此頁包含所有角色都能使用的行動。這些行動分為兩類：基本行動和特殊行動。
基本行動對冒險者而言是日常的核心行動。它們包含了在戰鬥中、緊繃的交涉中及身處危險區域時可能涉及的行動。
特殊行動較為罕見。它們包含了像是升級、長途旅行或在冒險間返回城鎮的行動。
所有玩家角色都擁有全部的基本和特殊行動。每名玩家角色都有各自的職業行動－－我們稍後再提及。
在此列出的每個行動都以名稱作為開頭，接著陳述行動的規則。有些行動將附帶一小段如何使用此行動的說明及實例示範。
當你近戰攻擊敵人時，擲+力量。
✴擲出10+時，你對敵人造成傷害並避開其攻擊。你可以選擇造成額外1d6傷害但將自己暴露在敵人的攻擊之下。
✴擲出7-9時，你對敵人造成傷害且敵人能對你攻擊。
砍殺是攻擊有所準備的敵人時使用的。如果敵人無法預先防備你的攻擊－－無論是他們沒察覺你或著他們受限制而無法抵禦－－那就不算是砍殺。你直接造成傷害或殺死對方，根據情況而定。真是卑鄙。
敵人的反擊可能是任何與該生物相關的GM行動。哥布林可能朝你的背後攻擊，或將毒針扎進你的血管當中。出外討生活不容易，對吧？
注意玩家所採取的「攻擊」行動必須是有機會對敵人造成身體傷害的。使用普通的劍攻擊巨龍滿載魔法能量的一吋厚金屬鱗片，就像朝著坦克揮舞菜刀一樣： 它不會造成任何傷害，所以不算是砍殺。注意某些情境可能改變此狀況：如果你在適當的位置，能夠刺進巨龍柔軟的肚腹（希望你夠好運能夠到得了那）則可 以造成傷害，因此這是砍殺。
如果觸發行動的動作可以合理傷害到多個目標，只擲一次骰並對每個敵人都造成傷害（各別計算盔甲）。
有些攻擊會有額外效果，依據觸發動作、情境、使用武器而定。攻擊也可能會擊倒敵人、限制敵人或使鮮血四濺。
GM：亞歐，你面對一群哥布林奴隸販子。他們包圍了你，刀鋒出鞘。你要怎麼做？
亞歐：我受夠了！我用戰鎚痛打最靠近的哥布林。
GM：好的。這肯定是戰鬥，你使用砍殺。擲+力量。
亞歐：我擲出11。規則上說我有選擇的機會。只有弱者才會畏懼，讓那些哥布林要來就來吧！
GM：你將戰鎚砸在最靠近的哥布林身上，並聽見讓人滿足的骨頭碎裂聲。但你被哥布林使用小刀反擊而受了傷。他對你造成4點傷害。你要怎麼做？
GM：凱德斯，你從陰影當中逮到了毫無防備的這幾名歐克戰士。
凱德斯：我跳了出去，用劍劃出一道圓弧向下劈斬！就像這樣！耶！
GM：嗯，他們沒料到這事，他們完全措手不及，而你的劍劈中了其中一個敵人。擲傷害。
凱德斯：我造成6點傷害。
GM：那名歐克渾身是血地倒下！第二名歐克僵在原地，隨即對你咧齒而笑，露出可怕的一口獠牙，從腰帶上拔出他的號角！你要怎麼做？
GM：巴特比，你擊敗了偉大的芬巴爾，這片大地上最強大的決鬥家，他的武器被打落而被你以劍指著。
巴特比：我不會再讓你背叛我了，芬巴爾！我要解決他。
GM：嗯，好，這是砍殺，擲+力量。
巴特比：既然你這麼說了，我骰出7。
GM：好的，你將他一劍解決，因為他根本無法抵禦攻擊嗯，等等。你知道的，他和你並不在近戰當中。他處於無助狀態，忘了砍殺吧，他完蛋了。他倒地不起，咳著鮮血，然而警鐘大響。你要怎麼做？
當你瞄準射擊遠程敵人時，擲+敏捷。
✴擲出10+時，你成功命中－－造成你的傷害。
✴擲出7-9時，選擇下列一項（無論選擇什麼仍可以造成傷害）：
射擊包含了以遠程武器拉弓、瞄準並射擊或是擲出投擲武器的過程。使用遠程武器相較近戰的優勢是攻擊者較不容易受到反擊。當然他們得擔心彈藥和找到良好射擊位置的問題。
擲出7-9時，將「危險」想得更廣泛一點。這可能是出於腳步凌亂或停在劍刃揮舞的路徑上，或只是把你美好的狙擊點暴露給敵人知道。無論是何者，都會隨即發生而使GM詢問你「你要怎麼做？」。通常危險會是需要你全心躲避或迫使你必須對抗危險。
如果你投擲某項沒有彈藥的物體（也許你有能讓你投出盾牌的行動）你不能選擇消耗彈藥。從另外兩個選項當中選擇。
艾蘭威：所以，我困在儀式廳的底部，而那個歐克鑿眼者正在臺座上進行儀式詠唱？既然賽里安讓其他小囉嘍分身乏術，我舉弓瞄準並朝詠唱的歐克射擊。
GM：很好的選擇－－聽起來像是射擊行動。
艾蘭威：我骰出8。嗯，我剩下的箭矢不多，而生命值更少。我最好妥協。我擲傷害，然後從結果扣除d6骰的結果，對吧？總共是3。這至少夠使他分心了嗎？
GM：當然！箭矢埋入了鑿眼者的腿上，而他痛苦大吼，暫時地停止了儀式。不幸的是，看起來這一中斷可能使事情更糟－－從臺座下的深洞傳來隆隆巨響，而整個房間的石造結構開始坍塌。你要怎麼做？
哈雷克：狗頭人和食人魔？老兄，這裡是怎麼一回事？嗯，如果他們打算來對付我，我可能也會用箭矢和他們打聲招蒿。我朝著敵群射出一箭，骰出了8。
GM：所以，你要選擇什麼？危險？彈藥？
哈雷克：我選擇危險。
GM：好，狗頭人朝你一擁而上，你成功在他們接近時射中了其中一個－－他倒地了，但其他人繼續接近，你發現你看不到食人魔去了哪裡。他用棍棒砸在你的身上，而你承受12點傷害！
哈雷克：12點傷害？這是所謂的危險？
GM：你是對的，這不只是危險。好，你還沒被砸成肉泥－－食人魔從你的背後接近，而棍棒對著你的腦袋砸了下來！你要怎麼做？
當你在即將發生的危險下動作或是面對災難性的後果，敘述你要如何處理它並擲骰。如果你
✴擲出10時，你做出你打算進行的動作，無須受到威脅。
✴擲出7-9時，你躊躇、猶豫或退縮：GM會給你更糟的結果、妥協，或是困難的抉擇。
當你在危險逼近時行動就是對抗危險。這看起來像是什麼都包含。它的確是！對抗危險是為了那些看起來你應該要擲骰然而用不上其他行動時所用的。
對抗危險也適用於當你在面臨危險時，進行另一個不包括此危險的行動。舉例來說，砍殺假設你在戰鬥中與敵人相互交手－－你不需要針對你正在搏鬥 的怪物對抗危險，除非還有其他不算是你正常攻擊行動一部分的危險。反之，如果你試著要在牆內隱藏陷阱射出尖刺的狀況下進行砍殺，那些尖刺就是完全不 同的危險。
此處所說的危險，可以是任何需要韌性、專注或鎮靜的事。這個行動通常由GM來喚起。她會在你行動時告訴你是什麼樣的危險。像是「你必須先對抗危險。這裡的危險是你打算跑過的陡峭、結冰地面。如果你可以保持腳步平衡，你可以在死靈法師的魔法來襲之前抵達門口。」
