So guys, gals, and folks of non-binary gender persuasions I've been looking for feedback on a custom class I've been developing for a player who was utterly in love with the Binder class from 3.5 and who is interested in joining a DW game that I may be starting up in the near future.

My inspirations for the DW Binder are a combination of the Goetic rites you see in the Lesser Key of Solomon, the freaky unnatural spirits detailed in 3.5's treatment of Binders, a dash of lovecraft, and then a general seasoning of "caller up of dark and dangerous entities". Distinct from the wizard in that the Binder's power is very much externalized, and distinct from the Warlock in that the Binder gains power from control, whereas the Warlock gains power from surrender.

Let me know what you think. Of the moves, of the class in general, of it's power level compared to the other classes, how fun it seems it'd be to play, and it's thematic consistency. Also, if anyone wishes to assist me in writing a pithy introductory paragraph for the Binder, that would be most appreciated.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B97VUsWnBKEtMUd2d2F1TDU4QzQ/edit?usp=sharing

Let's see them: the weird, the wacky, the grim, the gritty. The special edge-cases and trimmings that make your Monster of the Week verse different from any other MC. I'll start the fun off with a special Move that I pulled out after my group's Archeresque Professional "accidentally" let a mighty soul-devouring demon out of the tome it had been imprisoned in since the fall of Atlantis, bringing forth a gate directly to hell and a horde of minor demons loose to plague the world of man in addition to unleashing one bad mother fucker of a fiend.

In short, he and Alucard, the grim and dutiful Half-Vampire Monstrous decided that the best course of action in the face of massive destruction and chaos was to warn the vampire's lover via text message and use an Atlantean artifact they had stolen from a secret society to travel back in time to the day before Atlantis was cast into the depths by the force of horrific Lovecraftian entities unleashed by the magi's hubris.

That was when I pulled out this gem, which I'm quite proud of:

When you do something crazy in the past that might fuck about with the future roll +Weird

On a 10+ it's all good. What changes occur in the present or the timeline will be largely positive or minor (your choice).

On a 7-9 it's a problem. Something significant and problematic is changed in the present or the timeline, but it's possible to fix it or mitigate it's effects.

On a 6- it's a big freaking deal. The repercussions will probably be ugly.

Here's another one, after the Dhampir returned home to his lover, horribly wounded and trembling with barely repressed bloodthirst (incurred on a 7-9 result to hold back from chewing on the professional)

Alucard,

Ah. Elena is delicious is she not? Perhaps a little bit too delicious, especially with you as hungry and savage as you are right now. We know it's going to be bad, but let's see how bad. Roll +Cool for me pretty please.

On a 10+ you stop yourself before you go over the brink and irrevocably harm the woman you love. She'll be weak and need help doing even basic things for several months, but she'll recover with time and care. You're rich, so you can afford the physical therapy and such...but do you really want to leave her alone in the state she's in?

On a 7-9 it's as the above, and you feel yourself taken by an entirely different type of hunger. She gives herself to you in the midst of the Kiss as she has so many times before. But she's never done so while you've carried so much of her blood inside her. Expect the arrival of a little stranger...sooner rather than later. (The player himself suggested this after he established that Half-Vampires in this setting are infertile and are unknown to produce viable offspring).

On a 6- you come to covered in her blood, her life ebbing away as she lies at your feet. You have but a few minutes before she passes on...far too little time for conventional medicine to save her this far from a hospital. But I hear that demon you know...Bathsheba was it? Yeah, she's always willing to help out. Or you know, perhaps you have a different idea. Whatever it is though, you better act on it quickly. She doesn't have much time left.

And finally, here's a move I busted out when the Professional (on suspension for an investigation into his potentially negligent behavior) snuck into his Agency's facilities and tried to steal back his weapons (and more) for an unauthorized dragon hunt.

When you try to steal equipment from the Agency name a few things that you want and roll +Sharp

On a 10+ you've got them, and get out without anyone noticing anything untoward.

On a 7-9 you've got them, but there's a problem. You're followed by Agency officers, or else you just so happened to take the supplies or weapons with tracking chips imbedded in them.

