.While this spell is ongoing you take -1 toCast a Spell.

Cure Light Wounds Level 1At your touch wounds scab and bonescease to ache. Heal an ally of 1d8 damage.

Detect Alignment Level 1When you cast this spell choose an align-ment: Good, Evil, or Neutral. One ofyour senses is briefly able to detect thatalignment. The GM will tell you whathere is of that alignment.

Cause Fear Level 1 OngoingChoose an intelligent target you can seeand a nearby object. The target is afraidof the object so long as you maintain thespell. Their reaction is up to them: flee,panic, beg, panic, fight. While this spellis ongoing you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

Magic Weapon Level 1 OngoingThe weapon you hold while casting does+1d4 damage until you dismiss this spell.Until you dismiss this spell you take -1 toCast a Spell.

Sanctuary Level 1You make an area holy to your deity.Walk the perimeter of the area. Solong as you stay within that area youare alerted whenever someone acts withmalice within the sanctuary (includingentering with harmful intent). Anyonewho receives healing within a Sanctuaryheals +1d4 HP.

Speak With Dead Level 1 DeathA corpse converses with you briefly. Itwill answer any three questions you poseto it to the best of the knowledge it had in

life and the knowledge it gained in death.

3rd Level SpellsAnimate Dead Level 3 OngoingYou invoke a hungry spirit to possess arecently-dead body and act for you. Thisforms a zombie that follows your ordersto the best of its limited abilities. Treatthe zombie as your character, but withaccess to only the basic moves. It has a+1 modifier for all stats and 1 HP. Whilethis spell is ongoing you take -1 to Cast aSpell. You get 1d4 of these effects:

• The zombie is talented. Give one stata +2 modifier.

• The zombie is durable. It has +2 HPfor each level you have.

• The zombie has a functioning brainand can complete complex tasks.

• The zombie is restored by magic—itdoes not appear obviously dead, atleast for a day or two.

Cure Moderate Wounds Level 3You staunch bleeding and set bonesthrough magic. Heal an ally of 2d8 dam-age.

Darkness Level 3 OngoingChoose an area you can see: it’s filledwith supernatural darkness and shadow.While this spell is ongoing you take -1 toCast a Spell.

Resurrection Level 3Tell the GM you would like to resurrecta corpse whose soul has not yet fullydeparted this world. The GM will tellyou "yes, you can resurrect them, butfirst . . . " or "yes, you can resurrect themnow, but it won’t be permanent until . . . "and then one to all of the things from thislist:

• It’s going to take days/weeks/months• You must ____• You must get help from ____• It will require a lot of money• You must sacrifice ____ to do it

Hold Person Level 3Choose a creature you can see. Until youCast a Spell or leave their presence theycannot act except to speak. If they’reharmed this effect ends.

5th Level SpellsRevelation Level 5Your deity answers your prayers with amoment of perfect understanding. TheGM will explain the root cause of the cur-rent situation. When acting on the infor-mation, you take +1 Forward.

Cure Critical Wounds Level 5Heal an ally of 3d8 damage.

Divination Level 5Name a person, place, or thing you wantto learn about. Your deity grants you

Cleric Spells 7th Level Spells

19

visions of the target, as clear as if youwere there.

Contagion Level 5 OngoingWhile this spell is ongoing a target youcan see suffers from the disease of yourchoice and you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

Words of the Unspeaking Level 5With a touch you speak to the spiritswithin things. The non-living object youtouch responds to three questions youpose, answering them as best it can.

True Seeing Level 5 OngoingWhile this spell is ongoing your vision isopened to the true nature of everythingyou lay your eyes on and you take -1 toCast a Spell. You pierce illusions and seethings that have been hidden. The GMwill describe the area before you ignoringany illusions and falsehoods, magical orotherwise.

Trap Soul Level 5When cast in the presence of a ghost orrecently dead body this spell traps thesoul in a gem you provide. While trappedthe soul answers every question posed toit and can not resist your requests. Oncereleased the soul is likely to hold a grudgeagainst its captor.

7th Level SpellsWord of Recall Level 7Choose a word. The first time after cast-ing this spell that you speak the chosenword, you and any allies touching youwhen you cast the spell are immediatelyreturned to the exact spot you cast thespell at. Casting Word of Recall againbefore speaking the word replaces theearlier recall.

Heal Level 7Touch an ally and you may restore up toyour maximum HP to them.

Harm Level 7Touch an enemy and strike them withdivine wrath—deal 2d8 damage to themand 1d6 damage to yourself (ignores ar-mor).

Sever Level 7 OngoingChoose an appendage on the target suchas an arm, tentacle, or wing. The ap-pendage is magically severed from theirbody, causing no damage but consider-able pain. Missing an appendage may,for example, keep a winged creaturefrom flying, or a bull from goring youon its horns. While you maintain thespell you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

Mark of Death Level 7Choose a creature who’s true name youknow. This spell inscribes runes that willkill that creature, should they read them.

Control Weather Level 7Pray for rain—or sun, wind, or snow.Within a day or so, your god will an-swer. The weather will change accordingto your will and last a handful of days.

9th Level SpellsCommand Elements Level 9A mass of one element (earth, air, water,or fire) that you touch as you cast thisspell takes on a form similar to yoursand carries out one command you giveit. Once the command is completed ora day passes the element retakes its oldform.

Repair Level 9Choose one event in the target’s past. Alleffects of that event, including damage,poison, disease, and magical effects, areended and repaired. HP and diseases arehealed, poisons are neutralized, magicaleffects are ended.

Divine Presence Level 9 OngoingEvery creature must ask your leave to en-ter your presence, and you must speakpermission for them to enter. Any crea-ture that you deny permission takes anextra 1d10 damage whenever they takedamage in your presence. While thisspell is ongoing you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

Consume Unlife Level 9The mindless undead creature you touchis destroyed and you steal its death en-ergy to heal yourself or the next ally youtouch of damage equal to its current HP.

Peace Level 9Choose one traumatic memory in the tar-get’s past. The target’s memory of thatevent is calmly erased. If the target is aPC, they must be willing.

Names The Fighter

20

10The Fighter

It’s a thankless job—living day to day byyour armor and the skill of your arm. Todive heedlessly into danger. They won’tbe playing golden horns for the time youtook that knife to the ribs for them in thebar in Bucksberg. No flock of angels tosing of the time you dragged them, stillscreaming, from the edge of the Pits ofMadness, no.

Forget them.

You do this for the guts and the glory.The scream of battle and the hot hotblood of it. You are a beast of iron.Your friends may carry blades of forgedsteel but, Fighter, you are steel. Whileyour traveling companions might moanabout their wounds over a campfire inthe wilderness, you bear your scars withpride.

You are the wall—let every dangersmash itself to nothing on you. In theend, you’ll be the last one standing.

NamesDwarf : Ozruk, Surtur, Brunhilda, An-nika, Janos, Greta, Dim, Rundrig, Jarl,Xotoq

Elf : Elohiir, Sharaseth, Hasrith, She-varal, Cadeus, Eldar, Kithracet, Thelian

Halfling : Finnegan, Olive, Randolph,Bartleby, Aubrey, Baldwin, Becca

Human : Hawke, Rudiger, Gregor, Bri-anne, Walton, Castor, Shanna, Ajax, Hob


Hard Eyes, Dead Eyes, or Eager Eyes

Wild Hair, Shorn Hair, or Battered Helm

Calloused Skin, Tanned Skin, or ScarredSkin

Built Body, Lithe Body, or Ravaged Body


17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)




DwarfWhen you share a drink with someone,you may Parley with them with Con in-stead of Cha.

ElfChoose one weapon—you can alwaystreat weapons of that type as if they hadthe Precise tag.

HalflingWhen you Defy Danger and use yoursmall size to your advantage, take +1.

HumanOnce per battle you may choose a damageroll (yours or someone else’s) and rerollit.You start with these moves:

Bend Bars, Lift Gates (Str)When you use pure strength to destroyan inanimate obstacle, roll+Str. On a 10+choose 3. On a 7-9 choose 2.

• It doesn’t take a very long time• Nothing of value is damaged• It doesn’t make an inordinate amount

of noise• You can fix the thing again without a

lot of effort

ArmoredYou ignore the Clumsy tag on armor youwear.

Signature WeaponThis is your weapon. There are many likeit, but this one is yours. Your weapon isyour best friend. It is your life. Youmaster it as you master your life. Yourweapon, without you, is useless. With-out your weapon, you are useless. Youmust wield your weapon true.

Choose a base description, all are 2weight:

• Sword• Axe• Hammer• Spear• Flail• Fists

Choose the range that best fits yourweapon:

• Hand• Close• Reach

Choose two enhancements:

• Hooks and spikes. +1 damage, but +1weight.

• Sharp. +2 piercing.• Perfectly weighted. +precise.• Serrated edges. +1 damage.• Glows in the presence of one type of

creature, your choice.• Huge. +messy, +forceful.• Versatile. Choose another range.• Well-crafted. -1 weight.

Choose a look:

The Fighter Alignment

21

• Ancient• Unblemished• Ornate• Blood-stained• Sinister


GoodDefend those weaker than you

NeutralDefeat a worthy opponent

EvilKill a defenseless or surrendered enemy

GearYour Load is 9+Str. You carry your sig-nature weapon and dungeon rations (1weight, 5 uses). Choose your defenses:

• Chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight) and Ad-venturing gear (1 weight)

• Scale armor (2 armor, 3 weight)

Choose two:

• 2 Healing potions (2 weight)• shield (+1 armor, 2 weight)• Antitoxin, dungeonrations(1weight),

and poultices and herbs (1 weight)• 22 Gold


owes me their life, whether they admitit or not.

I have sworn to protect

.

I worry about the ability of

to survive in the dungeon.

is soft, but I will make them hard likeme.


Merciless

When you deal damage, deal +1d4 dam-age.

HeirloomWhen you consult the spirits of thatreside within your signature weapon,roll+Cha. The spirits will give you aninsight relating to the current situation,and might ask you some questions in re-turn. On a 10+, the GM will give you gooddetail. On a 7-9, the GM will give you animpression.

Armor MasteryWhen you take damage you can chooseto let your armor take the brunt of it.The damage is negated but your armor orshield (your choice) is -1 armor until youget it repaired at a smithy or workshop.

Improved WeaponChoose one extra enhancement for yoursignature weapon.

Seeing RedWhen you Discern Realities during com-bat, you take +1.

InterrogatorWhen you Parley using threats of im-pending violence as leverage you mayuse Str instead of Cha.

Scent of BloodWhen you Hack and Slash an enemy, youtake +1d4 damage forward against thatenemy.

Multiclass DabblerGet one move from another class. Forthe purposes of Multiclass Dabbler theWizard’s Spellbook, Prepare Spells, andCast a Spell moves count as one move.The Cleric’s Commune and Cast a Spellmoves also count as one move. If yougain the ability to cast spells you castthem as if you were one level lower.

Iron HideYou gain +1 armor.

BlacksmithWhen you have access to a forge you cangraft the magical powers of a weapononto your signature weapon. Thisprocess destroys the magical weapon.Your signature weapon gains the mag-ical powers of the destroyed weapon.When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

Bloodthirsty

Replaces: Merciless

When you deal damage, deal +1d8 dam-age.

Armored PerfectionReplaces: Armor Mastery

When you take damage you can chooseto let your armor take the brunt of it. Thedamage is negated and you take +1 for-ward against the attacker but your armoror shield (your choice) is -1 armor untilyou get it repaired at a smithy or work-shop.

Evil EyeRequires: Seeing Red

When you go into a dangerous situation,roll+Cha. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9,hold 1. Spend your hold to make eye con-tact with an NPC present, who freezes orflinches and can’t act until you break itoff. On a miss, your enemies immedi-ately identify you as their biggest threat.

Taste of BloodReplaces: Scent of Blood

When you Hack and Slash an enemy, youtake +1d8 damage forward against thatenemy.

Multiclass InitiateRequired: Multiclass Dabbler

Get one move from another class. Treatyour level as one lower for choosing themove.

Steel HideReplaces: Iron Hide

You gain +2 armor.

Through Death’s EyesWhen you go into battle, roll+Wis. Ona 10+, name someone who will live andsomeone who will die. On a 7-9, namesomeone who will live or someone whowill die. Name NPCs, not player char-acters. The GM will make your visioncome true, if it’s even remotely possible.On a 6- you see your own death and con-sequently take a -1 throughout the battle.

Advanced Moves The Fighter

22

Eye for WeaponryWhenyoulookoveranenemy’sweaponry,ask the GM how much damage they do.

Superior WarriorWhen you Hack and Slash on a 12+ youdeal your damage, avoid their attack, andimpress, dismay, or frighten your en-emy.

The Paladin Names

23

11The Paladin

Hell awaits. An eternity of torment infire or ice or whatever best suits thesins of the damned throngs of DungeonWorld. All that stands between the pitsof that grim torture and salvation is you.Holy man, armored war machine, tem-plar of the Good and the Light, right?The Cleric may say his prayers at night tothe gods, dwelling in their heavens. TheFighter may wield his sharp sword in thename of “good” but you know. Only you.

Eyes, hands, and sweet killing blow ofthe gods, you are. Yours is the gift ofrighteousness and virtue. Of justice. Vi-sion, too. A purity of intent that yourcompanions do not have. So guide thesefools, Paladin. Take up your holy causeand bring salvation to the wastrel world.

Vae victis, right?

NamesThaddeus, Augustine, Lux, Cassius,Hadrian, Lucia, Octavia, Regulus, Vale-ria, Sanguinus, Titanius


Kind Eyes, Fiery Eyes, or Glowing Eyes

Helmet, Styled Hair, or Bald

Worn Holy Symbol or Fancy Holy Sym-bol

Fit Body, Bulky Body, or Thin Body


17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)



Starting MovesYou are human, so you get this move.

HumanWhen you pray, even for a moment, toyour deity and ask "What here is evil?"the GM will tell you, honestly.You start with these moves:

Lay on Hands (Cha)When you touch someone, skin to skin,and pray for your deity to cure them,roll+Cha. On a 10+ you heal 1d8 damageor remove one disease. On a 7-9, theyare healed, but the damage or disease istransferred to you.

ArmoredYou ignore the Clumsy tag on armor youwear.

I Am the LawWhen you give an NPC an order based

on your divine authority, roll+Cha. On ahit, they choose one:

• They do it• They back away cautiously, then flee• They attack you

On a 10+, you also take +1 forward againstthem. On a miss, they do as they pleaseand you take -1 Forward against them.

QuestWhen you dedicate yourself to a missionthrough prayer and ritual cleansing statewhat you set out to do:

• Slay

, a great blight on the land• Defend

from the inequities that beset them• Discover the truth of

Then choose up to two boons:

• An unwavering sense of direction to

.• Invulnerability to

(ex: edged weapons, fire,enchantment, etc.)

• A mark of divine authority• Senses that pierce lies• A voice that transcends language• A freedom from hunger, thirst, and

sleep

The GM will then tell you what vow orvows is required of you to maintain yourblessing:

• Honor (forbidden: cowardly tacticsand tricks)

• Temperance (forbidden: gluttony infood, drink, and pleasure of the flesh)

• Piety (required: observance of dailyholy services)

• Valor (forbidden: suffering an evilcreature to live)

• Truth (forbidden: lies)• Hospitality (required: comfort to

those in need, no matter who theyare)

Alignment The Paladin

24


LawfulDeny mercy to a criminal or unbeliever

GoodEndanger yourself to protect someoneweaker than you

GearYour Load is 8+Str. You start with dun-geon rations (1 weight, 5 uses), scale ar-mor (2 armor, 3 weight), and some markof faith, describe it (0 Weight). Chooseyour weapon:

• Halberd (Reach, +1 damage, two-handed, 2 weight)

• Long sword (Close, +1 damage, 1weight) and shield (+1 armor, 2weight)

Choose one:

• Adventuring gear (1 weight)• dungeon rations (1 weight) and heal-

ing potion


’s misguided behavior endangers theirvery soul!

has stood by me in battle and can betrusted completely.

I respect the beliefs of

but hope they will someday see the trueway.

is a brave soul, I have much to learnfrom them.


Divine FavorYou gain the Commune and Cast a SpellCleric move. Your level for the pur-poses of that move is 1 + the levels you’vegained since you took Divine Favor.

Bloody AegisWhen you take damage you can use yourbody to deflect the blow. If you do youtake no damage but instead suffer a de-bility of your choice. If you already haveall six debilities you can’t use this move.

SmiteWhile on a Quest you deal +1d4 damage.

ExterminatusWhen you speak aloud your promise todefeat an enemy, you deal +2d4 dam-age against that enemy and -4 damageagainst anyone else. This effect lasts un-til the enemy is defeated or you admityour failure and prove your worth.

Charge!When you lead the charge into combat,those you lead take +1 forward.

Staunch DefenderWhen you Defend you always get +1 hold.Even on a failure you get 1 hold.

Setup StrikeWhen you Hack and Slash, choose anally. Their next attack against your tar-get does +1d4 damage.

Holy ProtectionYou get +1 armor while on a Quest.

Voice of AuthorityTake +1 to Order Hirelings.

HospitallerWhen you heal an ally, you heal +1d8damage.When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

Evidence of FaithRequires: Divine Favor

When you see divine magic as it happens,you can ask the GM which deity grantedthe spell and its effects. Take +1 whenacting on the answers.

Holy SmiteReplaces: Smite

While on a Quest you deal +1d8 damage.

Ever OnwardReplaces: Charge!

When you lead the charge into combat,those you lead take +1 forward and +2

armor forward.

Impervious DefenderReplaces: Staunch Defender

When you Defend you always get +1 hold.Even on a failure you get 1 hold. Whenyou get a 12+ to Defend instead of get-ting hold the nearest attacking creatureis stymied giving you a clear advantage,the GM will describe it.

Tandem StrikeReplaces: Setup Strike

When you Hack and Slash, choose anally. Their next attack against your tar-get does +1d4 damage and they take +1forward against them.

Divine ProtectionReplaces: Holy Protection

You get +2 armor while on a Quest.

Divine AuthorityReplaces: Voice of Authority

Take +1 to Order Hirelings. When youroll a 12+ to Order Hirelings the hirelingtranscends their moment of fear anddoubt to perform at the peak of poten-tial.

Perfect HospitallerReplaces: Hospitaller

When you heal an ally, you heal +2d8damage.

IndomitableWhen you suffer a debility (even throughBloody Aegis) take +1 forward againstwhatever caused it.

Perfect KnightWhen you Quest you choose three boonsinstead of two.

The Ranger Names

25

12The Ranger

These city-born folk you travel with.Have they heard the call of the wolf? Feltthe winds howl in the bleak deserts of theEast? Have they hunted their prey withthe bow and the knife like you? Hell no.That’s why they need you.

Guide. Hunter. Creature of the wilds.You are these things and more. Your timein the wilderness may have been solitaryuntil now, the call of some greater thing– call it fate if you like, has cast yourlot with these folk. Brave, they may be.Powerful and strong, too. You know thesecrets of the spaces-between, though.

Without you, they’d be lost. Blaze a trailthrough the blood and dark, strider.

NamesElf : Throndir, Elrosine, Aranwe, Celion,Dambrath, Lanethe

Human : Jonah, Halek, Brandon, Emory,Shrike, Nora, Diana


Wild Eyes, Sharp Eyes, or Animal Eyes

Hooded Head, Wild Hair, or Bald

Cape, Camouflage, or Traveling Clothes

Lithe Body, Wild Body, or Sharp Body


17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)




ElfWhen you undertake a Perilous Journeythrough wilderness whatever role youtake you succeed as if you rolled a 10+.

HumanWhen you Make Camp in a dungeon orcity, you don’t need to consume a ration.You start with these moves:

Hunt and Track (Wis)When you follow a trail of clues left be-hind by passing creatures, roll+Wis. Ona hit, you follow the creature’s trail untilthere’s a significant change in its direc-tion or mode of travel. On a 10+, you alsochoose 1:

• Gain a useful bit of information aboutyour quarry, the GM will tell youwhat

• Determine what caused the trail toend

Called ShotWhen you attack a defenseless or sur-prised enemy at range, you can chooseto deal your damage or name your targetand roll+Dex.

• Head – 10+: As 7–9, plus your dam-age; 7-9: They do nothing but standand drool for a few moments.

• Arms – 10+: As 7-9, plus your dam-age; 7-9: They drop anything they’reholding.

• Legs – 10+: As 7-9, plus your dam-age; 7-9: They’re hobbled and slowmoving.

Animal CompanionYou have a supernatural connection witha loyal animal. You can’t talk to it per sebut it always acts as you wish it to. Nameyour animal companion and choose aspecies:

Wolf, cougar, bear, eagle, dog, hawk, cat,owl, pigeon, rat, mule

Choose a base:

• Ferocity +2, Cunning +1, 1 Armor, In-stinct +1

• Ferocity +2, Cunning +2, 0 Armor,Instinct +1



Choose as many strengths as its ferocity:

Fast, burly, huge, calm, adaptable, quick re-flexes, tireless, camouflage, ferocious, intim-idating, keen senses, stealthy

Your animal companion is trained tofight humanoids. Choose as many ad-ditional trainings as its cunning:

Hunt, search, scout, guard, fight monsters,perform, labor, travel

Choose as many weaknesses as its in-stinct:

Flighty, savage, slow, broken, frightening,forgetful, stubborn, lame

CommandWhen you work with your animal com-panion on something it’s trained in . . .

• . . . and you attack the same target,add its ferocity to your damage

Alignment The Ranger

26

• . . . and you track, add its cunning toyour roll

• . . . and you take damage, add its ar-mor to your armor

• . . . and you discern realities, add itscunning to your roll

• . . . and you parley, add its cunning toyour roll

• . . . and someone interferes with you,add its instinct to your roll


ChaoticFree someone from literal or figurativebonds

GoodEndanger yourself to combat an unnat-ural threat

NeutralHelp an animal or spirit of the wild

GearYour Load is 6+Str. You start with dun-geon rations (1 weight, 5 uses), leatherarmor (1 armor, 1 weight), and a bundleor arrows (3 ammo, 2 weight). Chooseyour armament:

• Hunter’s bow (Near, Far, 1 weight)and short sword (Close, 1 weight)

• Hunter’s bow (Near, Far, 1 weight)and spear (Reach, 1 weight)

Choose one:

• Adventuring gear (1 weight) and dun-geon rations (1 weight)

• adventuring gear (1 weight) and bun-dle of arrows (3 ammo, 2 weight)


I have guided

before and they owe me for it.

is a friend of nature, so I will be theirfriend as well.

has no respect for nature, so I have norespect for them.

does not understand life in the wild, so Iwill teach them.

Advanced MovesTake this move only if it is your firstadvancement

Half-ElvenSomewhere in your lineage lies mixedblood and it begins to show its presence.You gain the Elf starting move if you tookthe Human one at character creation orvice versa.When you gain a level from 2-5,choose from these moves.

Wild EmpathyYou can speak with and understand ani-mals.

Familiar PreyWhen you Spout Lore about a monsteryou use Wis instead of Int.

Viper’s StrikeWhen strike an enemy with two weaponsat once, add an extra 1d4 damage for youroff-hand strike.

CamouflageWhen you’re still in natural surround-ings, enemies never spot you until youmake a movement.

Man’s Best Friend’When you take damage and you allowyour animal companion to take the blowthe damage is negated and your animalcompanion’s Ferocity becomes 0. If itsFerocity was already 0 you can’t use thisability. When you have a few hours ofrest with your animal companion its Fe-rocity returns to normal.

Blot out the SunWhen you Volley you may spend extraammo before rolling, for each point ofammo spent you may choose an extratarget. Roll once and apply damage to alltargets.

Well TrainedChoose another training for your animalcompanion.

God Amidst the WastesYou gain the Commune and Cast a SpellCleric move. Your level for the pur-poses of that move is 1 + the levels you’vegained since you took God Amidst theWastes.

Follow Me

When you Undertake a Perilous Journeyyou can take two roles. You make a rollfor each.

A Safe PlaceWhen you set the watch for the nighteveryone takes +1 to Take Watch.When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

Wild SpeechReplaces: Wild Empathy

You can speak with and understand anynon-magical non-planar creature.

Hunter’s PreyReplaces: Familiar Prey

When you Spout Lore about a monsteryou use Wis instead of Int. On a 12+ youget to ask the GM any one question aboutthe subject.

Viper’s FangsReplaces: Viper’s Strike

When strike an enemy with two weaponsat once, add an extra 1d8 damage for youroff-hand strike.

Smaug’s BellyWhen you know your target’s weakestpoint your arrows have 2 piercing.

StriderReplaces: Follow Me

When you Undertake a Perilous journeyyou can take two roles. Roll twice anduse the better result for both roles.

A Safer PlaceReplaces: A Safe Place

When you set the watch for the nighteveryone takes +1 to Take Watch. Aftera night in camp when you set the watcheveryone takes +1 forward.

The Ranger Advanced Moves

27

ObservantWhen you Hunt and Track, on a hit youmay also ask one question about the crea-ture you are tracking from the DiscernRealities list for free.

Special TrickChoose a move from another class. Solong as you are working with your animalcompanion you have access to that move.

Unnatural AllyYour animal companion is a monster, notan animal. Describe it. Give it +2 Feroc-ity and +1 Instinct, plus a new training.

Names The Thief

28

13The Thief

You’ve heard them, sitting around thecampfire. Bragging about this battle orthat. About how their gods are smilingon your merry band. You count yourcoins and smile to yourself—this is thethrill above all. You alone know the se-cret of Dungeon World—filthy filthy lu-cre.

Sure, they give you shit for all the timesyou’ve snuck off alone but without you,who among them wouldn’t have beendissected by a flying guillotine or poi-soned straight to death by some ancientneedle-trap? So, let them complain.When you’re done all this delving you’lltoast their hero’s graves.

From your castle. Full of gold. You rogue.

NamesHalfling : Felix, Rook, Mouse, Sketch,Trixie, Robin, Omar, Brynn, Bug

Human : Sparrow, Shank, Jack, Marlow,Dodge, Rat, Pox, Humble, Farley


Shifty Eyes or Criminal Eyes

Hooded Head, Messy Hair, or CroppedHair

Dark Clothes, Fancy Clothes, or Com-mon Clothes

Lithe Body, Knobby Body, or FlabbyBody


17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)




HalflingWhen you attack with a ranged weapon,deal +1 damage.

HumanYou are a professional. When you SpoutLore or Discern Realities about criminalactivities, take +1.You start with these moves:

Trap ExpertWhen you spend a moment to survey adangerous area, roll+Dex. On a 10+, hold3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your hold asyou walk through the area to ask thesequestions:

• Is there a trap here and if so, whatactivates it?

• What does the trap do when acti-vated?

• What else is hidden here?

Tricks of the TradeWhen you pick locks or pockets or dis-able traps, roll+Dex. On a 10+, you do it,no problem. On a 7-9, the GM will of-fer you two options between suspicion,danger, or cost.

BackstabWhen you attack a surprised or defense-less enemy with a melee weapon, you canchoose to deal your damage or roll+Dex.If you roll, on a 10+ choose two, on a 7-9choose one.

• You don’t get into melee with them• You deal your damage+1d6• You create an advantage, +1 forward

to you or an ally acting on it• Reduce their armor by 1 until they

repair it

Flexible MoralsWhen someone tries to detect your align-ment you can tell them any alignmentyou like.

PoisonerYou’ve mastered the care and use of a poi-son. Choose a poison from the list below;that poison is no longer Dangerous foryou to use. You also start with three usesof the poison you choose. Whenever youhave time to gather materials and a safeplace to brew you can make three usesof the poison you choose for free. Notethat some poisons are Applied, mean-ing you have to carefully apply it to thetarget or something they eat or drink.Touch poisons just need to touch the tar-get, they can even be used on the bladeof a weapon.

• Oil of Tagit (Applied): The target fallsinto a light sleep

• Bloodweed (Touch): The target deals-1d4 damage ongoing until cured

• Goldenroot (Applied): The targettreats the next creature they see asa trusted ally, until proved otherwise

• Serpent’s Tears (Touch): Anyonedealing damage against the targetrolls twice and takes the better result.


ChaoticLeap into danger without a plan

Neutral

The Thief Gear

29

Avoid detection or infiltrate a location

EvilShift danger or blame from yourself tosomeone else

GearYour Load is 5+Str. You start withone dungeon rations (1 weight, 5 uses),leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight), 3uses of your chosen poison, and 10 coin.Chose your arms:

• Dagger (Hand, 1 weight) and shortsword (Close, 1 weight)

• Rapier (close, precise, 1 weight)

Choose a ranged weapon:

• 3 throwing daggers (Thrown, Near, 0weight)

• Ragged Bow (Near, 2 weight) andbundle of arrows (5 ammo, 1 weight)

Choose one:

• Adventuring gear (1 weight)• Healing potion


Istolesomethingfrom_______________.

_______________ has my back whenthings go wrong.

_______________ knows incriminat-ing details about me.

_______________ and I have a con run-ning.


Cheap ShotWhen using a Precise or Hand weapon,your Backstab deals an extra +1d6 dam-age.

CautiousWhen you use Trap Expert you alwaysget +1 hold (even on a failure you get 1hold).

Wealth and TasteWhen you make a show of flashingaround your most valuable possession,choose someone present. They will doanything they can to obtain your item orone like it.

Shoot First

You’re never caught by surprise. Whenan enemy would get the drop on you, youget to act first instead.

Poison MasterAfter you’ve used a poison once it’s nolonger Dangerous for you to use.

EnvenomYou can apply even complex poisonswith a pinprick. When you apply a poi-son that’s not Dangerous for you to useto your weapon it’s Touch instead of Ap-plied.

BrewerWhen you have you have time to gathermaterials and a safe place to brew youcan create three doses of any one poisonyou’ve used before.

UnderdogWhen you’re outnumbered, you have +1armor.

ConnectionsWhen you put out word to the criminalunderbelly about something you want orneed, roll+Cha. On a 10+ someone hasit, just for you. On a 7–9 you’ll haveto settle for something close or it comeswith strings attached, your call.When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

Dirty FighterReplaces: Cheap Shot

When using a Precise weapon, yourBackstab deals an extra +1d10 damageand all other attacks deal +1d6 damage.

Extremely CautiousReplaces: Cautious

When you use Trap Expert you alwaysget +1 hold (even on a failure you get 1hold). On a 12+ you get 3 hold and thenext time you discover a trap the GMwill immediately tell you what it does,what triggers it, who set it, and how youcan use it to your advantage.

AlchemistReplaces: Brewer

When you have you have time to gathermaterials and a safe place to brew you cancreate three doses of any poison you’veused before. Alternately you can de-scribe the effects of a poison you’d liketo create. The GM will tell you can createit, but with one or more caveats:

• It will only work under specific cir-

cumstances• The best you can manage is a weaker

version• It’ll take a while to take effect• It’ll have obvious side effects

Serious UnderdogReplaces: Underdog

You have +1 armor. When you’re out-numbered, you have +2 armor instead.

EvasionWhen you Defy Danger on a 12+ youtranscend the danger. You not only dowhat you set out to but you the GM willoffer you a better outcome, true beauty,or a moment of grace.

Strong Arm, True AimYou can throw any melee weapon, usingit to Volley. A thrown melee weaponis gone, you can never choose to reduceammo on a 7-9.

Escape RouteWhen you’re in too deep and need away out, name your escape route androll+Dex. On a 10+ you’re gone. Ona 7-9 you can stay or go, but if you goit costs you: leave something behind ortake something with you, the GM willtell you what.

DisguiseWhen you have time and materials youcan create a disguise that will fool any-one into thinking you’re another crea-ture of about the same size and shape.Your actions can give you away but yourappearance won’t.

HeistWhen you take time to make a plan tosteal something, name the thing youwant to steal and ask the GM these ques-tions. When acting on the answers youand your allies take +1 forward.

• Who will notice it’s missing?• What’s its most powerful defense?• Who will come after it?• Who else wants it?

Names The Wizard

30

14The Wizard

Dungeon World has rules. Not the lawsof men or the rule of some petty tyrant.Bigger, better rules. You drop some-thing—it falls. You can’t make some-thing out of nothing. The dead stay dead,right?

Oh, the things we tell ourselves to feelbetter about the long, dark nights.

You’ve spent so very long poring overthose tomes of yours. The experimentsthat nearly drove you mad and all thebotched summonings that endangeredyour very soul. For what? For power.What else is there? Not just the powerof King or Country but the power to boila man’s blood in his veins. To call on thethunder of the sky and the churn of theroiling earth. To shrug off the rules theworld holds so dear.

Let them cast their sidelong glances. Letthem call you “warlock” or “diabolist.”Who among them can hurl fireballs fromtheir eyes?

Yeah. We didn’t think so.

NamesElf : Galadiir, Fenfaril, Lilliastre, Phiros-alle, Enkirash, Halwyr

Human : Avon, Morgan, Rath, Ysolde,Ovid, Vitus, Aldara, Xeno, Uri


Haunted Eyes, Sharp Eyes, or Crazy Eyes

Styled Hair, Wild Hair, or Pointed Hat

Worn Robes, Stylish Robes, or StrangeRobes

Pudgy Body, Creepy Body, or Thin Body


17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)




ElfMagic is as natural as breath to you. De-tect Magic is a rote for you.

HumanChoose one cleric spell, you can cast it asif it was a wizard spell.You start with these moves:

SpellbookYou have mastered several spells and in-scribed them in your spellbook. Youstart out with three first level spells in

your spellbook as well as the cantrips.Whenever you gain a level, you add anew spell of your level or lower to yourspellbook. You spellbook is 1 weight.

Prepare SpellsWhen you spend uninterrupted time (anhour or so) in quiet contemplation ofyour spellbook, you lose any spells youalready have prepared and prepare newspells of your choice from your spell-book whose total levels don’t exceed yourown+1. You also prepare your cantrips;they don’t count against your limit.

Cast a Spell (Int)When you release a spell you’ve pre-pared, roll+Int. On a 10+, the spell issuccessfully cast and you do not forgetthe spell—you may cast it again later.On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but choose one:

• You draw unwelcome attention orput yourself in a spot (the GM willdescribe it)

• The spell disturbs the fabric of realityas it is cast—take -1 ongoing to Cast aSpell until you Prepare Spells again.

• After it is cast, the spell is forgotten.You cannot cast the spell again untilyou Prepare Spells.

Spell DefenseWhen you craft an ongoing spell into amakeshift shield of arcane energy to de-flect an attack, the spell is ended and yousubtract the spell’s level from the dam-age done to you.

RitualWhen you draw on a place of power tocreate a magical effect, tell the GM whatyou’re trying to achieve. The GM will tellyou "yes, you can do that, but..." and then1 to 4 of the following:

• It’s going to take days/weeks/months• First you must ____• You’ll need help from ____• It will require a lot of money• The best you can do is a lesser version,

unreliable and limited• You and your allies will risk danger

from ____• You’ll have to disenchant ____ to do

it


GoodUse magic to directly aid another

Neutral

The Wizard Gear

31

Discover something about a magicalmystery

EvilUse magic to cause terror and fear

GearYour Load is 5+Str. You start with yourspellbook (1 weight) and dungeon rations(1 weight, 5 uses). Choose your defenses:

• Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight)• Bag of books (5 uses, 2 weight) and 3

healing potions

Choose your weapon:

• Dagger (Hand, 1 weight)• staff (Close, two-handed, 1 weight)

Choose one:

• healing potion• three antitoxin


will play an important role in the eventsto come. I have foreseen it!

is keeping an important secret from me.

is woefully misinformed about theworld; I will teach them all that I can.

Advanced MovesWhen you gain a level from 2-5,choose from these moves. You alsoadd a new spell to your spellbook ateach level.

ProdigyChoose a spell. You prepare that spell asif it were one level lower.

Empowered MagicWhen you Cast a Spell, on a 10+ you havethe option of choosing from the 7-9 list.If you do, you may choose one of these aswell:

• The spell’s effects are maximized• The spell’s targets are doubled

Fount of Knowledge

When you Spout Lore about somethingno one else has any clue about, take +1.

Know-It-AllWhen another player’s character comesto you for advice and you tell them whatyou think is best, they get +1 forwardwhen following your advice and youmark experience if they do.

Expanded SpellbookAdd a new spell from any class to yourspellbook.

EnchanterWhen you have time and safety with amagic item you may ask the GM what itdoes, the GM will answer you.

LogicalWhen you use strict deduction to ana-lyze your surroundings, you can DiscernRealities with Int instead of Wis.

Arcane WardAs long as you have at least one preparedspell, you have +2 armor.

CounterspellWhen you are affected by arcane magicyou may attempt to counter the spell.Stake one of your prepared spells ofequal or higher level on the defense androll+Int. On a 10+, the spell is counteredand has no effect on you. On a 7-9, thespell is countered and you forget the spellyou staked. If the spell has other targetsthey are effected as usual.

Quick StudyWhen you see the effects of an arcanespell, ask the GM the name of the spelland its effects. You take +1 when actingon the answers.When you gain a level from 6-10,choose from these moves or the level2-5 moves.

MasterRequires: Prodigy

Choose a spell. You prepare that spell asif it were one level lower.

Greater Empowered MagicReplaces: Empowered Magic

When you Cast a Spell, on a 10-11 youhave the option of choosing from the 7-9list. If you do, you may choose one ofthese effects as well. On a 12+ you get tochoose one of these effects for free.


Enchanter’s SoulRequires: Enchanter

When you have time and safety with amagic item in a place of power you canempower that item so that the next timeyou use it its effects are amplified, theGM will tell you exactly how.

Highly LogicalReplaces: Logical

When you use strict deduction to analyzeyour surroundings, you can Discern Re-alities with Int instead of Wis. On a 12+you get to ask the GM any three ques-tions, not limited by the list.

Arcane ArmorReplaces: Arcane Ward

As long as you have at least one preparedspell, you have +4 armor.

Protective CounterRequires: Counterspell

When an ally within sight of you is af-fected by an arcane spell, you can counterit as if it effected you. If the spell affectsmultiple allies you must counter for eachally separately.

Ethereal TetherWhen you have time with a willing orhelpless subject you can craft an ethe-real tether with them. You perceivewhat they perceive and can Discern Re-alities about someone tethered to you ortheir surroundings no matter the dis-tance. Someone willingly tethered toyou can communicate with you over thetether as if you were in the room withthem.

Advanced Moves The Wizard

32

Mystical Puppet StringsWhen you use magic to control a person’sactions they have no memory of whatyou had them do and bear you no ill will.

Spell AugmentationWhen you deal damage to a creatureyou can shunt a spell’s energy intothem—end one of your ongoing spellsand add the spell’s level to the damagedealt.

Self-PoweredWhen you have time, arcane materials,and a safe space, you can create your ownplace of power. Describe to the GM whatkind of power it is and how you’re bind-ing it to this place, the GM will tell youone kind of creature that will have an in-terest in your workings.

Wizard Spells Cantrips

33

15WizardSpells

CantripsLight CantripAn item you touch glows with arcanelight, about as bright as a torch. It givesoff no heat or sound and requires no fuel,but it is otherwise like a mundane torch.You have complete control of the color ofthe flame. The spell lasts as long as it isin your presence.

Unseen Servant CantripYou conjure a simple invisible constructthat can do nothing but carry items. Ithas Load 2 and carries anything you handto it. It cannot pick up items on its ownand can only carry those you give to it.Items carried by an unseen servant ap-pear to float in the air a few paces behindyou. An unseen servant that takes dam-age or leaves your presence is immedi-ately dispelled.

Prestidigitation CantripYou perform minor tricks of true magic.If you touch an item as part of the cast-ing you can make cosmetic changes toit: clean it, soil it, cool it, warm it, fla-vor it, or change its color. If you castthe spell without touching an item youcan instead create minor illusions no big-ger than yourself. Prestidigitation illu-sions are crude and clearly illusions; theywon’t fool anyone, but they might enter-tain them.

1st Level SpellsContact Spirits Level 1 SummoningName the spirit you wish to contact (orleave it to the GM). You pull that creaturethrough the planes, just close enough tospeak to you. It is bound to answer anyone question you ask to the best of itsability.

Detect Magic Level 1 DivinationOne of your senses is briefly attuned tomagic. The GM will tell you what here ismagical.

Telepathy Level 1 DivinationYou form a telepathic bond, allowing youto speak to the person you touch withthis spell through your thoughts. Youcan only have one telepathic bond at atime.

Charm Person Level 1 EnchantmentThe person (not beast or monster) youtouch while casting this spell counts youas a friend until they take damage or youprove otherwise.

Invisibility Level 1 IllusionTouch an ally: nobody can see them.They’re invisible! The spell persists un-til the target attacks or you dismiss theeffect. While the spell is ongoing, youcan’t cast another spell.

Magic Missile Level 1 EvocationProjectiles of pure magic spring fromyour fingers. Deal 2d4 damage to one

target.

Alarm Level 1Walk a wide circle. Until you preparespells again your magic will alert you if acreature crosses that circle. Even if youare asleep, the spell will shake you fromyour slumber.

3rd Level SpellsDispel Magic Level 3Choose a spell or magic effect in yourpresence: this spell rips it apart. Lesserspells are ended, powerful magic is justreduced or dampened so long as you arenearby.

Visions Through Time Level 3 Div-inationCast this spell and gaze into a reflectivesurface to see into the depths of time. TheGM will reveal the details of a Grim Por-tent to you—a bleak event that will cometo pass if not directly stopped. They’ll tellyou something useful about how you caninterfere with the Grim Portent’s darkoutcomes. Rare is the Portent that claims"You’ll live happily ever after." Sorry.

Fireball Level 3 EvocationYou evoke a mighty ball of flame that en-velops your target and everyone nearby,inflicting 2d6 damage which ignores ar-mor.

Mimic Level 3You take the form of someone you touchwhile casting this spell. Your physicalcharacteristics match theirs exactly butyour behavior may not. This change per-sists until you take damage or choose toreturn to your own form. While this spellis ongoing, you lose access to all yourwizard moves.

Mirror Image Level 3 IllusionYou create an illusory image of yourself.The next attack against you effects theillusory image, not you. The image thendissipates.

Sleep Level 3 Enchantment1d4 enemies you can see of the GM’schoice fall asleep. Only creatures capa-ble of sleeping are effected. They awakeas normal: loud noises, jolts, pain.

5th Level SpellsCage Level 5 EvocationThe target is held in a cage of magicalforce. Nothing can get in or out of thecage. The cage remains until you castanother spell or dismiss it. While thespell is ongoing, the caged creature canhear your thoughts and you cannot leavesight of the cage.

Contact Other Plane Level 5 Divina-tionYou send a request to another plane.Specify what you’d like to contact bylocation, type of creature, name, or ti-tle. You open a two-way communication

7th Level Spells Wizard Spells

34

with that creature. Your communicationcan be cut off at any time by you or thecreature you contacted.

Polymorph Level 5 EnchantmentYour touch reshapes a creature entirely,they stay in the form you craft until youCast a Spell. Describe to the GM thenew shape you craft, including any statchanges, significant adaptations, or ma-jor weaknesses. The GM will then tellyou one or more of these:

• The form will be unstable and tem-porary

• The creature’s mind will be altered aswell

• The form has an unintended benefitor weakness

Summon Monster Level 5 Summon-ingA monster appears and aids you as bestit can. Treat it as your character, butwith access to only the basic moves. Ithas +1 modifier for all stats and 1 HP.Choose the type of monster by choosing1d6 statements from the list below. TheGM will tell you the type of monster youget based on your choices:

• The monster has +2 instead of +1 toone stat

• The monster is not reckless• The monster does 1d8 damage• The monster’s bond to your plane is

strong, +3 HP for each level you have• The monster has some useful adapta-

tion

The creature remains on this plane untilit dies or you dismiss it. While the spellis ongoing, you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

7th Level SpellsDominate Level 7 EnchantmentYour touch pushes your mind into some-one else’s. You gain 1d4 hold. Spend onehold to make the target take one of theseactions:

• Speak a few words of your choice• Give you something they hold• Make a concerted attack on a target

of your choice• Truthfully answer one question

If you run out of hold the spell ends. Ifthe target takes damage you lose 1 hold.While the spell is ongoing you cannotCast a Spell.

True Seeing Level 7 DivinationYou see all things as they truly are. Thiseffect persists until you tell a lie or dis-miss the spell. While this spell is ongo-ing, you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

Shadow Walk Level 7 IllusionThe shadows you target with this spellbecome a portal for you and your al-

lies. Name a location, describing it with anumber of words up to your level. Step-ping through the portal deposits you andany allies present when you cast the spellat the location you described. The portalmay only be used once by each ally.

Contingency Level 7 EvocationChoose a 5th level or lower spell youknow. Describe a trigger condition usinga number of words equal to your level.The chosen spell is held until you chooseto unleash it or the trigger condition ismet, whichever happens first. You don’thave to roll for the held spell, it just takeseffect. While you have a contingent spell,you can’t gain another one.

Cloudkill Level 7 SummoningA cloud of fog drifts into this realm frombeyond the Black Gates of Death, fillingthe immediate area. Whenever a crea-ture in the area takes damage it takes anextra 1d6 damage which ignores armor.This spell persists so long as you can seethe affected area, or until you dismiss it.

9th Level SpellsAntipathy Level 9 EnchantmentChoose a target and describe a type ofcreature or an alignment. Creatures ofthe specified type or alignment cannotcome within sight of the target. If a crea-ture of the specified type does find it-self within site of the target, it immedi-ately flees. This effect continues untilyou leave the target’s presence or youdismiss the spell. While the spell is on-going, you take -1 to Cast a Spell.

Alert Level 9 DivinationDescribe an event. The GM will tell youwhen that event occurs, no matter whereyou are or how far away the event is. Ifyou choose, you can view the locationof the event as though you were therein person. You can only have one Alertactive at a time.

Soul Gem Level 9You trap the soul of a dying creaturewithin a gem. The trapped creature isaware of its imprisonment but can stillbe manipulated through spells, Parley,and other effects. All moves against thetrapped creature are at +1. You can freethe soul at any time but it can never berecaptured once freed.

Shelter Level 9 EvocationYou create a structure out of pure magicalpower. It can be as large as a castle oras small as a hut, but is impervious toall non-magical damage. The structureendures until you leave it or you end thespell.

Perfect Summons Level 9 Summon-ingYou teleport a creature to your presence.Name a creature or give a short descrip-tion of a type of creature. If you nameda creature, that creature appears before

you. If you described a type of creature, acreature of that type appears before you.

Equipment Tag Glossary

35

16Equipment

The musty tombs and forgotten treasuretroves of the world are filled with usefulitems. The Fighters can find a sharp newsword or the Thief might stumble acrossa deadly poison. Most items are mun-dane; not magical or intrinsically uniquein any way. Any item that is magicalor one-of-a-kind is not mundane for thepurposes of moves. The Fighter’s signa-ture weapon is never mundane.

Weapons don’t kill monsters, people do.That’s why weapons don’t have damagelisted. A weapon is useful primarily forits tags which describe what the weaponis useful for. A dagger is not useful be-cause it does more or less damage thansome other blade. It’s useful because itssmall and easy to strike with at close dis-tance. A dagger in the hands of a Wizardis not nearly so dangerous as one in thehands of a skilled Fighter.

The stats below are for typical items.There are, of course, variations. A dulllong sword might be -1 damage insteadwhile a masterwork dagger could be +1damage. Consider the following to bestats for a typical weapon of that type—aspecific weapon could have different tagsto represent its features.

Tag Glossaryn Ammo : It counts as n ammo for appro-priate ranged weapons.

Applied : It’s only useful when carefullyapplied to a person or something they eator drink.

n Armor : It protects you from harm andabsorbs damage. When you take dam-age, subtract your armor from the total.If you have more than one item with n-armor, only the highest value counts.

+n Armor : It protects you and stacks withother armor. Add its value to your totalarmor.

Awkward : It’s unwieldy and tough to use.

+Bonus : It modifies your effectiveness insome particular situation. It might be "+1forward to Spout Lore" or "-1 ongoing toHack and Slash."