適用哪項屬性是依據你採取的動作及觸發行動的動作為何。這代表你不能用充滿魅力的微笑針對陡峭結冰的路面對抗危險，好讓你可以在擲骰加上魅力，畢竟 充滿魅力的微笑對結冰的地面不會有任何效果。另一方面來說，大步跳過冰面會用到力量，小心地在上面踏步前進則會是敏捷，依此類推。進行行動來得到結果。
GM：愛莫理，當你爬上深谷的一面時，你察覺到山崖邊一名邪教徒正施展冰霜法術使山壁覆上冰霜！如果你想要繼續攀爬，你必須對抗危險，否則將會墜落。
愛莫理：不會的，我太強壯了。我咬牙並將指甲埋入牆上，每次用一隻手向上攀爬。我要用體質，行嗎？雖然我只骰出了8。
GM：嗯，我想你唯一能夠獲得足夠附著力的方式就是用匕首來攀爬最後幾呎這一段。匕首將會留在那裡，直到你有時間可以把它拔出來，而附近正有一名憤怒的施法者。
愛莫理：我到家後隨時可以弄到新的匕首。該是時候爬上去解決那名邪教徒了。
GM：三臂巨怪揮舞著他粗壯的第三條手臂向你襲來，長滿疙瘩的手指緊握斷裂的樹枝。你打算做什麼，維拉莉雅？
維拉莉雅：所以他想打架是吧，嗯哼？那就來吧。我對他砍殺，朝著他的雙腿揮劍攻擊。
GM：先等一下，勇者。他已經讓你處於劣勢之中了。你可以跳進去戰鬥，但你如果不先對抗危險就會被棍棒砸中。
維拉莉雅：呿，他是敵不過紅之維拉莉雅的！我像風中飛葉一般側躍到一旁，接著展開砍殺。
GM：請用你的敏捷對抗危險，謝謝。
奧塔維雅：我受夠這食人魔了，我要丟下盾牌並且用雙手揮舞戰鎚。砍殺，對吧？
GM：你要丟掉盾牌？這不是個好主意－－現在你必須對抗危險，因為食人魔準備要砸扁你了。
奧塔維雅：你確定嗎？這不是砍殺的一部分嗎？互相交手攻防？
GM：是的，呃，當然。我需要再一杯咖啡－－那麼就是砍殺，執行你的行動吧！
當你防衛一個人、物品或地點保護其免於攻擊時，擲+體質。
✴擲出10+時，獲得3掌握。
✴擲出7-9時，獲得1掌握。只要你持續保持防衛，當你或你的保護目標受到攻擊時你可以消耗1掌握來從下方選擇一項：
防衛某物表示站在其附近並且專注防止對它的攻擊或阻止任何人接近它。當你不再待在它旁邊或沒有全神貫注阻止攻擊，你會失去目前持有的所有掌握。
你只能在有人針對你或你的保護目標攻擊時消耗掌握。你的選擇必須依據攻擊者及攻擊型態而定。具體來說，像是你不能對你的武器觸及不到的攻擊者造成傷害。
攻擊指的是任何有不利效果且你可以介入的動作。劍刃和箭矢屬於攻擊，而法術、擒拿和衝鋒也是攻擊。
如果攻擊不造成任何傷害，則減半效果代表攻擊者只達到了他們想要的部份效果。這種場合的狀況由你和GM討論決定。如果你正在防衛歐羅．厄特的寶石之 眼而一個歐克試著從臺座上奪下它，，那麼減半效果可能代表寶石被擊落掉到地上，但歐克還沒碰到它。或著歐克抓住了寶石，但你也抓住了它－－現在你們兩個必 須拳打腳踢爭奪它。如果你和GM無法討論出減半效果的共識，則你不能選擇這個選項。
防衛自己當然也是一種選項。放棄攻擊並且全心保護自己安全屬於這類。
GM：艾馮，你開始編織咒語來將死靈法師的鬼魂推回門中，但殭屍們朝你逼近。
拉克絲：別擔心，小脆皮艾馮，我會拯救你的。當艾馮施展他的咒語時，我誓言要保護他－－我用戰鎚敲打著自己的盾牌並吶喊：「如果你們想阻止他，就先過我這一關！」我要防衛艾馮。
GM：勇氣可佳，擲+體質。
拉克絲：我骰出11，3掌握，對吧？
艾馮：你最好準備好使用它了，拉克絲。我在我的施法擲骰上骰出8－－我選擇將自己置身危險。
GM：你當然會的。殭屍們被魔法干擾源所吸引，朝著你蹣跚前進並發動攻擊。突然之間，你被殭屍團團包圍，到處都是殭屍！你要怎麼做？
艾馮：無助地尖叫？
拉克絲：讓我來。我花費一點掌握來將攻擊導向我－－我將艾馮推到一旁並且將我的所有狂怒化為浪潮宣洩出來，激怒這些不死生物。為了安全起見，我要將戰鎚以弧形曲線揮出並製造傷害。我也要把最後的掌握用完來減半傷害。願神庇護我們！
GM：所以，哈德里恩，當德爾加治療威廉時你正在防衛她，而現在威廉好多了。你要怎麼做？
德爾加：我要向前躍起逼退這些戰蜥人！
哈德里恩：我打算纏住這鱷魚。
GM：好的，德爾加，戰蜥人們手持棍棒向你而來。
哈德里恩：不，我還有剩下掌握，我要花費它來將攻擊導向我。
GM：你們兩個現在分開了。你要怎麼在相隔二十碼遠處防衛？當你攻擊鱷魚時你失去了你的掌握，我的朋友。
哈德里恩：是啊，我想我已經不再是「站定防衛」狀態了。忘了這事吧，你得靠自己了，德爾加！
當你針對某件事物回想自己累積下來的知識時，擲+智力。
✴擲出10+時，GM會告訴你關於目前狀況有趣且有用的資訊。
✴擲出7-9時，GM只會告訴你一些有趣的資訊－－你必須設法自己找到方法利用它。GM可能會詢問你「你是怎麼知道的？」此時就陳述事實。
你可以隨時在針對某事物搜索記憶而尋求知識或真相時使用憶述見聞。你花費一些時間沉思你所知道的那些關於歐克部落或烏爾達瑪之塔的事物，然後想起該知識。
你所取得的知識就像是搜索動物圖集、旅行指南或圖書館一樣。你在該主題上得知一些事實。在擲出10+時GM會告訴你這些事實要怎麼立即派上用場，在7-9時你只得知事實。
在失敗時，GM行動經常會與你花費長時間思考有關。也許你沒注意到繞到身後的哥布林，或著是擋在走廊上的絆線。這也是揭露一件壞消息的大好機會。
為了避免說明得不夠清楚：這些答案總是為真，即便GM必須當場想出它們。永遠誠實以告。
芬法里爾：地板是幻象？這些天殺的地侏。天殺的地侏該下地獄或是他們死後會去的地方，隨便。
GM：嘿，是的。你在一個泥濘的坑洞裡，而那裡有著一個鬼魅般的人形，斑駁而且沒有眼睛，朝著你移動過來並喃喃低語。
芬法里爾：低語的身影，嗯哼？那是什麼？它會攻擊我嗎？我確定我之前曾在哪裡讀過這種東西的資料，也許是在學校？
GM：有可能。憶述見聞！
芬法里爾：將你的知識賜予我吧，大腦。我擲出8。
GM：嗯，你當然知道這些東西－－你忘了它的名字，但你確切記得一幅插圖畫著這樣外觀的生物。它在走廊上站著守衛某樣東西。你知道有個小技巧能讓你通過它，但你記得不是很清楚了。為什麼呢？
芬法里爾：很明顯地我當天宿醉。我是個糟糕的學生。你是說一個小技巧？嗯……
維塔斯：我在對鍍金骷髏頭的憶述見聞上骰出10。
GM：你相當確定你認出這是來自活城狄斯的金屬工藝。
維塔斯：還有呢？我骰出10了耶！
GM：好，當然。嗯，你認出了其中一些紋章。他們是火巨靈紋章，火焰法術的標記，但他們看起來不太一樣，似乎有一種變化系魔法。我敢說如果你對骷髏頭施法，法術會轉變為火焰法術。