On a 6- you're caught red handed. Hope you have an explanation.

I look forward to hearing all of the crazy custom moves you've used in your games to give your MOTW verse it's special flair!

Bonds
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one

___________ has lived a blessed life, with every advantage. I can't help but envy them.

___________ is doomed, but doesn't know it yet. I will do what I can for them

___________ is intrigued by my powers, not understanding their price.

___________ believes their talents to be more potent than mine. I'll relish the chance to prove them wrong.

Gear
Your load is 9+Str. You start with Leather Armor (1 Armor 1 Weight) or Patchwork Armor (1 Armor 1 Weight), and dungeon rations (5 uses 1 Weight) and 15 coins. Choose Your Arms:

Scimitar (Hand 1 Weight)
Longsword (Hand 1 Weight)

Then choose one:

Shield (+1 Armor 1 Weight)
Healing Potion (0 Weight)
Dark Memento (0 Weight, anyone who carries this or has it nearby them can be targeted by your Aura of Misfortune even if you can't see them)

Advanced Moves
When you gain a level from 2-5 choose one of these moves:

Rambler, Gambler, Nightrider
Choose one Move from the Warlock, Fighter, or Thief lists. You're treated as one level lower for purposes of that move.

Fiasco
When you're near a crowd of NPCs and need a diversion or escape route describe the chain of events that will make things go horribly wrong. If you do, the crowd will immediately turn to one of the following (your choice):

Backstabbing and Infighting
Rioting and Looting
Confusion and Utter Panic
Vigilante Action

Then Roll +Int
On a 10+ the mob will ignore you and your allies completely, allowing you and your companions to take advantage of the chaos.
On a 7-9 some of the mob's fear, rage, or avarice will be focused on you and your companions, but just the fringes.
On a 6- things go wildly out of control and you gain 1 Misfortune.

Dwarven Roulette
When you charge blindly into danger, trusting only in Lady Luck to save you, gain +1 Ongoing until you wise up and gain 1 Misfortune.

Grim Foreboding
When you harry someone and terrify them with omens of their coming doom you deal +1d4 damage against them in combat and gain +1 Armor against them until they're able to best you definitively, and prove you to be a mortal and not a nightmare.

Dark One's Own Luck:
When you need something material, spend 1 Misfortune to acquire it through a grim twist of fate. Then the GM will choose one of the following:

The previous owner of the item knows who has it now, and has a general impression of where you are.
The object is broken (but reparable) or cursed.
Your powers made people suffer and die for the item in an obvious and unnatural way. Their allies will be looking for payback.

When you gain a level from 6-10 choose one of these moves:


Bad Things Happen To Other People
When you Defy Danger, on a 12+ the danger becomes redirected at someone else nearby instead of you (your choice). If you choose an innocent bystander or an ally you gain 1 Misfortune.

Fate's Not Done Toying With Me
When you take your last breath on a 7-9 someone close to you (not another player character) will die a horrible death in your stead, and you return to life with the memory of their final moments seared on your mind.



Double or Nothing:
When you get a 6- or lower on a roll ask the GM to raise the stakes and he'll tell you what horrible thing could happen if you tempt fate. If you're still game, spend 1 Misfortune and re-roll the dice.

If you get at least a 7 whew that was close. Use that result in place of your original roll.  Then take -1 Ongoing to Double or Nothing re-rolls until you Make Camp.

If you get 6-, then the horrible fate the GM mentioned comes to pass, in addition to what would have happened anyway had you not used this Move. You then gain 1 Misfortune.

I'll be writing up more advanced moves as I think of them. Let me know what you think of them thus far, and if you have any ideas for other potential Moves for the Hexblade. My eventual goal is to get this published as a PDF for sale, ala the Warlock, Shaman etc. Thank you everyone who's posted their encouragement and options! It's really flattering to get such a warm reception from a community that I've admired for so long, but am now just starting to post in.

When your ma died in a freak accident, it was a tragedy. When lightning from a clear blue sky burnt your house to the ground, it was a farce. When the only dragon in 1,000 miles decided to raze your village to the ground on a lark, you knew yourself to be cursed.