Clumsy : It’s tough to move around with.-1 ongoing while using it.

n coins : How much it costs to buy, nor-mally. If the cost includes "-Charisma" alittle negotiation subtracts the haggler’sCharisma score (not modifier) from theprice.

+n Damage : It is particularly harmful toyour enemies. When you deal damage,you add n to it.

Dangerous : It’s easy to get in trouble withit. If you interact with it without properprecautions the GM may freely invokethe consequences of your foolish actions.

Forceful : It can knock someone back apace, maybe even off their feet.

Ignores Armor : Don’t subtract armorfrom the damage taken.

Messy : It does damage in a particu-larly destructive way, ripping people andthings apart.

n Piercing : It goes right through armor.When you deal damage with n piercing,you subtract n from the enemy’s armorfor that attack.

Precise : It rewards careful strikes. Youuse Dex to Hack and Slash with thisweapon, not Str.

Ration : It’s edible, more or less.

Reload : After you attack with it, it takesmore than a moment to reset for anotherattack.

Requires : It’s only useful to certain peo-ple. If you don’t meet the requirementsit works weakly, if at all.

Slow : It takes minutes or more to use.

Thrown : Throw it at someone to hurtthem. If you Volley with this weapon,you can’t choose to mark off ammo on a7–9. Once you throw it, it’s lost until youcan recover it.

Touch : It’s used by touching it to thetarget’s skin.

Two-handed : It takes two hands to use iteffectively.

Stun : When you attack with it, it doesstun damage instead of normal damage.

n Uses : It can only be used n times.

n Weight : Count the listed amountagainst your Load. Something with nolisted weight isn’t designed to be carried.100 coins in standard denominations is 1weight. The same value in gems or fineart may be lighter or heavier.

Worn : To use it, you have to be wearingit.

Range Tags (From Closest to Furthest)Hand : It’s useful for attacking somethingwithin your reach, no further.

Close : It’s useful for attacking somethingat arm’s reach plus a foot or two.

Reach : It’s useful for attacking some-thing that’s several feet away—maybe asfar as ten.

Near : It’s useful for attacking if you cansee the whites of their eyes.

Far : It’s useful for attacking somethingin shouting distance.

WeaponsRagged BowNear, 15 coins, 2 WeightFine BowNear, Far, 60 coins, 2 WeightHunter’s Bow Near, Far, 100 coins, 1WeightCrossbowNear, +1 damage, Reload, 35

Armor Equipment

36

coins, 3 WeightBundle of Arrows 3 Ammo, 1 coin, 1WeightElven Arrows 4 Ammo, 20 coins, 1WeightClub, ShillelaghClose, 1 coins, 2WeightStaff Close, Two-handed, 1 coins, 1WeightDagger, Shiv, Knife Hand, 2 coins, 1WeightThrowing DaggerThrown, Near, 1 coin,0 WeightShort Sword, Axe, Warhammer, MaceClose, 8 coins, 1 WeightSpear Reach, Thrown, Near, 5 coins, 1WeightLong Sword, Battle Axe, Flail Close, +1damage, 15 coins, 2 WeightHalberd Reach, +1 damage, Two-handed, 9 coins, 2 WeightRapier Close, Precise, 25 coins, 1WeightDueling Rapier Close, 1 piercing, Pre-cise, 50 coins, 2 Weight

ArmorLeather, Chainmail 1 Armor, Worn, 10coins, 1 WeightScale Mail 2 Armor, Worn, Clumsy, 50coins, 3 WeightPlate 3 Armor, Worn, Clumsy, 350coins, 4 WeightShield +1 Armor, 15 coins, 2 Weight

Dungeon GearAdventuring Gear 5 Uses, 20 coins, 1WeightAdventuring gear is a collection of use-ful mundane items such as chalk, poles,spikes, ropes, etc. When you rummagethrough your adventuring gear for someuseful mundane item, you find what youneed and mark off a Use.

Bandages 3 Uses, Slow, 5 coins, 0WeightWhen you have a few minutes to bandagesomeone else’s wounds, heal them of 4damage and expend a use.

Poultices and Herbs 2 Uses, Slow, 10coins, 1 WeightWhen you carefully treat someone’swounds with poultices and herbs, healthem of 7 damage and expend a use.

Healing Potion 50 coinsWhen youdrink anentire healing potion,heal yourself of 10 damage or remove onedebility, your choice.

Keg of Dwarven Stout10 coins, 4WeightWhen you open a keg of dwarven stout

and let everyone drink freely, take +1 toyour Carouse roll. If you drink a wholekeg yourself, you are very very drunk.

Bag of Books5 Uses, 10 coins, 2 WeightWhen your bag of books contains just theright book for the subject you’re Spout-ing Lore on, consult the book, mark off ause, and take +1 to your roll.

Antitoxin 10 coinsWhen you drink antitoxin, you’re curedof one poison affecting you.

Dungeon Rations Ration, 5 Uses, 3coins, 1 WeightNot tasty, but not bad either.

Personal Feast Ration, 1 Use, 10 coins,1 WeightOstentatious to say the least.

Dwarven HardtackRequires Dwarf, Ra-tion, 7 Uses, 3 coins, 1 WeightDwarves say it tastes like home. Every-one else says it tastes like home, on fire,in a hog farm.

Elven Bread Ration, 7 Uses, 10 coins, 1WeightOnly the greatest of elf-friends aretreated to this rare delicacy.

Halfling Pipeleaf 5 Uses, 5 coins, 1WeightWhen you share halfling pipeleaf withsomeone, expend two uses and take +1forward to Parley with them.

PoisonsOil of Tagit Dangerous, Applied, 15coins, 0 WeightThe target falls into a light sleep

BloodweedDangerous, Touch, 12 coins,0 WeightThe target deals -1d4 damage ongoinguntil cured

Goldenroot Dangerous, Applied, 20coins, 0 WeightThe target treats the next creature theysee as a trusted ally, until proved other-wise

Serpent’s Tears Dangerous, Touch, 10coins, 0 WeightAnyone dealing damage against the tar-get rolls twice and takes the better result.

ServicesA week’s stay at a peasant inn 14-Charisma coinsA week’s stay at a civilized inn 30-Charisma coinsA week’s stay at the fanciest inn in town43-Charisma coinsA week’s unskilled mundane labor 10coins

A month’s pay for enlistment in an army30 coinsA custom item from a blacksmith BaseItem + 50 coinsAnight’s"companionship"20-CharismacoinsAn evening of song and dance 18-Charisma coinsEscort for a day along a bandit-infestedroad 20 coinsEscort for a day along a monster-infestedroad 54 coinsA run-of-the-mill killing 5 coinsAn assassination 120 coinsHealing from a Chirurgeon 5 coinsA month’s prayers for the departed 1coinsRepairs to a mundane item 25% of theitem’s cost

MealsA hearty meal for one 1 coinsA poor meal for a family 1 coinsA feast 15 coins per person

TransportCart and Donkey 50 coins, Load 20This donkey is sworn to carry your bur-dens.

Horse 75 coins, Load 10Warhorse 400 coins, Load 12Wagon 150 coins, Load 40Barge 50 coins, Load 15River boat 150 coins, Load 20Merchant Ship 5,000 coins, Load 200War Ship 20,000 coins, Load 100Passage on a safe route 1 coinsPassage on a tough route 10 coinsPassage on a dangerous route 100 coins

Equipment Land and Buildings

37

Land and BuildingsA hovel 20 coinsA cottage 500 coinsA house 2,500 coinsA mansion 50,000 coinsA keep 75,000 coinsA castle 250,000 coinsA grand castle 1,000,000 coinsA month’s upkeep 1% of the cost

BribesA peasant dowery 20-Charisma coins"Protection" for a small business 100-Charisma coinsA government bribe 50-Charisma coinsA compelling bribe 80-Charisma coinsAn offer you can’t refuse 500-Charismacoins

Gifts and FineryA peasant gift 1 coinsA fine gift 55 coinsA noble gift 200 coinsA ring or cameo 75 coinsFinery 105 coinsA fine tapestry 350+ coinsA crown fit for a king 5,000 coins

HoardsA goblin’s stash 2 coinsA lizardman’s trinkets 5 coinsA priceless sword 80 coinsAn orc warchief’s tribute 250 coinsA dragon’s mound of coins and gems130,000 coins

Magic Items

38

17Magic Items

There are stranger things in the worldthan swords and leather. Magic itemsare the non-mundane, items that haveintrinsic power.

Magic items are for you to make for yourgame. Players can make magic itemsthrough the Wizard’s ritual and simi-lar moves. The GM can introduce magicitems in the spoils of battle or the bountyof reward. This list provides some ideas,but magic items are ultimately for you todecide.

When making your own magic itemskeep in mind that magic items are mag-ical. +1 damage is the realm of the mun-dane, magic items should provide moreinteresting bonuses.

Argo-Thaan, Holy Avenger Close, 2WeightThere are many swords in this world, butthere is only one Argo-thaan. It is a bladeof gold, silver and light, revered as a holyrelic by all orders and religions for whomGood rings true. Its touch is a blessingand to many, the sight of it brings tearsof joy.

In the hands of a Paladin, it strikes trueand strong; his damage die becomes 1d12and he has access to every Paladin move.As well, Argo-thaan can harm any crea-ture of Evil, regardless of any defensesit may have. No Evil creature maytouch it without suffering agony. In thehands of any non-Paladin, it is merelya sword, heavier and more cumbersomethan most.

Argo-thaan, while not intelligent, willforever be drawn to a cause of True Good,like iron to a magnet.

Arrows of Acheron 1 Ammo, 1 WeightCrafted in darkness by a blind fletcher,these arrows can find their target in eventhe deepest darkness. An archer may firethem blind, in the dark, with his eyesbound by heavy cloth and still be assuredof a clean shot. If the light of the sun evertouches the arrows, however, they comeapart like shadows and dust.

Axe of the Conqueror-King Close, 1WeightIt is crafted of shining steel, glowing witha golden light and imbued with mythicalpowers of authority. The bearer of theAxe becomes a beacon of inspiration toall she leads. Any Henchmen in her em-ploy have +1 Loyalty, no matter whethershe is a benevolent Princess or wickedQueen.

Barb of the Black Gate 0 WeightA nail or spike, twisted and forever cold,said to have been pried from the Gatesof Death himself. When hammered intoa corpse, it disappears and ensures thatcorpse will never be risen again—nomagic short of that of Death himself canreignite the flame of life (natural or oth-

erwise) in the body.

Bag of Holding 0 WeightA bag of holding is larger on the insidethan the outside, it can contain an in-finite number of items, and its weightnever increases. When you try to re-trieve an item from a bag of holding,roll+Wis. On a 10+, it’s right there. On a7-9, choose one:

• You get the exact item, but it takes awhile

• You get a similar item of the GM’schoice, but it only takes a moment

No matter how many items it contains, abag of holding is always 0 weight.

The Burning Wheel 2 WeightAn ancient wooden wheel, as might ap-pear on a war-wagon, banded with steel.On a glance, it appears to be nothingspecial—many spokes are shattered andthe thing seems mundane. Under thescrutiny of magic or the eyes of an expert,its true nature is revealed; the BurningWheel is a gift from the God of Fire andburns with his authority.

When you hold The Burning Wheel andspeak a god’s name, roll+Con. On a 7+,the god you name takes notice and grantsyou an audience. An audience with agod is not without a price: on a 10+, youchoose one of your stats and reduce it tothe next lowest modifier (for example, a14 is +1, so it would be reduced to 11, a +0).On a 7–9, the GM chooses which stat toreduce.

Once used, the Burning Wheel ignitesand burns with brilliant light. It does notconfer any protection from those flames,nor does it provide any bonus to swim-ming.

Captain Bligh’s Cornucopia 1 WeightA brass naval horn, curled and ornate,carved with symbols of the gods ofPlenty. Sounded, the horn spills forthnot sound but food. Enough to feed ameal to everyone who hears its sound.

The Carcosan Spire Reach, Thrown, 3WeightNone know from whence this spear oftwisted white coral comes. Those whobear it too long find their minds fullof alien dreams and begin to hear thestrange thoughts of the Others. Noneare impervious. Used against any “nat-ural” target (men, goblins, owlbears andthe like) the Spire acts as a mere mortalspear. Its true purpose is to do harmto those things whose strange naturesprotect them against mundane weapons.Used thus, the Spire can wound foesotherwise invulnerable to harm. Thewielder will recognize these twisted foeson sight—the Spire knows its own.

Cloak of Silent Stars 1 Weight

Magic Items

39

A cape of rich black velvet outsideand sparkling with tiny points of lightwithin, the Cloak bends fate, time andreality around it to protect the wearer,who may Defy Danger with whateverstat he likes. To do this, the wearer in-vokes the cloak’s magic and his playerdescribes how the cloak helps him "breakthe rules." He can deflect a fireball withhis Cha by convincing it he deserves tolive or elude a fall by applying the mightylogic of his Int to prove the fall won’t hurthim. The Cloak makes it so. It can be usedonce for each stat before losing its magic.

Coin of Remembering 0 WeightWhat appears, at a glance, to be a sim-ple copper coin is, in truth, an enchantedcoin. Its bearer can, at any time, redeemit to know immediately one fact that hasbeen forgotten. The coin vanishes there-after. It does not have to be a thing for-gotten by the bearer, but it cannot be“known”. Interpretation of this stipula-tion is left to the Gods. If the coin is un-successful, it will still paint an image inthe minds eye of someone or somethingthat does remember what was sought.

Common Scroll 1 Use, 0 WeightA common scroll has a spell inscribed onit. The spell must be castable by you oron your class’s spell list for you to be ableto cast it. When you cast a spell from ascroll, the spell has effect, simple as that.

Devilsbane Oil 1 Use, 0 WeightA holy oil, created in limited supply bya mute sect of mountain-monks whoseorder protected humanity from the pow-ers of the Demon Pits in ancient epochs.Only a few jars remain. When applied toany weapon and used to strike a denizenof any outer plane, the oil undoes themagic that binds that creature. In somecases, this will return it to its home. Inothers, it merely undoes any magic con-trolling it. The oil stays on the weaponfor a few hours before it dries and flakesaway.

If applied to the edges of a doorway ordrawn in a circle, the oil will repel crea-tures whose home is any of the outerplanes. They cannot pass across it. Theoil lasts for one full day before it soaks inor evaporates.

Earworm Wax 1 Use, 0 WeightA yellowish candle. Seems never to burnout and the light it casts is strange andweak. Its wax is always cool, too. Dripthe wax into the ear of a target and gain 3hold. Spend that hold and ask your targeta question. They find themselves tellingyou the whole truth, despite themselves.The consequences, after the fact? Thoseare up to you to deal with.

The Echo 0 WeightA seemingly empty bottle. Once unstop-pered, the whispers of another plane re-

sound once and fall silent. In the silence,the bearer learns in his soul the com-ing of one great danger and how he canavoid it. At any point after the Echo isused, the wielder can ignore the resultsof any single die roll—hers or anotherplayer—and roll again. Once opened,the Echo is released and gone forever.

The Epoch Lens 1 WeightAn archmage, old and too frail to leavehis tower, crafted this intricate and frag-ile device of glass and gold to examine thehistories and relics he so loved. Lookingat an object through the lens reveals vi-sions of who made it and where it camefrom.

Farsight Stone 1 WeightSwirling clouds fill this smoky orb andthose in its presence often hear strangewhispers. In ancient times, it was part ofa network of such stones, used to com-municate and surveil across great dis-tances. When you gaze into the stone,name a location and roll+Wis. On a hit,you see a clear vision of the location andcan maintain it as long as you concen-trate on the orb. On a 7–9, you draw theattention of some other thing (an angel, ademon, or the holder of another Farsightstone) that uses the stone to surveil you,as well.

The Fiasco Codex 0 WeightA thick tome, said to be penned in theblood of poor fools and robber-baronsby some demon prince possessed ofdark humor, the Codex details tales andstories of those whose ambition over-whelmed their reason. Reading fromthis tome teaches one the value of clear-headedness but leaves a sense of dreadbehind. When you read from the Codex,Roll+Wis. On a 10+, ask two. On a 7–9,just one.

• What is my greatest opportunity,right now?

• Who can I betray to gain an advan-tage?

• Who is an ally I should not trust?

The Codex gives up its answers only onceto each reader and takes 2 to 3 hours toread.

Flask of Breath 0 WeightA simple thing, but useful when youneed a breath of fresh air. The flask ap-pears empty but cannot be filled, any-thing added to it simply spills out. Thisis because the flask is eternally full of air.If placed underwater, it will bubble for-ever. If pressed to the mouth, one canbreath normally—smoke is no concern,for example. I’m sure you’ll find all sortsof unusual uses for it.

Folly Held Aloft, The Wax Wings, A HugeMistake 1 Weight

Who hasn’t always wanted to soar thepretty blue sky? In an attempt togrant the wishes of land-bound folk,these great magical wings were created.Known by many names and crafted byas many mages, they commonly takethe shape of the wings of whatever localbirds hold affection. Worn by means of aharness or, in some dire cases, a surgicalprocedure.

When you take to the air with these magi-cal wings, roll+Dex. On a 10+ your flightis controlled and you may stay aloft aslong as you like. On a 7–9, you make italoft but your flight is short or erratic andunpredictable, your choice. On a 6- youmake it aloft, but the coming-down partand everything between is up to the GM.

Immovable Rod 0 WeightA funny metal rod with a button on it.Press the button and the rod just sticks.It freezes in place—in mid air, standingup or lying down. It can’t be moved. Pullit, push it, try as hard as you like, therod stays. Maybe it can be destroyed,maybe it can’t. Push the button again andit’s free—take it along with you. Mightbe useful to have such a stubborn thingalong.

Infinite Book 1 WeightThis book contains an infinite number ofpages in a finite space. With no limit tothe pages, everything that ever was, is,or will be is contained somewhere in thebook. Luckily the index is great.

When you Spout Lore while consultingthe book you gain an extra clause. Ona 12+ the GM will give a solution to aproblem or situation you’re in.

Inspectacles 0 WeightRough-hewn glass in wooden frames.Dinged up and barely held together,they somehow allow the wearer to seemuch more than their mere eyes might.When you Discern Realities wearingthese gifted lenses, you get to bend therules a little. On a roll of 10+, ask anythree questions you like. They don’t haveto be on the list. As long as sight couldgive you answers, the GM will tell youwhat you want to know.

The Ku’meh Maneuver and Other Strat-agem 1 WeightA great leathery tome worn shiny by thehands of a hundred great generals, thisbook is often passed from warrior to war-rior, from son to father along the greatbattle lines that have divided DungeonWorld’s past. Anyone reading it may,upon finishing for the first time, roll+Int.On a 10+ hold 3, on a 7–9 hold 1. You mayspend your hold to advise a companionon some matter of strategic or tacticalsignificance. This advice allows you to,at any time, regardless of distance, roll toAid them on any one roll. On a miss, the

Magic Items

40

GM can hold 1 and spend it to apply -2to any roll of yours or the poor sap wholistened to your advice.

Lamented Memento 0 WeightTaking the form of a single lock of brightred hair, bound in a black ribbon andimmune to the ravages of time, theLamented Memento bears a grim en-chantment. In it are the memories andemotions of a girl who dealt with Deathat the Black Gates so many times that,in the end, they fell in love and she leftthe world to be with him for a time. Hermemory protects the wielder. If he findshimself at the Gates, the Memento canbe traded for an automatic result of 10+on the Last Breath move.

Lodestone Shield +1 armor, 1 WeightWhat mixed-up dummy made this?Shields are meant to repel metal, notdraw it in! Emblazoned with a lionrampant, the Lodestone Shield has thepower to pull blades and arrows to it.When you Defend against enemies us-ing metal weapons you can spend onehold, per target, to disarm them. Also,sometimes you’ll find a handful of loosechange stuck to it.

Map of the Last Patrol 0 WeightAn ancient order of brave rangers oncepatrolled the land, protecting villagesand warning kings and queens of en-croaching danger. They’re long gone,now, but their legacy remains. This map,when marked with the blood of a groupof people, will always show their loca-tion—so long as they remain within thebounds of the map.

Ned’s Head 1 WeightAn old skull, missing its jaw andvery much worse-for-wear. The skullremembers the folly of its formerowner—a man with more honor thansense. Once per night, the owner of theskull can ask “Who has it in for me?” andthe skull will give up one name in a sad,lonely voice. If the owner of the skull isever killed, it disappears surreptitiously.No-one knows where it might turn upnext.

Nightsider’s Key 0 WeightThis key unlocks any door, provided theowner of the key does not belong whereshe intends to go. So long as the intruderdoes nothing that would alert anotherto her presence (remaining unheard, un-seen and unnoticed) and takes nothingmore than her memories out with her,the key’s magic will prevent her intru-sion from ever being discovered. It’s likeshe was never there at all.

Sacred Herbs 0 WeightThe sacred herbs, collected and preparedby an order of lost wizard-monks, canbe found in bundles with two or threeuses to them. Kept dry, they last in-

definitely. When smoked in a pipe orconsumed in an incense burner and thethick, blue smoke inhaled, these herbswill grant strange visions of far awayplaces and distant times. If the imbiberfocuses his will on a particular person,place or thing, the herbs will respond:roll+Wis. On a 10+ the vision is clearand useful—some valid information isgained. On a 7–9 the vision is of the fo-cus, but unclear, fraught with metaphoror somehow difficult to understand. Ona miss, the GM will ask you “What is ityou fear most?” You must answer hon-estly, of course.

The Sartar Duck 0 WeightAn odd, hand-carved wooden duck.Who would make such a funny thing?Whoever bears it finds himself an ex-ceptionally gifted storyteller—no mat-ter the language, he can make himselfand his story clear to any audience. Theywill understand his meaning, if not hiswords.

Tears of Annalise 0 WeightCloudy red gemstones the size of athumbnail, the Tears of Annalise arealways found in pairs. When swal-lowed, they bind the swallowers to-gether—when either feels strong emo-tions (particularly sadness, loss, fear ordesire) the other feels it, as well. The ef-fects last until one spills the blood of theother.

Teleportation Room SlowJames Ninefingers, eccentric geniusmage, created these room-sized magi-cal apparati. A stone room etched withrunes and scribblings, glowing with afaint blue light. When you enter and sayaloud the name of a location, roll+Int.On a 10+, you arrive exactly where you’dintended. On a 7–9, the GM chooses asafe location nearby. On a miss, you endup someplace. Maybe it’s nearby? It’sdefinitely not safe. Strange things some-times happen to those who bend time andspace with these devices.

Timunn’s Armor 1 Armor, 1 WeightA stealthy suit of armor, it appears asmany things to many people and blendsin with appropriate apparel. The weareralways seems the height of fashion to anywho gaze upon him.

Titus’ Truthful Tallow 0 WeightA candle of ivory-and-copper coloredtallow with a wick of spun silver. Whenlit, none upon whom its light falls is ableto tell a lie. They may keep silent or dis-semble but when asked a question di-rectly, they can speak naught but truth.

Tricksy Rope 1 WeightA rope that listens. Does tricks, too, likea smart and more obedient snake might.Tell it “coil” or “slack” or “come here,rope” and it will.

The Sterling Hand 0 WeightCrafted by dwarven whitesmiths, thismirrored-metal hand is deeply scoredwith runes of power and rejuvenation.Meant to replace wounded or destroyedlimbs from mining accidents, the Ster-ling Hand bonds to the wound, old ornew, and is strong and stout. It canbe used as a weapon (near range) andis made of pure enough silver to harmcreatures affected by such.

Vellius’s Gauntlets 1 WeightCrafted in the name of Vellius theClumsy, Vellius the Butter-Fingered,Vellius the Clod, these gloves of simplecloth prevent the wearer from droppingany object she does not intent to. Shecannot be disarmed nor fall from anyrope or ladder, for example. This itemcan get very messy if you have some-thing strong pulling at your legs whileyou grip onto something solid.

Violation Glaive Reach, 2 WeightA legendary blade, said to have beenthrust backwards in time from somegrim future, the violation glaive iscrafted of strange green iron. The bladestrikes at the mind of those it wounds,as well as the body. When you Hack &Slash on a 10+ you have an additional op-tion: you can deal your normal damage,let them counter attack you, and instillthe emotion of your choice (maybe fear,reverence, or trust)

Vorpal Sword Close, 3 Piercing, 2WeightSnicker-snack and all that. Sharp as any-thing, this simple-seeming sword meansto separate one thing from another—thelimb from the body or folk from theirlives. When you deal damage with theVorpal Sword, your enemy must choosesomething (an item, an advantage, alimb) and lose it, permanently.

The GM Always Say

41

18The GM

This section is about the art and rulesof being the Game Master or GM. Thereare many styles of GMing epic fantasygames with things like dragons and dun-geons and brave adventurers but Dun-geon World is designed for one of thosestyles in particular. These rules will helpyou run a game in that style.

Just because the rules are mechanicaldoesn’t mean they’re removed from thefiction of what’s actually happening inthe game or that you’re playing to win.You’ll be refereeing, adjudicating, andnarrating your part the game much likeyou would any other game. You’ll justhave a framework that helps you deter-mine what to say, at what time.

The GM’s rules are rules, just like therules for moves and character creationand all the rest. Just like every other rulein the game, they are designed to helpyou play a game of exploration and epicfantasy. You will of course be makingyour own rules, in the form of custommoves, but the GM’s rules are as impor-tant to playing Dungeon World as therules for rolling dice. Play with the rulesas written before making any changes,and think carefully about any changesyou do make.

The BasicsDungeon World is built on a frame-work: the GM’s agenda , principles, and moves . The GM’s agenda iswhat they set out to do when they sitdown at the table. The principles are theguides that keep the GM focused on theiragenda. The GM’s moves are the con-crete, moment-to-moment things theGM does to drive the game forward. TheGM’s moves aren’t like player moves,they aren’t triggered by the fiction. In-stead they are actions that drive the gameonward.

The GM’s agenda, principles, and movesare rules just like damage or stats or HP.You should take the same care in alteringthem or ignoring them that you wouldwith any other rule. Changing a princi-ple may have just as much of an effecton your game as changing the Fighter’sdamage dice or giving the Cleric accessto Wizard spells.

Always SayWhen running Dungeon World as theGM you say these things:

• What the rules demand• What the adventure demands• What honesty demands• What the principles demand

The players have it easy—they just saywhat their characters say, think and do.You have it a bit harder. You have tosay everything else. So what do you say?

Say what the rules tell you to . If amove has triggered, yours or the players’,then say what the rules tell you to say.Embellish and expand but use the rulesto give you a start. The rules will alwaysgive you material to work with.

Say what the adventure demands. You’ll know some things before yousit down at the table. You might knowwhere the goblins are hiding or when thereinforcements are going to arrive. If theplayers haven’t done anything to changethose things, stick with them.

Always be honest . If the rules tell youto give out information, like the SpoutLore and Discern Realities moves, do it.Don’t lie or give half truths; be openand honest—generous, even. The playercharacters have risked something to getthat information just by rolling so makeit worth their while. If you don’t knowthe answer make one up or turn the ques-tion back to the players. Once you tell theplayers it’s set in stone, no going back onit.

This applies in general to the players’actions, too. If they have worked toachieve something, you should give it tothem fully. You’re not here to fight backagainst the players; you’re not opposedto them at all. You are playing the gamewith them.

At all times, use your principles andagenda as a filter or inspiration. Ifsomething falls flat it’s usually becauseyou ignored one of your principles oracted on a different agenda. If you’re un-sure of what you’re about to say just takea moment and look at your agenda andprinciples to make sure you’re abidingby them.

AgendaThe GM’s agenda is what they sit downat the table to do:

• Make the world fantastic• Fill the characters’ lives with adven-

ture• Play to find out what happens

Everything you say, create, and do at thetable and away from the table is to ac-complish these three goals and no others.Things that aren’t on this list aren’t yourgoals. You’re not trying to beat the play-ers or test their ability to solve complextraps. You’re not here to give the playersa chance to explore your finely craftedsetting. You’re most certainly not hereto tell everyone a planned story.

That one deserves repeating: you arenot here to tell everyone a plannedstory . Don’t ever plan a storyline. Youdo not know what will happen to theplayers’ characters any more than theydo. Your job is to portray a fantasticworld, not provide a canned plot.

Principles The GM

42

To that end, Dungeon World adventuresnever presume player actions. A Dun-geon World adventure describes a lo-cation in motion, someplace importantwith creatures pursuing their own goals.As the players come into conflict withthat location, it will snowball into ac-tion. You’ll honestly portray the reper-cussions of their actions.

When you play this way you get to sharein the fun of finding out what happensto the characters and the world aroundthem. You’re not a frustrated novelisttrying to organize your unruly charac-ters. You’re a participant in a great storythat’s unfolding. So really—don’t planthe story. The rules of the game will fightyou.

Fill the character’s life with adven-ture means helping the players createa world that’s exciting and full of epicfoes to battle, strange places to explore,and glorious treasure to discover. Ad-venturers are always caught up in someplot or world-threatening danger or an-other—encourage and foster that kind ofaction in the game.

The players have an agenda too, but it’sprobably something they’ll do by de-fault: portray their characters.

Principles

• Draw maps, leave blanks• Address the characters, not the play-

ers• Embrace the fantastic• Make a move that follows• Never speak the name of your move• Give every monster life• Name every person• Ask questions and use the answers• Be a fan of the characters• Think Dangerous• Begin and end with the fiction• Think offscreen, too

Your principles are your guides. Often,when it’s time to make a move, you’llalready have an idea. Quickly run itpast your principles and make sure it fits,then go with it.

Draw maps, leave blanks

Dungeon World is mostly in our imagi-nations, but we can actually see it whenwe draw a map. So, make use of maps.You won’t always be drawing them your-self, but any time there’s a new locationdraw it on a map (or make a new map forit).

When you draw a map, it doesn’t have tobe complete. Leave blanks, places thatare unknown to you. As you play you’llget more ideas or the players will giveyou inspiration to work with.

Address the characters, not the players

Addressing the characters, not the play-

ers, means that you don’t say "Whit,is Dunwick doing something about thatwight?" Instead you say "Dunwick, whatare you doing about the wight?" Talkingthis way keeps the game rooted in the fic-tion and not at the table. It’s importantto the flow of the game, too. If you talk tothe players you may leave out details thatare important to what moves the charac-ters make. Since moves are always basedon the actions of the character you needto think about what’s happening in termsof characters—not players.

Embrace the fantastic

The fantastic is the core of fantasy:magic, strange vistas, gods, demons, andabominations. The player characters al-ready have these kind of abilities, so youshould reflect them in the world.

Make a move that follows

When you make a move what you’re ac-tually doing is taking some element ofthe fiction and bringing it to bear againstthe characters. Your move should al-ways follow from the fiction, and younever speak its name. Instead describethe fictional actions that take place whichfollow from the situation established.

Never speak the name of your move

There is no quicker way to ruin the con-sistency of Dungeon World than to tellthe players what move you’re making.Your moves are prompts to you, notthings you say directly.

You never show the players that you’repicking a move from a list. You knowthe reason the slavers dragged off Omarwas because you made the "Put someonein a spot" move, but you show it to theplayers as a straightforward outcome oftheir actions.

Give every monster life

Monsters are nameless hordes of crea-tures that stand between the players andwhat they want. Give each monster de-tails that bring it to life: smells, sights,sounds. Your monsters are arrows, fireden masse at the players. Give eachenough detail to make it real, but don’tcry when it gets slain by intrepid adven-turers.

Name every person

Every person gets a name. You’ll havea name list to work from on your ad-venture sheet, so don’t worry too muchabout it. Anyone that the players inter-act with has a name. They probably havea personality and some goals or opinionstoo, but you can figure that out as yougo. Start with a name. The rest can flowfrom there.

How do you know if someone gets aname? If you start dealing with themas an individual (not just "a member ofthe Knob Street gang" or "a goblin am-busher") it’s time for a name.

Ask questions and use the answers

You don’t have to know everything. Ifyou don’t know, or you don’t have anidea, just ask the players and use whatthey say.

The easiest question to use is "What doyou do?" Whenever you make a move,end with "What do you do?" You don’teven have to ask the person you madethe move against. Take that chance toshift the focus elsewhere: "Rath’s spellis torn apart with a flick of the mage’swand. Finnegan, that spell was aidingyou. What are you doing now that it’sgone?"

Be a fan of the characters

Treat the players’ characters like charac-ters you watch on TV. You want to seehow things turn out for them. You’re nothere to make them lose, or to make themwin, and definitely not to guide them toyour story. You’re here to portray theinteresting world around them and seehow interacting with that world changeseverything.

Think Dangerous

Thinking Dangerous means that every-thing in the world is a target. You’rethinking like an evil overlord: no sin-gle life is worth anything, there is noth-ing sacrosanct. Everything can be putin danger, everything can be destroyed.Nothing you create is ever protected.Whenever your eye falls on somethingyou’ve created, think dangerous. Thinkhow it can be put in danger, fall apart,crumble.

Begin and end with the fiction

Everything you and the players do inDungeon World comes from and leads tofictional events. When the players makea move, they always take a fictional ac-tion to trigger it, apply the rules, and geta fictional effect. When you make a moveit always comes from the fiction.

You can apply this to everything yousay. Start with the fiction ("Theogre’s axe comes sailing down into yourshoulder . . . "), apply the rules (" . . . youtake 12 damage . . . "), go back to the fic-tion (" . . . as your collar bone cracks be-neath your armor. What do you do?").

The GM Moves

43

Think offscreen too

Just because you’re a fan of the charactersdoesn’t mean everything happens rightin front of them. Sometimes your bestmove is in the next room, or another partof the dungeon, or even back in town.Make your move elsewhere and show theeffects later.

Moves

• Use a monster, danger, or locationmove

• Reveal an unwelcome truth• Show signs of doom• Deal damage• Use up their resources• Turn their move back on them• Separate them• Give an opportunity that fits a class’

abilities• Show a downside to their class, race,

or equipment• Offer an opportunity, with or with-

out cost• Put someone in a spot• Tell them the requirements or conse-

quences and ask

Whenever everyone looks to you to seewhat happens choose one of these. Eachmove is something that occurs in the fic-tion of the game—they aren’t code wordsor special terms. "Use up their resources"literally means to expend the resourcesof the characters.

Of course you don’t say that to the play-ers. You never speak the name of yourmove (it’s one of your principles). Youmake it a real thing that happens to them:"As you dodge the hulking ogre’s club,you slip and land hard. Your swordgoes sliding away into the darkness. Youthink you saw where it went but the ogreis lumbering your way. What do youdo?"

No matter what move you make al-ways follow up with "What do you do?"Your move is a way of fulfilling youragenda—part of which is to fill the char-acter’s lives with adventure. When aspell goes wild or the floor drops out fromunder them adventurers react.

When to Make a MoveYou make a move when everyone looksto you to find out what happens. Whenit’s your turn to say something in theconversation you make a move. In par-ticular, you make a soft move: a movethat sets up a future move.

Making a soft move just means that youput events in motion, then let the playersreact. If they don’t do anything about ityou follow through with the full conse-quences, making another (harder) move.Showing signs of doom is your most ver-satile soft move since the doom you por-

tend is a move waiting to happen.

Of course your moves apply when theplayers undertake something that’s nota player move. In that case the playerswill say something, like "I lay my casebefore the king, pleading for aid," andlook to you to find out what happens.Since they haven’t made a move (there’sno leverage to make a Parley) you justrespond with a soft move of your own assetup by the fiction.

You also make a move when the play-ers give you a golden opportunity. Agolden opportunity is any time they ig-nore a threat or when they fail a roll (6-).

When they give you a golden opportu-nity, you can make your move just ashard as you like. A hard move is one thatis irrevocable and immediate. The play-ers immediately feel the consequencesof the move and have to deal with them.Dealing damage is a hard move, since thedamage is immediately applied.

Soft moves are useful to setup futureharder moves. When the doom you showsigns of is an onslaught of goblin arrows,if the players don’t so something to getout of the way, you can follow throughwith damage as a hard move. Ignoringthe oncoming arrows is a golden oppor-tunity.

Choosing a MoveTo choose a move, start by looking at theobvious consequences of the action thattriggered it. If you already have an idea,think on it for a second to make sure it fitsyour agenda and principles and then doit. Let your moves snowball . Buildon the success or failure of the charactersmoves and on your own previous moves.

You can choose to save up your movesinstead. Use this option sparingly, onlywhen you’re sure the consequences oftheir action occurred off screen and thatyou’ll be able to come up with those con-sequences later. The saved move shouldalways be used in the same physical area,such as a dungeon complex or sprawlingswamp. Your players will come to ex-pect you to make hard moves on the tailof their failed rolls—this will throw themoff. Their actions will instead come backto bite them later. Be careful with it.

Making your MoveWhen making a move, keep your princi-ples in mind. In particular, "never speakthe name of your move" and "addressthe characters, not the players." Yourmoves are not mechanical actions hap-pening around the table. They are con-crete events happening to the charactersin the fictional world you are describing.

Note that "Deal damage" is a move, butother moves may include damage as well.

When an ogre flings you against a wallyou take damage as surely as if he hadsmashed you with his fists. If a monsterdeals damage incidentally as part of an-other move, like charging past Titaniusslamming her to the ground, the dam-age dealt is equal to half the monster’snormal damage.

If a move causes damage not related to amonster, like a collapsing tunnel or fallinto a pit, use the damage rules on pageX (Blood and Guts chapter).

After every move you make, always ask"What do you do?" The players’ charac-ters are the stars, remember.

Use a monster, danger, or location move

Each monster in an adventure has movesassociated with it, as do many locations.A monster or location move is just a de-scription of what that location or mon-ster does, maybe "hurl someone away" or"bridge the planes." If a move (like Hackand Slash) says that a monster gets tomake an attack, make a move with thatmonster.

The overarching dangers of the adven-ture also have moves associated withthem. Use these moves to bring thatdanger into play, which may mean moremonsters.

Reveal an unwelcome truth

An unwelcome truth is a fact the playerswish wasn’t true: that the room’s beentrapped, maybe, or that the helpful gob-lin is actually a spy. You never make upan unwelcome truth when making thismove—you just bring one to light. Re-veal to the players just how much troublethey’re in.

Show signs of doom

This is one of your most versatile moves.’Doom’ is anything bad that’s coming.With this move, you just show them thatsomething’s going to happen unless theydo something about it. Remember to ask"What do you do?"

Dungeon Moves The GM

44

Deal damage

When you deal damage you chooseone source of damage that’s fictionallythreatening a character and apply it. Incombat with a lizard man? It stabsyou. Running from a collapsing tunnel?Some rocks catch your ankle.

The amount of damage is decided by thesource. In some cases, this move mightinvolve trading damage both ways, withtheplayercharacteralsodealing damage.

Most damage is based on a dice roll.When a player takes damage, tell themwhat to roll, you never need to touch thedice. If the player is too cowardly to findout their own fate, they can ask anotherplayer to roll for them.

Dealing damage is a hard move. Use itcarefully.

Use up their resources

Surviving in a dungeon, or anywheredangerous, often comes down to sup-plies. With this move, something hap-pens to use up some resource: weapons,armor, healing, ongoing spells. Youdon’t always have to use it up perma-nently. A sword might just be flung tothe other side of the room, not shattered.

Offer an opportunity, with or without cost

Show them something they want: riches,power, glory. If you want, you can asso-ciate some cost with it too, of course.

Remember to lead with the fiction. Youdon’t say "This area isn’t dangerous soyou can make camp here, if you’re will-ing to take the time." You make it a solidfictional thing and say "Helferth’s bless-ings still hang around the shattered alter.It’s clearly been untouched, the goblinsdon’t come here. It’s a nice safe spot, butthe chanting from the ritual chamber isgetting louder. What do you do?"

Put someone in a spot

A spot is someplace where they have tomake tough, ugly choices. Put them inthe path of destruction. Put someoneor something they care about in a dan-gerous situation. Whatever you do, justmake sure they’re someplace where theyhave to take action and then ask "Whatdo you do?"

Tell them the requirements or consequences andask

This move is particularly good whenthey’ve done something that’s not amove, or failed a move. They can doit, sure, but they’ll have to meet therequirements. Or, they can do it, butthere will be consequences. Maybe theycan swing across the chasm, fully ar-mored, and leap into battle, but the ropewill be stressed beyond usefulness after-wards. Maybe they can swim throughthe crocodilian-infested moat before be-

ing devoured, but they’ll need a distrac-tion. Of course this is made clear tothe characters, not just the players: thecrocodilians are slavering hungry andstarved, or the rope already has danger-ous give.

Dungeon MovesDungeon Moves are a special subset thatare used to make or alter a dungeon on thefly. Use these if your players are explor-ing a hostile area that you don’t alreadyhave planned all the way through.

Map out the area being explored as youmake these moves. Most of them willrequire you to add a new room or elementto your map.

• Change the environment• Point to a looming threat• Introduce a new faction or type of

creature• Use a threat from an existing faction

or type of creature• Make them backtrack• Present riches at a price• Present a challenge to one of the char-

acters

You can make these moves whenevereveryone looks to you to say something,when the players present you an oppor-tunity, or when the players miss on aroll. They’re particularly well-suited forwhen the players look at you to find outwhat a new room or area is like.

Change the environment

The environment is the general feel ofthe area the players are in: carved tun-nels, warped trees, safe trails, or what-ever else. This is your opportunity tointroduce them to a new environment:the tunnels gradually become naturallycarved, the trees are dead, or the trailsare lost and the wilderness takes over.Use this move to vary the types of areasand creatures the players will face.

It’s an opportunity for you to interjectwith a change in scenery and play upthe themes and dangers that are to come.Snowball this move with itself over timeto gradually shift the dungeon to some-thing new and exciting by using one ortwo elements at a time. First the scent ofbrimstone fills the tunnels, then hellishsigils mar the walls, then the moans ofthe damned and before the players knowit, they’re not in a cavern at all—they’rein the pit of a demon lord!

Point to a looming threat

If you know that something lurking andwaiting for the players to stumble uponit, this move shows them the signs andclues. This move is the dragon’s foot-prints in the mud or the slimy trail of thegelatinous cube.

This move means that when the players

finally come face-to-face with the threat,they’ll have some ideas and fear aboutwhat awaits them. Use it to build ten-sion or, in some cases, provide hints thatprove to be a surprise. It’s not a wickedred dragon like the players expected, it’sa wounded silver drake who needs theirhelp.

Introduce a new faction or type of creature

A type of creatures is a broad grouping:orcs, goblins, lizardmen, golems, etc.

A faction is a group of creatures unitedby a similar goal. Once you introducethem you can begin to make moves andcause trouble for the players with thosecreatures or NPCs.

Introducing means giving some clearsensory evidence or substantiated infor-mation. Don’t be coy, the players shouldhave some idea what you’re showing thepresence of. You can, however, be sub-tle in your approach. No need to havethe cultist overlord waving a placard andscreaming in the infernal tongue everysingle time.

You don’t have to warn the players aboutthis move. A hard application of thismove will snowball directly into a com-bat scene or ambush.

Use a threat from an existing faction or type ofcreature

Once the characters have some been in-troduced to the presence a faction or typeof creature you can use monsters of thattype.

Use the factions and types broadly. Orcsare accompanied with their huntingworgs. A mad cult probably has someundead servants or maybe a few beastssummoned from the deepest pits. Thisis a move that, often, you’ll be makingsubconsciously—it’s just implementingthe tools you’ve set out for yourself in aclear and effective manner.

The GM Dungeon Moves

45

Make them backtrack

Look back at the spaces you’ve added tothe map. Is there anything useful thereas yet undiscovered? Can you add a newobstacle that can only be overcome bygoing back there? Is there a locked doorhere and now whose key lies in an earlierroom?

When backtracking, take the opportu-nity to show the effect the players havehad on the areas they’ve left behind.What new threatshave sprung up in theirwake? What didn’t they take care ofthat’s waiting for their return?

Use this move the make the dungeon aliving, breathing place. There is no stasisin the wake of the characters’ passing.Add reinforcements, cave in walls, causechaos. Make the dungeon evolve in thewake of the characters’ actions.

Present riches at a price

What do the players want? What mightthey give something up for?

Put some desirable item just out of reach.Find something they’re short on: time,HP, gear, whatever. Find a way to makewhat they want available if they give upwhat they have.

The simplest way to use this move is thepromise of gold out of the way of themain objective. Will they stop to pry theruby eyes from the idol when they knowthat the virgin sacrifice looms closer andcloser? Use this move and you can findout.

Present a challenge to one of the characters

Challenge a character by looking at whatthey’re good at. Give the Thief a lock topick, show the Cleric evil gods to battleagainst. Give the Wizard magical mys-teries to investigate. Show the Fightersome skulls he can crack. Give someonea chance to shine.

As an alternative, challenge a characterby looking at what they’re bad at or whatthey’ve left unresolved. If the Bard has along con running what steps will he taketo cover it up when someone figures himout? If the Wizard has been summoningdemons then what happens when wordgets out?

This move can give a character the spot-light—even if just for a moment. Try togive everyone a chance to be the focusof play using this move from session tosession.

Prep First Session

46

19FirstSession

The first session of a game of DungeonWorld begins with character creation.Character creation is also world creation,the details on the character sheets andthe questions the GM asks establish whatDungeon World is like—who lives in itand what’s going on.

This section is for the GM so it’s ad-dressed to you—the GM. For the play-ers, the first session is just like everyother. They just have to play their char-acters like real people and explore Dun-geon World. The GM has to do a littlemore in the first session. They establishthe world and the threats the players willface. Don’t worry, it’s fun.

PrepBefore the first session, you’ll need toprint some stuff. Print off:

• A few copies of the basic moves andspecial moves (double sided, basic onone side and special on the other).You’ll want about one per player.

• One copy of each class sheet, doublesided.

• One copy each of the cleric and wiz-ard spell sheets, double sided.

• A few copies of the equipment sheet.• The GM moves.• The GM worksheets.

You’ll also need to read this whole book,especially the sections on GMing (GMmoves) and the basic moves. It’s agood idea to be acquainted with the classmoves too, so you can be prepared forthem. Be especially sure to read the rulesfor Fronts, but don’t create any yet.

Think about fantastic worlds, strangemagic, and foul beasts. If you’ve playedother fantasy games like Dungeons andDragons think back to what made yourold games so much fun. Remember thegames you played and the stories youtold. They can all provide inspiration foryour Dungeon World game. Watch somemovies, read some comics; get heroicfantasy into your brain.

What you bring to the first session, ideas-wise, is up to you. At the very least bringyour head full of ideas. That’s the bareminimum.

If you like you can plan a little more.Maybe think of an evil plot, or who’s be-hind it, or some monsters you’d like touse.

If you’ve got some spare time on yourhands you can even draw some maps(but remember, from your Principles:leave blanks) and imagine specific loca-tions. Flexibility is key when planning:what happens during character creationtrumps anything you wrote ahead oftime.

The one thing you absolutely can’t bring

to the table is a planned storyline or plot.You don’t know the heroes or the worldbefore you sit down to play so planninganything concrete is just going to frus-trate you. It also conflicts with yourAgenda: play to find out what happens.

Don’t use the Fronts rules (in the nextchapter) for the first session either.Those will come with time but in the firstsession you need to be able to focus moreon getting the game rolling. The big pic-ture doesn’t matter so much, yet. Insteadfocus on getting the players into action,interacting with each other, and usingthe rules.

Getting StartedWhen everyone shows up for the firstsession briefly introduce anyone whohasn’t played before to Dungeon World.Cover the mechanical basis of moves. In-troduce the character classes, help play-ers pick their classes, and walk themthrough character creation.

During this entire process, especiallycharacter creation, ask questions. Lookfor interesting facts established by thecharacters’ Bonds, moves, classes, anddescriptions and ask about those things.Be curious! When someone mentionsthe demons that slaughtered their vil-lage find out more about them. After all,you don’t have anything (except maybea dungeon) and everything they give youis fuel for future adventures.

Also pay attention to the players’ ques-tions. When mechanical questions comeup answer them. When questions of set-ting or fiction come up your best bet isto turn those questions around. When aplayer says "Who is the King of Torsea"say "I don’t know. Who is it? What ishe like?" Collaborate with your players.Asking a question means it’s somethingthat interests them so work with themto make the answers interesting. Don’tbe afraid to say "I don’t know" and askthem the same questions; work togetherto find a fantastic and interesting answer.

