Before starting on anything, this first post is not, I repeat, is not my AP. In fact, I'll only be playing tomorrow, I just figured I would post my prep here, in it's entirety, my thought process and current opinion of the system, which may or may not change after playing.
Let's take this step by step and create a monster post.
Tehnai's discovery of Dungeon WorldLike so many of you, it started with Apocalypse World. A guy I once played a game of Dread with, friend of a friend and die hard small press RPG gamers, was showing off his PAX loot, a month or two back. He showed the crew his new copy of Psi*run (nice little game, recommended), Misspent Youth (heard good things) and Apocalypse world.
Since then, I heard of the game here and there, eventually got my hands on a copy, and I thought it was pretty cool, seemed clever, very new-school approach. I'd enjoy trying it.
And then I gave a listen to the AP from
http://jankcast.com/ and was blown away. I then reread the game and found everything to be so much deeper than I initially thought. I was fascinated by the brilliance of it all. But then I realized that AW was a little too dark for my regular crew. That's when I found Dungeon World.
So I'm coming in with a great opinion of AW, without having actually played. I have been playing DnD for half of my life (a life which as lasted me 24 years up to this point), and have opened myself up to other, less traditional rpgs for the last few year. I'm still itching to try Burning Wheel (not to mention saddened by the lack of PDF support, but I digress).
Getting the beta accessI started scrambling for a beta document, pledged 25 bucks to the kickstarter (and did some spreading of the word), and finally asked the devs nicely for beta access. And they granted it to me asking me to post an AP on these boards after trying out the game. I'd like to really insist on the fact that you guys are class acts. Seriously. I'd give you more money if I could only because of how awesome I was treated as a gamer and costumer.
Making a FrontI know, I know, I'm not supposed to make a Front for a first session, but I assumed that I was playing a one-shot, so I figured "what the hell?". My God are fronts magical! I spent much of my earlier years overprepping my campaign something fierce, and by the Gods is that relaxing. I'm looking at my Danger Moves and seeing them come alive before even starting.
Hell, my adventure description already assumed that 2 of my dangers had made moves already!
Hall of the Vampire QueenFirst, the intro blurb, posted on facebook to attract potential players :
he Duke of Garmholm called upon you, heroes and adventurers, to find and save his virgin daughter, kidnapped by a man once thought to be naught but a monsterous village idiot, the deformed Crabhand.
Your small party tracked the "creature" to a flooded forest, quickly turning into a rotting swamp. In the middle of a smoking pool of swampwater, further on, you see an old manor, visibly on the verge of collapse. There is no doubt in your mind, that is where the Duke's daughter was brought.
You have found...
THE HALL OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN
Classic, right? Let's get into the thick of it, our dangers.
First Danger : The Vampire Queen's ThrallsDescription : The Vampire Queen as built a small society around herself, made up of a cult of human followers, lead by Crabhand, and a chosen few vampire spawns. The thralls are a cabal, their ambition is to grow in power through helping the Vampire Queen achieve her full power. For that, she must bathe in virgin's blood.
Cast: The Vampire Queen "Lady Elvira" (HP15, Arm2, Dam1d8+5, piercing 1), The vampire spawns (HP10, Arm1, Dam 1d8+5), Crabhand (HP7, Arm1, Dam1d6), a host of cultists (HP3, Arm1, Dam1d6). The vampires are modified from the rulebook, but otherwise have the same moves, but only Elvira can charm.
Grim Portents-The last virgin is kidnapped
-The Last virgin is slaughtered
-The ritual preparation of the bath is complete
-Elvira Bathes in blood
Impending Doom: Tyranny (Elvira wants to make the world in her image)
Second Danger: The Fizlaus Manor and the Corrupted Swamps
Description: There's been something wrong with the manor for a long time. It was once owned by some important noble who died in a mysterious fashion. It's clearly haunted and it's evil as been leaking in the surrounding forest for decades, slowly turning it into a fetid, rotting swamp. It's obviously a unholy ground, with the impulse "to spawn evil".
Cast: The ghost of Gregor Fizlaus, Swamp monsters, The Thing in the Basement. Haven't decided what the thing was. Possibly an Otyugh or something similarly gross and tentacully.
Grim Portents- The Old Oak dies
- The druids abandon their grove
- The village's well is poisoned
Impending Doom: Pestilence. The swamp grows and corrupts all it touches. Will our heroes stop it?
In conclusionI'll be running that thing tomorrow, we'll see what happens, I can't wait. This game is so easy to prep for, it's a little scary. Stay tunned, folks!