Yeah, I'm not sure if this'll work at your table but I was having similar issues at mine.

What I did was just state that as PCs, just tell me what you're doing; I'll be asking that a lot. If it's a Move, I'll call for it and decide which one.

Also, only having one Moves reference sheet at the table helped.

Obviously, canny players will still narrate with Moves in mind, but it switched from "I go aggo" and "I hack and slash" and "I help/interfere" to just answering the "What do you do?" question in in-character terms, then as the MC deciding if that qualified as a Move or not.

Sure, there's sometimes a little OOC back and forth but each time that's an opportunity to talk about expectations and negotiate a common culture of play. Helps if you have good rapport with everyone at the table.

+1

"It's like D&D, just quicker" said the lapsed grognard in my group. To him, it felt like D&D (fantasy adventures kill dudes and take their stuff) just with less stuff to manage and a lower handling time. I think it's really an ideal and contemporary introduction to D&D for anyone who's hear of but never played the classic stuff.

Harper's right to point out that despite some substantial nods to the classic editions, it's much more contemporary. Which is probably a good thing.

Personally, it's fun and it's scratching not my nostalgia for classic D&D (I'm far, far too young for that; I've played a small amount of Planescape and a ton of 3.x) but rather my introduction to role-playing via Palladium Fantasy. I suspect that within the next few sessions (like five or seven) I'll probably be itching to try something else. (Probably Monsterhearts.)

What it has been is enlightening about the whole hack AW process. There's a space opera game in my head about transformation, identity, and archaeology that I may or may not be working on with Kira Scot (Harrison Ford: the Queerening). Seeing both Joe and Adam + Sage (and John too) produce games via AW has taught me a lot about the process. It's given me lots to think about and some hope too.

Well if you're ever in Montreal, just let me know.

Yeah, the current rules don't support high level play that well but I expect that'll come later.

Man, if I had my way with the world, you'd have to buy all three at once. ;)

I take you point well and it's well argued. Really, you're right that no one should have to piece together a game from another game. Having a section on "Advanced Delving" is absolutely necessary.

I suppose that what I was trying to get is that I'm not convinced that Love-Letters, in particular, fit into what Sage and Adam are doing. They fit in wonderfully with my game but I'm not really running DW on the rails. I've rewritten all the playbooks more or less, add two new ones in and have changed a few really core things about how some of the basic mechanics work. All this because none of my players are all that interested in OLD SCHOOL or NUSKOOL D&D of any edition really. I have one grognard at my table and mostly, he's interested in metatextually exploring in a sincere way what it means to be "LAWFUL GOOD" in a world where Good and Evil are metaphysically real - a notion that all of us find abhorrent in the real world. Oh, if that wasn't enough, I take to heart some of the things that Vincent and Joe put in their games, that if you're running a game about Dungeoneering, have no place being there.

I guess my point is that the Town Moves are the Love-Letters. Love-Letters are suppose to make up for fictional a down time that doesn't really exist in the structure of D&D because the players don't have gigs and they aren't integrated into the community. It's Town for shopping and healing and getting new missions and the rest is Dungeons. Defeat the Monsters in fantastical Locations, get the Treasure and save the Princess. While it's more complex than that, I don't know where I'd put the Love-Letters in or what function they'd serve that's intrinsic to DW.

So, this counts as a currently being playtested hack of the Wizard I've been calling the Sorceress/Sorceress. It's been through a few iterations but it seems to be working at the table pretty well.

It's basically my response to the fact that the Wizard is suppose to have phenomenal cosmic power but actually is kinda useless a lot of the time - aside from the one or two maybe critically useful spells they might know and have prepared. Also, you don't have the time or the resources research a Ritual while you're in the dungeon. I wanted something a little more practical for dungeoneering as well as something that rewarded player creativity.

So, here's a thing. It hasn't been game breaking and the Magic-User is still really, really pathetic when it comes to combat even with the greatly expanded options. Casting takes a little more handling time, and some more GM Fiat that before. However, it's been giving the Sorc some concrete tools to be good what he's suppose to be good at on the tin. Like magical shit and eye-fireballs.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19044994/Sorcerer%27s%20Core%20Moves.pdf

There are some gaps in the document. It's mostly meant to share some of my design thoughts and not be like, a complete thing. So, that being said, infer or as questions.

Yeah, what Mike said.

After our Barb sold her soul to Death for ritual sacrifice into perpetuity (More skulls for the skull throne!) I wrote her this GM love-letter:

DEAR HERN
You're death-contract with was recently acquired by the Raven Queen, for a price only comprehensable to gods. The terms seem laxer but broader in scope. Write down “Debt: My Soul, to the Raven Queen.”

Please kindly roll two six-sided dice. On a 10+, pick one. On a 7-9, pick two. On a miss, I'll pick three for you.

• You murdered a sexton at in a neighbouring church. There's currently a price on your head.
• The Raven Queen has marked you with leucism; you've taken to wearing a veil to prevent sunburn.
• The Contract now includes service, in addition to sacrifice.
• You have to take an additional taboo to appease your ancestors.
• The ancestral spirits have abandoned you, lose Shamanism, but gain Haunted.

Love and Kisses,
Your GM
ORLY

She missed the roll, became Haunted, marked and cast out by her family-spirits. She seems to be turning into a sort of wyrd bloodthirsty acolyte of death. Much fun for all.

The Last Breath thing allows you as a GM renegotiate the terms of the characters existence. Make it interesting.