Share the ideas you’ve brought to the ta-ble (either general ones or even a specificdungeon). If you’re interested in start-ing with the players hunting for a lostwizard, tell them that. Until the playersagree, it’s just your idea. Once they nodtheir heads, it’s part of the game.

Once everyone has their characters cre-ated you can take a deep breath. Lookback over the questions you’ve asked andanswered so far. You should have somenotes that will point you towards whatthe game might look like. Look at whatthe players have brought to the table.Look at the ideas that’ve been stewingaway in your head. It’s time for the ad-venture to begin!

First Session Prep

47

The First AdventureThe first adventure is really about find-ing out what future sessions will dealwith. Throughout the first adventurekeep your eye out for unresolved threats;note dangerous things that are men-tioned but not dealt with. These will befuel for future sessions.

Start the session with a group of playercharacters (maybe all of them) in a tensesituation. Use anything that demandsaction: outside the entrance to a dun-geon, ambushed in a fetid swamp, peek-ing through the crack in a door at theorc guards, or being sentenced before theKing. If the situation stems directly fromthe characters and your questions, all thebetter.

Here’s where the game starts. The play-ers will start saying and doing things,which means they’ll start making moves.For the first session you should watchespecially carefully for when moves ap-ply, until the players get the hang of it.Often, in the early sessions, the playerswill be most comfortable just narratingtheir actions—this is fine. When a movetriggers let them know. Say "It soundslike you’re trying to . . . " and then walkthem through the move. Players lookingfor direction will look to their charactersheet. Be quick to ask "so what are youactually doing?" when a player just says"I Hack and Slash him." Ask, too, "how?"or "with what?".

For the first session, you have a few spe-cific goals:

• Establish details, describe• Use what they give you• Ask questions• Leave blanks• Look for interesting facts• Help the players understand the

moves• Give each character a chance to shine• Introduce NPCs

Establish details, describe

All the ideas and visions in your headdon’t really exist in the fiction of thegame until you share them, describethem and detail them. The first sessionis the time to establish the basics of whatthings look like, who’s in charge, whatthey wear, what the world is like, whatthe immediate location is like. Describeeverything but keep it brief enough to ex-pand on later. Use a detail or two to makea description really stand out as real.

Use what they give you

The best part of the first session isyou don’t have to come with anythingconcrete. You might have a dungeonsketched out but the players provide thereal meat—use it. They’ll emerge fromthe darkness of that first dungeon and

when they do and their eyes adjust tothe light, you’ll have built up an excitingworld to explore with their help. Look attheir Bonds, their moves, how they an-swer your questions and use those to fillin the world around the characters.

Ask questions

You’re using what they give you, right?What if you need more? That’s when youdraw it out by asking questions. Poke andprod about specific things. Ask for reac-tions "what does Lux think about that?""is Avon doing something about it?"

If you ever find yourself at a loss, pausefor a second and ask a question. Askone character a question about another.When a character does something, askhow a different character feels or re-acts. Questions will power your gameand make it feel real and exciting. Usethe answers you find to fill in what mighthappen next.

Leave blanks

This is one of your Principles, but it’sespecially true during the first session.Every blank is another cool thing waitingto happen, leave yourself a stock of them.

Look for interesting facts

There are some ideas that, when youhear them, just jump out at you. Whenyou hear one of those ideas, just writeit down. When a player mentions theDuke of Sorrows being the demon he bar-gained with, note it. That little fact is theseed for a whole world.

Help the players understand the moves

You’ve already read the game, the play-ers may not have, so it’s up to you tohelp them if they need it. The fact is,they likely won’t need it much. All theyhave to do is describe what their charac-ter does, the rules take care of the rest.

The one place they may need some help isremembering the triggers for the moves.Keep an ear out for actions that triggermoves, like attacking in melee or con-sulting their knowledge. After a fewmoves the players will likely rememberthem on their own.

Give each character a chance to shine

As a fan of the heroes (remember yourAgenda?) you want to see them do whatthey do best. Give them a chance atthis, not by tailoring every room to theirskills, but by portraying a fantastic world(Agenda again) where there isn’t one so-lution to everything.

Introduce NPCs

NPCs bring the world to life. If everymonster does nothing more than attackand every blacksmith sets out their waresfor simple payment the world is dead.Instead give your characters, especiallythose that the players show an interestin, life (Principles, remember?). Intro-

duce NPCs but don’t protect them. Therecently-deceased Goblin King is just asuseful for future adventures as the onewho’s still alive.

Creating Fronts Fronts

48

20Fronts

Fronts are secret tomes of GM knowl-edge. With the exception of a few sneakyPC tricks Fronts are your purview andare a place where you’ll build the ad-versaries, organizations, and other mis-fortune that the characters will come inconflict with. A Front is a collection oflinked Dangers—threats to the charac-ters specifically and to the people, places,and things the characters care about. Italso includes one or more ImpendingDooms, the horrible things that will hap-pen without the players’ intervention.“Fronts” comes, of course, from “fightingon two fronts” which is just where youwant the characters to be—surroundedby threats, danger and adventure.

Fronts are built outside of active play.They’re the solo fun that you get to havebetween games—rubbing your handsand cackling evilly to yourself as youcraft the foes with which to challengeyour PCs. You may tweak or adjust theFronts during play (who knows when in-spiration will strike?) but the meat ofthem comes from preparation betweensessions.

Fronts are designed to help you organizeyour thoughts on PC opposition. They’rehere to contain your notes, ideas, andplans for these opposing forces. Whenyou’re in a bind your Fronts are whereyou’re going to turn and say “oh, so that’s what I should do”. Consider theman organizational tool, as inspiration forpresent and future mayhem.

When you’re building Fronts, thinkabout all the creepy dungeon denizens,the rampaging hordes and ancient cultsthat you’d like to see in your game.Think in broad strokes at first and then,as you build Dangers into your Fronts,you’ll be able to narrow those ideasdown. When you write your CampaignFront, think about session—to—sessiontrends. When you write your Adven-ture Fronts, think about what’s impor-tant right here and right now. Whenyou’re done writing a few Fronts you’llbe equipped with all the tools you’ll needto challenge your players and ready torun Dungeon World.

Campaign and Adventure FrontsAt their core, all Fronts contain thesame components. They sort and gatheryour Dangers into easy—to—use clus-ters. There are, however, two differentkinds of Fronts available to you. On thesession—to—session level there’s yourAdventure Fronts. These Fronts will seeuse for 3 or 4 sessions each. They’re tiedto one problem and will be dealt withor cast aside as the characters wanderthe dungeon or uncover the plot at hand.Think of them as episodic content: “To-day, on Dungeon World . . . ”

Tying your Adventure Fronts together is

your Campaign Front. While the Ad-venture Fronts will contain immediateDangers—the Orcs in Hargrosh Pass,say—the Campaign Front contains theDark God Grishkar who drives the Orcsto their pillaging. The Campaign Frontis the unifying element that spans yourall the sessions of your Dungeon Worldgame. It will have slower—burning Por-tents but they’ll be bigger in scope andhave a deeper impact on the world. Mostimportantly they’ll be scarier if they’reallowed to resolve.

When a Danger from an Adventure Frontgoes without resolution you’ll have tomake a decision. If the Danger is some-thing you like and feel has a place in thelarger story of your game don’t hesitateto move it to the Campaign Front. You’reable to make smaller Dangers that wentunresolved into bigger Dangers someday later on. You can move Dangersfrom the Campaign Fronts to the an Ad-venture Front if you’re ready for the bigshowdown, too.

Creating FrontsHere’s how a Front comes together:

• Choose Campaign Front or Adven-ture Front

• Create 2–3 Dangers• Choose their Impending Doom• (For an Adventure Front, 1–3 Grim

Portents)• (For the Campaign Front, 3–5 Grim

Portents)• Write 1–3 stakes questions• List the general cast of the Front

Creating DangersNot every single element of your gamewill warrant a Danger—traps, some rov-ing monsters and other bits of ephemeramay just be there to add flavour but aren’timportant enough to warrant inclusion.That’s okay. Fronts are here to keep youappraised of the bigger picture. Dangersare divided into a handful of categories,each with its own name and impulse .

Every Danger has a crucial motivationthat drives it called its "impulse." The im-pulse exists to help you understand thatDanger. What pushes it to fulfill its Im-pending Doom? Impulse can help youtranslation the Danger into action.

When creating Dangers for your Front,think about how each one interacts as afacet of the Front as a whole. Keep inmind the people, places, and things thatmight be a part of the threat to the worldthat the Front represents. How does eachDanger contribute to the Front?

Fronts Types of Dangers

49

Let’s say we have an idea for a Front—anancient portal has been discovered in the icynorth. We’ll call our Front "The Opening ofthe White Gate".

The easiest place to start is with peopleand monsters. Cultists, ogre chieftains,demonic overlords and the like are all ex-cellent Dangers. These are the creaturesthat have risen above mere monster sta-tus to become serious threats on theirown. Groups of monsters, too, can beDangers—goblin tribes or a rampagingcentaur khanate, for example.

For the Front we’re creating, we can pick afew different groups or people who might beinterested in the gate. The College of Arcan-ists, perhaps. There’s a golem, too, we’vedecided, that protects the forgotten portal.The golem is just an obstacle, so we won’tmake him a Danger.

Thinking more broadly, less obvious el-ements of the world can be Dangers.Blasted landscapes, intelligent magicalitems, ancient spells woven into thefabric of time. These things fulfillthe same purposes as a mad necro-mancer—they’re part of the Front, aDanger to the world.

For our Front, we’ll add the Gate itself.

Lastly, if we think ahead, we can in-clude some overarching Dangers. Thesorts of things that are in play outsidethe realm of the obvious—godly patrons,hidden conspiracies and cursed prophe-cies waiting to be fulfilled.

Perhaps the White Gate was carved in theancient past, hidden by a race of Angels untilthe Day of Judgement. We’ll add the "ArgentSeraphim" to our Front.

Of course, there’s so much more I couldadd to my Front, but there’s two reasonsnot to go overboard: firstly, I want toleave room for discovery. Like a map,blank spaces can always be filled in later.Leaving room for player contributionand future inspiration means I’ll havefreedom to alter the Front and make it fitthe game as the story emerges. Secondly,not every bad thing that could happendeserves Danger—hood. If you’re un-certain, think about it this way: Dangerscan always get worse.

A barbarian tribe near the Gate, the frozentundra itself, a band of rival adventurers; allthese things could be dangerous elements ofthe game but they’re not important enoughjust yet to deserve to be Dangers.

Creating Dangers is a way to slice up youroverall Front concept into smaller, eas-ier to manage pieces. Dangers are a toolfor adding detail to the right parts of theFront and for making the Front easier tomanage in the long run.

Once you’ve named and added a Dangerto the Front you need to choose a typefor that Danger from the list below. Al-ternately you can use the list of typesto inspire Dangers: with your Front inmind, peruse the list and pick one or twothat fit.

For our three Dangers (The College of Ar-canists, The White Gate and the ArgentSeraphim) we’ve selected Cabal, Dark Portaland Choir of Angels, respectively.

Types of Dangers

• Ambitious Organizations• Planar Forces• Arcane Enemies• Hordes• Cursed Places

Ambitious Organizations

• Misguided Good (impulse: to do “whatis right” no matter the cost )

• Thieves Guild (impulse: to take by sub-terfuge )

• Cult (impulse: to infest from within )• Religious Organization (impulse: to es-

tablish and follow doctrine )• Corrupt Government (impulse: to

maintain the status quo )• Cabal (impulse: to absorb those in power,

to grow )

GM Moves for Ambitious Organizations

• Attack someone by stealthy means(kidnapping, etc.)

• Attack someone directly (with a gangor single assailant)

• Absorb or buy out an someone im-portant (an ally, perhaps)

• Influence a body of control (change alaw, manipulate doctrine)

• Establish a new rule (within the or-ganization)

• Claim territory or resources• Negotiate a deal• Observe a potential foe in great detail

Planar Forces

• God (impulse: to gather worshippers )• Demon Prince (impulse: toopenthegates

of Hell )• Elemental Lord (impulse: to tear down

creation to its component parts )• Force of Chaos (impulse: to destroy all

semblance of order )

• Choir of Angels (impulse: to pass judge-ment )

• Construct of Law (impulse: to eliminateperceived disorder )

GM Moves for Planar Forces

• Turn an organization (corrupt or in-filtrate with influence)

• Give dreams of prophecy• Lay a Curse on a foe• Extract a promise in exchange for a

boon• Attack indirectly, through interme-

diaries• Rarely, when the stars are right, at-

tack directly• Foster rivalries with other, similar

powers• Expose someone to a Truth, wanted

or otherwise

Arcane Enemies

• Lord of the Undead (impulse: to seektrue immortality )

• Power-mad Wizard (impulse: to seekmagical power )

• Sentient Artifact (impulse: to find a wor-thy wielder )

• Ancient Curse (impulse: to ensnare )• Chosen One (impulse: to fulfill or resent

their destiny )• Dragon (impulse: to hoard gold and jew-

els, to protect the clutch )

GM Moves for Arcane Enemies

• Learn forbidden knowledge• Cast a spell over time and space• Attack a foe with magic, directly or

otherwise• Spy on someone with a scrying spell• Recruit a follower or toady• Tempt someone with promises• Demand a sacrifice

Types of Dangers Fronts

50

Hordes

• Wandering Barbarians (impulse: togrow strong, to drive their enemies beforethem )

• Humanoid Vermin (impulse: to breed –to multiply and consume )

• Underground Dwellers (impulse: to de-fend the complex from outsiders )

• Plague of the Undead (impulse: tospread )

GM Moves for Hordes

• Assault a bastion of civilization• Embrace internal chaos• Change direction suddenly• Overwhelm a weaker force• Display a show of dominance• Abandon an old home, find a new one• Grow in size by breeding or conquest• Appoint a champion• Declare war and act upon that decla-

ration without hesitation or deliber-ation

Cursed Places

• Abandoned Tower (impulse: to draw inthe weak-willed )

• Unholy Ground (impulse: to spawn evil)

• Elemental Vortex (impulse: to grow, totear apart reality )

• Dark Portal (impulse: to disgorge demons)

• Shadowland (impulse: to corrupt or con-sume the living )

• Place of Power (impulse: to be controlledor tamed )

GM Moves for Cursed Places

• Vomit forth a lesser monster• Spread to an adjacent place• Draw the attention of a curious party• Grow in intensity or depth• Leave a lingering effect on an inhab-

itant or visitor• Hide something from sight• Offer power• Dampen magic or increase its effects• Confuse or obfuscate truth or direc-

tion• Corrupt a natural law

Description and CastWrite up something short to remind youjust what this Danger is about; some-thing to describe it in a nutshell. Don’tworry about where it’s going or whatcould happen—Grim Portents and theImpending Doom will handle that foryou, you’ll get to those in a bit. If thereare multiple people involved in the Dan-ger (an orc warlord and his clansmen, ahateful God and his servants) go ahead

and give them a name and a detail or twonow. Leave yourself some space as you’llbe adding to this section as you play.

Custom MovesSometimes, a Danger will require someparticular move that might not exist yet.Write one or two you think you mightneed, now. They may be player movesor GM moves, as you see fit. Of course, ifyou’re writing a player move, keep your(the GMs) hands off the dice and keepin mind the basic structure of a move.A 10+ is a complete success; a 7–9 is apartial success. On a miss, maybe thecustom move does something specific,or maybe not—maybe you just get tomake a move or work towards fulfillinga Grim Portent. The formatting of thesemoves varies from move to move. Seethe Advanced Delving chapter for detailson how to create your own.

For the Opening of the White Gate, I justknow some fool PC is going to end up in thelight that spills from the gate, so I’m writinga move to show what might occur.

Grim PortentsGrim Portents are dark designs forwhat could happen if a Danger goesunchecked. Imagine yourself a kind ofdiviner working some scrying spell intothe future of your campaign or the ad-venture that the characters are under-taking. Think about what would hap-pen if the Danger existed in the worldbut the PCs didn’t. If all these awfulthings you’ve conjured up had their runof the world. Scary, huh? The Grim Por-tents are your way to codify the plans andmachinations of your Dangers. A GrimPortent can be a single interesting eventor a chain of steps. When you’re notsure what to do next push your Dangertowards resolving a Grim Portent.

More often than not, each Portent relieson its predecessors to resolve. The Orcstear down the city only after the peacetalks fail, for example. A simple Frontwill progress from bad to worse to muchworse in a clear path forward. Some-times, Grim Portents are unconnectedpathways to the Impending Doom. Theearly manifestations of Danger mightnot all be related. It’s up to you howcomplex your Front will be. Whenevera Danger comes to pass, check the otherDangers in the Front. In a complex Front,you may need to cross off or alter theGrim Portents. That’s fine, you’re al-lowed.

Think of your Grim Portents as possiblemoves waiting in the wings. When thetime is right, unleash them on the world.

I’ve chosen a few Grim Portents for my newFront.

• The College sends an expedition to theGate

• The Key is discovered• The First Trumpet sounds• A Champion is chosen• The Second Trumpet sounds• The Herald appears• The Gate is Opened

Grim Portents are the sword of in-evitability that hangs over the charac-ters. The struggles that they fight everyday on the field of battle, in the courts ofsociety and in the deepest dungeons ofthe world. Think about how the Dangerscontribute to the Front you’re creating,both externally (the effect of the Dangeron the world around it) and internally(the politics or struggles of its parts).Keep scale in mind, too. Grim Portentsdon’t all have to be world—shaking.They can simply represent a change indirection for a Danger. Some new wayfor it to cause trouble in the world.

When a Grim Portent comes to pass,check it off—the Portent is a part of theworld, now. The prophecy has cometrue! A Portent that has come to passmight have ramifications for your otherFronts, too. Have a quick look when yourplayers aren’t demanding your attentionand feel free to make changes. One smallPortent may resound across the wholeCampaign in subtle ways.

You can advance a Grim Portent descrip-tively or prescriptively. Descriptivelymeans that, through play, you’ve seenthe change happen, so you mark it off.Maybe the players sided with the gob-lin tribes against their lizardmen ene-mies—now the goblins control the tun-nels. Lo and behold, this was the nextstep in a Grim Portent. Prescriptive iswhen, due to a failed player move ora golden opportunity, you advance theGrim Portent as your hard move. Thatstep comes to pass, show its effects andkeep on asking "what do you do, now?"

Fronts Resolving a Front

51

Impending DoomAt the end of every Danger’s path isan Impending Doom. This is the finaltoll of the bell that signals the Danger’striumphant resolution. When a GrimPortent comes to pass the ImpendingDoom grows stronger, more apparentand present in the world. These arethe Very Bad Things that every Dan-ger, in some way, seeks to bring intoeffect. Choose one of the types of Im-pending Dooms and give it a concrete vi-sion in your Front. These may change inplay—often they will, as the charactersmeddle in the affairs of the world. Don’tfret, you can change them later.

• Tyranny (of the strong over the weakor the few over the many)

• Pestilence (the spread of sickness anddisease, the end of wellness)

• Destruction (apocalypse, ruin andwoe)

• Usurpation (the chain of order comesapart, someone rightful is displaced)

• Impoverishment (enslavement, theabandonment of goodness and right)

• Rampant Chaos (laws of reality, ofsociety, or any order is dissolved)

When all of the Grim Portents of a dan-ger come to pass, the Impending Doomsets in. The Danger is then resolved butthe setting has changed in some dras-tic way—even on a small level. Thiswill almost certainly change the Front atlarge, as well. Making sure that these ef-fects are felt and significant to the NPCs,places, and life of the campaign world isa big part of making them feel real.

StakesYour stakes questions are 1–3 questionsabout people, places, or groups thatyou’re interested in. People includecharacters and NPCs, your choice. Re-member that your agenda includes "Playto find out what happens?" Well this isa way of reminding yourself what youwant to find out.

Stakes are concrete and clear. Don’twrite stakes about vague feelings or in-cremental changes. Stakes are about im-portant changes that affect the PCs andthe world. A good stakes question isone that, when it’s resolved, means thatthings will never be the same again.

The most important thing about stakesis that you find them interesting. Yourstakes should be things that you gen-uinely want to know, but that you’re alsowilling to not decide. Once you’ve writ-ten it as a stake, it’s out of your hands,you don’t get to just make it up anymore.Now you have to play to find out.

Playing to find out is one of the biggestrewards of playing Dungeon World.

You’ve written down something tied toevents happening in the world that youwant to find out about—now you get todo just that.

Once you have your stakes your front isready to play.

My stakes questions include, as tailored tomy group:

• Who will be the Champion?• How will Lux respond to the Light from

Beyond?• Will the College be able to recruit Avon?

Resolving a FrontOften a Front will be resolved in a simpleand straightforward manner. A Frontrepresenting a single dungeon may haveits Dangers killed, turned to good, orovercome by some act of heroism. Inthis case the Front is dissolved and setaside. Maybe there are elements ofthe Front—Dangers that go unresolvedor leftover members of a Danger that’sbeen cleared—that lives on. Maybe theymove to the Campaign Front as brandnew Dangers?

The Campaign Front will need a bit moreeffort to resolve. It’ll be working slowlyand subtly as the course of the Campaignrolls along. You won’t introduce or re-solve it all at once, but in pieces. Thecharacters work towards defeating thevarious minions of the Big Bad that livesin your Campaign Front. In the end,though, you’ll know that the CampaignFront is resolved when the Dark God isconfronted, the Undead Plague is wipedclear, and the heroes emerge bloodiedbut victorious. Campaign Fronts takelonger to deal with, but in the end they’rethe most satisfying to resolve.

When a Front is resolved, take some ex-tra time to sit down and look at the af-termath. Did any Grim Portents cometo pass? Even if a Danger is stopped,if one or two Grim Portents are ful-filled, the world is changed. Keep thisin mind when you write your futureFronts. Is there anyone who could bemoved from the now—defeated Frontsomewhere else? Anyone get promotedor reduced in stature? The resolution ofa Front is an important event!

When you resolve an Adventure Front,usually that means the adventure itselfhas been resolved. This is a great time totake a break and look at The CampaignFront you have. Let it inspire your nextAdventure Front. Write up a new Ad-venture Front or polish off one you’vebeen working on, draw a few maps togo with it and get ready for the next bigthing.

Multiple Adventure FrontsAs you start your campaign you’re likelyto have a lightly-detailed CampaignFront and a single, detailed AdventureFront. Characters may choose, part-waythrough an Adventure, to pursue someother course. You might end up witha handful of partly-resolved AdventureFronts. Not only is this okay, it’s a greatway to explore a world that feels aliveand organic. Always remember, Frontscontinue along apace no matter whetherthe characters are there to see it or not.Think offscreen, especially where Frontsare concerned.

When running two Adventure Fronts atthe same time they can be intertwined orindependent. The Anarchists corrupt-ing the city from the inside are a differ-ent Front from the orcs massing outsidethe walls, but they’d both be in play atonce. On the other hand one dungeoncould have multiple Fronts at play withinits walls: the powers and effects of thecursed place itself and the warring hu-manoid tribes that inhabit it.

A situation warrants multiple Adven-ture Fronts when there are multiple Im-pending Dooms, all equally potent butnot necessarily related. The ImpendingDoom of the Anarchists is chaos in thecity, the Impending Doom of the orcs isits utter ruination. They are two separateFronts with their own Dangers. They’lldeal with each other, as well, so there’ssome room for the players choosing sidesor attempting to turn the Dangers of oneFront against the other.

When dealing with multiple AdventureFronts the players are likely to prioritize.The cult needs attention now, the orcscan wait, or vice versa. These decisionslead to the slow advancement of the ne-glected Front, eventually causing moreproblems for the players and leading tonew adventures. This can get complexonce you’ve got three or four Fronts inplay. Take care not to get overwhelmed.

Dangers An Example Front: The Opening of the White Gate

52

21An ExampleFront: TheOpeningof the

White Gate

Dangers

The College of Arcanists (Cabal)Impulse: to absorb those in power, togrow

Grim Portents

• The College sends an expedition tothe Gate

• The Key is discovered• The Gate’s Power is harnessed• The College seizes control

Impending Doom: Usurpation

The White Gate (Dark Portal)Impulse: to disgorge demons

Grim Portents

• The First Trumpet sounds• The Second Trumpet sounds• The Gate is opened

Impending Doom: Destruction

The Argent Seraphim (Choir of Angels)Impulse: to pass judgement

Grim Portents

• A Champion is chosen• An organization of power is formed

or co-opted• The Herald appears• Judgement is passed

Impending Doom: Tyranny

Description and CastAn ancient gate, buried for aeons in theicy north. It opens into a realm of purelight, guarded by the Argent Seraphim.It was crafted only to be opened at Judge-ment Day, so that the Seraphim couldcome forth and purge the realm of men.Recently uncovered by the College of Ar-canists, who do not yet understand itsterrible power.

• Oren Balserus, Arcanist Supreme• Hali’el, voice of the Seraphim• Drudge, a manservant

Custom MovesWhen you stand in the presence of theLight From Beyond, roll+Wis. On a10+ you are judged worthy, the ArgentSeraphim will grant you a vision or boon.On a 7-9 you are under suspicion and seea vision of what dark fate might befallyou if you do not correct your ways.1Ona miss, thou art weighed in the balanceand art found wanting.

Stakes

• Who will be the Champion?• How will Lux respond to the holy

light?• Will the College be able to recruit

Avon?

Blood and Guts HP

53

22Bloodand Guts

Death and dismemberment are commondangers for adventurers to face in Dun-geon World. In the course of play, char-acters will take damage, heal, and maybeeven die. A character’s health is mea-sure by their HP (HP being short forhit points). Damage subtracts from HP,which may lead to death. In the rightconditions, or with medical or magicalhelp, damage is healed and HP is re-stored.

HPA character’s HP is a measure of their sta-mina, endurance, and health. More HPmeans the character can fight longer andendure more before facing Death’s coldstare. Think of HP in the abstract—acharacter with high HP can’t be hit in thehead any more times than one with lowHP—they just have greater stores of en-ergy to expend before it comes to blows-to-the-head.

Your class tells you how many HP youget. Your Constitution (the score, notthe modifier) always comes into play aswell so more Constitution means moreHP. If your Constitution permanentlychanges during play you adjust your HPto reflect your new Constitution score.Unless your Constitution changes yourmaximum HP stays the same.

DamageWhen a character takes damage theysubtract the damage dealt from their cur-rent HP. Armor mitigates damage; if acharacter has armor they subtract theirarmor’s value from the damage dealt.Damage can never take a character be-low 0 HP.

Damage is decided by the attacker. Eachclass has a base damage die, which maybe modified by the weapon used. Nomatter the implement, the Fighter willalways deal more damage than a Wiz-ard—it’s about training and skill. Mon-sters and other non-player charactershave a static damage instead of a dice toroll.

Player characters deal damage accordingto their class, the weapon used and themove they’ve made. When a characteris armed, they deal their class’s damage.If a character is unarmed, they probablycan’t deal damage, or they might do 1 stundamage.

If a move just says "deal damage" thecharacter rolls their class’s damage diceplus any bonuses or penalties frommoves or weapons. If a move specifiesan amount of damage, use that in placeof the class’s damage roll.

Monsters’ damage is listed in their de-scription. Use this damage any time themonster takes direct action to hurt some-one, even if they use a method other than

their normal attack.

Other sources of damage—like beingstruck by a chunk of a collapsing tower,or falling into a pit—are left to the GMbased on these options:

• It threatens bruises and scrapes atworst: d4 damage

• It’s likely to spill some blood, butnothing horrendous: d6 damage

• It might break some bones: d8 dam-age

• It could kill a common person: d10damage

Add the Ignores Armor tag if the sourceof the damage is particularly large or ifthe damage comes from magic or poison.

Temporaryorcircumstantialarmorworksthe same way: 1 armor for partial cover,2 armor for major cover.

Remember that damage is both prescrip-tive and descriptive: if a move sayssomeone takes damage—they have beenstruck by the weapon or ability causingthe damage. If a character is struck by aweapon, they take damage. This meansthat you can deal damage without mak-ing a move. Think of it like an impliedmove: if you hurt someone and no othermove applies, you just deal your damage.

Damage only applies when the injury isgeneral. Falling into a pit trap is general,it could cause any sort of injury, so it’srepresented by HP loss. When the harmis specific, like an orc pulling your armfrom its socket, HP should be part of theeffect but not the entirety of it. The big-ger issue is dealing with the newly dis-jointed arm: how do you swing a swordor cast a spell? Likewise having yourhead chopped off is not HP damage, it’sjust death.

Damage From Multiple Creatures

It’s a brave monster that goes into battlealone. Most creatures fight with some-one at their side, and maybe another attheir back, and possibly an archer cover-ing the rear, and so on. This can lead tomultiple monsters dealing their damageat once.

If multiple creatures attack at once rollthe damage die for each of them and takethe highest result. If some of the crea-tures deal a different amount of damageroll the damage with the highest poten-tial for each creature involved in the at-tack and take the highest result.

Debilities Blood and Guts

54

A goblin orkaster (d10+1 damage ignoresarmor) and three goblins (d6 damage) allthrow their respective weapons—a magi-cal acid orb for the orkaster, spears for therest—at Lux as she assaults their barricade.I roll the highest damage, d10+1 ignores ar-mor, four times: once for the orkaster, andonce for each of the other goblins. I take thehighest result, a roll of 8, and tell Lux shetakes 9 damage ignoring armor as the acidleaks into the scratches left by the spears.

Stun DamageStun damage is non-lethal damage. A PCwho takes stun damage is Defying Dan-ger to do anything at all, the danger being"you’re stunned." A GM character thattakes stun damage counts it against theirHP as usual, but when they are out of HPthey are knocked out, not at the GM’smercy.

HealingThere are two sources of healing in Dun-geon World: the passage of time andmedical aid.

Whenever a character spends sometime resting without aggravating theirwounds they heal. The amount of heal-ing is described in the move (Make Campfor a night in a makeshift bed, Recoverfor says in civilization).

Medical aid, both magical and mundane,also provides healing. The amount ofdamage healed is dependent on the moveor item used. Some moves may fully re-plenish HP while others are just enoughto keep someone standing through afight.

No matter the source of the healing acharacter’s HP can never increase overtheir maximum.

DeathDeath walks the edges of every battle. Itwaits silently to claim those that fall. Acharacters who is reduced to 0 HP im-mediately takes his Last Breath. Deathcomes for commoner and king alike—nostat is added to the Last Breath roll.

What lies beyond the Black Gates ofDeath is unknown but it is said that manysecrets of the mortal plane are laid barein what lies beyond.

Death’s bargains range from the simpleto the costly. Death is capricious. Onelife may be traded for two more deadwhile for another Death may demandeternal servitude.

Depending on the outcome of the LastBreath the character may become stable.A stable character stays at 0 HP but isalive and unconscious. If they receivehealing they regain consciousness and

may return to battle or seek safety. If astable character takes damage again theyface Death and draw their Last Breathonce more.

After DeathBeing an adventurer isn’t easy—it’s coldnights in the wild and sharp swords andmonsters. Sooner or later, you’re go-ing to make that long walk to the BlackGates and give up the ghost. In Dun-geon World, Death is always watchingand waiting for an adventurer to slip upand visit the other side. That doesn’tmean you have to give it the satisfactionof sticking around. Death, in its way, isjust another challenge to conquer. Evendead adventurers can rise again.

If your character dies, you can ask theGM and the other players to try and res-urrect you. The GM will tell them what itwill cost to return your poor, dead char-acter to life. If you’re all willing to paythat cost and succeed at the goal set be-fore you then your character can crossback over to the land of the living. TheResurrection spell is a special case of this:the magic of the spell gives you an easierway to get a companion back, but the GMstill has a say.

While this quest is underway you canplay a new character. Maybe a hirelingbecomes a full-fledged adventurer wor-thy of a whole share and a part in the realaction. Maybe the characters in the partyfind a new friend in a steading, will-ing to join them. Maybe your characterhad a vengeful family member who nowseeks to take up their blades and spellsto make right what happened. In anycase, make your new character as younormally would at level 1. Add Bondswith the other player characters and joinin the quest to resurrect the fallen. Whenthe price has been paid and the quest isdone, you can choose which characterto play. You can then retire your newcharacter to safety or simply have themvanish into the background. At the startof any given session, choose which char-acter you’ll be playing that time aroundand set the other aside. Make sure thischange makes sense in the story you’vecreated—characters can’t just appear outof nowhere without a good excuse.

GM, when you tell the players whatneeds to be done to bring their comradeback, don’t feel like it has to derail theflow of the current game. Weave it into your fronts, steadings and prep. Thisis a great opportunity to change focus orintroduce an element you’ve been wait-ing to show off. Don’t feel, either, thatit has to be some great and epic quest. Ifthe character died at the end of a gob-lin pike, maybe all it takes is an awk-ward walk home and a few thousand goldpieces donated to a local temple. Thinkabout the ramifications of such a charita-

ble act and how it might affect the world,give the character back his sweet, sweetlife and remember; Death never forgetsa soul stolen from his realm.

DebilitiesLosing HP is a general thing, it’s get-ting tired, bruised, cut, and so on. Somewounds are deeper though. These aredebilities.

• Weak (Str): You can’t exert muchforce. Maybe some important mus-cles were slashed, or maybe thestrength was pulled out of you bymagic.

• Shaky (Dex): You’re a little unsteadyon your feet and you’ve got a shake inyour hands.

• Sick (Con): Something just isn’t rightdeep inside. It could be a disease or itmight be an organ swollen to burst-ing.

• Stunned(Int): You’rehavingtrouble . . . remembering?Is that how that sentence ends?

• Confused (Wis): Ears ringing. Visionblurred. You’re more than a little outof it.

• Scarred (Cha): It may not be perma-nent, but for now you don’t look sogood. Your voice is probably weaktoo.

Debilities are inflicted by certain mon-sters. Not every attack inflicts a debil-ity—they’re most often associated withmagic, poison, or stranger things like avampire sucking your blood. Each debil-ity is tied to a stat and gives you -1 to thatstat’s modifier. The stat’s score is unaf-fected so you don’t have to worry aboutchanging your Load when you’re Weak.

You can only have each debility once.If you’re already Sick and somethingmakes you Sick you just ignore it.

Debilities are harder to heal than HP.Some high level magic can do it, sure, butyour best bet is getting somewhere safeand spending a few days in a soft warmbed. Of course debilities are both de-scriptive and prescriptive: if somethinghappens that would remove a debility,that debility is gone.

Debilities don’t replace descriptions andusing the established fiction. Whensomeone loses an arm that isn’t Weak,that’s losing an arm. They can’t hold ashield, to begin with. Don’t let debilitieslimit you. A specific disease can havewhatever effects you can dream up, Sickis just a convenient shorthand for someanonymous fever picked up from a filthyrat.

Blood and Guts Advancement

55

AdvancementDungeon World is ever-changing. Thecharacters change, too. As their adven-tures progress, player characters gainexperience or XP, which lets them levelup. This prepares them for greater dan-ger, bigger adventures, and mightierdeeds.

Advancement, like everything else inDungeon World, is both prescriptive anddescriptive. Prescriptive means thatwhen a player changes their charactersheet the character changes. Descriptivemeans that when the character changesthe player should change the charactersheet to reflect that.

This isn’t a benefit or detriment to theplayers or the GM; it’s not an excuse togain more powers or take them away. It’sjust a reflection of life in Dungeon World.

Gregor offers his signature weapon, an axepermanently dyed green in orc blood, as adesperate bargain to save the King from eter-nal damnation. Without his axe he getsnone of the benefits of his signature weapon.Should he recover it he’ll have access to itsbenefits again.

Avon, despite being a Wizard, has risen tothe notice of Lenoral, the deity of arcaneknowledge. After being blessed by an avatarof Lenoral, Avon is under the deity’s watch.He can fulfill Petitions and gain boons like aCleric.

Descriptive changes only happen whenthe character has clearly gained access toan ability. Befriending a stray dog doesnot have the same benefits as an animalcompanion.

Level UpWhen you have a safe moment andXP equal to (or greater than) yourcurrent level + 7 , reset your XP to 0 andchoose a new advanced move from yourclass. If you are the Wizard, you also getto add a new spell to your spellbook.

New moves are chosen based on the char-acter’s new level. If a move requires 6thlevel, it’s available as the character ad-vances from 5th to 6th level.

If your new level is 3, 6, or 9, you alsoget to increase a stat by 2. Increase thebase score of the stat of your choice by2, adjust the modifier to reflect the newscore. Changing your Constitution in-creases your maximum and current HP.Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.

Requires & ReplacesSome moves depend on other moves. Ifanother move is listed along with the

word Requires or Replaces you canonly gain the new move if you have themove it requires or replaces.

A move the requires another move canonly be taken if you have the move itrequires already. You then have bothmoves and they both apply.

A move that replaces another move canonly be taken if you have the move itreplaces already. You lose access to thereplaced move and just have the new one.The new move will usually include all thebenefits of the replaced one: maybe youreplace a move that gives you 1 armorwith one that gives you 2 armor instead.

BondsBonds are what make you a party of ad-venturers, not just a random assortmentof people. Seeing your bonds evolve andplay off each other is one of the best partsof the game.

That said, this isn’t high drama. Howyou feel about Titanius doesn’t matterso much when you’re both fighting forlife and limb against a horde of demonswho would happily end the world if theycould. Bonds are the icing on the cake:they make your adventures (and your ad-venturers) more interesting.

Resolving BondsAt the end of each session you may re-solve one bond. Resolution of a bond de-pends on both you and the player of thecharacter you share the bond with: yousuggest that the bond has been resolvedand, if they agree, it is.

A bond is resolved when it no longer de-scribes how you relate to that person.That may be because circumstances havechanged—Thelian used to have yourback but after he didn’t rush to save youfrom the ankheg you’re not so sure. Or itcould be because that’s no longer a ques-tion—you guided Wesley before and heowed you, but he paid that debt when hesaved your life with a well-timed spell.Any time you look at a Bond and think"that’s not a big factor in how we relateanymore" the bond is at a good place toresolve.

If a character has blank Bonds left overfrom character creation they can resolvethat Bond without asking anyone andwrite a new one or they can add a charac-ter’s name to the Bond instead of writinga new Bond. Ignoring a Bond at char-acter creation does not reduce the totalBonds available to the character.

Writing New BondsYou write a new bond whenever you re-solve an old one. Your new bond may bewith the same character, but it doesn’thave to be.

When you write a new bond first chooseanother character. Then pick somethingrelevant to the last session you’ve justfinished—maybe a place you traveledtogether or a treasure you discovered.Lastly, choose a thought or belief yourcharacter holds that ties the two togetherand an action, something you’re going todo about it. You’ll end up with somethinglike this:

• Avon proved himself a coward in thedungeons of Xax’takar, he is a dan-gerous liability to the party and mustbe watched.

• Mouse’s quick thinking saved mefrom the white dragon we faced. Iowe her a boon.

• Xotoq won the Bone-and-WhispersAxe through trickery! It will be mine,I swear it.

• Valeria’s kindness to the Gnomes ofthe Vale has swayed my heart. I willfind a way to prove to her my love.

These new bonds act just like the oldones. They are still resolved and stillgrant XP when resolved.

If you chose not to use a starting Bondyou can replace it with a new Bond at theend of any session. This does not countas resolving a Bond, you don’t get XP forit.

AlignmentAlignment is your characters’ way ofthinking and moral compass. For thecharacter, this is reflected as an ethi-cal ideal, religious strictures, or maybejust a gut instinct. It reflects the thingsyour character might aspire to be andcan guide you when you’re not surewhat to do next. Some characters mightproudly proclaim their alignment whileothers might hide it away. A charac-ter might not say "I’m an evil person"but may instead say "I put myself first."That’s all well and good for a character,but the world knows otherwise. Burieddeep down inside is the ideal self a per-son wants to become—it is this mys-tic core that certain spells and abilitiestap into when detecting someone’s align-ment. Every sentient creature in Dun-geon World bears an alignment, be shean elf, a human, or some other, strangerthing.

The alignments are Good, Lawful, Neu-tral, Chaotic, and Evil. Each one showsan aspiration to be a different type of per-son.

Lawful creatures aspire to impose orderon the world, either for their own ben-efit or for that of others. Chaotic crea-tures embrace change and idealize themessy reality of the world, prizing free-dom above all else. Good creatures seekto put others before themselves. Evilcreatures put themselves first at the ex-

Alignment Blood and Guts

56

pense of others.

A Neutral creature looks out for itselfso long as that doesn’t hurt anyone elsemuch. Neutral characters are contentto live their lives and pursue their owngoals and let others do the same.

Most creatures are Neutral. They takeno particular pleasure in harming oth-ers, but will do it if it is justified by theirsituation. Those that put an ideal, be itLaw, Chaos, Good, or Evil, above them-selves are rarer.

Even two creatures of the same align-ment can come into conflict. Aspiringto help others does not grant infallibil-ity, two Good creatures may fight and dieover two different views of how to helpothers. A great king may wage war on afree city despite his good alignment sincehe sees (justly, perhaps) that the peoplesof the free city will live a better life underhis enlightened rule.

Changing AlignmentAlignment can, and will, change. Usu-ally such a change comes about as a grad-ual slide to a decisive moment when thepain caused becomes too great or thebenefit too others too small.

Any time a player would earn XP fromtheir current alignment they can, in-stead of taking the XP, change the align-ment. The player must have a reasonfor the change which they can explain tothe other players. If they can’t explainwhy their character has had a change ofheart they can’t change alignment. Don’tabuse the privilege.

The first time a player character changesalignment it must be to another align-ment listed for their class, though theycan choose any of the alignment movesbelow for a listed alignment. After thatthey can go to any alignment they like.

In some cases a player character mayswitch alignment moves while still keep-ing the same alignment. This reflects asmaller shift, one of priority instead of awholesale shift in thinking. They simplychoose a new move for the same align-ment from below and mention why theircharacter now sees this as important.

GM characters can change alignment aswell, even if the players have already dis-cerned the character’s alignment. SinceNPCs do not earn XP the GM can changethe NPC’s alignment any time it’s war-ranted. The GM is subject to the samejustification requirement: if an NPC witha known alignment is no longer thatalignment the players may ask the GMfor a reason why.

Lawful

• Uphold the letter of the law over thespirit

• Fulfill a promise of import• Bring someone to justice• Choose honor over personal gain• Put power in its rightful hands• Return treasure to its rightful owner

Good

• Ignore danger to aid another• Lead others into righteous battle• Give up powers or riches for the

greater good• Reveal a dangerous lie• Show mercy

Neutral

Chaotic

• Reveal corruption• Break an unjust law to benefit an-

other• Defeat a tyrant• Reveal hypocrisy

Evil

• Take advantage of someone’s trust• Cause suffering for its own sake• Destroy something beautiful• Upset the rightful order• Harm an innocent

Example

57

23Example

I’m GMing a game with Isaac (play-ing Omar), Ben (playing Brianne), Amy(playing Nora), and Dan (playing Rath).The group has come upon a tribe of gob-lins preparing the ritual sacrifice of a rareand valuable albino crocodile (highly re-garded as pets among the wealthy of thecity).

Three of the goblin warriors—druggedon narcotic vapors—charge the fighterBrianne, shrieking. Two others takecover, prepare their bows and gesture ur-gently toward Rath, as they make signsto ward off the evil eye. Another groupof three slips into the shadows aroundthe outer edge of the chamber, preparinga sneak attack. The high priest and heracolyte carry on with the ritual, rubbingthe croc’s upturned belly to keep it com-pliant, and bringing out the sacred knifeto slit its throat.

Once I describe the situation I make surethe game’s a conversation by giving thema chance to do something: "So, what doyou do?"

Isaac jumps into the action first. "There’senough shadows at the edges of thechamber to hide in?" "Yeah," I say, "thegoblins aren’t much for lighting appar-ently. The edges of the chamber justkind of disappear into crumbling walls,rubble, and gloom." "Great! I’m goingover here, the other side from where thesneaky ones went. Omar glances overhis shoulders, pulls up his hood over hishead, and ducks into the shadows. I’mgoing to pop out of the shadows righthere, where the torches illuminate thesacrificial altar."

I look over the map and say "Well, there’scertainly a danger of being discoveredthat I think you’re defying. Sounds likeDex to me, since you’re moving carefullyand silently," so he picks up the dice androlls. The dice show 1 and 2, plus his Dexof 2 is only 5. "Damn!" he says.

I already have an idea of what to do, butI check it against my list of moves to besure. Sure enough, my idea to have himget his foot lodged in the rubble in thedarkness is a move, "put someone in aspot." "As you make your way throughthe shadows, you put your foot down onsome rubble and it shifts under you, pin-ning your foot. What’s worse, you hear adeep raspy breath as the shifting rubbleawakes something in the shadows. Areyou giving away your position to cry forhelp or trying to get out yourself?"

"Um, I’m not sure."

"That’s fine, we’ll come back to you.What are the rest of you doing?"

Dan steps up. "Those goblins that duckedinto the shadows? Can I see them?" "Notat first glance. Are you trying to pickthem out?" "No, I’m just wondering ifthey’ll be targets for my sleep spell. I

push the winds of magic into a lullingsummer breeze that fills the room."

Dan rolls his Cast a Spell move to castSleep. He rolls 6 total on the dice, and hehas +2 Int, for a total of 8. He has a choiceto make. "You can feel the spell slippingaway from you, the winds of magic arealready all caught up in the goblin’s ritualsacrifice. There are some options on themove, which one are you taking to keepthe spell?"

Dan ponders his options. "I may need toput more of these guys to sleep. Brianne,can you cover me if I get in trouble orshould I take the -1 forward?"

"Sure, I can cover you." Ben says.

"Okay, I’ll take the danger option."

"Great" I say. "The narcotic vapors thosegoblins are on? It attunes their senses:They can feel the winds of magic just abit, and now they’re all running at youinstead of Brianne. How many creaturesare you putting to sleep?"

Dan rolls the dice. "Looks like only 1,damn."

"Right in the middle of some long gob-lin invocation the priest just drops tothe floor. Her acolyte immediately startsshaking her to wake her up. Neither ofthem is paying much attention to the al-bino crocodile, which is no longer con-tent since no one is rubbing its belly. Thegoblins on the fumes, though, they’recoming right at Rath."

Ben jumps in. "I step between Rath andthe crazed goblins and make myself abig target, drawing the goblin’s attentionwith a yell."

"Sounds like Defend" I say.

"Okay, I rolled a 7, so I hold 1."

"Great. The three goblins on fumes prat-ically bowl Rath over as they slam intohim, swinging their daggers wildly."

"No they don’t!" Ben says. "I spend myhold to get into the way and direct theattack to me."

"So Brianne steps in at the last moment,pushes Rath out of the way, and the gob-lins lay into her instead. Looks like 5damage. Nora, Brianne’s got these threepsychotic goblins all over her, Rath’sjust put the priestess to sleep, the croco-dile’s stirring, and Omar’s nowhere to befound. What are you doing?"

"First I line up a shot on one of the archergoblins, and while I’m doing that I give alittle head nod and Canto heads off intothe shadows, he’s trained to hunt, he’slooking for Omar to make sure he’s al-right."

I look over the Ranger’s Command move,to make sure I know what the effects ofCanto’s search are, before responding."Well, on his own Canto will probably

Example

58

find Omar in a while. If you go into thedarkness with him you’ll his bonus toyour Discern Realities roll to find Omar.But first it sounds like you’re making aCalled Shot?"

"Oh, the goblin archers are surprised byme? I thought I was just volleying" Amyreplies.

It’s time for me to make a call. "No,they’re entirely focused on Rath, they’reabout to fire on him. I think you’ve gotthe element of surprise because they’rejust too focused."

"Great! Then I’ll go ahead and take ashot at the arms of the one closest to me,I want him to drop his bow. Looks likethat’s +Dex . . . 10! He drops his bow andtakes 4 damage."

I consult the goblin’s stats first, then re-ply "yup, that’ll kill him. And since youhit him dead in the arm, he doesn’t get ashot off. The other one, however, re-leases his shot at Rath, for 2 damage.Rath, Brianne pushes you out of the wayand you think you’re safe for a split sec-ond before an arrow flies into your leg,what are you doing about it? Actually,hold that thought, let’s see what Omar’sdoing."