維塔斯：火焰魔法飛彈－－萬歲！
當你仔細研究一個情景或人物，擲+睿智。
✴擲出10+時，從下列清單中挑出三個問題詢問GM。
✴擲出7-9時，只能問一個。
不論是何者，在依據答案行動時都可以獲得單次+1。
要辨知真實，你必須仔細觀察你的目標。這通常代表你得要與其互動或是觀察其他人這麼做。你不能只是將頭探進門內就要對房間辨知真實。你不只是要搜尋各種跡象－－你得要查看物體下方和周遭、敲擊牆壁、檢查書架上的詭異塵埃分佈。這類的行為。
辨知真實並不只是注意細節，還包括了弄懂整體的來龍去脈。GM總是會誠實描述玩家角色的體驗，所以在戰鬥中GM會說狗頭人法師留在大廳的另外一端那裡。辨知真實可以揭露背後的原因：狗頭人的動作顯示他其實正在從身後的房間汲取能量，因此無法再向前進。
就像憶述見聞一樣，你得到的答案永遠是誠實的。即使GM必須當場想出答案也一樣。當答案出現，就是堅如磐石的事實。你會想要辨知真實來找出幻象背後的真相－－不管是不是魔法。
除非有行動特別敘述，否則玩家只能詢問列表當中的問題。如果玩家問了不在表上的問題，GM可以告訴他們重問一次，或回答一個較相近而在表上的問題。
當然，有些問題可能有負向的答案，這是沒問題的。如果真的實話實說沒有任何有用或有價值的事物，GM會回答「什麼都沒有，抱歉」。
歐馬爾：我不信任這個房間－－我要在四處探查一下。我拿出我的工具並開始翻動東西。我拿出蠟燭並且用鎚子敲打牆壁。我一貫的小技巧。
GM：辨知真實？
歐馬爾：喔是的。我辨知所有的真實。我骰出了12，而我想知道「這裡有什麼與表面所見不同的？」。
GM：嗯，你很明顯發現房間北側的牆壁上有空心處。這裡的石頭和塗抹的灰泥比其他地方更加新，可能有著隱藏的凹室或通道。
歐馬爾：我想再問另外一個問題。「誰封上了房間。」
GM：這不在列表上，所以我會當作你問了「這裡最近發生了什麼事？」你看著這些石工牆面，注意到在某些地方牆面突起。這些作工看起來很糟糕－－你覺得這是哥布林的傑作。唯一有可能造成這些牆面突起的原因是有東西從裡面向外推。
歐馬爾：所以如果不是哥布林從另外一頭擋住了它，就是裡面有什麼東西試著出來。
GM：賓果。
當你對GM角色有籌碼且想要操弄他們時，擲+魅力。籌碼必須是他們需要或想要的事物。
✴擲出10+時，如果你答應他們所求，他們會聽你所言行事。
✴擲出7-9時，他們會聽你所言形式，但需要一些立即的強力保證。
談判涵蓋許多範疇，包括了威嚇和交涉的老技倆。當你透過承諾或威脅來使他人做某件事時，你便是正在談判。你的籌碼可以是齷齪的或是美好的，哪種調性都無所謂。
單單只是禮貌請求並非談判。那只是對話。你說：「可以給我那把魔法劍嗎？」而帖里克爵士回答：「絕不，這是我的劍，我的父親鑄造了它，而我的母親為 它附上魔法。」然後就這樣了。要談判之前，你必須先擁有籌碼。籌碼是任何可以用來引誘目標為你服務的事物。也許是他們想要的東西，或是他們不想要你做的事 情。像是一袋黃金。或是一拳揍在他們臉上。什麼東西能算得上籌碼是相關的人以及請求本身而定。威脅一名落單的哥布林是籌碼。威脅殺死一群背後有整群同伴當 靠山的哥布林，則他可能覺得戰鬥是更好的選擇。
擲出7+時，他們要求你提供與籌碼有關的事物。如果你的籌碼是你站在他們眼前磨利小刀並威脅將他們大卸八塊，則他們可能會請求你放他們走。如果你的籌碼是你在宮廷當中居於高處的地位，則他們可能要求你幫忙。
無論他們要求什麼，在擲出10+時，你只需要清楚明白地給予保證。擲出7-9時，光是這樣還不夠：你必須在他們依你所願行事前也給他們一些立即的保 證。如果你承諾你會確保他們免於受到狼群威脅而你擲出7-9，在你拿出剛獵來的狼皮之前他們不會替你做事。值得一提的是你並不需要遵守承諾。無論你是否有 達成保證事項，都是你自己所決定。當然，打破承諾會有相應後果。人們不會善待背信者，也不太可能再與他們打交道。
某些情況下，當你陳述要求時你可能在其中同時包含所要給予對方的承諾，像是「逃走我就會放你離開」。這承諾是否為對方所想要是由談判的目標決定，也許他們會另有要求。他們可以說：「好，讓我活下來我就會走。」（當你擲出7-9時，要做出保證）或「保證你不會跟蹤我。」
莉娜：赫溫爵士，我需要你的擔保，否則我永遠沒機會晉見女王。
GM：他並沒有真的被說服－－如果你使他蒙羞將會對他的名聲造成巨大衝擊。「為何我得幫妳，莉娜？」
莉娜：喔，當我和他說話時，我心不在焉地玩弄著被我們殺死那名刺客身上的璽戒。他僱用來謀害王子的那位。我確保他有看到戒指。
GM：喔，好樣的。擲談判。
莉娜：擲出8。
GM：「別再矯揉造作了！」他憤怒地冷眼盯著你看。「我們都知道你殺掉了我的雇傭。把戒指交給我，發誓你會保密，我就依你所說的去做。
莉娜：我把戒指丟給他。我們之後再從這渾球身上挖出更多骯髒的祕密也不遲。
潘卓爾：這是獨眼龍玩牌的地方，對吧？好，我要走向守衛。「嘿，夥計，能不能……你懂的，開門讓我進去？」而我從頭到尾表現得溫吞有禮，這樣行吧。談判是擲+魅力對吧？
GM：等等，別跳那麼快。你所作的只是說出你所想要的罷了。站在你眼前右邊台階上的那個有股臭味的大個子走到你的眼前並開口：「抱歉，先生，這是私人比賽。」語氣聽起來相當無聊，好像他很討厭這個工作而寧可到其他地方去混一樣。如果你想要談判，你得要有一些籌碼。也許一點賄賂？
當你幫助或干涉某人，擲+對他們的羈絆。✴擲出10+時，他們的擲骰依你選擇可能+1或-2。 ✴擲出7-9時，他們仍然會得到該加值或減值，但你也會將自己暴露於危險、報復或承受額外代價。
Any time you feel like two players should be rolling against each other, the defender should be interfering with the attacker. This doesn’t always mean sabotaging them. It can mean anything from arguing against a parley to just being a shifty person who’s hard to discern. It’s about getting in the way of another players’ success.
