What if all basic moves were done using an alternate attribute?
Here are the basic moves for this alternate Dungeon World (CON and WIS attributes are dropped). Now, all we have to do is to make up a setting in which this moves are fictionally supported. For one thing, it seems that all the main characters in this world are psykers, plot armor is best armor, fix technology with brute force and are able to summon spirits.
What kind of enemies and troubles should they face?
which goals they use to pursue?
Should they be human after all?

LOCKING MINDS (INT)

Whenever you face off a foe with your psychic blast, roll +int.
On a 10, you get a hold on your opponent, you deal damage or you can ask the GM any question about your foe; he'll answer you truthfully, and you take +1 when acting on the answer. You deal +1d6 damage by exposing to a soft move.

On a 7-9, choose also 1 from this list:
-You don't suffer any debility
-You don't give away information or put you in a spot
-You aren't dealt damage

WITHSTAND DAMAGE (CHA)

Whenever you must endure a situation, or are left at 0 HP, roll +cha.
On a 10+, you scratch away the damage by saying a cool one-liner or revealing an unexpected advantage (make up one). If you have 0 HP or less, raise it to 1. On a 7-9, you also choose 1
-you don't spend a valuable resource
-you don't suffer a debility
-you don't suffer a fitting drawback

SUMMONING (DEX)

Whenever you dance from start to finish one of the 1000 dances, roll +dex
On a 10+, the spirit whose dance you've performed will answer a demand within it's possibilities. On a 7-9, choose 1:
-you don't suffer a debility
-the spirit doesn't get inside your body
-the spirit doesn't provoke collateral damage

TINKER (STR)

Whenever you try to force a lock, to dismantle a trap or fix a broken thing, roll + str.
On a 10+, you do it, no problem.
On a 7-9, choose 1
-you don't take more time than you thought
-you aren't put on a spot
-you don't suffer damage or a debility due to overexertion


DEFY DANGER

When you act despite an imminent threat or suffer a calamity, you roll...

...+INT if you use awareness or your mind force.
...+CHA if you claim a relevant invulnerability because you're special (If you achieve a hit, things are like you say, at least for this time).
...+DEX if you perform the specific arcane seals.
...+STR if you use your primitive instincts.

On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear.
On a 7-9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.

How do you feel about this stats? Im lacking anything? Is something out of place?
The game is about traveling the world and exploring, in a fantasy setting. There are guns, and lots of non-lethal weapons and fights.

Roll + Perception when you rely on your reflexes, you fight in ranged combat, or you spend time analyzing your surroundings.
Roll + Charm when you manipulate or bargain with beings and things; or when you sing the drafts on anything you're touching, having eye contact or similar.
Roll + Wisdom when you remember stories of old, facts about places, when you take time for your insights, or you use any road tricks.
Roll + Strenght when you fight, when you use the raw power of your body, or you resist harm, sicknesses, poison or other physical dangers.

This is a hack about adventure; about exploring a post apocalyptic fantasy world in which, after humanity corrupted earth, air and water with its technology in the past age (much like our modern age), now knowledge has been divided among tribes to prevent another disaster. This age is known as The Age of Great Guilds.

The players are journeyman; recently graduated from their apprenticeship, each in one of the different guilds (the game's classes), entitled to freely roam the world perfectioning their arts. Far from being actual real life workers, these "guilds" have perfected their crafts to a point in which their works and teachings delve deeply into the magical, so each class is in itself its own kind of wizard.

Weavers; that can spin and stitch the threads of fate, and alter the fabrics of reality to their whim
Glassmakers; that can reflect themselves as dopplegangers or look through people's hearts and learn their secrets
Miners, those that dig for the treasures of the forgotten era; and that know how to fix and use them
Shepards; who know magical songs and are spiritual guides of their flocks (human and animal)

etc.

I take inspiration directly from the Loom Videogame (i opened a thread some time ago for a specific question regarding combat); even what i want to build is more related to a colorful-post apocalyptic adventure time mixed with some ryuutama (japanese rpg, check it if you haven't done yet).

My first question that i have is: Would be very bad having a strong, well defined setting when making a *World game? i mean; Dungeon World or Apocalypse World have very "generic" settings, and i love the work they do into creating a setting through game. In the other hand, i have made a guild list, and i've written specific traits for each guild that make each one interesting (assassins guild is composed entirely of tree people; miners cant stand sunlight, etc). That backgrounds reflect on the moves, and some of them would make no sense if leaving them too generic.

