Just started working on a hack inspired by the Silmarillion. I'm just at the beginning stages. The game will largely be based on massive world-affecting stories, tragedy, and cultural conflicts. Anyone who cares to comment on the stuff below and give me suggestions and ideas is very welcome to do so. The advanced moves, yet to come, will concentrate more on stuff like resisting the shadow, drawing inspiration from nature, achieving pyrrhic victories, and so on.

Attributes (based on a scale of -3 to +3)

Craft: your ability create items of artistry, worth, and sometimes power
Fairness: the beauty of your soul, body, and voice
Heroism: your ability to act with boldness, courage, and gallantry, and gain renown
Lore: your ability to uncover secrets and reveal knowledge
Lineage: the importance of your ancestry and the power of your presence
Race: the measure of how closely you conform to the potential of your race
Sacrifice: your ability to rescue others from calamity at the expense of your own safety

Basic Moves

Rescue (basic)
When you act to save someone at great personal risk, roll + Sacrifice
10+ You prevent harm from coming to the person you are trying to save. Choose one from the list below.
7-9 You prevent harm from coming to the person you are trying to save. Choose two from the list below.
• you take damage intended for the person you saved
• you break a personal item of great worth to you
• you switch places with the person you are trying to save
• you harm the person you are trying to save, such as pulling the person's arm out of its socket, knocking him unconscious, or dealing 1d4 damage.

Battle (basic)
When you attack a foe using a melee weapon, roll +Heroism.
10+ Deal damage to the foe. Add 1d6 to the roll if you open yourself to attack and take damage from the foe.
7-9 Deal damage to the foe but, in turn, the foe attacks you.

Let Fly (basic)
When you attack a foe with a missile weapon, roll +Heroism.
10+ You hit your foe and deal damage to it.
7-9 You hit your foe and deal damage to it, however, you must pick one below.
• You must take several shots. Reduce your ammo by one.
• You expose yourself to attack from a foe bearing a missile weapon.
• You break your bowstring
• You accidentally throw your sling
• Your spear/javelin becomes lodged in the floor, wall, or tree, and cannot be retrieved until the battle is ended.

Reveal Truths (basic)
When you investigate a scene or individual, roll + Lore
10+ Ask the GM three questions from the list below.
7-9 Ask the GM one question from the list below.
• What is hidden here?
• What happened here?
• How dangerous is the situation?
•*Is this person hiding something?
• How does this person regard us?
• What will happen if I do X, where X is an act described by the player.

Act of Beauty (basic)
When you perform a dance or sing, roll + Fairness
10+ You perform an act of beauty.. Choose two from the list below.
7-9 You perform an act of beauty. Choose one from the list below.
• Your audience is pleased, and will grant you one request, including paying you double your asking price.
• Your performance is worthy of renown. Your services will be in demand in the area.
• You captivate an NPC, who becomes a follower of yours while you remain in the area.

Forge (basic)
When you take weeks to create an item by your own hands, roll + Craft
10+ You create the item you designed. Choose two from the list below.
7-9 You create the item you designed. Choose one from the list below.
• The item you create is of great value, being worth twice what a normal piece would sell for
•*

Entreat (basic)
When you engage in social interaction, roll + Lineage
10+ You are able to leverage the person to do what you are asking.
7-9 You are able to strike a bargain with the NPC, but his price is as exacting as yours. Choose one below.
• You must pay an immediate price, either in coin, service, or an item.
• You owe the NPC an undetermined favor, which will be called on at an undetermined time.
• If the favor given by the NPC is a trick, your life will be forfeit if you are ever captured.

Beat the Odds (basic)
If you attempt an exciting act not described by another move, roll + Heroism
10+ You accomplish what you set out to do.
7-9 You accomplish what you set out to do, but suffer a side effect. Choose one below.
•*You break a personal item.
• You injure yourself.
• You find yourself in a compromising position.
• You give away a secret.
• You injure an ally.
• You break a feature of the scene, such as a valuable vase or religious icon.