Always ask the person aiding or interfering how they are doing it. As long as they can answer that, they trigger the move. Sometimes, as the GM, you’ll have to ask if interference is happening. Your players might not always notice they’re interfering with each other.
Aid is a little more obvious. If a player can explain how they’re helping with a move and it makes sense, let them roll to aid.
No matter how many people aid or interfere with a given roll, the target only gets the +1 or -2 once. Even if a whole party of adventurers aid in attacking an ogre, the one who makes the final attack only gets +1.
GM: Ozruk, you stand alone and bloodied before a pack of angry hellhounds. Behind you cowers the Prince of Lescia, weeping in terror.
Ozruk: I stand firm and lift my shield. Despite certain doom, I will do my duty and defend the princeling.
Aronwe: I emerge from the shadows and draw my sword! “Doom is not so certain, dwarf!” I stand beside him. I want to help him defend. “Though I do not know you well, I have seen you in battle, Ozruk. If we are to die today, we die as brothers!” I don’t have any bonds with him but I want to try anyway.
GM: Touching, really. Okay, roll+0 and if you succeed, Ozruk, take +1 to your defend attempt. Here we go!
Special moves are moves that come up less often or in more specific situations. They’re still the basis of what characters do in Dungeon World—particularly what they do between dungeon crawls and high-flying adventures.
When you’re dying you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the Black Gates of Death’s Kingdom (the GM will describe it). Then roll (just roll, +nothing—yeah, Death doesn’t care how tough or cool you are). ✴On a 10+, you’ve cheated Death—you’re in a bad spot but you’re still alive. ✴On a 7–9, Death himself will offer you a bargain. Take it and stabilize or refuse and pass beyond the Black Gates into whatever fate awaits you. ✴On 6-, your fate is sealed. You’re marked as Death’s own and you’ll cross the threshold soon. The GM will tell you when.
The Last Breath is that moment standing between life and death. Time stands still as Death appears to claim the living for his own. Even those who do not pass beyond the Black Gates catch a glimpse of the other side and what might await them—friends and enemies past, rewards or punishment for acts in life or other, stranger vistas. All are changed in some way by this moment—even those who escape.
There are three outcomes to this move. On a 10+, the Character has cheated Death in some meaningful way. He’s escaped with something that, by rights, isn’t his anymore. Death is powerless to stop this, but he remembers this slight. On a 7–9, the GM should offer a real choice with significant consequence. Think about the behaviors of the character and the things you’ve learned about him in play. Death knows and sees all and tailors his bargains accordingly. This is a trade, remember. Offer something that will be a challenge to play out but will lead the game in fun new direction. On a miss, death is inevitable. The most obvious approach is to say “Death takes you across the threshold, into his bleak kingdom.” and move on. However, sometimes Death comes slowly. You might say “you have a week to live” or “you can feel the cold hand of Death on you ” and leave it at that, for now. The player may want to give in and accept death at this point—that’s okay. Let them create a new character as normal. The key thing to remember is that a brush with death, succeed or fail, is a significant moment that should always lead to change.
GM: Sparrow, as the knife blade disappears into your guts, the world fades away and you stand before the Black Gates of Death. Among the throngs of suffering souls, you spot Lord Hwyn, that sickly cur. It looks like all his ill deals caught up with him at last. He spots you across the bleak gulf and you feel the chill of his hunger in your very soul. Take your Last Breath.
Sparrow: Heavy. I got a 9.
GM: Death appears to you, wisps of black cloth dancing around his shadowy form. A pale hand touches your face. You hear his voice in your mind. “Come to me so soon, pretty Sparrow? You follow a river of souls, sent here by your blade. I do so love you for them. I’ll return you to the world, but you must make me a promise. In shadow you dwell, so shadow you shall become. Shun the light of day forever or find a quick trip back to my company. What do you say, little thief?”
Sparrow: (gulp)
When you make a move while carrying weight you may be encumbered. If your weight carried is:
A PC’s load stat is determined by their class and Str. Being able to haul more is a clear benefit when trying to carry treasure out of a dungeon or just making sure you can bring along what you need.
This move only applies to things a person could walk around with and still act. Carrying a boulder on your back is not encumbrance—you can’t really act or move much with it. It affects what moves you can make appropriately in the fiction.
When you settle in to rest consume a ration. If you’re somewhere dangerous decide the watch order as well. If you have enough XP you may level up. When you wake from at least a few uninterrupted hours of sleep heal damage equal to half your max HP.
You usually make camp so that you can do other things, like prepare spells or commune with your god. Or, you know, sleep soundly at night. Whenever you stop to catch your breath for more than an hour or so, you’ve probably made camp.
Staying a night in an inn or house is making camp, too. Regain your hit points as usual, but only mark off a ration if you’re eating from the food you carry, not paying for a meal or receiving hospitality.
When you’re on watch and something approaches the camp roll+Wis. ✴On a 10+, you’re able to wake the camp and prepare a response, everyone in the camp takes +1 forward. ✴On a 7–9, you react just a moment too late; your companions in camp are awake but haven’t had time to prepare. They have weapons and armor but little else. ✴On a miss, whatever lurks outside the campfire’s light has the drop on you.
When you travel through hostile territory, choose one member of the party to act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and one to be quartermaster. Each character with a job to do rolls+Wis. ✴On a 10+:
✴On a 7–9, each role performs their job as expected: the normal number of rations are consumed, the journey takes about as long as expected, no one gets the drop on you but you don’t get the drop on them either.
You can’t assign more than one job to a character. If you don’t have enough party members, or choose not to assign a job, treat that job as if it had been assigned and the responsible player had rolled a 6.
Distances in Dungeon World are measured in rations. A ration is the amount of supplies used up in a day. Journeys take more rations when they are long or when travel is slow.
A perilous journey is the whole way between two locations. You don’t roll for one day’s journey and then make camp only to roll for the next day’s journey, too. Make one roll for the entire trip.
