So, we ran DW yesterday!

Great time, and surprised at how it played just like older incarnations of D&D and similar (which for me is a mix between 2nd Planescape, 3.0 and Palladium Fantasy). I imagine, that depending on the GM and the prep, it might look more like B/X or something. The major difference is that it just runs faster and more smoothly. Combat is relatively straight forward, although I was surprised that the least tactical of my gamers wanted more variety in her Hack and Slashing and the more story oriented dude was quick to push the limits of Defend (“Can I reduce the damage to 7/8th?”). 

The party comprised of:

Corvus, Paladin of the Argent Heart, and his NPC attendants Secundus the Scrivener and Cedric the Neophyte. His mount was named Pepper.

Va'enya, the Elven Sorceress (Sorcerer? Elves have ambiguous sex characteristics. A magic user at any rate), it's raven Familiar and Bodie the Human Apprentice.

Hern, the Barbarian, and her tribe-sisters and handmaidens Morag and Sheena.

The Barbarian is a class I threw together after reading some discussion on it over at SG, particularly Johnstones' Berserk move. Making DW playbooks is way easier that AW ones, by the way.

I printed all the available dungeon starters and trifolds I have access to a asked them which one seemed most interesting to them.

So, the Adventure started out at the back entrance to the Spanterhook Thieves' Guild. The Barbarian promptly smashed her way in as we didn't have a Thief. This basically set the tone for the session where the Barbarian went smashing around and the Paladin and Wizard cleaning up the mess, taking prisoners and providing some healing. I got some interesting mileage out of random traps and poison darts. Cedric the Neophyte was turned into a Frog and the Barbarian was poisoned with Goldenroot. First level characters are fragile! Even Barbarians and Paladins! The party nearly TPK'd during the final conflict with the president and his pair of Minotaur guards but the Barbarian cut a deal with Death (More skulls for the skull throne! More blood for the Raven Queen!) allowing her and the Pally to live and aid the Wizardess in finishing off the president and retrieving the Eye of Entax.

They returned to the Shrine of the Argent Heart to rest, divvy up the loot and fence the Eye.

I'm using Gold/Barter spent for XP + Alignment Keys instead of Highlighted stats + Alignment Keys. This seemed work well, as I can pace leveling via Treasure and is more evenly distributed around the party.  It seemed to work well. Everyone leveled at the end of the adventure after doing some shopping.

I was nice to run a 'classic' style of game again. Lots of fun, easy to GM as I got to lean on the 'module' and use my energy to focus on the details rather than the plot or Fronts or whatever. Fronts will be useful next session but having a dungeon, a list of Mobs, and a list of NPC with a situation baked in is a breeze to run. Light, fun and scratches that D&D itch that was the core of my formative RPG experience.

We forgot to make saving throws against higher level Mobs often. I think I only remembered to do so once, despite many of the Mobs being level 2.

I made some changes to the rules. I let them pick their names. I gave them the option of having a few NPC mooks to start with (they act machanically like equipment). Slightly higher starting HP (equal to their Con Score) but gaining a randomized amount thereafter based on their class. Mobs did randomized damage instead of a fixed amount (e.g. 5 dmg becomes 1d10 dmg) which seemed to produce a little more tension. Although, occasionally, the Mobs hit pretty hard, but this is counterbalanced by the fact that sometimes they don't hit hard at all (when they roll under the armor value.) Oh, and we rolled the stats, which gave them better than typical sets as they all where quite lucky.

The first session seemed like just getting a feel for the characters and getting the ball rolling. Looking forward to building on the now established relationships and plot hooks to drive some sandbox play. I need some random tables for treasure and well, everything.

Just that you're 7-9 is too weak. They should get the info, but with a cost or complication, or even just no +1forward. On a miss, you can tell them how they might find out or give them bad info.

I think that's kinda the point of the Quran's move, to pull punches. That they get it and no one else does is okay with me.

But, remember, to do it do it. So if the Qurantine's going aggro with a shotgun against someone's temple, the Qurantine's gonna have to be able to explain how they do bingo harm. I think S-harm is fine in these situations.

You have my endorsement.

Elsewhere, Vx wrote:

"I designed Apocalypse World with Co-GMing in mind. I'll try to write a bit about it during the week maybe. It shouldn't take much!"

PLEASE ELABORATE ON THIS EXTREMELY COMPELLING NOTION AND AND EXPOUND ON THE IMPLICATIONS

Here, on your blog, or whatever.

I'd be extremely interested.

Thx!

Yeah, the Last Child is pretty groovy and not particularly childish, except for the Special and some of the Hx.

I think it might need a reskin to the Oracle.

I mean invulnerable in the sense of all the weapons that the other PCs can't hurt the Ghost at all. With the Gunlugger, at least it's possible. Moreover, at least the player is saying "I want to kill people with guns" when they take the Gunlugger. The Ghost isn't suppose to fill that role and yet they do it better than the playbooks that should.

I mean, I was recently in a PvP fight with between a Faceless with Rasputin, NOT TO BE FUCKED WITH, and Bloodcrazed and a fucking Maestro D' with Devil with Blade and the Maestro D' almost killed the Faceless. When you Seize, everyone takes harm - sure, the Gunlugger a little less but maybe not if they're going up against a large armored gang.

The Ghost can't participate meaningfully in combat without Hard and ignore guns and knives. So, there's no comparison really.