But you've a survivor-you've had to be, and you'll be damned if you let a little bad luck stop you. You've turned it into a weapon, striking down your enemies with inexplicable accidents and curses that make them beg for death. And for the foes who have nothing left to lose, the ones who don't care if their lives come crashing down around them? A nice sharp blade to the gut will do the trick. You're nothing if not practical.

Let mages theorize about disruptions in the laws of probability, let the shamans speak about disruptions in the balance, and the priests prattle on about the infinite wisdom of divine providence. You know a deeper truth: real capital-H Heroes don't make their own luck. They take it.

Names
An Ominous Name, a Sinister Name, an Everyday Name, an Unlikely Name

Look[/b]
Choose One For Each

Tired Eyes, Jaded Eyes, Mocking Eyes, Dangerous Eyes

Ruffled Hair, Shaved Head, Unnaturally Colored Hair, Not a Hair out of Place

Patchwork Clothes, Damaged Clothes, Clothes from a victim of misfortune

Scarred Body, Well-Traveled Body, Worn Body, Fit Body

Stats

Your Maximum HP is 8+Constitution

Your base Damage is d8

Starting Moves
Choose a race and gain the corresponding Move:

Human:
Despite the baleful coincidences that surround you, people are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. When your powers cause trouble in a civilized area, the authorities won't catch on that you're the source of the problem for at least a couple of days, no matter how obvious the link

Tiefling:
The wrath of a scion of the hells is legendary. When you Parley, you may always use "Not cursing you with a fate worse than death" as leverage.

Half-Elf:
Your keen senses and your powers leave you constantly prepared for the worse. When you discern realities you may ask the GM "What would it take for things to go horribly wrong here?"

Aura of Misfortune
After each time you make camp, you lose any Misfortune you previously held and gain 3 Misfortune. Whenever an ally within rolls a 6 or lower or the GM Advances a Threat Countdown you gain 1 Misfortune. You may spend one point of Misfortune to do any of the following:

• Inflict a horrific accident on someone you can see. Inflict your class damage on the target with the following tags: Far/Close, Messy, Piercing 2, Dangerous.
• Make a foe share your ill-luck. When you suffer a negative consequence from rolling a 7-9, or a 6- you force your foe to suffer the same consequences that you do. Describe how Fickle Fortune conspires to bring the same ruin to your foe that she's brought to you.
• Find yourself exactly where you need to be to inflict the most chaos upon your foes.

Hex
When you pronounce a fate worse than death on someone who has wronged you roll +Cha.

On a 10+, it happens to them just as you said, and soon.

On a 7-9 it happens but choose one:

• Their ill-fate is slow in coming, and they're coming for you.
• Your curse strikes someone you did not intend for it to affect, as well

On a 6- your baleful influence runs wild.
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Bad News
You qualify for the Outstanding Warrants move in any civilized area where you have spent more than a few days. If you try to Recruit in such a settlement, you automatically succeed as if you rolled a 10+ but anyone who shows up interested in working for you is a desperate sort with nothing left to lose.

Blade of Ill Omen
When you attack an opponent facing horrible odds or unusual misfortune either inflict your damage, or roll +Cha
On a 10+ choose 2, on a 7-9 choose 1.

• You gain 1 Misfortune
• The wound you inflict will never heal
• Wherever your opponent flees, so long as you follow you'll always be right behind them.

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Alignment
Choose an Alignment:

Good: When you punish evil with an ironic twist of fate.

Neutral: When you sacrifice  to keep someone or something you care about from being harmed by your powers.

Evil: When you ruin someone because of a perceived slight.

Chaotic:When you turn a crisis to your own advantage.

There's what I have thus far. It's a conversion of the old 3.5 class from the Complete Warrior that I always thought was dripping with potential, but that was saddled with weak mechanics that did nothing to evoke the concept of "A walking nexus of bad juju". Let me know if I've hit on something interesting, and I'll come up with Gear, Bonds, and Advanced Moves.

Hope to hear from you soon.