Isaac’s had some time to think thingsthrough now. "This deep raspy breath,can I make out where it’s coming from?Is it like a human-sized rasp or amonster-sized rasp?"

"Sounds to me like you’re trying to listento your senses and get some informa-tion." I’m hoping that this will remindIsaac there’s a move for this, instead ofjust telling him to make the move.

"Oh yeah! So I’m Discerning Realities,staying as quiet as I can and just tryingto pick up any detail on what this thingis. With my Wisdom that’s a 7, whew.What should I be on the lookout for?"

I take a second to look over my notes andthe map, just to make sure I give him allthe information. "Well, not the goblins,actually. They pass by, closer to the lightthen you, intent on backstabbing yourfriends and not noticing you. The thingthat you do see is the tip of this hugecrocodile snout peak over a mound ofrubble, with that rasping sound comingfrom it. It looks like the albino crocodilehas family, and it’s big, horse-size. If youmake noise by moving rocks and gettingunstuck it’ll almost certainly hear you.What are you doing about that?"

Isaac ponders. "So, I can try to get out ofhere, Defying Danger most likely fromthe sounds of it. Or . . . I tear off a pieceof my cloak and soak it in an entire doseof my Goldenroot poison. It’s an appliedpoison, but if I can get this huge crocodileto swallow it before it swallows me it’lltreat me as a trusted ally, and then I canuse it against the goblins."

"Okay!" That sounds like a risky planto me, but it’s just crazy enough towork. Time to cut back to someone else."Omar’s soaking poison into a scrap ofcloak, Brianne’s got three drugged-upgoblins scraping at her, Nora’s got an eyeout for Omar, there are goblin sneaks inthe shadows, one goblin archer by the al-ter, the crocodile is waking up, and Rathjust took an arrow to the knee. Whew.Rath, what are you doing about that ar-row?"

The world Creating the world

59

24The world

Much of the adventuring life is spent industy, forgotten tombs or in places ofterror and life-threatening danger. It’scommonplace to awaken from a shortand fitful rest, still deep in the belly of theworld and surrounded by foes. When thetime comes to emerge from these kinds ofplaces—whether laden with the spoils ofbattle or beaten and bloody—an adven-turer seeks out safety and solace.

These are the comforts of civilization; awarm bath, a meal of mead and bread,company of fellow men and elves anddwarves. Often, thoughts of returning tothese places are all that keep an adven-turer from succumbing to madness in thedepths. All fight for gold and glory butin their hearts, everyone wants a place tocall "home".

This chapter covers the wider world. Thegrand and sweeping scope outside thedungeon. The always-marching move-ment of the GMs Fronts will shape theworld and, in turn, the world reflects theactions the players take to stop or redi-rect them.

SteadingsWe call all the assorted communities,holds, and so on where there’s a placeto stay and some modicum of safetySteadings , as in "homestead." Steadingsare places with at least a handful of in-habitants, usually humans, and somestable structures. They can be as big as acapital city or as small as few ramshacklebuildings.

Creating the worldRemember how you started the first ses-sion? With action either underway orimpending? At some point the charac-ters are going to need to retreat from thataction, either to heal their wounds or tocelebrate and resupply.

When the players leave the site of theirfirst adventure for the safety of civiliza-tion it’s time to start drawing the Cam-paign Map. Take a large sheet of paper(plain white if you like or hex-griddedif you want to get fancy), place it whereeveryone can see, and make a mark forthe site of the adventure. Use pencil, thismap will change. It can be figurative orliteral depending on your drawing skill,just make it obvious. Keep the markingsmall and somewhere around the centerof the paper so you have space to grow.

Now add the nearest Steading, a place thecharacters can go to rest and gather sup-plies. Draw a mark for that place on themap and fill in the space between withsome terrain features. Try to keep the itwithin a day or two of the site of their firstadventure—a short trip through a rockypass or some heavy woods is suitable, ora wider distance by road or across open

ground.

When you have time (after the first ses-sion or during a snack break or the like)use the rules to create the first Steading.Consider adding marks for other placesthat have been mentioned so far, eitherdetails from character creation or theSteading rules themselves.

Steading MovesWhen the players visit a Steading thereare some special moves they’ll be able tomake. These still follow the fictional flowof the game. When the players arrive,ask them "What do you do?" The players’actions will, more often than not, trig-ger a move from this list. They representrespite, reinvigoration and resupply; op-portunities for the players to gather theirwits and spend their treasure. Remem-ber that a Steading isn’t a break from re-ality. You’re still making hard moveswhen necessary and thinking about howthe players’ action (or inaction) leads toyour Fronts advancing. The ImpendingDoom is always there, whether the play-ers are combatting it in the dungeon orignoring it while getting drunk in the lo-cal tavern.

Let each player make one or two moveshere, depending on how they answeryour "what do you do?" question. Don’tlet a visit to a Steading become a per-manent respite. Remember, DungeonWorld is a scary, dangerous place. Ifthe players choose to ignore that, make ahard move. Fill the characters’ lives withadventure whether they’re out seeking itor not. These moves exist to you canmake a visit to town an interesting thingwithout spending a whole session hag-gling over the cost of a new baldric.

CarouseWhen you return triumphant andthrow a big party , spend 100 coin androll + extra 100s of coin spent. On a 10+choose 3. On a 7–9 choose 1. On a miss,you still choose one, but things get reallyout of hand.

• You befriend a useful NPC• You hear rumors of an opportunity• You gain useful information• You are not entangled, ensorcelled,

or tricked

SupplyWhen you go to buy something withcoin on hand , if it’s something read-ily available in the steading you’re in,you can buy it at market price. If it’ssomething special, beyond what’s usu-ally available here, or non-mundane,roll+Cha. On a 10+ you find what you’relooking for at a fair price. On a 7–9 you’llhave to pay more or settle for something

Recover The world

60

similar.

RecoverWhen you do nothing but rest incomfort and safety after a day of restyou recover all your HP. After three daysof rest you remove one debility of yourchoice. If you’re under the care of ahealer (magical or otherwise) you heala debility for every two days of rest in-stead.

RecruitWhen you put out word that you’relooking to hire help , roll. If you makeit known . . .

• . . . that your pay is generous, take +1• . . . what you’re setting out to do, take

+1• . . . that they’ll get a share of whatever

you find, take +1

If you have a useful reputation aroundthese parts take an additional +1. On a10+ you’ve got your pick of a number ofskilled applicants, your choice who youhire and no penalty for not taking themalong. On a 7–9 you’ll have to settle forwhat you get or turn applicants away. Ona miss someone influential and ill-suiteddeclares they’d like to come along (a fool-hardy young duke, a loose cannon mer-cenary, or a hidden enemy, for example),bring them and damn the consequencesor turn them away and risk their ire. Ifyou turn away applicants you take -1 for-ward to Recruit.

Outstanding WarrantsWhen you return to a Steading inwhich you’ve caused trouble before, roll+Cha. On a 10+, word has spread ofyour deeds and everyone recognizes you.On a 7–9 that, and GM chooses a compli-cation:

• The local constabulary has a warrantout for your arrest

• Someone who holds a grudge makestheir move

• Someone important to you has beenput in a bad spot as a result of youractions

BolsterWhen you spend your leisure timein study, meditation, or hard prac-tice, you gain preparation. If you pre-pare for a week or two, 1 preparation.If you prepare for a month or longer,3 preparation. When your preparationpays off spend 1 preparation for +1 to anyroll. You can only spend one preparationper roll.

Elements of a SteadingA Steading is any bit of civilization thatoffers some amount of safety to its in-habitants. Villages, towns, keeps, andcities are the most common Steadings.

Steadings are differentiated based onsize. The size indicates roughly howmany people the Steading can support.The population tag tells you if the cur-rent population is more then or less thanthis amount.

Villages are the smallest Steadings.They’re usually out of the way, offthe main roads. If they’re lucky theycan muster some defense but it’s oftenjust rabble with pitchforks and torches.A village stands near some easily ex-ploitable resource: rich soil, plentifulfish, an old forest, or a mine. There mightbe a store of some sort but more likely it’sjust people trading to each other. Coin isscarce.

Towns have a few thousand inhabitants.They’re the kind of place that springs uparound a mill, trading post, or inn andusually have fields, farms, and livestockof some kind. They might have a stand-ing militia of farmers strong enough towield a blade or shoot a bow. Towns havethe basics for sale but certainly no spe-cial goods. Usually they’ll focus on a localproduct or two and do some trade withtravelers.

A Keep is a Steading built specificallyfor defense—sometimes of a particularlyimportant location like a river delta or arich gold mine. Keeps are found at thefrontier edges of civilization. Inhabi-tants are inured to the day-to-day dan-gers of the road. They’re tough folks thatnumber between a hundred and a thou-sand, depending on the size of the Keepand the place it defends. Keeps won’toften have much beyond their own sup-plies, traded to them from nearby vil-lages, but will almost always have armsand armor and sometimes a rare magicalitem found in the local wilds.

From bustling trade center to sprawl-ing metropolis the City represents thelargest sort of Steading in DungeonWorld. These are places where folk ofmany races and kinds can be found. Theyoften exist at the confluence of a handfulof trade routes or are built in a place ofspiritual significance. They don’t oftengenerate their own materials for trade,relying on villages nearby for food andraw material but will always have craftedgoods and some stranger things for saleto those willing to seek them.

Steadings are created as needed. Dis-covered by players, added as part of theprep for a Front or spawned as the resultof the GM asking questions of the play-ers, whatever the reason each Steadingis created using the rules below.

Like weapons, Steadings are describedby their tags. All Steadings have tags in-dicating prosperity, population and de-fenses and many will have tags to illus-trate their more unusual properties.

Prosperity indicates what kinds of itemsare usually available. Population indi-cates the number of inhabitants rela-tive to the current size of the steading.Defenses indicate the general scope ofarms the steading has. Tags in thesecategories can be adjusted. -categorymeans to change the steading to the nextlower tag for that category (so Moderatewould become Poor when tagged with -Prosperity). +category means to changethe steading to the next higher tag (soShrinking becomes Steady with +Pop-ulation). Tags in those categories canalso be compared like numbers. Treatthe lowest tag in that category as 1 andeach successive tag as the next number(so Dirt is 1, Poor is 2, etc.).

Tags will change of the course of play.Creating a Steading provides a snapshotof what that place looks like right now .As the players spend time in it and yourFronts progress the world will changeand your Steadings with it.

Adding SteadingsYou add your first Steading when youcreate the Campaign Map; it’s the placethe players go to to rest and recover.When you first draw it on the map allyou need is a name and a location.

When you have the time you’ll use therules below to create the Steading. Thefirst Steading is usually a village, but youcan use a town if the first adventure wasclosely tied to humans (for example, ifthe players fought a human cult). Createit using the rules below.

Once you’ve created the first Steadingyou can add other places referenced in itstags (the Oath, Trade, and Enmity tags inparticular) or anywhere else that’s beenreferred to in play. Don’t add too much inthe first session, leave blanks and placesto explore.

As play progresses the characters willdiscover new locales and places of in-terest either directly, by stumbling uponthem in the wild, or indirectly, by hear-ing about them in rumors or tales. Addnew Steadings, dungeons, and other lo-cations to the map as they’re discoveredor heard about. Villages are often near auseful resource. Towns are often foundat the point where several villages meetto trade.Keeps watch over important lo-cations. Cities rely on the trade and sup-port of smaller steads. Dungeons can befound anywhere and in many forms.

Whenever you add a new Steading usethe rules to decide its tags. Consideradding a distinctive feature somewhere

The world Making a Village

61

nearby. Maybe a forest, some old stand-ing stones, an abandoned castle, or what-ever else catches your fancy or makessense. A map of only Steadings and ruinswith nothing in-between is dull, don’tneglect the other features of the world.

Steading TagsProsperity

Dirt : Nothing for sale, nobody has morethan they need (and they’re lucky if theyhave that). Unskilled labor is cheap.

Poor : Only the bare necessities for sale.Weapons are scarce unless the steading isheavily defended or militant. Unskilledlabor is readily available.

Moderate : Most mundane items areavailable. Some types of skilled labor-ers.

Wealthy : Any mundane item can befound for sale. Most kinds of skilled la-borers, too, but demand is high for theirtime.

Rich : Mundane items and more, if youknow where to find them. Specialist la-bor available, but at high prices.

Population

Exodus : The Steading has lost its popu-lation and is on the verge of collapse.

Shrinking : The population is less than itonce was. Buildings stand empty.

Steady : The population is in line with thecurrent size of the steading. Some slowgrowth.

Growing : More people than there arebuildings.

Booming : Resources are stretched thintrying to keep up with the number ofpeople.

Defenses

None : Clubs, torches, farming tools.

Militia : There are several dozen able-bodied men and women with wornweapons ready to be called, but no stand-ing force.

Watch : There are a few watchers postedwho look out for trouble and settle smallproblems, but their main role is to sum-mon the militia.

Guard : There are armed defenders at alltimes with a total pool of less than 100(or equivalent). There is always at leastone armed patrol about the steading.

Garrison : There are armed defenders atall times with a total pool of 100–300 (orequivalent). There are multiple armedpatrols at all times.

Battalion : As many as 1,000 armed de-fenders (or equivalent). The steading hasmanned maintained defenses as well.

Legion : The Steading is defended bythousands of armed defenders (or equiv-

alent). The Steading’s defenses are in-timidating.

Other Tags

Safe : Outside trouble doesn’t come hereunless the players bring it. Idyllic andoften hidden. If the Steading would loseor degrade another beneficial tag get ridof Safe instead.

Religion : The listed deity is revered here.

Exotic : There are goods and servicesavailable here that aren’t available any-where else nearby. List them.

Resource : The steading has easy access tothe listed resource (e.g. a spice, a type ofore, fish, grapes). That resource is sig-nificantly cheaper.

Need : The Steading has an acute or on-going need for the listed resource. Thatresource sells for considerably more.

Oath : The Steading has sworn oaths tothe listed Steadings. These oaths are gen-erally of fealty or support, but may bemore specific.

Trade : The Steading regularly tradeswith the listed Steadings.

Market : Everyone comes here to trade.On any given day the available items maybe far beyond their prosperity. +1 to Sup-ply.

Enmity : The steading holds a grudgeagainst the listed steadings.

History : Something important once hap-pened here, choose one and detail ormake up your own: Battle, Miracle,Myth, Romance, Tragedy.

Arcane : Someone in town can cast arcanespells for a price. This tends to drawmore arcane casters, +1 to Recruit whenyou put out word you’re looking for anadept.

Divine : There is a major religious pres-ence, maybe a cathedral or monastery.They can heal and maybe even raise thedead for a donation or resolution of aquest. Take +1 to recruit priests here.

Guild : The listed type of guild has a ma-jor presence (and usually a fair amount ofinfluence). If the guild is closely associ-ated with a type of hireling, +1 to recruitthat type of hireling.

Personage : There’s a notable person whomakes their home here. Give them aname and a short note on why they’renotable.

Dwarven : The Steading is significantlyor entirely dwarves. Dwarven goods arelower price.

Elven : The Steading is significantly or en-tirely elves. Elven goods are lower price.

Craft : The Steading is known for excel-lence in the listed craft. Items that are aproduct of that craft are of lower price,higher quality, or both.

Lawless : Crime is rampant; authority isweak.

Blight : The Steading has a recurringproblem, usually a type of monster.

Power : The Steading holds sway of sometype. Typically Political, Divine, or Ar-cane.

Steading NamesGreybark, Nook’s Crossing, Tanner’sFord, Goldenfield, Barrowbridge, RumRiver, Brindenburg, Shambles, Cov-aner, Enfield, Crystal Falls, CastleDaunting, Nulty’s Harbor, Castonshire,Cornwood, Irongate, Mayhill, Pigton,Crosses, Battlemoore, Torsea, Cur-land, Snowcalm, Seawall, Varlosh, Ter-minum, Avonia, Bucksburg, Settledown,Goblinjaw, Hammerford, Pit, The GreyFast, Ennet Bend, Harrison’s Hold,Fortress Andwynne, Blackstone

Making a VillageBy default a village is Poor, Steady, Mili-tia, Resource (your choice) and has anOath to another steading of your choice.If the village is part of a kingdom or em-pire choose one:

• The village is somewhere naturallydefended: Safe, -Defenses

• The village abundant resources thatsustain it: +Prosperity, Resource(your choice), Enmity (your choice)

• The village is under the protec-tion of another steading: Oath (thatsteading), +Defenses

• The village is on a major road: Trade(your choice), +Prosperity

• The village is built around a wizard’stower: Personage (the wizard), Blight(arcane creatures)

• The village was built on the site of re-ligious significance: Divine, History(your choice)

Choose one problem:

• The village is in arid or uncultivableland: Need (Food)

• The village is dedicated to a deity: Re-ligious (that deity), Enmity (a settle-ment of another deity)

• The village has recently fought a bat-tle: -Population, -Prosperity if theyfought to the end, -Defenses if theylost.

• The village has a monster problem:Blight (that monster), Need (adven-turers)

• The village has absorbed another vil-lage: +Population, Lawless

• The village is remote or unwelcom-ing: -Prosperity, Dwarven or Elven

Making a Town The world

62

Making a TownBy default a town is Moderate, Steady,Watch, and Trade (two of your choice).If the town is listed as Trade by anothersteading choose one:

• The town is booming: Booming,Lawless

• The town stands on a crossroads:Market, +Prosperity

• The town is defended by anothersteading: Oath (that steading), +De-fenses

• The town is built around a church:Power (Divine)

• The town is built around a craft: Craft(your choice), Resource (somethingrequired for that craft)

• The town is built around a militarypost: +Defenses

Choose one problem:

• The town has grown too big for animportant supply (like grain, wood,or stone): Need (that resource), Trade(a village or town with that resource)

• The town offers defense to others:Oath (your choice), -Defenses

• The town is notorious for an outlawwho is rumored to live there: Person-age (the outlaw), Enmity (where thecrimes were committed)

• The town has cornered the market ona good or service: Exotic (that goodor service), Enmity (a settlement withambition)

• The town has a disease: -Population• The town is a popular meeting place:

+Population, Lawless

Making a KeepBy default a keep is Poor, Shrinking,Guard, Need (Supplies), Trade (some-place with supplies), Oath (your choice).If the keep is owed fealty by at least onesettlement choose one:

• The keep belongs to a noble family:+Prosperity, Power (Political)

• The keep is run by a skilled com-mander: Personage (the comman-der), +Defenses

• The keep stands watch over a traderoad: +Prosperity, Guild (trade)

• The keep is used to train specialtroops: Arcane, -Population

• The keep is surrounded by fertileland: remove Need (Supplies)

• The keep stands on a border: +De-fenses, Enmity (steading on the otherside of the border)

Choose one problem

• The keep is built on a naturally de-fensible position: Safe, -Population

• The keep was a conquest from an-

other power: Enmity (steadings ofthat power)

• The keep is a safe haven for brigands:Lawless

• The keep was built to defend from aspecific threat: Blight (that threat)

• The keep has seen horrible bloodywar: History (Battle), Blight (RestlessSpirits)

• The keep is given the worst of theworst: Need (Skilled Recruits)

Making a CityBy default a city is Moderate, Steady,Guard, Market, and Guild (one of yourchoice). It also has Oaths with at leasttwo other steadings, usually a town anda keep. If the city has trade with at leastone steading and fealty from at least onesteading choose one:

• The city has permanent defenses, likewalls: +Defenses, Oath (your choice)

• The city is ruled by a single individ-ual: Personage (the ruler), Power (Po-litical)

• The city is diverse: Dwarven or Elvenor both

• The city is a trade hub: Trade (everysteading nearby), +Prosperity

• The city is ancient, built on top of itsown ruins: History (your choice), Di-vine

• The city is a center of learning: Ar-cane, Craft (your choice), Power (Ar-cane)

Choose one problem:

• The city has outgrown its resources:+Population, Need (food)

• The city has designs on nearby ter-ritory: Enmity (nearby steadings),+Defenses

• The city is ruled by a theocracy: -Defenses, Power (Divine)

• The city is ruled by the people: -Defenses, +Population

• The city has supernatural defenses:+Defenses, Blight (related supernat-ural creatures)

• The city lies on a place of power: Ar-cane, Personage (whoever watchesthe place of power), Blight (arcanecreatures)

Fronts on the Campaign MapOf course your steadings are not the onlything on the campaign map. In additionto steadings and the areas around themyour fronts will appear on the map, albeitindirectly.

Fronts are organizational tools, notsomething the characters think of, sodon’t put them on the map directly. Theorcs of Olg’gothal may be a front butdon’t just draw them on the map. In-

stead for each front add some feature tothe map that indicates the front’s pres-ence. You can label it if you like, but usethe name that the characters would use,not the name you gave the front.

For example, the orcs of Olg’gothal couldbe marked on the map with a burning vil-lage they left behind, fires in the distanceat night, or a stream of refugees. LordXothal, a lich, might be marked by thetower where dead plants take root andgrow.

As your fronts change, change the map.If the players cleanse Xothal’s tower re-draw it. If the orcs are driven off, erasethe crowds of refugees.

Updating the Campaign MapThe Campaign Map is updated betweensessions or whenever the players spendsignificant downtime in a safe place. Up-dates are both prescriptive and descrip-tive: if an event transpires that, say,gathers a larger fighting force to a village,update the tags to reflect that. Likewiseif a change in tags mean that a village hasa bigger fighting force you’ll likely seemore armored men in the street.

Between each session check each of theconditions below. Go down the list andcheck each condition for all steadings be-fore moving to the next. If a conditionapplies, apply its effects.

Growth

When a village or town is Boomingand its Prosperity is above Moder-ate you may reduce Prosperity and De-fenses to move to the next largest type.New towns immediately gain Marketand new cities immediately gain Guild(your choice).

Collapse

When a steading’s Population is Ex-odus and its Prosperity is Poor orless it shrinks. A city becomes a townwith a Steady Population and +Prosper-ity. A keep becomes a town with +De-fenses and a Steady population. A townbecomes a village with Steady popula-tion and +Prosperity. A village becomesa ghost town.

The world Updating the Campaign Map

63

Want

When a steading has a Need that isnot fulfilled (through trade, capture,or otherwise) that steading is in want. Itgets either -Prosperity, -Population, orloses a tag based on that resource likeCraft or Trade, your choice.

Trade

When Trade is blocked because thesource of that trade is gone, the routeis endangered, or political reasons, thesteading has a choice: gain Need (a tradedgood) or take -Prosperity.

Capture

When control of a resource changesremove that resource from the tags of theprevious owner and add it to the tags ofthe new owner (if applicable). If the pre-vious owner has a Craft or Trade based onthat resource they now have Need (thatresource). If the new owner had a Needfor that resource, remove it.

Profit

When a steading has more Tradethan its current Prosperity it gets+Prosperity.

Surplus

When a steading has a Resource thatanother steading Needs unless En-mity or other diplomatic reasons preventit they set up Trade. The steading withthe Resource gets +Prosperity and theirchoice of Oaths, +Population, or +De-fenses; the steading with the Need erasesthat need and adds Trade.

Aid

When a steading has Oaths to asteading under attack that steadingmay take -Defenses to give the steadingunder attack +Defenses.

Embattled

When a steading is surrounded byenemy forces it suffers loses. If it fightsback with force it gets -Defenses. If itsnew Defenses are Watch or less it alsogets -Prosperity. If it instead tries towait out the attack it gets -Population. Ifits new Population is Shrinking or less itloses a tag of your choice. If the steading’sDefenses outclass the attacker’s (yourcall if it’s not clear, or make it part ofan Adventure Front) the steading is nolonger surrounded.

Opportunity

When a steading has Enmity againsta weaker steading they may attack.Subtract the distance (in rations) be-tween the steadings from the steadingwith Enmity’s Defenses. If the resultis greater than the other steading’s De-fenses +Defense for each step of size dif-ference (village to town, town to keep,keep to city) they definitely attack. Oth-erwise it’s your call: has anything hap-

pened recently to stoke their anger? Theforces of the attacker embattle the de-fender, while they maintain the attackthey’re -Defenses.

Clash

When two steadings both attackeach other their forces meet some-where between them and fight. If they’reevenly matched they both get -Defensesand their troops return home. If one hasthe advantage they take -Defenses whilethe other takes -2 Defenses.

Other UpdatesThe conditions above detail the most ba-sic of interactions between steadings, ofcourse the presence of your Fronts andthe players mean things can get far morecomplex. Since tags are descriptive, addthem as needed to reflect the players’actions and your fronts’ effects on theworld.

Making a Hireling Hirelings

64

25Hirelings

Hirelings are those sorry souls that—formoney, glory, orstrangerneeds—venturealong with adventurers into the gloomand danger. They are the foolhardy thatseek to make their name on adventures.

Hirelings serve a few purposes. To thecharacters, they’re the help. They lendtheir strength to the player characters’efforts in return for their pay. To theplayers, they’re a resource. They buy thecharacters some extra time against eventhe most frightening of threats. They’realso replacement characters, waiting tostep up into the hero’s role when a playercharacter falls. To the GM, they’re a hu-man face for the characters to turn to,even in the depths of the earth of the farreaches of the planes.

Hirelings are not heroes. A hireling maybecome a hero, as a replacement charac-ter, but until that time they’re just an-other GM character, suffering the dan-gers and perils of the world. As suchtheir exact HP, armor, and damage isn’tparticularly important. A hireling is de-fined by their Skill (or Skills) a Cost anda Loyalty score.

A hireling’s skill is a special benefit theyprovide to the players. Most skills are re-lated to class abilities, allowing a hirelingto fill in for a certain class. If you don’thave a Ranger but you need to track theassassin’s route out of Torsea anyway,you need a Tracker. Each skill has a rank,usually from 1 to 10. The higher the rankthe more trained the hireling. Generallyhirelings only work for adventurers ofequal or higher level than their highestskill.

If a hireling becomes a character theirskills may suggest a given class, but thereisn’t a requirement. When the momentcomes and the spotlight is on them theymay find strength they didn’t know theyhad.

Skills don’t limit what a hireling can do,they just provide mechanics for a cer-tain ability. A hireling with the protectorskill can still carry your burdens or checkfor traps, but the outcome isn’t guaran-teed by a rule. It will fall entirely to thecircumstances and the GM. Sending ahireling to do something that is clearlybeyond their abilities is asking the GMfor trouble.

Of course no hireling works for free. Thehireling’s cost is what it takes to keepthem with the player characters. If thehireling’s cost isn’t paid regularly (usu-ally once a session) they’re liable to quitor turn on their employers.

When hirelings are in play, the playersmay have to make the Order Hirelingsmove. The move uses the loyalty of thehireling that triggered the move:

Order Hirelings

Hirelings do what you tell them to, solong as it isn’t obviously dangerous, de-grading, or stupid, and their cost ismet. When a hireling find themselvesin a dangerous, degrading, or just flat-out crazy situation due to your ordersroll+loyalty. On a 10+ they stand firmand carry out the order. On a 7-9 they doit for now, but come back with serious de-mands later. Meet them or the hirelingquits on the worst terms.

Making a HirelingHirelings are easy to make on the fly.When someone enters the player’s em-ploy note down their name and what costthey’ve agreed to as well as any skills theymay have.

Start with a number based on where thehireling was found. Hirelings in villagesstart with 2–5. Town hirelings get 4–6.Keep hirelings are 5–8. City hirelings are6–10. Distribute the hireling’s numberbetween loyalty, a main skill, and zero ormore secondary skills. Starting loyaltyhigher than 2 is unusual, as is startingloyalty below 0. Choose a cost for thehireling and you’re done.

A hireling’s stats, especially their loy-alty, may change during play as a re-flection of events. A particular kindnessor bonus from the players is worth +1loyalty forward. Disrespect is -1 loy-alty forward. If it’s been a while sincetheir cost was last paid they get -1 loy-alty ongoing until their cost is met. Ahirelings loyalty may be permanentlyincreased when they achieve some greatdeed with the players. A significant fail-ure or beating may permanently lowerthe hireling’s loyalty.

Costs

• The Thrill of Victory• Money• Uncovered Knowledge• Fame and Glory• Debauchery• Good Accomplished

SkillsAdept

An adept has at least apprenticed to anarcane expert, but is not powerful in theirown right. They may have mastered afew simple spells, but they don’t haveanything like the wizard’s spellbook

Arcane Assistance —When an adept aids inthe casting of a spell of lower level thantheir skill, the spell’s effects have greaterrange, duration, or potency. The exacteffects depend on the situation and thespell and are up to the GM. The GM willdescribe what effects the assist will addbefore the spell is cast. The most impor-

Hirelings Making a Hireling

65

tant feature of casting with an adept isthat any negative effects of the castingare focused on the adept first.

Expert

Experts are skilled in a variety of areas,most of them illicit or dangerous. Theyare good with devices and traps, but nottoo helpful in the field of battle.

Experimental Trap Disarming —When anexpert leads the way they can detect trapsalmost in time. If a trap would be sprungwhile an expert is leading the way the ex-pert suffers the full effects but the play-ers get +skill against the trap and addthe expert’s skill to their armor againstthe trap. Most traps leave an expert inneed of immediate healing. If the playersMake Camp near the trap, the expert candisarm it by the time camp is broken.

Minstrel

When a smiling face is needed to smooththings over or negotiate a deal, a minstrelis always happy to lend their services forthe proper price.

A Hero’s Welcome —When you enter aplace of food, drink, or entertainmentwith a minstrel you will be treated as afriend by everyone present (unless youractions prove otherwise). You also sub-tract the minstrel’s skill from all pricesin town.

Priest

Priest are the lower ranking clergy of areligion, performing minor offices andregular sacraments. While not grantedspells themselves, they are able to callupon their deity for minor aid.

Ministry —When you make camp witha priest if you would normally heal youheal to your maximum HP value.

First Aid —When you call on a priest forhealing, the priest rushes to your sideand heals you of 2×skill HP. You take -1forward as their healing is painful anddistracting.

Protector

A protector stands between their em-ployer and the blades, fangs, teeth, andspells that would harm them.

Sentry —When a protector stands be-tween you and an attack you increaseyour armor against that attack by the de-fender’s skill, then reduce their skill by1 until they receive healing or have timeto mend.

Intervene —When a protector helps youDefy Danger you may opt to take +1 fromtheir aid. If you do you cannot get a 10+result, a 10+ instead counts as a 7–9.

Tracker

Trackers know the secrets of following atrail, but they don’t have the experiencewith strange creatures and exotic localsthat make for a great hunter.

Track —When a tracker is given timeto study a trail while Making Camp,when camp is broken they can follow thetrail to the next major change in terrain,travel, or weather.

Guide —When a tracker leads the wayyou automatically succeed on any Per-ilous Journey of a distance lower thanthe tracker’s skill.

Warrior

Warriors are not masters of combat, butthey are handy with a weapon. Theywon’t be leading anyone into battle any-time soon, but their arm is good.

Man-at-arms —When you deal damagewhile a warrior aids you add their skill tothe damage done. If your attack resultsin consequences (like a counter attack)the man-at-arms takes the brunt of it.

Using Monsters Monsters

66

26Monsters

Great heroes need horrendous antago-nists. This section is about how to createand play as those antagonists—from thelowly goblin warrior to the hellish de-mon.

Using MonstersA monster is any living (or undead) thingthat stands in the players’ way.

How you use these monsters follows di-rectly from your Agenda and Principles.Stay true to your principles, use yourmoves and pursue your agenda—youcan’t go wrong.

Your first agenda is to "Make the worldfantastic". This shines through stronglybased on how you think about monsters.Everyone and everything who comes upagainst the players is a monster but thatdoesn’t mean you have to write theirstats out ahead of time. In a fantasticworld, every goblin might end up in afight but you don’t have to know theirHP before that happens. A monster isso simple to make you can jump rightinto the fiction, describing whatever youwant and back it up with stats as youneed them. Make the world fantastic:describe your monsters first and worryabout their stats later.

The player characters are the heroes.You shouldn’t be rooting for the mon-sters, per se. Monsters exist to illustratewhat a dangerous awful place DungeonWorld can be—how it will remain if theplayers don’t step in. If you feel like yourmonsters are being beaten too quickly,don’t worry. Let the players revel intheir victory and prepare a bigger, bad-der follow-up monster for next time.

The principle of "Think dangerous" sumsup that philosophy—the world is justas dangerous for the monsters as forthe characters. An evil overlord doesn’tcare about his every golem, demon, andharpy. Until proven otherwise, considerevery monster an arrow fired at the char-acters. The monsters are ammunition ofthe Danger you’re presenting. Some maybe smarter, faster, or more dangerousthan others but until a monster warrantsa name, a personality, or some other spe-cial consideration, it’s an arrow. Takeaim and shoot. Don’t worry if you miss.

A monster stops being an arrow whenit is given a chance to shine by the play-ers’ actions. When the players are forcedto run away from something it gainsweight. When a monster somehow sur-vives the players’ assault it becomes in-teresting to the players and to the worldat large. The players are the heroes. Yourmonsters are only important when theybecome important to the heroes and,thus, important to the world.

One thing that your Agenda and Prin-ciples don’t say anything about is set-

ting up a fair fight. Heroes are oftenoutnumbered or faced with ridiculousodds—sometimes they have to retreatand make a new plan. Sometimes theysuffer loss. When adding a monster toa front, placing them in a dungeon, ormaking them up on the fly your first re-sponsibility is to the fiction (Make theworld fantastic) and to give the charac-ters a real threat (Make the charactersheroes), not to make a balanced fight.Dungeon World isn’t about balancingencounter levels or counting experiencepoints; it’s about telling stories about ad-venture and death-defying feats!

Elements of a MonsterThe most important part of a monsteris what it does. These are it’s moves .Just like the normal GM moves, they’rethings that you do when there’s a lull inthe action or when the players give youa golden opportunity. Just like the nor-mal GM moves they can be hard or softdepending on the circumstances and themove: a move that’s irreversible and im-mediate is hard, a move that’s impendingor mitigable is soft.

Each monster’s raison d’être is summedup in its instinct . Much like Dan-gers, monsters have instincts that de-scribe their goals at a high level. Somemonsters live for conquest, or treasure,or simply for blood. The monster’s in-stinct is the guide to how to use the mon-ster

The monster’s description is where allits other features come from. The de-scription is how you know what the mon-ster really is, the other elements just re-flect the description.

Damage is a measure of how much painthe monster can inflict at once. Just likeplayer damage it’s a dice to roll, maybewith some modifiers. A monster deals itsdamage to another monster or a playerwhen it uses its standard weapons andtactics to hurt them, or when a move saysso.

Just like a weapon, monsters have tagsthat describe how it deals damage, in-cluding what range(s) it can do damageat. When trying to attack something outof its range (to close or too far) the mon-ster’s out of luck, no damage. Any tagthat can go on a weapon (like Messy orSlow) can also go on a monster.

There are also monster tags that applyonly to monsters. These tags, listed be-low, describe the monster’s key attrib-utes. Every monster has a tag for itsscope: where it falls in the bigger pictureof Dungeon World. The scope tag lets theGM know how to portray the monster ina way that its stats back up, for exampleif an army of gnolls can take a defendedvillage (hint: most likely). Some mon-sters also have a size tag, which notes

Monsters Monster Tags

67

their physical size. Monsters without asize tag are just about human size, giveor take.

A monster’s HP is a measure of howmuch damage it can take before it dies.Just like players, when a monster takesdamage it subtracts that amount from it’sHP. At 0 HP it’s dead, no Last Breath.

Some monsters are lucky enough to en-joy Armor . Just like player armor:when a monster with armor takes dam-age it subtracts its armor from the dam-age done.

Special qualities describe innate as-pects of the monster that are importantto play. These are a guide to the fic-tion, and therefore the moves. Thereis no master list of special qualities,they’re just plain-english descriptions ofthe qualities of a monster that aren’t partof an attack. A quality like "Intangi-ble" means just what it says: mundanestuff just passes through it. That meansswinging a mundane sword at it isn’tHack and Slash, for a start.

Monsters Without StatsSome creatures operate on a scale so farbeyond the mortal that concepts like HP,Armor, and Damage just do not hold.These creatures may still cause problemsfor the players and may even be defeatedwith clever thinking and enough prepa-ration, they just won’t be trading blows.

If a creature is of such a scale far beyondthe players, or if it simply doesn’t live ordie like a mortal creature, don’t assignit HP, Damage, or Armor. You can stilluse the monster creation rules to give ittags. The core of a stat-less monster isits instinct and moves; the GM can stillmake its moves and act according to itsinstinct.

Monster TagsMagical : It is by nature magical throughand through.

Devious : Its main danger lies beyond thesimple clash of battle.

Gibbous : Its anatomy and organs arebizarre and unnatural.

Organized : It has a group structure thataids it in survival. Defeating one maycause the wrath of others. One maysound an alarm.

Intelligent : Its smart enough that someindividuals pick up other skills. The GMcan adapt the monster by adding tags toreflect specific training, like a mage orwarrior.

Hoarder : It almost certainly has treasure.

Stealthy : It can avoid detection andprefers to attack with the element of sur-prise.

Terrifying : Its presence and appearanceevoke fear.

Cautious : It prizes survival over aggres-sion.

Construct : It was made, not born

Planar : Its from beyond this world

Organization TagsHorde : Where there’s one, theres more.A lot more.

Group : Usually seen in small numbers,3–6 or so.

Solitary : It lives and fights alone.

Size TagsTiny : It’s much smaller than a halfling.

Small : It’s about halfling size.

Large : It’s much bigger than a human,about as big as a cart.

Huge : It’s as big as a small house or larger.

Making MonstersMonsters start with your description ofthem. No matter if you’re making themonster before play or just as the play-ers come face-to-face with it, a monsterstarts with a clear vision of what it is andwhat it does.

If you’re making a monster between ses-sions start by imagining it. Imagine whatit looks like, what it does, why it standsout. Imagine the stories told about it andwhat effects it has had on the world.

If you’re making a monster on the flyduring a session start by describing itto the players. Your description startsbefore the characters even lay eyes onit: describe where it lives, what marks ithas made on the environment around it.Your description is the key to the mon-ster.

When you find you need stats for themonster you use this series of questionsto establish them. Answer every ques-tion based on the facts established andimagined. Don’t answer them aloud toanyone else, just note down the answersand the stats listed with each answer.

If two questions would grant the same tagdon’t worry about it. If you like you canadjust damage or HP by 2 to reflect thetag that would be repeated, but it’s notnecessary. If a combination of answerswould reduce HP or damage below 1 theystay at 1.

When you’re finished your monster mayhave only one move. If this is the caseand you plan on using the monster of-ten, give it another 2–3 moves of yourchoice. These moves often describe sec-ondary modes of attack, other uses for aprimary mode of attack, or connections

to a certain place in the world.

What is it known to do?

Write a monster move describing whatit does.

What does it want that causes problems forothers?

This is its instinct. Write it as an intendedaction.

How does it usually hunt or fight?

• In large disorganized groups: Horde,d6 damage, 3 HP

• In small groups, about 2–5: Group,d8 damage, 6 HP

• All by its lonesome: Solitary, d10damage, 12 HP

How big is it?

• Smaller than a house cat: Tiny, Hand,-2 damage

• Halfling-esque: Small, Close• About human size: Close• As big as a cart: Large, Close, Reach,

+4 HP, +1 damage• Much larger than a cart: Huge, Reach,

+8 HP, +3 damage

What is its most important defense?

• Cloth or flesh: 0 armor• Leathers or think hide: 1 armor• Mail or scales: 2 armor• Plate or bone: 3 armor• Permanent magical protection: 4 ar-

mor, Magical

What is it known for? (Choose all that apply)

• Unrelenting strength: +2 damage,forceful

• Skill in offense: roll damage twiceand take the best

• Skill in defense: +1 armor• Deft strikes: +1 piercing• Uncanny endurance: +4 HP• Deceit and trickery: Stealthy, write a

move about dirty tricks• A useful adaptation like being am-

phibious or having wings: Add a spe-cial quality for the adaptation

• The favor of the gods: Divine, +2damage or +2 HP or both (your call)

• Spells and magic: Magical, write amove about its spells

Treasure Monsters

68

What is its most common form of attack?

Note it along with the creature’s dam-age. Common answers include: a typeof weapon, claws, a specific spell. Thenanswer these questions about it.

• Its armaments are vicious and obvi-ous: +2 damage

• It lets the monster keep others at bay:Reach

• Its armaments are small and weak:-damage dice size

• Its armaments can slice or piercemetal: Messy, +1 Piercing or +3 Pierc-ing if it can just tear metal apart

• Armor doesn’t help with the damageit deals (due to magic, size, etc.): Ig-nores Armor

• It usually attacks at range (with ar-rows, spells, or other projectiles):Near or Far or both (your call)

Which of these describe it? (Choose all thatapply)

• It isn’t dangerous because of thewounds it inflicts, but for other rea-sons: Devious, -damage dice size,write a move about why it’s danger-ous

• It organizes into larger groups that itcan call on for support: Organized,write a move about calling on othersfor help

• It’s as smart as a human or there-abouts: Intelligent

• It actively defends itself with a shieldor similar: Cautious, +1 Armor

• It collects trinkets that humanswould consider valuable (gold, gems,secrets): Hoarder

• It uses magic: Magical, write a moveabout its style of magic and the effectsit can invoke

• It’s from beyond this world: Planar,write a move about using it’s other-worldly knowledge and power

• It’s kept alive by something beyondsimple biology: +4 HP

• It was made by someone: Construct,give it a special quality or two aboutits construction or purpose

• Its appearance is disturbing, terrible,or horrible: Terrifying, write a spe-cial quality about why it’s so horren-dous

• It doesn’t have organs or discernibleanatomy: Gibbous, +1 Armor, +3 HP

TreasureMonsters, much like adventurers, col-lect shiny useful things. When the play-ers search the belongings of a monster(be they on their person or tucked awaysomewhere) describe them honestly.

If the monster has accumulated somewealth you can roll that randomly. Start

with the monster’s damage die, modifiedif the monster is:

• Hoarder: roll damage die twice, takehigher result

• Far from home: +at least one ration(usable by anyone with similar taste)

• Magical: some strange item, possiblymagical

• Divine: a sign of a deity (or deities)• Planar: something not of this earth• Lord over others: +1d4 to the roll• Ancient and noteworthy: +1d4 to the

roll

Roll the monster’s damage die plus anyadded dice to fine the monster’s treasure:

1. A few coins, 2d8 or so2. An item useful to the current situa-

tion3. Several coins, about 4d104. A small item (gem, art) of consider-

able value, worth as much as 2d10×10coins, 0 weight

5. Some minor magical trinket6. Useful information (in the form of

clues, notes, etc.)7. A bag of coins, 1d4×100 or there-

abouts. 1 weight per 100.8. A very valuable small item (gem, art)

worth 2d6×100, 0 weight9. A chest of coins and other small valu-

ables. 1 weight but worth 3d6×100coins

10. A magical item or magical effect11. Many bags of coins for a total of

2d4×100 or so12. A sign of office (crown, banner) worth

at least 3d4×100 coins13. A large art item worth 4d4×100

coins, 1 weight14. A unique item worth at least 5d4×100

coins15. All the information needed to learn a

new spell and roll again16. A portal or secret path (or directions

to one) and roll again17. Something relating to one of the

characters and roll again18. A hoard: 1d10×1000 coins and

1d10×10 gems worth 2d6×100 each

Monster SettingsThe monsters in this book are presentedin monster settings . A monster set-ting is a location (or type of location) andthe monsters that inhabit it. It’s a wayof grouping monsters by where they fitin the world. A monster setting tellsyou what kind of monsters might inhabitan area while your Fronts tell you whatmonsters are working together or haveongoing plots.

When creating your own monster set-tings, they can be more specific. Youcould create a monster setting for theGreat Western Steppes or the Domainsof the Horse Lords.

Consult a monster setting to populate aFront or when you want a threat that isonly tangentially related to one of yourFronts. For example, if the heroes arebattling against the Dungeon Front "TheCult of Khul-ka-ra" by exploring the an-cient ruins that the cult has made itshome then you might use monsters fromthe Legions of the Undead as a relatedthreat—not truly part of the front butstill a block in the heroes’ path.

Monsters within a given setting will tendto be about as powerful. This is a productof their ecology—they’re in competitionfor space and resources, after all. Cav-ern Dwellers or Denizens of the MurkySwamp are likely to be faced by fresh ad-venturers as they are the creatures whomost often encroach on civilization. TheGnarled Woods, Ravenous Hordes, andTwisted Experiments settings hold morepowerful monsters, monsters that canthreaten the safety of whole cities. Pla-nar Powers and Creatures of the LowerDepths are the most dangerous enemiesthe heroes can face—often endangeringentire kingdoms. The Legions of the Un-dead are everywhere and can appear injust about any setting or situation.

The monster stat blocks within thesesettings describe not only HP, damage,and all the other aspects of the mon-ster, but also the reasons those stats wereassigned. These monsters were createdwith the same process listed above, andthe reasons for their stats are just as im-portant as the stats themselves. Look-ing at the reasoning behind the stats willallow you to present the monsters hon-estly, answering questions that arise inDungeon World like "can a warband ofgnolls sack an entire village?"

Cavern DwellersAt the edges of civilization in the cavesand tunnels below the old mountainsof the world dwell all sorts of schem-ing, dangerous monsters. Some are wilyand old, like the race of goblins schem-ing to burn villages and make off withlivestock. Others are strange aberrationsof nature like the stinking, trash-eatingOtyugh. A word of caution, then, to thosebrave adventurers whose first foray intodanger leads them into these dank andshadowy places; bad things live in thedark. Bad things with sharp teeth.

Monsters Monster Settings

69

Denizens of the SwampAll things give way to rot, in the end.Food spoils on the table, men’s mindsgo mad with age and disease. Even theworld itself, when left untended and un-cared for, can turn to black muck andstinking air. Things dwell in these partsof Dungeon World. Things gone just asa bad as the swirling filth that fills theswamps. In these cesspit lowlands ad-venturers will find such creatures as thedeadly-eyed basilisk or the famed, un-killable troll. You’ll need more than adry pair of boots to survive these putridfens. A sword would be a good start.

Legions of the UndeadThe sermons of mannish and dwarvengods would tell you that Death is the endof all. They say that once the mortal coilis unwound and a person takes their fi-nal breath that all is warmth and songand the white wings of angels. Not so.Not for all. For some, after life’s embraceloses its strength a darker power can takehold. Black magic rips the dead from theground and gives them shambling un-life full of hate and hunger. Sorcery andwitchcraft lend an ancient spell-smiththe power to live forever in the husk ofa Lich. There are bleak enchantments atplay in shadowy corners all throughoutDungeon World. These creatures are thespawn of that fell magic.

The Dark WoodsIt would not be a lie to say that there aretrees that stand in the deepest groves ofDungeon World that have stood since be-fore man or elf walked amidst their roots.It would be true, too, to say that these an-cient trees have long lost the green leavesof spring. In the strands of the darkwoods one finds, if one looks in the rightplace, sylvan monsters of old and pow-erful nature. Here live the race of sav-age Centaurs and the fey soul-stealingcreatures of olde. Under the shadowof the ancient trees, wolf-men howl forblood. Hurry along the old forest roadand light no fire for food or warmth forit’s said that flames offend the woodsthemselves. You wouldn’t want that,would you?

Ravenous Hordes"I’ve bested an orc in single combat" theycrow. "I’ve fought a gnoll and lived tothe tell the tale." Which is no small featand yet, you know the truth of theseboasts. Like vermin, spotting but one ofthese creatures speaks to a greater doomon the horizon. No orc travels alone.No slavering gnoll moves without hispack. You know that soon, the wardrumswill sound and the walls will be besiegedby the full fury of the warchief and his

tusked berserkers. These are the mon-sters that will bring civilization, scream-ing and weeping, to its knees. Unless youcan stop them. Best of luck.