This move only applies when you know where you’re going. Setting off to explore is not a perilous journey. It’s wandering around looking for cool things to discover. Use up rations as you camp and the GM will give you details about the world as you discover them.
When you reach the end of a session, choose one of your bonds that you feel is resolved (completely explored, no longer relevant, or otherwise). Ask the player of the character you have the bond with if they agree. If they do, mark XP and write a new bond with whomever you wish.
Once bonds have been updated look at your alignment. If you fulfilled that alignment at least once this session, mark XP. Then answer these three questions as a group:
For each “yes” answer everyone marks XP.
When you have downtime (hours or days) and XP equal to (or greater than) your current level+7, you can reflect on your experiences and hone your skills.
When you return triumphant and throw a big party, spend 100 coins and roll +1 for every extra 100 coins spent. ✴On a 10+, choose 3. ✴On a 7–9, choose 1. ✴On a miss, you still choose one, but things get really out of hand (the GM will say how).
You can only carouse when you return triumphant. That’s what draws the crowd of revelers to surround adventurers as they celebrate their latest haul. If you don’t proclaim your success or your failure, then who would want to party with you anyway?
When you go to buy something with gold on hand, if it’s something readily available in the settlement you’re in, you can buy it at market price. If it’s something special, beyond what’s usually available here, or non-mundane, roll+Cha. ✴On a 10+, you find what you’re looking for at a fair price. ✴On a 7–9, you’ll have to pay more or settle for something that’s not exactly what you wanted, but close. The GM will tell you what your options are.
When you do nothing but rest in comfort and safety after a day of rest you recover all your HP. After three days of rest you remove one debility of your choice. If you’re under the care of a healer (magical or otherwise) you heal a debility for every two days of rest instead.
When you put out word that you’re looking to hire help, roll:
✴On a 10+, you’ve got your pick of a number of skilled applicants, your choice who you hire, no penalty for not taking them along. ✴On a 7–9, you’ll have to settle for someone close to what you want or turn them away. ✴On a miss someone influential and ill-suited declares they’d like to come along (a foolhardy youth, a loose-cannon, or a veiled enemy, for example), bring them and take the consequences or turn them away. If you turn away applicants you take -1 forward to recruit.
When you return to a civilized place in which you’ve caused trouble before, roll+Cha. ✴On a 10+, word has spread of your deeds and everyone recognizes you. ✴On a 7–9, as above, and the GM chooses a complication:
This move is only for places where you’ve caused trouble, not every patch of civilization you enter. Being publicly caught up in someone else’s trouble still triggers this move.
Civilization generally means the villages, towns and cities of humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings but it can also apply to any relatively lawful establishment of monstrous species, such as orcs or goblins. If the PCs have stayed in a place as part of the community, it counts as civilization.
When you spend your leisure time in study, meditation, or hard practice, you gain preparation. If you prepare for a week or more, take 1 preparation. If you prepare for a month or longer, take 3 instead. When your preparation pays off spend 1 preparation for +1 to any roll. You can only spend one preparation per roll.
Dungeon World portrays a specific kind of fantasy adventure—one with elves and dwarves, heroes and villains, and characters struggling for riches and glory in a dangerous world. Maybe you’ve got an idea for something different—maybe your Dungeon World is set on a blasted desert planet, peopled by savage cannibals and ruled by haughty psychics. Or maybe you want to play a game where humans are the only race available, but they belong to clans or families as different from each other as a gnome is from a dwarf. All that is possible (and, in fact, encouraged) with a little effort. This chapter will explain how you can turn this Dungeon World into your Dungeon World.
The best place to start your journey into hacking Dungeon World is with the moves. Many of the fronts, dangers and other elements of your game will already contain custom moves, so it’s a natural, easy place to start. You might want to create moves to reflect the effects of some particular threat (“When you go alone into the Unhallowed Halls ”). You might create moves to cover something that’s particularly important to your setting (“When you swim in the dark waters ”). As you get more experienced you might create moves to expand a class or create your own class entirely.
Where do moves come from? You can start a move with the trigger. Some actions will just feel like they should be a move. This is the most common starting point for moves. You’ll see some action coming up and feel like it’s different enough from existing moves that it needs its own rules.
You can start with the effect. This is particularly useful for class moves. You know that casting a spell is something that the wizard does, so what triggers that effect?
Rarely, you can even start with the mechanics. Sometimes you’ll think of something cool, like a tamed demon whose happiness is a constantly varying stat, and go from there. Be wary of any idea that’s entirely mechanical. Since moves always start and end with the fiction, a mechanical idea is the least important bit of the move.
You can always use a move from another game, too. Dungeon World is just one of a handful of games that use moves and you might be inspired by one of those. It’s often not too difficult to modify an existing move for use in Dungeon World.
What role the move is fulfilling determines what kind of move you’re creating.
Moves for dealing with the environment or special features you’ve added to Dungeon World are special moves. These moves are usually the GM’s domain, a place to make parts of the world stand out. Since moves are always triggered by the players, most moves like this should be written or printed somewhere everyone can look them over unless the move covers something that the player characters wouldn’t have any idea about.
Moves that reflect some special competency or power, or something the players do, are usually class moves. If the move is clearly tied to a specific class, add it to that class. If the move is tied to some concept that multiple classes might have access to, like a move only accessible to those that have seen beyond Death’s Black Gates, you can create a compendium class for those moves. A compendium class is like a mini-class, it’s a collection of moves around a fictional theme. We’ll deal with them in more detail later.
If your move is something the players do but isn’t associated with any specific theme or class it’s probably a basic or special move. If it comes up all the time it’s a basic move, if it comes up more rarely it’s a special move.
Moves made by the players in response to monsters, such as the effects of a disease or pressing on despite a focused blast of wind from an air elemental, are player moves associated with that monster. Player moves associated with a monster are fairly rare, most of the ways a player will interact with a monster are covered by the basic and class moves.
Moves made by monsters against the players aren’t player moves at all. They’re monster moves, simple statements of what the monster does. Trying to make every monster move into a player move will seriously hamper your creativity.
Your Dungeon World is full of fantastic things, right? You’re likely to find that some of those fantastic things deserve or demand custom moves to reflect exactly what they do. Consider this one from Chris Bennet:
When you open a sewer hatch, roll+STR: ✴On a 10+, choose 2. ✴On a 7–9 choose 1.
This move is strong because it is tied strongly to a particular place at a particular time. This move was written by request for Jason Morningstar’s Dungeon World game as the players entered some particularly horrible sewers to find a powerful merchant’s daughter. Two of the options here are very directly tied to that precise situation.
Why would you write this move instead of just using defy danger? You wouldn’t, always. Opening a pressurized sewer hatch is certainly dangerous, you could use defy danger. This move does have the advantage of setting up the choices ahead of time. This is actually a very strong technique: if there’s a particular situation that is likely to cause defy danger, you can write a custom move that describes the tough choice to be made to save yourself some thinking in the moment.
The other strength of moves like this is they call out something as important. By making the trigger “when you open a sewer hatch” instead of “when you act despite an imminent threat” the move calls out that these sewers are always dangerous.