Advanced Moves

Pyrrhic Victory (advanced)
Roll + Sacrifice
10+
7-9

Resist the Shadow (advanced)
Roll +Heroism
10+
7-9

Inspired by Nature (advanced)
Roll + Fairness
10+
7-9

Defy Authority (advanced)
Roll + Lineage
10+
7-9

Prophecy (advanced)

Curse (advanced)


Elf
You may use your rank in elf as a substitute for the attribute associated with any two these moves:
Battle (high elf), Let Fly (wood elf), forge (high elf), act of beauty (wood elf), inspired by nature (wood elf), Beat the odds (mariner stuff - high elf, survival stuff - wood elf), Beat the odds (athletic stunts), reveal truths (wood elf - woodlands), Defy Authority (high elf)

Dwarf
You may use your rank in dwarf as a substitute for the attribute associated with any two these moves:
Battle, act of beauty (craft), Beat the odds (actions underground), resist the shadow, reveal truths (underground)

Human
You may use your rank in human as a substitute for the attribute associated with any two these moves: Beat the odds (when reduced in health), reveal truths (reading other people), Defy authority, Entreat, Rescue

Declaring the details of the races is part of the game as per the questions the GM asks to the players since the start of the game—IF it's something everyone cares about.

Ah, I see. I would suggest this aspect of the rules be addressed earlier in the manual. As it is, character creation really doesn't address race at all. Classes are wonderfully evocative, but races are just names in the rulebook. It needs more meat, IMHO.

What assumptions does the game make about dwarves and elves, for example? Clearly they make some assumptions, based on the fact that they receive different starting moves and class restrictions. You can hazard a guess that, based on their unique moves, elves know a lot of lore & history (and thus might be long-lived or academically inclined) and are at home in the wilderness, and dwarves are 'at one with stone' and hardy drinkers. These sound a lot like classic Tolkien models. But the game really doesn't express this.

Don't get me  wrong -- I like the idea of flexibility, especially when it encourages roleplaying. But the rules are too vague IMHO. If they assume the GM and player will collaborate on racial traditions and assumptions, this needs to be presented a lot earlier than page 139. IMHO of course.

I have perused the DW beta rules for about 2 days and have some initial feedback. Please forgive me if some of the issues raised here are based on faulty understanding of the rules.

- I love the overall approach to the game, especially the 10, 7-9 break. It adds
tremendous roleplaying opportunities to both combat and non-combat scenes.
- the presentation of the various classes is wonderful; very easy to get
through. The reader is guided very gently and confidently through the process.
- big thumbs up for class/race restrictions. Adds flavor to the game. That said,
the differences between a dwarf fighter and a human fighter, for example, are
negligible. I would like to see more variety so that races of the same class are
truly unique from one another.
- Moves: way cool. Great choices offered, yet still simple and easy to use. The
various races gain different benefits to certain moves, which is again is
terrific. The balance between these benefits varies widely; the dwarf fighter's
starting move is far less useful than that of the elf, halfling, or human.
- Races generally don't seem very flavorful. They get a starting move and access
to classes that other races don't, but that's about it. A halfling fighter
carries the same weight on his back as an elf, dwarf, and  human. There are no cultural moves apart from that offered by their class. I would like to see races given more attention.
- weapon damage determined by class. LOVE it! Again, I would like to see race
play a bigger part.
- I don't see stealth attempts addressed anywhere.
- Leather and chainmail offer the same protection values. Just curious... why?
In general, armor offers less protection than other games. This could be a
feature rather than a problem.
- My favorite spellcasting class has always been a druid type. Can't play that
here. Perhaps elven wizards gain options for wilderness spells?
- The spell system is great and I really appreciate the brief descriptions
given.
- The tone and writing style of the entire game is very pleasing to read.
- no choices for low rolls? What about a dismal failure  with a 2 and a lesser
failure with a 3-5, perhaps offering the PC choices they receive when rolling a
7-9?
- attributes are chosen from an array. I like this, but it would be nice to have
a choice of 3 or 4 arrays.
- interesting alignments. I would love to see racial or class moves based on
alignment.