Twisted ExperimentsFor some who learn the arcane arts it’snot merely enough to be able to livefor a thousand years or throw light-ning bolts that can fry a man. Somearen’t quite satisfied with the power tospeak to the dead or draw the angelsdown from heaven. Hubris calls on thosecloaked-and-hooded"scientists"to makea strange and unholy life of their own.No mortal children, these. These are thewages of a mind gone foul with strangemagic. In this setting you will find suchnightmares as the chimera, dripping poi-son. Here, too, are the protector golemsand mutant apes. All sorts of bad ideasawait you in the fallen towers of the madmagicians of Dungeon World.

The Lower DepthsRuins dot the countryside of DungeonWorld. Old bastions of long-forgottencivilization fallen to decay, to monstersor to the whim of a vengeful god. Theseruins often cover a much more danger-ous truth – catacombs and undergroundcomplexes lousy with traps and mon-sters. Gold, too. Which is why you’rehere. Why you’re locked in mortal com-bat with a tribe of spiteful dark elves.Battling stone giants in caverns the sizeof whole countries. Maybe, though,you’re the noble souls who’ve travelledto the world’s heart to put an end to theApocalypse Dragon—the beast who, it issaid, will one day swallow the sun andkill us all. We appreciate it, really. We’llall pray for you.

Planar PowersSometimes, monsters do not come fromDungeon World at all. Beyond themountains at the edge of the world or be-low the deepest seas the sages and wiseold priests say that there are gateways tothe lands beyond. They speak of elysianfields; rivers of sweet wine and maidensdancing in fields of gold. They tell tales ofthe paradise of heavens to be found pastthe Planar Door. Tales tell, too, of theThousandfold Hell. Of the swirling El-emental Vortex and the devils that waitfor the stars to align so they can enterDungeon World and wreak their bloodyhavoc. You must be curious to knowif these tales are true? What will yousee when the passage to the beyond isopened?

Cavern Dwellers

70

27CavernDwellers

Ankheg Group, LargeBite (d8+1 damage) 10 HP 3 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: BurrowingA hide like plate armor and great crushingmandibles are problematic. A stomach fullof acid that can burn a hole through a stonewall makes them all the worse. They’d be badenough if they were proper insect-sized but thesethings have the gall to be as long as any givenhorse. It’s just not natural! Good thing theytend to stick to one place? Easy for you tosay—you don’t have an Ankheg living underyour corn field. Instinct : To undermine

• Undermine the ground• Burst from the earth• Spray forth acid, eating away at metal

and flesh

Cave Rat Horde, SmallGnaw (d6 damage 1 piercing) 7 HP 1 Ar-mor

Close, MessyWho hasn’t seen a rat before? It’s like that, butnasty and big and not afraid of you anymore.Maybe this one was a cousin to that one youcaught in a trap or the one you killed with aknife in that filthy tavern in Darrow. Maybehe’s looking for a little ratty revenge. Instinct: To devour

• Swarm• Rip apart something (or someone)

Choker Solitary, Stealthy, Intelli-gentChoke (d10 damage) 15 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: FlexibleSome say these things descended from the fam-ily of a cruel wizard who forced them to live outtheir lives underground. Say his experimentsled him to fear the sun and ages passed while hedescended into unlife, dragging his folk alongwith him. These things resemble men, in a way.Head, four limbs and all that. Only their skinis wet and rubbery and their arms long andfingers grasping. They hate all life that bearsthe stink of the sun’s touch, as one might ex-pect. Jealousy, long instilled, is hard to shake.Instinct : To deny light

• Hold someone, wringing the breathfrom them

• Fling a held creature

Cloaker Solitary, StealthyConstrict (d10 damage ignores armor) 12HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Looks like acloakDon’t put on that cloak, Gareth. Don’t. Youdon’t know where it’s been. I tell you, it’s nogood. See! It moved! I’m not mad, Gareth, itmoved! Don’t do it! No! GARETH! Instinct: To engulf

• Engulf the unsuspecting

Dwarven Warrior Horde, OrganizedAxe (d6 damage) 7 HP 2 Armor

CloseFor ages, men believed all dwarves were menand all were of this ilk—stoic and proud war-riors. Axe-wielding and plate-wearing. Stoutbearded battle-hungry men who would pushthem, time and time again, back up out of theirmines and tunnels with ferocity. It just goesto show how little men know about the elderraces. These folk are merely a vanguard, andthey bravely do their duty to protect the richesof the Dwarven realm. Earn their trust andyou’ve an ally for life. Earn their ire and you’renot like to regret it very long. Instinct : Todefend

• Drive them back• Call up reinforcements

Earth Elemental Solitary, HugeSmash (d10+5 damage) 27 HP 4 Armor

Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Made of stoneOur shaman says that all the things of theworld have a spirit. Stones, trees, a stream.Now that I’ve seen the earth roil under my feetand fists of stone beat my friends half to deathI’m like to believe that crazy old man. The one Isaw was huge—big as a house! It came boilingup from a rockslide out of nowhere and had avoice like an avalanche. I pay my respects, now.Rightly so. Instinct : To show the strength ofearth

• Turn the ground into a weapon• Meld into stone

Goliath Group, Huge, Organized, In-telligentMace (d8+7 damage) 14 HP 1 Armor

Reach, ForcefulThey dwell beneath the earth because they donot belong above it any longer. An undyingrace of mighty titans fled the plains and moun-tains in ages past—driven out by men and theirheroes. Left to bide their time in the dark, hateand anger warmed by the pools of lava deep be-low. It’s said that an earthquake is a goliath’sbirthing cry. Some day they’ll take back what’stheirs. Instinct : To retake

• Shake the earth• Retreat, only to come back stronger

Fire Beetle Horde, SmallFlames (d6 damage ignores armor) 3 HP3 Armor

NearSpecial Qualities: Full of flames

Cavern Dwellers

71

Scarabaeus Pyractomena! What a delightfulcreature—see how its carapace glitters in thelight of our torches? Not too close now, they’retemperamental, you see. The fire in their bellyisn’t just metaphorical, no. Watch as I goadthe beast. Aha! A spout of flame! Unexpected,isn’t it? One of these creatures alone, if it comesup from below, can be a hellish nuisance to afarmstead or village. A whole swarm? There’sa reason they call it a conflagration of fire bee-tles. I’ll say that much. Instinct : To enflame

• Undermine the ground• Burst from the earth• Spray forth acid, eating away at metal

and flesh

Gargoyle Horde, Stealthy, HoarderClaw (d6 damage) 3 HP 2 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: WingsIt’s a sad thing, really. Guardians bred by Magiof the past with no more castles to guard. Theirancestors’ sacred task bred into their bloodleads them to find a place—ruins, mostly butsometimesacaveorhillormountaincliff—andguard it as though their masters yet lived below.They’re notoriously good at finding valuablesburied below the earth, though. Find one ofthese winged reptiles and you’ll find yourself atreasure nearby. Just be careful, they’re hard tospot and tend to move in packs. Instinct : Toguard

• Attack with the element of surprise• Take to the air• Blend into stonework

Gelatinous Cube Solitary, Large,Stealthy, GibbousEngulf (d10+1 damage ignores armor) 20HP 1 Armor

HandSpecial Qualities: TransparentHow many adventurers’ last thought was"strange, this tunnel seems cleaner than most?"Too many and all because of this transparentmenace. A great acidic blob that expands tofill a small chamber or corridor and then slides,ever so slowly along, eating everything in itspath. It cannot eat stone or metal and will of-ten have them floating in its jelly mass. Blech.Instinct : To clean

• Fill an apparently empty space• Dissolve

Goblin Horde, Small, Intelligent, Or-ganizedSpear (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach

Nobody seems to know where these thingscame from. Elves say they’re the Dwarves’fault—dredged up from a hidden place beneaththe earth. Dwarves say they’re bad Elvish chil-dren, taken away at birth and raised in the dark.The truth of the matter is that goblins have al-ways been here and they’ll be here once all thecivilized races have fallen and gone away. Gob-lins never die out. There’s just too damn manyof them. Instinct : To multiply

• Charge!• Call more goblins• Retreat and return with (many) more

Goblin Orkaster Solitary, Small,Magical, Intelligent, OrganizedAcid orb (d10+1 damage ignores armor)12 HP 0 Armor

Near, FarOh lord, who taught them magic? Instinct :To tap power beyond their stature

• Unleash a poorly understood spell• Pour forth magical chaos• Use other goblins for shields

Otyugh Solitary, LargeTentacles (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Filth FeverThe mating call of the otyugh is a horrible,blaring cry that sounds like a cross betweenan elephant dying and an over-eager vulture.The otyugh spends much of its time partlysubmerged in filthy water and prefers eatinggarbage over any other food. As a result, itoften grows fat and strong on the offal of orcs,goblins and other cave-dwelling sub-humans.Get too close, however, and you’ll have one of itsbarbed tentacles dragging you into that soggy,razor-toothed maw. If you get away with yourlife, best get to a doctor, or your victory may beshort lived. Instinct : To foul

• Infect someone with filth fever• Fling someone or something

Maggot-Squid Horde, SmallChew (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Amphibious,Paralyzing TentaclesThe gods that made this thing were playingsome sick joke on the civilized folk of the world.The maggot-squid wields a face full of horriblesquirming tentacles that, if they touch you, feellike being struck by lightning. They’ll paralyzeyou and chew you up slowly while you’re help-less. Best to not let it get to that. Instinct : Toeat

• Paralyze with a touch

Purple Worm Solitary, HugeBite (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 2 Armor

Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Burrowing

Iä! Iä! The Purple Worm! Blessed is its holyslime! We walk, unworthy, in its miles of mas-sive tunnels. We are but shadows under itsviolet and all-consuming glory. Mere acolytes,we who hope someday to return to the greatembrace of its tooth-ringed maw. Let it con-sume us! Let it eat our homes and villages sothat we might be taken! Iä! Iä! The PurpleWorm! Instinct : To consume

• Swallow whole• Tunnel through stone and earth

Roper Solitary, Large, Stealthy, In-telligentBite (d10+1 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Rock-like FleshEvolutionary happenstance has created aclever underground predator. Disguised as arocky formation—most often a stalactite orstalagmite—theroperwaitsforitsprey towan-der by. When it does, whether it’s a rat, a gob-lin or a foolhardy adventurer, a mass of thin,whipping tentacles erupts from the thing’s hide.A hundred lashes in the blink of an eye and thestunned prey is being dragged into the roper’smouth. Surprisingly effective for a thing thatlooks like a rock. Instinct : To ambush

• Ensnare the unsuspecting• Burst from the earth• Spray forth acid, eating away at metal

and flesh

Rot Grub Horde, TinyBurrow (d6-2 damage) 3 HP 0 Armor

HandSpecial Qualities: Burrow intofleshThey live in your skin. Or your organ meat. Oryour eyeballs. They grow there and then, in abloody and horrific display, burrow their wayout. Disgusting. Instinct : To infect

• Burrow under flesh• Lay eggs• Burst forth from an infected creature

Spiderlord Solitary, Large, Devious,IntelligentMandibles (d8+4 damage) 16 HP 3 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: BurrowingEven spiders have their gods, whispered to inwebs with little praying arms. Instinct : Toweave webs (literal and metaphorical)

• Enmesh in webbing• Put a plot into motion

Troglodyte Group, OrganizedClub (d8 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

Close

Cavern Dwellers

72

Long-forgotten, our last remaining ancestorsdwell in caves in the wild parts of the world.Driven away by our cities and villages, ouriron swords and our fire, these ape-men eattheir meat raw with sharp-nailed hands andjagged teeth. They strike out at frontier villageswielding clubs and in overwhelming numbersto seize cattle, tools, and poor prisoners to draginto the hills. Known for their viciousness andtheir stink, they’re an old and dying race we’dall sooner forget existed. Instinct : To prey oncivilization

• Raid and retreat• Use scavenged weapons or magic

Swamp Denizens

73

28SwampDenizens

Bakunawa Solitary, Large, Intelli-gent, Messy, ForcefulBite (d10+3 damage 1 piercing) 16 HP 2Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: AmphibiousDragon-turtle’s sister is a mighty serpentqueen. Ten yards of scales and muscle, theysay she wakes with a hunger when the sundisappears from the sky. She is drawn in bybright light in the darkness and like any snake,the Bakunawa is sneaky. She will seek firstto beguile and mislead and will only strike outwith violence when no other option is avail-able. When she does, though, her jaws arestrong enough to crack the hull of any swamp-boat and certainly enough to slice through asteel breastplate or two. Instinct : To devour

• Lure prey with lies and illusions• Lash out at light• Devour

Basilisk Solitary, HoarderBite (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor

CloseFew have seen a basilisk and lived to tell thetale. Get it? Seen a basilisk? Little bit ofbasilisk humor there. Sorry, I know you’relooking for something helpful, sirs. Seriousstuff, I understand. The basilisk, even withoutits ability to turn your flesh to stone with agaze, is a dangerous creature. A bit like a frog,bulbous eyes and six leaping-muscle legs. Abit like an alligator, with snapping jaws andsawing teeth. Covered in stoney scales and veryhard to kill. Best avoided, if possible. Instinct: To collect stone

• Turn flesh to stone with a gaze• Retreat into a maze of stone

Black Pudding Solitary, GibbousCorrode (d10 damage ignores armor) 15HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: AmorphousHow do you kill a pile of goo? A great squishy,pile of goo that happens also to want to dissolveyou and slurp you up? That is a good questionto which I have no answer. Do let us knowwhen you find out. Instinct : To dissolve

• Eat away metal, flesh, or wood• Ooze into a troubling place: food, ar-

mor, stomach

Coutal Solitary, Intelligent DeviousLight ray (d8 damage ignores armor) 12HP 2 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Wings, Halo

As if in direct affront to the decay and filthof the world, the gods granted us the Coutal.As if to say “there is beauty, even in this grimplace” have we been gifted the Coutal. A ser-pent in flight on jeweled wings, these beautifulcreatures glow with a soft light, as the sun doesthrough stained glass. Bright, wise and calm,a Coutal often knows many things and seesmany more. You might be able to make a tradewith it in exchange for some favor. They seek tocleanse and to purge and to make of this darkworld a better one. Shame we have so few. Thegods are cruel. Instinct : To cleanse

• Pass judgement on a person or place• Summon divine forces to cleanse• Offer information in exchange for

service

crocodilian Group, LargeBite (d8+3 damage) 10 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Amphibious,CamouflageIt’s a really, really big crocodile. Seriously. Sobig. Instinct : To eat

• Attack an unsuspecting victim• Escape into the water• Hold something tight in its jaws

Doppelganger Solitary, Devious, In-telligentDagger (d6 damage) 12 HP 0 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: ShapeshiftingTheir natural form, if you ever see it, is a hideousthing. Like a creature who stopped growingpart-way, before it decided it was elf or manor dwarf. Then again, maybe that’s how youget to be the way a doppleganger is—withoutform, without shape to call their own, they seeklittle more than a place to fit in. If you goout into the world, when you come back home,make sure your friends are who you think theyare. They might, instead, be a dopplegangerand your friend might be dead at the bottom ofa well somewhere. Then again, depending onyour friends, that might be an improvement.Instinct : To infiltrate

• Assume the shape of a person who’sflesh it’s tasted

• Use another’s identity to advantage• Leave someone’s reputation shat-

tered

Dragon Turtle Solitary, Huge, Cau-tiousBite (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 4 Armor

ReachSpecial Qualities: Shell, Amphibi-ous

Swamp Denizens

74

Bakunawa has a brother. Where she is quickto anger and hungry for gold, he is slow andsturdy. She is a knife and he is a shield. A greatturtle that lies in the muck and mire for ages astheypass, mudpileduponhisback—sometimestrees and shrubs. Sometimes a whole mis-guided clan of goblins will build their huts andcook their ratty meals on the shell of the dragonturtle. His snapping jaws, glacier-slow theymay be, can rend a castle wall. Careful whereyou tread. Instinct : To resist change

• Move forward implacably• Bring its full bulk to bear• Destroy structures and buildings

Dragon Whelp Solitary, Small, Intel-ligent, Cautious, HoarderElemental breath (d10+2 damage) 16 HP3 Armor

Close, NearSpecial Qualities: Wings, Elemen-tal BloodWhat? Did you think they were all a milelong? Did you think they didn’t come smallerthan that? Sure, they may be no bigger than adog and no smarter than an ape, but a DragonWhelp can still belch up a hellish ball of firethat’ll melt your armor shut and drop youscreaming into the mud. Their scales, too, aresofter than their bigger kin but still turn asidean arrow or sword not perfectly aimed. Size isnot the only measure of might. Instinct : Togrow in power

• Start a lair, form a base of power• Call on family ties• Demand oaths of servitude

Ekek HordeTalons (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Wing-armsUgly, wrinkled bird-folk, these. Once, maybe,in some ancient past, they were a race of angelicmen from on high but now they eat rats they fishfrom the murk with talon-feet and devour withneedle-teeth. They understand the tongues ofmen and dwarves but speak in little more thangibbering tongues, mimicking the words theyhear with mocking laughter. It’s a chillingthing to see a beast so close to man or bird butnot quite either one. Instinct : To lash out

• Attack from the air• Carry out the bidding of a more pow-

erful creature

Fire Eels Horde, TinyBurning touch (d6-2 damage ignores ar-mor) 3 HP 0 Armor

HandSpecial Qualities: Flammable oil,aquatic

Thesestrangecreaturesarenobiggerorsmarterthen their mundane kin. They have the samevicious nature. Over their relations they haveone advantage—an oily secretion that dripsfrom their skin. It makes them hard to catch.On top of that, with a twist of their body theyignite the stuff, leaving pools of burning oil atopthe surface of the water and roasting prey andpredator alike. I hear the slimy things makegood ingredients for fire-resistant gear, but youhave to get your hands on one, first. Instinct :To ignite

• Catch someone or something on fire(even underwater)

• Consume burning prey

Frogman Horde, Small, IntelligentSpear (d6 damage) 7 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: AmphibiousCroak croak croak. Little warty munchkins.Some wizard or godling’s idea of a bad joke,these creatures are. They stand as men, dress inscavenged cloth and hold court in their froggyvillages. They speak a rumbling pidgin formof the tongue of man and war constantly withtheir neighbors. They’re greedy and stupid butclever enough when they need to defend them-selves. Some say, too, their priests have a re-markable skill at healing. Or maybe they’rejust really, really hard to kill. Instinct : Towar

• Launch an amphibious assault• Heal at a prodigious rate

Hydra Solitary, LargeBite (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Many heads,Only killed by a blow to the heartA bit like a dragon, wingless though it may be.Heads, nine in number at birth, spring from amuscled trunk and weave a sinuous pattern inthe air. A hydra is to be feared—a scaled terrorof the marsh. The older ones, though, they havemore heads for every failed attempt to murderit just makes it stronger. Cut off a head andtwo more grow in its place. Only a strike, trueand strong, to the heart can end a Hydra’s life.Not time or tide or any other thing but this.Instinct : To grow

• Attack many enemies at once• Regenerate a body part (especially a

head)

Kobold Horde, Small, Stealthy, In-telligent, OrganizedShort spear (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Dragon connec-tion

Some are wont to lump these rat-like littledragon-men in with goblins and orcs, bug-bears and hobgoblins. They are smarterand wiser than their kin, however. TheKobolds, beholden slaves to dragons and—inancient times—their lorekeepers and sorcerer-servants. Their clans, named in fashion likeIronscale and Whitewing, form around adragon master and live to serve and do itsbidding. Spotting a Kobold means more arenear—if more are near then a mighty dragoncannot be far, either. Instinct : To serve drag-ons

• Lay a trap• Call on dragons or draconic allies• Retreat and regroup

Lizardman Group, Stealthy, Intelli-gent, OrganizedSpear (d8 damage) 6 HP 2 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: AmphibiousA traveling sorcerer once told me that Lizard-men came before we did. That before elvesand dwarves and men built even the first oftheir wattle huts a race of proud lizard kingsstrode the land. That they lived in palaces ofcrystal and worshipped their own scaly gods.Maybe that’s true and maybe it ain’t—nowthey dwell in places men long forgot or aban-doned, crafting tools from volcano-glass andlashing against the works of the civilized world.Maybe they just want back what they lost. In-stinct : To destroy civilization

• Ambush the unsuspecting• Launch an amphibious assault

Medusa Solitary, Devious, Intelli-gent, HoarderClaws (d6 damage) 12 HP 0 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Look turns you tostoneThe Medusa are children of a serpent-hairedmother, birthing them in ancient times tobear her name across the ages. They dwellnear places of civilization—luring folks to theircaves with promises of beauty untold or riches.Fine appreciators of art, the medusa curatestrange collections of their victims, terror orecstasy frozen forever in stone. It satisfies theirvanity to know they were the last thing seen inso many lives. Arrogant, proud, and spiteful, intheir way, they seek what so many do—endlesscompany. Instinct : To collect

• Turn a body part to stone with a look• Draw someone’s gaze• Show hidden terrible beauty

Sahuagin Horde, IntelligentEndless teeth (d6+4 damage 1 piercing) 3HP 2 Armor

Close, Forceful, MessySpecial Qualities: Amphibious

Swamp Denizens

75

The shape and craft of men wedded to thehunger and the endless teeth of a shark. Vora-cious and filled only with hate, these creatureswill not stop until all life has been consumed.They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot becontrolled or sated. They are hunger and blood-lust, driven up from the depths of the sea to rav-age coastal towns and swallow island villages.Instinct : To spill blood

• Turn a body part to stone with a look• Draw someone’s gaze• Show hidden terrible beauty

Sauropod Group, Huge, CautiousTrample (d8+5 damage) 18 HP 4 Armor

ReachSpecial Qualities: Armor platedbodyGreat lumbering beasts, they live in places longsince forgotten by the thinking races of theworld. Gentle if unprovoked but mighty iftheir ire is raised, they trample smaller crea-tures with the care we might give to crushingan any beneath our boots. If you see one, driftby and gaze in awe, but do not wake the giant.Instinct : To endure

• Stampede• Panic

Swamp Shambler Solitary, Large,MagicalLash (d10+3 damage) 23 HP 5 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Swamp formSome elementals are conjured up in sacred cir-cles etched in chalk. Most, in fact. There’sa sort of science to it. Others, though, aren’tso orderly—they don’t fall under the carefullycontrolled assignments of fire or air or earth.Some are a natural confluence of vine and mireand fungus. They do not think the way a manmight think. They cannot be understood as anelf might be. They simply are. Spirits of theswamp. Shamblers in the mud. Instinct : Topreserve and create swamps

• Call on the swamp itself for aid• Meld into the swamp• Reassemble into a new form

Troll Solitary, LargeClub (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: RegenerationTall. Real tall. Eight or nine feet when they’reyoung or weak. Covered all over in warty,tough skin, too. Big teeth, stringy hair likeswamp moss and long, dirty nails. Some aregreen, some grey, some black. They’re clannishand hateful of each other, not to mention allthe rest of us. Near impossible to kill, too,unless you’ve fire or acid to spare—cut a limboff and watch. In a few days, you’ve got twotrolls where you once had one. A real seriousproblem, as you can imagine. Instinct : Tosmash

• Undo the effects of an attack (unless

caused by a weakness, your call)• Hurl something or someone

Wll-o-wisp Solitary, LargeClub (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Body of lightSpot a lantern floating in the darkness, losttraveller in the swamp. Hope—a beacon ofshimmering light. You call out to it, but there’sno answer. It begins to fade and so you follow,sloshing through the muck, tiring at the chase,hoping you’re being led to safety. Such a sadtale that always ends in doom. These creaturesare a mystery—some say they’re ghosts, othersbeaconsoffaerielight. Nobodyknowsthetruth.They are cruel, however. All can agree on that.Instinct : To misguide

• Lead someone astray• Clear a path to the worst place possi-

ble

Legions of the Undead

76

29Legions ofthe Undead

Abomination Solitary, Large, Con-struct, TerrifyingSlam (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Many limbs,heads, and so onCorpses sewn unto corpses make up the bulk ofthese shambling masses of dark magic. Mostundead are crafted to be controlled—made toserve some purpose like building a tower orserving as guardians. Not so the abomination.The last aspect of the ritual used to grant fireto their hellish limbs invokes a hatred so se-vere that the abomination knows but one task:to tear and rend at the very thing it cannothave—life. Many students of the black artslearn to their mortal dismay the most impor-tant fact about these hulks. An abominationknows no master. Instinct : To end life

• Tear flesh apart• Spill forth putrid guts

Banshee Solitary, Magical, Intelli-gentScream (d10 damage) 16 HP 0 Armor

NearSpecial Qualities: InsubstantialComeawayfromanencounterwithoneofthesevengeful spirits merely deaf and count your-self lucky for the rest of your peaceful, silentdays. Often mistaken at first glance for a ghostor wandering spirit, the Banshee reveals a farmore deadly talent for sonic assault when an-gered. And angered they are. A victim of be-trayal (often by a loved one) the Banshee makesknown their displeasure with a roar or screamthatcanputrefyfleshandrendthesenses. Ifyoucan, help them get their vengeance and they’vebeen known to grant rewards. Whether theaffection of a spurned spirit is a thing you’dwant, well, that’s another question. Instinct :To avenge

• Drown out all other sound with aceaseless scream

• Unleash a skull-splitting noise• Disappear into the mists

Devourer Solitary, Large, Intelli-gent, HoarderSmash (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulMost folk know that the undead feed on flesh.The warmth, blood and living tissue continuetheir unholy existence. This is true for most ofthe mindless dead, animated by black sorcery.Not so the Devourer. When a particularlywicked person (often a manipulator of men,an apostate priest or the like) dies in a grue-some way, the dark powers of Dungeon Worldmight bring them back to a kind of life. TheDevourer, however, does not feed on the fleshof men or elves. The Devourer eats souls. Itkills with a pleasure only the sentient can en-joy and in the moments of its victims’ expiry,draws breath like a drowning man and swal-lows a soul. What does it mean to have yoursoul eaten by such a creature? None dare askfor fear of finding out. Instinct : To eat souls

• Devour or trap dying soul• Bargain for a soul

Dragonbone Solitary, HugeBite (d10+3 damage 3 piercing) 20 HP 2Armor

Reach, MessyMystical sorcerers debate: is this creature trulyundead or is it a golem made of a particularlyrare and blasphemous material? The bones,sinews and scales of a dead dragon make upthis bleak automaton. Winged but flightless,dragon-shaped but without the mighty fire ofsuch a noble thing, the Dragonbone serves itsmaster with a twisted devotion and is often setto assault the keeps and towers of rival necro-mancers. It would take a being of some con-siderable evil to twist the remains of a dragonthus. Instinct : To serve

• Attack unrelentingly

Draugr Horde, OrganizedRusty sword (d6+1 damage) 7 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Icy touchIn the Nordemark, the men and women telltales in their wooden halls of a place where thenoble dead go. A mead hall atop their heavenlymountain where men of valor go to await thefinal battle for the world. It is a goodly place.It is a place where one hopes to go when theydie. And the inglorious dead? Those who fallto poison or in an act of cowardice, warriorsthough they may be? Well, those mead hallsaren’t open to all and sundry. Some come back,frozen and twisted and empowered by jealousrage and wage their eternal war not on theforces of giants or trolls but on the towns of themen they once knew. Instinct : To take fromthe living

• Freeze flesh• Call on the unworthy dead

Ghost Solitary, Devious, TerrifyingPhantom touch (d6 damage) 16 HP 0 Ar-mor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: InsubstantialEvery culture tells the story the same way. Youlive, you love or hate, you win or you lose, youdie somehow you’re not too fond of and hereyou are, ghostly and full of disappointmentand what have you. Some people take it uponthemselves, brave and kindly folks, to seek outthe dead and help them pass to their rightfulrest. You can find them, most times, downat the tavern drinking away the terrors they’veseen or babbling to themselves in the madhouse.Death takes a toll on the living, no matter howyou come by it. Instinct : To haunt

• Reveal the terrifying nature of death• Offer information from the other

side, at a price

Ghoul GroupTalons (d8 damage 1 piercing) 10 HP 1Armor


77

Close, MessyHunger. Hunger hunger hunger. Desper-ate clinging void-stomach-emptiness hunger.Sharp talons to rend flesh and teeth to tearand crack bones and suck out the soft marrowinside. Vomit up hate and screaming jealousanger and charge on twisted legs—scare theliving flesh and sweeten it ever more with thestink of fear. Feast. Peasant or knight, wizard,sage, prince, or priest all make for such deliciousmeat. Instinct : To eat

• Gnaw off a body part• Gain the memories of their meal

Lich Solitary, Magical, Intelligent,Cautious, Hoarder, ConstructEnervate (d10+3 damage ignores armor)16 HP 5 Armor

Near, Far“At the end, they give you a scroll and a jew-eled medallion to commemorate your achieve-ments. Grand Master of Abjuration, I wascalled, then. Old man. Weak and wizenedand just a bit too senile for them—hose jealoushalfwits. Barely apprentices, and they calledthemselves The New Council. It makes me sick,or would, if I still could be. They told me it wasan honor and I would be remembered forever.It was like listening to my own eulogy. Fitting,in a way, don’t you think? It took me anotherten years to learn the rituals and another fourto collect the material and you see before youthe fruits of my labour. I endure. I live. I willsee the death of this age and the dawn of thenext. It pains me to have to do this, but, yousee, you cannot be permitted to endanger myresearch. When you meet Death, say hello forme, would you?” Instinct : To un-live

• Cast a perfected spell of death or de-struction

• Set a ritual or great working into mo-tion

• Reveal a preparation or plan alreadycompleted

Mohrg GroupBite (d8 damage) 10 HP 0 Armor

CloseYou never get away with murder. Not really.You might evade the law, might escape yourown conscience in the end and die, fat andhappy in a mansion somewhere. When thegods themselves notice your misdeeds, though,that’s where your luck runs out and a Mohrgis born. The Mohrg is a skeleton—flesh andskin and hair all rotted away. All but theirguts—their twisted, knotted guts still spill fromtheir bellies, magically preserved and oftenwrapped, noose-like, about their necks. Theydo not think, exactly, but they suffer. They killand wreak havoc and their souls do not rest.Such is the punishment, both on them for thecrime and on all mankind for daring to murderone another. The gods are just and they areharsh. Instinct : To wreak havoc

• Rage• Add to their collection of guts

Mummy Solitary, Divine, HoarderSmash (d10+2 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

CloseThere are cultures who revere the dead. They donot bury them in the cold earth and mourn theirpassing. These people spend weeks preparingthe sacred corpse for its eternal rest. Temples,pyramids, and great vaults of stone are built tohouse them and are populated with slaves, petsand gold. The better to live in luxury beyond theBlack Gates, no? Do not be tempted by thesevaults—oh, I know that greedy look! Heed mywarnings or risk a terrible fate, for the honoreddead do not wish to be disturbed. Thievery willonly raise their ire—do not say I did not warnyou! Instinct : To enjoy eternal rest

• Curse them• Wrap them up• Rise again

Nightwing Horde, StealthyRend (d6 damage) 7 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: WingsScholars of the necromantic arts will tell youthat the appellation “undead” applies not onlyto those who have lived, died, and been re-turned to a sort of partway living state. Itis the proper name of any creature whose en-ergy originates beyond the Black Gates. Thecreature men call the nightwing is one suchcreature—empowered by the negative light ofDeath’s domain. Taking the shape of massive,shadowy, winged creatures (some more bat-like, some like vultures, others like some ancient,leathery things) nightwings travel in predatoryflocks, swooping down to strip the flesh fromcattle, horses and unlucky peasants out pastcurfew. Watch the night sky for their red eyesand listen for their screeching call and hope tothe gods you have something to hide under untilthey pass. Instinct : To hunt

• Attack from the night sky• Fly away with prey

Shadow Horde, Large, Magical, Con-structShadow Touch (d6+1 damage) 11 HP 4 Ar-mor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Shadow FormWe call to the elements. We call on fire, ever-burning. We summon water, life-giving. Webeseech the earth, stable-standing. We cry tothe air, forever-changing. These elements werecognize and give our thanks but ask to pass.The elemental we call upon this night knowsanother name. We call upon the element ofNight. Shadow, we name you. Death’s mes-senger and black assassin, we claim for ourown. Accept our sacrifice and do our bidding‘til the morning come. Instinct : To darken

• Snuff out light• Spawn another shadow from the

dead

Sigben Horde, Large, Construct

Tail whip (d6+1 damage) 11 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Vampire spawnAswang-hound and hopping whip-tail! Sentby vampires on their two, twisted legs, theseugly things look like the head of a rat or acrocodile, maybe, furry though and sharp oftooth. They have withered wings, but cannotuse them and long, whipping tails, spurred withpoison tips. Stupid, vengeful and mischievousthey cause all kinds of chaos when let out of thestrange clay jars in which they’re born. Onlya vampire could love such a wretched thing.Instinct : To disturb

• Poison them• Do a vampire’s bidding

Skeleton HordeSlam (d6 damage) 7 HP 1 Armor

CloseDem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. In-stinct : To take the semblance of life

• Act out what it did in life• Reveal a fact from its life

Spectre Solitary, HoarderWithering touch (d10 damage) 12 HP 0Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: InsubstantialFor some folk, when they pass, Death himselfcannot release their grip on the places they lovemost. A priest whose devotion to the templeis greater than that of his god. A bankingguild official who cannot bear to part with hisvault. A drunk and his favourite tavern. Allmake excellent spectres. They act not out ofthe usual hunger that drive the undead, butjealousy. Jealousy that anyone else might cometo love their home as much as them and drivethem out. These places belong to them and theseinvisible spirits will kill before they’ll let anyonesend them to their rest. Instinct : To drive lifefrom a place

• Turn their haunt against a creature• Bring the environment to life

Vampire Group, Stealthy, Orga-nized, IntelligentSupernatural force (d8+5 damage 1 pierc-ing) 10 HP 2 Armor

Close, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Changing form,ancient mind


78

We fear them, because they call to us. So muchlike us, or how we hope to be: beautiful, pas-sionate, and powerful. They are drawn to usfor what they cannot be: warm, kind, and alive.These tormented souls can only hope, at most,to pass their dreadful curse along. Every timethey feed they run the risk of passing alongtheir torture to another and in each one livesthe twisted seed of creator. Vampires begetvampires. Suffering begets suffering. Do notbe drawn in by their seduction or you may begiven their gift—a crown of shadows and thechains eternal undying grief. Instinct : Tomanipulate

• Charm someone• Feed on their blood• Retreat to plan again

Wight-Wolf Horde, Organized, Intel-ligentPounce (d6+1 damage 1 piercing) 7 HP 1Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Shadow formLike the nightwing, the wight-wolf is a creaturenot spawned in our world. Somehow slippingthe seals of the Black Gates of Death, thesespirits take the shape of massive hounds orshadowy wolves and hunt the living for sport.They travel in packs, led by a mighty alpha,but bear a kind of intelligence unknown to truecanines. Their wild hunts draw the attentionof intelligent undead—liches, vampires and thelike—who will sometimes make pacts with thealpha and serve a grim purpose together. Listenfor the baying of the hounds of Death and praythat they do not howl for you. Instinct : Tohunt

• Encircle prey• Summon the pack

Zombie HordeBite (d6 damage) 11 HP 1 Armor

CloseWhenthere’snomoreroominHell . . . Instinct: Braaaaaains

• Attack with overwhelming numbers• Corner them• Gain strength from the dead, spawn

more zombies

Gnarled Woods

79

30GnarledWoods

Assassin Vine Solitary, Stealthy,GibbousThorns (d10 damage 1 piercing) 15 HP 1Armor

Close, Reach, MessySpecial Qualities: PlantAmong the animals there exists a clear divi-sion ‘tween hunter and hunted. All it takes is aglance to know—by fangs and glowing eyes orclaws or venomous sting—which of the crea-ture of this world are meant to kill and whichstand to be killed. Such a split, if you havethe eyes to see it, cuts the world of leaves andflowers in twain, as well. Druids in their forestcircles know it. Rangers, too, might spot sucha plant before it’s too late. Lay folk, though,they wander where they oughtn’t—paths intothe deep woods covered in creeping vines andwith a snap, these hungry ropes snap tight,dragging their meaty prey into the underbrush.Mind your feet, traveller. Instinct : To grow

• Shoot forth new growth• Attack the unwary

Blink Dog Group, Small, Magical, Or-ganizedBite (d8 damage) 6 HP 4 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: IllusionNow you see it, now you don’t. Hounds onceowned by a sorcerer lord and imbued with akind of illusory cloak, they escaped into thewoods around his lair and began to breed withwolves and wild dogs of the forest. You can spotthem, if you’re lucky, by the glittering silver oftheir coats and their strange, ululating howls.They have a remarkable talent for being not-quite where they appear to be and use it to takedown prey much stronger than themselves. Ifyou find yourself facing a pack of blink dogsyou might well close your eyes and fight. You’llhave an easier time when not betrayed by yournatural sight. By such sorceries are the naturalplaces of the world polluted with unnaturalthings. Instinct : To hunt

• Give the appearance of being some-where they’re not

• Summon the pack• Move with amazing speed

Centaur Horde, Large, Organized,IntelligentBow (d6+2 damage 1 piercing) 11 HP 1 Ar-mor

Close, Reach, NearSpecialQualities: Half-horse, Half-man

It will be a gathering of clans unseen in thisage. Call Stormhoof and Brightspear. Sum-mon Whitemane and Ironflanks. Sound thehorn and we shall begin our meeting—we shallspeak the words and bind our people together.Too long have the men cut the ancient treesfor their ships. The elves are weak and cow-ardly, friend to these mannish slime. It will bea cleansing fire from the darkest woods. Raisethe red banner of war! Today we strike backagainst these apes and retake what is ours! In-stinct : To rage

• Overrun them• Move with unrelenting speed

Chaos Ooze Solitary, Planar, Terri-fying, GibbousWarping touch (d10 damage ignores ar-mor) 23 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Ooze, Fragmentsof other planes embedded in itThe barrier between Dungeon World and theElemental Planes is not, as you might hope, awall of stone. It’s much more porous. Thin-like, with holes. Places where the civil racesdo not often tread can sometimes, how to putthis, spring a leak. Like a dam come just alittle loose. Bits and pieces of the chaos spillout. Sometimes, they’ll congeal like an egg ona pan—that’s where we get the material formany of the Guild’s magical trinkets. Use-ful, right? Sometimes, though, it squirms andsquishesaroundabitandstaysthatway, warp-ing all it touches into some other, strange form.Chaos begets chaos, and it grows. Instinct :To change

• Cause a change in appearance or sub-stance

• Briefly bridge the planes

Cockatrice Group, Small, HoarderPeck (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Stone touchI ain’t ever seen such a thing, sir. Rodrickthought it a chicken, maybe. Poor Rodrick. Ifigured it to be a lizard of a sort, though hewas right—it had a beak and grey featherslike a chicken. Right, well, see, we found itin the woods, in a nest at the foot of a treewhile we were out with the sow. Looking formushrooms, sir. I told Rodrick we were—yes,sir, right sir, the bird—see, it was glaring atRodrick and he tried to scare it off with a stickto steal the eggs but the thing pecked his hand.Quick it was, too. I tried to get him away but hejust got slower and slower and . . . yes, as yousee him now, sir. All frozen up like when weleft the dog out overnight in winter two yearsback. Poor, stupid Rodrick. Weren’t no birdnor lizard, were it, sir? Instinct : To defendthe nest

• Start a slow transformation to stone

Dryad Solitary, Magical, Intelligent,Devious, Gibbous

Gnarled Woods

80

Crushing vines (2d10·w damage) 23 HP 5Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: PlantMore beautiful by far than any man or womanborn in the civil realms. To gaze upon one isto fall in love. Deep and punishing, too. Thingis, they don’t love. Not the fleshy folk whooften find them, though. Their love is a pri-mal thing, married to the woods—to a greatoak that serves as home and mother and sa-cred place to them. It’s a curse to see one, too,they’ll never love you back. No matter whatyou do. No matter how you pledge yourself tothem, they’ll always spurn you. If ever theiroak comes to harm, you’ve not only the dryad’swrath to contend with, but in every nearby vil-lage there’s a score of men with a secret longingin their heart, ready to murder you where yousleep for just a smile from such a creature. In-stinct : To love nature passionately

• Entice a mortal• Merge into a tree• Turn nature against them

Eagle Lord Group, Large, Organized,IntelligentClaw (2d8·b+1 damage 1 piercing) 10 HP 1Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Mighty wingsSome the size of horses. Bigger, even—theKings and Queens of the Eagles. Their crypierces the mountain sky and woe to those whofall under the shadow of their mighty wings.The ancient wizards forged a pact with them inthe primordial days. Men would take the plainsand valleys and leave the mountaintops to theEagle Lords. These sacred pacts should be hon-ored, lest they set their talons into you. Luckyare the elves, for the makers of their bonds yetlive and when danger comes to Elvish lands, theEagle Lords often serve as spies and mounts forthe elves. Long-lived and proud, some mightbe willing to trade their ancient secrets for theright price, too. Instinct : To rule the heights

• Attack from the sky• Pull someone into the air• Call on ancient oaths

Elvish Warrior Horde, Intelligent,OrganizedSword (2d6·b damage) 3 HP 2 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Sharp sense

Like all the elves do, war is an art. I saw themfight, once. The Battle of Astrid’s Veil. Yes, Iam that old, boy, now hush. She was clad inplate that shone like the winter sky. White hairstreaming and a pennant of ocean blue tied toher spear. She seemed to glide across betweenthe trees the way an angel might, striking outand bathing her blade in blood that steamed inthecoldair. Ineverfeltsosmallbefore. Itrainedwith the master-at-arms of Battlemoore, youknow. I’veheldaswordlongerthanyou’vebeenalive, boy, and in that one moment I knew thatmy skill meant nothing. Thank the gods theelves were with us then. A more beautiful andterrible thing I have not seen since. Instinct :To seek perfection

• Strike at a weak point• Set ancient plans in motion• Use the woods to advantage

Elvish High Arcanist Solitary, Magi-cal, Intelligent, OrganizedFlame (d10 damage ignores armor) 12 HP0 Armor

Near, FarSpecial Qualities: Sharp sensesTrue elvish magic isn’t like the spells of men.Mannish wizardry is all rotes and formulas.They cheat to find the arcane secrets that re-sound all around them. They are deaf to the ar-cane symphony that sings in the woods. Elvishmagic is fine ear to hear it and the voice withwhich to sing. To harmonize with what is al-ready resounding. Men bind the forces of magicto their will; Elves simply pluck the strings andhum along. The High Arcanists, in a way, havebecome more and less than any elf. The beat oftheir blood is the throbbing of all magic in thisworld. Instinct : To unleash power

• Work the magic that wants to beworked

• Cast forth the elements

Griffin Group, Large, OrganizedClaw (d8+3 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: WingsOn first glance, one might mistake the Griffinfor another magical mistake like the Manticoreor the Chimera. It looks the part, doesn’t it?These creatures have the regal haughtiness ofa lion and the arrogant bearing of a eagle buttemper it with the unshakeable loyalty of both.To earn the friendship of a Griffin is to have anally all your living days. Truly a gift, that. Ifyou’re ever lucky enough to meet one be respect-ful and deferential above all else. It may notseem it but they can tell and answer perceivedslights with a sharp beak and talons. Instinct: To serve allies

• Carry an ally aloft• Strike from above

Ogre Group, Large, IntelligentClub (d8+5 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, Forceful

A tale, then. Somewhere in the not-so-longhistory of the Mannish race there was a divide.In days when men were merely dwellers-in-the-mud with no magic to call their own, theysplit in two: one camp left their caves and thedark forests and built the First City to honorthe gods. The others, a wild and savage lot,retreated into darkness. They grew, there. Inthe deep woods a grim loathing for their softerkin gave them strength. They found dark godsof their own, there in the woods and hills. Agespassed and they bred tall and strong and fullof hate. We have forged steel and they matchit with their savagery. We may have forgottenour common roots, but somewhere, deep down,the Ogres remember. Instinct : To return theworld to darker days

• Destroy something• Topple trees• Bring down the roof

Hill Giant Group, Huge, Intelligent,OrganizedRock (d8+3 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

Reach, Near, Far, ForcefulEver seen an ogre before? Bigger than that.Dumber and meaner, too. Hope you like havingcows thrown at you. Instinct : To hurl

• Throw something• Shake the earth

Razor Boar SolitaryBite (d10 damage 3 piercing) 16 HP 1 Ar-mor

Close, MessyThe tusks of the razor boar shred metal platelike so much tissue. Voracious, savage and un-stoppable, they tower over their mundane kin.To kill one? A greater trophy of bravery andskill is hard to name, though I hear a razor boarkilled the Drunkard King in a single thrust. Youthink you’re a better hunter than he? Instinct: To shred

• Rip them apart• Rend armor and weapons

Sprite Horde, Tiny, Stealthy, Magi-cal, Devious, IntelligentDagger (2d4·w damage) 3 HP 0 Armor

HandSpecial Qualities: Wings, Fey MagicI’d classify them elementals, except that “BeingAnnoying” isn’t an element. Instinct : To playtricks

• Play a trick to expose someone’s truenature

• Confuse their senses• Craft an illusion

Treant Group, Huge, Intelligent,GibbousWallop (d8+5 damage) 21 HP 4 Armor

Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: WoodenOld and tall and thick of barkwalk amidst the tree-lined dark

Gnarled Woods

81

Strong and slow and forest-born

the treants anger quick, we warned

If to the woods with axe ye go

know the treants be thy foe

Instinct : To protect nature

• Move with implacable strength• Set down roots• Spread old magic

Werewolf Solitary, IntelligentBite (d10+2 damage 1 piercing) 12 HP 1Armor

Close, MessySpecial Qualities: Weak to silverBeautiful, isn’t it? The moon, I mean. She’swatching us, you know? Her pretty silver eyeswatch us while we sleep. Mad, too—like all themost beautiful ones. If she were a woman, I’dbend my knee and make her my wife on the spot.No, I didn’t ask you here to speak about her,though. The chains? For your safety, not mine.I’m cursed, you see. You must have suspected.The sorcerer-kings called it “lycanthropy” intheir day—passed on by a bite to make moreof our kind. No, I could find no cure. Please,Don’t be scared. You have the arrows I gaveyou? Silver, yes. Ah, you begin to understand.Don’t cry, sister. You must do this for me. Icannot bear more blood on my hands. Youmust end this. For me. Instinct : To shed theappearance of civilization

• Transform to pass unnoticed as beastor man

• Strike from within• Hunt like man and beast

Worg Horde, OrganizedBite (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

CloseAs horses are to the civil races, so go the worgto the goblins. Mounts, fierce in battle, riddenby only the bravest and most dangerous, arefound and bred in the forest primeval to servethe goblins in their wars on men. The only safeworg is a pup, separated from its mother. Ifyou can find one of these, or make orphans of alitter with a sharp sword, you’ve got what couldbecome a loyal protector or hunting hound intime. Train it well, mind you, for the worg aresmart and never quite free of their primal urges.Instinct : To serve

• Carry a rider into battle• Give its rider an advantage

Satyr Group, Devious, Magical, HoarderCharge (2d8·w damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Enchantment

One of only a very few creatures to be foundin the old woods that don’t right out want tomaim, kill, or eat us. They dwell in gladespierced by the sun, and dance on their funnygoat-legs to enchanting music played on pipesmade of bone and silver. They smile easily and,so long as you please them with jokes and sport,will treat our kind with friendliness. They’vea mean streak, though, so if you cross them,make haste elsewhere; very few things hold agrudge like the stubborn Satyr. Instinct : Toenjoy

• Pull others into revelry throughmagic

• Force gifts upon them• Play jokes with illusions and tricks

Ravenous Hordes

82

31RavenousHordes

Formian Drone Horde, Organized,CautiousBite (d6 damage) 7 HP 4 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Hive connection,InsectoidWith good cause, they say that these creatures(likeallinsects, really)areclaimedbythepowersof Law. They are order made flesh—a perfectlystratified society in which every larva, hatch-ling and adult knows their place in the greathive. The Formian is some strange intersec-tion of men and ants (though there are wingedtribes that look like ants out in the WesternDesert, I’ve heard. And some with great saw-tooth arms like mantids in the forests of theeast). Tall, with a hard shell and a hardermind, these particular Formians are the bot-tom caste. They work the hills and honeycombswith single-minded joy that can be known onlyby such an alien mind. Instinct : To followorders