Each class has enough moves to take it through tenth level but that doesn’t mean you can’t add more. Adding moves to a class can demonstrate your idea of Dungeon World. Take this one, for example:
When you claim a room for your deity, mark every entrance and roll+WIS: ✴On a 10+, the room is peacebonded: no one can take action to cause physical harm within it. ✴On a 7–9, the room is peacebonded, but the show of divine power draws attention. You can dismiss the peacebond as you see fit.
This move presents a slightly different side of Dungeon World, one that can demand peace (something that usually doesn’t come easily to PCs). This may not be right for every Dungeon World game, but it’s a great way to show how your Dungeon World looks, reflected in the characters.
When adding a move, look carefully at what class it belongs to. Avoid giving a class moves that infringe on another class’s areas of expertise. If the thief can cast spells just as well as the wizard the wizard is likely to feel marginalized. This is why the multiclass moves act as one level lower, so that each class’s niche is somewhat protected.
Be careful with any move that provides the same benefit as an existing move even if the trigger is different. Moves that add to damage, in particular, should be avoided for the most part unless carefully crafted with interesting triggers. The same is true of moves that add to armor. The classes at present have damage and armor increases that reflect the overall danger of Dungeon World. Giving them more can negate potential threats.
Once you’ve gotten your feet wet creating new moves and customizing the classes in Dungeon World, you’ll likely notice something. A class is just a collection of themed moves that work together to create a certain set of abilities and qualities that give the class their unique feel. If you’re up for it, creating a new class is the next natural step along the way.
Your first consideration should be how the class relates to the existing classes. No character exists in isolation, so you should think carefully about why this class is different.
An excellent first step to creating a new class is to think about what fictional characters you’d like to take inspiration from. Don’t slavishly follow what that fictional character can do (after all, they weren’t in Dungeon World) but use them as a guide for what’s so cool about that character.
The inspirations for the classes in this book are fairly clear, and made clearer by the notes in the margins. Note that not every inspiration is taken entirely: the wizards of Discworld inspired the slightly pompous style of the wizard, but the wizard is far more competent and casts spells more like a wizard from Vance’s Dying Earth. The inspiration is one of style, not an attempt to recreate what a certain character could do in a certain book.
With a clear idea in mind you have a few basic steps that aren’t a concern when writing single moves: HP, Bonds, Look, equipment, alignment, races.
A class’s HP is some base+Constitution. Base HP is almost always 4, 6, 8, or 10. Having more HP than the fighter and paladin will take the spotlight away from those characters unless you’re careful. Having less HP than the wizard is probably character suicide. 4 base HP makes for a class that is deliberately fragile, they’ll need help from others when the swords come out. 6 base HP is for classes that aren’t ready to fight, but can at least take a hit. 8 base HP is enough to take some hits and get into combat a little, while 10 base HP is for skilled warriors and those who have no fear of battle.
Damage is chosen from the dice available: d4, d6, d8, d10. The classes presented here all use a single die with no static bonus, but there’s no reason not to experiment with other options: 2d4 or 1d6+2, for example. High HP and damage tend to go together, but your new class could be a pacifistic brick wall or a glass cannon—fragile but dangerous.
Alignments show the starting outlook of the class. Most classes will have Neutral as an option, since only the most dedicated classes are so tied up to an ideal that the self can’t come first. A good alignment move is something that happens with some regularity and guides the player to a particular type of action they might not otherwise consider. An alignment that happens as part of the normal course of play, like “When you gain treasure ,” doesn’t really show the character’s ideals. Adding some requirements, maybe “When you gain treasure through lies and deceit ,” adds an element of ideals. Now the alignment says something about the character (they prize pulling a con on the unsuspecting) and requires the player to think about how they play. Alignment is a telling fact about the class in the world, too. Everyone knows that paladins are supposed to be paragons of Good and Law, right?
Bonds are where the class’ outlook shines through. It’s the place where you, the designer, will most clearly interact with the player at character creation. Unless the class is particularly social or antisocial, write four bonds. If the class is very connected to others, add a bond; if they’re cloistered, remove one. Avoid bonds that dictate a moral or ethical stance but do think about how your class interacts with their allies—the thief steals things but helps protect the party from traps, the fighter defends his allies and kills monsters that might harm them, the wizard knows secret knowledge and shares or hoards it. You can use the rules for writing new bonds as a starting point, but avoid including proper names in starting bonds.
Look is largely left to your imagination. This is an excellent spot to think about your fictional inspiration. What did they look like? How could they look different? Including at least one choice about clothes helps establish style without making the player think about buying clothes.
The equipment choices should always include at least one weapon option and one armor option unless the class is clearly lacking in fighting skill. Dungeon rations are also pretty much required; a starting character without food going into a dangerous area borders on stupid.
A compendium class is a class only available to higher level characters who meet specific requirements. They’re called compendium classes because they first appeared in the Compendiums for Dungeon World Basic. A compendium class is the way to go for a concept that can be layered onto multiple other classes.
The basic structure of a compendium class is to have a starting move that is available only to characters who have had a certain experience, like this:
When you enter the bodily presence of a god or their avatar the next time you gain a level you can choose this move instead of a move from your class:
When you write a new bond, instead of using the name of another character you can use the name of a deity you’ve had contact with. Anytime a bond with a deity applies to the current situation you can mark it off (as if it was resolved) to call on the deity’s favor in a clear and decisive way that the GM describes. At the end of the session you then replace the marked off bond with a new one, with a deity or player character.
Note that the move is only available after the character has done a specific thing, and even then only at their next level. Compendium classes are best when they rely on what the character has done, not stat prerequisites or anything that happens without the player’s action. A compendium class that is available to anyone who just gained 5th level doesn’t stand for much; one that only applies if you’ve been to Death’s Black Gates and lived to tell the tale is more interesting.
A compendium class also usually has 2–3 moves that can be taken only if the starting move is taken. These are just like normal class moves, just with the requirement that you have to have already taken the starting compendium class move.
Compendium classes are ideal for concepts that don’t quite inspire a full class. If you can’t think of what the class looks like or how much HP it has, or if the class overlaps with existing classes, it’s probably better as a compendium class.
Adventure moves deal directly with the adventure underway. They can move the action along, change the rewards, or transition from one adventure to another.
If you’re running a short game, maybe at a convention or game day, you may find that you want to front-load the experience a little more. Here’s a move that covers “the adventure so far” so that you can get straight into a short game in media res.
Stalwart Fighter: As if the bandits weren’t bad enough! As if all the sword wounds, bruises and beatings at the hands of your enemies were insufficient—now this. Trapped underground with your adventuring companions when all you wanted was to return to the town and spend your well-earned bounty. No such luck, warrior. Sharpen that sword! Certainly, the others will need your protecting before safety is found. Just like last time. Once more into the breach, right? I swear, one of these fellows must owe you a favor or two by now
Have a look around and roll+CHA. ✴On a 10+, choose two party members. ✴On a 7–9, choose just one. ✴On a 6-, you’re surrounded by ingrates.
At a moment of need, you can cash in a favor owed you by one of the party members chosen. They must change their action to one of your choosing, once. You may not give them an action that would involve them directly taking damage, giving up a magic item they already own or coming to immediate harm. Use it to make them agree with you, or give you that extra ration you want, or giving you their slot in the loot lottery. Leverage is sweet.