My second question/idea:
I'm making a set of fixed questions, the same ones for each character. The questions will be something along:

-What's the most important teaching of your master?
-What's the goal of your pilgrimage?
-What thing you despise?
-What thing inspires your craftings?
-What is the deepest scar in your heart?
-What was the hardest part of your apprenticeship?
-What is your ultimate dream?

This questions must not be answered when the character is created, but left blank by the moment. (The player has assigned his stats and its eager to play). Instead, he can at any moment of the game reveal the truth about any of this questions to re-roll the dice after a bad throw, this time with a +1 on it (the roll must be related to the answer the player has given). You always have a +1 if you can relate it to an answer of your past.

This way, the past of the character is revealed at the same time as his present (like they do on tv series like LOST, Walking dead and such); and the player adds to the world's lore and mythology. The GM, of course, is encouraged to catch this answers and build the future of the character around them.


The third question is about explorational games in general, and on how would a game around exploration be treated like on the *world format. In next post, i'll write the basic moves i have as now.

Hi! im making a fantasy *world hack, and im having a little trouble with the magic system.

In my world, magic is cast by playing "songs". All classes have a magical song among their move list (night vision, duplicate self, aura of silence, healing, unmaking, etc...). This songs are cast on targets by singing (rolling +cha), or enchanting objects by writing the runic transcription (rolling +wis).

The trouble comes here: in the fiction, outside the rigged songs that are learnt traditionally depending by your class, there are two classes that can compose their own songs: The musician and The weaver (because this guilds are the ones that composed all the known songs) The idea is that they can cast songs by using their own personal experiences as an inspiration, or any song they've listened closely enough to catch its "core". But i don't know how to represent this mechanically.

i've planned three options:

1: making a "song catching" move: When you are exposed to a song's effects (a singer) or a song source (a twister may carry a "spinning" song) roll +wis. On a hit, you learn the song (your MC will tell you its effects) and add it to your moves.
why i don't like it? Because i feel that it would drag the game, and i dont know if its right to have some players chasing owls in the forest in order to learn "night vision"; also its too abstract to work correctly (how does one learn to deflect bullets? by exposing yourself to a kevlar vest?)

2: instead of learning the song a priori, you can describe it a posteriori:  you can use any song you want (describe it's effects) if you retroactivelly tell the MC what event of your life you use as inspiration. You roll +Cha or +Wis as usual if you either sing or write the song.
why i don't like it? because i feel its too OP, as the players can exploit this indefinitely. They can play a song of dismembering just by telling the MC that they teared a flower's petals when they were young. However, i feel that this move could work if i could manage some boundaries. Any suggestions?

3 you can learn a song whenever you level up. You can pick an existing song from your class traditions, or a made up one if you explain where did you learn it.
Why i don't like it? because i think its boring. However, it feels like the most sensible option.


Any opinions or ideas about this? Thank you in advance. I can answer any questions if you need any context for it. The hack itself is very high on magic, and is inspired by the videogame Loom, some good old nordic myths and the Adventure Time TV series. 

I've been trying to come up for a way to remove the damage die rolls and the HP system. Its just something that i feel that goes totally against all the DW spirit; and i've come up with some idea; sprouted from the "fiction first" spirit

When you attack, instead of rolling damage on a hit, your opponent (or you, if you like the GM not touching the dice) rolls +Armor. On a hit, the opponent is unscratched. On a 7-9 is undamaged but his armor is broken, or he's wounded and takes a -1 to the next roll. On a fail, the opponent is KO (if you attack with fists), or dead (if you used a cutting edge, an arrow or a heavy mace)

Whenever YOU suffer damage, you must make the same roll +con and + armor. On a 7-9, you must take a debility. On a fail, you automatically trigger the Last Breath roll, or you just fall unconscious (if the weapon was non-lethal)

On how this would affect weapons:

Weapons can have modifiers TO HIT, not to damage. However, masterwork weapons and very sharp swords can reduce the armor value of the opponent by a given number.

Any thoughts on this? Im new to the forum, id like to know if has anybody come up with a similar premise.

CAPTCHA: Wwpnuk; a good name for an inuit character someday