• Raise the alarm• Create value for the hive• Assimilate

Formian Taskmaster Group, Orga-nized, IntelligentSpiked whip (d8 damage) 6 HP 3 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Hive connection,InsectoidIt takes two hands to rule an empire: one towield the scepter and one to crack the whip.These ant-folk are that whip. Lucky for them,with two extra arms, that’s a lot of whip tocrack. They oversee the vast swarms of workerdrones that set to build the mighty caverns andziggurats that dot the places that formians canbe found. One in a hundred, these brutes standtwo or three feet taller than their pale, near-mindless kin and have a sharper, crueler wit tomatch. They’ll often ignore the soft races (aswe’re known) if we don’t interfere in a project,but get in the way of The Great Work andexpect nothing less than their full attention.You don’t want their full attention. Instinct :To command

• Order drones into battle• Set great numbers in motion

Formian Centurion Horde, Intelli-gent, OrganizedBarbed spear (2d6·b+2 damage) 7 HP 3Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Hive connection,Insectoid, Wings

Whether in the form of a legionnaire, part ofthe Formian standing army, or as a praetorianguard to the queen, every formian hive containa great number of these most dangerous insec-toids. Darker in carapace, often scarred withfurrows and the ceremonial markings that setthem apart from their drones, the formian cen-turions are their fighting force and rightly so.Born, bred and living only for the singular pur-pose to kill the enemies of their kind, they fightwith one mind and a hundred swords. Thusfar, the powers of Law have seen fit to sparemankind a great war with these creatures,but we’ve seen them in skirmish—descendingsometimes on border towns with their wingsflickering in the heat or spilling up from a sandymound to wipe clean a newly-dug mine. Theirsis an orderly bloodshed, committed with nopleasure but the completion of a goal. Instinct: To fight as ordered

• Advance as one• Summon reinforcements• Give a life for the hive

Formian Queen Solitary, Huge, Or-ganized, Intelligent, HoarderSmash (d10+5 damage) 24 HP 3 Armor

Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Hive connection,InsectoidAt the heart of every hive, no matter its sizeor kind, lives a queen. As large as any giant,she sits protected by her guard, served by everydrone and taskmaster with her own, singularpurpose: to spread her kind and grow the hive.To birth the eggs. To nurture. We do notunderstand the minds of these creatures butit is known they can communicate with theirchildren, somehow, over vast distances andthat they begin to teach them the ways of earthandstoneandwarwhilestillpaleandwrigglinglarva, without a word. To kill one is to set chaoson the hive; without their queen, the rest turnon one another in a mad, blind rage. Instinct: To spread formians

• Call every formian it spawned• Release a half-formed larval muta-

tion• Set designs on a formian goal

Gnoll Tracker Group, Organized, In-telligentBow (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor

Near, FarSpecial Qualities: Scent

Ravenous Hordes

83

Once they scent your blood, you can’t escape.Not without intervention from the gods, or theduke’s rangers at least. The desert scrub is adangerous place to go exploring on your ownand if you fall and break your leg or eat thewrong cactus, well, you’ll be lucky if you die ofthirst before the gnolls find you. They prefertheir prey alive, see—cracking bones and thescreams of the dying lend a sort of succulenceto a meal. Sickening creatures, no? They’llhunt you, slow and steady, as you die. If youhear laughter in the desert wind, well, best prayDeath comes to take you before they do. In-stinct : To prey on weakness

• Doggedly track prey• Strike at a moment of weakness

Gnoll Emissary Solitary, Divine, In-telligent, OrganizedCeremonial dagger (d10+2 damage) 18HP 1 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: ScentOh, an emissary! How nice. I suspect youdidn’t know the Gnolls had ambassadors, didyou? Yes, even these mangy hyenas have tomake nice sometimes. No, no, not with us. Northe dwarves, neither. No, the Emissary is theone, among his packmates, who trucks directlywith their dripping demon lord. Frightening?Too right. Every hound has a master with hishand on the chain. This gnoll hears his master’svoice. Hears it and obeys. Instinct : To sharedivine insight

• Pass on demonic influence• Drive the pack into a fervor

Gnoll Alpha Solitary, Intelligent, Or-ganizedSword (d10·b damage 1 piercing) 12 HP 2Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: ScentEvery pack has its top dog. Bigger,maybe—that’d be the simplest way. Often,though, with these lank and filthy mutts, it’snot about size or sharp teeth but about cruelty.About a willingness to kill your brothers andeat them while the pack watches. Willingnessto desecrate the pack in a way that cows themto you. If they’re that awful to each other—totheir living kin—think about how they mustview us. It’s hard to be mere meat in a land ofthese kinds of predators. Instinct : To drivethe pack

• Demand obedience• Send the pack to hunt

Orc Bloodwarrior Horde, Intelli-gent, OrganizedJagged blade (d6+2 damage 1 piercing) 3HP 0 Armor

Close, Messy

The orcish horde is a savage, bloodthirsty, andhateful collection of tribes. There are myths andstories that tell of the origin of their rage—a de-mon curse, a homeland destroyed, elven magicgone wrong—but the truth has been lost totime. Every able orc, be it man or woman, childor elder, swears fealty to the warchief and theirtribe and bears the jagged blade of a bloodwar-rior. Men are trained to fight and kill—orcsare born to it. Instinct : To fight

• Fight with abandon• Revel in destruction

Orc Berserker Solitary, Large, Di-vine, Intelligent, OrganizedCleaver (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 0 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: MutationsStained in the unholy ritual of Anointing ByThe Night’s Blood, some warriors of the horderise to a kind of twisted knighthood. They tradetheir sanity for this honor, stepping halfwayinto a world of swirling madness. This makesBerserkers the greatest of their tribe, thoughas time passes, the chaos spreads. The rareBerserker that lives more than a few years be-comes horrible and twisted, growing horns oran extra arm with which to grasp the ironcleavers they favor in battle. Instinct : Torage

• Fly into a frenzy• Unleash chaos

Orc Breaker Solitary, LargeMassive hammer (d10+3 damage ignoresarmor) 16 HP 0 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulBefore you set out across the hordeland, bravesir, hark a moment to the tale of Sir Regnus.Regnus was like you, sir—a Paladin of the Or-der, all a-shine in his armored plate and witha shield as tall as a man. Proud he was ofit, too—Mirrorshield, he called himself. Talegoes that he’d set his eyes on rescuing some lostpriest, a kidnap from the abbey on the borders.Regnus came across some orcs in his travels, adozen or so, and thought, as one might, thatthey’d be no match. Battle was joined and allwas well until one of them orcs emerged fromthe fray with a hammer bigger than any manought to be able to wield. Built more like anogre or a troll, they say it was, and with a singleswing, it crushed Regnus to the ground, shieldand all. It were no ordinary orc, they say. Itwere a breaker. They can’t make plate of theirown, see, so maybe it’s jealousy drives theseburly things to crush and shatter the way theydo. Effective tactic, though. Careful out there.Instinct : To smash

• Destroy armor or protection• Lay low the mighty

Orc One-Eye Group, Divine, Magical,Intelligent, OrganizedInflict Wounds (d8+2 damage ignores ar-mor) 6 HP 0 Armor

Close, Reach, Near, Far

Special Qualities: One eyeIn the name of He Of Riven Sight and by theFirst Sacrifice of Elf-Flesh do we invoke theOld Powers. By the Second Sacrifice, I makemy claim to what is mine—the dark magic ofNight. In His image, I walk the path to Gor-sha-thak, the Iron Gallows! I call to the runes!I call to the clouded sky! Take this mortalorgan, eat of the flesh of our enemy and give mewhat is mine! Instinct : To hate

• Rend flesh with divine magic• Take an eye• Make a sacrifice

Orc Shaman Solitary, Intelligent,OrganizedFlame (d10 damage ignores armor) 12 HP0 Armor

Close, Reach, Near, FarSpecial Qualities: Elemental powerThe orcs are as old a race as any. They castbones in the dirt and called to the gods in thetrees and stone as the elves built their first cities.They have waged wars, conquered kingdoms,and fallen into corruption in the aeons it tookfor men to crawl from their caves and dwarvesto first see the light of the sun. Fitting, then,that the old ways still hold. They summon thepowers of the world to work, to fight and toprotect their people, as they have since the firstnights. Instinct : To strengthen orc-kind

• Give protection of earth• Give power of fire• Give swiftness of water• Give clarity of air

Orc Slaver Horde, Stealthy, Intelli-gent, OrganizedWhip (d6 damage) 3 HP 0 Armor

Close, ReachRed sails fly in the southern sea. Red sails andships of bone, old wood and iron. The warfleetof the horde. Orcs down that way have takento the sea, harassing island towns and stealingaway with fishermen and their kin. It’s said thecustom is spreading north and the orcs learnthe value of free work. Taken to it like a sacredtask—especially if they can get their hands onelves. Hard to think of a grimmer fate than tolive out your life under a lash in an orcish fist.Instinct : To take

• Take a captive• Pin someone under a net• Drug them

Orc Shadowhunter Solitary, Stealthy,Magical, IntelligentPoisoned dagger (d10 damage 1 piercing)10 HP 0 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Shadow cloak

Ravenous Hordes

84

Not every attack by orcs is torches and scream-ing and enslavement. Amongst those who fol-low He Of Riven Sight, poison and murder-in-the-dark are considered sacred arts. Enter theshadowhunter. Orcs cloaked in Night’s magicwho slip into camps, towns and temples andend the lives of those within. Do not be so dis-tracted by the howling of the berserkers that youdo not notice the knife at your back. Instinct :To kill in darkness

• Poison them• Melt into the shadows• Cloak them in darkness

Orc Warchief Solitary, Intelligent,OrganizedIron Sword of Ages (2d10·b+2 damage) 16HP 0 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: One-Eye bless-ings, Shaman blessingsThere are chiefs and there are leaders of thetribes among the orcs. There are those who riseto seize power and fall under the machinationsof their foes. There is but one Warchief. Oneorc in all the horde who stands above the rest,bearing the blessings of the One-Eyes and theShamans both. Who walks with the elementsunderNight. WhobearstheIronSwordofAgesand carries the ancient grudge against the civilraces on his shoulders. The warchief is to berespected, to be obeyed and above all else, to befeared. All glory to the Warchief. Instinct :To lead

• Start a war• Make a show of power• Enrage the tribes

Triton Spy Solitary, Stealthy, Intelli-gent, OrganizedTrident (2d10·w damage) 12 HP 2 Armor

Close, NearSpecial Qualities: AquaticA fishing village caught one in their net, sometime ago. Part a man and part some scaly seacreature, it spoke in a broken, spy-learned formof the common tongue before it suffocated inthe open air. It told the fishermen of a comingtide, an inescapable swell of the power of somedeep-sea god and that the triton empire wouldrise up and drag the land down into the ocean.The tale spread and now, when fishermen sailthe choppy seas, they watch and worry that thedying triton’s tales were true. That there arepowers deep below that watch and wait. Theyfear the tide is coming in. Instinct : To spy onthe surface world

• Reveal their secrets• Strike at weakness

Triton Tidecaller Group, Divine,Magical, IntelligentWave (d8+2 damage ignores armor) 6 HP2 Armor

Near, FarSpecial Qualities: Aquatic, Muta-tions

Part priest, part outcast among their kind,the tidecaller speaks with the voice of thedeeps. They can be known by their muta-tions—transparent skin, perhaps, or rows ofteeth like a shark. Glowing eyes or fingertips,angler-lights in the darkness of their under-water kingdom. They speak in strange tonguethat can call and command creatures of the sea.They ride wild hippocampi and cast strangespellsthatrotthroughthewoodendecksofshipsor encrust them with barnacles heavy enoughto sink. It is the tidecallers who come, now,back to the cities of the Triton, bearing wordthat the prophecy is coming to pass. The worldof men will drown in icy brine. The tidecallersspeak and the Lords begin to listen. Instinct :To bring on The Flood

• Cast a spell of water and destruction• Command beasts of the sea• Reveal divine commands

Triton Sub-Mariner Group, Orga-nized IntelligentHarpoon (2d8·b damage) 6 HP 3 Armor

Close, Near, FarSpecial Qualities: AquaticThe Triton are not a militant race by nature.They shy away from battle except when thesahuagin attack, and only then do they defendthemselves and retreat into the depths wheretheir foes can’t follow. This trend begins tochange. As the tidecallers come to rally theirpeople, some Triton men and women take uparms. They call these generals “sub-mariners”and build for them armor of shells and hard-ened glass. They swim in formation, wieldingpikes and harpoons and attack the crews ofships that wander too far from port. Watchfor their pennants of kelp on the horizon andthe conch-cry of a call to battle and keep, if youcan, your boats near shore. Instinct : To wagewar

• Lead Tritons to battle• Pull them beneath the waves

Triton Noble Group, Organized, In-telligentTrident (d8 damage) 6 HP 2 Armor

Close, Near, FarSpecial Qualities: AquaticThe Triton Ruling Houses were chosen, theysay, at the dawn of time. Granted lordship overall the races of the sea by some now-forgottengod. These bloodlines continue, passing ruler-ship from father to daughter and mother to sonthrough the ages. Each is allowed to rule theircity in whatever way they choose—some aloneor with their spouses, others in council of broth-ers and sisters. In ages past, they were knownfor their sagacity and bloodlines of even-temperwere respected above all else. The tidecallersprophecy is changing that: Nobles are expectedto be strong, not wise. The Nobles have begunto respond, and it is feared by some that theancient blood is changing forever. It may betoo late to turn back. Time and tide wait fornone. Instinct : To lead

• Stir tritons to war

• Call reinforcements

Twisted Experiments

85

32Twisted

Experiments

Bulette Solitary, Huge, ConstructBite (d10+5 damage 3 piercing) 20 HP 3Armor

Close, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: BurrowingA seasoned caravan guard learns to listen forthe calls of a scout or sentry with a keen ear. Afew extra seconds after the alarm is raised canmean life or death. Different cries mean dif-ferent responses, too—a call of “orcs!” meansdraw your sword and steady for blood but acall of “bandits!” says you might be able to bar-gain. One alarm from the scouts that always,always means it’s time to pack up, whip yourhorse and run for the hills? “LAND SHARK!”Instinct : To devour

• Drag prey into rough tunnels• Burst from the earth• Swallow whole

Chimera Solitary, Large, ConstructBite (d10+1 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

ReachWell known and categorized, the chimera isa perfected creature. From the codices of theMage’s Guild to the famous pages of Cullaina’sCreature Compendium, there’s no confusionabout what Chimera means. Two parts lioness,one part serpent, head of a she-goat, and all thevicious magic one can muster. The actual ritualmight vary, as might a detail or two—morecreative sorcerers switch the flame breath foracid, perhaps. Used as a guardian, an assassinor merely an instrument of chaos unchained,it matters little. The chimera is the worst sortof abomination: an intentional affront to allnatural life. Instinct : To do as commanded

• Belch forth flame• Run them over• Poison them

Derro Horde, Devious, Intelligent,OrganizedPickaxe (2d6·w damage) 3 HP 2 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: TelepathyIt’s typical to think that all the malignant ar-cane monsters made in this world are birthed bywizards, sorcerers, and their ilk. That the col-leges and towers of Dungeon World are wombto every bleak experiment. There are mistakesmade in the depths of the earth, too. These ones,the Derro, are the mistakes of a long-forgottendwarven alchemist. The derro don’t forget,though. Twisted and hateful, the Derro canbe spotted by their swollen skulls, brain-mattergrown too large. They do not speak except inthoughts to one another and plot in the silentdark to extract sweetest revenge—that of thecreated on the creator. Instinct : To replacedwarves

• Fill a mind with foreign thoughts• Take control of a beast’s mind

Digester Solitary, Large, ConstructAcid (d10+1 damage ignores armor) 16 HP1 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Digest acid secre-tionIt’s okay, magical experimentation is a messyscience. For every beautiful pegasus there’s ahalf-done creature that wasn’t quite right. Weunderstand. The goblin-elephant you thoughtwas such a great idea. The Gelatinous Drake.Just examples. No judgement here. Anyway,we’ve got something for that. We call it theDigester. Yes, just like it sounds. Strange look-ing, I know, and the smell isn’t the best, but thisthing—it’ll eat magic like Svenloff the Stoutdrinks ale. Next time one of these unfortunateaccidents occurs, just point the Digester at itand all your troubles drain away. Just keep aneye on it. Damn thing ate my wand last week.Instinct : To digest

• Eat away at something• Draw sustenance

Ethereal Filcher Solitary, Devious,PlanarStolen dagger (2d8·w damage) 12 HP 1 Ar-mor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: BurrowingThings go missing. A sock, a silver spoon, yourdead mother’s bones. We blame the maid, orbad luck, or just a moment of stupid forget-fulness and we move on. We never get to seethe real cause of these problems. The spiderything with human hands and eyes as blue as thedeep ethereal from whence the creature comes.We never see the nest it makes of astral silverwebbing and stolen objects arranged in somemadness pattern. We never watch it assem-ble its collection of halfling finger-bones, stolenfrom the hands of the sleeping. We’re lucky,that way. Instinct : To steal

• Take something important to it’s pla-nar lair

• Retreat to the Ethereal plane• Use an item from its lair

Ettin Solitary, Large, ConstructClub (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Two headsWhat could possibly be better than an idioticangry hill giant? One with two heads. Fan-tastic idea, really. Grade A stuff. Instinct : Tosmash

• Attack two enemies at once• Defend its creator

Girallon Solitary, HugeRend (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor

Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Many arms

Twisted Experiments

86

The pounding of the jungle drums calls to it.The slab of meat on the sacrificial stone to lurein the Great Ape. Girallon, they call it—a namefromthelong-forgottentongueofthekingswhobred the beast. Taller than a building, somesay. Cloaked in ivory fur with tusks as longas scimitars. Four arms? Six? The rumorsare hard to verify. Every year it is the same:some explorer visits the jungle villages seekingthe Ape and return, never quite the same, neverwith a trophy. The pounding of the drums goeson. Instinct : To rule

• Answer the call of sacrifice• Drive them from the jungle• Throw someone

Iron Golem Group, Large, ConstructSlam (d8+5 damage) 10 HP 3 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: MetalA staple of the enchanters art. Every golemistand mechano-thaumaturge in the Kingdomsknows this. Iron is a misnomer, though. Theseguardians are crafted of any metal, really.Steel, copper, or even gold, in some small cases.As much an art as a science, the crafting ofa fine golem is as respected in the Kingdomsas a bridge newly built or a castle erected inthe mountains. Unceasing watchdogs, stal-wart defenders, the iron golem lives to serve,following its orders eternally. Any enchanterworth his salt can craft one, if he can afford thematerials. If not . . . Instinct : To serve

• Follow orders implacably• Use a special tool or adaptation built-

in

Flesh Golem HordeClaw (d6+2 damage) 3 HP 0 Armor

Close, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Many body partsStolen bits and pieces in the night. Graveyardsstealthily uprooted and maybe tonight an arm.A leg. Another head (the last one came aparttoo soon). Even the humblest hedge-enchantercan make due with what he can and, with alittle creativity, well—it’s not only the Collegethat can make life, hmm? We’ll show them.Instinct : To live

• Follow orders• Detach a body part

Kraken Solitary, HugeSlam (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 2 Armor

Reach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Aquatic

A cephalo-what? No, boy. Not “a kraken”but “the kraken”. I don’t know what nonsensethey taught you at that school you say you’refrom, but here, we know to respect the Hun-gerer. Right, that’s what we call it, The Hun-gerer in the Deep to be more proper. Ain’t nogod, though we’ve got those, too. It’s a squid!A mighty squid with tentacles thicker ‘roundthan a barrel and eyes the size of the full moon.Smart, too, the Hungerer. Knows just when tostrike—when you’re all too drunk or too tiredor run out of clean water, that’s when he getsyou. No, I ain’t ever seen him. I’m alive, aren’tI? Instinct : To rule the ocean

• Drag a person or ship to a waterygrave

• Wrap them in tentacles

Manticore Solitary, Large, ConstructSting (d10+1 damage 1 piercing) 16 HP 3Armor

Close, Reach, MessySpecial Qualities: WingsIf the chimera is the first step down a dark path,the manticore is a door that can’t be closedonce its been opened. A lion, a scorpion, thewings of a drake. All difficult to obtain butnot impossible and just animals, anyway. Thelast component, the hissing hateful face of thebeast, is the ingredient that makes a manticoreso cruel. Young or old, man or woman, itmatters not but that they are human, livingand breathing, married to the creature withtwisted magic. All sense of who they are is lost,and maybe that’s a blessing, but the beast isborn from human suffering. No wonder, then,that they’re all so eager to kill. Instinct : Tokill

• Poison them• Rip something apart

Owlbear Solitary, ConstructClaw (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor

CloseBody of a bear. Feathers of an owl. Beak, claws,and excellent night vision. What’s not to love?Instinct : To hunt

• Strike from darkness

Pegasus Group, ConstructStomp (d8 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: WingsDon’t go thinking that every creature notnatural-born is a horrible abomination. Don’timagine for a second that they’re all tentaclesand screaming and blood or whatever. Takethis noble beast, for example. Lovely thing, is-n’t it? A fine white horse with the wings of aswan. Don’t look like it ought to be able to fly,but it does. The elves work miracles, in theirown way. They breed true—that’s the purity ofelf-magic at work. Hatching from little crys-tal eggs and bonded with their riders for life.There’s still some beauty in the world, markmy words. Instinct : To carry aloft

• Carry a rider into the air

• Give their rider an advantage

Rust Monster Group, ConstructCorrode (d8 damage ignores armor) 6 HP3 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Corrosive touchA very distinctive-looking creature. Somethinglike a reddish cricket, I think. Long crickety legs,anyhow. Blind, too, as I understand it—theyfeel their way around with those long moth-looking tendrils. Feed that way, too. Siftthrough piles of metal for the choicest bits.That’s what they eat, don’t matter the type,neither. Their merest touch turns it all torusted flakes. Magic lasts longer but underthe scrutiny of a rust monster, it’s a foregoneconclusion. Only the gods know where theycame from, but they’re a curse if you value yourbelongings. Instinct : To decay

• Turn metal to rust• Gain strength from consuming metal

Xorn Solitary, Large, ConstructMaw (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: BurrowingDwarf-made elemental garbage muncher.Shaped like a trash bin with a radius of armsto feed excess rock and stone into its gapingmaw. They eat stone and excrete light andheat. Perfect for operating a mine or diggingout a quarry. Once one gets lost in the sewersbelow a city, though, or in the foundation of acastle? You’re in deep trouble. They’ll eat andeat until you’ve got nothing left but to collapsethe place down on it and move somewhere else.Ask Burrin, Son of Fjornnvald, exile from hisclan. I bet he could tell you a story about aXorn. Instinct : To eat

• Consume stone• Give off a burst of light and heat

Lower Depths

87

33LowerDepths

Aboleth Group, Huge, IntelligentTentacle (d8+3 damage) 18 HP 0 Armor

ReachSpecial Qualities: TelepathyDeep below the surface of the world, in freshwa-ter seas untouched by the sun dwell the aboleth.Fish the size of whales, with strange growthsof gelatinous feelers used to probe the light-less shores. They’re served by slaves; blind al-bino victims of any race unfortunate enough tostumble on them, drained of thought and lifeby the powers of the aboleth’s alien mind. Inthe depths they bid and plot against each other,fishy cultists building and digging upward to-wards the surface until someday, they’ll breachit. For now, they sleep and dream and guidetheir pallid minions to do their bidding. In-stinct : To command

• Invade a mind• Turn minions on them• Put a plan in motion

Apocalypse Dragon Solitary, Huge,Magical, DivineBite (2d10·b+9 damage 4 piercing) 26 HP5 Armor

Reach, Forceful, MessySpecial Qualities: Inch-thick metalhide, Supernaturalknowledge, WingsThe end of all things shall be a burning—of treeand earth and of the air itself. It shall comeupon the plains and mountains not from be-yond this world but from within it. Birthedfrom the womb of deepest earth shall come theDragon that Will End the World. In its pass-ing all will become ash and bile and the eartha dying thing will drift through planar spacedevoid of life. They say to worship it is to invitemadness. They say to love it is to know obliv-ion. The awakening is coming. Instinct : Toend the world

• Set a disaster in motion• Breath forth the elements• Act with perfect knowledge

Chaos Spawn Solitary, GibbousChaotic touch (d10 damage) 19 HP 1 Ar-mor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Chaos formDriven from the city, a cultist finds solace intowns and villages. Discovered there, he fleesto the hills and scratches his devotion on thecave walls. Found out, he is chased with knifeand torch into the depths, crawling deeper anddeeper until, in the deepest places, he loses hisway. First, he forgets his name. Then he forgetshis shape. His chaos gods, most beloved, blesshim with a new one. Instinct : To undermine

• Rewrite reality• Unleash chaos from containment

Chuul Group, Large, CautiousClaws (d8+1 damage 3 piercing) 10 HP 4Armor

Close, Reach, MessySpecial Qualities: Amphibious

Let us, for a moment, consider the lobster. Thisone is your worst seafood nightmare come tolife. A sort of vicious, half-man half-crawdadcursed with primal intelligence and blessedwith a pair of razor-sharp claws. Strangethings lurk in the stinking pools in caverns bestforgotten and the Chuul is one of them. If youspot one, your best hope is a heavy mace tocrack its shell and maybe a little garlic butter.Mmmm. Instinct : To split

• Split something in two with mightyclaws

• Retreat into water

Deep Elf Assassin Group, Intelli-gent, OrganizedPoisoned blade (d8 damage 1 piercing) 6HP 1 Armor

CloseIt was not so simple a thing as a war over re-ligion or territory. No disagreement of Queensled to the great sundering of the elves. It wassadness. It was the very diminishing of theworld by the lesser races and the glory of allthe elves had built was cracking and turningto glass. Some, then, chose to separate them-selves from the world; wracked with tears theyturned their backs on men and dwarves. Oth-ers, though, they were overcome with some-thing new. A feeling no elf had felt before. Spite.Hatred filled these elves and twisted them andthey turned on their weaker cousins. Some stillremain after the great exodus below. Some hideamongst us with spider-poisoned blades, met-ing out that strangest of punishments: elvenvengeance. Instinct : To spite

• Poison them• Unleash an ancient spell• Call reinforcements

Deep Elf Swordmaster Group, Intel-ligent, OrganizedBarbed blade (2d8·b+2 damage 1 pierc-ing) 6 HP 2 Armor

CloseThe deep elves lost the sweetness and gentlepeace of their bright cousins ages ago but didnot abandon grace. They move with a swift-ness and beauty that would bring a tear to anywarrior’s eye. In the dark, they’ve practiced. Acruelty has infested their swordsmanship—awickedness comes to the fore. Barbed bladesand whips replace the shining pennant-spearsof surface elven battles. The swordmasters ofthe deep elf clans do not merely seek to kill,but to punish with every stroke of their blades.Wickedness and pain are their currency. In-stinct : To punish

• Inflict pain beyond measure• Use the dark to advantage

Deep Elf Priest Solitary, Divine, In-telligent, OrganizedSmite (d10+2 damage) 14 HP 0 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Divine connec-tion

Lower Depths

88

The spirits of the trees and the lady sunlightare far far from home in the depths where thedeep elves dwell. New gods were found, there,waiting for their children to come home. Godsofthespiders, thefungalforests, andthingsthatwhisper in the forbidden caves. The deep elves,ever attuned to the world around them, listenedwith hateful intent to their new gods and founda source of power yet unrealized. Hate callsto hate and grim alliances were made. Evenamong these spiteful ranks, piety finds a wayto express itself. Instinct : To pass on divinevengeance

• Weave spells of hatred and malice• Rally the deep elves• Pass on divine knowledge

Dragon Solitary, Huge, Terrifying,Cautious, HoarderBite (2d10·b+5 damage 4 piercing) 16 HP5 Armor

Reach, MessySpecialQualities: Elementalblood,WingsThey are the greatest and most terrible thingsthis world will ever have to offer. Instinct : Torule

• Bend an element to its will• Demand tribute• Act with disdain

Gray Render Solitary, LargeRend (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach, ForcefulOn its own, the render is a force of utter de-struction. Huge and leathery, with a mawof unbreakable teeth and claws to match, therender seems to enjoy little more than tearingthings apart. Stone, flesh, or steel, it matterslittle. However, the gray render is so rarelyfound alone. They bond with other creatures.Some at birth, others as fully-grown creatures,and will follow their bonded master whereverit goes, bringing them offerings of meat andprotecting them while they sleep. Finding anun-bonded render means certain riches, if yousurvive to sell it. Instinct : To serve

• Tear something apart

Magmin Horde, Intelligent, Orga-nized, HoarderFlaming hammer (d6+2 damage) 7 HP 4Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Firey blood

Dwarf-shaped and industrious, the magminare among the deepest-dwellers of DungeonWorld. Found in cities of brass and obsidianbuilt nearest the molten core of the planet, themagmin live a life devoted to craft—especiallythat of fire and magical items related to it. Surlyand strange, they do not often deign to speak topetitioners who appear at their gates, even thosewho have somehow found a way to survive thehellish heat. Even so, they respect little morethan a finely made item and to learn to forgefrom a magmin craftsman means unlockingsecrets unknown to surface blacksmiths. Likeso much else, visiting the magmin is a game ofrisk and reward. Instinct : To craft

• Offer a trade or deal• Strike with fire or magic• Provide just the right item, at a price

Minotaur Solitary, LargeAxe (d10+1 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Unerring senseof directionHead of a man, body of a bull. No, wait, I’vegot that backwards. It’s the bull’s head andthe man’s body. Hooves sometimes? Is thatright? I remember the old King said somethingabout a maze? Blast! You know I can’t thinkunder this kind of pressure. What was that?Oh gods, I think it’s coming . . . Instinct : Tocontain

• Confuse them• Make them lost

Naga Solitary, Intelligent, Orga-nized, Hoarder, MagicalBite (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor

Close, ReachAmbitious and territorial above nearly all else,the naga are very rarely found without a well-formed and insidious cult of followers. You’llsee it in many mountain towns—a snake sigilscrawled on a tavern wall or a local churchburned to the ground. People going missinginto the mines. Men and women wearing themark of the serpent. At the core of it all liesa naga; an old race now fallen into obscurity,still preening with the head of a man over itscoiled, serpent body. Variations of these crea-tures exist depending on their bloodline andoriginal purpose, but they are all master ma-nipulators and magical forces to be reckonedwith. Instinct : To lead

• Send a follower to their death• Use old magic• Offer a deal or bargain

Salamander Horde, Large, Intelli-gent, Organized, PlanarFlaming spear (2d6·b+3 damage) 7 HP 3Armor

Close, Reach, NearSpecial Qualities: Burrowing

The excavation uncovered a basalt gate, the re-ports called it. Black stone carved with moltenrunes. When they dug it up, the magi declaredit inert but further evidence indicates that wasan incorrect claim. The entire team went miss-ing. When we arrived, the gate was glowing.Its light filled the whole cavern. We could seefrom the entrance that the area had become fullof these creatures—like red and orange skinnedmen, tall as an ogre but with a snakes tail wherethere legs ought to be. They were clothed, too—some had black glass armor. They spoke toeach other in a tongue that sounded like greasein a fire. I wanted to leave but the Sergeantwouldn’tlisten. You’vealreadyreadwhathap-pened next, sir. I know I’m the only one thatgot back, but what I said is true. The gate isopen, now. This is just the beginning! Instinct: To consume in flame

• Summon elemental fire• Melt away deception

Planar Powers

89

34PlanarPowers

Angel Solitary, Terrifying, Divine, In-telligent, OrganizedFlame sword (2d10·b+4 damage ignoresarmor) 18 HP 4 Armor

Close, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: WingsSo was it written that the heavens opened upto Avra’hal and did an angel from the cloudsemerge to speak unto her and so did it appearto her as her firstborn daughter—beautiful, ofebon skin and golden eyes—and did Avra’halcry tears to see it. “Be not afraid” it commandedher “go to the villages I have shown you in yourdreams and unto them show the word I havewritten on your soul.” Avra’hal wept and weptand did agree to do this and did take up hersword and tome and did into the villages go, agreat thirst for blood on her lips for the wordthe angel wrote upon the soul of Avra’hal was“kill”. Instinct : To share divine will

• Deliver visions and prophecy• Stir mortals to action• Expose sin and injustice

Barbed Devil Solitary, Large, Planar,TerrifyingSpine (d10+3 damage 3 piercing) 16 HP 3Armor

Close, Reach, MessySpecial Qualities: SpinesThere are a thousand forms of devil, maybemore. Some common and some unique. Eachtime the Inquisitors discover a new one theywrite it into the codex and the knowledge isshared among the abbeys in the hope that theatrocitiesofthatparticularsortwon’tfindtheirway into the world again. The barbed devil haslong been known to the brothers and sisters ofthe inquisition. A literal thing, it appears onlyat a site of great violence or when called by awayward summoner. Covered in sharp quills,this particular demon revels in the spilling ofblood, being specifically fond of impaling vic-tims piecemeal or in whole upon its thorns andletting them die there. Cruel but not particu-larly effective beyond slaughter. A low inquisi-torial priority. Instinct : To bloody

• Impale someone• Kill randomly

Chain Devil Solitary, PlanarCrush (d10 damage ignores armor) 12 HP3 Armor

Close, ReachDo you think the phrase “drag him to hell”means nothing? It is unfortunately literal, inthe case of the chain devil. Appearing differ-ently to each victim, this summoned creaturehas but a single purpose: to wrap its victim upin binding coils and take it away to a place oftorment. Sometimes it will come as a man-shaped mass of rusting iron, hooks and coils ofmismatched links. Other times, a roiling tan-gle of rope or kelp or twisted bloody bedsheets.The results are always the same. Instinct : Tocapture

• Take a captive

• Return to whence it came• Torture with glee

Concept Elemental Solitary, Devi-ous, Planar, GibbousSpecial Qualities: Ideal formThe planes are not as literal as our world.Clothed in the elemental chaos are places ofstranger stuff than air and water. Here,rivers of time crash upon shores of crystal fear.Bleak storms of nightmare roil and churn ina laughter-bright sky. Sometimes, the spir-its of these places can be lured into our world,though they are infinitely more unpredictableand strange than mere fire or earth might be.Easier to make mistakes, too—one might trycalling up a Wealth Elemental and be surprisedto find a Murder Elemental instead. Instinct: To perfect its concept

• Show its concept in its purest form

Corrupter Solitary, Devious, Planar,HoarderSecret dagger (2d8·w damage) 12 HP 0Armor

CloseSurely, my good man, you must know why I amhere. MustknowwhoIam. Yousaidthewords.You spilled the blood and followed the instruc-tions almost to the letter. Your pronunciationwas a bit off but that’s to be expected. I’vecome to give you what you’ve always wanted,friend. Glory, love, money? Paltrythingswhenyou’ve the vaults of hell to plumb. Don’t lookso shocked, you knew what this was. You havebut one thing we desire. Promise it to us, andthe world shall be yours for the taking. Trustme. Instinct : To bargain

• Offer a deal with horrible conse-quences

• Plumb the vaults of hell for a bargain-ing chip

• Make a show of power

Djinn Group, Large, MagicalFlame (d8+1 damage ignores armor) 14HP 4 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Made of flameStop rubbing that lamp, you idiot. I do notcare what you have read, it will not grant youwishes. I brought you here to show you some-thing real, something true. See this mural? Itshows the ancient city. The true city that camebefore. They called it Majilis and it was madeof brass by the spirits. They had golem servantsand human lovers and, in that day, it was saidyou could trade them a year of your life for afavor. We are not here to gather treasure thisnight, fool, we are here to learn. The djinn stillsometimes come to these places, and you mustunderstand their history if you are to know howto behave. They are powerful and wicked andproud and you must know them if you hope tosurvive a summoning. Now, bring the lamphere and we will light it, it grows dark andthese ruins are dangerous at night. Instinct :To burn eternally

Planar Powers

90

• Grant power for a price• Summon the forces of the City of

Brass

Hell Hound Group, Planar, Orga-nizedFiery Bite (d8 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Hide of shadowWhen one reneges on a deal, does not the debtorcome for payment? Does the owed party notsend someone to collect what is due? So toowith the Powers Below. They only want whatis theirs. A howling pack of shadows, flame andjagged bone, driven by the hunting horn. Theywill not cease, they cannot be evaded. Instinct: To pursue

• Follow despite all obstacles• Spew fire• Summon the forces of hell on their

target

Imp Horde, Planar, Intelligent, Or-ganizedFlame gout (d6 damage ignores armor) 7HP 1 Armor

Close, Near, FarThese tiny observer-demons often act as a first-time binding subject by neonate warlocks. Theycan be found infesting arcane cabals, drinkingpotions when no-one watches, and chasing petsand servants with tiny pitchforks. A caricatureof true demonhood, these little creatures are,thankfully, not too difficult to bind or extin-guish. Instinct : To harass

• Send information back to hell• Cause mischief

Inevitable Group, Large, Magical,Cautious, Gibbous, PlanarHammer (d8+1 damage) 21 HP 5 Armor

Close, ReachSpecial Qualities: Made of OrderAll things come to an end. Entropy bleedsreality slowly out. At the edge of time itselfstand the Inevitable. Massive, powerful andseemingly carved from star-stuff themselves,the Inevitable intervene only where magic orcalamity have undone the skein of fate. Wherethe arrogant and powerful boil the substanceof destiny away and seek to undermine the verylaws of reality, the Inevitable arrive to guidethings back to the proper order. Unshakable,seemingly immune to mortal harm and utterlyenigmatic, it is said that the Inevitable are allthat will remain when time’s long thread hasrun out. Instinct : To preserve order

• End a spell or effect• Enforce a law of nature or man• Give a glimpse of destiny

Larvae Horde, Devious, Planar, In-telligentSlime (2d4·w damage) 10 HP 0 Armor

Close

Those who have seen visions of the Planes Be-low, and survived with their sanity intact,speak of masses of these writhing wretches.Maggots with the face of men and women,crying out for salvation in a nest of flames.Sometimes, they can be goaded out througha rip in the planar caul and emerge, wrigglingand in torment, into our world. Once here, theyspread misery and sickness during their mayflylives before expiring into a slurry of gore. All inall, an inspiration towards good deeds in life.Instinct : To suffer

• Fill them with despair• Beg for mercy• Draw evil attention

Nightmare Horde, Large, Magical,Terrifying, PlanarTrample (d6+1 damage) 7 HP 4 Armor

Close, ReachSpecialQualities: FlameandshadowThe herd came from a pact made in the dayswhen folk still inhabited the Blasted Steppes.Horselords, they were, who travelled thoselands. Born in the saddle, it was said. Oneof theirs, in a bid to dominate his peers, madea black pact with some fell power and tradedaway his finest horses. He had some power,sure—but what’s a thousand year dynastywhen a life is so short? Now the fiends ofthe pit ride on the finest horses ever seen. Coatsof shining oil and manes of tormented flame:these are steeds of hell’s cavalry. Instinct : Toride rampant

• Sheath a rider in hellish flame• Drive them away

Quasit Horde, PlanarHellish weaponry (d6 damage) 7 HP 2 Ar-mor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Adaptable formAn imp with some ambition. A quasit is akind of foot soldier in the demon realm. Acommoner, armed with fangs or claws or wingsor some other thing to give it just a little edgeover its hellish peers. Commonly bound bywarlocks to carry heavy loads or build bridgesor guard their twisted towers, a quasit can takemany forms, none of them pleasant. Instinct: To serve

• Attack with abandon• Inflict pain

The Tarrasque Solitary, Huge, Pla-narSpecial Qualities: Impervious

The Tarrasque. Legendary unstoppable jugger-naut—eater of cities and swallower of ships,horses, and knights. A creature unseen in anage but about whom all kinds of stories are told.One thread of truth weaves through these sto-ries. It cannot be killed. No blade can pierce itsstony shell nor spell penetrate the shield it some-how bears. Stories say, though, that the willof one pure soul can send it to slumber, thoughwhat that means and, by the gods, where sucha thing might be found, pray we do not everneed to learn. It slumbers. Somewhere in theperiphery of the planar edge, it sleeps for now.Instinct : To consume

• Swallow a person, group, or placewhole

• Release a remnant of a long-eatenplace from its gullet

Word Daemon Solitary, Planar, Mag-icalAll of mortal magic is just words. Spells areprayers, rote formula, runes cast, or songs sung.Letters, words, sentences, and syntax strungtogether in a language that the whole worlditself might understand. By way of words wecan make our fellows cry or exult, can paintpictures and whisper desire to the gods. Nolittle wonder, then, that in all that power isintent. That every word we utter, if repeatedand meaning or emotion given to it, can spark akind of unintentional summoning. Word dae-mons are called by accident, appear at randomand are often short-lived, but come to attenda particular word. Capricious, unpredictableand dangerous, yes—but possibly useful, de-pending on the word. Instinct : To furthertheir word

• Cast a spell related to their word• bring their word into abundance

Folk of the Realm

91

35Folk ofthe Realm

AcolyteCan’t all be the High Priest, they said. Can’tall wield the White Spire, they said. Scrub thefloor, they told me. The Cthonic Overgod don’twant a messy floor, do he? They said it’d beenlightenment and magic. Feh. It’s bruisedknees and dish-pan-hands. If only I’d been acleric, instead. Instinct : To serve dutifully

• Follow dogma• Offer eternal reward for mortal deeds

Adventurer Horde, IntelligentSword (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

CloseSpecial Qualities: Endless enthusi-asmScumoftheearth, theyare. Atroupeofarmoredmen and women come sauntering into town,brandishing what, for all intents and purposes,is enough magical and mundane power to levelthe whole place. Bringing with them bags andbags of loot, still dripping blood from what-ever poor sod they had to kill to get it. Aneconomical fiasco waiting to happen, if youask me. The whole system becomes completelyuprooted. Dangerous, unpredictable murder-hobos. Oh, wait, you’re an adventurer? I takeit all back. Instinct : To adventure or die trying

• Go on a fool’s errand• Act impulsively• Share tales of past exploits

Bandit Horde, Intelligent, Orga-nizedDirk (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

CloseDesperation is the watchword of banditry.When times are tough, what else is there to dobut scavenge a weapon and take up with a clanof nasty men and women? Highway robbery,poaching, scams and cons and murder mostfoul but we’ve all got to eat so who can blamethem? Then again, there’s evil in the hearts ofsome and who’s to say that desperation isn’t awant to sate one’s baser lusts? Anyway—it’sthis or starve, sometimes. Instinct : To rob

• Steal something• Demand tribute

Bandit King Solitary, Intelligent, Or-ganizedTrusty knife (2d10·b damage) 12 HP 1 Ar-mor

CloseBetter to rule in hell than serve in heaven. In-stinct : To lead

• Make a demand• Extort• Topple power

Fool

There’s not but one person in all the King’s courtallowed to speak the truth. The real, straight-and-honest truth about anything. The Foolcouches it all in bells and prancing and chalkyface-paint, but who else gets to tell the Kingwhat’s what? You can trust a Fool, they say,especially when he’s made you red-faced andyou’d just as soon drown him in a cesspit. In-stinct : To mock

• Expose injustice• Play a trick

Guardsman Group, Intelligent, Or-ganizedSpear (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor

Close, ReachNoble protector or merely drunken lout, it oftenmakes no difference to these sorts. Falling justshy of a noble Knight, the proud town guardis an ancient profession none-the-less. Thesefolks of the constabulary often dress in the col-ors of their lord (when you can see it under themud) and, depending on the richness of thatlord, might even have a decent weapon andsome armor that fits. Those are the lucky ones.Even so, someone has to be there keep an eyeon the gate when the Black Riders have beenspotted in the woods. Too many of us owe ourlives to these souls—remember that the nexttime one is drunkenly insulting your mother,hmm? Instinct : To do as ordered

• Uphold the law at all costs• Make a profit

Halfling Thief Solitary, Small, Intel-ligent, Stealthy, DeviousDagger (2d8·w damage) 12 HP 1 Armor

CloseIt would be foolish, now, to draw conclusionsabout folks just because they happen to be goodat one thing or another. Then again, a spade’sa spade, isn’t it. Or maybe just the goodly,soft-and-sweet type of Halfling have the mindto stay in their grassy-hill homes and aren’tthe type you find in the slums and taverns ofthe mannish world . Perhaps they’re there tocut your purse for calling them “halfing” in thefirst place. Not all take so kindly to the title.Or they’re playing a game, pretending to bea child in need of alms—and your arroganteyes can’t even see the difference until too late.Well, it matters little. They’re gone with yourcoin before you even realize you deserved it.Instinct : To live a life of stolen luxury

• Steal• Put on the appearance of friendship

Hedge Wizard Magical

Folk of the Realm

92

Not all those who wield the arcane arts areadventuring Wizards. Nor necromancers inmausoleums or sorcerers of ancient bloodline.Some are just old men and women, smartenough to have discovered a trick or two. Itmight make them a bit batty to come by thatknowledge, but if you’ve a curse to break or alove to prove, might be that a hedge wizard willhelp you, if you can find his rotten hut in theswamp and pay the price he asks. Instinct :To learn

• Cast almost the right spell (for a price)• Make deals beyond their ken

High PriestRespected by all who gaze upon them, the highpriests and abbesses of Dungeon World aretreated with a sort of reverence. Whether theypay homage to Ur-thuu-hak, God of Swords,or whisper quiet prayers to Namiah, preciousdaughterofpeace, theyknowathingortwothatyou and I, we won’t ever know. The gods speakto them as a hawker-of-wares might speak tous in the marketplace. For this, for the bearing-of-secrets and the knowing-of-things, we givethem a wide berth as they pass in their shiningrobes. Instinct : To lead

• Set down divine law• Reveal divine secrets• Commission divine undertakings

Hunter Group, IntelligentRagged bow (d6 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor

Near, FarThe wilds are home to more than just beastsof horn and scale. There are men and womenout there, too—those who smell blood on thewind and stalk the plains in the skins of theirprey. Whether with a trusty longbow boughton a rare trip into the city or with a knife ofbone and sinew-made, these folk have more incommon with the things they track and maketheir meals than with their own kind. Solemn,somber and quiet, they find a sort of peace inthe wild. Instinct : To survive

• Bring back news from the wilds• Slay a beast

Knight Solitary, Intelligent, Orga-nized, CautiousSword (2d10·b damage) 12 HP 4 Armor

CloseWhat youngster doesn’t cling to the rail at themighty joust, blinded by the sun on their glit-tering armor, wishing they could be the oneadorned in steel and riding to please the Kingand Queen? What peasant youth with naughtbut a loaf of bread and a lame sow doesn’t wishto trade it all in for the lance and the brightpennant? A Knight is many things—a holywarrior, a sworn sword, a villain sometimes,too, but a Knight cannot help but be a symbolto all who see her. A Knight means something.Instinct : To live by a code

• Make a moral stand• Lead peasants into battle

MerchantTen foot poles. Get your ten foot poles, here.Torches, bright and hot. Mules, too—stubbornbut immaculately bred. Need a linen sack, doyou? Right over here! Come and get your tenfoot poles! Instinct : To profit

• Propose a business venture• Offer a ’deal’

NobleAre they granted their place by the gods, per-haps? Is that why they’re able to pass theirriches and power down by birth? Some trick orenchantment of the blood, maybe. The peasantbends his knee and scrapes and toils and thenoble wears the finery of his place and, theysay, we all have our burdens to bear. Seems tome that some of us have burdens of stone andsome carry their weight in gold. It’s a toughlife. Instinct : To rule

• Issue an order• Offer a reward

PeasantCovered in muck, downtrodden at the bottomof the great chain of being, we all stand onthe backs of those that grow our food on theirfarms. Some peasants do better than others,but none will ever see a coin of gold in theirday. They’ll dream at night of how someday,somehow, they’ll fight a dragon and save aprincess. Don’t act like you weren’t one beforeyou lost what little sense you had, adventurer.Instinct : To get by

• Plead for help• Offer a simple reward and gratitude

Rebel Horde, Intelligent, OrganizedAxe (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

CloseIn the countryside they’d be called outlaw anddriven off or killed. The city, though, is full ofplaces to hide. Damp basements to pore overmaps and to plan and plot against a corruptsystem. Like rats, they gnaw away at order,eithertosupplantitaneworjusterodethewholething. The line between change and chaos is afine one—some rebels walk that thin line andothers just want to see it all torched. Disguise,a knife in the dark or a thrown torch at the rightmoment are all tools of the rebel. The burningbrand of anarchy is a common fear amongstthe nobles of Dungeon World. These men andwomen are why. Instinct : To upset order

• Die for a cause• Inspire others

Soldier Horde, Intelligent, Orga-nizedSpear (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach

For a commoner with a strong arm, sometimesit’s this or be a bandit. It’s wear the colorsand don ill-fitting armor and march into theunknown with a thousand other scared menand women conscripted to fight the wars of ourtime. They could be hiding out in the woodsinstead, living off poached elk and dodging theking’s guard. Better to risk ones life in service toa cause. To bravely toss one’s lot in with theirfellows and hope to come out the other side stillin one piece. Besides, the nobles need strongmen and women. What is it they say? A hand-ful of soldiers beats a mouthful of arguments.Instinct : To fight

• March into battle• Fight as one

SpyBeloved of Kings but never truly trusted. Mys-terious, secretive and alluring, the life of a spyis, if you ask a commoner, full of romance andintrigue. They’re a knife in the dark and a pairof watchful eyes. A spy can be your best friend,your lover or that old man you see in the mar-ket every day. One never knows. Hells, maybeyou’re a spy—they say there’s magic that canturn folks minds without them ever knowing it.How can we trust you? Instinct : To infiltrate

• Report the truth• Double cross

TinkererIt’s said that if you see a tinker on the road andyou don’t offer him a swig of ale or some ofyour food that he’ll leave a curse of bad luck be-hind. A tinker is a funny thing. These strangefolk often travel the roads between towns withtheir oddment carts and favorite mules. Witha ratty dog and always a story to tell. Some-times the mail, too, if you’re lucky and live ina place where Queen’s Post won’t go. If you’rekind, maybe they’ll sell you a rose that neverwilts or a clock that chimes with the sound offaerie laughter. Or maybe they’re just antiso-cial peddlers. You never know, right? Instinct: To create

• Offer an oddity at a price• Spin tales of great danger and reward

in far-off lands

Moves in Detail Volley

93

36Movesin Detail

Hack and SlashHack and Slash is for attacking a pre-pared enemy plain and simple. If theenemy isn’t prepared for your attack—ifthey don’t know you’re there or they’rerestrained and helpless—then that’s notHack and Slash. You just deal your dam-age or murder them outright, dependingon the situation. Nasty stuff.

