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Dungeon World / "lose your footing" and effect on play - OR - acting at a disadvantage
« on: June 27, 2011, 03:02:48 PM »
I'm trying to work this out in my head as I prepare to run DW for some friends, particularly friends who are weened on D&D4e. I've read a lot about AW & DW, but never had the chance to play.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of Saving Throw is "you loose your footing." Fictionally, I can totally see how this comes into play. You're on your back or your face, or you're struggling to hang on to the edge of a cliff. You probably can't move about freely until you address the situation and regain your footing.
But say you don't really care about not being able to move, but your situation would still hinder you, but prevent the action? How would you handle that?
Consider: You're fighting a skilled warrior, a real martial artist. He's +2 levels above you, and you take harm. Your saving throw is mixed, so the GM says "his kick is right in the knee, and your leg crumples underneath you. You face plant in front of him. What do you do?"
Yeah, your fictional moves are now limited. You can't say "I charge him" or "I run away" or "I dance a jib" because you can't. You're on your face. But what if you say "Screw it, I'm right in front of him? I slash out at his ankles with my sword."
Hack and Slash, right? But fictionally, you're at a significant disadvantage to do so. Crappy leverage, limited range of motion, he's more mobile. But there's no mechanical penalty, right? I don't think you'd be Defying Danger at the moment; you're clearly hacking & slashing.
I'm curious how others handle situations like this, where the fictional circumstances don't preclude a course of action, but DO put you at a disadvantage or impose a constraint. Apply the -2 penalty (similar to "interfering")? Let it slide for the immediate move, but keep working it into the fiction?
Thanks!
One of the unfortunate outcomes of Saving Throw is "you loose your footing." Fictionally, I can totally see how this comes into play. You're on your back or your face, or you're struggling to hang on to the edge of a cliff. You probably can't move about freely until you address the situation and regain your footing.
But say you don't really care about not being able to move, but your situation would still hinder you, but prevent the action? How would you handle that?
Consider: You're fighting a skilled warrior, a real martial artist. He's +2 levels above you, and you take harm. Your saving throw is mixed, so the GM says "his kick is right in the knee, and your leg crumples underneath you. You face plant in front of him. What do you do?"
Yeah, your fictional moves are now limited. You can't say "I charge him" or "I run away" or "I dance a jib" because you can't. You're on your face. But what if you say "Screw it, I'm right in front of him? I slash out at his ankles with my sword."
Hack and Slash, right? But fictionally, you're at a significant disadvantage to do so. Crappy leverage, limited range of motion, he's more mobile. But there's no mechanical penalty, right? I don't think you'd be Defying Danger at the moment; you're clearly hacking & slashing.
I'm curious how others handle situations like this, where the fictional circumstances don't preclude a course of action, but DO put you at a disadvantage or impose a constraint. Apply the -2 penalty (similar to "interfering")? Let it slide for the immediate move, but keep working it into the fiction?
Thanks!