The most important part of this move is not the roll or the effect, but the information and tone. It sets the stage for a quick adventure and gives the player reading it a starting point to work with. The roll and result here are interesting, but don’t greatly change the flow of the game. Handing out a set of these, one to each player, along with a playbook, is a great way to run a con game.
You can also adapt the End of Session move to reflect the adventure you’re running. When doing this it’s key that you show the players the new End of Session move. The goal isn’t to keep them in the dark about what earns XP, but to make the XP awards tie directly to this adventure.
When you end the session, instead of using the normal end of session questions, use these:
Moves always follow a similar structure. The most basic parts of a move are the trigger (“when ”) and the effect (“then ”). Every move follows this basic format.
Triggers are often fictional actions undertaken by the player characters but they can also be part of character creation or trigger at the beginning or end of a session. Note that a trigger never deals with precise units of time. Don’t write a move that begins “When you start a round adjacent to a dragon.” There’s no rounds (and adjacent is maybe not the best phrasing, as it sounds removed from the fiction of standing next to a damned fire-breathing dragon). Prepare Spells isn’t “When you spend one hour studying your spellbook” for good reason. Time in Dungeon World is a bit fluid, like in a movie where pacing depends on the circumstances. Don’t rely on concrete units either around the table (rounds) or in the fiction (seconds, minutes, days).
Here are some broad types of triggers:
Moves effects can be anything you can think of; they are as limitless as your ideas. Don’t feel constrained to making rolls, +1 bonuses, and swapping stats. Since all moves flow from the fiction, a fictional effect like “They treat you as a friend” is just as powerful and useful as +1 forward—maybe more so.
Here are some broad types of effects, any given move may use more than one of them:
Moves can also change the basic structure of the game. Consider this one, to avoid the use of damage dice:
When you would deal damage, instead of rolling the dice, substitute each dice with the listed number. d4 becomes 2, d6 becomes 3, d8 becomes 4, d10 becomes 5, d12 becomes 6.
Moves like this change one of the basic features of the game. Be very careful with moves that muck with the fundamentals. Moves should never contradict the GM’s principles or agenda, or break the basic “take the action to gain the effect” rule.
There are some parts of the game that are exceptionally easy to change. The amount of XP to level reflects our view, but you can easily make leveling more or less rare. As well, the kinds of things players are awarded XP for can be easily changed—if your game isn’t about exploring, fighting monsters and finding treasure, change the End of Session move to reflect that difference. Make sure to share it with your players before you start the game.
Another basic that’s occasionally asked for is a way to make, say, fighting a dragon harder. The best answer here is that fighting a dragon is harder because the dragon is fictionally stronger. Just stabbing a dragon with a normal blade isn’t hack and slash because a typical blade can’t hurt it. If, however, that isn’t enough, consider this move from Vincent Baker, originally from Apocalypse World (reworded slightly to match Dungeon World rules):
When a player makes a move and the GM judges it especially difficult, the player takes -1 to the roll. When a player’s character makes a move and the GM judges it clearly beyond them, the player takes -2 to the roll.
The problem with this move is that the move no longer reflects anything concrete. Instead, the move is a prompt for the GM to make judgment calls with no clear framework. If you find yourself writing this custom move, consider what difficulty you’re really trying to capture and make a custom move for that instead. That said, this is a valid custom move, if you feel it’s needed.
Let’s look at how one move developed over time. Hack and slash was one of the earliest Dungeon World moves, originally written by Tony Dowler. The first version looked like this (this version has been reformatted and edited for grammar only):
When you wade into combat, attacking your enemies, deal damage to the enemy you’re attacking, take that enemy’s damage, and roll+Str. ✴On a 10+, choose 2. ✴On a 7–9 choose 1.
The first problem with this move is that one of the options, preventing damage, is far less useful than the others. Being able to outright kill an enemy is nearly always better than preventing that enemy from doing damage. The first major revision was to drop that option:
When you wade into combat, attacking your enemies, deal damage to the enemy you’re attacking, take that enemy’s damage, and roll+Str. ✴On a 10+ choose 2. ✴On a 7–9 choose 1.
This left only three options which is a great number of options to have when a 10+ lets you pick two. The player making the move always had to not choose one option. All of the options are also clearly useful. But there’s still an issue, easily the biggest issue with this move: the fictional action doesn’t tightly relate to the outcome.
Consider this situation: Gregor attacks an eagle lord with his mighty axe. He describes his fictional action: “I swing my axe right down on his wing with a big overhead chop.” Then he rolls the move, gets a 10, and makes his choices. Max damage is a clear choice and comes right from the fiction. The other options, however, don’t make much sense. If he chooses to divide his damage, how does that flow from his one fictional attack? How did that one chop also hit the treant behind him?
Scoping down the fictional effect of the move lead to this version:
When you attack an enemy who can defend themselves, roll+Str. ✴On a 10+, you deal your damage but your enemy does not get to deal theirs to you. If you choose, you can take your enemy’s damage and deal double damage to the enemy. ✴On a 7–9, you take the enemy’s damage and deal your damage.
Here the move now has only the effects that could clearly follow from a single attack. Any action that couldn’t reasonably lead to a counterattack isn’t hack and slash, so now the trigger matches the effects. Unfortunately double damage was a bit much, so we changed it to this:
When you attack an enemy in melee, roll+Str. ✴On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and take their damage. ✴On a 10+ you deal your damage to the enemy. You can choose to also take the enemy’s damage to deal +2 damage.
+2 damage is a clear advantage, but not a game breaker. The only problem here is that it reduced the effects of an attack to taking damage. Monsters do so much more than just take away your HP; monsters hurl you about the room and destroy the ground you stand on, why can’t they do that in response?
When you attack an enemy in melee, roll+Str. ✴On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage but expose yourself to the enemy’s attack. ✴On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against you.
This version (the final one) allows a monster to “attack” not just deal damage. That opens up a whole host of interesting monster moves to be used. +1d6 damage instead of +2 makes the choice more exciting (and slightly more powerful). The rewording adds clarity.
Changing the GM’s side of the rules is an entirely different beast from writing custom player moves. Writing GM moves is the easy part. Since a GM move is just a statement of something that fictionally happens, feel free to write new ones as you please. Most of the time you’ll find they’re just specific cases of one of the moves already established, but occasionally you’ll come across something new. Just keep in mind the spectrum of hard to soft moves, your principles, and your agenda, and you’ll be fine.
Changing the GM’s agenda or principles is one of the biggest changes you can make to the game. Changing these areas will likely require changes throughout the rest of the game, plus playtesting to nail it all down.
Play to find out what happens is the least changeable part of the GM’s agenda. Other options, like “play towards your set plot” or “play to challenge the players’ skills” will be resisted pretty strongly by the other rules. The moves give the players abilities that can change the course of an planned adventure quite quickly; if you’re not playing to find out what happens you’ll have to resist the moves at every step or rewrite many of them.
Fill the characters’ lives with adventure could be rephrased, but it’s hard to really change. “Fill the characters’ lives with intrigue” might work, but intrigue just seems like a type of adventure. Removing this agenda entirely will require major reworking since the move structure is based on this. The effects of a miss and the GM’s soft moves are all there to create a life of adventure.