The enemy’s counter-attack can be anyGM move made directly with that crea-ture. A goblin might just attack you back,or they might jam a poisoned needle intoyour veins. Life’s tough, isn’t it?

Note that an "attack" is some action thata player undertakes that has a chanceof causing physical harm to someoneelse. Attacking a dragon with inch-thickmetal scales full of magical energy witha typical sword is like swinging a meatcleaver at a tank: it just isn’t going tocause any harm, so it’s not an attack.Note that circumstances can change that:if you’re in a position to stab the dragonon it’s soft underbelly (good luck withgetting there) it could hurt, so it’s an at-tack.

If the action that triggers the movecould reasonably hurt multiple targetsroll once and apply damage to each tar-get (they each get their armor).

Jarl is up to his not-inconsiderable bellyin slavering goblins. They have him sur-rounded, knives bared. "I’ve had enough ofthis!" he bellows "I wallop the closest goblinwith my hammer." We agree that this is acombat situation and Jarl rolls the dice forHack and Slash. He rolls an 11, so he has achoice. "Fear is for the weak! I deal extradamage—let the goblins come." "The goblinyou strike certainly doesn’t like that much"I say, "you smash your hammer into hisshoulder and are rewarded with the crunchof goblin bones—and a deep knife woundas the goblin counter-attacks. He deals 4damage to you."

Cadeus has the drop on two orc war-riors—he’s lurking in the shadows as theorcs walk past. "I leap out and bring mysword down in a sweeping arc, like this!"he says, miming the strike. The orc wasn’tready to fight so I say "The orc is caughtentirely off-guard and doesn’t even have achance to raise his patchwork shield. Dealyour damage." Cadeus rolls his damage andit’s enough to kill the orc. The other warrioris still standing, so I say "The other orc freezesin horror for a split second. Then he’s smil-ing at you with his horrible tusked mouth ashe raises a signal horn from his belt. Whatdo you do?"

Bartelby has disarmed a duelist and hashim at sword point. "I’m not giving thisguy another chance to attack! I run himthrough." Without thinking about it care-fully I say "Oh, okay, sounds like Hack andSlash, roll+Str." Bartelby rolls and gets a7. I try to make a move "You run himthrough, he’s not able to defend himself, but,uh . . . Oh, wait, he’s not really in melee withyou, is he? He’s helpless. Forget Hack andSlash. You run him through and he slumpsto the ground coughing up blood."

VolleyVolley covers the entire act of drawing,aiming, and firing a ranged weapon orthrowing a thrown weapon. The advan-tage to using a ranged weapon over meleeis that the attacker is less likely to be at-tacked back. Of course they do have toworry about ammunition and getting aclear shot though.

On a 7-9, read "danger" broadly. It canbe bad footing or ending in the path of asword or maybe just giving up your sweetsniper nest to your enemies. Whateverit is it’s impending and it’s always some-thing that causes the GM to say "What doyou do?" Quite often, the danger will besomething that will then require you todedicate yourself to avoiding it or forceyou to Defy Danger.

Ifyou’rethrowingsomethingthatdoesn’thave ammo (maybe you’ve got a movethat makes your shield throwable) youcan’t choose to mark off ammo. Choosefrom the other two options instead.

Aranwe is on the floor of the ritualariumas the orc eyegouger chants his ritual fromatop the pedestal. "Since Thelian has theother orcs busy, I take the opportunity tosite down my bow and take a shot at theorc running the ritual." "Sounds like volleyto me." She rolls an 8, plus her Dex makes 9."Looks like you have a tough choice" I say."Well, I’m almost out of arrows, and we needto get rid of him before the ritual finishes, soI’m going to take the danger." "Sure, thatsounds good. Well, as the ritual progressesthe flames around him have gotten higherand you have to move around to take theshot. You hit him dead on, roll your damage,but you had to step inside the ritual circle todo it. Everything outside the circle lookscloudy and unreal, all you can hear is the orcchanting. Thelian, you notice that Aranweis inside the circle. What do you do?"

Defy Danger Moves in Detail

94

Halek is firing on the advancing kobold mob.He rolls an 8 and decides to be put in dan-ger. I think for a moment and then say"You have to duck and dodge to get the shotbut you finally let it go and nail the leadkobold. You hear something behind youand turn to see that you’re right next to theogre. He smashes you with his club anddeals you 12 damage." "All that? Just forgetting put in danger? That seems like a lotmore than danger." He’s right, of course, so Isay "Oh, you’re right—danger’s somethingthat’s about to happen. How about, instead,you turn around after firing the shot and theogre’s right in your face! He’s about to swinghis club right down on you. What do youdo?"

Defy DangerYou Defy Danger when you do some-thing in the face of impending peril. Thismay seem like a catch-all. It is! DefyDanger is for those times when it seemslike you clearly should be rolling but noother move applies.

Defy Danger also applies when you makeanother move despite danger not cov-ered by that move. For example, Hackand Slash assumes that’s you’re trad-ing blows in battle—you don’t need toDefy Danger because of the monsteryou’re fighting unless there’s some spe-cific danger that wouldn’t be part of yournormal attack. On the other hand, ifyou’re trying to Hack and Slash whilespikes shoot from hidden traps in thewalls, you’re ignoring a clear and presentthreat and need to Defy Danger.

Danger, here, is anything that requiresresilience, concentration, or poise. Thismove will usually be called for by the GM.She’ll tell you what the danger is as youmake the move. Something like "You’llhave to Defy Danger, first. The dangeris the steep and icy floor you’re runningacross. If you can keep your footing, youcan make it to the door before the Necro-mancer’s magic gets you."

Which stat applies depends on what ac-tion you take and your action has to trig-ger the move. That means you can’t Defythe Danger of the steep and icy floor witha charming smile just so you can use Cha,since charmingly smiling at the ice floordoes nothing to it. On the other hand,making a huge leap over the ice would beStr, placing your feet carefully would beDex, and so on. Make the move to get theresults.

Emory is climbing a steep ravine. Unbe-knownst to him, a cultist sorcerer lurksnearby. The sorcerer casts a spell of froston the cliffside, covering it with ice. "As youreach for the next handhold, a terrible chillovercomes you. If you want to keep climbing,Defy Danger or risk slipping" I say, makingsure to explain what the Danger is. "Noway" Emory says, "I need to get the top ofthis ravine! I grit my teeth and hold tighteven as my fingers go numb." He rolls DefyDanger, getting an 8 including his Con forenduring. Now it’s time for a hard decision."You make some progress but as your handsgo numb you start slipping. The only wayyou can get any more traction is by jammingyour dagger into the ice to pull yourself upthe last few feet. If you do that, though, thedagger is going to be jammed in the face ofthe cliff until you get a chance to stop andpry it out."

"The athach’s third arm is swinging down onyou with its crude club, what are you doingValeria?" I’ve just made a move to establishan impending threat: the athach’s strike.She says "I Hack and Slash it! I make a wideswing sideways, right into its legs." Soundsgood to me, but she’s not doing anythingabout the club coming at her. "Okay, you cando that, but you take the athach’s damagefrom the club coming right down on yourskull." "What? But trading blows is partof Hack and Slash, right?" "It is, but beforeyou make your attack there’s already a clubcoming at you, Hack and Slash doesn’t coverthat. Do you still want to Hack and Slash,or are you doing something about the club?"

Octavia is locked in battle with an ogre. Shesays "I drop my shield and take up my ham-mer in both hands. I swing it at the ogre.That’s Hack and Slash, right?" "Yeah, it willbe but first you’ve gotta Defy Danger. Thedanger is the ogre’s massive club." "Isn’t thatpart of what Hack and Slash already is? Imean if he couldn’t be smashing me with hisclub then I wouldn’t be making the move atall because we wouldn’t be in melee." "Ohyeah, you’re totally right. Hack and Slash itis, make your roll!"

DefendDefending something means standingnearby and focusing on preventing at-tacks on that thing or stopping anyonefrom getting near it. When you’re nolonger nearby or you stop devoting yourattention to incoming attacks then youlose any Hold you might have had.

You can only spend Hold when some-one makes an attack on you or the thingyou’re Defending. The choices you canmake depend on the attacker and thetype of attack. In particular, you can’tdeal damage to an attacker who you can’t

reach with your weapon.

An attack is any action you can interferewith that has harmful effects. Swordsand arrows are, of course, attacks but soare spells, grabs, and charges.

If the attack doesn’t deal damage thenhalving it means the attacker gets someof what they want but not all of it. It’s upto you and the GM to work out what thatmeans depending on the circumstances.If you’re defending the Gem Eye of Oro-Uht and an orc tries to grab it from itspedestal then half effect might mean thatthe gem gets knocked to the floor but theorc doesn’t get his hands on it, yet. Ormaybe the orc gets ahold of it but so doyou—now you’re both fighting over it,tooth and nail. If you and the GM can’tagree on a halved effect you can’t choosethat option.

Defending yourself is certainly an op-tion. It amounts to giving up on makingattacks and just trying to keep yourselfsafe.

Avon is weaving a powerful spell to send thesource of the Necromancer’s power back tothe Plane of Death. The spell takes time andconcentration and there’s zombies massingon all sides! Lux says "While Avon’s castinghis spell, it’s my duty to keep him alive. Istand between him and the dead and slammy hammer against my shield—’You wanthim, you go through me!’ I’m DefendingAvon." That sounds good to me, so I say"roll+Con." She gets an 11 and Holds three.A few moments later Avon finishes his spellbut, in rolling for it, has to make a toughchoice and puts himself in danger. I say "youunleash the magic of your spell, sure enough.Themagicaldisturbancedrawstheattentionof the zombie horde—they sense your powerand it drives their hunger! With a suddenburst of speed, they’re right on top of you.What do you do?" Avon looks unsure for amoment, but Lux says "Let them come. I’vegot his back. I’m spending a point of hold todirect that attack to me. I push Avon backand swing a wide arc with my shield. I’ll alsospend a point of hold to halve the damage.To be safe, I follow up with my hammer anduse one more hold to deal damage to thegang of zombies." "Wow, okay. They get afew feeble claws past your guard but you’remostly unscathed. That does it for yourhold. Are you still defending him or are youdoing something else?" "I don’t think he’lllive long without me. I yell at him to runwithout taking my eyes off the zombies, I’mnot letting any of them past me." "Soundslike you’re Defending again, roll+Con."

Moves in Detail Spout Lore

95

Hadrian has been Defending Durga whileshehealsabadlywoundedWillem. Willem’sin fighting shape again so Durga has leapedforwards to drive back the troglodytes.Hadrian is still locked in battle with a deadlycrocodilian. The troglodytes attack Durgaand Hadrian reacts. "Wait! I still have onehold to Defend Durga. I’m doing to redirectthat attack to myself." That doesn’t soundquite right to me, they’re spread out, now."How are you doing that if she’s over atthe troglodyte camp and you’re battling thecrocodilian in the water?" "Oh yeah. I guesswhen I started doing something other thanstanding guard I lost that hold. Damn."

Spout LoreYou Spout Lore any time you want tosearch your memory for knowledge orfacts about something. You take a mo-ment to ponder the things you knowabout the Orcish Tribes or the Tower ofUl’dammar and then reveal that knowl-edge.

The knowledge you get is like consultinga bestiary, travel guide, or library. Youget facts about the subject matter. On a10+ thosefacts the GMwill show you howthose facts can be immediately useful, ona 7–9 they’re just facts.

On a miss the GM’s move will oftenhave to do with the time you take think-ing. Maybe you miss that goblin mov-ing around behind you, or the trip wireacross the hallway. It’s also a greatchance to reveal an unwelcome truth.

Just in case it isn’t clear: the answers arealways true, even if the GM had to makethem up on the spot. Always say whathonesty demands.

Fenfaril has had the misfortune of drop-ping through an illusory floor and now findshimself in a murky pit. A mottled, eyelesscreature shambles towards him, mumblingin a strange tongue. "I’m a little freakedout—what is this thing? Is it going to at-tack me? I probably read about these thingsin a bestiary back in school." "Great, that’sSpout Lore." I say. Fenfaril rolls and gets an8. "Well of course you read about these. Thename escapes you, but you clearly remembera drawing of a creature like this standingin front of a doorway, like a guard, withsomeone kneeling before it." On a strong hit Iwould have given some information on whatmakes the creature let people pass.

Vitus has Spouted Lore on a gilded skull shefound on a pedestal and gotten a 10. I be-gin by saying, mysteriously, "You’re prettysure you recognize the telltale signs of metalforged in the City of Dis, the living planarcity." I catch myself and remember to be gen-erous with the truth and make it useful. Iadd "You recognize some of the glyphs fromyour spellbook, actually: they’re part of firespells, but with other magic symbols smallerinside them. Casting a non-fire spell into theskull turns it into fire magic, based on theglyphs."

Discern RealitiesTo Discern Realities you must closely ob-serve your target. That usually meansinteracting with it or watching some-one else do the same. You can’t juststick your head in the doorway and Dis-cern Realities about a room. You’re notmerely scanning for clues—you have tolook under and around things, tap thewalls and check for weird dust patternson the bookshelves. That sort of thing.

Discerning Realities isn’t just aboutnoticing a detail, it’s about figuring outthe bigger picture. The GM always de-scribes what the player characters expe-rience honestly, so during a fight the GMwill say that the kobold mage stays at theother end of the hall. Discerning Reali-ties could reveal the reason behind that:the kobold’s motions reveal that he’s ac-tually pulling energy from the room be-hind him, he can’t come any close.

Just like Spout Lore the answers you getare always honest ones. Even if the GMhas to figure it out on the spot. Once theyanswer, it’s set in stone. You’ll want toDiscern Realities to find the truth behindillusions—magical or otherwise.

Unless a move says otherwise playerscan only ask questions from the list. Ifa player asks a question not on the listthe GM can tell them to try again or an-swer a question from the list that seemsequivalent.

Of course, some questions might have anegative answer, that’s fine. If there re-ally, honestly is nothing useful or valu-able here, the GM will answer that ques-tion with "Nothing, sorry."

Finding a strangely empty room guarded bydeadly traps, Omar says "I don’t trust thisshiftyroom. I’mgoingtopokearoundalittle.I take out my tools and start messing withstuff—pulling candlesticks, tapping the wallwith my stone hammer. My usual tricks." Isay to Omar, "Sounds like you’re DiscerningRealities?" Omar answers in the affirmativeand makes his roll. He rolls a 12 and getsto ask questions. "What here is not as itappears to be?" I think for a second, look atmy notes and tell him, "As you tap the wallsyou find that there’s an odd, hollow spaceon the north side. The stones look newertoo, this was added recently. It’s actually ahidden room."

Omar still has two more questions. His hisnext one is "Who sealed the hidden room?"That’s not a question from the list but itsounds to me like he’s really asking "whathappened here recently". I answer that in-stead. "Looking at the stonework you noticethe wall bends out a little. The work’s def-initely of goblin origin—shoddy and quick.The only way it could get bent out like that isif something pushed out on the stones fromwithin." "So some goblins blocked it from theother side?" Omar says. "Yeah, exactly."

ParleyParley covers a lot of ground includingold standbys like intimidation and diplo-macy. You know you’re using Parleywhen you’re trying to get someone to dosomething for you by holding a promiseor threat over them. Nice or not, the tonedoesn’t matter.

Merely asking someone politely isn’tParleying. That’s just talking. You say"Can I have that magic sword?" and theKing’s knight says "Hell no, this is myblade, my father forged it and my motherenchanted it" and that’s that. To Par-ley, you have to have leverage. Lever-age is anything that could lure the tar-get of your Parley to do something foryou. Maybe it’s something they wantor something they don’t want you to do.Like a sack of gold. Or punching them inthe face. What counts as leverage de-pends on the people involved and therequest being made. Threaten a longgoblin with death and you have lever-age. Threaten a goblin backed up by hisgang with death and he might think he’sbetter off in a fight.

On a hit they ask you for something re-lated to whatever leverage you have. Ifyour leverage is that you’re standing be-fore them sharpening your knife and in-sinuating about how much you’d like toshank them with it they might ask youto let them go. If your leverage is yourposition in court above them they mightask for a favor.

Aid or Interfere Moves in Detail

96

Whatever they ask for, on a 10+, youjust have to promise it clearly and unam-biguously. On a 7–9, that’s not enough:you also have to give them some assur-ance, right now, before they do what youwant. If you promise that you’ll ensuretheir safety from the wolves if they dowhat you want and you roll a 7-9 theywon’t do their part until you bring a freshwolf pelt, for example. It’s worth notingthat on a 10+ you don’t actually have tokeep your promise. Whether you’ll fol-low up or not, well, that’s up to you. Ofcourse breaking promises leads to prob-lems. People don’t take kindly to oath-breakers and aren’t likely to deal withthem in the future.

In some cases when you state what youwant you may include a possible promisefor the creature to make, as in "Flee andI’ll let you live." It’s up to the target of theParley if that’s the promise they wantor if they have something else in mind.They can say "yes, let me live and I’ll go"(with assurances, if you rolled a 7–9) or"promise me you won’t follow me."

Leena is trying to convince Lord Hywn tovouch for her so that she is granted an au-dience with the Queen. She’s laid out whatshe wants pretty well but I say "Lord Hywnobviously isn’t convinced. Why should hehelp you?" She smirks a bit. "Oh. That.While I’m talking to him, I absentmindedlystart playing with the signet ring from thatassassin we killed. The one he hired to offthe prince. I make a big show of it just tomake sure he sees who’s ring it is." That’sperfect; now I know what to ask for. Leena’splayer hits her roll with an 8. "Once yourlittle show sets in, Hywn just looks at youcoldly. After a moment he says ’Enough be-ing coy. You and I both know you murderedmy hired man. Give me that ring and swearyou’ll speak no more about it, then I’ll doas you ask." "Oh sure, I give it to him" shesays "We can always dig up more dirt on thisscumbag later."

Pendrell’s trying to get into the gambling denwhere One-Eye usually plays. He sauntersup to the guards and says "Hey fellas, how’sit going, care to open the door for me?" Pen-drell’s player says "I’m being all suave as Ido it to; really cool so these guys will let mein. That’s Parley! I roll+Cha." Something’snot right here so I stop him "Wait a sec.All you’ve done is tell these guys what youwant—you’re just talking. The big smellyone on the right of the door steps in front ofyou, looks you in the eyes and says ’Sorry,private venue’ like he’s bored with keepingpeople out and he’d rather be inside himself.If you want to Parley him, you need someleverage. A bribe maybe?"

Aid or Interfere

Any time you feel like two players shouldbe rolling against each other, the de-fender should be Interfering with the at-tacker. This doesn’t always mean sabo-taging them. It can mean anything fromarguing against a Parley to just being ashifty person who’s hard to Discern. It’sabout getting in the way of another play-ers’ success.

Always ask the person aiding or inter-fering how they are doing it. As longas they can answer that, they trigger themove. Sometimes, as the GM, you’ll haveto ask if interference is happening. Yourplayers might not always notice they’reinterfering with each other.

Aid is a little more obvious. If a playercan explain how they’re helping in a rolland it makes sense, let them roll to aid.

No matter how many people aid or inter-fere with a given roll, the target only getsthe +1 or -2 once. Even if a whole partyof adventurers aid in attacking an ogre,the one who makes the final attack onlygets +1.

Ozruk stands alone and bloodied before apack of angry hellhounds. Behind him, thePrince of Lescia weeps in fear. Ozruk says "Istand firm and lift my shield, despite certaindoom. I’m defending the Prince." At the lastmoment, though (just as I’m about to haveOzruk roll Defend) Aronwe appears fromthe shadows, sword drawn. "Doom is not socertain, Dwarf" he says. "I’m standing be-side him, helping Ozruk Defend by coveringhis sword arm." Aronwe rolls+bonds and, ifhe succeeds, Ozruk will be able to add a +1 tohis Defend result.

Special Moves Last Breath

97

37SpecialMoves

Special moves are moves that come upless often or in more specific situations.They’re still the basis of what charac-ters do in Dungeon World—particularlywhat they do between dungeon crawlsand high-flying adventures.

Last BreathThe Last Breath is the last moment thatstands between life and death. Timestands still as Death comes to claim theliving. Even those who stay will catcha glimpse of the other side as they fightfor their life. Many are changed by thismoment—even those who escape alive.

The deal offered by death is decided bythe GM but it should always be a realchoice with real consequences. If theGM offers something completely pain-less, the move is pointless. If the GM of-fers a ridiculous price, no one will take it.Think of ways that the character mightbe changed by the event: a new goal inlife, a debt that must be paid, an obliga-tion.

Sparrow stands at Death’s black gates. Firstthe Gm describes what she sees beyond them:"In among the suffering souls you clearlysee Lord Hywn. It appears his double deal-ing has caught up with him." Now for thebargain: "The shadowy form of Death itselfsteps between you and the gates. ’Here sosoon? I enjoy seeing the souls you send me.I’ll return you to the world so that you mayserve me, but there is a cost: you will neverbe able to move under the sun again, or youwill return to my realm immediately."

EncumbranceA PC’s Load stat is determined by theirclass and Str. Being able to carry moreis a clear benefit when trying to carrytreasure out of a dungeon or just makingsure you can bring along what you need.

This move only applies to things a personcould walk around and still act with. Car-rying a boulder on your back is not en-cumbrance—you can’t really act or movemuch with it. It effects what moves youcan make appropriately in the fiction.

CarouseUnless the PCs are particularly extrava-gant or generous Carousing doesn’t costany gold. If the players are paying some-one else’s tab or living the high life thenit’ll costs them appropriately.

You can only carouse when you returntriumphant. That’s what draws thecrowd of revelers to surround adventur-ers as they celebrate their latest haul. Ifyou don’t claim your success or your fail-ure is well known then who would wantto party with you anyway?

Undertake a Perilous JourneyDistances in Dungeon World are mea-sured in rations. A ration is the amountof supplies used up in a day. Journeystake more rations when they are long orwhen travel is slow.

A perilous journey is the whole way be-tween two locations. You don’t roll forone day’s journey and then make camponly to roll for the next day’s journey,too. Make one roll for the entire trip.

This move only applies when you knowwhere you’re going. Setting off to ex-plore is not a perilous journey. It’s wan-dering around looking for cool things todiscover. Use up rations as you campand the GM will give you details aboutthe world as you discover them.

Make CampYou usually Make Camp so that you cando other things, like Prepare Spells orDutiful Prayer. Or, you know, sleepsoundly at night. Whenever you stop tocatch your breath for more than an houror so, you’ve probably Made Camp.

When camping in dangerous territorythe selections made apply to the entirecamp. Every PC camping out needs toroll. Camping with fewer than threecharacters, or without the Ranger, isdangerous—there will always be at leastone option not selected.

What counts as dangerous territory is upto the GM. She should call for the move.When not Making Camp in dangerousterritory the camp is in all ways unex-ceptional with neither benefits or dan-gers.

Staying a night in an inn or house is Mak-ing Camp is a safe location. Regain yourhit points as usual, but only mark off aration if you’re eating from the food youcarry, not paying for a meal or receivinghospitality.

Outstanding WarrantsThis move is only for places where you’vecaused trouble, not every piece of civi-lization you enter. Being publicly caughtup in someone else’s trouble still triggersthis move.

Civilization generally means the vil-lages, towns and cities of humans, elves,dwarves, and halflings but it can alsoapply to any relatively lawful establish-ment of monstrous species, such as orcsor goblins. If the PCs have stayed thereas part of the community it’s civilization.

Moves in Detail

98

38Movesin Detail

Multiclass Moves Multiclass Dabbler

99

39MulticlassMoves

Multiclass Dabbler

Multiclass Initiate

Multiclass MasterFor the purposes of these multiclassmoves the Cleric’s Commune and Casta Spell count as one move. Likewise forthe Wizard’s Spellbook, Prepare Spells,and Cast a Spell.

If a multiclass move grants you the abil-ity to cast spells you prepare and castspells as if you had one level in the cast-ing class. Whenever you level up youincrease the level you prepare and castspells at too.

When Ajax gains 3rd level he takes Multi-class Dabbler to get Commune and Cast aSpell from the Cleric class. He casts and pre-pares spells like a first level Cleric: first levelspells and rotes only, a total of 2 levels ofspells prepared.

Bardic Lore Bard Moves

100

40Bard Moves

Bardic LoreTreat the areas of your lore like books. Isthe upwards-flowing waterfall you justcame across something important thatwould be covered in a book called "OnSpells and Magicks?" If so, your BardicLore applies.

If you care enough to ask a question aboutit then it’s probably important. Don’tsecond guess yourself: if you care enoughto want to know more about it then it hassome importance.

Charming and OpenSpeaking frankly means you really arebeing open with them, not just giving theappearance of openness. It’s your truesincerity that puts others at ease and letsyou get information out of them; if you’retrying to maintain a lie at the same timeyou won’t get very far.

It Goes To ElevenOf course the creature you effect musthave some way of harming your targetof choice. Spurring a wolf into a frenzyto attack the eagle lord circling abovedoesn’t do any good, the wolf doesn’thave a way to attack it.

An Ear for MagicActing on the answers can mean act-ing against them or taking advantage ofthem. Either way you take +1 forward.

Cleric Commune

101

41Cleric

CommuneIf you like you can prepare the same spellmore than once.

Guidance Cleric Spells

102

42Cleric Spells

GuidanceIt’s up the the creativity of your deity(and the GM) to communicate as muchas possible through the motions and ges-tures of you deity’s symbol. You don’tget visions or a voice from heaven, justsome visual cue of what your deity wouldhave you do (even if it’s not in your bestinterest).

Magic WeaponCasting Magic Weapon on the sameweapon again has no effect. No matterhow many times you cast it on the sameweapon it’s still just magic +1d4 damage.

Magic though is nothing to be scoffed at.Having a magic weapon may give you anadvantage against some of the strangerbeasts of Dungeon World, ghosts and thesort. The exact effects depend on themonster and circumstances, so make themost of it.

Animate DeadTreating the zombie as your charactermeans you make moves with it’s abilityscores based on the fiction, just like al-ways. Unless it’s brain is functioning onits own the zombie can’t do much besidesfollow the last order it was given, so you’dbetter stay close. Even if its brain worksit’s still bound to follow your orders.

Fighter Moves Signature Weapon

103

43FighterMoves

Signature WeaponThe base description you choose is justa description. Choosing a spear doesn’tgive you Close range, for example. Youcould choose a spear as the description,then Hand as the range. Your spearis something special, or your techniquewith it is different, just describe whyyour weapon has the tags you’ve chosen.

HeirloomThe exact nature of the spirits (and there-fore what knowledge they can offer toyou) is up to you and the GM to decide.Maybe they’re dead ancestors, or echoesof people you’ve slain, or a minor demon.Up to you.

Armor MasteryArmor and shields that are reduced to0 armor are effectively destroyed. You’llpretty much be paying for a new one any-way, so you might as well drop them andhaul out some gold instead.

Evidence of Faith Paladin Moves

104

44PaladinMoves

Evidence of FaithYour +1 forward applies to anything youdo based on your knowledge of the spell’seffects: defying it, defending against it,using it to your advantage, etc.

Ranger Moves Command

105

45RangerMoves

CommandYour bonuses only applies when your an-imal is doing something it’s trained in.An animal not trained to attack monsterswon’t be any help when you’re attackinga otyugh.

Backstab Thief Moves

106

46Thief Moves

BackstabReducing armor until they repair itmeans that they lose armor until theydo something that compensates for yourdamage. If you’re fighting an armoredknight that might mean a fresh suit ofarmor, but for a thick-hided ogre its un-til they’ve had time to heal up (or protectthe wound you left).

PoisonerIn order to make more doses of your cho-sen poison you need to be reasonablyable to gather the required materials. Ifyou’re locked up at the top of a toweryou’re not going to be able to get the ma-terials you need of course.

Wealth and TasteIn order to use this move it’s really got tobe your most valuable possession. It’sthe honest value you place on it thatdraws others, no lies.

DisguiseYour disguise covers your appearanceand any basics like accents and limps.It doesn’t grant you any special knowl-edge of the target, so if someone asks youwhat your favorite color is you’d betterthink fast. Defying Danger with Cha is acommon part of maintaining a Disguise.

Wizard Moves Prepare Spells

107

47WizardMoves

Prepare SpellsYou can prepare the same spell twice ifyou like.

Empowered MagicMaximizing the effects of a spell is sim-ple for spells that involve a roll: a max-imized Magic Missile does 8 damage.In other cases it’s down to the circum-stances. A maximized Identify mightresult in far more information than ex-pected. If there’s no clear way to maxi-mize it you can’t choose that option.

Likewise for doubling the targets. Ifthe spell doesn’t have targets you can’tchoose to double them.

Dispel Magic Wizard Spells

108

48WizardSpells

Dispel MagicThe exact effects depend on the circum-stances. A goblin orkaster’s spell mightjust be ended; a deity’s consecration isprobably just dimmed. The GM will tellyou the likely effects of Dispeling a giveneffect before you cast.

Fireball"Nearby" means a few paces at most, de-pending on the circumstances.

PolymorphIn some cases the GM may choose thelast option more than once to list eachunexpected benefit or weakness.

Summon MonsterThe exact type of monster you get is upto the GM, based on your choices. If youwant a non-reckless swimming creatureyou might get a water elemental, a 1d8damage +2 Str creature might be a barbeddevil. Whatever the creature is you stillget to play it.

Making Moves Starting Points

109

49MakingMoves

At some point you’ll likely want to makeyour own moves. You might want tocreate moves to reflect some particularthreat ("When you go alone into the Un-hallowed Halls . . . "). You might createmoves to cover something that’s partic-ularly important to you setting ("Whenyou swim in the dark waters . . . "). Youmight create moves to expand a class, orcreate your own class entirely.

This chapter covers how to create movesand more importantly why to createmoves.

Moves are the simplest way to modifythe game, but you can go beyond that.Maybe you have a cool idea for an entireclass, or you want to change how mon-sters work, or even mess with the entireGMing structure. Well get to those top-ics too, but first: moves.

Starting PointsWhere do moves come from?

You can start a move with the trig-ger. Some actions will just feel like theyshould be a move. This is the most com-mon starting point for moves. You’ll seesome action coming up and feel like it’sdifferent enough from existing movesthat it needs its own rules.

You can start with the effect. This isparticularly useful for class moves. Youknow that casting a spell is somethingthat the Wizard does, so what triggersthat effect?

Rarely, you can even start with themechanics. Sometimes you’ll think ofsomething cool, like a tamed demonwho’s happiness is a constantly varyingstat, and go from there. Be wary of anyidea that’s entirely mechanical. Sincemoves always start and end with the fic-tion, a mechanical idea is the least im-portant bit of the move.

A final starting point is someone else’smove. Between Apocalypse World,Dungeon World, Monsterhearts, and thedozens of other games using moves thereare many great ideas out there. Ifyou plan to use a borrowed move foranything beyond your personal gaminggroup, its a good idea to ask the authorfirst. They’re usually pretty cool aboutit.

Types of MovesWhat role the move is fulfilling deter-mines what kind of move you’re creat-ing.

Moves for dealing with the environmentor special features you’ve added to Dun-geon World are special moves. Thesemoves are usually the GMs domain, aplace to make parts of the world standout. Since moves are always triggered bythe players most moves like this should

be written or printed somewhere every-one can look them over unless the movecovers something that the player char-acters wouldn’t have any idea about.

Moves that reflect some special compe-tency or power, or something the play-ers do, are usually class moves. If themove is clearly tied to a specific class,add it to that class. If the move is tiedto some concept that multiple classesmight have access to, like a move onlyaccessible to those that have seen be-yond Death’s Black Gates, you can createa Compendium Class for those moves. ACompendium Class is like a mini-class,it’s a collection of moves around a fic-tional theme. We’ll deal with them inmore detail later.

If your move is something the playersdo but isn’t associated with any specifictheme or class it’s probably a basic ofspecial move. If it comes up all the timeit’s a basic move, if it comes up morerarely it’s a special move.

Moves made by the players in responseto monsters, such as the effects of a dis-ease or pressing on despite a focusedblast of wind from an air elemental, areplayer moves associated with that mon-ster. Player moves associated with amonster are fairly rare, most of the waysa player will interact with a monster arecovered by the basic and class moves.

Moves made by monsters against theplayers aren’t player moves at all.They’re monster moves, simple state-ments of what the monster does. Try-ing to make every monster move into aplayer move will seriously hamper yourcreativity.

World MovesYour Dungeon World is full of fantasticthings, right? You’re likely to find thatsome of those fantastic things deserve ordemand custom moves to reflect exactlywhat they do. Consider this one fromChris Bennet:

When you open a sewer hatch roll+Str. Ona 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9 choose 1.

• You avoid being covered in feces androtting animal entrails from the sew-ers above.

• You avoid having a gelatinous cubeland on you.

• You find a secret back entrance towhere the merchant’s daughter is be-ing held.

This move is strong because it is tiedstrongly to a particular place at a par-ticular time. This move was writtenby request for Jason Morningstar’s Dun-geon World game as the players enteredsome particularly horrible sewers to find

Class Moves Making Moves

110

a powerful merchant’s daughter. Two ofthe options here are very directly tied tothat precise situation.

Why would you write this move insteadof just using Defy Danger? You wouldn’t,always. Opening a pressurized sewerhatch is certainly dangerous, you coulduse Defy Danger. This move does havethe advantage of setting up the choicesahead of time. This is actually a verystrong technique: if there’s a particularsituation that is likely to cause Defy Dan-ger, you can write a custom move thatdescribes the tough choice to be made tosave the GM some thinking in the mo-ment.

The other strength of moves like this isthey call out something as important.By making the trigger "when you open asewer hatch" instead of "when you act de-spite an imminent threat" the move callsout that these sewers are always danger-ous.

Class MovesEach class has enough moves to takeit through tenth level but that doesn’tmean you can’t add more. Adding movesto a class can demonstrate your idea ofDungeon World. Take this one, for ex-ample:

When you claim a room for you deity, markevery entrance and roll+Wis. On a 10+ theroom is peacebonded: no one can take ac-tion to cause physical harm within it. On a7–9 the room is peacebonded, but the showof divine power draws attention. You candismiss the peacebond as you see fit.

This move presents a slightly differentside of Dungeon World, one that candemand peace (something that usuallydoesn’t come easily to PCs). This may notbe every Dungeon World game, but it’sa great way to show how your DungeonWorld looks reflected in the characters.

When adding a move, look carefully atwhat class it belongs to. Avoid givinga class moves with infringe on anotherclass’s areas of expertise. If the Thiefcan cast spells just as well as the Wizardthe Wizard is likely to feel marginalized.This is why the multiclass moves act asone level lower, so that each class’s nicheis somewhat protected.

Be careful with any move that providesthe same benefit as an existing moveeven if the trigger is different. +damagemoves in particular should be avoidedfor the most part unless carefully craftedwith interesting triggers. +armor toocan be problematic if given too freely.The classes at present have damage andarmor increases the reflect the overalldanger of Dungeon World, giving themmore can negate potential threats.

New ClassesCreating a new class is more than justwriting some new moves. Your first con-sideration should be how the class relatesto the existing classes. No character ex-ists in isolation, so you should think care-fully about why this class is different.

An excellent first step to creating a newclass is to think about what fictionalcharacters you’d like to task an inspira-tion. Don’t slavishly follow what thatfictional character can do (after all, theyweren’t in Dungeon World) but use themas a guide for what’s cool about being thatperson.

The inspirations for the classes in thisbook are fairly clear, and made clearer bythe notes in the margins. Note that notevery inspiration is taken entirely: thewizards of Discworld inspired slightlypompous style of the Wizard, but theWizard is far more competent and castsspells differently than the typical Disc-world character. The inspiration is oneof style, not an attempt to recreate whata certain character could do in a certainbook.

With a clear idea in mind you have a fewbasic steps that aren’t a concern whenwriting single moves: HP, Bonds, Look,equipment, alignment, races.

Aclass’sHPisusuallysomebase+Constitution.Base HP is almost always 4, 6, 8, or 10.Having more HP than the Fighter andPaladin might make those classes obso-lete unless you’re careful. Having lessHP than the Wizard is probably charac-ter suicide. 4 base HP makes for a classthat is deliberately fragile, they’ll needhelp from others when the swords comeout. 6 base HP is for classes that aren’tready to fight, but can at least take a hit.8 base HP is enough to take some hitsand get into combat a little, while 10 baseHP is for skilled warriors and those whohave no fear of battle.

Damage is chosen from the dice avail-able: d4, d6, d8, d10. The classes pre-sented here all use a single die with nostatic bonus, but there’s no reason not toexperiment with other options: 2d4 or1d6+2, for example. High HP and dam-age tend to go together, as you usuallyneed one to make the other worthwhile.

Bonds are where the class’s outlookshines through. It’s the place whereyou, the designer, will most clearly in-teract with the player at character cre-ation. Unless the class is particularly so-cial or antisocial, write four bonds. If theclass is very connected to others, add aBond, if they’re cloistered remove one.Avoid bonds that dictate alignment butdon’t be afraid to say something aboutwhat the class is or does. You can use therules for writing new Bonds as a startingpoint, but avoid including proper names

in starting Bonds.

Look is largely left to your imagination.This is an excellent spot to think aboutyour fictional inspiration: what did theylook like? How could they look dif-ferent? Including at least one choiceabout clothes helps establish style with-out making the player think about buy-ing clothes.

The equipment choices should alwaysinclude at least one weapon option andone armor option unless the class isclearly non-martial and lacking in fight-ing skill. Dungeon Rations are alsopretty much required, a starting charac-ter without food going into a dangerousarea borders on stupid.

Alignments are your place to show thestarting outlook of the class. Most classeswill have Neutral as an option, since onlythe most dedicated classes are so tiedup to an ideal that the self can’t comefirst. A good alignment move is some-thing that happens with some regular-ity and requires the player to take actionthey might not otherwise take. An align-ment that happens as part of the nor-mal course of play, like "When you gaintreasure . . . ," doesn’t really show thecharacter’s ideals. Adding some require-ments, maybe "When you gain treasurethrough lies and deceit . . . ," adds an el-ement of ideals. Now the alignmentsays something about the character (theyprize pulling a con on the unsuspecting)and requires the player to think abouthow they play.

Compendium ClassesA Compendium Class is a class onlyavailable to higher level characters whomeet specific requirements. They’recalled Compendium Classes becausethey first appeared in the Compendi-ums for Dungeon World Basic. A Com-pendium Class is the way to go for a con-cept that can be layered onto multipleother classes.

The basic structure of a CompendiumClass is to have a starting move that isavailable only to characters who havehad a certain experience, like this:

When you enter the bodily presence of a godor their avatar the next time you gain a levelyou can choose this move instead of a movefrom your class:

Divine Bond

Making Moves Adventure Moves

111

When you write a new Bond instead of usingthe name of another character you can usethe name of a deity you’ve had contact with.Anytime a Bond with a deity applies to thecurrent situation you can mark it off (as if itwas resolved) to call on the deity’s favor in aclear and decisive way that the GM describes.At the end of the session you then replace themarked off Bond with a new one, with a deityor player character.

Note that the move is only available afterthe character has done a specific thing,and even then only at their next level.Compendium Classes are best when theyrely on what the character has done, notstat prerequisites or anything that hap-pens without the player’s action. A Com-pendium Class that is available to anyonewho just gained 5th level doesn’t standfor much, one that only applies if you’vebeen to Death’s Black Gates and lived totell the tale is more interesting.

A Compendium Class also usually has2–3 moves that can be taken only if thestarting move is taken. These are justlike normal class moves, just with therequirement that you have to have al-ready taken the starting CompendiumClass move.

Compendium Classes are ideal for con-cepts that don’t quite inspire a full class.If you can’t think of what the class lookslike or how much HP it has, or if the classoverlaps with existing classes, it’s prob-ably better as a Compendium Class.

Adventure MovesAdventure moves deal directly with theadventure underway. They can move theaction along, change the rewards, or letyou jump into a bigger adventure.

If you’re running a short game, maybe ata convention or game day, you may findthat you want to front load the experi-ence a little more. Here’s a move thatcovers "the adventure so far" so that youcan get straight into a short game in me-dia res.

Stalwart Fighter: As if the bandits weren’tbad enough! As if all the sword wounds,bruises and batterings at the hands ofyour enemies were insufficient—now this.Trapped underground with your adventur-ing companions when all you wanted wasto return to the town and spend your well-earned bounty. No such luck, warrior.Sharpen that sword! Certainly, the oth-ers will need your protecting before safety isfound. Just like last time. Once more into thebreach, right? I swear, one of these fellowmust owe you a favor or two by now . . .

Have a look around and roll+Cha. On a10+ choose two party members, on a 7-9just the one, on a miss you’re surrounded byingrates. At a moment of need, you can cashin an owed favor. A PC must change theiraction to one of your choosing, once. As longas this action doesn’t involve them directlytaking damage, giving up a magic item theyalready own or coming to immediate harm,it’s fair game. Use it to make them agree withyou, or give you that extra ration you want,or giving you their slot in the loot lottery.Leverage is sweet.

The most important part of this move isnot the roll or the effect, but the infor-mation and tone. It sets the stage fora quick adventure and gives the playerreading it a starting point to work with.The roll and result here are interesting,but don’t greatly change the flow of thegame. Handing out a set of these, one toeach player, along with a playbook, is agreat way to run a con game.

You can also adapt the End of Sessionmove to reflect the adventure you’re run-ning. When doing this it’s key that youshow the players the new End of Sessionmove. The goal isn’t to keep them in thedark about what earns XP, but to makethe XP awards tie directly to this adven-ture.

When you end the session, instead of us-ing the normal end of session questions, usethese:

• Did we learn something about theCult of the Scaled God?

• Did we rescue a captured villager orhelp defend the village of Secor?

• Did we defeat a major agent of theCult of the Scaled God

Move StructureMoves always follow a similar struc-ture. The most basic parts of a moveare the trigger ("when . . . ") and the ef-fect ("then . . . "). Every move follows thisbasic format.

TriggersTriggers are always fictional actions un-dertaken by the player characters. Notethat a trigger never deals with preciseunits of time. Don’t write a move thatbegins "When you start a round adjacentto a dragon." There’s no rounds (and ad-jacent is maybe not the best phrasing,as it sound removed from the fiction ofstanding next to a damn fire-breathing dragon). Prepare Spells isn’t "When you spendone hour studying your spellbook" forgood reason. Time in Dungeon Worldis a bit fluid, like in a movie where pac-ing depends on the circumstances. Don’t

rely on concrete units either around thetable (rounds) or in the fiction (seconds,minutes, days).

Here are some broad types of triggers:

• When a character takes action .Examples: Discern Realities, Fasci-nate [Bard], Command [Ranger].

• When a character takes actionunder specific circumstances .Examples: Hack and Slash, Gladiator[Fighter], Backstab [Thief].

• When circumstances dictate, nocharacter action . Examples: Or-der Hirelings, End of Session, SavingThrow.

• When a character uses a thing. Examples: Magic items, Heirloom[Fighter]

• From now on . Examples: Serenity[Cleric], Poisoner [Thief]

EffectMoves effects can be anything you canthink of; they are as limitless as yourideas. Don’t feel constrained to mak-ing rolls, +1 bonuses, and swapping stats.Since all moves flow from the fiction, afictional effect like "They treat you as afriend" is just as powerful and useful as+1 forward, maybe more so.

Here are some broad types of effects, anygiven move may use more than one ofthem:

• Roll . Examples: Defy Danger, Cast aSpell [Wizard], Called Shot [Ranger].

• Substitute stats . Examples: Pre-cise [weapon tag].

• Trigger another move . Exam-ples: Charm Person [Wizard spell],Envenom [Thief].

• Give a bonus or penalty, forwardor ongoing. Examples: Quarry[Ranger], Beacon of Good [Paladin].

• Deal or heal damage . Examples:Volley, Backstab [Thief], Called Shot[Ranger].

• Choose options . Examples: SpoutLore, Discern Realities, Ritual [Wiz-ard].

• Hold & Spend . Examples: Dom-inate [Wizard spell], Trap Sense[Thief].

• Ask & Answer . Examples: Charm-ing and Open [Bard], Spout Lore.

• Change circumstances . Exam-ples: Ascetic Freedom [Cleric], Sinsof the Flesh [Paladin].

• Mark experience . Examples:Alignment moves.

• Call for more information . Ex-amples: Parley, Ritual [Wizard].

• Add options . Examples: Survival-ist [Ranger], Eye of Riches [Thief].

Changing the Basics Making Moves

112

Changing the BasicsMoves can also change the basic struc-ture of the game. Consider this one, toavoid the use of damage dice:

When you would deal damage, instead ofrolling the dice, substitute each dice with thelisted number. d4 becomes 2, d6 becomes 3,d8 becomes 4, d10 becomes 5, d12 becomes 6.

Moves like this change one of the basicfeatures of the game. Be very carefulwith moves that muck with the funda-mentals. Any move that contradicts theGM’s principles or agenda, or any movethat breaks the basic "take the action togain the effect" rule, should be seriouslyrethought.

There are some parts of the game thatare exceptionally easy to change. Theamount of XP to level reflects our view,but you can easily make leveling moreor less rare. The way stats are assignedby the class is a way of making the gameeasier for new players and reflecting theconcept of each class but there may bea place for a 17 Constitution Wizard.If you’ve played enough to know whatyou’re doing with each stat feel free toassign them however you like.

