The OOC Tavern

[KingOfCowards]

Oh, good! I was going to wait for Bedwyr's two cents. I think we're on the same page. Grezz dies first.

[mb.]

Guys, it's been 4 or 5 days since we heard from Aziza. I just PMed her player, so let's please press pause and wait until I know what's up with her. Thanks and sorry for the delay just as the sh*t has hit the fan!

[Kanye Westeros]

Sorry for any delays, work's been busy, and I wasn't sure if I needed to go yet.
It's late, and I'm on my way to bed, but I'll get a post up first thing tomorrow.

[Pulpatoon]

No worries. We all get a face full of real life once in a while.

[Spartakos]

No probs...but your move kinda overlapped my plan. You're gonna grab the fiery-gem thing, whereas I was going to toss Grezz into it.
I'll wait to see the outcome of your move first, methinks.

[Kanye Westeros]

Oh crap, I didn't realize.

[mb.]

Actually, considering that Aziza stayed crouched on the stairs while Bedwyr & Boggs charged into the room, I think she'll be waiting for Bedwyr's move to be resolved.

[mb.]

A crazy few days. I'm working on a catch up post right now guys. Sorry for the delay.

[mb.]

Another apology. I haven't had the time or focus to write a wrap-up, which is about where we're at.

I'll do it as soon as possible, and we can see where we're at after that.

[Kanye Westeros]

Sounds good, but it's totally understandable that things slow down for all of us around the holidays.

[mb.]

So I'm back home and more or less settled, so there are a couple new posts up for you guys!

Merry Christmas by the way.

[KingOfCowards]

Hi mb.
I know you are just getting settled back in. But I think I will be leaving this game after the first adventure is over. I don't think its anything about you as the DM, but probably just my comfort level with this gaming system. I guess Dungeon World isn't for everyone, and I have become very busy in a series of other campaigns that I am taking part in. Best of luck in whatever you do.

[mb.]

Well, we're almost there. Let's wrap it up, and see what everyone else wants to do after that.

It's been fun, and I'm glad to have had you in the game KoC!

[Pulpatoon]

While we're reviewing and leveling up our characters, I wonder if it would be appropriate to rewrite our bonds? I feel like the Bonds I wrote to start out with were more long term approaches to relating to another character, and I didn't really think of them as things that needed to be resolved.

Now that I know my character, the other characters, and the game a smidge better, could I rewrite 'em? Or, should I put effort into actively resolving the bonds that I have at present?

Not that I'm trying to scrounge XP, or anything, since I one trip to the apothecary's away from leveling up again.

[Kanye Westeros]

Don't know mb's position on it, but that's never been a
Big deal in games I've seen.

[mb.]

Pulp, bonds are not necessarily things that have to be resolved. It's not a goal, just something that sometimes happens.

Your bond with Aziza for example, Aziza is keeping an important secret from me could be resolved when she shows or tells you something interesting about her people, but it isn't something that needs to happen at any particular time. On the other hand, it's something you could try and force through roleplay, by asking her questions for example.

I don't really see any need to rewrite them so that they're resolved easier, but if you feel like rewriting them in general because you now understand your character better, be my guest.

[mb.]

As I said when we started back on July 1st (yes, it's been that long!) this is my first go at PbP GMing and Dungeon World GMing too, and I wanted to try it out and not demand any too long term commitment from anyone. Now that we've wrapped up the simple adventure I had in mind, I'd like us all to take stock and see if we want to continue, and if so, how. I know you're ready to step out Boggs, but I'd still appreciate your feedback, especially regarding #3 below.

I'd first of all like all of you to answer a few questions:

1. Firstly, and most importantly, have you enjoyed the game so far, and are you happy to continue?
2. Have you enjoyed Dungeon World as a system? Is there anything you found confusing, annoying or otherwise problematic?
3. Do you have any feedback on how I've run the game? Were there situations or challenges you'd like more or less of? Especially mention things I could improve, and be honest and say whatever you think - I'd like to improve wherever I can.

For my side of that, I've enjoyed playing with you guys and am very happy to continue. I think DW is well suited to PbP in that it's mostly about the fiction and allows players to resolve their own rolls, keeping things moving along nicely. But of course you don't have to agree with me. Please be honest and feel free to bow out of the game if that's what you'd prefer. No hard feelings.

[Pulpatoon]

I've enjoyed it tremendously, and am eager to continue. I've been a little slow adapting to the specifics of DW, and am really still treating it as D&D with different die rolls. But I bought a bunch of pdfs, and am enjoying reading them (specifically, I'm reading Truncheon World, having found the actual DW document overly verbose), and think I'll be able to hold the reins a bit more firmly in the future.

I'm liking the DW system quite a lot. It really should be required reading for all GM's, no matter the system you're playing. Just chock-a-block with solid GM'ing advice. Like I say, I still haven't entirely clicked into how to make best use of it as a player, but I'm getting there.

Looking to the future: I'm excited to have leveled Oelle up and want to see him continue to advance. I also want to try out a bunch of different characters—what would it be like to play a fire-and-brimstone cleric? Or to cobble together a new race (I have a sudden hankering to play an onocentaur)? I guess I just need to find some more DW games to play in.