Portraying a fantastic world is maybe the easiest to change but it still requires considerable rewriting of the class moves. A historical world, a grim world, or a utopian world are all possible, but you’ll need to carefully rethink many moves. A historical world will require magic, equipment, and several other sections to be nearly entirely rewritten or removed. A grim world can only survive if the players’ moves come with darker costs. A utopian world won’t need many of the moves as written. Still, this is the easiest part of the agenda to change, since it requires changing the moves, not the basic structures of the game.
The GM’s principles are more mutable than the agenda but still can seriously change the game with only minor modifications. Address the characters, not the players; Make your move, but misdirect; Never speak the name of your move; Begin and end with the fiction; and Be a fan of the characters are the most important principles. Without these the conversation of play and the use of moves is likely to break down.
Embrace the fantastic; Give every monster life; Name every person; Think Dangerous; and Give them something to work towards are key to the spirit of Dungeon World and fantasy exploration. These are changeable, but they amount to changing the setting of the game. If you want to change any of these, you may have to make changes to all of them.
Leave Blanks; Sometimes, let them decide; and Ask questions and use the answers are important to running Dungeon World well. They also apply to many other games in the same style. The game will be diminished without them, but the conversation of play will continue. These are also some of the most portable principles, applicable to many other games. They may even work in games with very different play styles.
An additional principle that some people prefer to add is Test their bonds. This principle is entirely compatible with the others and with all the moves, but it changes the focus of the game somewhat. Fronts need to be rethought to work fully with this, and you might need to add moves that speak to it.
The easiest place to modify monsters is in the questions used to create them. The simplest changes have to do with adjusting lethality or randomness to your liking.
A more interesting change is to change the questions being asked to present a different view of monsters. The views built into the questions imply that monsters are more or less like other creatures: they can be of many alignments and won’t always be opposed to the player characters. If you want to make Dungeon World about hunting down evil monsters and destroying them, you might rewrite some of the questions, maybe adding this:
The monster is Evil through and through. Choose one to reflect why it’s evil:
When creating new monster questions you can either reinterpret existing monsters by answering the questions for them again or only use the new questions for new monsters. If the new questions you add or change are key to your vision of Dungeon World it’s best to redo all the monsters you use; if the question only applies to a specific kind of monster anyway you can just use it for new monsters.
For the purposes of these multiclass moves the cleric’s commune and cast a spell count as one move. Likewise for the wizard’s spellbook, prepare Spells, and cast a Spell.
When you first select a multiclass move that grants you the ability to cast spells you prepare and cast spells as if you had one level in the casting class. Every additional time you level up you increase the level you prepare and cast spells at by one.
When Ajax gains 3rd level he takes Multiclass Dabbler to get Commune and Cast a Spell from the Cleric class. He casts and prepares spells like a first level Cleric: first level spells and rotes only, a total of 2 levels of spells prepared. When he later gains 4th level, he prepares and casts spells as a second level Cleric.
Treat the areas of your lore like books. Is the upwards-flowing waterfall you just came across something important that would be covered in a book or college course called “On Spells and Magicks?” If so, your Bardic Lore of that name applies.
If you care enough to ask a question about it then it’s probably important. Don’t second guess yourself: if you care enough to want to know more about it then it has some importance.
Speaking frankly means you really are being open with them, not just giving the appearance of openness. It’s your true sincerity that puts others at ease and lets you get information out of them; if you’re trying to maintain a lie at the same time you won’t get very far.
Of course, the creature you effect must have some way of harming your target of choice. Spurring a wolf into a frenzy to attack the eagle lord circling above doesn’t do any good, the wolf doesn’t have a way to attack it.
Acting on the answers can mean acting against them or taking advantage of them. Either way you take +1 forward.
If you like you can prepare the same spell more than once.
It’s up to the creativity of your deity (and the GM) to communicate as much as possible through the motions and gestures of your deity’s symbol. You don’t get visions or a voice from heaven, just some visual cue of what your deity would have you do (even if it’s not in your best interest).
Casting Magic Weapon on the same weapon again has no effect. No matter how many times you cast it on the same weapon it’s still just magic +1d4 damage.
That said, even a weak enchantment is nothing to be scoffed at. Having a magic weapon may give you an advantage against some of the stranger beasts of Dungeon World, ghosts and the like. The exact effects depend on the monster and circumstances, so make the most of it.
Treating the zombie as your character means you make moves with its stats based on the fiction, just like always. Unless its brain is functioning on its own, the zombie can’t do much besides follow the last order it was given, so you’d better stay close. Even if its brain works it’s still bound to follow your orders.
The base description you choose is just a description. Choosing a spear doesn’t give you Close range, for example. You could choose a spear as the description, then Hand as the range. Your spear is something special, or your technique with it is different, just describe why your weapon has the tags you’ve chosen.
The exact nature of the spirits (and therefore what knowledge they can offer to you) is up to you and the GM to decide. Maybe they’re dead ancestors, echoes of people you’ve slain, or a minor demon. Up to you.
Armor and shields that are reduced to 0 armor are effectively destroyed. You’ll pretty much be paying for a new one anyway, so you might as well drop them and haul out some gold instead.
Your +1 forward applies to anything you do based on your knowledge of the spell’s effects: defying it, defending against it, using it to your advantage, etc.
Your bonuses only apply when your animal is doing something it’s trained in. An animal not trained to attack monsters won’t be any help when you’re attacking an otyugh.
Reducing armor until they repair it means that they lose armor until they do something that compensates for your damage. If you’re fighting an armored knight that might mean a fresh suit of armor, but for a thick-hided ogre it’s until they’ve had time to heal up (or protect the wound you left).
In order to make more doses of your chosen poison you need to be reasonably able to gather the required materials. If you’re locked up at the top of a tower you’re not going to be able to get the materials you need.
In order to use this move it’s really got to be your most valuable possession. It’s the honest value you place on it that draws others, no lies.
Your disguise covers your appearance and any basics like accents and limps. It doesn’t grant you any special knowledge of the target, so if someone asks you what your favorite color is you’d better think fast. Defying danger with CHA is a common part of maintaining a disguise.
You can prepare the same spell more than once if you like.
Maximizing the effects of a spell is simple for spells that involve a roll: a maximized Magic Missile does 8 damage. In other cases it’s down to the circumstances. A maximized Identify might result in far more information than expected. If there’s no clear way to maximize it you can’t choose that option.
Likewise for doubling the targets. If the spell doesn’t have targets you can’t choose to double them.
The exact effects depend on the circumstances. A goblin orkaster’s spell might just be ended, while a deity’s consecration is probably just dimmed. The GM will tell you the likely effects of Dispelling a given effect before you cast.
“Nearby”depends on context; a few paces or so in an open space, considerably more in an enclosed room. Be careful!.
In some cases the GM may choose the last option more than once to list each unexpected benefit or weakness.
The exact type of monster you get is up to the GM, based on your choices. If you want a non-reckless swimming creature you might get a water elemental, a 1d8 damage +2 Str creature might be a barbed devil. Whatever the creature is you still get to play it.