Another basic that’s occasionally askedfor is a way to make, say, fighting adragon harder. The best answer here isthat fighting a dragon is harder becausethe dragon is fictionally stronger. Juststabbing a dragon with a normal bladeisn’t Hack and Slash because a typicalblade can’t hurt it. If, however, that isn’tenough, consider this move from Vin-cent Baker, originally from ApocalypseWorld (reworded slightly to match Dun-geon World rules):

When a player makes a move and the GMjudges it especially difficult, the player takes-1 to the roll. When a player’s charactermakes a move and the GM judges it clearlybeyond them, the player takes -2 to the roll.

The problem with this move is that themove no longer reflects anything con-crete. Instead, the move is a prompt forthe GM to make judgement calls with noclear framework. If you find yourselfwriting this custom move, consider whatdifficulty you’re really trying to captureand make a custom move for that instead.That said, this is a valid custom move, ifyou feel it’s needed.

Development of a MoveLet’s look at how one move developedover time. Hack and Slash was one ofthe earliest Dungeon World moves, orig-inally written by Tony Dowler. The firstversion looked like this (this version has

been reformatted and edited for gram-mar only):

When you wade into combat, attacking yourenemies, deal damage to the enemy you’reattacking, take that enemy’s damage, androll+Str. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9choose 1.

• Prevent one ally from taking damagethis round

• Kill one enemy of lower level thanyou or deal max damage to otherwise

• Put an enemy right where you wantthem (drive them off, prevent themfrom fleeing, etc.)

• Divide your damage amongst anynumber of targets you can reach withyour weapon

The first problem with this move is thatone of the options, preventing damage, isfar less useful than the others. Being ableto outright kill an enemy is nearly alwaysbetter than preventing that enemy fromdoing damage. The first major revisionwas to drop that option:

When you wade into combat, attacking yourenemies, deal damage to the enemy you’reattacking, take that enemy’s damage, androll+Str. On a 10+ choose 2. On a 7-9 choose1.

• Kill one enemy of lower level thanyou or deal max damage to otherwise

• Put an enemy right where you wantthem (drive them off, prevent themfrom fleeing, etc.)

• Divide your damage amongst anynumber of targets you can reach withyour weapon

This left only three options which is agreat number of options to have when a10+ lets you pick two. The player makingthe move always had to not choose oneoption. All of the options are also clearlyuseful. But there’s still an issue, easilythe biggest issue with this move: the fic-tional action doesn’t tightly relate to theoutcome.

Consider this situation: Gregor attacksan eagle lord with his mighty axe. Hedescribes his fictional action: "I swingmy axe right down on his wing with abig overhead chop." Then he rolls themove, gets a 10, and makes his choices.Max damage is a clear choice and comesright from the fiction. The other options,however, don’t make much sense. If hechooses to divide his damage, how doesthat flow from his one fictional attack?How did that one chop also hit the treantbehind him?

Scoping down the fictional effect of themove lead to his version:

When you attack an enemy who can defendthemselves, roll+Str. On a 10+, you dealyour damage but your enemy does not getto deal theirs to you. If you choose, you cantake your enemy’s damage and deal doubledamage to the enemy. On a 7-9, you take theenemy’s damage and deal your damage.

Here the move now has only the effectsthat could clearly follow from a singleattack. Any action that couldn’t reason-ably lead to a counter-attack isn’t Hackand Slash, so now the trigger matchesthe effects. Unfortunately double dam-age was a bit much, so we changed it tothis:

When you attack an enemy in melee,roll+Str. On a 7-9, you deal your damageto the enemy and take their damage. On a10+ you deal your damage to the enemy. Youcan choose to also take the enemy’s damageto deal +2 damage.

+2 damage is a clear advantage, but nota game-breaker. The only problem hereis that it reduced the effects of an attackto taking damage. Monsters do so muchmore than just take away your HP; mon-sters hurl you about the room and de-stroy the ground you stand on, why can’tthey do that in response?

When you attack an enemy in melee,roll+Str. On a 10+ you deal your damageto the enemy. You can choose to let the en-emy make an attack to deal +2 damage. Ona 7-9, you deal your damage to the enemyand the enemy makes an attack against you.

This version (the final one) allows a mon-ster to "attack" not just deal damage. Thatopens up a whole host of interestingmonster moves to be used. Now eventhe 7-9 result has choices to make andunpredictable outcomes.

Making Moves Agenda, Principles, and GM Moves

113

Agenda, Principles, and GM MovesChanging the GM’s side of the rules is anentirely different beast from writing cus-tom player moves. Writing GM movesis the easy part. Since a GM move is justa statement of something that fiction-ally happens, feel free to write new onesas you please. Most of the time you’llfind they’re just specific cases of one ofthe moves already established, but oc-casionally you’ll come across somethingnew. Just keep in mind the spectrum ofhard to soft moves, your principles, andyour agenda and you’ll be fine. Remov-ing a GM move is also kosher, but you’reprobably better off keeping the move andjust not using it. The players won’t knowanyway.

Changing the GM’s agenda or principlesis one of the biggest changes you canmake to the game. Changing these ar-eas will likely require changes through-out the rest of the game, plus playtestingto nail it all down.

Play to find out what happens is theleast changeable part of the GM’s agenda.Other options, like "play towards yourset plot" or "play to challenge the players’skills" will be resisted pretty strongly bythe other rules. The moves give the play-ers abilities that can change the course ofan planned adventure quite quickly; ifyou’re not playing to find out what hap-pens you’ll have to resist the moves atevery step or rewrite many of them.

Fill the characters’ lives with ad-venture could be rephrased, but it’shard to really change. "Fill the charac-ters’ lives with intrigue" might work, butintrigue just seems like a type of adven-ture. Removing this agenda entirely willrequire major reworking since the movestructure is based on this. The effects ofa miss and the GM’s soft moves are allthere to create a life of adventure.

Make the world fantastic is maybethe easiest to change, but it still re-quires considerable rewriting of the classmoves. A historical world, a grim world,or a utopian world are all possible, butyou’ll need to carefully rethink manymoves. A historical world will requiremagic, equipment, and several other sec-tions to be nearly entirely rewritten orremoved. A grim world can only surviveif the players’ moves come with darkercosts. A utopian world won’t need manyof the moves as written. Still, this is theeasiest part of the agenda to change, sinceit requires changing the moves, not thebasic structures of the game.

The GM’s principles are more muta-ble than the agenda but still can seri-ously change the game with only mi-nor modifications. Address the char-acters, not the players; Make yourmove, but misdirect; Never speak

the name of your move; Begin andend with the fiction; and Be a fan ofthe characters are the most importantprinciples. Without these the conversa-tion of play and the use of moves is likelyto break down.

Embrace the fantastic; Give everymonster life; Name every person;Think Dangerous; and Give themsomething to work towards are keyto the spirit of Dungeon World and fan-tasy exploration. These are changeable,but they amount to changing the settingof the game. If you want to change anyof these, you may have to make changesto all of them.

Leave Blanks; Sometimes, let themdecide; and Ask questions and usethe answers are important to runningDungeon World well. They also apply tomany other games in the same style. Thegame will be diminished without them,but the conversation of play will con-tinue. These are also some of the mostportable principles, applicable to manyother games. They may even work ingames with very different play styles.

An additional principle that some peopleprefer to add is Test their Bonds . Thisprinciple is entirely compatible with theothers and with all the moves, but itchanges the focus of the game somewhat.Fronts need to be rethought to work fullywith this, and you might need to addmoves that speak to it.

MonstersThe easiest place to modify monsters isin the questions used to create them. Thesimplest changes have to do with adjust-ing lethality or randomness to your lik-ing. You could easily change just onequestion to add random damage to thegame (if you use random monster dam-age you might consider having the play-ers roll it so that you don’t have to man-age dice just for damage).

How does it usually hunt or fight?

• As part of large group, five or more:2d4 damage, 1 HP, Horde

• As part of a small group, around 2–5:2d6 damage, 8 HP

• All by its lonesome: 2d10 damage, 30HP, Unique

Note that these changes also adjustlethality slightly, you can play with thenumbers to make it more or less randomas you please.

A more interesting change is to changethe questions being asked to present adifferent view of monsters. The viewsbuilt into the questions imply that mon-sters are more or less like other creatures:they can be of many alignments andwon’t always be opposed to the playercharacters. If you want to make Dungeon

World more about indiscriminate killingof monsters that deserve it you mightrewrite some of the questions, maybeadding this:

The monster is Evil through and through. Chooseone to reflect why it’s evil:

• It’s an intrusion of the Old Ones Be-yond The Walls: Planar, +5 damage

• It’s a product of the Old Wizards ofthe Red Tower: Construct, +5 HP

• It’s from The Time Before Man: Pri-mordial, +5 damage, +5 HP

When creating new monster questionsyou can either reinterpret existing mon-sters by answering the questions forthem again or only use the new questionsfor new monsters. If the new questionsyou add or change are key to your vi-sion of Dungeon World its best to redoall the monsters you use, if the questiononly applies to a specific kind of mon-ster anyway you can just use it for newmonsters.

Special Thanks

114

50SpecialThanks

Contributors

115

51Contributors

Tresi Arvizo

Jeremy Friesen

Pitch It Guild Members

116

52GuildMembers

Since you’ve read this book it’s likely atsome point you’ll be teaching the game toothers, either experienced roleplayers orthose new to the hobby. Throughout thedesign process we’ve had many chancesto play with lots of different gamers fromdifferent backgrounds and there are afew things we’ve found work well forteaching the game.

Pitch ItBefore you play you’ll likely be explain-ing the game to your new players (don’tjust spring it on them, that’s not cool).We call that the pitch: it’s explainingwhy you want to play Dungeon Worldand why you think they’ll like it.

First and most importantly: put it in yourown words. We can’t give you a scriptbecause the best way to get people excitedabout the game is to share your honestexcitement. There are, however, somethings you might want to touch on.

With first-time roleplayers it’s best to fo-cus on what roleplaying means in Dun-geon World. Tell them what they’ll bedoing (portraying a character) and whatyou’ll be doing (portraying the worldaround them). Mention the general con-ceit (adventurers and adventure). It’susually a good idea to mention the role ofthe rules too, how they’re there to drivethe action forward in interesting ways.

With folks who’ve played RPGs be-fore, especially those who’ve playedother fantasy adventure games, youcan focus more on what makes Dun-geon World different from other similargames. Ease-of-play, the way the rulesjust step in at the right times, and thefast pace are all things that experiencedroleplayers often appreciate.

No matter the audience, don’t just pitchDungeon World, pitch the game you’regoing to run. If this is going to be atrip into the city sewers, tell them thatright up front. If there’s an evil cult to bestopped that should be part of your de-scription. The interaction between you,the players, and the rules will create allkinds of interesting secrets later on, yourpitch should honestly portray the gameyou intend to run.

Present the ClassesOnce everybody’s on board for a gameof Dungeon World and you’ve sat downto play start by presenting the charactersheets. Give a short description of each,making sure to mention what each doesand their place in the world. You can alsoread out the descriptions for each class,those all include something about bothwhat the class does and how that fits intothe big picture.

If anybody has questions about the rules,answer them, but for now focus on de-

scribing what the classes do in plainterms. If someone asks about the fighterit’s more useful to tell them that thefighter has a signature weapon that’s oneof a kind then to go into detail about howthe Signature Weapon move works.

Create CharactersGo through the character creation rulesstep-by-step. The process of creatinga character is also a great introductionto the basic concepts: the players willencounter stats, moves, HP, and dam-age all in an order that makes sense.Don’t bother trying to front-load therules explanations. There aren’t reallyany wrong choices.

Each player will encounter the rulesthat are important to their class. TheFighter, for example, will see movesabout weapon ranges and piercing andask about them, explain them as needed.If the Fighter player doesn’t ask you whatpiercing is, don’t worry about it. They’rehappy to choose based on the fiction,which is all the stats and tags reflect any-way.

If your players are particularly worriedabout making their characters ’right’ justgive them the option of changing themlater. Trying to cover every rule and givethem all the context now will just slowthe game down. In particular, don’t goover the basic moves in detail yet. Leavethem out so that the players can readthem and ask questions, but don’t wastetime by explaining each. They’ll comeup as needed.

As the players introduce their charactersand start setting bonds move from an-swering questions to asking them. Askabout why they chose what they didand what that means for their character.Ask about details established by theirbonds. Let their choices establish theworld around them. Take special noteof anything that you think you mightbe able to make moves with (like an es-tranged teacher or a simmering war).

Start PlayStart play by concretely describing theworld around them. Keep it brief andevocative, use plenty of details, and endwith something that demands action.Then ask them what they do.

Ending with something that demandsaction is important. Don’t presume thatnew players will already know what theywant to do. Giving them somethingto react to right away means you getstraight to playing.

Especially for new players make surethat the action they’re thrown into issomething they have the tools to dealwith. A fight is a good choice, as is atense negotiation (which can easily be-

Guild Members Overview

117

come a fight). Keep it simple and let thecomplexity build.

Even in a fight keep to simple monsters:things that bleed, don’t have too mucharmor, and don’t have piercing. Givethem a chance to get used to their ar-mor and dealing damage before you startusing the exceptions to those rules, likepiercing and ignoring armor. Of courseif the fiction dictates ignoring armor orpiercing or a certain monster, use it, butdon’t lead with those.

For new players make liberal use of yourShow Signs of Doom move. New play-ers, or those used to a different typeof fantasy adventure, may have differ-ent assumptions about what’s lethal andwhen they’re in danger, so make sure toshow them danger clearly. Once they’vestarted to pick up on what’s dangerousyou can give them a little less warning.

If you’re GMing for the first time focus ona few moves: Show Signs of Doom, DealDamage, Put Someone in a Spot. Onlylook at your moves sheet if you’re prettysure none of those three apply. Even-tually you’ll build up familiarity withthe whole range of GM moves and us-ing them will seem like second nature.

Continuing PlayAfter an hour or two of play the playerswill likely have everything down. As afirst time GM you may take a bit longer topick up all your moves, maybe a sessionor two. Just roll with it.

If you find yourself struggling in the firstsession consider it a pilot, like the firstepisode of a TV show. Feel free to startover or retroactively change things. Ifa player decides that the Thief just isn’twhat they thought it was let them switchclasses (either remaking the same char-acter or introducing someone new). Ifyour first adventure wasn’t working toowell scrap it and start something new.

While Dungeon World works great forone-shots the longer cycles of levels andbonds don’t really kick in for a bit. Ifyour first one or two sessions go wellconsider scheduling out enough time for5–10 more. Knowing that you’re plan-ning to play that much longer gives yousome space to plan out your fronts andresolve them.

There isn’t always time for prep. Peo-ple aren’t entirely committed to agame—you just want to test it out oryou’ve got a four-hour slot at a con-vention that you want to fill and you’venever met the players before in yourlife. Maybe prep isn’t something youcare about or you think it’s more fun tojust take a map and run with it. Evenbetter, maybe you’ve got a favorite old-school adventure module and you’d loveto run through using the Dungeon World

rules. In this appendix, we’ll cover howto convert and adapt material from othergames into Dungeon World and give youthe same flexibility to run your favoriteadventures using the rules in this book.

OverviewThe first step in preparing an adventurefor use with Dungeon World is readingthrough that adventure, and through theDungeon World rules. For this book,you’ll want to be familiar with all the ba-sic rules, as well as familiar with the sec-tion on Fronts and on the GM principles.The former will be guiding you in adapt-ing the framework of the adventure andthe latter will help keep your mind goingin the right direction—so that gameplaystays true to the style and rules set outin this book. You’ll want to read throughthe module next, paying close attentionto the four following topics as you go.

• Maps• Monsters• Magic Items• NPCs and Organizations

Flip through the adventure, make somenotes as you go, but don’t feel you needto memorize the whole thing. Areas thatfocus particularly on statistics are likelyto end up ignored, and you’ll want toleave blanks in the adventure for you andthe players to discover as you go.

When you’ve finished, you’ll have abroad understanding about what the ad-venture is about—the power groups atplay in it, the special or cool monstersthe adventure contains, the threats anddangers that its cast present to the worldand the kinds of things the PCs might beinterested in. Set aside the adventure fornow, and refer to the Fronts section ofDungeon World. This is where the ma-jority of your work is going to take place.

FrontsThe core of any standard adventure, sce-nario or game session in Dungeon Worldflows outward from the Fronts to theplayers; the Fronts have their Impend-ing Dooms, the players react, and in thespace between, you play the game to findout what happens. The same is truewhen presenting a converted adventure.Reading through the module, you’ll havenoticed things—NPCs, places of interest,special monsters and organizations thatmight have an impact on the world orsome agenda to carry out. Depending onthe size of the adventure, there may bejust one or a few of these. Take a lookthrough the list of Front types and createone for each group.

I’m going to convert an old adventure I love;I’ve run it a dozen times in a bunch of dif-ferent systems and I think it’d be a blastto run my Dungeon World group through.I’ve given myself a quick read through to re-mind myself what the adventure is all about.In this case, there’s a town being menacedin secret by a wicked cult who worships asquamous reptile god. Sounds like fun! Theadventure has a secret dungeon, a corrupt re-ligious order, a bunch of smelly troglodytesand some very helpless adventurers. I’ve de-cided that the Fronts in this adventure areThe Cultists and The Troglodyte Clan

Now, I could make the sorcerous Naga thatlivesinthecavernsherownFront, ifIwantedto, or I could add in a Campaign Front forthe Reptile God itself, but I think I’ll onlybe running this game a few sessions, so I’mgoing to stay focused. The two Fronts I havework together in some ways, but are uniqueand operate independently, so I’ve separatedthem.

Create these Fronts like you would nor-mally, choosing dangers, impendingdooms, and grim portents. Ask one ortwo stakes questions but be sure to leaveyourself lots of room—that’s where youcan really tie in the characters. Nor-mally, you’d be pulling these thingsstraight out of the inspiration of yourbrain, but in this case, you’ve got themodule to guide you. Think about theFronts as themes, and the Dangers aselements from the pages of your mod-ule. Look at the kinds of things yourFronts are said to be doing in the adven-ture and how that might go if the PCswere never there to stop it. What’s theworst that could happen if the Frontswere able to run rampant? This kindof reading-between-the-lines will giveyou ammunition for making your hardmoves as you play through the adven-ture. This step is where you’ll turn thosestat-block NPCs into either full-fledgeddangers themselves, or members of theFront’s cast.

If there are any traps, curses or gen-eral effects in the adventure you’d like towrite custom moves for, do it now. A lotof old adventures will have elements thatcall for a “saving throw” to avoid somenoisome effect—these can often simplybe a cause for a Defy Danger roll, or canhave whole, separate custom moves ifnecessary. The key here is to capture theintent of the adventure—the spirit of thething—rather than translate some me-chanical element perfectly.

When you’re done, you’ll have a set ofFronts that cover the major threats anddangers the characters will face.

Monsters Guild Members

118

MonstersMost published adventures containedone or two unique monsters not seenanywhere else—custom creatures anddenizens of the deeps that could threatenplayers in some way they hadn’t encoun-tered before. Take a look through theadventure and make sure you’ve caughtthem all. Many monsters will alreadyhave statistics noted in Dungeon Worldand you can, if you’re happy with them,just make a note of what page they’re onin your Fronts and move on from there. Ifyou want to further customize the mon-sters, or need to create your own, use therules to do so. In this step, try to avoidthinking about “balancing” the monstersor concerning yourself too much withhow many HP a monster has or whetherits armor rating matches what you ex-pect. Think more about how the monsteris meant to participate in the adventure.Is it there to scare the pcs? Is it there tobar their way or pose a riddle? What isits purpose in the greater ecology of thedungeon or adventure at large? Trans-lating the spirit of the thing will alwaysgive you better, more engaging results. Ifthe monster has a cool power or neat trickyou want to write a custom move for, doso! Custom moves are what make Dun-geon World feel unique from group togroup, so take advantage of them whereyou can.

In my adventure, the monsters run thegamut. I’ve got a scary naga with somemind-controlling powers, an evil priest withdivine snake-god magic, a bunch of ruffiancultists, a dragon turtle and a few miscella-neous lizards, crocodiles and snakes. Mostof these I can pull from the Monster Settings,but I’ll create custom stats for the Naga andthe cultist leader, at least. I want them to feelnew and different and have some cool ideasfor how that might look. I use the monstercreation rules to put them together.

Direct ConversionIf you run across a monster that youhaven’t already created and which youdon’t know well enough to convert us-ing the monster creation rules you caninstead convert them directly.

Damage

If the monster’s damage is a single dicewith a bonus of up to +10 keep it as-is. Ifthe monster’s damage uses multiple diceof the same size roll the listed dice andtake the highest result. If the monsteruses multiple dice of different sizes rollonly the largest and take the highest re-sult.

HP

If the monster’s HP is listed as Hit Dice

take the maximum value of the first HDand add one for each additional hit dice.If the monster’s HP is listed as a numberwith no Hit Dice divide the HP by 4.

Armor

If the monster’s AC is average give it 1armor. If the monster’s AC is low, give it0 armor. If the monster’s AC is high giveit 2 armor, 3 armor for beasts that are allaboutdefense. If it’snearly invulnerable,4 armor. +1 armor if it’s defenses aremagical.

Moves and Instinct

Look at the special abilities or attackslisted for the monster, these form thebasis for its moves.

MapsOne of the biggest differences betweenDungeon World and many other fantasyRPGs is the concept of maps and map-ping. In many games, you’ll see a square-by-square map denoting precisely whatgoes where, often presented to give asmuch detail as possible and leave littleto the imagination save the descriptionof the location in question. DungeonWorld often leans the opposite direc-tion—maps marked with empty spaceand a one or two word description like“blades” or “scary.” To adapt an exist-ing adventure for use in Dungeon World,simply keep in mind your Principles andAgenda. Primarily, keep in mind thatas the GM, it’s your job to “draw maps,leave blanks” and to “ask questions anduse the answers.”

To that end, it’s often best to re-draw themap entirely, if you have time. Don’tcopy it inch-by-inch but redraw it free-hand, leaving spaces and drawing outnew rooms, if you’d like. Don’t stick tothe map exactly as written, but give your-self some creative license. The idea hereis to give yourself room to expand—toallow the players’ reaction to the adven-ture to surprise and inspire you. If you’vegot the whole map nailed down in ad-vance, there’s nowhere to go you don’talready know about, is there? Pick a fewrooms that don’t interest you and wipeout their inhabitants. Draw a new tunnelor two. This will give you some space toplay around once you get into the gameitself.

If you don’t have the time or inclinationto re-draw the map, don’t worry. Justtake the original map, make a few notesabout what might go where and leave therest blank. When the players go intothat room marked “4f” don’t look it up,just make a guess at what might be therebased on your notes and what else hasbeen happening. You’ll find a comfort-able balance between freely playing outwhat happens and consulting your prepas you go along.

The maps that come with my adventure area good mix of fun and cool and sort of bor-ing fluff. I’ll keep most of what the dun-geon describes under the city—the lair of thetroglodytes and the secret caves where thecaptive villagers are being kept—but I’m go-ing to throw away a lot of the stuff aboutthe village itself and just leave blank spaces.It’ll give me room to use the answers to ques-tions like “who do you already know, here?”and “who lives in the abandoned hut up theroad?” I’ve made some notes about wherethe map and my Fronts intersect, but mostlyI’ve just given myself room to explore.

Magic & TreasureTwo things that are, traditionally, a “bigdeal” in published modules are treasureand magic items. This is less relevantin Dungeon World (as the reward cy-cle for characters is more about “doing”than about “having”) but it’s still fun todrudge through a dungeon or explorelost ruins and come up with cool magicitems and piles of gold! Like the map,it’s useful to get an idea of the kinds ofstuff that might be found in the adven-ture—anything particularly called out inthe text as relevant to the adventure it-self (a magic sword that can be used towound the golem on level 4, or a pendantbelonging to the prince captured in room3) is particularly important. Like mon-sters, it’s better to look at magic items interms of what purpose they fulfill: whatthey’re “for” rather than the damage orarmor bonus they might give. DungeonWorld isn’t built on balancing treasureagainst character level, for example, sojust look through the adventure for itemsthat seem cool or fun or interesting andcreate new magic items (with custommoves as necessary) wherever you thinkit’s needed. This is possibly the easieststep of conversion. Again, you can leaveyourself exploratory room, here. Makenotes to yourself like “the wizard has amagic staff, what does it do?” and findthat out in play. Ask the players about it,see what they have to say. Let Spout Loredo some work for you. “You’ve heardthat the wizard here has a strange mag-ical staff. What rumors have you heardof its origins?”

Guild Members Introductory Moves

119

Introductory MovesThis step is entirely optional, but canbe really useful when running throughan adventure for a convention group orothergroupwhererunningthrough afull“first session” process just isn’t possible.You can take variables of the adventureand create “hooks” for that adventure,writing custom moves to be made aftercharacter creation but before play starts.These moves will serve to engage thecharacters in the fiction and give themsomething special to prepare them orhook them into what’s about to happen.You can write one for each class, or bun-dle them together, if you like. Here’s anexample:

Fighter, someone who loves you gave youa gift before you left for a life of adventure.Roll + CHA and tell us how much they loveyou. On a 10+ pick two heirlooms, on a 7-9pick one . On a miss, well, good intentionscount for something, right?

• a vial of antivenom• a shield that glows with silver light• arusted oldkey intheshape ofa lizard

These sorts of moves can give the playersthe sense that their characters are tied tothe situation at hand, and open the doorfor more lines of question-and-answerplay that can fill the game world with life.Think about the Fronts, the things theyendanger, the riches they might protectand their impact on the world. Let theseintro moves flow from that understand-ing, creating a great kick-start to the ad-venture.

Sometimes the players will come acrosssomeone who becomes important in themoment. When the ritual goes wrongand a poor captive gets the power cosmicwhat does that villager do with it? Whowere they?

When you need a quick NPC all you needis an instinct and some way to pursue it.We call that a Knack, it can be anythingfrom a skill to a title to a debt owed. Com-bine the two and you have an NPC whohas something they want and a way totry to get it, you’re ready to go.

100 Instincts

1. To avenge2. To spread the good word3. To reunite with a loved one4. To make money5. To make amends6. To explore a mysterious place7. To uncover a hidden truth8. To locate a lost thing9. To kill a hated foe10. To conquer a far-away land11. To cure an illness

12. To craft a masterwork13. To survive just one more day14. To earn affection15. To prove a point16. To be smarter, faster and stronger17. To heal an old wound18. To extinguish an evil forever19. To hide from a shameful fact20. To evangelise21. To spread suffering22. To prove worth23. To rise in rank24. To be praised25. To discover the truth26. To make good on a bet27. To get out of an obligation28. To convince someone to do their dirty

work29. To steal something valuable30. To overcome a bad habit31. To commit an atrocity32. To earn renown33. To accumulate power34. To save someone from a monstrosity35. To teach36. To settle down37. To get just one more haul38. To preserve the law39. To discover40.To devour41. To restore the family name42. To live a quiet life43. To help others44.To atone45. To prove their worth46. To gain honor47. To expand their land48. To gain a title49. To retreat from society50. To escape51. To party52. To return home53. To serve54. To reclaim what was taken55. To do what must be done56. To be a champion57. To avoid notice58. To help a family member59. To perfect a skill60. To travel61. To overcome a disadvantage62. To play the game63. To establish a dynasty64. To improve the realm65. To retire66. To recover a lost memory67. To battle68. To become a terror to criminals69. To raise dragons70. To live up to expectations71. To become someone else72. To do what can’t be done73. To be remembered in song74. To be forgotten75. To find true love76. To lose their mind77. To indulge78. To make the best of it79. To find the one80. To destroy an artifact81. To show them all

82. To bring about unending summer83. To fly84. To find the six-fingered man85. To wake the ancient sleepers86. To entertain87. To follow an order88. To die gloriously89. To be careful90. To show kindness91. To not screw it all up92. To uncover the past93. To go where no man has gone before94. To do good95. To become a beast96. To spill blood97. To live forever98. To hunt the most dangerous game99. To hate100.To run away

100 Knacks

1. Criminal connections2. Muscle3. Skill with a specific weapon4. Hedge wizardry5. Comprehensive local knowledge6. Noble blood7. A one-of-a-kind item8. Special destiny9. Unique perspective10. Hidden knowledge11. Magical awareness12. Abnormal parentage13. Political leverage14. A tie to a monster15. A secret16. True love17. An innocent heart18. A plan for the perfect crime19. A one-way ticket to paradise20. A mysterious ore21. Money, money, money22. Divine blessing23. Immunity from the law24. Prophecy25. Secret martial arts techniques26. A ring of power27. A much-needed bag of taters28. A heart29. A fortified position30. Lawmaking31. Tongues32. A discerning eye33. Endurance34. A safe place35. Visions36. A beautiful mind37. A clear voice38. Stunning looks39. A catchy tune40.Invention41. Baking42. Brewing43. Smelting44.Woodworking45. Writing46. Immunity to fire47. Cooking48. Storytelling

100 Knacks Guild Members

120

49. Ratcatching50. Lying51. Utter unremarkableness52. Mind-bending sexiness53. Undefinable coolness54. A way with knots55. Wheels of polished steel56. A magic carpet57. Endless ideas58. Persistence59. A stockpile of food60. A hidden path61. Piety62. Resistance to disease63. A library64. A silver tongue65. Bloodline66. An innate spell

67. Balance68. Souls69. Speed70. A sense of right and wrong71. Certainty72. An eye for detail73. Heroic self-sacrifice74. Sense of direction75. A big idea76. A hidden entrance to the city77. The love of someone powerful78. Unquestioning loyalty79. Exotic fruit80. Poison81. Perfect memory82. The language of birds83. A key to an important door84. Metalworking

85. Mysterious benefactors86. Steely nerves87. Bluffing88. A trained wolf89. A long-lost sibling, regained90. An arrow with your name on it91. A true name92. Luck93. The attention of supernatural powers94. Kindness95. Strange tattoos96. A majestic beard97. A book in a strange language98. Power overwhelming99. Delusions of grandeur100.The wind at his back and a spring in

his step

Index

121

53Index

1 71 Choose a Class 71st 18, 331st Level Spells 18, 332 72 Choose a Race 73 73 Choose a Name 73rd 18, 333rd Level Spells 18, 334 74 Choose Look 75 75 Choose Stats 75th 18, 335th Level Spells 18, 336 86 Figure Out Modifiers 87 88 88 Choose Starting Moves 87 Set Starting HP 87th 19, 347th Level Spells 19, 349 89 Choose Alignment 89th 19, 349th Level Spells 19, 3410 810 Choose Gear 811 811 Introduce Your Character

812 812 Choose Bonds 8100 119, 119100 Instincts 119100 Knacks 119(cabal) 52(cha) 12, 13, 23(choir 52(choose 67, 68(dark 52(from 35(int) 30(str) 20(wis) 25& 55, 118

aAdding Steadings 60Address 42Address the characters not

the players 42Adept 64Advanced 13, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29,

31Advanced Moves 13, 16, 21,

24, 26, 29, 31Advancement 6, 55Adventure 47, 48, 51, 111Adventure Moves 111Aegis 24After Death 54Agenda 41, 113Agenda Principles and GM

Moves 113Aid 9, 16, 16, 63, 96Aid or Interfere 9, 96Aim 29Alchemist 29

Alignment 8, 12, 16, 21, 24, 26,28, 30, 55, 56

ALittleHelpFromMyFriends13

Ally 27Always Say 41Ambitious 49, 49AmbitiousOrganizations 49An Ear For Magic 13An Ear for Magic 100An Example Front The Open-

ing of the White Gate 52Angels) 52Animal 25Animal Companion 25Animate 102Animate Dead 102Anointed 16Answers 42A Port in the Storm 12Apply) 67, 68Arcane 12, 31, 31, 49, 49Arcane Armor 31Arcane Art (Cha) 12Arcane Enemies 49Arcane Ward 31Arcanists 52Argent 52Arm 29Armor 17, 21, 31, 36, 103, 118Armored 20, 21, 23Armored Perfection 21Armor Mastery 21, 103Art 12A Safe Place 26A Safer Place 26Ask questions 47Ask questions and use the an-

swers 42Attack 68Augmentation 32Authority 24, 24

bBackstab 28, 106Backtrack 45Bamboozle 13Bard 1, 12, 100Bardic 12, 100Bardic Lore 12, 100Bard Moves 100Bars 20Basic 9Basic Moves 9Basics 41, 112Be a fan of the characters 42Begin and end with the fiction

42Belly 26Bend 20Bend Bars Lift Gates (Str) 20Big 67Blacksmith 21Blanks 42, 47Blast 13Block 14Blood 21, 21, 53Blood and Guts 53Bloodthirsty 21Bloody 24Bloody Aegis 24

Blot 26Blot out the Sun 26Bolster 11, 60Bonds 8, 13, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29,

31, 55, 55, 55, 55Breath 10, 97Brewer 29Bribes 37Buildings 37

cCacophony 13Called 25Called Shot 25Camouflage 26Camp 10, 97Campaign 48, 62, 62CampaignandAdventureFronts

48Cantrips 33Capture 63Carouse 10, 59, 97Cast 15, 30, 50, 52Cast a Spell 15Cast a Spell (Int) 30Cautious 29, 29Cavern 68, 70Cavern Dwellers 68, 70Challenge 45Chance 47Change 44Change the environment 44Changing Alignment 56Changing the Basics 112Chaotic 13, 26, 28, 56Character 7, 8, 47Character Creation 7Characters 42, 42, 45, 116Charge 24Charming and Open 12, 100Cheap 29Cheap Shot 29Choose 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8,

113Choosing a Move 43Chord 13Chorus 13Chosen 16Chosen One 16City 62Clash 63Class 7, 110Classes 110, 110, 116Class Moves 110Cleric 1, 15, 18, 101, 102Cleric Spells 18, 102Closest 35Collapse 62College 52Command 25, 105Common 68Commune 15, 101Companion 25Compendium 110Compendium Classes 110Con 14Connections 29Consequences 44Continuing Play 117Contributors 115Conversion 118

Index

122

Cost 44Costs 64Counter 31Counterspell 31Create 116Create Characters 116Creating Dangers 48Creating Fronts 48Creating the world 59Creation 7Creature 44, 44Creatures 53Cursed 50, 50Cursed Places 50Custom 50, 52Custom Moves 50, 52

dDabbler 13, 17, 21, 99Damage 5, 44, 53, 53, 54, 118Damage and HP 5Damage From Multiple Crea-

tures 53Danger 9, 43, 94Dangerous 42Dangers 48, 49, 52Dark 69Dead 102Deal 44Deal damage 44Death 16, 54, 54Death’s 21Debilities 54Defend 9, 94Defender 24, 24Defense 30, 67Defenses 61Defy 9, 94Defy Danger 9, 94Deity 15Denizens 69, 73Denizens of the Swamp 69Depths 69, 87Describe 47, 68Description 50, 52Description and Cast 50, 52Detail 93, 98Details 47Development 112Development of a Move 112Devious 13Devoted 16Devoted Healer 16Dice 3Direct 118Direct Conversion 118Dirty 29Dirty Fighter 29Discern 9, 95Discern Realities 9, 95Disguise 29, 106Dispel 108Dispel Magic 108Divine 15, 16, 16, 16, 17, 24, 24,

24Divine Armor 17Divine Authority 24Divine Favor 24Divine Guidance 15Divine Intervention 16Divine Invincibility 16

Divine Protection 16, 24Doom 43, 51Draw 42Draw maps leave blanks 42Duelist’s 13, 14Duelist’s Block 14Duelist’s Parry 13Dungeon 1, 36, 44Dungeon Gear 36Dungeon Moves 44Dungeon World 1Dwarf 15, 20Dwellers 68, 70

eEar 13, 100Effect 111Eldritch 13, 13Eldritch Chord 13Eldritch Tones 13Elements 60, 66Elements of a Monster 66Elements of a Steading 60Eleven 13, 100Elf 12, 20, 25, 30Embattled 63Embrace 42Embrace the fantastic 42Empathy 26Empower 16, 17Empowered 31, 31, 107Empowered Magic 31, 107Enchanter 31Enchanter’s 31Enchanter’s Soul 31Encumbrance 10, 97End of Session 10Enemies 49, 49Envenom 29Environment 44Equipment 5, 35Escape 29Escape Route 29Establish 47Establish details describe 47Ethereal 31Ethereal Tether 31Evasion 29Ever Onward 24Evidence 24, 104Evidence of Faith 24, 104Evil 16, 21, 21, 29, 31, 56, 113Evil Eye 21Example 57Expanded 31Expanded Spellbook 31Experiments 69, 85Expert 28, 65Exterminatus 24Extremely 29Extremely Cautious 29Eye 21, 22Eye for Weaponry 22Eyes 21

fFace 13Faction 44, 44Facts 47Faith 24, 104Familiar 26

Familiar Prey 26Fan 42Fangs 26Fantastic 42Favor 24Fiction 42Fight 67, 113Fighter 1, 20, 29, 103Fighter Moves 103Figure 8Finery 37Fireball 108First Aid 16First Session 46Flexible 28Flexible Morals 28Flow 4Folk 91Folk of the Realm 91Follow 26Follow Me 26Forces 49, 49Form 68Fount 31Fount of Knowledge 31Friend’ 26Friends 13Front 51, 52Fronts 48, 48, 48, 48, 51, 62, 117Fronts on the Campaign Map

62Furthest) 35

gGate 52, 52Gates 20Gear 8, 13, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29, 31,

36Getting Started 46Gifts 37Gifts and Finery 37Give 42, 47, 47Give each character a chance

to shine 47Give every monster life 42Glossary 35Gm 41, 49, 49, 49, 50, 50, 113GM Moves for Ambitious Or-

ganizations 49GM Moves for Arcane Ene-

mies 49GM Moves for Cursed Places

50GM Moves for Hordes 50GM Moves for Planar Forces

49Gnarled 79Gnarled Woods 79God 26God Amidst the Wastes 26Good 12, 16, 21, 24, 26, 30, 56Greater 16, 17, 31Greater Empower 17Greater Empowered Magic

31Greater First Aid 16Grim 50, 52, 52, 52Grim Portents 50, 52, 52, 52Growth 62Guidance 15, 16, 102Guild 116

Guild Members 116Guts 53

hHack 9, 93Hack and Slash 9, 93Half-Elven 26Half-elven 26Halfling 20, 28Hands 23Healer 16Healing 54Healing Chorus 13Healing Song 13Heirloom 21, 103Heist 29Help the players understand

the moves 47Hide 21, 21Highly 31Highly Logical 31Hirelings 64, 64, 64Hoards 37Holy 24, 24Holy Protection 24Holy Smite 24Hordes 50, 50, 69, 82Hospitaller 24, 24How big is it 67How does it usually hunt or

fight 67, 113HP 53, 118Hp 5, 8, 53, 118Human 12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28,

30Hunt 25, 67, 113Hunt and Track (Wis) 25Hunter’s 26Hunter’s Prey 26Hurlant 13

iI Am the Law 23Impending Doom 51Impervious 24Impervious Defender 24Important 67Improved 21Improved Weapon 21Indivisible 4Indomitable 24Initiate 13, 21, 99Instinct 118Instincts 119Interfere 9, 96Interrogator 21Intervention 16Introduce 8, 44, 47Introduce a new faction or

type of creature 44Introduce NPCs 47Introductory 119Introductory Moves 119Invigorate 16Invincibility 16Iron 21Iron Hide 21Items 38It Goes To Eleven 13, 100

Index

123

jJourney 10, 97

kKnacks 119Knight 24Know-It-All 31Know-it-all 31Knowledge 31

lLand 37Land and Buildings 37Last Breath 10, 97Law 23Lawful 16, 24, 56Lay 23Lay on Hands (Cha) 23Leave 42, 47Leave blanks 47Legions 69, 76Legions of the Undead 69, 76Level 10, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19, 33,

33, 33, 34, 34, 55Level Up 10, 55Life 16, 42Lift 20Location 43Logical 31, 31Look 12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30Look for interesting facts 47Lore 9, 12, 95, 100Lower Depths 87

mMagic 13, 31, 31, 38, 100, 102,

107, 108, 118Magic & Treasure 118Magic Items 38Magic Weapon 102Make a move that follows 42Make Camp 10, 97Make them backtrack 45Making a City 62Making a Hireling 64Making a Keep 62Making a Town 62Making a Village 61Making Monsters 67Making Moves 109Making your Move 43Man’s 26Man’s Best Friend’ 26Map 62, 62Maps 42, 118Martyr 16Master 14, 29, 31, 99Mastery 21, 103Meals 36Members 116Merciless 21Metal 13Metal Hurlant 13Minstrel 65Modifiers 8Monster 42, 43, 66, 67, 68,

108, 113Monsters 66, 66, 67, 67, 113,

118Monster Settings 68Monsters Without Stats 67

Monster Tags 67Morals 28Move 42, 42, 43, 43, 43, 43, 111,

112Moves 4, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15,

16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28,29, 30, 31, 43, 44, 47, 49, 49,49, 50, 50, 50, 52, 59, 93, 97,98, 99, 100, 103, 104, 105, 106,107, 109, 109, 109, 110, 111, 113,118, 119

Moves and Instinct 118Moves Are Indivisible 4Moves in Detail 93, 98Move Structure 111Multiclass 13, 13, 14, 17, 21, 21,

99, 99, 99, 99Multiclass Dabbler 13, 17, 21,

99Multiclass Initiate 13, 21, 99Multiclass Master 14, 99Multiclass Moves 99Multiple 51, 53Multiple Adventure Fronts

51Mystical 32Mystical Puppet Strings 32

nName every person 42Names 12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30,

61Neutral 12, 21, 26, 28, 30, 56Never speak the name of your

move 42New Classes 110Npcs 47

oObservant 27Offer 44Offer an opportunity with or

without cost 44Offscreen 43Onward 24Open 12, 100Opportunity 44, 63Order 64Order Hirelings 64Organization 67Organizations 49, 49Organization Tags 67Orison 16Orison for Guidance 16Other Tags 61Other Updates 63OutstandingWarrants 11, 60,

97Overview 117

pPaladin 1, 23, 104Paladin Moves 104Parley 9, 95Parry 13Penitent 16Perfect 24, 24Perfect Hospitaller 24Perfection 21Perfect Knight 24Perilous 10, 97

Person 42Pitch 116Pitch It 116Place 26, 26Places 50, 50Planar 49, 49, 69, 89Planar Forces 49Planar Powers 69, 89Play 4, 116, 117Players 42, 47Point 44Points 109Point to a looming threat 44Poison 29Poisoner 28, 106Poison Master 29Poisons 36Polymorph 108Population 61Port 12Portal) 52Portents 50, 52, 52, 52Powers 69, 89Prep 46Prepare 30, 107Prepare Spells 30, 107Present 45, 45, 116Present a challenge to one of

the characters 45Present riches at a price 45Present the Classes 116Prey 26, 26Price 45Priest 65Principles 42, 113Problems 67Prodigy 31Profit 63Prosperity 61Protection 16, 24, 24Protective 31Protective Counter 31Protector 65Providence 16Puppet 32Put 44Put someone in a spot 44

qQuest 23Questions 42, 47Quick 31Quick Study 31

rRace 7Range 35Ranger 1, 25, 105Ranger Moves 105Range Tags (From Closest to

Furthest) 35Ravenous 69, 82Ravenous Hordes 69, 82Realities 9, 95Realm 91Reaper 16Recover 11, 60Recruit 11, 60Red 21Reflect 113Replaces 55

Reputation 13Reputation (Cha) 13Requirements 44Requires 55Requires & Replaces 55Resolving a Front 51Resolving Bonds 55Resources 44Results 4Reveal 43Reveal an unwelcome truth

43Riches 45Ritual 30Rolls 4Rolls and Results 4Rotes 18Route 29

sSafe 26Safer 26Scales 16Scent 21Scent of Blood 21Seeing Red 21Self-Powered 32Self-powered 32Seraphim 52Serenity 16Serious Underdog 29Services 36Session 10, 46Sessions 6Set 8Settings 68Setting Up 3Setup 24Setup Strike 24Shine 47Shoot 29Shoot First 29Shot 25, 29Show 43Show signs of doom 43Signature 20, 103Signature Weapon 20, 103Signs 43Size 67Size Tags 67Skills 64Slash 9, 93Smaug’s 26Smaug’s Belly 26Smite 24, 24, 24Song 13Soul 31Speak 42Special 10, 27, 97, 114Special Moves 10, 97Special Thanks 114Special Trick 27Speech 26Spell 15, 30, 30, 32Spell Augmentation 32Spellbook 30, 31Spell Defense 30Spells 18, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19, 30,

33, 33, 33, 33, 34, 34, 102, 107,108

Spot 44

Index

124

Spout 9, 95Spout Lore 9, 95Stakes 51, 52Start 116Started 46Starting Moves 12, 15, 20, 23,

25, 28, 30Starting Points 109Start Play 116Stats 5, 7, 12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28,

30, 67Staunch 24Staunch Defender 24Steading Moves 59Steading Names 61Steadings 59, 60Steading Tags 61Steel 21Steel Hide 21Storm 12Strider 26Strike 24, 24, 26Strings 32Strong 29Strong Arm True Aim 29Structure 111Study 31Stun 54Stun Damage 54Summon 108Summon Monster 108Sun 26Superior 22Superior Warrior 22Supply 10, 59Surplus 63Swamp 69, 73Swamp Denizens 73

tTag 35Tag Glossary 35Tags 35, 61, 61, 67, 67, 67Take Watch 10Tandem 24Tandem Strike 24Taste 21, 29, 106Taste of Blood 21Tell them the requirements or

consequences and ask 44Terminology 5Tether 31The Argent Seraphim (Choir

of Angels) 52The Bard 1, 12The Basics 41The Cleric 1, 15The College of Arcanists (Ca-

bal) 52The Dark Woods 69The Fighter 1, 20The First Adventure 47The Flow of Play 4The GM 41The Lower Depths 69The monster is Evil through

and through Choose one toreflect why it’s evil 113

The Paladin 1, 23The Ranger 1, 25The Scales of Life and Death

16The Thief 1, 28The White Gate (Dark Portal)

52The Wizard 2, 30The world 59Thief 1, 28, 106Thief Moves 106Think Dangerous 42Think offscreen too 43Threat 44, 44Through Death’s Eyes 21Tones 13Town 62Track 25Tracker 65Trade 28, 63Trained 26Transport 36Trap 28Trap Expert 28Treasure 68, 118Trick 27Tricks 28Tricks of the Trade 28Triggers 111True 29Truth 43Turn 15Turn Undead 15Twisted 69, 85Twisted Experiments 69, 85Type 44, 44Types 49, 109Types of Dangers 49Types of Moves 109

uUndead 15, 69, 76Underdog 29, 29Understand 47Undertake 10, 97Undertake a Perilous Journey

10, 97Unforgettable 13Unforgettable Face 13Unnatural 27Unnatural Ally 27Unwelcome 43Updates 63Updating the Campaign Map

62Use a monster danger or loca-

tion move 43Use a threat from an existing

faction or type of creature44

Use up their resources 44Use what they give you 47Using Dice 3Using Monsters 66

vVicious 13, 13, 16Vicious Blast 13Vicious Cacophony 13Village 61Viper’s 26, 26Viper’s Fangs 26Viper’s Strike 26Voice 24

Voice of Authority 24Volley 9, 93

wWant 63Ward 31Warrants 11, 60, 97Warrior 22, 65Wastes 26Watch 10Wealth 29, 106Wealth and Taste 29, 106Weapon 20, 21, 102, 103Weaponry 22Weapons 35Well Trained 26What does it want that causes

problems for others 67What is it known for (Choose

all that apply) 67What is it known to do 67What is its most common

form of attack 68What is its most important

defense 67When to Make a Move 43Which of these describe it

(Choose all that apply) 68White 52, 52Why 6Wild 26, 26Wild Empathy 26Wild Speech 26Wizard 2, 30, 33, 107, 108Wizard Moves 107Wizard Spells 33, 108Woods 69, 79World 1, 59, 59, 109World Moves 109Writing New Bonds 55

Date post:	24-Jan-2021
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	13 times
Download:	1 times

Dungeon The Bard World World (PbtA) [multi... · 2020. 10. 29. · Dungeon World The Bard 1 1...

Documents