In my own game, I've resolved to stay out of dungeons for awhile. Dungeons lend themselves to a very linear, reactive playstyle, and this seems to drag down PbP play. I'm sure there's a way to do dungeons right, but I haven't wrapped my head around it quite yet. Not to say you're in the same boat—just sharing where my head is at.

Also, I think I made a mistake in making Oelle quite so timid. The game is a lot more fun when your character is willing to risk his neck. I think, after this experience, Oelle will find the University a bit staid and stifling, and have a little more derring do on the next adventure.

I'm very curious about what the connection with the city authorities and the demon's activities. I'd like to follow up on the note found on the dead elf. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of the world, too—other cities, and whatnot.

[Kanye Westeros]

I'd first of all like all of you to answer a few questions:

1. Firstly, and most importantly, have you enjoyed the game so far, and are you happy to continue?
2. Have you enjoyed Dungeon World as a system? Is there anything you found confusing, annoying or otherwise problematic?
3. Do you have any feedback on how I've run the game? Were there situations or challenges you'd like more or less of? Especially mention things I could improve, and be honest and say whatever you think - I'd like to improve wherever I can.

1. I've been enjoying the game a lot, though there may have been some small rough patches. I am definitely eager to continue.
2. I was brought into this game entirely on the basis of my love for DW!
3. Feedback: I think you're doing a great job, you're working with a couple handicaps already
-PBP is not the most ideal (even though DW is better for it than others, the fit is still not perfect)
-All of us are older, and because of life stuff posting can slow down and be sparse (which I'm entirely used to and ok with, pbp is the only gaming I can do these days so I'm just happy to be playing)
I know that there's been times where my concept of what's appropriate and yours have clashed, but overall I chock that up simply to differences in flavor, and those should minimize as we go along and get a better feel for each other as players and gm.

As for advice, I have had a lot of fun leaving a lot more up to players (especially effective if you find yourself stuck for what or who should happen next)
like turning a question back onto the player (what's about to happen? you tell me)
You can get a lot of mileage out of that, which also promotes a lot more investment in both the world and story when players are doing that.

Also, you can be a lot more pro-active (the DW book is bad at explaining this) The GM moves are really for anytime you want to use them. There are times when you should definitely use them (on a 6- when a move is rolled) but you are never limited to this. Even with damage as long as it follows from the story.

Really, there's a simply excellent fanmade guide for running DW (or really any pbta game) that helped me tremendously when I first started this game. It's also a great resource for new players with more experience in other games who don't quite feel comfortable that they 'get' what's going on.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/326 ... %201.2.pdf
Sourced here:
http://dungeon-world.com/downloads/

[Spartakos]

Firstly, and most importantly, have you enjoyed the game so far, and are you happy to continue?

Well, it's been an interesting and (mostly) fun experience, but I think I'm also going to bow out. Dungeon World just tries to fit in between my love of crunchy games and my love of RP, but ends up not satisfying either niche...not enough rules for crunchiness, and too many rules for proper freeform. I think when it comes to rules, I like "lots or none at all", to paraphrase the hobbit.

Have you enjoyed Dungeon World as a system? Is there anything you found confusing, annoying or otherwise problematic?

Honestly no. My enjoyment of the game has been more based on you and my fellow players than the system; I'd say I've had fun despite it, not because of it.
I'm not a major math nerd, but statistically, I don't like a 2d6 RNG; it's a short but fairly steep RNG, which means bonuses/penalties can rapidly push you off it. A 3 point bonus can push you from roughly 25% of hitting a number to roughly 75% (or vice versa). This means bonuses have to be kept relatively low....but this, it turn, combines poorly with DW's success numbers (with failure on 6 or less, and mixed success on 7-9).

Not to mention...you're a fairly good GM (in my entirely jaded opinion), but whole heaping tons of this game are pulled out of the GM's butthole, which makes the experience highly dependent on the DM's creativity. Opening it up to player creativity (as Kanye suggested) helps, but in general if we're going to be making a bunch of stuff up, I'd prefer not to bother about rules (or for that matter, have a GM...in that case, it's best to share authorial fiat equally).

Most (or all) of the above is my own personal opinion; but in general, I think DW just isn't for me. Which is a shame, because if I were playing Bedwyr using GURPS or HERO or even some variant of D&D, I think I'd have a lot of fun.

Do you have any feedback on how I've run the game? Were there situations or challenges you'd like more or less of? Especially mention things I could improve, and be honest and say whatever you think - I'd like to improve wherever I can.

I don't have any right this second...I'm a little busy now, between real life and my other games, but I'll try to flip back through and offer any pointers or kudos or anything.

For my side of that, I've enjoyed playing with you guys and am very happy to continue. I think DW is well suited to PbP in that it's mostly about the fiction and allows players to resolve their own rolls, keeping things moving along nicely. But of course you don't have to agree with me. Please be honest and feel free to bow out of the game if that's what you'd prefer. No hard feelings.

I did have fun, and no hard feelings on my part certainly. Y'all seem like a good bunch, and if I ever get my other D&D game up and running on here, I'll drop you a line, if that's your kind of thing.